City Council - Regular Meeting

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Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. Good to see so many folks in here. I call to order today's meeting of the Boston City Council. Viewers can watch the council meeting live on YouTube at boston.gov backslash city dash council dash TV. At this time, I ask my colleagues and those in the audience to please silence their cell phones and electronic devices. Also pursuant to rule 42, I remind all in the chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted. Thank you. Mr. Clerk, will you please take a roll call vote to ascertain the presence of a quorum?

Councillor Braden.

Here.

Councillor Colletta Zapata. Here. Councillor Culpepper. Here. Councillor Durkan. Here. Councillor Fitzgerald.

Here.

Councillor Flynn.

Here.

Councillor Louisianne. Here. Councillor Mejia. Here. Councillor Murphy. Here. Councillor Pepin. Here. Councillor Santana. Here. Councillor Webber. Here. And Councillor Worrell. A quorum is brought.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. I've been informed by the clerk that a quorum is present. I'll now ask the clerk to offer some brief remarks as an invocation before we start our meeting. And then following that, we'll have the Pledge of Allegiance.

Good afternoon, everyone. Please stand. Now may the spirit that leads us in our search for truth and justice, that spirit has impelled men and women to devote life and fortune to public service. Beyond hope of fame or pull of pride, may that spirit be alive and renewed in them today as they continue to do the good work of the people of Boston. Amen. the regions to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have one presentation this afternoon. Councillor Louis-Jeanne is recognising Eddie Crispin's retirement. Councillor Louis-Jeanne, would you like to come forward and have your guest with you, your honoree? Is he here?

Oh, there he is, good man. Come on up.

Good morning, everyone. This is an incredibly bittersweet moment because for many of us who have known Eddie for years, we know that he does everything with fight and with heart. And he has been a public servant here in our city and leading on our police force for decades. I know that I don't want to see him go. I know that there are many people here in this chambers who do not want to see him go. But Eddie must do what's best for Eddie.

Jordan. Welcome. Come on up.

This is just one of the celebrations celebrating Eddie. We surprised him a few weeks ago with the retirement party, and Councilor Mejia was there, and Councilor Worrell, and so many others to say thank you, Eddie, for always putting people and always putting community first. You've given your heart to this city. leading MAMLEO, Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, leading HALAC, the Haitian Association of Law Enforcement Community here. There are so many people in this room and out of this room who owe a debt of gratitude to you for your mentorship, to how much you make sure that we are thinking and always doing the work of community policing and really centering the needs of all of our residents. There are so many meetings where you have been such an integral role, whether we're talking about needs in the Haitian community, needs in the black community, needs in our city at large. And so whether as a deputy superintendent or as sergeant, your leadership has been palpable. I don't know if there's anybody who really is doing the work in the city of Boston who doesn't know you and who can't pay tribute to how much of your heart has been on the line in this work of policing. We know that this is not goodbye. We know that you are still going to be centered in the work. At the reception earlier, Sister Virginia was talking about your board membership of Gulf Hall and DC and how you have really just always been about the people, not about all the optics or anything, but just really, truly about the work as you raised two wonderful children. But the people who wanted to show up for you are the people who know your spirit, who know your character. and who are, like me, sad to see you go. And you've made this job for me a lot easier. Whenever I had issues or questions, you were one of the first calls, especially if it had to do with policing. And I'm sad that that won't be the same, but we'll be talking about other things and making sure that the spirit of the work, the spirit of social justice continues. It's not easy. I know that it wasn't easy, the path in the Boston Police Department. And it still isn't easy. But you have made it a lot easier for so many people. And that's what leadership is. And that's what courage is. I just want to thank you on behalf of the city council, on behalf of community, on behalf of the Haitian community. I know folks who are here from Mamlio, what you've done for black officers in the city in terms of advancement, what you've done to make sure that we weren't just in the room, but that we were making decisions in the room. I'm grateful for you. I have this resolution that says, resolution celebrating the retirement of Eddie Crispin. After more than three decades of extraordinary public service, leadership, and advocacy, Eddie Crispin is set to leave a lasting legacy in the city of Boston and throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And since his arrival in the United States from Haiti as a child, he has been guided by a deep commitment to justice that have defined not only his professional accomplishments, but the way he has shown up for family, colleagues, community, and the city. Whether it's through shaping the future of policing through your service on the Boston Police Reform Task Force and your appointment by Attorney General Andrea Campbell to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, you've had a statewide impact on police accountability and on reform. Your retirement is not only a moment to look back with gratitude, but also a moment to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter filled with family, joy, rest, and purpose. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Boston City Council extends its heartfelt congratulations to Eddie Crispin on his retirement, honors his decades of service, leadership, mentorship, advocacy, and integrity, celebrates the enduring legacy he has built in Boston and beyond, and offers its deepest gratitude and best wishes to him and his family as he begins this next chapter. I'm going to give you this. This framed photo, sorry, this is a framed photo, his last day on the, first day on the force and his last day. Wanted to make sure that we gave, you know, how far he's come. And thanks to Farouk, we have a certificate of special recognition, congressional recognition, presented to Sergeant Detective Eddie Crispin in recognition of a 27-year career dedicated to serving the people of Boston with integrity, compassion, and commitment to the community. So thank you. And along with my elected officials who are here, I'd also like to recognize Randolph Town Councilor Natasha Claget, who is here and with us.

absolutely I'll keep it short I just want to thank everybody who's showing up I want to thank my parents who unfortunately are not here but but for them I could not be here to approximately three years ago both of them passed within two days of each other but for them I could not stand here I want to thank this country I came here as a seven-year-old boy from Haiti I say my father gave me life twice gave me life when the birth me with my mother and the life that he gave me when I came here to the United States. I think it's important that I acknowledge all the things I received from this country. I want to thank the city of Boston for allowing me to serve, serve in the way that really spoke to who I am as a person. I think policing all too often, sometimes people come in and they think they have to fit into the role of being a police officer. For me, it was always about fitting, making sure that I remain true to who I was and I am and police in that way, right? I think oftentimes policing is a job. It's not who we are. I made sure that I never lost myself in policing. I think if we are really invested in changing policing as it historically has been, that we have to come in and be who we are. Not allow policing to change us into these historical notions of what a police officer is. Over the course of my 30 years of public service as a social worker, probation officer, not even counting the work I did when I was in college running a violence prevention program, tutoring mentoring program. I've been blessed to meet a lot of people, all of whom have impacted me in some way. And I think for me, one of the things I will continue to talk about, I talked about it briefly, was the work that we do in policing is policing. But the work that we need to do as a society really speaks to social engagement, pulling people in. One of the things that we never say, if somebody commits crime, we never say we don't have enough money to incarcerate them. Never. But we oftentimes say we don't have enough money to invest in families. I know as a social worker, I would walk into people's homes and I could already somewhat predict where these young people were going to be. And unfortunately, I've seen too many of those young people come in through the criminal justice system. I've seen them buried. I've seen them incarcerated. So I beseech, I beg of you to continue to do the work investing in people. While policing is important, but the work of investing in people is what really matters. If we do the work of investing in people, then they'll be less, we'll have to invest a lot less in policing. I don't want to stand here on a soapbox. I want to thank everybody who's here from the bottom of my heart. I know there are people who wanted to be here, couldn't because of life circumstances. And those people, I thank them, too, because we know people show up for us. They're people who have been incredibly impactful and helped me, especially over the last two years when I went through a tough time. This is not how I wanted it to finish, but this is the right way for me to finish. So I walk away without any regrets, without any consternation about who I am, how I behave as a police officer. There are a lot of things that I learned along the way. Of course, hindsight is 20-20. There's some things I would have done differently. Absolutely. But the things that really speak to who I am, who my parents taught me to be, there's nothing I would change. So I want to thank Councilor Louis-Jean for having this for me. I want to thank a lot of the other people, city councilors here. I was able to have deep, insightful conversations over the years. And my role as Manlio president, I want to thank Manlio because they really raised me. I came into policing with my own ideas about how I was going to be a change agent. But having interacted and talked to so many people, it's really changed who I am as an individual. And I hope that there are many other young people, leaders, who are going to take up that baton and take it a lot further than I ever could. And I hope to be able to support them. Thank you.

If I could have everyone who is here for Eddie come and my colleagues join us for a photo. And then afterwards, whoever wants, there's still cake back in the Pomonte room and goodies, so feel free to have that. But everyone who is here for Eddie, please come and join us for this photo. I don't know if stress makes you younger.

Really?

Okay.

Oh, no, please go ahead. Can you see Eddie?

He's the most important person in this picture. Make sure we're not blocking you. One of you. We good?

Thank you. I think we all are.

It's more of like, I just hope one of us have eyes on her, even though I don't, which is fine. This is how I feel, you know, for every single one of us.

Excuse me.

thank you so much

Yes. Oh, wow. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. All right.

Thank you, everyone. I want to wish Eddie Crispin continued success. I'm sure we're going to hear much more about his work in the future. I wish him all the best in his next chapter.

Thank you.

Our friends here.

I'll talk to y'all later, okay?

Hello councillor, good to see you too.

Thank you, everyone. I'd just like to recognise Councillor Charles Yancey, who's joined us this afternoon. Welcome. Good to see you. And also, Mr. Clerk, could you please amend the attendance record to reflect that Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Mejia and Councillor Worrell have joined us? Now on to the first order of business, which is the approval of the minutes from the meeting of July 8th, 2026. All in favor say aye. All those opposed say nay. The ayes have it. The minutes of the July 8th meeting are approved. We're now on to communications from her honor, the mayor. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket 1391?

Docket number 1391, message in order, authorizing the city of Boston. to accept and expend the amount of $12,855,000 in the form of a grant, Bloomberg Philanthropies Grant awarded by Bloomberg Philanthropies to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund the Skilled Trades Initiative which aims to enhance vocational training, expand pre-apprenticeship opportunities and support students' participation in registered apprenticeship programs. The initiative focuses on student persistence and completion, employer engagement and program coordination to build pathways in the construction industry, water utility management and other skilled trades. This will be administered in collaboration with Boston Public Schools.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Docket 1391 will be referred to the Committee on Labour and Economic Development. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1392 and 1393 together? Oh, the Chair recognises Councillor Durkan. Councillor, you have the floor. Oh, sorry, I think the Clerk needs to read it first. Yeah. Yeah. Mr. Clerk, the dockets were 1392 and 1393.

Mr. Docket number 1392, message and order authorising the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $810,000 from the Boston Planning and Development Agency for the Phillips Square project. And docket number 1393, message and order authorising the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $251,000 $708 in the form of a grant, Save America's Treasures, awarded by the National Park Service to be administered by the Office of Historic Preservation. The grant would fund an archeological assemblage that was excavated from the Parker Harris pottery site in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood for personal and maintenance costs on collections currently housed at the archeology laboratory and a consultant's fee.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councillor Durkan. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much. Docket 1392 is movement of $810,000 from the Planning Development Agency for the Phillips Square project. As you all know, we had a hearing recently, thanks to Councillor Flynn, about this project that is in his district. There has been extensive public process and public meetings in the Chinatown neighborhood, and we had a hearing where residents came and talked about how important this project is. With the support of my colleagues, I would like to ask for a suspend and pass of this. I know that this project is incredibly important to the Chinatown community. Thanks to Councillor Flynn's advocacy, there is an ask for this project to also be named after Tuni Lee. I want to give a chance for the District Councillor to speak to this project, and I ask for a suspend and pass today.

Thank you, Chair. I recognize Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you Madam Chair and thank you to Councillor Durkan for her work on this, for her work on the hearing and for moving this forward. This is a project initiated by the City of Boston Transportation Department with the tremendous advocacy and support of the Chinatown community and the Leather District community as well. to redesign the barricaded area of Harrison Avenue, known as Phillips Square, into a more welcoming and cooling opening space in a neighborhood impacted by the heat island effect. The project will include a plaza that intersects with Oxford Place, the childhood home of Toonie Lee. Chunyi Li was a widely respected and well-loved community leader, raised on Oxford Place in Boston's Chinatown. Chunyi Li had a long and influential career as an architect and urban planner, both as the Chief of Planning and Design at the Boston Redevelopment Authority and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in their Department of Urban Studies. Chunyi Li worked closely with many residents of Chinatown and the Leather District, such as Suzanne Lee and Lydia Lowe and others, to save working class neighborhoods and communities of color from destruction and demolition, as memorialized in the book People Before Highways. Tony Lee mentored multiple generations of urban planners and community activists across the globe I look forward to voting yes on this grant to honour Toonie Lee at Phillips Square.

So there's two dockets. We take the first docket first, and then you speak to the second one. Okay. Councillor Durkan, the chair of the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 1392. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1392?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Councillor Durkin, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Lujan, yes. Councillor Lujan, yes. Councillor Mejia, yes. Councillor Mejia, yes. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Pepin, yes. Councillor Pepin, yes. Councillor Santana, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. And Councillor Orrell, yes. Councillor Orrell, yes. Docket number 1392 has received 11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1392 has passed. Chair recognises Councillor Durkan, Chair of the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation.

Thank you so much, President Braden. This is an important grant that is going to fund an archaeological assemblage that was excavated from the Parker Harris pottery site in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood. I have spoken to the district counselor, and she is in support of this. This is for personal and maintenance costs on collections currently housed at the archaeological laboratory and a consultant fee. This grant will fund the Jack and Acton project, a three-year research project that will study 48,000 fragments of red earthenware ceramics recovered from 1914 to, sorry, 1714 to 1775, Parker Harris pottery site in Charlestown during the archeological excavations conducted ahead of the big dig in the 1980s. The Parker Workshop was a domestic manufacturer of ceramics in the Northeast in early-mid-18th century. They were the core producer of what was marked as Charlestown ware, every day bowls, pots, mugs, chamber pots, and other vessels used in the making of food or cleaning. Charlestown ware was a massive import industry with vessels made at the Parker Workshop found as far north as Fortress-Louisburg in Nova Scotia, and as far south as Eddington, North Carolina. Recent research by the City Archaeological Program team uncovered the story of Jack and Acton, a black man and boy enslaved at a pottery site during the height of its manufacturing. Two vessels made by Jack and Acton from the site are currently on loan and featured at the MFA's recently renovated Art of the Americas project. And so this is a massive undertaking. And I believe that this is being matched. So these funds will primarily support a two-year full-time benefited archeological positions. designated to processing, cataloging, and photographing and analyzing tens of thousands of ceramic shards. The federal funds will be 100% matched by the labor of three full-time staff of the archeologically, sorry, I'm struggling through this, archaeology program assisting the project archaeologist and the overall project work. The remaining grant funds will hire project consultants, run test studies, and create opportunities to share and decimate the stories and works of Jack and Acton. The two project consultants will provide expertise in New England enslavement history and pottery production. The enslavement historian will assist in contextualizing and interpreting Jack and Acton's role and agency as enslaved workers. The pottery expert will assist in the technical identification and analysis of the ceramics of an artistic and craft viewpoint, ensuring accurate descriptions, analysis, interpretation of ceramic objects. So this test study will use the newly created identification guide to reanalyze the ceramics excavated at the Royal House and Slave Quarters in Medford, site of a 2005 archeological study by BU. The analysis, there will be a lot of analysis and I know this is a great project and I'm looking forward to following it. I will share the budget summary with my colleagues, but essentially it's being matched and would love for the federal government to match these dollars. So I would like to ask for a suspended pass today. This is a little over $250,000. And I want to thank BU for their role in this as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Durkan. Councillor Durkan, the Chair of the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation, seeks suspension of the rules in passage of Docket 1393. All in favour say aye. Aye. Thank you. Docket 1393 has passed. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1393?

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Councilor Durkin, yes. Councilor Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald. Councilor Fitzgerald, yes. Councilor Flynn.

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes. Councilor Lujan. Yes. Councilor Lujan, yes. Councilor Mejia. Councilor Murphy. Yes. Councilor Murphy, yes. Councilor Papin. Yes. Councilor Papin, yes. Councilor Santana. Councilor Weber. Yes. Councilor Weber, yes. And Councilor Worrell.

Yes.

Councilor Worrell, yes. Dock number 1393 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1393 has passed. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1394?

Docket number 1394, message in order. Authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $240,806.50 in the form of a grant. with a fiscal year DMH-CIT-TTAC grant awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to be administered by the police department. The grant will fund the implementation of a 40-hour crisis intervention team training for officers under the umbrella of the Bureau of Professional Standards.

Thank you, Doc. At 1394, we'll be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Mr Clerk, could you please read dockets 1395 and 1396 together?

Mr. Clerk, could you please read dockets 1395, 1396 and 1397? Thank you. Docket number 1395, Mr. Junot, authorised in the City of Boston.

to accept and expend the amount of $225,125.11 in the form of a grant. The MBI Digital Equity Partnership Program awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury passed through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to be administered by the Department of Innovation and Technology. The grant will fund services and support for residents of the Commonwealth who cannot afford broadband service and or internet connected devices or lack the digital literacy skills needed to utilize the internet. Document number 1396, message and authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $150,000 in the form of a grant. Fiscal year 26 fair share supplemental funds awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation be administered by the Public Works Department the grant will fund the replacement of public safety lighting in the Brighton neighborhood of the city of Boston and docker number 1397 message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend a gift of 43 heating ventilation and air conditioning units of various types valued at eighty four thousand two hundred and ten dollars from FWC 2026 us incorporated This gift is awarded to the city of Boston through the mayor's office for use in the public facilities of various departments across the city, including police stations, schools, and municipal offices.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The Chair recognizes Councillor Durkan. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Chair. I thought that 1396 would be going to the Planning, Development and Transportation Committee, so I wanted to ask for a suspended pass. It's a small—I know that it's coming from the Fairshore Supplemental Funds, but because it was coming from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and is going to the Public Works Department, I would like to ask for a suspended pass on 1396 as the Chair of Planning, Development and Transportation. As we know, lighting and state resources, it seems pretty boilerplate for us to suspend and pass that to make sure your neighborhood gets what it deserves. Thank you.

Thank you. We'll start with Docket 1395. Docket 1395 will be referred to the Committee on City Services. Councillor Durkan, the chair of the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1396. All in favor say aye. Aye. Thank you. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1396?

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Louisianne. Yes. Councillor Louisianne, yes. Councillor Mejia. Councillor Murphy. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Papin, yes. Councillor Papin, yes. Councillor Santana, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. And Councillor Worrell, yes. Councillor Worrell, yes. Docket number 1396 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1396 has passed. And then the Docket 1397 will be referred to the Committee on City Services. Mr. Clerk, could you please read dockets 1398 through 1400?

Docket number 1398, message in order, authorising the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $50,978 in the form of a grant, the Federal Fiscal Year 26 Title III C Nutrition Services Programme Grant, awarded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, passed through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs to be administered by the Age Strong Commission. The grant will fund nutrition services for older adults in the City of Boston. Doctrine number 1399, message in honor, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $23,860 in the form of a grant, the federal fiscal year 26 Title III-A Area Plan Administration Grant awarded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, passed through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs to be administered by the Age Strong Commission. The grant will fund costs for the administration of Title III programs. And docket number 1400, message or not authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $18,116 in the form of a grant federal fiscal year 26, Title III D, disease prevention and health promotion, awarded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, passed through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, to be administered by the Age Strong Commission. The grant will fund services that assist older adults in Boston to prevent illness and manage chronic conditions.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Chair recognizes Councillor Murphy, the Chair of Human Services. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. I rise these three grants combined are less than $100,000, so I think we all agree that this low dollar amount will help you decide to vote in support of all three. We do not need a hearing. But I do just want to read a short summary of each so we're on the record of what these funds are going to go for. So I want to thank Commissioner Shea for sharing this with me. So docket 1398, which is tied to nutrition for our seniors, title 3C of the Older American Act provides funding for nutrition programs that help older adults maintain their health and independence. It includes two main components. C1, which are congregate males, which offers males in group settings, like senior centers and other community centers. And C2, which are the home delivered males, which provides male to home bound older adults. In addition to males, these programs offer nutrition, education, screening, counseling support. And as many of us know, we attend many of the congregate male settings, but to deliver them many times for our older adults this may be the only time they're interacting with somebody in a long time so it's important for their isolation which i know we all care about the next docket which is tied to area plan administration is also from the older americans act which provides funding for the administration and planning activities necessary to support the implementation of aging programs for our older adults we all want more of that in our districts and citywide. And the last docket is tied to disease prevention and health promotion, also under the Title III-D Older American Act funds. And it's evidence-based programs that promote healthy aging and help prevent illness and injury among our older adults. So please join me in passing all three of these. Thank you, clerk, for reading each of them. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy. The Chair of Human Services seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1398. All in favour say aye. Aye. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1398?

Council of Braden? Yes. Council of Braden? Yes. Council of Calais? Yes. Council of Culpeper? Yes. Council of Culpeper? Yes. Council of Durkan? Yes. Council of Durkan? Yes. Council of Fitzgerald?

Yes.

Council of Fitzgerald? Yes. Council of Flint?

Yes.

Council of Flint? Yes. Council of Louisiane?

Yes.

Council of Louisiane? Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santayana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. And Councillor Worrell. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Docket number 1398 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1398 has passed. Councillor Murphy, the Chair of Human Services, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1399. All in favour say aye. Aye. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1399?

Councillor Brayton. Yes. Councillor Brayton, yes. Councillor Calera-Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Lujan. Yes. Councillor Lujan, yes. Councillor Mejia. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Pippen. Yes. Councillor Pippen, yes. Councillor Santana. Councillor Webber. Councillor Webber, yes. And Councillor Orrell, yes. Councillor Orrell, yes. Docket number 1399 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Docket 1399 has passed. Councillor Murphy, the Chair of the Committee on Human Services, seeks suspension of the rules in passage of Docket 1400. All in favour say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, please take a roll call vote on Docket 1400.

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Collado-Zapata. Council Culpepper? Yes. Council Culpepper, yes. Council Durkan? Yes. Council Durkan, yes. Council Fitzgerald?

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Flynn? Yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Mugen? Yes. Council Mugen, yes. Council Mejia? Council Murphy? Yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Pippin? Yes. Council Pippin, yes. Council Santana? Council Weber? Yes. Council Weber, yes. And Council Worrell? Yes. Council Worrell, yes. Docket number 1400 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1-4-0-0 has passed. Mr. Clerk, could you please read dockets 1-4-0-1 through 1-4-0-9?

Docket number 1-4-0-9. Message in order. Approving the receipt of a conservation restriction on land at 0 Dale Street, Boston, Mass. 02136. The grantor's title of the land is located at Suffolk County Registry of Deeds. at book number 70459, page 316. That description of the land includes all the land in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, containing the entirety of 44,137 square feet, 1.013 plus or minus acre parcel of land, which premises is located at unnumbered Dale Street in High Park District of the City of Boston. numbered in the records of the assessing department as parcel 1808-198-000, and formerly the property of the former Boston and Providence Railroad Company, further bonded and described. According to a plan of survey made by Harry R. Feldman, Inc., civil engineers and land surveyors, Joseph L. Calabro, Jr., registered land surveyor, number 15998, dated January 18, 1993, and recorded at Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, book number 24453, page 302. Document number 1402, message in order, approving the receipt of a conservation restriction on land at 190-198 West 8th Street, Boston, Mass. 02127. The grantor's title of the land is located at Suffolk County Registry of Deeds at book number 71757, page 35. That description of land includes all the land in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts containing the entirety of the parcels of land, totaling 4,655 square feet of land, more or less known as the Sister Mary Veronica Park, shown as lot five, lot six, lot seven, lot eight, and lot nine, on a survey dated August 12th, 2025, titled Plot Plan 190-198 West 8th Street, South Boston, Mass., and prepared by Joyce Consulting Group, Raintree, Massachusetts. Docket number 1403, message in order. For the confirmation of the reappointment of Samira Ahmadi as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring May 23rd, 2029. Docket number 1404, message in order. For the confirmation of the appointment of Jessica Boatwright as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring April 24th, 2029. Docket number 1405, message in order for the confirmation of the reappointment of Stephen Ellis as a member of the Boston Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring May 26, 2029. Docket number 1406, message in order for the confirmation of the reappointment of Hassan Farouki as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring March 19, 2029. Docket number 1407, message in order for the confirmation of reappointment of Laurie Ferris as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring July 13, 2029. Docket number 1408, message in order for the confirmation of the reappointment of Gail Lattimore as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring April 24, 2029. In document number 1409, Esther Gennaro for the confirmation of the appointment of Camilo Esquivel Zapata as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring July 20, 2029. Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

Dockets 1401 through 1409 will be referred to the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency and Parks. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1410?

Docket number 1410, a message transmitting certain information under Section 17F regarding Article 80, Large Project Review. and small project review denials at the Zoning Board of Appeals due to parking relief. Docket number 1003, passed by the council on May 13, 2026.

Thank you. Docket 1410 will be placed on file. We are now on to reports of public officers and others. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket 1411?

Docket number 1411, notice received from Selina Barrios Milner, regarding her resignation as a Member of the City's Board of Appeals effective April 6, 2026.

Thank you. Docket 1411 will be placed on file. We now go on to reports of committees. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1311 and 1312 together?

Docket number 1311, the Committee on Ways and Means, which was referred on July 8th, 2026, docket number 1311, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to appropriate the amount of $5 million for the purpose of paying the cost of a feasibility study and schematic design associated with a project for the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School located at 75 Malcolm X Boulevard, Roxbury, Mass. 0120. This includes the payment of all costs incidental related there to, and for which the city of Boston may be eligible for a grant from the Massachusetts school building authority set amount to be expended under the direction of the public facilities department on behalf of the Boston public schools submits a report recommending that the docket ought to be read for the first time and assigned for further action. Docket number one, three, one, two. the Committee on Ways and Means, which was referred on July 8th, 2026, document number 1312, message and order authorized in the City of Boston to appropriate the amount of $850,000 for the purpose of paying costs of a feasibility study and schematic design work associated with window, door, and roof projects at the following schools, Boston Adult Academy, Joseph J. Hurley School, Ellis Mendel Elementary School, Joyce Kilmers K-8 School, and Lyon Upper 9-12 School. This includes the payment of all costs incidental related thereto for which the City of Boston may be eligible for a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Said amount to be expended under the direction of the Public Facilities Department on behalf of the Boston Public Schools submits a report recommending that the docket but to be read for the first time and assigned for further action.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The chair recognizes Councillor Webber, the chair of Ways and Means. You have the floor.

Okay, thank you, Van. President, docket numbers 1311 and 1312 would fund the planning and design phase of major improvement projects for six Boston public schools. Docket number 1311 specifically deals with Madison Park High School, with the others at docket number 1312 being the Boston Adult Academy, the Hurley School, the Mendel, the Kilmer, and line upper 9 through 12 school. These dockets total approximately 5,850,000 in appropriations with the goal to modernize our aging school facilities and to improve safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency of our educational spaces. uh... the committee held a hearing on these dockets on wednesday july fifteenth and was uh... we were joined by counselors flynn fitzgerald murphy lewis jen culpepper and morel like to thank my colleagues for attending as well as senior project manager from public facilities uh... brian mclaughlin carlton jones the director of public facilities del stanislas chief of capital planning for boston public schools and brent dickens assistant superintendent of secondary schools and college career and life readiness for Boston Public Schools. I'd like to thank them for participating in the hearing as well. I'd also like to thank those who provided public testimony. The MSBA, which funds affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient public school construction projects, has become an important partner in improving our Boston school facilities, particularly through the MSBA's core program and accelerator repair program. We heard from the administration that Boston currently has 57 projects in various stages of the MSBA process, including seven core projects and 50 accelerated repair program projects, Of those, 34 accelerated repair projects have been completed. One is under construction, seven are currently under design for 2027 construction, and eight additional projects will begin design later this year. Collectively, these projects represent nearly $696 million in construction investments an estimated 263 million dollars expected to be reimbursed to the city through the msba so specifically docket number 1311 will allow the city to appropriate five million dollars to procure a project manager and architect complete the required feasibility study and evaluate multiple options including renovation replacement and potential site alternatives for the madison park technical vocational high school before identifying a preferred solution we also heard this represents only the first phase in the msba process for madison park and that the council will have another opportunity to vote once the feasibility is complete and the msba has approved a preferred schematic design that includes a project budget anticipated reimbursement and construction schedule. Additionally, the administration explained that while previous consultant work on Madison Park will provide valuable background information, the MSBA requires the project to proceed through its own procurement design and review process to remain eligible for state reimbursement. This ensures the project follows the Commonwealth's established process before any final construction decisions are made. Regarding docket number 1312, this would be an $850,000 appropriation to support five Boston public schools participating in the MSBA's accelerated repair program, including roof replacement projects at the Boston Adult Academy and the Hurley School, and window and exterior door placement projects at the Ellis I'm sorry, at the Mendel, at the Joyce Kilmer K-8 school in the line upper 9-12. Administration explained that these projects are intended to replace aging building components and have reached the end of their useful life, improving weather protection, energy efficiency, and the long-term condition of otherwise structurally sound school buildings. These funds will allow the MSBA to assign a project manager and architect so design work can begin later this year, with construction currently anticipated to begin in 2028. The administration further testified the accelerated repair program generally, projects generally realize approximately 60% reimbursement from MSBA on eligible design costs. The administration also explained that these schools are part of a broader group of eight projects accepted into the accelerated repair program. after the city submitted statements of interest and the MSBA completed its review process. Following our hearing and careful review of the testimony, the committee believes that these appropriations represent an important first step toward improving Boston's educational facilities and maximizing available state reimbursement opportunities. As chair of the Ways and Means Committee, my recommendation is that this committee report be accepted and these dockets be read for the first time and assigned for further action. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON WONG Thank you, Councillor Webber.

The chair of the committee in Wesson Mean seats acceptance of the committee report and first reading vote on docket 1311. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1311? Councillor Braden. Yes.

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Lujan. Councillor Louisianne. Yes. Councillor Meagher. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Papin. Yes. Councillor Papin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Docket number 1311 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1311 has been read for the first time and is signed for further action. The chair of the committee in West Main Street seeks acceptance of the committee report and a first reading vote on docket 1312. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1312?

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Louis-Jean. Yes. Councillor Louis-Jean, yes. Councillor Mejia. Councillor Murphy. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Pepin.

Yes.

Councillor Pepin, yes. Councillor Santana. Councillor Webber.

Yes.

Councillor Webber, yes. And Councillor Worrell.

Yes.

Councillor Worrell, yes. Docket number 1312 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1312 has been read for the first time and is assigned for further action. We're now on to matters recently heard. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket 1237? Docket number 1237, order for a hearing.

regarding the future of the Boston Human Rights Commission.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper, the chair of the Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity and Immigrant Advancement.

Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. Yesterday, Tuesday, July 21st at 2 p.m., the Civil Rights, Racial Equity and Immigrant Advancement Committee held a hearing on docket number 1237 in order for a hearing regarding the future of the Boston Human Rights Commission. The DACA co-sponsors, Councilor Flynn and Councilor Worrell, were in attendance, as well as Council President Breeden, Councilor Murphy, and Councilor Fitzgerald. Panelists included Equity Cabinet Deputy Chief of Operations, Maya Gatter, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Executive Director, Michael Mimolo, Cambridge Human Rights Commission Executive Director Carolina Almonte, Boston Human Rights Commission Leonard Lee and Margaret McKenna, disability advocate Cassandra Xavier. The committee received productive testimony and helpful feedback from the panelists and public testifiers on the history of the Boston Human Rights Commission, what led to it becoming inactive, and how it can and should be improved. I look forward to continuing this conversation with my colleagues, the administration, the state, and stakeholders who are invested in the success of the Boston Human Rights Commission. This matter will remain in committee. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you. Docket 1237 will remain in committee. We're now on to motions, orders, and resolutions. Councillor Flynn, you have your light on. You have the floor.

Thank you. Madam Chair, may I speak briefly on that?

Certainly.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to Councilor Culpepper for hosting yesterday's informative hearing. We must always strive to live in a city and country where civil rights and human rights are protected and respected. Since its beginning, this commission provided an important voice for those that were discriminated against. or even a victim of hate crime, including many in the gay and lesbian community, the LGBTQ plus community, persons with disabilities as well. I'm committed to working with city colleagues to ensure we remain a city that always treats people with respect and dignity. The Human Rights Commission was established in 1984 under Mayor Flynn with the Sydney ordinance. The first director was a woman named Ann Saunders, a well-respected civil rights leader and a member of the LGBTQ community in Boston. She led the commission. The commission works to ensure full and equal access to public services and accommodations. It receives and investigates complaints, resolves cases through mediation and hearings, advocates in support of human rights issues in partnership with state and federal agencies as well. The commission does important work for the people of Boston, especially protected classes. And there was a positive discussion yesterday about how we can work together to ensure that discrimination doesn't take place or racism doesn't take place in the city of Boston. But if it does, there is an opportunity for people to come to City Hall, to come to the Boston Human Rights Commission, people of color or persons with disabilities as well. But I look forward to strengthening the commission in passing an upcoming ordinance and want to say thank you to Councillor Culpepper and Councillor Worrell for their important work on this issue. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Docket number 1412, Councillor Worrell, offer the following. Ordinance amending Boston's regulations related to public trust, public interest, and police transparency and accountability.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councillor Worrell.

Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. This ordinance builds on the years of work our police department has invested in community policing. Every day our officers, sergeants, captains, lieutenants, and community service officers work to build relationships and earn the trust of the neighborhoods they serve. To have the best police department in the country means we cannot be afraid to constantly review our policies, measure whether they are meeting their intended purposes, and make changes when they are not. Accountability is public safety. Transparency is public safety. These are the tools that build trust between officers and the communities they have sworn to protect. They help the public understand the difficult role our officers carry and give residents confidence that the department is doing everything possible to ensure the integrity of the department. Transparency and accountability are the building blocks for public safety. The changes this ordinance makes in OPAT strengthens those principles and puts them into practice. It establishes clear timelines for releasing body worn camera and and dashboard camera footage after incidents of public interest. It improves coordination with posts at the state level. It also requires greater transparency around civil lawsuits and settlements so that we can identify patterns, correct policy failures, and understand how misconduct is costing taxpayers. This ordinance is about ensuring that public safety in Boston is truly the best in the nation. that the public has a clear understanding of protocols, and when incidents of public interest arise, that we are all receiving the facts. I want to thank all the experts and advocates who have took the time to meet with my office and work with us on this ordinance. Attorney Howard Freedman, Jamal Crawford, Yvonne Esponosa-Marigal, and Victoria Miranda from the Lawyer for Civil Rights, and body camera expert Chris Schneider. We also looked at best practices across the country, including Chicago and the recently passed law in New York. This ordinance change aims to put us here in the city of Boston on par with policies in those other major cities. I know my colleague, Councilor Culpepper, filed an ordinance to amend OPAT as well, which we'll be hearing about very soon. I think both of these filings and ordinances together will address and address a lot of our shared goals. I'm looking forward to working with everyone and all the stakeholders to advance the changes and to strengthen public accountability and transparency here in the city of Boston. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Worrell. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, and please add the Chair. Thank you. Docket number 1412 will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations. Mr. Clerk, can you please read Docket 1413?

Docket number 1413. Councillor Culpepper offered the following. Ordinance to amend the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency.

Chair recognizes Councilor Culpepper.

Councilor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. First, I want to thank my colleague, Councilor Rowell, for his partnership and leadership on police accountability. While our ordinances approaches issue from different perspectives, they are rooted in the same principle that public trust is earned through transparency, and accountability. Councilor Worrell's ordinance takes an important step toward increasing public transparency around critical incidents involving body-worn camera footage. My ordinance focuses on something equally important, strengthening the institution responsibility for oversight itself. Said differently, my following focuses on operational accountability before, during, And after every investigation, the question I asked was simple. If OPAT is a city independent accountability office, do we have the systems in place to ensure it can do its job effectively? Too often, accountability doesn't fail because people lack good intention. It fails because investigations take too long, deadlines are unclear. Information isn't shared. Cases sit unresolved. Residents lose confidence not only in the outcome but in the process itself. My ordinance seeks to address those structural challenges. It establishes clear timelines for investigations. It requires greater public reporting so residents understand where cases stand. It limits unnecessary delays when criminal investigations are occurring. while still respecting due process. It strengthens cooperation requirements so OPAT has the information it needs to conduct independent investigation, and it creates greater transparency around body-worn camera evidence and whether the city is complying with its own obligations. When residents file a complaint, they deserve to know it won't disappear into a black box. When officers are investigated, they deserve a timely and fair process. And when the public asks whether our accountability system is functioning, we should be able to answer that question with data, not assumptions. Ultimately, accountability is about trust. It's why it shows up in OPAC's shortening name. trust between residents and law enforcement, trust between communities and government, and trust that when we establish an independent office like OPAD, we give it the tools, expectations, and transparency necessary to fulfill the mission we asked it to carry out. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue strengthening police accountability in Boston. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilor Culpepper. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the chair. Thank you. Docket 1413 will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1414? Docket number 1414. Councillor Fitzgerald will offer the following. Ordinance amending Chapter 16 of the City of Boston Code. ordinances prohibiting the sale and use of synthetic mitra-genine and 7-hydro-mitra-genine-7-OH and other dangerous chemical compounds.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councillor Fitzgerald. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to add Ed Flynn as a co-sponsor as well. Councillor Flynn, sorry.

Thank you. Councillor Flynn is so added.

Thank you. Today is a follow-up to the hearing order and working session. I filed an ordinance amending Chapter 16 of the City of Boston Code prohibiting the sale and use of synthetic metragynine, I believe, Clerk. I'm not sure either. no, it's mitragynine, and 7-OH, 7-OH known as hydroxymitragynine, and other chemical compounds. In layman's terms, this would be to ultimately ban the sale and use of synthetic kratom in the city of Boston. Kratom is commonly marketed and sold in forms including dried leaf powders, capsules, teas, gummies, energy drinks, concentrated extracts, inhalants, et cetera, through retail outlets such as smoke shops, convenience stores, gas stations, specialty herbal shops, and online vendors. Across the city of Boston, we have heard concerns from residents about the widespread and unregulated use of kratom. The sale and use of synthetic drugs poses an immediate threat to the public health and safety of the residents of Boston and many residents stated their frustration with the current lack of regulations and wish that our city would take the lead on regulating these substances. I believe that Boston become a national leader in kratom regulations. I look specifically to the work that our council did to end the sale and manufacturing of synthetic cannabinoids through CBC 16-59 in 2015 in guiding how these regulations would take place today. Synthetic kratom is an often overlooked and unregulated substance and widely accessible to our communities that can be harmful and often fatal. My hope is to bring awareness, education and regulation to the residents throughout the city. I'm looking forward to the hearing on this and getting this passed. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Fitzgerald. The chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to say thank you to Councillor Fitzgerald for adding me on. We had an informative hearing about a month ago and learned a great deal about this issue. I come from this as a former probation officer, not really as a city councilor, but I know that this issue that Councilor Fitzgerald just highlighted is a major concern throughout the city, really throughout the country as well, but what we need is regulation, oversight, leadership role from the city of Boston as well, and ensuring that those people that are dealing with substance use issues get the treatment and support they really need. And yes, we need to regulate it, we need to be more aggressive on abolishing this type of drug, but we also need to work together to ensure that those dealing with substance use-related challenges get the recovery services that they need. That's an issue I'm gonna continue to focus on As a city councillor, it's something I've been active my whole life, especially as a probation officer as well. I want to say thank you to Councillor Fitzgerald. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Louisiane, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the chair. Docket 1414 will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations. I'm going to ask my colleague, Councillor Culpepper, to take the podium. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1415?

Docket number 1415. Councillors Pepin and Braden offer the following. Ordinance mandating annual reporting of streets projects.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would also like to suspend the rules and add Councillor Webber as the third original co-sponsor.

No objections. Council Weber has been added as their co-sponsor.

Thank you. Transportation safety has been the talk of my district for the past three years. From the redesign of whole corridors to speed humps, from sidewalk repairs to bike infrastructure, it seems like everyone in District 5 and across the city is looking for ways to make it easier to get around their neighborhoods. I've seen this appetite for safety across the city. and I know Councillor Braden has seen it too, which is why for the last couple of months, the two of us and our teams have been working to figure out what steps we can take to ensure that Bostonians continue to receive the infrastructure projects that are proving to improve safety outcomes. This annual reporting ordinance will require the administration to provide clear reports on street projects, those projects concerning Boston streets and how people move about them, I look forward to the process to come and want to thank Councillor Braden and her team for their cooperation. This year, Councillor Webber sponsored a hearing order on the city's 30-day review of street projects, which we heard in the spring, in combination with other related dockets, where we demanded transparency with street projects going forward. A lot of the work that we've been doing, they overlap. but they have the same pattern, which is that we all want to make our streets safer, and we all want updates, and our residents are asking us for those updates. So this is in response to our residents, and this is to make sure that we continue to make our streets safer for everyone. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Chair recognizes Councillor Braden. Councillor Braden, can you have the floor?

Thank you Mr. Chair and thank you to Councillor Pepin for adding me as a second. Earlier this year I sponsored a hearing to discuss the status of stalled and frozen transportation projects with a particular focus on projects that had received external funding. I remain incredibly frustrated by both the lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to the status of these projects. This ordinance is intended to provide that transparency and accountability. What we are asking is that the City publish once a year a comprehensive accounting of every significant streets project that moves forward, what's been delayed and what projects have been cancelled and why, how much has been spent on each project and where the funding is coming from. This should not be controversial. Both this Council and residents we serve have a right to usable, digestible reporting to give them better understanding of how the city is using its resources and where projects may face delays. Residents attend public meetings. They provide feedback. They see announcements and press releases. And then, all too often, they wait. They wait in the dark with no timelines, no updates, and no idea when these desperately needed transportation and street safety projects are going to move forward. In Alston Brighton, the Western Ave Transitway, and Route 57 are both such examples. The last public meeting on Western Ave Transitway was in 2022, and there has not been a substantial project update since. The Route 57 project has been in design for over three years. Residents have not been able to get straight answers about something as simple as the status and viability of the project. These problems aren't exclusive to larger transportation projects either. Residents in Alston Brighton have been asking me for years when we're going to see speed bumps as part of the mayor's safety surge initiative. I don't have an answer for them. Over the past four months I spent sent five separate emails to the streets cabinet asking for the re-installation of bike lane buffers in our neighbourhood. I have yet to receive a response. This status quo is unacceptable. This ordinance doesn't mandate that any new projects be built. It doesn't call for any one-sized approach to street safety. It simply creates a more consistent, transparent, and accountable way to track our streets projects, ensures that residents have clear information about the investments being made in their communities, and I urge my colleagues to support this and look forward to the conversations to come. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam President. Councillor Webber.

Thank you. I just want to thank Councillor Pepin and Madam President for adding me to this. I think over the last couple of years there's been a number of projects in District 6 that, despite having the city already spent considerable time and energy working on, have just sort of been halted with no explanation. the Eggleston Square redesign, the McBride Street project, Center South Street and JP, and then other projects where we had hoped to get, see some progress like Hyde Park Avenue have also gone nowhere. I just want to thank the filers. I think this ordinance is a good way for us to be able to continue to put pressure for practical and safe redesign of our streets, as well as be able to explain to our constituents what is happening, what the status of the projects in their neighborhoods are. So thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name? Council Durkin, Council Fitzgerald, Council Flynn, Council Lewis-Young, Council Murphy, Council Weber. And please add the chair. Worrell. Worrell. How can I forget you, Council Worrell? Please add Council Worrell. Thank you. Government operations. Docket 1-4. will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket 1416?

Dr. Number 1416, Councillor Pepin and Santana offer the following. Order for a hearing to improve recruitment of civilian crossing guards to serve Boston families.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councillor Pepin. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to request suspension of the rules and add Councillor Culpepper as a third original co-sponsor.

Seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Culpepper is still at it.

And I would also like to send a quick message to my co-sponsor, who I know is watching on YouTube at the moment. So hope you get better soon. This discussion about crossing guard shortages is one that we've had had in the past, and one that I'm hoping to pick up again. Vacancies persist. When we don't have enough crossing guards, that means our students, our children, families are less safe. Having plenty of crossing guards, along with making buses safer and having safe school zones, It's all part of making getting to and from school safe and protecting our city's children and their families. I'm looking forward to continuing this conversation in the chamber. As you all know, I'm a big fan of the crossing guards. We've invited them to the council chamber. A few of us have went to the luncheon for them earlier this year. They just deserve so much more support and just want to make sure there's more of them across the city so that all of our schools have support from them. Thank you so much, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Pepin. Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, Councillor Pepin, for adding me as an original co-sponsor. I'm happy to continue the conversation about how we address crossing guard shortages across the city of Boston. Back in February, I filed a hearing order specifically looking at strategies to improve the recruitment of volunteer crossing guards because we continue to hear concerns about vacancies and the difficulty of ensuring that every school crossing that needs coverage has it. Crossing guards provide an important public safety service for our students and our families. When positions go unfilled, it can also require police officers to cover crossings when they could otherwise be responding to calls and performing other public safety responsibilities. This hearing gives us another opportunity to look at these issues, including discussing which city department is best positioned to oversee and coordinate crossing guard placement, how we improve recruitment and retention, whether compensation and scheduling are contributing to vacancies, how crossing locations are prioritized, and whether partnerships with schools, neighborhood organizations, seniors, retirees, and other community members could help build a more reliable pipeline of crossing guards. I look forward to continuing this conversation with my colleagues, the administration, and our school communities to identify practical ways to recruit, retain, and deploy crossing guards where they are most needed. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councillor Culpepper.

Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the Chair. Docket 1416 will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1417?

Docket number 1417. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Order for a hearing to discuss expanding access to skilled trade careers in the City of Boston.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, may I add Councillor Worrell as an original co-sponsor? Councillor Worrell is still added. May I suspend the rules and add Councillor Murphy as well?

Seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Murphy is added as a third.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Skilled trade jobs encompass a broad range of fields including mechanics, electrical, construction, plumbing. Those jobs are critical to ensure our infrastructure remains safe and accessible, including homes, buildings, roads, and parks. Trades also include healthcare, cosmetology, culinary, hospitality, agriculture, Law and public safety, media and transportation. Due to the rising cost of a four-year college degree, the growing uncertainty of the impact of AI on many professions and the competitive wages offered by skilled trades, many young people are exploring alternative career paths. However, many vocational schools face long wait lists, limited seats, underscoring the need to expand access to high-quality career and technical education. across Boston public schools. A recent Boston Globe report found that male students attending career and technical education schools in Connecticut were found to have better attendance, higher test scores, higher graduation rates, and earning more than their peers. Who missed the admission cutoff? Females who attended these schools did better as well. Neither Boston Public School offer pathways in 27 industry areas and in 11 secondary schools across the district, including Madison Park, as Councilor Kolpep was talking about, Boston's only exclusive trade school. However, Other major U.S. cities offer more programs in their schools. Chicago currently offers 34 pathways at more than 80 high schools to more than 14,000 schools. Boston is proud to be one of the most diverse school districts in the nation, a distinction reflected in its commitment to equitable and accessible programs and pathways, including BPS-SRI program, which provides transition service including vocational training and community engagement to students with disabilities. Expanding access to trades for communities of color will strengthen our workforce, ensure all students have opportunities to enter high demand careers in trades. The building trades, organized labor also has a critical role to play. Increasing participation in skilled trades can help reduce long-standing barriers to economic mobility and address workforce shortages. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Chair recognizes Councillor Worrell. Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to Councillor Flynn for adding me as an original co-sponsor and for your advocacy on this. I've been a long-time advocate for pushing for certificate programs in both techno Vocational technical programs and opportunities in every school in our district. And I also like to see what we could do as a city to better program Madison Park for our students from across the district and any Boston resident that might be looking to get into the trades. So I'm looking forward to this hearing, to seeing how we can increase opportunities and get more young people involved in certificate programs and vote tech opportunities. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Worrell. The chair recognizes Councillor Murphy. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to my fellow co-sponsors for continuing to work on this important issue. Any opportunity we have to make sure we're setting our kids, our young adults up for success and giving them the skills they need Unfortunately, we know many of our students are graduating from BPS without the work skills and life skills necessary to be successful and That attributes to a lot of other social ills that we are trying to combat here on the council so any opportunity to give them more training and open up their eyes or maybe jobs that they may not have seen as something that they could see themselves in I know our Former colleague, Council of Flaherty, often would say how we are a city of eds and meds, but we don't want to just make sure our students are the custodians, not that these jobs are bad, but we want to make sure we're training them to also be the CEOs and the doctors in these buildings and all of these cranes that we hope to see more go up in the city, but we have so many labor unions that want to give our kids opportunities, so we need to give them the skills to be successful. Thank you.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, and please add the Chair. Docket number 1417 will be referred to the Committee on Labour and Economic Development. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1418?

Dock number one for one a council's weapon for the following order for a hand to review the status of Boston citywide bike network plan Chair recognizes councillor Webber country you have the floor Thank you.

I'd like to suspend the rules and add a man Sorry, add madam president Braden as a as a third co-sponsor seeing and hearing no objections I am councillor Braden will be added as a third Okay, and like several other things filed today, I did file this as a follow-up to the tragic death of Louisa Gag, who fought so hard for safe bike infrastructure in our city. We have a long history of promoting bike lanes and a bike lane network here. Going back to 2010, Mayor Menino declared, quote, the car is no longer king in Boston, unquote, invested in the in the creation of 65 miles of bike lanes, known as the Boston Bike Network Plan. In 2016, then Mayor Walsh expanded on Menino's plan by committing the city to Vision Zero, which focused on eliminating all serious and fatal crashes in Boston by 2030. Louisa Gag played a role in that. And in 2022, Mayor Wu announced the expansion of Boston's bike network with the goal of allowing for More safe and connected bike lanes throughout Boston alongside the launch of Safer Streets, a citywide design process that prioritized creating safer streets through better traffic management alongside more protected bike routes. Also in April 2022, Mayor Wu recommended creating a plan for bike infrastructure across the city. Lastly, in the 30-day Street Projects Review Memo by Mike Broll issued on April 2, 2025, it recommended a comprehensive plan for bike lane infrastructure, which discussed key corridors that would best connect bike infrastructure And after such a plan, the city could go on to design the best bike network in the country, serving the city of Boston for generations. I think we owe it to our constituents and to Louisa to take this up as an issue again. and see what the status is of these plans to make sure we have a bike infrastructure that connects all of our neighborhoods and people can bike in safety from one end of the city to another. That's why I filed this hearing order and I'm happy to be joined by my colleagues, Councillor Pepin and Madam President Braden. Thank you.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councillor Pepin. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councillor Webber, for including me as a co-sponsor. Investing in active transportation is a great way to give opportunities to our residents to build that physical activity into their day. Cycling specifically provides an opportunity for active transportation over longer distances. However, despite the benefits, safety continues to be the primary source of hesitation for folks considering cycling. Data shows that protected, separated bike lanes make the roads safer, not only for the cyclists, but also for pedestrians and motorists. Creating a robust bike network means better connected communities in a safe, green, and healthy way to get around our city. That is why I'm looking forward to partnering with Councillor Webber and Councillor Braden and the rest of the council to have this very much needed conversation. Thank you. Thank you.

I realize I have to step down again. Councillor Culpepper, if you'd mind. Thank you.

The Chair recognises Councillor Braden. Councillor Braden, you have the floor.

Thank you Mr Chair. I'd like to thank the sponsors for bringing this forward and for adding me as a third original co-sponsor. Boston has been investing in bike infrastructure for many years with the goal of creating a safe and connected network that allows people to travel between neighbourhoods. The data from the Better Bike Lane initiative is clear. our existing bike lanes reduce crashes and make our streets safer for all road users. The 30-day review memo issued in the Mayor's office last April recommended a comprehensive plan for bike lane infrastructure. Since that time, neither the Council nor the public have been provided with any substantive update on this bike plan. Having a citywide plan will also help us better understand how projects can be prioritised and what resources are needed to plan, design and complete the network. This hearing will allow us to discuss the next steps of that plan and hear from the streets cabinet, Boston Transportation Department, transportation experts, advocates and other communities about their work. I look forward to discussing how we can build a safe and connected bike network and better serve neighborhoods throughout the City of Boston.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Council Durkan, Council Fitzgerald, Council Flynn, Council Louisian, Council Murphy, and Council Warren. Docket number 1418 will be referred to the Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation. Please add the chair's name. Mr. Clerk, can you please read docket number 1419?

Docket number 1419. Councillor Culpepper offered the following. Order for a hearing regarding the City of Boston's response to noise complaints and enforcement of noise control laws.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper. Councillor, you have the floor.

Madam President, I'd like to request that Docs 1419 and 1420 be read together. Go ahead.

Doc number 1420, Councillor Kalpeva offered the following. Resolution urging improved response to noise complaints and enforcement of Boston's noise control laws.

Councillor, you have the floor. For docket number 1419, I request suspension of the rules to vote on passage of this docket. I'd also like to add Council Braden as an original co-sponsor to both dockets. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Today I'm following both a resolution and a hearing order regarding the city's response to noise complaints and the enforcement of our existing noise control laws. If you spend any amount of time Talking to residents in District 7, you'll hear the same concerns over and over. Loud parties, illegal dirt bikes, ATVs, cars blasting music at all hours of the night, repeat nuisance properties, and perhaps most frustrating of all, residents who feel like they've done exactly what they've been asked to do. Calling 311, calling 911, contacting the party line only to feel that nothing changes. This is not just a District 7 issue. I've spoken with colleagues from across Boston, and they're hearing many of the same complaints. This is a citywide quality of life issue. But I also want to be equally clear about something else. I'm not filing this because I believe we need another law on the books. Boston already has strong noise control ordinances. Our city code gives law enforcement the authority to respond to excessive noise, nuisance gatherings, and repeat violation. The question before us is whether those laws are being enforced consistently, transparently, and effectively. Residents deserve to know that when they take time to report a problem, someone responds. They deserve to know whether their complaint was documented, whether enforcement occurred, and whether repeat offenders are actually being tracked. They deserve confidence. that the systems we've created are working the way they were intended. That's what this hearing and resolution is all about. And I'd just like to read this text that I got Saturday night into the record. I can't seem to find this text. Well, Madam President, I guess I can't find that text. Thank you.

I'll take that as a sign. Thank you. So you're speaking to dockets.

one four one nine and one four two oh with doctor docket one four one nine requesting suspension of the rules to vote on the passage of that doctor thank you um customer if you see your lights on customer view of the floor thank you madam president thank you to the maker of both of these

And I want to just reiterate what I know the chair, the sponsor had said that we don't need new rules. We just need to enforce the rules that are already on the books. This came up in conversations several years back when we were trying to add a new ordinance to stop people from protesting or using bull horns at certain Events and what I continue to see is we pick and choose When we're going to enforce the rules we already have on the books and I also know that certain streets certain neighborhoods certain parks are louder than others and We need to give supports to if it's code enforcement or if it is the street outreach team or the Boston police whoever is in the positions to make sure that residents can have peaceful night's sleep i know in my neighborhood i'm hearing lots more firecrackers and motorbikes go by these last few weeks and when the dog starts barking and you don't get a good night's sleep i know my neighbors are having the same concerns so looking forward to the hearing which will speak directly on it but also going to support the resolution that he put forth thank you thank you councillor murphy

We always get a little confused when we have two dockets together like this. So we have docket 1419, which is an order for a hearing regarding City of Boston's response to noise complaints. I'm going to have to ask who's the appropriate person to ask to take the chair for a moment. I have, since I'm a co-sponsor, Councillor Worrell, would you mind taking the dais from? I'd like to thank Councillor Culpepper for bringing this forward and adding me as original co-sponsor. In Alston Brighton we received persistent complaints about several fraternity and sorority houses near the campuses of colleges and universities in our district. This is a topic my office has researched and we found that there's a patchwork of laws to address excessive noise and nuisance gatherings. Excessive noise laws, public nuisance laws, disturbing the peace laws, responding officers may often cite offenders for breaking any one of these laws. I'd like to learn more about the process and how we can standardise it to improve enforcement. We also need to understand how repeat complaints are handled, particularly when residents continue reporting problems at the same property or location, not only in the same year but over multiple years. This requires coordination between the Boston Police Department and other city departments responsible for receiving, responding to and following up on these complaints. I look forward to discussing where there may be gaps in our current response and how we can create a more reliable and effective process for residents across the city of Boston. This essentially is a quality of life issue for many of our residents and I hope that we can improve the situation. Thank you. So we have two dockets. The first one is docket 1419. In order for a hearing, would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Petten, Councillor Webber and Councillor Worrell. Thank you. Docket 1419 will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. The second docket is docket 1420. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber and Councillor Worrell. Councillor Culpepper and Councillor Braden seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket 1420. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1420?

Councillor Brayden. Yes. Councillor Brayden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Lujan. Yes. Councillor Lujan, yes. Councillor Mejia. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Pepin. Councillor Fenton, yes. Councillor Santana, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor Worrell, yes. Docket number 1420 has received nine votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Docket 1420 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1421?

Docket number 1421. Councillor Culpepper offered the following. Order for a hearing regarding the future of the John D. O'Brien School of Mathematics and Science.

Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. I would like to request the dockets 1421 and 1422 be read together.

The other two are 17Fs, so we'll read this one and then we'll do the 17Fs together, if you don't mind.

I don't mind. The John D. O'Brien is one of Boston's three examination schools and an important institution in Roxbury, serving students from neighborhoods across our city. For several years, there have been significant discussion about the future of the school. But today's students, families, educators, alumni, and the surrounding community still do not have a clear long-term answer about what that future will look like. In 2023, the city proposed relocating O'Brien from Roxbury to the West Roxbury Education Complex, while expanding the school by approximately 400 seats. Following significant concerns from the school community, that proposal was halted indefinitely in February 2024. At that time, the administration indicated that it had evaluated alternatives and will share the findings of the O'Brien programming study. But more than two years later, we still need clarity on that work and how it is informing the city's plans for the O'Brien. The goal of these filings is not to restart the debate over a proposal that has already been halted. It is to make sure that we do not lose the planning, community input, and resources that have already gone into this process, and most importantly, to establish a transparent path forward. The O'Brien has been described as a priority by the administration, and I believe students and families deserve to know what that means in concrete terms. We need a clear plan, a realistic timeline, and meaningful community involvement as we determine the long-term future of the John D. O'Brien. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councillor Culpeper.

Would anyone else like to add their name? Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the Chair. Thank you. Docket 1421 will be referred to the Committee on Education. Mr. Clerk, could you please read the two 17Fs together, docket 1422 and 1423?

Docket number 1422. Councillor Culpepper offered the following. Order requesting certain information under section 17F regarding the John D. O'Brien School of Mathematics and Science capital planning process. And docket number 1423. Councillor Culpepper offered the following. Order requesting certain information under section 17F Regarding the Massachusetts School Building Authority eligibility period for Madison Park technical vocational high school Thank You.

Mr. Clark chair recognizes constable pepper counselor.

You have the floor Thank You madam president this 17f requests Follow the hearing that we held last week regarding the future a Madison Park technical vocational high school and the city's participation in in the MSBA process during this eligibility period. During the hearing, we learned that Boston Public Schools has already submitted several required documents to the MSBA as part of Madison Park's eligibility period, while additional submissions remain outstanding. However, those documents have not been made publicly available, given the significance of this project and the level of public investment that will ultimately be required I believe the council, the Madison Park community, and the public schools should be able to see the information the city is submitting as this process moves forward. In this 17F, we're requesting documents that have been submitted to the MSBA. Other Massachusetts communities participating in the MSBA process have made these types of documents publicly accessible through dedicated project websites and online document libraries. I believe Boston should provide that same level of transparency, particularly for a project as consequential as rebuilding and modernizing a city's only technical vocational high school. We all want to see Madison Park move forward successfully through the MSBA process. This request is about making sure that as it does, there's transparency at every stage and that students, families, educators, the Council and the broader community have access to the information necessary to understand the decisions being made about the future of the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Culpepper. So there's two 17Fs. One is docket 1422. So Councillor Culpepper... seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1422. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Thank you. Docket 1422 has passed. We'll go to Docket 1423. Councillor Culpepper seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1423. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Docket 1423 has passed. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket 1424?

Docket number 1424. Councillors Pepin and Braden offer the following. Resolution recommitting the City of Boston to Vision 023.

Chair recognizes Councillor Pepin. Councillor Pepin, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. May I also suspend the rules and add Councillor Louis Jeanne as a third original co-sponsor?

Seeing and hearing no objection, Councillor Louis Jeanne is added as a third.

Thank you. In 2015— Boston committed to Vision Zero, the ambitious goal to eliminate fatal and severe crashes, traffic crashes in Boston by 2030. And it is an ambitious goal, but how can we not be ambitious with lives on the line? There's still work to be done and more lives to save with three and a half years left until 2030. In my district alone, there's been multiple occasions where I've gone to vigils and have stood with families that have lost a loved one. One of them that stands out is actually a four-year-old that passed away on Wood Avenue a few years ago. And now, luckily, because of some projects, Wood Avenue is getting redesigned and it's currently going through a Vision Zero project. Because of people, someone over at the transportation department, Daniel, is working on this project closely with residents. What we didn't realize is that these accidents, they impact a lot of residents. And Our commitment to Vision Zero isn't just a commitment to safer streets, it's a commitment to saving lives, which is why it's so important for us to continue to elevate these concerns, so important for us to continue to talk about what's happening. We have to make sure that it remains a part of our focus every single day. So I hope that we can come together as a Council to recommit ourselves to Vision Zero by 2030. One fatality is too many. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Pepin. Councillor Louisianne, I'll take you next, and then I'll speak last. Thank you. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank Councillor Penn for adding me. I want to thank my colleagues for bringing forward work and everything that has already been said about this. I know a lot of this has been prompted by the very unfortunate passing of Louisa Gag. I want to continue to hold in my prayers her family, friends and colleagues. whose life and work, her life and work were dedicated to making our streets safer, and whose tragic death has brought us back to this conversation with an unimaginable sense of loss. Just two weeks prior to her death, Louisa Gag actually helped my office help Joey Bennett of Yard Time Entertainment and Life After Prison organize a bike ride and was able to make sure that they had bikes, 24 bikes, and that would not have been possible without Louisa really leaning in, and I just want to to continue to honor her memory here. We know what safe streets look like. The city has been developing the data, the tools, and the strategies from safer intersections, traffic calming, to protected infrastructure, and identifying our highest crash quarters. We do need to move forward with urgency in order to deliver what the data shows us. Vision Zero can't simply be an aspiration. that we can recommit ourselves to after each tragedy. And so I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to really digging into Vision Zero to making sure that we are able to meet those commitments in a timely fashion. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Louis-Jean. Councillor Durkan, you have the floor.

Oh, sorry, you're a sponsor, so you can go first.

Oh, do you want me to go first? Yes, I was... Thank you so much. I'd like to thank Hunter Pepin for his partnership in bringing this important resolution forward. Boston committed to Vision Zero in 2015 with the goal of eliminating fatal and serious traffic crashes by 2030. With less than four years remaining, we have significant work to do. In 2025, 11 people were killed in traffic crashes in Boston, most of whom were pedestrians, and hundreds of others crashes required medical attention. I would be remiss if I did not mention the tragic loss of Louisa Gagg, an Alston Brighton resident, a city employee whose work touched all of us, and a beloved member of our community whose death underscored just how urgent this work is. A better city is possible. Vision Zero is not an unattainable goal. Helsinki, a city comparable in size to Boston, has gone over a year without a single fatality. In 2019, that city saw zero pedestrian deaths as well. That wasn't achieved by magic. It was achieved by commitment to proven safety measures and building safer streets. We should take note here in Boston. We need to continue moving forward with infrastructure projects that make our streets safer, and help prevent these crashes from happening in the first place. These improvements are especially important for pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, children, older adults and people with disabilities who can be most vulnerable on our streets. Reaching Vision Zero will require us to accelerate this work and continuing to make street safety a priority as we approach 2030. I look forward to continuing our work together to achieve Vision Zero and making sure that everyone can travel safely throughout our city. Thank you. The Chair recognises Councillor Durkan. Councillor, you have the floor.

Councillor DURKAN Thank you so much, Chair, and thank you to the sponsors. On April 22nd, I chaired a hearing in our committee that was talking about the status of transportation projects, talking about Vision Zero, and talking about the city's vision for our city. It's really hard to talk in the wake of tragedy because we all knew Louisa. She was an incredible person. We all knew her work. We all worked closely with her. Just talking to my chief of staff and talking to her office, we all had individual interactions with her that were meaningful and she truly represented our city and to have her pass away in my district is just incredibly heartbreaking. I think part of the hearing that we had in April and December and all of the hearings that we've had regarding transportation projects has been about making sure that we're approaching Vision Zero. And until yesterday, All of the data for the fatalities and injuries were not even updated on the website I'm really happy like we've advocated and I know a lot of advocates were advocating the data has now been updated where we can take a look but there's no way to approach the vision zero if we don't actually have the data and we're not working towards a plan so I'm I'm excited to have this hearing but it's It's tragic what's happening on our streets and it's also tragic because there are a lot of people who have died on our streets who and have been hit on our streets that that aren't recognized and less than a hundred feet away from where Louisa passed away, there is a crosswalk that we're waiting to get done at the Roxbury Crossing T, which is right at the border of District 7 and District 8. We have areas and projects that we need to execute on, and as District 8 City Councilor, I want to make sure that every street, sidewalk, and crosswalk in my district is safe, but that means slowing down cars. And it's not an easy conversation to have with community, but it's one that we need to approach with delicate care, but also one that we have to actually have the political urgency to say that we have to slow down cars in order to approach Vision Zero. And in a lot of our districts, sometimes we lack the political courage to actually do that. Thank you, Chair, and thank you to the sponsors.

Thank you, Councillor Durkan. Would anyone else like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Weber, Councillor Morrell. Councillors Pepin, Braden and Louisianne seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1424. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1424?

Docket number, excuse me, roll call. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Lujan. Yes. Councillor Lujan, yes. Councillor Mejia. Yes. Councillor Mejia, yes. Councillor Murphy.

Yes.

Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Pepin. Councillor Penn, yes. Councillor Louisianne, yes. Sorry. Councillor Santana. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. And Councillor Orrell, yes. Councillor Orrell, yes. Docket number 1424 has received 11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Docket 1424 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1425?

Docket number 1425. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Resolution celebrating the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Day on July 15, 2026 in the City of Boston.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, may I add Councillor Murphy? Councillor Murphy, is that so added? May I suspend the rules and add Council Mejia?

Seeing and hearing no objections, Council Mejia has added us a third.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This year marks the 36th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Signed into law on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disability Act, ADA, is a federal act that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and ensures that all people with disabilities are entitled to the same rights, opportunities, and services as other Americans. The ADA is a powerful instrument in promoting a society where people with disabilities can fully participate and thrive without facing unjust barriers or prejudice. Through its extensive network of regional centers, the ADA national network works to ensure awareness and compliance with ADA regulations in order to promote equality of opportunity, full participation, self-sufficient living for individuals with disabilities. On July 5th, 15th, 2026, the city of Boston celebrated Americans with Disability Act at Copley Square Park. According to a recent report, almost 9% of Boston residents under 65 live with disabilities. This also includes difficulties in self-care or hearing or vision, independent living, and walking. The City of Boston Disabilities Commission Their mission is to increase opportunities for people with disabilities so that they can fully and equally participate in all aspects of life. In 2022, the Disabilities Commission approved City Hall Plaza ADA compliance by adding accessibility features. I also want to acknowledge my friend, Krista McCosh, who's the commissioner for her outstanding work. I also want to acknowledge Commissioner Santiago at the Veterans Department for his outstanding work on disability rights. And I also want to acknowledge Mayor Wu as well. This Ionella Chamber is fully accessible. Thank you to City Councilor Wu at the time and others. The Boston City Council and Mayor Walsh created the Language and Communication Access Program to provide translation and interpretation services for non-English speaking residents and those with communication related challenges in all city departments. The City of Boston has greatly improved and continues to work in improving access for people with disabilities by requiring facilities and public ways to be ADA compliant. We still have a lot more work to do, but I do want to recognize the work that has been done. I also want to recognize, just in my neighborhood, the South Boston Special Kids and Young Adults and the Challenger Baseball League for Children with Special Needs, which is sponsored by Sean O'Brien, Local 25 of the Teamsters Union, and my father is actually a baseball coach for the Challenger League. assistant coach, rather, I should say, at the Challenger League in Braintree. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Chair recognizes Councillor Murphy. Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Councillor Flynn, for putting this forward every year. We are now year 36, probably one of the most important acts passed to give all of our Residents here in the city of Boston, but across the country the respect and the independence But we do know that there's always more work to do. I do want to give a shout out to Commissioner Shelton. I know that the property management department and a council of Flynn mentioned a few here in City Hall, but always open to needs and we're investing in our capital budget to make sure that all of our city buildings are are accessible to all residents so that we're not keeping anybody out not just in the buildings but across our schools and across our city so just stand in support of this act and of krista mccosh and the work she's doing and just know that this community needs our support always and i know a lot of the hearings that are filed this week are tied to street safety and transportation also which is always a big concern and need for us to make sure that We're making sure those who may have mobility issues, vision, hearing issues, lots of different disabilities, that they also feel safe on our streets. So thank you, Councillor Flynn, and looking forward to passing this resolution today.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy. Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia. Councillor, you have the floor. I just want to say thank you for adding me. Thank you. Good to see you back with us. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the chair. Councillors Flynn, Murphy and Mejia seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket 1425. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1425.

Councilor Braden. Yes. Councilor Braden, yes. Councilor Kaleta-Zapata. Councilor Culpepper.

Yes.

Councilor Culpepper, yes. Councilor Durkan. Yes. Councilor Durkan, yes. Councilor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgerald, yes. Councilor Flynn.

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes. Councilor Lujan.

Yes.

Councilor Lujan, yes. Councilor Mejia. Councilor Mejia, yes. Councilor Murphy. Yes. Councilor Murphy, yes. Councilor Pippen.

Yes.

Councilor Pippen, yes. Councilor Santana. Yes. Councilor Weber. Yes. Councilor Weber, yes. And Councilor Worrell. Councilor Orrell, yes. Docket number 1425 has received 11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1425 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1426?

Docket number 1426, Councilor Orrell, offer the following resolution in support of bills Senate 2344 and House 3754, an act relative to traffic regulation using road safety cameras.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Orrell.

Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to add Councillor Webber as a original co-sponsor. Councillor Webber is so added. And I'd like to suspend the rules and add Councillor Pepin as a third original co-sponsor.

Seeing and hearing no objection, Councillor Pepin is added as a third.

Thank you, Madam President. Traffic safety has been a priority of my office and a concern for many residents for too long. There are many steps we must take to make our roads safer for pedestrians, for cyclists, and for all our road users. These bills provides one of those solutions, and it does so in a way that will free up our police officers to focus resources on other public emergencies, while making traffic safety enforcement more efficient. It will give cities the option to use road safety cameras to address speeding, red light violations, and other dangerous driving behaviors. Multiple of the cities have a long history of using automated enforcement tools, such as Chicago, Washington, DC, as well as New York, which have reported a significant decrease in speeding violations where cameras are located since their program's inception. So I'm asking my council colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and urging our colleagues at the State House to pass a bill S-2344 and House Bill 3754, an act relative to traffic regulation using road safety cameras to give municipalities the option to implement transparent, equitable, and data-driven road safety camera programs. I would like to suspend and pass this resolution. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Worrell.

The chair recognizes Councillor Webber. Councillor, you have the floor. Okay, thank you very much. I think Councillor Orrell summed it up very well. Just add, I mean, this is, again, a very practical approach to making our streets safer. I think in New York, where they put these red light cameras in at something like 1% of all the intersections, they saw a city-wide decrease in people speeding through red lights and getting into dangerous T-bone accidents. And so, you know, it's something that we should definitely have the ability to implement here in Boston. For me, I think the only possible objection to this would be on civil liberties grounds, but the ACLU have fought for revisions to these bills, and I believe it has been satisfied that there won't be civil liberties issues with these state bills. So again, I thank you to Councillor Orrell for putting this forward, and I hope we can pass this resolution today. CHAIRPERSON WONG.

Thank you, Councillor Webber. The Chair recognizes Councillor Pepin. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Councilor Worrell for having me as a co-sponsor. You know, this is something that I've also spoken about previously. It's a topic that a lot of residents have reached out about. A lot of people see work in other places. I'm also just glad to know that the state has been working with the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition and has their support behind these two bills. And also, as Council Weber just mentioned, there has been concern with the from the ACLU. But I think that they have reached finally a place where everyone feels comfortable with the language that's in place with both of the bills, both at the Senate and at the House. So I encourage our colleagues at the State House to really look at this and move it forward to make sure that we are making our roads safer. Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Durkan. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Chair, and thank you to the sponsors. This is incredibly important, and I know we have been working and advocating to have this technology on MBTA buses for bus lanes, and I don't understand why we can't also have it for other traffic violations. I was on the phone with a constituent from the Back Bay yesterday. It's a common sense solution that even our constituents are coming saying without even any knowledge of the bill saying why don't we have the ability to do this like they do in other states so as someone who is from a place where this is routine understanding that in the wake of of police violence and other things going on. Having less interactions with police and residents is ideal given that routine traffic stops are frowned upon at this point for minor violations. So I think this is clear, it's simple, I'm in support and I know a lot of our colleagues have advocated for this at the State House for a long time, but it feels like there's momentum this time and I urge our state colleagues, as much as they love our urging, I urge my state colleagues to vote in support of this and to let it get into the final version of this bill.

Thank you, Councillor Durkan. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, and please add the chair. Councillors Worrell, Weber and Pepin seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1426. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1426?

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Council call pepper. Yes councillor Durkin councillor Durkin. Yes councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

That's a show. Yes. Council Flynn.

Yes.

That's a thing. Yes. Council illusion. Yes. That's illusion. Yes. Council me here. That's a me here. Yes. Council Murphy. That's a Murphy. Yes. Constable Penn.

Yes.

Constable Penn. Yes. Constable Santana. Council Webber. Yes. Council Webber. Yes. And council world. Yes. Yes. Talking number one, four, two, six has received 11 votes in the firm.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Docket 1426 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1427? Go ahead.

Docket number 1427. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Resolution in support of House 4358 and Senate 2662 on consumer protections for wheelchair users.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor.

Madam Chair, may I make a motion to substitute the language, please?

Second. Could we have a second? Second. Second. Thank you. Does everyone have the substituted language in front of them? Yes. Very good. Councillor, you may continue.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Persons with disabilities who depend on wheelchairs can be left without any mobility for weeks or even months when repairs are delayed to their wheelchair. In response, the Massachusetts legislature has two bills under review, H4358 and S2662, that would establish clear timelines for wheelchair dealers, improve parts availability, and reduce insurance barriers for consumers. In January 2025, Representative Jim O'Day filed H-1278, an act relative to wheelchair repair requirements and consumer protection. The bill would also prohibit MassHealth and other private health insurance from requiring private authorizations for repairs to complex rehabilitation technology wheelchairs, unless the original prescription is more than five years old. The bill would require authorized wheelchair dealers to complete repairs as soon as possible, but no later than ten business days after the consumer requests the repair. currently H4358, which has been reported favorably by the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection Professional Licensure and referred to the House Committee in Ways and Means for further consideration. In November 2025, S2662, an act expanding wheelchair warranty protections for consumers with disabilities was reported by the Joint Committee consumer protection and professional licensures the bill is very similar to h 4358 while also expanding current warranty protections the original sponsor of the senate legislation was john cronin who filed the original senate petition in the beginning of the 2025 2026 session Under the Massachusetts Wheelchair Lemon Law, the customized wheelchair arbitration program provides dispute resolution between wheelchair manufacturers and consumers without going to court. The program is for consumers with a purchased or leased new custom wheelchair who pay for all or partial cost out of pocket. If the consumer qualifies, an independent arbitrator can replace the wheelchair or offer refunds. On July 14, 2026, the Boston Center for Independent Living and the Disability Policy Consortium hosted a rally for repeaters advocating for these bills. Attendees expressed feelings that their independence has been lost, overall health suffered, quality of life deteriorated. I was proud to stand with people from the disability community in advocating for these bills. I do want to recognize my friend Tara, who's an outstanding advocate for persons with disabilities, a civil rights leader in the city of Boston, someone I have great respect and admiration for. These bills take the necessary steps to protect wheelchair users and prevent immobility for weeks or even months, as I mentioned at the beginning. This is a civil rights issue and a public safety issue. Disability rights are civil rights. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. As a retired physical therapist at this point, I do appreciate the challenges of having our folks with disabilities have their wheelchairs repaired in a timely way. Many of our wheelchairs are very sophisticated pieces of equipment with computer technology and all sorts of advances in recent years, so it's really, really important that timely repairs are done so that folks don't have their independence impaired.

Madam Chair, may I add you as an original co-sponsor?

Thank you. I'd be honoured to be a second co-sponsor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Would anyone else like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and I've got me. Thank you. Councillor Flynn seeks suspension of the rules and adoption of docket number 1427. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on this docket 1427?

Councillor Brayden.

Yes.

Councillor Brayden. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Lujan.

Yes.

Councillor Lujan. Yes. Councillor Mejia. Yes. Councillor Mejia. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Councillor Santana. Councillor Webber.

Yes.

Councillor Webber, yes. And Councillor Worrell. Docket number 1427 has received nine votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1427 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket 1428?

Docket number 1428. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Resolution in support of nurses at Boston Medical Centre.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, may I add Councillor Fitzgerald as an original co-sponsor? Councillor Fitzgerald is so added. May I suspend the rules, Madam Chair, and add Councillor Culpepper?

Seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Culpepper is added as a third.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Nurses of Boston Medical Center comprise a workforce of more than 1,500 dedicated professionals who provide high quality, life-saving care to patients in Boston and across New England. These healthcare providers are the backbone of one of the nation's leading healthcare institutions, ensuring safe patient care. advancing the public health of the region, supporting the well-being of families and communities in Boston. Members of 1199 SEIU at Boston Medical Center have been engaged in contract negotiations advocating for fair wages, affordable health care, safe working conditions. This morning, I was proud to join Boston Medical Center nurses on the picket line to advocate for a fair contract through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is a critical part of this ongoing process. I also want to acknowledge that Councilor Fitzgerald was with me this morning, along with Councilor Murphy. I know other Councilors are going later today. I believe Councilor Culpepper is going later today as well, but State Representative John Moran From the south end, State Senator Nick Collins was there. And there was another woman, another state representative that was there as well from outside of Boston. The Boston Medical Center is located in the south end, on the border of the south end in Roxbury. And the south end, as many people know, is represented This particular area is represented by City Councilor John Fitzgerald. Just across the way is Councilor Culpepper's district, and just down the block is District 2, which I represent. So I want to say thank you to John and to Reverend for their advocacy and commitment to social and economic justice. Fair compensation and accessible health care benefits are essential to retaining experienced nurses maintaining safe staffing levels, ensuring the continued delivery of high quality patient care. The nurses' effort to secure a fair contract reflect their commitment to not only their profession, but to the patients and communities they serve. One nurse said to me, Ed, what we're asking for is parity. We're the lowest paid union nurses in Boston. and they probably are in the most difficult hospital because they're in a trauma hospital and they see a lot of challenging circumstances. What they're asking for is fairness. They're asking for respect and dignity. They're not asking for a huge increase, but they're asking to pay their bills, support their families, and contribute to their community like they have, but it's up to the BMC to treat them with respect and dignity through the collective bargaining process. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. The Chair recognizes Councillor Fitzgerald. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councillor Flynn, for having me as a co-sponsor, as well with Councillor Culpepper, all of us collectively representing the South End. Yeah, we were down there at 7 o'clock this morning, standing with SEIU and our nurses at the Boston Medical Center. Again, I've said before in here, my mom was a part-time nurse at BMC over 30 years ago. And I said down there this morning that it's 2026 and it should no longer be time. One job should be enough. And so they take care of our most in need. We need to treat them with respect. If not, we will see them leave the hospitals and we can't have BMC with the shortage of nurses, given who they help and the trauma that they address through their job. And so I was proud to be down there. with the nurses, and like Councillor Flynn said, all they're looking for is a little parity. They are by far the lowest paid compared to the other hospitals at the moment, and so they're just looking to be respected, especially for the work that they do. And I do have faith that BMC will come around and treat them with fairness as well, and it will reflect in the next contract, and I'm there to support the nurses in helping them negotiate that. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Fitzgerald. The Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, along with Councilor Fitzgerald and Councilor Flynn, support the nurses 100% in their quest to receive a parity with regard to their pay. When Boston University, at the time University Hospital, merged with, at the time, Boston City Hospital, It was HUD that issued the insured mortgage. I was the lawyer that did the closing for the merger of University Hospital and Boston City Hospital. So I stand with them 100%. I also want to say, for the record, my mother was a nurse for 30 years that worked at University Hospital. So when I think about nurses, I think about 11 to 7, because I remember my mother, every night, hitting that door at 11 to go to work and coming back the next morning at 7 to get us ready to go to school. So I support nurse parity 100%. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper. I have been attending to the button, so Councillor Murphy and then Councillor Pepe.

Okay, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to the sponsors for this. I saw some of my colleagues out there early this morning. I was out there with them at 6 a.m. and just talking to them and hearing what they were chanting, which many of us already know, but they're really not asking for much. They're the lowest paid nurses in the city. They have one of the toughest jobs in the city. They also have, in many cases, unsafe work environment, which they're very concerned about. So I do believe that we should be out there with them on the picket line, but also listening closely and working closely with SEIU 1199 and the nurses directly to find out exactly how we can support and be that bridge with public health and BMC to make sure that they have the work environment that they deserve. I just want all the nurses and their families, I know it was mentioned, I know Councillor Fitzgerald's mom also and Councillor Culpepper's mom, so many nurses, they give up their sleep to make sure they can make the work schedule work so that they can provide for their families and their children. So I wanted to just make sure they knew that we were 100% behind them. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy. Councillor Pepin. I do notice we have a very chivalrous colleague Offering his coat to a colleague there. Go ahead, Constable.

Yeah, just standing in support of this resolution, thanking the sponsors for bringing it forward. I am a huge fan of Boston Medical Center. It is where all three of my kids were born. I was actually there the past two days for two separate appointments for them before the strikes happened. And it's just always so impressive to see the work that the nurses do. They're the ones that continuously check up on you when you're staying there. The work that, the way that they treated my wife was just, it's just impeccable. And I just know that through the stories that we hear, through the residents that are nurses from BMC in my district, you just continue to really realize how important their work is. And that what they're, as Councillor Murphy mentioned, they're not asking for much. They're just asking for a lot of respect, for dignity, so that they can provide for their families and make sure that they are, that one job is enough. And for me, they have my full commitment to be there to support Plan B and they're later tonight to support them in their march and their strike. So thank you so much to the councillors that brought this forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Pepin. Councillor Worrell, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to the counselors and the co-sponsors who brought this forward and all my colleagues who got up and spoke. And I was able to join on their picket line today and just support our nurses who are the backbone of our health care system. And the ones down at BMC, they work tirelessly to make sure that they're providing quality health care. And I've talked to so many people down there on the picket line and just hearing the service and the compassion that they have for patients who are coming through those doors. It's only right that we stand up for them right now as they continue to care for so many of us through some of our darkest times. So thank you to all the unions and the partners who are organizing and just want to let the nurses know down at BMC, we stand with you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Louisianne. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I want to thank my colleagues for following this. I just want to echo the comments of my colleagues. Our nurses do so much. Our nurses at Boston Medical Center do so much. They care for our most vulnerable. They've cared for a number of my family members. and so I just wanted to get up and stand in solidarity. I will be joining them later on. The picket line was with our nurses last week over at, or two weeks ago, over at the Brigham, and so we just need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to protect our workers here, and our nurses do so much, especially our nurses at BMC, and so I just wanted to make sure that I stood in solidarity with my colleagues. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and I just want to rise in solidarity in supporting our nurses, both at Brigham's and Boston Medical Center. I have been watching on the sidelines, and I also just want to thank just the impact that they've made in my own journey and in my family's. So I just want to say thank you. We stand in solidarity, and I think the most important thing that we can do, not aside from showing up at the picket lines and filing resolutions, is really putting the pressure on those big fat cats that are getting lots of money while our nurses who are doing the frontline work are getting the spare change. And so I think it's important for us to recognize what that value is and how much we have to fight for them. Thank you. Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Webber. Councillor Webber, you have the floor. Thank you. I just also want to stand in solidarity with our nurses. As somebody who represented thousands of nurses seeking fair wages across the country, I just think it's a shame that such vital workers have to go on strike so they could afford to live and earn a living wage to provide the services that all of us need. So thank you very much, and I support this resolution.

Thank you. I'm sure you remember, my mom was a nurse. Her sisters were nurses. And so I grew up in a household with nurses. I also, Boston University Hospital was merging with City Hospital when I got my first job here in Boston, which became Boston Medical Center. now BMC. So I know how hard they work. I know how challenging the work is. And I know the incredible reputation that BMC Boston has in the South End for its trauma centre and for the incredible work they do. So our nurses do deserve wage parity with other nurses in the city. This is an incredible flagship hospital that we have incredible pride in. but we have to be respectful of our nurses and have the dignity. They should have dignity and be able to live and be compensated for the incredible work that they do. Councillors Flynn, Fitzgerald and Culpeper beg your pardon, would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Durkan, Councillor Louisiane, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the Chair. Oh, and Councillor Culpepper, you were a third co-sponsor, so you're already on the list. Got it. Councillors Flynn, Fitzgerald, and Culpepper seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1428. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1428?

Council of Braden. Yes. Council of Braden. Yes. Council of Coletta-Zapata. Council of Culpeper. Yes. Council of Culpeper. Yes. Council of Durkan. Yes. Council of Durkan. Yes. Council of Fitzgerald. Yes. Council of Fitzgerald. Yes. Council of Flynn. Yes. Council of Flynn. Yes. Council of Louisiane.

Yes.

Council of Louisiane. Yes. Council of Mejia. Yes. Council of Mejia. Yes. Council of Murphy. Yes. Council of Murphy. Yes. Council of Pepin. Yes. Council of Pepin. Yes. Council of Santana. Yes. Council of Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor Worrell, yes. Docket No. 1428 has received 11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Docket 1428 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1429?

Docket No. 1429. Councillor Louis-Jean offered the following. Resolution celebrating the retirement of Eddie Crispin.

The Chair recognizes Councillor Louis-Jeanne.

Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you. Seeking suspension and passage of this resolution, I was honoured to present Eddie with this resolution earlier, and thank you to my colleagues for joining me to celebrate his 27-year career at the Boston Police Department in this bittersweet moment of his departure. Thank you.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell. And please add the chair. Councillor Louis-Jean seeks suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1429. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1429?

Councilor Braden? Yes. Councilor Braden, yes. Councilor Calazapar? Councilor Culpepper? Councilor Culpepper, yes. Councilor Durkan? Councilor Durkan, yes. Councilor Fitzgerald?

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgerald, yes. Councilor Flynn?

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes. Councilor Lujan?

Yes.

Councilor Lujan, yes. Councilor Mejia? Councilor Mejia, yes. Councilor Murphy? Yes. Councilor Murphy, yes. Councilor Pippen? Yes. Councilor Pippen, yes. Councilor Santana? Councilor Weber? Yes. Councilor Weber, yes. And Councilor Worrell? Councillor O'Reilly, yes. Docket number 1429 has received 11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Docket number 1429 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1430?

Docket number 1430. Councillor Culpepper offered the following. Resolution recognizing the Roxbury Neighborhood Council.

Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper. Councillor Culpepper, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to add Council Mahia as a second original co-sponsor. I'd also like to request a suspension of the rules to vote on the passage of this docket. When we talk about community engagement and community-led planning in Roxbury, we also need to respect the structures that were established to give residents a meaningful and continuing voice in the decisions affecting their neighborhood. The Roxbury Neighborhood Council has an important role in that process. Article 50 of the Boston Zoning Code recognizes the RNC as Roxbury's formal planning entity, and the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan establish a broader framework for community participation in development, in land use, in planning decisions, including a role for the RNC in the nomination process of members of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee. This is particularly important now because the current members of the Oversight Committee have exceeded the three-year term established by the Master Plan. And as the city moves forward with appointments, we should make sure that the process follows a framework that was established and that Roxbury residents, community organizations, and elected officials continue to have the role and vision for them under the Master Plan. We cannot selectively rely on the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan when it is convenient. If we recognize that document as the foundation for the oversight committee, then we also have to respect the provisions that establish a role for the Roxbury Neighborhood Council and the community itself. Community participation will not simply mean informing residents about decisions after they have been made, It has to mean providing residents with a meaningful role in shaping those decisions from the beginning. As Roxbury continues to experience significant development and change, we need to make sure that the people who call the neighborhood home continue to have a real voice in determining Roxbury's future. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper. Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. And with your permission, I'm just going to remain seating. Is that OK? Go ahead. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you to Councilor Culpepper for adding me. This resolution recognizes the important role the Roxbury Neighborhood Council, also known as the RNC, plays in Article 50 of the Boston Zoning Code to ensure that the Roxbury community has input in planning and development in their neighborhood. Additionally, The Roxbury Strategic Master Plan establishes a nomination process for its oversight committee, which specifies that the RNC leads the process of identifying individuals for the nomination pool from which the mayor appoints oversight committee members. Community members have reached out to us concerned about the potential lack of respect for the independent role that the RNC has had in this process. the former chair and counselor who revived the government accountability as the former chair and counselor who revived the government accountability and transparency and accessibility committee, I remain committed to ensuring that meaningful community involvement is a priority for the city of Boston and that we uphold the legislation that provides a clear process. And as I always say, the protocols, policies, and procedures are just as important as the outcome, and I look forward to Standing with community and helping them through this process.

Thank you Thank you customer here chair recognizes concert Flynn concert.

You have the floor Thank You madam chair and thank you to council of Culpeper for bringing this forward had an opportunity this morning prior to the start of the council meeting to join council of Culpeper and others in listening to Roxbury residents that came to City Hall this morning to advocate. I think they came here to advocate for respect, for a little bit of justice to be heard, and I think that's what Councillor Culpepper's resolution is all about today, is the voice of Roxbury must be heard, it must be respected, it must be included, and I'm here to stand with the residents of Roxbury and my colleague, Councillor Culpepper. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Chair recognizes Councillor Murphy. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to the Roxbury District Councillor, Councillor Culpepper, for bringing this forward. Thank you to Reggie for reaching out to my office and working with Andrew. I spoke earlier to the group, but just agree wholeheartedly that we need to make sure that the Roxbury residents do not ever feel like we are not listening to them, or that they're working really hard and doing great work but then they don't see the results and that's what we see time and time again that despite engagement despite rolling up our sleeves and despite pushing back and giving really good thoughtful reasons for why they know what is better for their neighborhood for their street for their small businesses that they're continued to not be heard so thank you for never giving up on that fight and know that myself and I believe all of my colleagues, I can speak on behalf of this body, but I will continue to show up and be a voice, however you need me. So, thank you.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Pepin, and please add the chair. Councillors Culpepper and Mejia seek suspension of the rules adoption of docket 1430. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1430?

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Joe, yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Louisianne. Yes. Councillor Lujan. Yes. Councillor Mejia. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Docket number 1430 has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1430 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1431?

Dr. No. 1431, Councillor Mejia offered the following. Resolution recognizing the month of July as Disability Pride Month.

Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. And I would like to add Councillor Flynn as an original co-sponsor. Councillor Flynn is so added. This resolution is recognizing Disability Pride Month, which is recognized globally each year during the month of July. highlighting the accomplishments, struggles, and contributions of individuals with disabilities. We observe Disability Pride Month in July to commemorate the signing of the American Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. Disability Pride has strong roots in our city, as Boston held the first Disability Pride Day in 1990 as well. Our disability community in Boston and all individuals with disabilities continue to make significant contributions to various fields including but not limited to art, literature, science, sports, business, and advocacy, enriching our society with their unique perspectives. With Disability Pride Month, we celebrate the disability community, but also take the opportunity to promote inclusivity, raising awareness and educating others about disability rights, combating stigma and discrimination, fostering a culture of respect and equity, and advocacy for true accessibility and equity. The commitment to this work is not limited to the month of July, but rather year-round. Thank you. Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam Chair. I think Councillor Mejia summed it up best in her comments. I want to acknowledge Councillor Mejia's long-time commitment to disability rights across the City of Boston, disability rights, civil rights. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Louisiane, Councillor Worrell, and please add the chair. Councillors Mejia and Flynn seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1431. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Mr. Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on 1431?

Councillor Breedon. Yes. Councillor Breedon, yes. Councillor Collar, as opposed. Councilor Culpepper. Yes. Councilor Culpepper, yes. Councilor Durkan. Councilor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councilor Fitzgerald, yes. Councilor Flynn.

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes. Councilor Lujan. Yes. Councilor Lujan, yes. Councilor Mejia. Yes. Councilor Mejia, yes. Councilor Murphy. Yes. Councilor Murphy, yes. Councilor Pippen.

Yes.

Councilor Pippen, yes. Councilor Santana. Councilor Weber.

Yes.

Councilor Weber, yes. And Councilor Worrell.

Yes.

Councilor Worrell, yes. Docket number 1431 has received 10 votes in affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1431 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read Docket 1432?

Docket number 1432. Councillors Mejia and Culpepper offer the following. Resolution declaring July 1st, 2026 as Jalen Brown Day in the City of Boston.

Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to suspend the rules and add Councilor Worrell as an original co-sponsor. Seeing and hearing no objection, Councilor Worrell is added as a third. I'm following this resolution to recognize Jalen Brown's contributions on and off the court. In his 10 seasons with the Celtics, he not only grew as a professional basketball player, but also as a Bostonian. He is an NBA champion, a five-time NBA All-Star, 2024 Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, and much more. And he also has been a key player who has led the Celtics to their historic 18th banner. But Jalen Brown's impact does not stop there. The seven Jews The Juice Foundation, excuse me, and Boston Exchange, both of his philanthropic organizations have uplifted underrepresented marginalized communities, especially our youth and entrepreneurs. Through his social justice advocacy, Jalen Brown has used his platform to advocate for economic empowerment, resource accessibility, equity, and civic engagement. And even though Jalen Brown is moving on from the Celtics, he will be greatly missed. His dedication to the Boston community continues. In a joint statement, the Jews Foundation and the Boston Exchange have reaffirmed their commitment to the Boston community and will continue to support our people. And I would just like to say that on July 1st, when we heard the news, we wanted to make sure that even though the Boston Celtics did not recognize his efforts and the contributions that he has made to the city as the Boston City Council, We want to affirm and uplift the gratitude that we have for Jalen and his entire team and all the work that they've done here in the city of Boston. So thank you forever. July 1st will be Jalen Brown's day, so the Celtics, you're still going to be hearing about him even when he's long gone. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Mejia.

Chair recognizes Councilor Culpepper. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilor Mejia. Fatty me as an original co-sponsor on this resolution. Jayden Brown's legacy, as you said, extends well beyond what he accomplished on the basketball court. While Boston will always remember his role in bringing Banner 18 to the city, he also consistently demonstrated that professional athletes can use a platform to invest in communities, expand opportunities, and advocate for issues larger than themselves. Throughout his time in Boston, Jaylen Brown championed initiatives focused on educational opportunity, entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, and equity. Through organizations, as Councilman Hill said, like the Juice Foundation and the Boston Exchange, he invested directly in young people and entrepreneurs, helping create pathways for success For success beyond the game of basketball. These contributions will have a lasting impact long after his playing career in Boston has come to an end. Although we are saddened to see him move on from Boston, his contributions to this city will continue to be felt on and off the court. I am proud to support recognizing July 1st as Jalen Brown Day. in the city of Boston. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper. The chair recognizes Councillor Worrell. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to my co-sponsors on this. We've heard it, we've seen it, and Jaylen Brown's off-court impacts is going to be truly missed. I remember last year, We went around visiting schools and one of the students came up to me and said, this is the best day of my life. And that's the type of impact Jalen Brown has brought to Boston. And I heard that he is committed to still making sure that he's showing up and investing in our young people here in the city. I don't know too much about on court, on court analytics, but I know off court analytics can't measure his impacts. So we're going to be, you're going to be Miss Jalen and hopefully you keep on coming back and visiting the city. Thank you.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisian, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Weber, and please add the chair. Councillors Mejia, Culpeper and Worrell seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket 1432. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Thank you. Docket 1432 has been adopted. Mr. Clerk, could you please read docket 1433?

Docket number 1433. Councillor Mejia, offer the following. Resolution declaring July 26, 2026. as Barbara Time Day in the City of Austin.

Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia. Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

Yes.

Okay.

So, you know, I just think it's funny, Councillor Flynn is trying to kill me today. I have a little heart situation. My little heart monitor will probably explode today. Thank you, Councillor Flynn. All right. First, it was your speech the last time that passed me out. All right. So thank you, Madam President. I am filing this resolution recognizing July 26, 2026 as Barber Time Day in the city of Boston. Barber Time was born out of a black neighborhood barbershop in Boston during the late 90s. And we are grateful for their work that they have done across the decades in Boston. and throughout Massachusetts. The Barber Time Network has innovated and created platforms for barbers and stylists capturing the energy of the community-driven barbershop and salons to benefit the community, the local businesses, or corporate agencies and the barbers and stylists themselves. Barbershops and salons play an important role in their community as spaces where people connect and are comfortable having honest and candid conversations. Our office has worked with barbershops and salons to engage them as information hubs for community and community-centered spaces for programming and events. With this resolution, we uplift the continued advocacy of Barber Time and its founder, Ian Davis, for barbers and stylists to recognize their service, also as in-place agents that already serve as consultants, micro-therapists, community organizers, educators, and trusted confidence. During COVID, my office created an initiative to help support barbershops and hair salon owners. And we looked at the issues of mental health, and we created an initiative. Literally, you were getting your hair done while you were getting your head fixed, because we were connecting barbershop owners to mental health support services so that they were able to support their clients. And so that was the whole gimmick back five or seven years ago. And since my work then, we've been in constant collaboration working alongside barbers and hair salon owners. They are the frontline workers in so many ways. You trust them to dye your hair. You trust them to cut your hair. You dye them, you know, you trust them to do a lot of things. And so aside from the trust that we have, we also have to recognize the amount of love and energy that they pour into people. So many folks that come in there feeling broken and leave there full of life. So I just want to thank Barbara Thyme for their work and their advocacy and I look forward to supporting and celebrating July 26 as Barbara Thyme Day here in the City of Boston. Thank you.

Thank you Councillor Mejia. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Weber, Councillor Worrell and please add the chair. Councillor Mehear seeks suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1433. Oh, beg your pardon. And please add Councillor Louis Yen. Councillor Mehear seeks suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1433. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Docket 1433 has been adopted. We are now moving on to personnel orders. Mr. Clerk, could you please read the personnel orders, dockets 1434 to 1435?

Personnel orders, docket number 1434, Councillor Braden for Councillor Webber, and docket number 1435, Councillor Braden for Councillor Webber.

Thank you. The Chair moves for passage of the personnel orders. All in favour say aye. The ayes have it, personnel have passed. Before we move on to green sheets, is there anyone who would like to add their name to a docket that they may have missed? If you have, please put your light on and we'll amend the record. Councillor Worrell.

I'd like to add a vote to 1427, yes vote.

And Councillor Pepe?

I would also like to add a yes vote to 1427. Okay.

Anyone else? Very good. We are now on to green sheets. Is anyone looking to pull a docket from the green sheets? No. We are now moving on to late files. I have been informed by the Clerk that we have two late file matters, which are a personnel order and a letter of absence. Absent objection, these late file matters will be added to the agenda. Mr. Clerk, would you please read the late file matters into the record?

Firstly, file a letter from Counselor Santana. Dear Counselor President Brady, throughout this summer, I've been dealing with persistent and unresolved health issues. Last Thursday, I went to have those issues evaluated by medical professionals, which ultimately led to an extended hospital stay. I will unfortunately be unable to attend today's Boston City Council meeting. Thank you for your prayer, support, and understanding. I look forward to being back with you soon. Sincerely, Councillor Santana. And the second late file matter is a personnel order. Councillor Braden for Councillor Louisian.

Thank you. The chair moves for passage of these late file matters. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Thank you. The personnel orders have passed. We're now moving on to the consent agenda. I have been informed by the clerk that there are no no additions to the consent agenda. The question now comes on approval of the various matters contained within the consent agenda. All those in favour say aye. Thank you. The consent agenda has been adopted. We're now moving on to announcements. Please remember that these are for upcoming dates and events. Does anyone have an announcement? First up, Councillor Pepin, you have the floor.

I would just like to wish my Director of Constituent Services, Gabriel Cruz, a very happy birthday, which is today. I call him the secret weapon of the office. He alone has closed over 1,000 cases since joining my team in my very first year in the office. He's killing it, and we are very happy to have him on the team. Happy birthday, Gabriel.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to invite all my colleagues and everyone to a rally that is happening tomorrow here at City Hall Plaza at noon on Senate Bill 4814. That's the bill in the Senate to extend temporary protected status for Haiti by three years. Thanks to the work of Congressman Presley, the bill passed successfully on a bipartisan basis in the House, and now we need it to pass the Senate. Friday is the day where temporary protected status will end for Haitians if there's not intervention happening. That means 350,000 people across the country without an ability to work and without what was a lawful status here. So tomorrow we'll have a great gathering. There are 56 organizations are co-sponsoring tomorrow at noon, and it's really important for us to show solidarity. I believe pretty fairly soon Senator Markey is about to take the bill up on the Senate floor. So I'm just urging all of my colleagues and all of those in attendance and those listening to come out tomorrow at noon and be in support as we rally to extend TPS. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia. Councillor Mejia, you have the floor. Yes.

Thank you, Madam President. It's not so much an announcement. I just want to say thank you to my colleagues for reaching out and for making lighthearted jokes while I was laid out. And Councilor Louis-Jean, I know that it was scary to witness and I just wanna thank you for your support during that process. And I wanna thank the clerk for your lovely card, Elaine, Ellen, excuse me, and my council colleagues who, the Boston City Council for sending me flowers, my council colleagues who brought me flowers to my house and to my whole entire family and community. I just wanna say thank you for showing up. For me, the way that you have, it is very difficult for me to ask for anything. And I just want to say thank you for everyone who made it easy so I wouldn't have to do that. And, you know, I think it's important now that our colleague is not here today. I also just, you know, it was scary and I just want us to learn how to take better care of ourselves. If you try to hug me and I push back a little bit, it's just because I have a little heart monitor. So that's just, I know I joked about it earlier, but don't get offended. Everybody who's watching, if you try to hug me and I push back, it's not because you smell, it's just because I don't want this to go off or something or fall off or something. But anyways, I just want to say thank you for your support. We have to do a better job. We take so many things to heart, literally. And I think it's really important for us to recognize that at the end of the day, you know, this is our jobs and we live to serve. But we can't die in that service. And so I'm just going to ask everybody to be a little bit more mindful of how we show up for ourselves and for each other and for our constituents and just give yourself a little bit more grace, especially in these times when so much is happening all around us. So thank you. And sorry that I broke protocol instead of making an announcement.

No, we're delighted to see you back.

Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Murphy. Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and welcome back, Councillor Mehear, and thank you for recognizing Councillor Santana. I know he is in all our prayers. and your staff your office always does an amazing job and i know council of flynn and i were joined in a parade and saw your staff out there so i think they're thank you for all you did that day connecting her with her family but also knowing that even though you were laid up and it's so hard for you because you've worked so hard you have since you were a little girl but your staff as always was out there representing you in the city in a wonderful way And I also was waiting to see if Councillor Flynn was going to turn on his light. I know he's modest, but I do think it's important that we wish his father, former mayor and ambassador, I call him Mr. Flynn, and any time I'm so honoured to see him and his beautiful wife in South Boston or around the city, they're so kind and wonderful to me. So I do want to wish Mr. Flynn a happy birthday. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy. Anyone else like to add? So we have a list of happy birthday wishes in the next few weeks. We have Councillor Louis-Jeanne, happy birthday, Gabe Cruz of Councillor Pepin's office, Mike Fishbein of Councillor Webber's office, Andrew Galvin of Councillor Murphy's office, Lily Sweeterman of Councillor Durkan's office and Matt Costas of our office. We wish you all a very happy birthday and a great celebration. I hope you have a wonderful time and the weather is nice for you all. We're now moving on to memorials. Would anyone like to uplift a name? If you put your lights on, I will just start here with Councillor Durkan and I'll go around the room. Councillor Durkan, you have the floor.

Thank you so much. Phil Short was a long-time Beacon Hill resident who loved sitting on the stoop of his home on Pickney Street. He was known by neighbours as the mayor of Upper Pickney Street. He passed away from a heart attack on July 13th. Phil was deeply beloved throughout the neighbourhood. He looked after so many of his neighbours' homes, and he brightened his block with personality. The community is already searching for ways to honour his memory, and he will be deeply missed. I would also like to honor the memory of two other members of our community in Beacon Hill, Paul Madalino and Aaron Sawchuck. My thoughts are with their families, their loved ones, and everyone in the community who is mourning these losses.

Councillor Fitzgerald, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to uplift Pete Doherty of Dorchester, passed away a couple weeks ago. Pete was known as the Duke of Dorchester and was a proud resident of District 3. He attended Hyde Park High School, proudly served his country in the United States Army, and later earned an associate degree in business from Newberry College. Peter lived a remarkable and accomplished life. Known to wrestling fans throughout New England as the Duke of Dorchester, he enjoyed a distinguished career as a professional wrestler in the WWF, as an actor, and as a television commentator. Beyond the spotlight, Peter was a skilled electrician who dedicated many years of service to general dynamics. A proud inductee to New England's Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2010, Peter left behind a legacy that extends far beyond the wrestling ring. Peter was the beloved husband of the late Joan Doherty, devoted father of Lisa, and her husband Dan, and Linda, and her husband Mark. And he's a treasured uncle to many nieces and nephews. I had the honor of bringing his family in this morning before the council meeting to honor his life. And they're still great, proud Dorchester people that still give back to the community. And so it was great to learn about Pete, the Duke of Dorchester. And even Liam in my office, his dad remembers seeing him. wrestled to a draw out at a match in Methuen. So, I mean, people, this was a, he was a pretty serious guy and a funny guy, I guess, to say the least, according to his family. So, I'd like to lift up the Duke of Dorchester.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to offer my prayers and condolence to the Gregorio family. They lost their daughter, Lisa Gregorio, who was a Boston fire alarm operator for 25 or 30 years, maybe. But I knew Lisa growing up. She was my age and knew her throughout South Boston. She came from a wonderful family, a great group of friends and colleagues on the Boston Fire Department. So I just want to offer my prayers and condolences to the Gregorio family, a well-respected family in South Boston. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Chair recognizes Councillor Louisianne. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair. I wanted to remember a few who have passed away today. I want to start, obviously, with Louisa Gag, who many of us spoke about earlier, a City of Boston resident, employee, avid cyclist, community advocate. her parents, who are such incredible people, her sister, who graduated with my sister from high school. So this one hurts deep, and I know it does for many of my colleagues. And I just want to just hold the Gag family in my thoughts and prayers, and want to make sure that we continue the work in the memory of Louisa. I also wanted to uplift the name of Yosel Liani Marte, also known as Liani, who died and a domestic violence incident this week and it is unfortunate she was only 18. Her family should be planning her future and planning her funeral. She died in Mattapan and I just want to make sure that we understand the severity of domestic violence and that being at the root of so much violence and if anyone's in need of assistance to reach out to the office for victim assistance at 617-586-1340. Domestic violence is often a silent killer, and we need to not let it be so silent. And lastly, I'd like to end. There's often someone sitting here. His name is Bill Wright. He interviewed me when I was a high school student for college, and he's just an important person in my life. He lost his son. His son, William Bill Henry Wright III, who was raised in Dorchester, attended the Mather School, the Murphy Theo Bryant went to Worcester Polytechnical Institute, was a member of Alpha Cairo Fraternity, had impressive intellect, loved holidays with his family, was a Thanksgiving baby, was a great conversationalist, and fortunately passed away at the age of 35. I know that his family is listening now, and I just wanted to make sure that we uplift the memory of Bill and the entire family. I know Free is his cousin, and I know that this is something that is deeply, deeply personal for the family. He lived a life where he cared, Senator, about his family and those he loved and was incredibly smart and loved people. And so I just wanted to make sure that in the interactions that we've had with our office, we all care so deeply about the Wright family. And so right now, I just want to give them my deepest condolences. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilor Mejia. Councilor Mejia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I wanted to just second and echo Jaswini Marte's name here in the chamber. I know that some of my daughter's friends were friends with her. So this is hitting close to so many of the young people who are in my network. And I know that there's a lot of work to do in the domestic violence space. And I want to uplift and thank Shakira Robinson of Shakira's Story. She's leading a vigil. a silent prayer vigil on Thursday, July the 23rd at 25 Mount Street in Mattapan, and encouraging people to show up in support of the family. And while I also am speaking on this one, it's to just uplift the fact that there are a lot of neighbors in that immediate area, mainly who are elders, who are also traumatized by all of the that is happening in and around the street. And so I just want to be super mindful of making sure that we're also thinking about the residue of trauma when someone in our neighborhoods pass away and the impact that it has on the entire community, not just the immediate family. So my thoughts and prayers are with her family and those who live in the surrounding area as well. And then one other name is Rolando Molina. I got a call. last week, and even though I was supposed to be resting, I can't rest because that's just not my nature. But Rolando Molina was struck by a vehicle on the intersection of Washington Street and Park Street in Dorchester, and he did not survive. And we've been working on trying to help support his family during this time. And I just want to uplift his name, Rolando Molina, and his family. our sincere condolences.

Would you mind repeating the name again?

Rolando Molina.

I have not got my hearing aids in today, so thank you for your patience.

Councillor Lubichan, are your lights still on?

I know that this is on behalf of a number of my colleagues, but Alberto Vassallo of El Mundo lost his mother, Flora Vassallo. She was a matriarch of the family. She raised them with tons of compassion, her and her entire family. I just wanted to extend our condolences to Alberto Vassallo as he mourns the passing of his matriarch and his mother. Flor Vassallo. Thank you. Alberto? It's Alberto Vassallo's mom, Flor. F-L-O-R. Flor Vassallo. Vassallo? Yes. Laura? Flor. F-L-O-R. Flor. Thank you.

Vassallo. Contra Murphy.

Thank you. I wanted to uplift... the name of Dudley McDonough, the husband and father, grandfather of many of our friends and neighbors in the neighborhood, and a strong member of Local 223. I know myself, Council Fitzgerald, and Council Flynn had gone to the wake and presented a resolution, but I just wanted to uplift it here today. And also Katie Nolan's grandmother, Freda Nolan, and just wanted to bring her name forward, thank you. Susan, is the last one Susan? Frida.

Frida? Frida Nolan. And McDonagh, who is McDonagh? Dudley. Dudley. Councillor Pepin, you have the floor.

Thank you. I would like to also uplift a few names that have been mentioned already. First, Louisa Gag, who was a friend and coworker, someone that was loved by many people. She's a daughter of Rosendale, and her parents, Steve and Laura, are just great friends and amazing people in the community. So I just want to extend my condolences to them. I, as well, want to uplift the name of Joseliani Marte, who just left us way too early. I have a few close friends that are family with her. So just extending my condolences to the entire Marte family. And then also extending my condolences to Mr. Alberto Vasallo on the passing of his mother, Doña Flor Vasallo. His mother's wake is on Friday, July 24th in Revere at 5 p.m. And it's, I mean, we all know Alberto Vasallo and the Vasallo family and everything they've done for our state. I just wanted to send my condolences.

Thank you. Councillor Worrell, you have the floor.

I'd like to remember the name Corey Murphy, a High Park resident. Corey was at High Park High on the basketball scene, a good friend, well-known throughout the community, also had a major impact on Boston's hip hop scene, just wanted to take time off of my condolences, remember the name Corey Murphy.

Corey Murphy.

Also known as Prano.

Known as?

Prano.

Prano?

Yeah.

Councilor Mejia.

Thank you, thank you Madam President. Because I think it's important in regards to Alberto Vasallo and his family, they own El Mundo. I would like to say something in Spanish, just because I think it's important for those who may not have the privilege of speaking English. So, queremos reconocer a la familia de Alberto Vasallo y todos sus seres queridos, y dándole el amor y la gracia por todo lo que han hecho. On behalf of Councillor Flynn, Lisa Gregorio,

On behalf of Councillor Coletta Zapata, Liam D. Fitz. On behalf of Councillor Durkan, Phil Short, Paul Matalanio, and Aaron Shawchuck. On behalf of Councillor Fitzgerald, Janet Jones, David Joseph Gilmartin, and Pete, Duke of Dorchester, Dougherty. On behalf of Councillor Louis-Jean, William Henry Wright III, Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, Lorenzo Salgado Arroyo, Yoselini Marti and Flor Delgado. On behalf of Councillor Liz Braden, Carolyn Beach Tolman, the wife of Warren Tolman and sister-in-law of our former Senator in Alston Brighton, Stephen Tolman. On behalf of Councillor Santana, Tony Fonseca. On behalf of Councillor Mejia, Yolanda Molina. On behalf of Councillor Murphy, Dudley McDonagh and Susan Frieda. And on behalf of Councillor Worrell, Corey Murphy, also known as Prano. and on behalf of the entire Boston City Council, Louisa Gagg. The chair moves that when the council adjourns today, we do so in memory of the aforementioned individuals. A moment of silence, please. The council is scheduled to meet again in the Ionella Chamber on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, at 12pm. Thank you to my colleagues, central staff, the clerk, the clerk's office, and Ellen, our wonderful stenographer. All in favour of adjournment, please say aye. The council is adjourned. Thank you, everyone.