City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you. so so so so Thank you.

Good afternoon, everyone. 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 this chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted. Thank you. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum?

Councillor Braden?

Here.

Councillor Braden? Here. Councillor Colletta Zapata? Here. Councillor Culpepper?

Yes.

Councillor Culpepper? Yes. Councillor Durkan? Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald?

Here.

Councillor Fitzgerald? Here. Councillor Flynn?

Here.

Councillor Flynn? Here. Councillor Louis-Jean?

Here.

Councillor Louis-Jean? Here. Councillor Mejia? Here. Council Mejia here. Council Murphy. Council Murphy here. Council Papin. Council Santana. Council Santana here. Council Webber. Council Webber here. Council Worrell. Council Worrell. A quorum is present.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. I've been informed by Madam Clerk that a quorum is present. Madam Clerk, I would invite you to come and offer some brief remarks as an invocation since our clerk is absent today. Following Madam Clerk's remarks, we'll do the Pledge of Allegiance.

Let's pray. Now may the spirit that lead us in our search for truth and justice, that spirit that has impelled men and women to devote life and fortune to public service, beyond hope of fame or pearl of pride, May that spirit be alive and renewed in them now, today, as they continue to do the work of the people of Boston. Amen.

Amen. I pledge allegiance 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, everyone. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Before we begin our presentations, I'd like to invite the Boston Medical Center Resident Physicians Group to come up for a quick photograph with my colleagues, our colleagues. We will be voting on this legislative resolution later on in the agenda. But for right now, if you'd come forward and ask my colleagues to come up for a photograph with the Boston Medical Center Resident Physicians Group, who are in the midst of contract negotiations right now. I'll put you center, front and center.

We can get in between a few people.

Excellent, thank you. Oh, thank you, gotta bring a little sunshine every now and then.

We have two presentations today. Councillor Santana is recognising Bisexuality and Visit Plus Visibility Day. Councillor Webber is recognising Mark Cohen. Councillor Santana, would you like to come forward?

Thank you, Madam President. Come up here. Good afternoon, everyone. Last week, the council passed my resolution recognizing September 23, 2026 as BIPLUS Visibility Day in Boston. Ever since activists like Wendy Curry, Michael Page, and Gigi Raven Wilbur established this day in 1999, the demand has remained clear. visibility, safety, and respect. Boston must stand firmly against bi plus aversion. I am proud to introduce today's featured speaker, Ayanna Peoples. Ayanna is a board member of the Bisexual Resource Center and a legal aid paralegal whose work bridges community advocacy with the legal system shaping everyday lives. She studied human rights and sociology at Columbia University, where she served on the board of the university's QT BIPOC student group and was honored upon graduation with the LGBTQ Legacy Award. Through her extensive background across the nonprofit sector, Ayanna brings a vital intersectional perspective to questions of representation and access to support. Her leadership of Y plus people are actively included in the conversations and decisions that affects the broader LGBTQ plus community. Please join me in welcoming Ayanna Peoples.

Good afternoon, Council. Thank you to Councillor Santana and his team for giving us this space. Councillors, I come to you today representing the Bisexual Resource Centre here for the second year in a row because we and the greater bi plus community in Boston continue to have needs that must be met. Massachusetts, and Boston in particular, has a history of championing the queer and trans community. Massachusetts was the first US state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004. In 2025, Boston declared itself as a sanctuary city for the queer and trans community and recognized September 23rd as International Celebrate Bisexuality Day and Bi Plus Visibility Day. However, Boston cannot afford to rest on its laurels. It is not that long ago that LGBTQ plus people had zero rights in this country, and 2004 was a little over 20 years ago. 2025 was last year. And Boston is not completely insulated from the sinister political machine that is the current federal government. According to the most recent Gallup poll, bi people represent 58.2% of the LGBTQIA plus population in the U.S. That is a majority. That is about 5% of the U.S. adult population. And yet, bi plus organizations, such as the Bisexual Resource Center, receive approximately 1% of dedicated dollars for the LGBTQ plus community, about two cents per bi plus adult in America. Bi plus people are counted as a part of the community, but organizations serving us are still expected to do enormous amounts of work with almost nothing. Resources for the broader LGBTQ plus community are assumed to reach us and meet our needs, but that's often untrue. Even within the LGBTQ plus community, bi plus people face pernicious stereotypes and exclusion. During Pride, for example, there always seems to be discourse around if bi plus people should be allowed to attend events or how we're allowed to show up. There are also serious health consequences. Rates of substance use disorder are higher for bisexual women than lesbians and higher for bisexual men than heterosexual men. According to the NIH, about one in three heterosexual women will experience intimate partner violence, but 61% of bisexual women and 78% of non-monosexual women will. And, devastatingly, almost half of bisexual young people seriously considered attempting suicide in 2019 in the United States, and 27% did attempt suicide. That is more than any other queer group. Moreover, systemic issues that affect all Bostonians, such as housing costs, affordability, and ICE, disproportionately affect bi plus people. Bi plus people come to Boston seeking that sanctuary city for queer and trans people, but then can't afford anything or live in safety when they get here. I struggle to believe that any of you are truly for the queer community if you are not putting in the work daily to solve these issues. It is an act of biphobia to let these crises fester. Moreover, as a bi plus mixed race neurodivergent woman, I know that many in our community have multiple marginalized identities. For example, surveys find that more than 40% of BIPOC people in the queer community identify as bi plus. Any of the troubling facts that I stated before are exacerbated if they are part of another marginalized group. But the Bisexual Resource Center, though small and run entirely by volunteers, has done incredible work. For example, this year with the $2,000 MOLA grant, a drop in the bucket amount for other larger queer groups, we did some high impact outreach. We created over 83 community care kits and distributed them to bi plus people who are often underserved. We also created and distributed over 50 copies of bi plus health scenes to various bookstores and libraries, ensuring that for once, bi plus people got information necessary for them. With this grant, we were able to be there in our community and help. But to be honest, we are all volunteers and so often we do not get the support we need. Many of us are burnt out. Many of us have to take long mental health breaks or cannot show up everywhere we're needed like being here today. This could change with further support. And that's why I'm here today. The bi plus community is not just statistics or something to perfunctorily include in the LGBTQ plus label. I am here as a person and looking at all of you and the city of Boston. Last year we made demands and I can tell you they were not met. This year I'm here to both make those demands again and to lay out these new ones. One, we demand investment in suicide prevention and accessible mental health support that explicitly addresses bi plus people. That includes working with bi plus organizations on outreach and helping providers recognize that particular forms of stigma our community encounters. We will not let our fellow bi plus youth continue to die. Two, we demand that the city treat housing affordability in the safety of immigrant communities as essential to its commitment to LGBTQ plus residents. We expect that commitment to inform funding and policy decisions throughout the year. Three, we demand increased fiscal investment for the Bisexual Resource Center. This would mean sustained funding that reflects the work being asked of us and gives us the ability to plan beyond a single small grant. Ideally, we demand at least $15,000. Finally, four, we demand a meaningful role for intersectional bi plus voices in decisions about LGBTQ plus resources. Include us while priorities are being set and budgets are being developed. We want a response to these requests, including who will work with us and when we can expect follow up. We will not wait until next September for answers. Councilors, the BiPlus community is here in the city of Boston, and we want change. We demand real recognition, not just lip service or slivers of money. We deserve to be able to do more than struggle to keep our community care available. In the BiPlus community, we know that our rights did not fall into our laps. They were fought for by our community because they know, like we know, that our lives matter. We are prepared to continue to do that work. and it is time for you to take responsibility for your part in it. Thank you.

Thank you, Ayanna. I really appreciate those words. And we're actually going to do a picture, if that's OK. So yeah, if I can invite all my council colleagues, please come up here.

Okay, I'm going to the side.

Thank you, Councillor Santana. Thank you to our friends from the Bisexuality Plus Visibility Group. Thank you for being here. We're now on to Councillor Webber. I invite you and Mark.

Mark, over here. uh yeah okay yeah uh there's also like this way we can walk that way okay uh well um i guess as you're walking up here so uh you know i i i speak from personal experience, but I think every counselor could use someone in their office who is smart, will go to the mat for you, and who is able to occasionally look you in the eye and say with conviction, you're full of crap. Mark Cohen, for me, is that guy. As someone who's worked for the city for nearly 40 years, Mark brought his saltiness and some wisdom sprinkled in to this job and to our office. But hey, I always wanted to work with a veteran of the Spanish-American War. When I first met Mark, It was just as somebody who was critical of my campaign. I later learned he was just as capable of being critical of my work on the council. But he had a surprise in store for me. It turned out that despite being retired and his Monday morning quarterback tendencies, Mark still wanted to help people. and he was really good at it. Folks who were skeptical about me in West Roxbury found that their calls about street issues, garbage pickups, and permitting were handled quickly and effectively by my office because Mark was on it. When they went to an evening meeting, they found Mark was there to listen and often already had the answers, even if they didn't like them. It turns out At the heart of this crusty City Hall veteran is a person who cares about his neighbors. I can't ever replace Mark. But as he leaves the office, I want him to know that I will always be looking for someone like him because he made my office better and I loved having him around. So my staff would like to invite everyone after this meeting outside to watch Mark go down the internationally known cop slide as he slides into retirement. uh i'm not requiring that he go down that thing but um but i really i just i want to thank i thank my colleagues for for giving me the time to be able to come up here and say thank you to somebody who i you know i i can't tell you how much mark that you've meant uh to me personally uh and and you know i know to everyone that you've worked with in my office uh and you know i've just been able to benefit from your experience and from your point of view and the way you've gone about your work is just it's been incredible to be around and i'm really sorry that you're leaving but i'm glad i could have a chance to thank you thank you very much so uh madam president council members uh thank you um the truth is that uh

I've been in this room many times and watched many different people who are now in the same position as me, leaving the city. And I didn't really think in terms of that my whole life. And after 37 years, here I am. And the truth is, instead of thanking me, I'm really here to thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to come the last few years and work here in council. And before that, thank the many mayors that I worked with Who gave me the opportunity to work with the city? It is a tremendously rewarding Occupation I'm hoping that as I look around and I I see the younger members that they will see this as a great opportunity to Serve people and help people so I say thank you today to all of you that number one number two you won't be needing the two minutes because I'm gonna wrap this up very quickly and I am blessed with having worked with a great team. And I will say that I was happily retired from the police department. And a gentleman knocked on my front door in West Roxbury and told me that he was going to run for city council. I had no idea who this guy was. I talked to him for a few minutes. And I really liked him. And I was very interested in his candidacy. And that was Ben. I ended up helping him. I honestly didn't believe he'd ever be elected, but he was. And I sailed off into the future and thought this was great, a little hobby that I had. And he called, and he said, you know, setting up the office, there's no one in this building older than 27 years old. Would you come and, you know, That was three and a half years ago. And my advice to people is when you hear a knock on the door, get a ring doorbell and make sure you know who's ringing the doorbell before you open it. But again, I want to say thank you to Ben, thank you to my team, and most importantly, thank you to my wife Meg, who has put up with me all these years. and will be putting up with me many years to come. Thank you all.

If my colleagues could join us for a photograph.

Julie, Julie, please. Henry, please. Julie.

Thank you. outside here.

I'm sorry I missed you this morning.

I'm sorry.

Oh, no. Oh, yeah. No, I know.

I know. Thank you, guys. Thank you everyone.

Madam Clerk, if you could please amend the attendance to reflect that Councillors Colletta Zapata and Councillor Pepin have joined us. Thank you. I also want to give a shout out to the Suffolk students who were visiting with Councillor Pepin's office this morning. Sorry I didn't get an opportunity to meet you, but you're welcome to City Hall. Thank you. Now we're on to the first order of business, which is to approve the minutes from the meeting of September 16th, 2026. All in favor say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. The minutes of the September 16th meeting are approved. We're on to communications from our Honourable Mayor. Madam Clerk, could you please read docket 1771. Docket 1771. Message and order authorizing

an appropriation order to amend the FY27 Community Preservation Fund appropriation in the amount of $47,265,655 from the fund's estimated annual revenue for fiscal year 2027 to be appropriated and reserved for future recommendation by the CPC and appropriation by the City Council consent with the Act. This number includes both the original approved FY27 revenue of $39,587,798, as well as $7,677,857 in unused revenue for project in previous fiscal years. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Chair recognizes Councillor Papin. Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President.

I would like to seek suspension of the rules and pass this appropriation. As we all know, the Community Preservation Act provides vital funding to get beloved affordable housing, open space, and historic preservation projects launched throughout the city. I'm grateful for Director Thaddean Brown and her team for providing robust updates on the status of current projects to see how CPA funds can be stretched even further for more community projects. We will have hearings on these in the future, as always, where we get to learn about the new projects that are going to be considered by the CPC. I ask my council colleagues to support this appropriation and effort to help Community Preservation Committee to plan more support for FY27 grant process. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, through the Chair, may I ask Councilor Pepin a question?

Certainly, yeah.

Councilor Pepin, did we have a hearing on this? And is it likely we could have a hearing on this? It is a significant amount of money. Just want to see what your thoughts are.

Councilor Pepin, you have the floor.

Yes, thank you to my colleague from District 2. In regards to this, this is simply transferring the $7.6 million that were unused due to projects actually not costing as much as they were estimated to be, or some projects withdrew from their application due to other issues. So we're just making sure that this money gets transferred to the FY27 budget. For the CPC and we will have hearings on these to go over every single project that's being considered for the community preservation grant for this year.

Thank you. Councillor Murphy, your light was on.

Yes. Thank you, Councillor Pepin, for bringing this forward. I do just want to thank Sabine and her team. They're always very open, transparent, and share information. read and print out the email that was sent from her back on August 25th that has an attached spreadsheet and I also saw the 47 million and thought well that's a lot to just move forward but when I had read more about what was actually going to be voted on today is that you know now that the projects are completed so any money we can get back into the pool and hopefully be funding more great projects and knowing that that office will continue to share information and if you could just assure us, which I know you will if I can ask through the chair to the chair of this committee, that if any individual questions we have, if you could help make sure they get answered, I'd appreciate that.

Councillor Pepin.

Yes, yes, responding to my council colleague. Yes, so just making sure that all my colleagues know that this is not the last vote. This is just a vote to make sure that we can use these funds We will then have the hearings to go over the project. We will be able to ask the questions to each individual project, which Thadine Brown and her team does an amazing job of breaking down. And then we will take a vote to either grant these grants to the projects. So that's the answer.

Thank you. Councillor Flynn, your light is on.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not going to object to having a vote, I do think. I do think we should have a hearing on it, but again, I'm not going to object. I'm going to vote in favor of it, but I do think it's worth having a discussion on what impact this proposal and this funding will have on CPA. I have long supported CPA, longer than for eight or nine years here on the council. and have tremendous respect for Faye Dean and her CPA team as well. Again, I'm voting in favor of it. I do wish we could have had a hearing on it, so I would be thoroughly informed of all aspects of this. Thank you.

Thank you. I have a question for Councillor Pepin. Are you seeking a vote on this or just to send it to committee?

Aye.

Just bend and pass. Fine. Thank you. Contra me here. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. And just so that I understand and those who are tuning in understand that this particular vote is just to make sure that the money that we have left over that we can use in the future. And therefore, the vote that we're about to take for everybody that's paying attention is a responsible vote because what we're doing is just reallocating those dollars for future use. I just want to make sure that my interpretation of what's happening here is that simple. Is that what that is? Yeah, I'm going to thank you.

Is that what it is?

Yeah. Okay, so then the vote that I'm taking is to just make sure that we can reallocate the leftover funds so that we can use in the future. Correct? Okay, good. Thank you. Thank you.

Councillor Louisianne?

Yeah, and I also believe that it's at the request of Thadine Brown and her leadership. It is the money, it's not even just being reallocated, it's being used for the same exact purpose. So the hearings will happen the same way that the CPC hearings happened already for the three purposes for which we can use Community Preservation Act funds, open space, affordable housing, and historic preservation. It will still be those three categories. The money will be allocated for those same purposes, and it's actually probably a net good because we will have more money to allocate towards those three purposes for the next fiscal year. Thank you. So it is as much as we can say.

Thank you. Councillor Flynn.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, I don't object to having a vote. I do wish we had a hearing, though. I'm going to vote in favor of this. I just want to do my due diligence because it's a large amount of money that's being appropriated, and it is our obligation to know exactly how every cent is spent in the City of Boston. That's my point, and that's my only point. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. I think it's clear from the Chair there will be hearings on how this money is going to be spent. It's just been shifted over to the Community Preservation Act under the leadership of Saydean. So the Chair of the Committee on Community Preservation seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1771. All in favor, please say aye. All opposed, say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on 1771?

Roll call vote on 1771. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Coletta-Zapata. Yes. Councillor Coletta-Zapata, yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkin. Council Dirkken, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Lujan, yes. Council Lujan, yes. Council Mejia, yes. Council Mejia, yes. Council Murphy, Council Murphy, yes. Council Papin, yes. Council Papin, yes. Council Santana, yes. Council Santana, yes. Council Weber, yes. Council Weber, yes. And Council Woodrow. Councillor Riyal, yes. Thirteen votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1771 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1772?

Docket 1772. Message an order authorising the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $1,361,182 in the form of a grant. Metropolitan Area Planning Council awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury, passed through the Mass Metropolitan Area Planning Council to be administered by the Department of Innovation and Technology. The grant would fund equipment and engineering services for the expansion of the city broadband network throughout two Boston Housing Authority campuses. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1773? Docket 1773, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $750,000 in the form of a grant to FY26 Boston Regional Intelligence Center, AMAC, awarded by the Mass. Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund upgrading, expanding and integrating technology and protocols related to anti-terrorism, anti-crime, anti-gang and emergency response.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1773 will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1774? Docket 1774.

Message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $500,000 in the form of a grant more awarded by Rockefeller for travel-free advisor to be administered by the Department of Immigrant Advancement. The grant would fund support for city-led programs that advance relief, inclusion, and opportunities for under-deserved communities in Boston through the Global Cities Fund.

Thank you. Docket 1774 will be referred to the Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity and Immigrant Advancement. Madam Clerk, could you please read Dockets 1775 and 1776 together?

Docket 1775. Message an order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $267,000 in the form of a grant WIOA Youth Activities Admin Grant awarded by the United States Department of Labor passed through the Mass Hire Department of Career Services to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund a program and focuses primarily on out of school youth between ages 14 to 24 who face barriers to education, training, and employment. Docket 1776, message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $250,000 in the form of a grant, permanent fund for Boston grant awarded by the Boston Foundation to be administered by the OYEO admin. The grant would fund supporting the design and implementation of pilot integrating school-based career pathways, paid youth employment and post-secondary learning at BPS high schools, which establish health career pathways to address the challenges and opportunities facing greater Boston communities.

Thank you Madam Clerk. Dockets 1775 and 1776 will be referred to the Committee on Labour and Economic Development. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1777?

Docket 1777. Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $250,000 in the form of a grant. Boston Family Day Program support awarded by the Boston Foundation to be administered by the Office of Arts and Culture. The grant would fund support of the Boston Family Days program from Amazon via the Boston Foundation. The previous instance of the grantor support the program via a code at 24026 occurred when the program was known as a Cultural Access Pilot Program or BPS Sundays.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. The chair recognizes Councillor Louis-Jean. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a grant similar to the grants that we suspended and passed last week in support of Boston Family Days to support the program. I also meant to say this last week, and I was remiss, that one of the participants of the program, the Museum of Fine Arts, had a celebratory moment. Their board elect is the first black woman, first black person to chair their board. So I want to give a big thank you to Michelle Corden Brown. I want to say a continued thank you to all of the entities that participate in Boston Family Days so that our kids can have access and their families can have access to our cultural institutions. So I am asking my colleagues if they'll join me in suspension and passage for this docket. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councillor Louis-Jean. Councillor Louis-Jean, the chair of the Committee on Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Tourism, and Special Events. Councillor Flynn, you have a problem. Councillor Flynn?

Thank you. I rise to support this proposal. This funding is coming from Amazon. in Boston Foundation. I also want to acknowledge myself and Councilor Murphy. We work to ensure, working with the nonprofits, to ensure that all children of Boston would be able to attend these museums, including children attending private schools. We do feel that's an important addition to the program. They are part of the city. and Boston is a better city because all of our children are included in this program. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. So Councillor Louis-Jean seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1777. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1777.

Roll call vote on Docket 1777. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Coletta-Zapata. Council Kaleta Zapata, yes. Council Culpepper, yes. Council Culpepper, yes. Council Durkan, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Lujan, yes. Council Lujan, yes. Council Mejia, yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Santana, yes. Council Santana, yes. Council Weber, yes. Council Weber, yes. Council Royal, yes. Yes, 12 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1777 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1778?

Docket 1778. Message an order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $202,537.80 in the form of a grant, WIOA, a dollars Activities Admin Grant awarded by the United States Department of Labor passed through the Mass Hire Department of Career Services to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund the creation of seamless system of adult education workforce preparation and training services.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councillor O'Reil, chair of the Committee on Labor and Economic Development. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. This grant is the second of three for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These grants come from a federal form of design to help job seekers access education, training, and support services. This docket is a $202,537 grant to support staff time to implement the larger adult support services to mass hire. Those services include job search, coaching, connection to training, and access to funding for eligible job seekers pursuing further training. WIOA adult clients are primarily low-income adults who are unemployed or underemployed. As Chair of the Committee on Labour and Economic Development, I am asking for suspension and passage of this docket. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Worrell. Councillor Worrell, the Chair of the Committee on Labour and Economic Development, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket number 1778. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1778.

We will call vote on docket 1778. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Yes. Councillor Durkin. 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 Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Present. Councillor Webber. Present. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Eleven in the affirmative. One present.

Thank you. Docket 1778 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1779? Docket 1779.

TARGET 1779, MESSAGE AND ORDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPEND THE AMOUNT OF $150,000 IN THE FORM OF A GRANT, THE BOSTON FAMILY DAY GRANT AWARDED BY THE BOSTON FOUNDATION TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE. THE GRANT WOULD FUND THE BOSTON FAMILY DAY PROGRAM FROM 2026 TO 2027 PROVIDED BY THE JAMES M. AND CARLEEN D. STONE FOUNDATION.

Chair recognizes Councillor Louis Yen.

Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam Chair. I rise again for suspension and passage of this $150,000 grant to support the Boston Family Days program. The James M. and Kathleen D. Stone Foundation have been early supporters of this program since its inception, and it's great to see their continued support. So I just ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this grant for the Boston Family Days program. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Councillor Louis Jain, the Chair of the Committee on Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Tourism and Special Events, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1779. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1779.

Roll call vote on Docket 1779. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Culpeper. Yes. Councillor Culpeper. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1779 has passed.

Madam Clerk, can you please read Docket 1780?

Docket 1780, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $150,000 in the form of a grant, Mayor's Office of Human Services Connect, Learn and Explore Initiative, awarded by Boston Children's Hospital to be administered by the Office of Human Services. The grant would fund an annual citywide activations summit for youth, host occurring professional development sessions and network, convening for youth workers and conduct a youth need assessment.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to suspend and pass. I hope my colleagues join me. This is $150,000, which helps support the work that director Pedro Cruz and his team are doing for our youth. So as it was said, that was read already, but this will also host events on Friday evening throughout the summer. Some of this money just needs to be work that's already happened. So looking forward to supporting Pedro and his team. And I want to thank Denise for always sending along the explanations. so that we can get these grants passed quickly. If anyone has any other questions after the vote, they can always reach out to me and I can provide them with more information. Thank you.

Zero. Vote call vote on docket 1780. Councillor Braden?

Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata? 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 Louis-Jean?

Yes.

Councillor Louis-Jean, yes. Councillor Mejia? Yes. Councillor Murphy? Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor O'Reilly. Yes. Councillor O'Reilly. Yes. Twelve votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1780 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1781? Docket 1781.

message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $125,000 in the form of a grant, the Liberty Mutual Climate Resiliency Grant awarded by Liberty Mutual Foundation, INC, passed through the Boston Local Development Corporation to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund migratory and activity approaches climate changes by supporting innovation solutions, scaling proven tragedies, and promoting nature-based initiative, the fun and power of grassroots effort to tackle environmental challenges.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councillor Worrell, the chair of the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency, and Parks. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. This grant will be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. It will support activities at Power Corps Boston, Funds will go towards supportive services and living stipends paid to Power Corps members during their period of service. And I want to give a shout out to the whole crew at Power Corps, especially Richard and Joe, for their work with my office on helping to get some extra love to the green spaces in my district, whether it's the garden behind the Common Square Library or Evans Playground. They stepped up in a force for my community, and as chair of the Committee of Environmental Justice, Resiliency, and Parks, I'm asking suspension and passes for this docket.

Thank you, Councillor Worrell. Councillor Worrell seeks suspension of the rules in passage of Docket 1781. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1781.

Roll call vote on Docket 1781. Councillor Breedon.

Yes.

Councillor Breedon. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Lewis-Yen, yes. Council Lewis-Yen, yes. Council Mejia, yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Santana, yes. Council Weber, yes. Council Worrell, yes. Council Worrell, yes.

12 votes in the affirmative. Thank you. Docket 1781 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1782?

Docket 1782, a message and order authorising the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $110,000 in the form of a grant, the FY27-DMH Co-Response Grant, awarded by the Mass Department of Mental Health to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund one full-time recovery coach hired through BESS.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Santana, the Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. This grant, as part of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health efforts to place trained mental health professionals within city police departments, will fund a full-time recovery coach position at the Boston Emergency Services team, known as BEST. Recovery coaches can connect with individuals at risk of overdose and or of survivors of non-fatal overdose and their families with substance abuse resources and diversion programs. Recovery coaches are embedded as part of the police departments across the country, including in cities like New Bedford. This position will be a critical, life-saving addition to the BEST team. As Chair of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, I recommend that this docket ought to pass.

This docket number, I think it'll be critical to supporting people in need of mental health counseling. I also wanted to rise to acknowledge the state legislators and the governor for supporting the residents of Boston. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Councillor Santana seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket number 1782. All in favor say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1782?

Roll call vote on docket 1782. Councillor Braden? Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Kaleta-Zapata? Yes. Councillor Kaleta-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 Lewis-Yen? Yes. Councillor Lewis-Yen, yes. Councillor Mejia? Yes. Councillor Murphy? Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Orrell. Yes. Councillor Orrell. Yes. Twelve votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1782 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1783?

Docket 1783. Message and order authorising the City of Boston to accept and expand The amount of $92,140 in the form of a grant, WIOA, Dislocated Workers Admin Grant, awarded by the United States Department of Labor, passed through the Mass Hire Department of Career Services to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund individualized career services and training services for dislocated workers to rejoin the workforce as early as possible and overcome barriers to employment.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councillor Worrell, the Chair of the Committee on Labour and Economic Development. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. This is a small dollar grant that goes to the office to provide job search support. through opportunity to retrain foreign-demand careers, and as Chair of the Committee on Labour, Economic and Development, I'm asking for suspension and patch of the VIST docket. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Worrell seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket number 1783. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1783?

Roll call vote on docket 1783. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Coletta Zapata. Council Palletta-Zapata, yes. Council Culpepper, yes. Council Culpepper, yes. Council Durkan, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Lee-Chen, yes. Council Lewis-Chen, yes. Council Mejia, yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Santana, yes. Council Santana, yes. Council Weber, yes. Council Weber, present. And Council Rural, yes. Councillor O'Reilly has one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven. In the affirmative, one present.

Thank you. Docket 1783 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read docket number 1784?

Docket 1784. Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $50,000 in the form of a grant. Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, awarded by the Bloomberg, fill up fees to be administered by the OYEO admin. The grant would fund the launch of open innovation and competitive and mobilize youth funds to launch and mobilize youth people age 15 to 24 to design, develop, and implement youth-driven solution that address person, local needs and align with the City climate goals.

Councillor Murphy, you have the floor. Do you have a question?

No, but if you wouldn't mind if we could reconsider docket 1784. I didn't realize that was going to happen.

I have a second. Thank you. Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

For this small dollar amount, I think it would be important if we could just pass this grant.

Councillor Murphy, I beg your pardon. We don't do this every day. I need a vote to reconsider your... No, I understand. I'll wait. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on the motion to reconsider docket 1784?

Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Clarissa Patta. Yes. Councillor Clarissa Patta. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Durkan. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Flynn. Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Lujan. Yes. Councillor Lujan. Yes. Councillor Mejia. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor O'Rourke. Yes. Councillor O'Rourke. Yes. Twelve votes on the affirmative to reconsider. Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Yes. Thank you. I think the Grant is described nicely. People understand what it's doing, but I am excited to see that we're funding and supporting our youth to come up with ways to design and find ways to help the Climate Action Fund here. So looking forward to doing whatever I can to push this money forward. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Murphy seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket number 1784. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1784?

Roll call vote on docket 1784. Councillor Braden? Yes. Councillor Braden? Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata? Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata? Yes. Councillor Culpepper? Yes. Councillor Culpepper? Yes. Councillor Durkin? Yes. Councillor Durkin? Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald? Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald? Yes. Councillor Flynn? Yes. Councillor Flynn? Yes. Councillor Louisian? Yes. Councillor Louisian? Yes. Councillor Mejia? Yes. Councillor Murphy? Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor O'Reill. Yes. Councillor O'Reill.

Yes. Twelve votes in the affirmative. Thank you. Docket 1784 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read dockets 1785 through 1787? Docket 1785.

Message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $50,000 in the form of a grant. The Friends of Youth Opportunity Boston BIPOS grant awarded by the BIPOS group to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund opportunities for young people ages 14 to 24 to work and learn alongside with intensive staff support, docket, 1786, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $43,312.50 in the form of a grant, FYOB-BLK Scholar Program Grant, awarded by the Boston Foundation to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund summer jobs, financial education, and professional development opportunities for Boston youth. and docket 1787, message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $40,603.54 in the form of a grant. WPP SNAP expansion grant awarded by USDA Food and Nutrition Service passed through the Mass Hire Development of Career Services to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund enhanced job search service for TAF and SNAP participants, including career counselling, workshop, job fair and free job search resources through Boston Mass Hire Career Centres.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Dockets 1785 through 1787 will be referred to the Committee on Labour and Economic Development. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1788?

Docket 1788, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $25,000 in the form of a grant Elevate Cities program awarded by Elevate Cities to be administered by the Mayor's Office. The grant would fund services to support the neighborhood block parties, community activation, stipends, and the Good Neighbor Day event.

Thank you. Docket 1788 will be referred to the Committee on City Services. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1789?

Docket 1789. Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $15,000 in the form of a grant BTHC program awarded by donor group to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund free tax preparation and filing services to low moderate income Boston residents.

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

Thank you, Madam President. This is a small dollar amount grant that's going to help with free tax services. I'm looking for suspension and pass.

Thank you. Councillor Worrell, the Chair of the Committee on Labour and Economic Development, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1789. All in favour say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Docket 1789 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1790?

Docket 1790, message and order authorizing the City to accept and expend the amount of $10,000 in the form of a grant FY23 National Violent Dead Reporting System awarded by Mass. Department of Public Health to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund data collection by the Bureau of Investigative Services and the Drug Control Unit.

As the only nationwide database of its kind, the system gathers anonymous data across all 50 states on homicides, suicides, and firearm-related deaths. Data elements collected, such as mental health conditions, can provide valuable context and help decision-makers in public safety to develop and tailor violence prevention efforts. By gathering key details, like mental health history and toxology reports, we get a much clearer picture of why these tragedies happen. As Chair of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice, I recommend that this docket ought to pass.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1790?

ROLL CALL VOTE ON DOCKET 1790. Councillor Breedon? Yes. Councillor Breedon, yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata? Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata, 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 Lewis-Yen? Yes. Councillor Lewis-Yen, yes. Councillor Mejia? Yes. Councillor Murphy? Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin.

Yes.

Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Councillor O'Rourke. Yes. Councillor O'Rourke. Yes. Twelve votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1790 has passed. We are now on to reports of public officers and others. Madam Clerk, could you please read dockets 1791 through 1794?

Docket 1791, communication was received from Council President Braden, transmitting a letter from Boston elected officials, opposition to permanent closure of the Boston-Alston post office branch. Docket 1792, communication was received from Councilor Murphy, regarding Tremont Street and Parker Street roadway marketing and safety concerns. Docket 1973, communication was received from Councilor Flynn, regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering, Boston Coastal Storm Risk Management Study. And docket 1794, communication was issued from Jeffrey P. Mullen from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation regarding state highway alternative plan and alternative and city layout, laying out and transfer of portions of Congress Street and all of the west service road to the city of Boston.

Thank you. Dockets 1791 through 1794 will be placed on file. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1795?

Docket 1795. The Constable Bond of Joseph Smith, having been duly approved by the Collection Treasurer, was received.

Thank you. Docket 1795 is approved under the usual terms and conditions. We now on to matters recently heard. Madam Clerk, could you please read dockets 1-085, 1-395, and 1-397 together?

Docket 1-085, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $20,930 in the form of a grant, the Alessandro Fellowship Grant, awarded by Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston to be administered by the Department of Innovation and Technology. The grant would fund the fellowship program of the El Centro IT Training Program graduates. Docket 1395, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $225,125.11 in the form of a grant to MBI Digital Equity Partnership Program awarded by the United States Department of Treasury passed through the Massachusetts Technology Collaboration to be administered by the Department of Innovation and Technology. The grant would fund services and support for residents of the Commonwealth who cannot afford broadband services and or internet connection devices or lack of digital literacy, so needed to utilize internet. and docket 1397. Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand a gift of 43 heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units for various type of values at $84,210 for FYC 2026 US Inc. The gift is awarded to the City of Boston through the Mayor's Office for use of public facilities and various departments across the city, including police stations, schools, and municipal offices.

The committee held a hearing on Monday, September 21st, 2026 to discuss dockets 1084, 1395, and 1397. The committee heard testimony from panelists from the City of Boston Department of Innovation and Technology Chief Digital Equity Officer and Director of Broadband and Cable, Brian Donahue. Broadband and Digital Equity Advocacy Employee, Peter Favarito, and Senior Director of Operation Sheila Lee, as well as from the Mayor's Office, Deputy Chief of Operations, Real Estate and Capital Strategies, Trish Cafferkey. The following city councilors attended the public hearing. None. No city council has attended. Regarding docket 1085, panelists stated that this grant will be used to fund one fellowship position. Panelists noted that DOIT has hosted five fellows in the past, and of those five, two were later hired into a full-time entry-level position. regarding docket 1395. Panelists noted that the next round of funding represented by the proposed order would focus on artificial intelligence, AI, literacy, especially avoiding scams. We talked significantly about scams and how they impact our seniors, how they impact our immigrant neighbors. And we also talked about how we're able to support returning citizens with digital access, digital equity. I do want to acknowledge the mayor's office for the important work of helping returning citizens. It's an issue I've focused on as a probation officer for many years. They're having an upcoming open house next Monday, I believe, or Monday after. to help returning citizens access or educate them, I should say, on computer and how to navigate the computer system, such as getting a proper paperwork so that they can contribute to society. I'll continue. The panelists more broadly discussed the city's digital equity fund, describing recent success as well as working with Office of Returning Citizens to serve recently incarcerated residents in other city departments as well. Regarding docket 1397, panelists noted that the administration took receipt of the units in Inventory them those are those are HVAC systems But they will not distribute them until facilities In the council approved accepting the gift. So basically what what this grant what this would do is provide HVAC systems Slightly slightly used but in very good order to a city municipal building or schools. Panelists described the units as mini splits, each with exterior and interior component coming in three varieties distinguished by cooling capacity, one ton, 1.5 ton, and two ton. Panelists stated that while no decisions have been made yet, the administration has communicated with facilities directors across departments and plans to prioritize, as I mentioned, the Boston Public Schools sites. HVAC systems are critical in our BPS schools, especially for learning and teaching. As chair of the Committee on City Services, I recommend moving the listed docket from the committee to the full council for discussion and formal action. At this time, my recommendation to the full council is that these matters ought to pass. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Councillor Flynn, the Chair of the Committee on City Services, seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 1085. All in favour, please say aye. All opposed, say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call and vote on docket 1-0-8-5?

Roll call, vote on docket 1-0-8-5. Councillor Braden? Yes. Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata? Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata, 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 Louisian? Yes. Councillor Louisian, yes. Councillor Mejia? Councillor Mehia. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Twelve votes and affirmative.

Thank you. Docket number 1085 is passed. The Chair of the Committee on City Services seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 1395. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Thank you. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1395?

Roll call vote on docket 1395. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Culpeper. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Lujan. Councillor Louis-Jean. Yes. Councillor Meher. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Pepin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes.

Twelve votes in the affirmative. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The committee report has been accepted and Docket 1395 has passed. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call—no, beg your pardon— The Chair of the Committee on City Services seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 1397. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1397.

A roll call vote on Docket 1397. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkin. 12 votes in the affirmative. Thank you. Docket 1397 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1414?

Docket 1414. Ordinance amending Chapter 16 of the City of Boston Code Ordinances prohibiting the sale of used cementic, nitrohydrogen and hydro-nitrohydrogen and other dangerous chemical compounds.

Chair recognises Councillor Greta Zapata. Chair of

Government Operations. You have the floor. Thank you, and thank you so much, Clerk. I did not know how to say it either. So we're just saying 7-OH for the record. On September 21st, the Committee on Government Operations held a three-hour hearing on this docket, sponsored by Councillor Fitzgerald and Flynn, addressing the sale and use of synthetic and highly concentrated kratom compounds, including 7-OH. We heard from the BPHC, the National Kratom Policy and Regulatory Experts, and two dozen members of the public. The testimony underscored an important distinction between traditional botanical kratom and newer concentrated and synthetic products, while raising questions about public health, appropriate potency thresholds, enforcement, due process, and how Boston should interact with state and federal law. Massachusetts temporarily placed all forms of kratom in schedule one, and that statewide action is currently being challenged in court at the federal, excuse me, and that action is currently being challenged in court. At the federal level, the DEA has been considering a threshold based on approach to 7-OH while already scheduling three related synthetic compounds. Our next step is to take the substantive suggestions we heard and work through them in working sessions with sponsors and stakeholders. We also need to understand forthcoming federal action, which my understanding it's going to be passed down by the DEA in two weeks. and continue conversations with the Healey administration about the Commonwealth's longer-term approach and closely follow the pending legal challenge to the state's emergency order very carefully so that Boston itself does not find itself in its own legal challenge, which will cost the taxpayer money and all of that. So we're going to do this. We're going to do this thoughtfully and deliberately in partnership with Councillor Fitzgerald, and I will pass the mic to him since he's the lead co-sponsor. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam President. I just want to thank the Chair, Governor Ops, Councilor Galeta Sabato. She ran a great hearing the other day and we had a lot of testimony. At the end of it, we just want to make sure we get the wording right. The state has a temporary ban on the synthetic kratom as it speaks. It is still available over the counter in our city at the moment, but that ban is temporary. And so we want to make sure whenever that ban is taken down, whether it runs out in the statutory year or it's taken down for any other reason, that our ordinance would go into effect right away so not to have a gap in a window to allow this stuff to come back into our city. So just being very overly cautious about it, and it is something that is becoming more prevalent when folks overdose kratom is found in their system and the synthetic stuff is actually we should stop calling it kratom because it is not the kratom leaf but rather one of 52 different alkaloids taken out of the kratom leaf and combined with many other chemicals and marketed as kratom and so we want to make that distinction and I just again want to thank everybody that participated in the hearing and look forward to getting this ordinance passed thank you

Thank you, Councillor Fitzgerald. Docket 1414 will remain in committee. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1338?

Docket 1338. Order for a hearing to discuss re-establishing a post office location in Alston.

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

Thank you so much, Council President. I don't know if you want to make your way down. I was going to give you a chance to speak. Yesterday, September 21st, I chaired a hearing in the pilot committee on reestablishing a post office in Alston. This hearing order was sponsored by Council President Liz Braden. We were joined by Councilors Flynn, Fitzgerald, and Culpepper. The committee also received letters of absence from Councilors Pepin and Louisjean. Alston has nearly gone seven years without a post office after the previous building closed due to structural issues. USPS then had fully negotiated lease agreement and formed construction plans with a local developer, Eden Properties, before backing out and sending notice to residents that they were suspending any further efforts to reopen the Alston location. Panelists included the local developer, labor representatives from the American Postal Workers Union and Massachusetts Postal Workers Union, and the president of the Olsen Civic Association, Tony Desidoro, and the planning department. We heard from concerned residents, and we also heard from Mark Lanigan, who represented Senator Markey in public testimony. This is not the first time the council has hosted a hearing on the post office, and I imagine it won't be the last. The Alston community needs and deserves a post office. We're grateful to Council President Braden for her leadership, and she has worked hard to draw attention and advocate for this issue. Our most vulnerable residents and small businesses are the most dependent on the postal service, and we will continue to fight for a new post office location in Alston. This matter will remain in committee at this time, but I'd like to yield the rest of my time to you, the Council President, to share any remarks about this issue that matters deeply to your community.

Thank you. Vice President Coletta Zapata, I would like you to briefly take the chair.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to Councillor Durkan for holding this hearing. As the District Councillor representing Alston, I sponsored this hearing to discuss the uncertain status of the Alston Post Office branch and to call for the Postal Service to re-establish this branch. At yesterday's hearing—I don't want to repeat what Councillor Durkan has already We learned that what was happening in Alston is part of a larger pattern of what USPS is doing, not only in the city of Boston, but across Massachusetts and across the country. They are not following their own required guidelines and processes. We heard from the developer, Nolan Maslin of Eden Properties, who has worked closely with USPS to design the space to fit their USPS specifications until USPS abruptly pulled out of the contract earlier this year. We heard from civic leaders, including Tony D'Isidoro, a community leader and president of the Alston Civic Association, about the history of the post office in Alston and the need for one after it originally closed its doors in 2019. The story of the post office in Alston is a story of broken promises by the USPS, and the residents of the neighbourhood of Alston deserve transparency and a post office, just like every other neighbourhood in the city of Boston. We learned from the Planning Department that Alston has seen a 7.2% increase in population, compared to a 2.3% increase in population in the rest of the city in the 2020 census. yet there continues to be a lack of investment in Alston, a population that is one of the highest rates of residents who do not own or have access to a car. Thus, travelling to another post office location in Brighton or Newton or Brookline or wherever is less plausible. In Newton, the city that borders Alston Brighton, has 10 post offices, and we cannot even get one in Alston. This issue goes beyond Alston. This is a concern for Councillor Fitzgerald, and all of the councillors representing Dorchester, because a similar situation is evolving at Fields Corner post office, and our friends in Watertown due to the proposed closure of the Watertown Square post office. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the state and federal level and state and federal officials to keep advocating for our Alston post office, but also to hold USPS accountable and try to prevent this situation happening in other neighbourhoods of Boston. Thank you.

Thank you. Docket 1338 will remain in committee. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0406?

Docket 0406. Order for hearing on transparency and accountability of private fundraising in Boston Public Schools.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes. Can't you be here? The Chair of the Committee on Education.

Thank you, Madam President. On September 22nd at 2 p.m., the Committee on Education held a hearing on docket number 0406 in order for a hearing on transparency and accountability of private fundraising in our Boston public schools. I was joined by my council colleagues, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Weber, Councillor Culpepper, and Councillor Fitzgerald, and with a letter of absence that we received from Councillor Pepin. At this hearing, We heard from experts, advocates, and members of the administration. Former New York City Councilor Mark Treger shared his legislation that he passed in 2018 that made the financial reporting that the New York City Department of Education already receives public in order to create transparency around private fundraising in the New York City public school system. The Boston-based Travis Marshall, James Nguyen, Keel McClay shared on the record the discrepancies that we see in between BPS schools based on their abilities to fundraise. They empathize the lack of information furthers inequities that a child's education should not depend on a school's community ability to fundraise and access to social and financial capital. They also highlighted how cuts to the BPS budget, and especially cuts to Power Professional staff, along with private fundraising, widens the gap between schools. The administration shared the Opportunity Index, partnership funds, and principal partners. Pamela Lanes from BEDF shared how her organization serves not only as a fiscal sponsor for all BPS schools, but also does trainings and seeks to support school communities. Important pieces of this conversation included discussing solutions such as a dashboard and understanding the legislation that Councilor Traeger from New York City passed so that we can use that model here in Boston. We also discussed the work that Quest does and how we can fund programs and positions across the district to address the inequities we see created by the private fundraising gap. The administration was asked about the different ways to use the opportunity index, the reimagining school funding formula, the racial equity planning tool, and how the district and central staff supports parent councils with technical assistance and building infrastructure like New York City does. We look forward to receiving those answers regarding how many BPS schools have a 501c3 already set up. When asked about BPS appetite for a dashboard and making this information public, the administration was open to it and we will have conversations about how we can make that happen. I also share that this work needs to include an advisory board, and we look forward to working in collaboration with the administration, Quest, and other advocates to ensure that there is transparency around private funding and BPS, and that there are co-governance and creating spaces for people who are living the realities to help inform what type of reporting we want to see. It was made very clear to us by the advocates that getting this information is the first big step so that we can truly understand the inequities in order to address them. Thank you to my colleagues for sharing.

Thank you, Councillor Mejia. Docket 0406 will remain in committee. We are now on to motions, orders and resolutions. A reminder that under Rule 39, remarks on new matters not up for a vote today should be limited to three minutes for the lead sponsor and two minutes for the co-sponsors. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1796?

Docket 1796. Councillor Webber offered the following. Ordinance amending City of Boston Code Ordinances Chapter 16, Section 63, Ordinance on Surveillance, Oversight, and Information Sharing.

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

Thank you very much, Madam President. First, I'd like to add Councillor Coletta Zapata as an original co-sponsor. Councillor Coletta Zapata is so added. And I'd like to add Councillor Santana as a third sponsor.

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

Okay, and I'd just like to recognize some of my other colleagues. We only have room for two co-sponsors. I know Councillor Culpepper reached out. I apologize for the clean-up hitter, but we only have room for three here. And I know Councillor Mejia has spoken. ABOUT SURVEILLANCE AND CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER COMMENTS PUBLICLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE. SO THIS BODY PASSED A SURVEILLANCE OVERSIGHT ORDINANCE IN OCTOBER 2021. I THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO take another look at that given what we've seen over the last few years regarding how that ordinance applies to what's going on in the city and the impact that our oversight has had. You know, we see in the last surveillance report from the city that there's a few issues here. Number one, we're told that last year, you know, while we had a flock pilot that ended, that the city has, while not using flock, is now using two other vendors who have license plate readers that the city is using. Anecdotally, I've heard that maybe those companies don't even have the same sort of safeguards as Flock because they're not in the national media. And even with Flock, this report disclosed that the Flock pilot that we did last year resulted in inadvertent sharing of information nationwide in violation of our contract with Flock. The report also shows that we are using social media monitoring tools that this body did not approve last year. And in fact, we've added one tool to that. So, you know, when we look at the surveillance ordinance and these amendments that I'm proposing, they go to the issues that I think these raise. Number one, you know, how does exigent circumstances apply? Can the police department declare exigent circumstances just continue on forever and never really come to us for approval or notice, so let's just make sure we have notice and we have a chance to weigh in within a certain time from the beginning of the exigent circumstances, not when they may end, if they ever end. With social media monitoring tools and AELPRs, we need to make sure that we have safeguards in place, that there's reporting. I think there was an audit in the current report I'm sure there was 11,000 searches on flock, and half of them did not have incident numbers attached to them. We need to make sure we have those safeguards in place to make sure those systems aren't being abused. I just want to thank my colleagues. This is a conversation starter. I look forward to working with all of you on revising the surveillance oversight ordinance. Thank you.

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

Thank you so much, Madam President, and I rise as the second co-sponsor of this ordinance, but I want to thank Councillor Webber for his leadership on this, as well as Councillor Mejia. I remember in 2025, during the budget cycle, we both asked questions during the BPD hearing about the uses of flock, and we received a partial answer. And during my recent briefing with some members of the administration and BRIC, It had become apparent that this body, I think in either 2022 or 2023, had given blanket approval for this type of technology. And at that point, I had said, okay, well, it sounds like there's a loophole that we need to close here. Let's amend the ordinance. And then lo and behold, Councillor Webber introduced this. So I want to thank you again for pushing this forward. We established this oversight framework to create transparency and accountability around how surveillance technology is acquired and used. while protecting the privacy and civil rights of our residents. But recent developments have shown us where there are gaps in that framework. When the city changes vendors, when the capabilities of a technology change, or when technology is initially deployed because of an emergency, the council and the public should have a clear understanding of what is being used, how it is being used, and what data is being collected, and who has access to that data. It should be stated that public safety and civil liberties do not have to be in... in competing values. Our police officers should have appropriate tools to investigate serious crimes and protect the public. At the same time, powerful surveillance technology should come with powerful safeguards, transparency, and accountability. Technology is going to continue evolving, and our oversight has to evolve with it. So I'm proud again to join Council Weber in introducing this ordinance, and as chair of the Government Operations Committee, I look forward to a robust process we'll where we will hear from the administration, public safety officials, civil liberty advocates, technology experts, members of the public, so that we can get this right. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Clarissa Spada. Chair recognizes Councillor Santana. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to also thank Councillor Webber for adding me as an original co-sponsor and for his diligent attention to matters of data and surveillance. This ordinance closes a loophole in the 2022 Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight information sharing that allowed for both a change of vendors and renewed agreements for current technologies to be done without notifying the boston city council this loophole violates the original purpose of the 2022 ordinance and its use and its use has led to rising public concern about the boston police department's usage of the automated license plate readers and social media monitoring tools enclosing this loophole and requiring stricter reporting requirements We are meeting the original intent of the 2022 council and ensuring that the public remains accurately informed about the tools and technology used by the Boston Police Department. At a time when people are very rightfully concerned about data collection, surveillance, and the possible misuse of government tools, it is vitally important that we maintain and grow public trust. This ordinance does just that, and I'm proud to extend my support, and I welcome my fellow colleagues to do the same. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Santana. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Worrell, and please add the Chair. Docket 1796 will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1797?

Target 1797, Councillor Murphy, offer the following. Order for a hearing to address the unauthorized roadway alterations and traffic safety at Tremont Street and Parker Street.

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

Thank you, Madam President. And I would like to add Councillor Culpepper. And I would like to suspend the rules and add Councillor Flynn, please.

Councillor Culpepper is added as a second. Who is your third?

Councillor Flynn.

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

I filed this hearing order because the intersection of Tremont Street and Parker Street raises two important questions. How we make this busy intersection safer and who has the authority to change our public streets. A horrific fatal crash occurred at this intersection in July. The safety concerns are real and I understand why residents are frustrated by the pace of the city's response. The people who made these changes left a message on our nearby poll saying, if we won't, we will. That says a lot. People felt unheard and they wanted action. Frankly, I understand their frustration. Last week, I sent Chief Osgood and the mayor a detailed letter asking many of the same questions that this hearing order raises. And I have not received a response yet. That does not justify anyone altering a public roadway, but it reinforces why residents deserve timely answers from City Hall. No matter how frustrated someone is, residents cannot take traffic engineering into their own hands. Boston traffic rules and regulations are clear. Article 3, Section 1 prohibits unauthorized signs, signals, markings, or devices that resemble official traffic controls or attempt to direct traffic unless authorized by the Boston Transportation Department. There is a reason for that. We cannot have residents installing their own speed humps, moving stop signs, changing one-way streets, or painting new traffic lanes because they believe it would be safer. The City has acknowledged that markings at Tremont Street and Parker Street were not authorized, yet they were allowed to remain while officials continue studying possible changes at this intersection. I do not think that is acceptable. Maybe the residents are right. Maybe some of the changes they made actually do create a safer configuration. If professional traffic engineers determine that they do, then let's make these changes permanent. Let's design them correctly, install them properly, and make the intersection safer. But we should not leave unauthorized traffic infrastructure in place while we decide whether or not we like it. Both things can be true. Residents cannot change public traffic infrastructure on their own. And city government needs to respond more quickly when residents raise legitimate safety concerns. If changes at Tremont Street and Parker Street will make it safer, then let's make them. But let's make them professionally, through the proper process, and let's make them promptly and permanently. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank Councilor Murphy for adding me as a co-sponsor and for bringing attention to this issue. For me, this hearing needs to focus first on accountability from the Boston Transportation Department. The community has raised concerns about safety along Parker Street and at Tremont Street for years. And the city's own transportation planning process identified this intersection as a crash cluster back in 2023. The city also identified Parker Street from Tremont Street to Allegheny Street as a high crash corridor for people biking and was considering improvements including pedestrian crossings, traffic calming, safer bicycle connections, and accessibility upgrades. So I want to understand what happened between that planning process and where we are today. What was studied? What recommendations were developed? Which improvements moved forward? Which did not? And why didn't they? When residents repeatedly identify a dangerous condition and the city's own analysis recognizes the same problem, there needs to be a clear path from identifying that problem to actually addressing it. I also think this raises a broader issue about how we bridge the gap between transportation planning and the needs, concerns, and priorities of the communities directly affected by these decisions. Transportation planning cannot happen in a vacuum. Residents understand how these streets function every day, while transportation professionals bring the technical and engineering experience necessary to design safe solutions. We need a process that brings those perspectives together rather than allowing them to become disconnected from one another. I hope this hearing gives us an opportunity not only to determine what improvements are needed at Tremont and Parker Streets, but also to examine how the Transportation Department responds when community asks for safety improvements and how we can make sure those requests actually translate into action. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper. Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. Councillor, you have the floor. You are the third co-sponsor?

I am a co-sponsor.

I do not wish to speak at this moment, thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Worrell? Councillor Fitzgerald? Docket 1797 will be referred to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1798?

Target 1798, Councillor Durkan offer the following, order for a hearing on package theft in Boston.

Thank you, the chair recognizes Councillor Durkan. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you. I'd just like to take a point of privilege. Obviously, the last filing was about something that is in my district. I do think the new council rules does not allow for us to speak on issues unless they're being voted on, unless we're a lead sponsor. I do think it's really important as city officials. The reason why the folks that are filing this have a lot of questions is because they don't do transportation work in Mission Hill. and so it's very important to me— Councillor Dworkin, would you mind—we take your point.

Would you please move on to your docket?

Thank you, Councillor President. I'd like to suspend the rules and add Councillor Flynn as an original co-sponsor and Councillor Santana as a third original co-sponsor.

Councillor Flynn is added as a second, and seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Santana is added as a third.

Package theft is an issue that I know many Boston residents have experienced. We are in the era of home delivery where most residents receive packages at their homes. In a dense city like Boston, especially in my district, it's multi-unit buildings with limited space for deliveries. Packages are often left on sidewalks or in vestibules. But we know package theft happens everywhere. And I actually want to thank a member of Councillor Fitzgerald's constituency who filed a Dorchester Reporter op-ed Yes, I read the Dorchester Reporter, some of the best reporting in Boston. Stealing someone's property is a criminal offense, but package theft is often challenging to enforce and prosecute. It's a quality of life issue, and as residents, we should be able to enjoy the convenience of package delivery. First, I believe that we need to better understand the scope of the problem in Boston. People should report package theft to BTD, but either the lack of awareness or the hassle of reporting deters them. I know that many people do not report these incidents, including times where it's even happened to me. Recently, I actually was able to catch a package thief, was able to call our police captain, Captain Driscoll, who sent someone to go find this person. Again, we should not be relying on vigilantism to fix this problem, but it is a huge problem, and it's one oftentimes, you know, I know that BPD has literally found entire apartments filled with packages, and so This is a huge issue and it happens to not just Amazon packages and packages you're receiving that might be able to be replaced, but to cherish goods and cherish presents that family members are sending. Part of the goal in this conversation is to hear from BPD about the data we currently have and how we can improve reporting. whether there are additional tools or education we should be considering for instance in the beacon hill historic district we've often been encouraged to get ring cameras and i know the landmarks commission has worked to make that easier what is happening i realized by reading the storechester reporter article that this is happening in every single neighborhood and i think as counselors we should band together this might be the one issue that like i think we can solve on this council so i re i really feel like we have some good work to do and i want to thank counselor for and Councillor Santana, the Chair of Public Safety. I'm so excited for this conversation. I think we can really make a difference here. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to Councillor Durkan for adding me. This is a major issue that impacts District 2, which includes South Boston, the South End, Chinatown, the Bay Village, parts of Beacon Hill, Back Bay, downtown Boston, the Wolf District Council, almost every neighborhood that I highlighted has talked to me about package thefts. And it's especially significant in my neighborhood in South Boston, but also in the South End as well. Residents literally have said to me, Ed, seven packages over the last 30 days that have been stolen and i would say to them i i assume you called the police no we we didn't call the police um we don't want to waste their time we don't want to get involved we don't want to we don't think it's that high of a priority but it is a high priority it is a high priority when packages are stolen in It's impacting public safety. It's impacting quality of life. And if you don't report stolen packages, it almost invites the person to continue doing what they're doing. What that person really needs is drug treatment. What that person needs is to be held accountable for their criminal behavior as well. But I think most people that are stealing packages are have substance use issues. They need help. They need treatment. But we need to document this by calling 911, calling the police department. They need to be arrested because it's having a major impact. If these packages were reported to the police, we would see a high increase of crime in Boston. But a lot of crime in Boston doesn't go reported for various reasons such as this, but residents have a responsibility to report any type of package theft to the police because if it's not them, it might be their mother, it might be their sister, it might be their father and who knows what is being stolen. It could be someone's critical medicine that they need for their child. So let's come together as a council, support our neighbors, but we're really doing a favor for our community, but we're also doing a favor in a way for the person that's stealing packages. Because that person needs to be held accountable for his or her actions in the criminal justice system, but they also need drug treatment program. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. The Chair recognises Councillor Santana. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank Councillor Durkan for introducing this hearing order and leading on this issue. When a package is stolen off a porch, it is rarely just a minor inconvenience. For our seniors and our neighbours living with disabilities, that package often contains a vital medication, specialised medical supplies or essential tools for daily living. Almost every one of us has experienced this firsthand or knows someone who has, and the numbers back that up. Last year alone, nearly one in three Americans, over 41 million people, fell victim to package theft. Right here in Massachusetts, an estimated 3% of residents lost their delivery in just a single three-month window. This is happening on our streets every day, and local leaders like Kara Gillis from the Dorchester North Neighbors Association have been standing up and speaking out on behalf of other neighbors. It's easier for residents to flag these deaths, starting with adding packaged death directly to our 311 system so city services can track hotspots and respond effectively. I look forward to continuing this work alongside dedicated advocates like CARA, bringing forward creative solutions and protecting our most vulnerable residents. I'm also very proud. I think both my colleagues mentioned that they were happening in their respective districts, and as an at-large city councilor, visiting across all neighborhoods, this is something that often residents bring up to me across multiple neighborhoods. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Santana. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Webber, Councillor Borrell, and please add the chair. Docket 1798 will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1799?

Docket 1799. Councillor Culpepper offered the following. Order for a hearing to examine opportunities for Boston under the 21st Century Road to Housing Act.

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

Madam President, I would like to add Councillor Santana as the second original co-sponsor. Councillor Santana so added. Thank you, Madam President. Earlier this year, this council passed a resolution supporting the 21st Century Road to Housing Act. Now that it has become federal law, I believe the next question for Boston is straightforward. How do we take advantage of it? The act became Public Law 119-101 on July 11th and contains a number of housing programs and policy changes that could have implications for cities like Boston. The law creates opportunities around affordable housing production and preservation, city-owned land, vacant building conversions, home ownership, regional housing planning, and potentially new federal funding. It also makes affordable housing construction eligible under CDBG and reforms the home program. But not every provision can necessarily be implemented immediately. Some opportunities depend on federal guidance or funding, while others may require coordination with the commonwealth and our local housing partners. I want this hearing to help us distinguish between those categories and identify what Boston can begin pursuing now. We have an affordable housing crisis. And when new tools become available to help us produce and preserve housing, We should be proactive about understanding and using them. I look forward to bringing our housing agencies and partners together with Councillor Pepin to determine what opportunities this new law creates for Boston and how we can put them into practice. Thank you, Madam President.

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

Thank you, Madam President, and I would like to thank Councilor Culpepper for including me as an original co-sponsor. The 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which became law in July of this year, is in large part due to the leadership from Senator Warren. It's the most significant piece of federal housing legislation to be passed in a generation. It contains over 40 provisions focused on affordability and increasing housing supply nationwide. We could not let this opportunity pass by us. It's no secret that Boston is in a housing crisis and we need to use all of the tools in our toolbox to fix it. At a hearing focused solely on this legislation, the council can dive into specific programs and regulatory changes that we can take advantage of and identify areas where we need to wait for a federal appropriation process. A hearing on this topic will also serve as an opportunity to engage the public and educate them about opportunities under this new legislation and give neighbors the opportunity to work on the implementation alongside us. I encourage my fellow Councillors to join me in support, and I look forward to the discussion that we'll continue to have around this issue of housing. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Santana. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Kaleta Zapata, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Webber, and please add the chair. Docket 1798 will be referred to the committee. Oh, sorry, wrong number. 1799. will be referred to the Committee on Housing and Community Development.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1800? Docket 1800. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Order for hearing to discuss the support of LGBTQ plus veterans that receive an other than honourable discharge.

Thank you. The Chair recognises Councillor Flynn. You have the floor.

Thank you. Madam Chair, may I add Councillor Santana as an original co-sponsor, please.

Councillor Santana so added.

Thank you Other than honourable discharge, also known as less than honorable discharge, is generally issued when a member of the military results in punishment for violating the UCMJ, which is the Uniform Code of Military Justice. According to the Veterans Affairs Department, more than 2 million service members have been discharged with an other than honorable discharge since World War II. The establishment of the Department of Defense in 1949 led to standardized anti-LGBTQ plus regulations across all branches of the military. From its inception through 1981, the Defense Department required pre-screening of all drafted personnel determining if a service member identified as gay or lesbian. In 1981, The Defense Department issued a directive which officially declared homosexuality was incompatible with military service, mandated discharge of service members. Basically, if you were gay or lesbian, you were discharged from the military. In 1993, President Clinton enacted Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which allowed gay, lesbian, bisexual individuals to serve in the military as long as they kept their orientation private. Don't ask, don't tell is abolished, allowing personnel to serve openly without fear of discharge. In Massachusetts, the Veterans Equality Review Board helps veterans who receive an other than honorable discharge due to don't ask, don't tell. The board must review each application within 30 days of reviewing the application and provide a recommendation to the Secretary of the Veterans Services. In 2021, the City Council passed a resolution filed by Council Braden and I celebrating Always Ask, Proud to Tell. I want to say thank you to Council Braden for her important work. It's critical that we as a city do all we can to honor and support those veterans who receive an other than honorable discharge. So when a veteran received an other than honorable discharge, it basically means that you are not eligible for certain benefits that honorable discharge veterans received. When a veteran was discharged for being gay or lesbian, sometimes they didn't necessarily put that as the reason for a discharge. They added some type of medical related issue. and ensure that that veteran would not get an honorable discharge, meaning that veteran would not receive the same level of benefits that I would receive. That's unfair. I do want to recognize and acknowledge the Commissioner of Veterans Services, Rob Santiago, and myself, I guess. We did a lot of work on this issue over the years. Under the current federal administration, it's been very difficult to get any justice for gay and lesbian veterans that have other than honorable discharge. It might take the next administration to get justice. However, we still have to advocate for our LGBTQ plus veterans that were discharged because of this policy and they deserve the benefits as any other veteran. So we're basically going on record in asking for hearing on what we can do to ensure that those that received an other than honorable discharge can get an official discharge that says honorable discharge so they can go to the VA and have and get their services. I'm going to continue working with Commissioner Santiago. I'm going to continue working with the state veterans secretary. I'm going to continue working with our federal leaders as well, especially the mass delegation that supports this proposal, and they know how important this proposal is to ensure all veterans, LGBTQ plus veterans, are respected and treated with respect and dignity. Madam Chair, thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Thank you for your ongoing advocacy for LGBTQ. community, especially our veterans. Thank you. Councillor Santana, you have the floor.

Thank you Madam President. I want to thank Councillor Flynn for both adding me as an original co-sponsor but also thanking him for his tireless advocacy for Boston's veterans, particularly those from marginalized communities. Earlier this week I was actually on a phone call with Councillor Flynn and he informed me about the the great need of work that we still need to do on this topic, but the great work that both him and Commissioner Santiago have been doing for years now. And I'm excited to be partnering with him and Commissioner Santiago in that work. It's incredibly important that we do everything that we can as a city to protect and uplift our LGBTQIA2S plus veterans at this time while their rights are under attack from our federal government. For decades, our LGBTQ plus service members have served this country only to be pushed out with other than honorable discharge. This isn't just an unfair label on paper. In reality, it cuts veterans off from basic benefits they earn, like VA health care, housing support, and tuition assistance. Right now, our LGBTQIA2S plus rights targeted at the federal level, and we can't sit back. We need to connect our local veterans with legal help to ensure that they are able to access the resources they and their families deserve. It is also never too late to address historical injustices. Our LGBTQIA2S Plus service members have always been part of our armed forces and veteran community. I look forward to learning and discussing additional ways that we can support them. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Santana. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the Chair. This docket, Docket 1800, will be referred to the Committee on Veterans, Military Families and Military Affairs. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1801?

Docket 1801. Councillor Durkin offered a following. Order for hearing on the review of the municipal opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code at the three-year threshold.

Chair recognizes Councillor Dirk and Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Councillor President. I want to start by clarifying what the Specialized Stretch Energy Code is. It is a set of state-level regulations that add higher performance standards to the base energy code. I also want to be clear, it is separate from Berto and is one piece of a broader framework of standards that Boston has implemented to decarbonize our building stock. Massachusetts has three levels of building energy codes, the base code, the stretch code, and the specialized code. The specialized code was created in 2021 and is the most stringent of the three. It builds on the stretch code by adding additional energy efficiency and admissions requirements. Boston adopted the stretch code more than a decade ago and adopted the specialized code effective January 1, 2024. These are important standards, but they also come with trade-offs. I've spoken with engineers who have raised concerns that these requirements can significantly increase the cost of new construction and that their technical requirements require specialized experts and third-party certification, adding significant barriers to development. While over 200 Massachusetts municipalities have adopted the stretch code, Only 60 have adopted the specialized code. And I'll just say, of the 60, a lot of them really don't want development to happen. They're communities that are fighting currently the MBTA Community Act. As a local adoption law, municipalities have specialized code in place for three years before they can make changes. Boston will reach that point on January 1 of next year. I supported net zero carbon zoning at the zoning commission, which helped codify some of these regulations in Boston zoning. And I probably would have voted to adopt the specialized code if I had been office when it came before the council. But I believe very strongly that we need to address the realities of climate change head on, sustainability, social equity, environmental responsibilities, and our considerations in everything we do. But we cannot underestimate the environmental impact of our buildings and the importance of these regulations. While I understand this topic can cause eyes to glaze over, we cannot underestimate the impact on the high cost of housing and the pressure our housing market is placing on individuals and families across Boston. I want to bring this forward now because over the past few years, we've watched interest rates and construction rates climb while permitted projects sit and relatively few projects are making it off of the ground. Only two projects of 100 units or more have started construction in Boston since 2025. I think, and a lot of engineers think, that this is largely, or at least impacted by the specialized stretch code I'm speaking about now. Worcester, the second largest city in the Commonwealth, tried to pause enforcement of these regulations, but they have not yet reached the three-year mark. I know the specialized code is not the only reason development is struggling, and while housing remains one of our city's greatest challenges, we need to be diligent in examining every factor that affects housing production. These are relatively new regulations, and Boston was one of the first municipalities on the Commonwealth to adopt them. That's why I want this hearing to actually hear from engineers who have successfully worked within these requirements. There are a few in my district who have permitted projects and can speak to the environmental considerations. As we approach the 3U mark, we have the opportunity to take a closer look at the impact of these regulations and understand how they are working in practice. Ultimately, we need to make sure that we're making informed decisions that balance our climate goals with the realities facing our city. One just anecdote very quickly. We are basically, part of the specialized municipal opt-in code is requiring passive house designation. Passive house designation costs a lot of money. And it's not something that we actually, it's like getting the brand name, and you have to pay for it. And so that's going to be part of the conversation. We're going to bring in a bunch of engineers. I am not going to ask the admin to even show up at this hearing. The hearing is really about housing, engineers, the nitty-gritty. There are a lot of issues with the specialized municipal opt-in stretch code. There are a lot of trade-offs. We need to have a conversation about it. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Durkan. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Webber, Councillor Worrell, Councillor Culpepper. Thank you. Docket 1-8. Oh, Councillor Fitzgerald, I beg your pardon. Docket 1801 will be referred to the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency and Parks. Sorry, point of order. Councillor Durkan.

The hearing order is specifically written to bring in developers and engineers who work on development, and I took a lot of... I took when writing it. We are not going to be talking about the environment. We will have an environmental panel, but the point of the hearing is to talk about the development-related concerns around the special municipal opt-in.

So are you appealing the decision of the Chair?

I mean, point of privilege, I'm requesting that the Chair reconsider, given the folks that I want to show up at the hearing.

So are you invoking Rule 5 and appealing the decision of the Chair?

If I have to. I mean, I think it could be a conversation. And I know that my team has reached out to your team to ask specifically, given who we want to show up at the panel.

I think I want to stick with my decision to keep it an environment, because I think I don't have to justify my decision. But if you wish to appeal the decision of the chair.

I don't think there's enough people in the room to appeal the decision of the chair right now. We need nine. Okay, I'd like to appeal the decision of the chair. Do you have a second?

The proponent, could you have three minutes to speak to, you don't need three minutes. The question before the body is, shall the decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the council? A yes vote keeps the docket in the committee the chair has decided, which is environmental resilience, and a no vote changes the committee assignment. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on rule 5, appealing the decision of the chair? Just to remind people, a yes keeps the vote in the in the committee it was sent to. A no vote changes the committee assignment.

Councillor Brayden. Yes. Councillor Brayden, yes. Councillor Kalera-Sapata. Councillor Culpepper. No. Councillor Culpepper, no. Councillor Durkan. No. Councillor Durkan, no. Councillor Fitzgerald. No. Councillor Fitzgerald, no. Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Louis-Jean.

No.

Councillor Louis-Jean, no. Councillor Mejia. Councillor Murphy? Yes. Councillor Murphy? Yes. Councillor Papin?

No.

Councillor Papin? No. Councillor Santana? No. Councillor Webber?

No.

Councillor Webber? No. Councillor O'Rourke? No. Councillor O'Rourke? No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, no. And 3, yes.

So the appealing to the decision of the Chair has passed. Nine votes. It has not passed. Thank you. So docket 1801 will be referred to the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency and Parks. Madam Clerk, could you please read the docket 1802?

Docket 1802. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Order for hearing to discuss the full year civics courses and graduation requirement for Boston public schools.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn. You have the floor. Thank you, Madam Chair.

In 2018, the Massachusetts legislature passed an act to promote and enhance civic engagement that restructured the history and social science framework to comply, creating a full year course with the expectation that at the end of their eighth grade school year and prior to starting high school, the student will demonstrate civil knowledge, skills, and This act was to go into effect for the 2019-2020 school year. The legislation arose from concern shared by many parents, educators, and students about the inconsistency in civics education across the state. Supporters of this legislation, including the Boston Bar Association, believe that civics and the requirement of civics is critical to ensure the next generation understand all the different roles and functions of our government. At the same time, the MCAS grade eight civics assessment was then developed and piloted with the 2024-2025 school year offering the first operational year. Based on the students' performance in Boston for the MCAS grade eight civics, 50% of students are only partially meeting expectations. 20% are not meeting expectations at all. I believe civics is an integral part of education It provides the knowledge to understand the responsibilities and limitations on local, state, and federal government. It allows citizens to better understand how decisions are made, how they can appropriately communicate their concerns to appropriate city officials, including city councils. I know that some Boston public schools used to offer civics in high school. To me, that makes sense as high school students are on the verge of becoming eligible to vote, to join the military, to serve in juries, and participate in other aspects of civic life where they will encounter political and public policy related issues more frequently. Providing students with a strong foundation in civics prepares them to participate in responsibly participate in their communities and government. I think this is a common sense approach to ensure that our young people in Boston know how government works, especially our city government. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Kaleta Zapata, Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Worrell, and please add the chair. Docket 1802 will be referred to the Committee on Education. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1803?

Docket 1803. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Order for hearing to discuss the public health disparities in Boston communities of colour.

Thank you. Chair recognises Councillor Flynn. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, may I add Councillor Culpepper as an original sponsor and suspend the rules and add Councillor Worrell as well?

Councillor Culpepper is added as a second and seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Worrell is added as a third.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is one of the first hearings I held and I worked closely with Councillor Kim Janey at the time. Health disparities in communities of color has unfortunately been a persistent problem, not only in our city, in our country. In 2021, the Health of Boston report by the Boston Public Health Commission found African American, Asian American, Latino residents, Hispanic residents of Boston are significantly more likely than white residents to suffer from poor public health outcomes. in 2026, the report also highlighted on closing the gap. An examination of life expectancy among black residents in Boston found that life expectancy gap among black residents in other groups widened from three years in 2013 to six years in 2024. Life expectancy for black women between 2022 and 2024 was six years fewer than other demographic, and that black male life expectancy dropped to a nine year deficit compared to other men in Boston. Compared with white residents, residents in communities of color experience high rates of preterm births, low birth weight, infant mortality, asthma room, emergency visits, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, influenza, HIV infection, diabetes, hospitalization, and deaths, heart disease. In 2019, a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latino residents in Boston suffer from high exposure to PM 2.5, a fine particulate matter that significantly increases an individual's risk of lung cancer, heart disease, asthma. The report stated that Chinatown contains the worst air quality in Massachusetts due to its proximity to Mass Pike and I-93. When they came out with their study, and they did it at the Josiah Quincy School before the new school was built, both myself and then-Counsel Wu attended the press conference. Communities of color also particularly impacted by Boston's housing crisis. Long time residents who are facing displacement and eviction experience stress that can affect public health. Many residents of color, particularly Latinos and Hispanics and Asian Americans, They also speak oftentimes a language other than English. And a shortage of interpretation skills and bilingual providers in the healthcare system creates a barrier to healthcare access. In my district particularly, as many know, I have a large concentration of Cantonese speaking residents that do have challenging times interacting with their medical provider. Thankfully, there are a lot of medical providers that do. speak Cantonese, but I think it's important that we continue to promote and hire Cantonese-speaking medical professionals. Madam Chair, I could go on, but my time is up. Thank you for giving me a few extra seconds.

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

Thank you, Madam President. And I want to thank Councillor Flynn for adding me as an original co-sponsor and for continuing to bring attention to the public health disparities that persists across our cities. Boston is home to some of the best hospitals and healthcare institutions in the world. But access to those resources and the opportunity to live a long and healthy life are still not experienced equally across our communities. The Boston Health Commission's 2026 Closing the Gap Report provides a particularly concerning example. From 2013 to 2024, the life expectancy gap between Black Bostonians and other Bostonian residents doubled from 3.3 years to 6.6 years. Between 2022 and 2024, Black men lived an average of 9.3 fewer years than other men in Boston, while the gap for Black women was approximately 6.4 years. These disparities do not exist in isolation. Housing, environmental concerns, economic opportunity, access to health care, language access, and the neighborhoods in which people live all affect health outcomes. The hearing order appropriately gives us an opportunity to look at those broader factors and discuss what resources and interventions can actually close these gaps. I look forward to this hearing. and to discussing what more the city can do to ensure that where someone lives or the color of their skin or their zip code does not determine how healthy they can be or how long they can expect to live. Thank you, Madam President.

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

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you to Councillor Flynn and Councillor Culpepper for adding me on as an original co-sponsor. We know the life expectancy gap across Boston is real. We see higher death rates from diabetes and heart disease among black residents. We see black and Latino residents going to the emergency room more often for asthma. We can't talk about those health disparities without talking about the wealth gap and what resources are available close to home. People should be able to buy fresh food in their neighborhood, fill a prescription nearby, and get a doctor's appointment without losing hours of pay. That's why I've been working with the neighborhood health centers in my district to expand their services. They know our families and hear directly from residents about what they need. We are supporting their work and helping them bring more services into our neighborhoods, and I'm looking forward to discussing this more in this hearing. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Borrell. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Coletta Zapata, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louisian, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Pepin. Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, and please add the Chair. Docket 1803 will be referred to the Committee on Public Health, Homelessness, and Recovery. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1804?

Docket 1804. Councillors Braden and Flynn offer the following. Order for a hearing to discuss the status of Boston Road and Action Plan.

I'm going to ask my colleague, Vice President I thank Councillor Flynn for his partnership on this issue. Rodent activity continues to be one of the most persistent quality-of-life concerns facing Boston residents. In Austin-Brighton, it's an issue we hear about daily. In 2024, the city released the Boston Rodent Action Plan to create a more coordinated approach to rodent control. It called for stronger inspections and enforcement, better waste management practices, improved data collection and coordination across city departments. Alston Brighton and Ward 3, which includes downtown Chinatown, North End, South End and Haymarket, were identified as the two highest priority action neighbourhoods and stated for targeted intervention. Two years later, we have not received a public update on the rodent action plan. Alston Brighton is still waiting for the targeted interventions promised. There were discussions about rodent-resistant trash cans in Alston Village, but those have yet to be installed. Residents and the City Council deserve clarity on timelines, metrics, departmental responsibilities and what interventions are happening in the neighbourhoods experiencing the greatest rodent activity. Boston is hosting the National Urban Rat Summit this week, bringing together researchers, public health professionals and municipal leaders to discuss new approaches to rodent control. This is a good opportunity for the council to request an update on the status of our own rodent action plan. I look forward to hearing from inspectional services and other departments involved in the BARP about the progress that has been made, current gaps, and what can be done to curb rodent activity in Alston Brighton and across the city in other neighbourhoods. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Brayden. The Chair recognises Councillor Flynn. Councillor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the Council President for adding me for the important work that you have done, Council President. I've been focused on pest control issues for nine years now. We've held hearings on pest control. I filed an ordinance to establish the Office of Pest Control in the city of Boston and have made at least a dozen recommendations to the city on how we can improve pest control strategies in Boston. Most of them were implemented by the city, but my main point of adding a rat czar was not implemented. I do believe we have to elevate the functions of pest control in the City of Boston to a department. I think it's that serious of an issue. It's that serious of a public health issue. When you have rats running through your apartment, and you have your little kid in a crib, a bassinet, and your two-month-year-old child is in the bassinet as a rat runs through your apartment. That's a public health emergency. That's a public safety emergency. We can't say things are getting better on pest control when we know Rats are running through kids' apartments with little kids. It's terrible to have that type of conversation, but that's exactly what is happening. In my district and District 2, it's a major public health and public safety problem. When a rat runs through your apartment and you have little children, the only question you ask is, when are we leaving the city? because you can't live in your apartment when rats are running through it. We need a comprehensive plan. We need to elevate this department to a city department, and we need strong leadership. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Would anyone else like to speak on this matter? I'll take just a quick liberty to say that I'm grateful for Councillor Braden and Councillor Flynn's leadership on this. In the North End, as we all know, we're fighting a perennial war against the rats with all of the restaurants that we have and the lack of residents' ability to place trash in barrels. And so I am heartened to see that there's been some progress that's been made. Look forward to understanding more from John Ulrich, who we all know is a great public servant, both separately in a meeting with him and then at the RAT Summit, what actually has occurred and some of the progress. Anecdotally from residents, the RAT situation has been getting better in the north end, but we know that we can always do better, and it is a public health crisis. So thank you, Councillor Braden. Would anyone else like to add their name? Madam Clerk, would you please add Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis-Jean, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Council Pepin, Council Santana, Council Weber, Council Worrell, and please add the chair. Thank you. Docket 1805 will be referred to the committee on... Oh, sorry. 1804 will be referred to the committee on city services. Thank you. Madam Clerk, will you please read docket 1805?

Docket 1805. Councilors Louisianne and Braden offer the following. Resolution in support of question four to establish election day voter registration in Massachusetts.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councilor Louis-Jeanne. Councilor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I rise to introduce this resolution in support of ballot question number four, which will be on the ballot in November. That would establish election day voter registration, which would allow someone to also vote on the day of the election. I am not seeking suspension in passage. At this moment, because we have a hearing scheduled for next Friday where we will include this resolution and bring advocates and talk about this, I want to say thank you to MassVote and the entire coalition of folks who are behind and who have been supporting for measures to make it easier for folks to access the ballot and to expand access to the ballot. Currently, we require people to be registered to vote 10 days prior to an election in order for them to vote in that election. We know that voter information and voter education, voter interest in an election increases in the two weeks prior to an election. Allowing same-day voter registration for new voters is a way of bringing more people into democracy, is a way of making sure that we are not leaving anyone behind when it comes to voting, and it increases voter participation among voters who have a harder time accessing the ballot. That includes voters of color, that includes young voters, it includes those who are transient, it includes those who are um are are homeless and so there are a lot of advantages to having election day voter registration um it will allow eligible voters to register or to update their address at the appropriate polling place on election day and they would be required to provide proof of residency and sign an oath affirming their identity and eligibility so there are safeguards built into uh this proposal question number four to ensure that people who are registering are able to vote in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This is not new, or it's not untested. There are actually 24 states and the District of Columbia that provide same-day voter registration. So we're actually behind when we look at our peer states around the country. And that includes neighboring states like Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut. This wouldn't be effective until 2028, so it allows the Commonwealth ample time to on-ramp election day voter registration. And so I'm excited to continue working in coalition to not only pass this ballot measure, but to do everything that we can to expand access to democracy, to do everything that we can to make sure that more voters, voters of color are participating in our democracy. And we know that while elections are administered locally, so this will allow sufficient time for election officials to familiarize themselves with what will happen, will need to happen in order to make election day voting, voter registration effective. We've seen great updates already to our election department, one, with the hiring of Kerry Jordan, but also with the use of electronic poll books. So I'm looking forward to the hearing where we talk about election procedures in general, and we also uplift the need for us to make sure that we have election day voting in Massachusetts. So I want to thank I hope that my colleagues will be able to attend the hearing so that we can see how we can strengthen our democracy right here in the City of Boston. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Louis-Jean. The chair recognizes Councillor Breda.

Councillor Breda Thank you, Councillor Louis-Jean, for adding me as an original co-sponsor. Same-day voter registration is associated with increased voter participation, particularly among younger voters, first-time voters and residents of historically underrepresented communities. This is particularly important in Alston-Brighton and Boston as a whole, where we have a large population of renters, students and residents who move frequently. This year served as a stark reminder of that importance. Election Day fell on move-in day, also referred to as Alston Christmas in my district, and thousands of eligible voters who changed addresses were unable to vote from their new polling place because Massachusetts does not allow for Election Day voter registration. Election day voter registration is not a radical idea. As Councillor Louis-Jeanne has already mentioned, more than 20 states and the District of Columbia already allow it. And our neighboring states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut already have it. Massachusetts currently requires residents to register or update their voter registration at least 10 days before an election. Question four would allow eligible residents to register or update their address at the polling location on election day by providing proof of residency and signing an oath confirming of their eligibility to vote. This would also help address some of the concerns raised by our colleague Councillor Flynn a few weeks ago about folks that were deemed inactive when they went to vote. If we had same-day voter registration, they could automatically re-establish their names on the voter roll and be allowed to vote. So I think it's an idea that time has come and I hope that we can continue to move this issue forward. I understand Councillor Regier, as she's just mentioned, is asking to have a hearing next week, and I look forward to the discussion and encourage all my colleagues to participate in this very important issue. Thank you.

Thank you. Would anyone else like to speak? Excuse me.

Councillor Louis-Jean, you have the floor.

I just wanted to clarify that. Sorry.

wanted to clarify that i will be seeking a vote on this after we have our hearing but i want us to have a conversation and hopefully the council can come on record um in supporting this measure so that no one is not able to uh vote on election day simply because of a clerical error moving or any other issues so thank you i will ask for a vote but not today thank you thank you councillor um would anyone else like to add their name the chair recognizes councillor culpepper council jerkin council fitzgerald council of flynn council mejia

Councillor Pepin, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Santana, Councillor Webber, and Councillor Whirland, please have the chair. Thank you. Docket 1805 will be referred to the committee on census, redistricting, and elections. Madam Clerk, will you please read Docket 1806?

Docket 1806. Councillors Louis-Jean and Braden offer the following. Resolution supporting Boston Medical Center resident physicians as their effort to secure a fair contract.

Thank you, the Chair recognizes Councilor Lujan. Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I please, may I please suspend the rules to add Councilor Mejia as the third original co-sponsor? Seeing and hearing no objections, she is so added. Thank you, many of us were here this morning when we saw the doctors from Boston Medical Center come and take a photo with us as they fight for a fairer contract. The Committee of Interns and Residents represents over 700 unionized physicians at BMC, and it's dedicated to improving the lives and the livelihood and resident training and our broader health care system across the country. It's really important that we stand with these doctors who are serving some of our most vulnerable residents at Boston Medical Center, those who are living with addiction, those who are black and brown. I talk about how my grandfather was treated and cared for at Boston Medical Center, and we know that they serve so many who are in need in our city. It's important that we stand with our residents as they are engaged in this fight. Boston Medical Center is the largest safety net hospital in New England, with more than half of its patient population coming from underserved or low-income backgrounds. The resident physicians put all of themselves into this work, and they're engaged in collective bargaining with BMC to advocate for fair wages, affordable healthcare, safe working conditions, adequate time off, and the respect and dignity that they deserve. We know that healthcare workers are a critical part of our community, and resident physicians require fair and competitive compensation for them not only to stay in the city of boston but for them to continue serving our most vulnerable residents there are a lot of financial pressures here in the city i'm not everyone is aware of that and our the residents feel it as well so i'm just hoping that bmc does the right thing and comes to a fair contract with the residents with car at the table i know many of us have been out with them so this is just putting on the record the collective record the council's collective support so i hope that in addition to adding Councilman here as a third original co-sponsor, I am seeking suspension and passage so that we can go on record with the doctors who are with us here today and who are with our most vulnerable residents here in the city of Boston each and every day at Boston Medical Center. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Louisianne. The chair recognizes Councillor Braden.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank Councillor Louisianne again for including me on this resolution. Boston, this is particularly close to my heart. My first job in Boston was at University Hospital At the time, it was merging with Boston City Hospital to become Boston Medical Center, so I'm a former employee at Boston Medical Center way back when. Boston is the home of one of the most well-recognized healthcare institutions in the country, Boston Medical Center. BMC is New England's largest safety net hospital with more than half of its patients coming from underserved or low-income backgrounds. The more than 700 resident physicians at BMC play an essential part in providing care to Boston residents and families. They are not only receiving specialist medical training, but they're also an important part of our healthcare workforce, serving our community every day. These resident physicians, represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, CIR, are currently working to secure a fair collective bargaining agreement with BMC. BMC resident physicians are the lowest paid unionised resident physicians in the greater Boston area. Their priorities include fair wages, affordable healthcare, safe working conditions, adequate time off and respect within the workplace. This is particularly important given the financial pressures that resident physicians face, including Boston's high cost of living and student loan debt. Strong unions and fair collective bargaining agreements also give these physicians a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their workplace, their working conditions, and ultimately their ability to serve their patients. This resolution is a statement that the City of Boston City Council Boston City Council stands with resident physicians represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents at BMC in their efforts to promptly secure a union contract. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Breeden.

Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and I want to thank Councillor Louis-Jean and Councillor Breeden for adding me as an original co-sponsor. Boston Medical Center is one of the most important institutions in our city. Every day its resident physicians carry the enormous responsibility of caring for our city's most vulnerable populations. And yet too many of these resident physicians are struggling to make their ends meet in a city that they work to care for every day. We cannot continue to talk about Boston being a world-class healthcare city while the people delivering that care struggle to live here. Residents spent years training to become doctors. They work long and demanding hours take on enormous responsibilities, and make major sacrifices to care for their patients. They deserve to be treated fairly and to be able to afford to live in the city where they work. This is especially important at Boston Medical Center. BMC serves many patients who face barriers to getting health care, including working class families, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, and other underserved communities. Like other surrounding hospitals, Boston Medical Center also has an increased patient role since 2024 with the closing of the Kearney Hospital, so their capacity has increased significantly since 2024. Supporting a fair contract for Boston Medical resident physicians is about recognizing the important work they do every day. These doctors deserve fair pay, good working conditions, and the ability to build a life here in Boston. BMC's mission is to care for the health of our community, and that should include caring for the people who provide that care. And I'm proud to support BMC's resident physicians in their effort to secure a fair contract, and I urge my colleagues to stand with them. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Mejia. Would anyone else like to speak on this matter? Would anyone else like to add their name? Oh, Councillor Durkin, you have the floor.

Thank you so much. I just want to thank my colleagues for standing with residents. We have a lot of residents in District 8, as I represent the Longwood Medical Area and MGH. And the residents at BMC deserve better, and I'm excited. that they are engaging and we are working with them and we are fighting for them because residents often get, I see a lot of them in my district and they're tired, they're overworked, they don't have enough benefits and they feel very unprotected. So I think that residents at BMC deserve the same attention as, you know, we're giving at any other hospital. And I just want to make sure that, you know, CIR knows I stand with them. And as Boston Medical Center represents and cares for a lot of the most vulnerable patients in Boston, it's really, really important. Thank you. Thank you.

Council Durkan, Councilor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I strongly support this resolution. These interns, these medical doctors play a critical role in our city, caring for the most vulnerable in our society. Many of them live in District 2. I see them frequently and talk to them frequently, and they don't make all that much money, and they are struggling. and they have high tuition bills that they're still paying. They have high rent or a mortgage as well. But we want to ensure that medical doctors that are providing a critical service to the residents of the city are not struggling to pay their bills. We need to ensure that they have a good quality of life in a safe environment with a good and steady paycheck They shouldn't have to be worrying about whether or not they can pay the electric bill, they can pay the mortgage. We need them focused on their jobs, which they do exceptionally well. But I've actually heard from medical doctors at this facility that have told me that because they are struggling to pay their bills with high tuition bills, they had to get a second job. That's unconscionable, where you have a medical doctor working a second job in some type of other industry just so that that person can continue working, continue living here. It's up to the hospital administration to ensure and provide a contract that respects their work, respects their level of education, respects their hard work, and their commitment to the residents of Boston as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Councillor Fitzgerald, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. BMC, for the most part, resides in District 3 and having to deal a lot. We stand with our resident physicians just as we do with the BMC nurses, not only to the greater city, but to the community right around them. They also have a huge impact when you think about the issues at Mass and Cass. To have an issue with nurses and resident physicians We hope that we can resolve this because as the safety net hospital for that area and for our city It's important. We provide the continue to provide these services for those in need. Thank you.

Thank you council Fitzgerald Would anyone else like to add their name? Council Culpepper council Durkan council Fitzgerald Councillor Flynn councillor region councillor Murphy councillor Pepin councillor Santana. That's a Weber council. Well, please add the chair. I Councillors Louisianne and Braden seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket 1806. All those in favour say aye. All those opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, would you please conduct a roll call vote on docket 1806.

Roll call vote on docket 1806. Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata, yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkin. Councillor Durkan, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Louisian, yes. Councillor Louisian, yes. Councillor Mejia, yes. Councillor Mejia, yes. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Pepin, yes. Councillor Pepin, yes. Councillor Santana, yes. Councillor Santana, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor Webber, yes. Councillor O'Reilly, yes. Councillor O'Reilly, yes. 13 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you. Docket 1806 has passed, has been adopted.

Thank you. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1807?

Docket 1807, Council Rural offer the following. Resolution in support of reviving the Codman Square Merchants Association.

Chair recognizes Councillor Worrell. You have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to add Councillor Murphy as an original co-sponsor. Councillor Murphy so added. Thank you. When I think about Codman Square, I think about the people who have poured their heart into that neighborhood for years. The business owners who know you when you walk through the door, the neighbors who keep showing up, and the organizations that have families have counted on for generations. There's a lot happening in this area. Common Square Park has been recently renovated and is now open. The weekly farmer's market brings our neighbors together. Second Church, shout out to Pastor Price, receives CPA funding for renovations. We're seeing improvements to crosswalks and intersections along Washington Street. Our merchants have been a part of keeping this neighborhood going through all of it. As a small business owner, I know how much goes into opening those doors every day. And doing that through years of utility work on Washington Street has come with real challenges. We've also lost a lot of spaces that people depended on, Walgreens, Jordy's Men's Store, and Daily Table. Those closures were also felt by the people who worked there and the neighbors who shopped there. That's why I appreciate the work that Michael Dockery and the merchants coming together to bring back the Common Square Merchants Association. They have ideas, they know what's working, and they know what needs attention. They're talking about better lighting, beautification, and ways to support businesses renting their space. These are block by block conversations about the neighborhood they put in their own money and time into. And they have committed neighbors alongside them. Shout out to Cynthia Lesch and the whole Common Square Neighborhood Council, who's also pursuing a cultural district designation inside of Common Square. The health center continues caring for our families and planning for the future. In Common Square, NDC continues investing in the neighborhood. To Michael, all the merchants involved, thank you. Running the business is a full-time commitment, but making time to come together and to look out for the whole districts says a lot about your love for Common Square. I also want to give a big shout out to Yusuf and my team for helping bring this all together, but I'm looking for suspension and passage of this docket. Thank you.

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

thank you and thank you councilor well for adding me as a neighbor to codman square and as an at-large city councilor i think we all know that neighborhoods and parts of our city that have thriving small businesses coffee shops restaurants safe places clean parks are healthier and much easier to live in and not every neighborhood across the city has that So I'm happy to advocate and support something as important as this. We know that when people come together and they're putting their minds together and fighting for the same thing, knowing that together we can make this neighborhood as thriving as it needs. And it's also a place, a safe place, I believe, for the residents to work closely with us as elected officials, with civic leaders, and neighbors to make sure that when there's concerns, if it's more walking beats with the police, if it's hours at the Codman Square Library, we have great infrastructure, it could be better, but things have been moving. When I'm at the farmer's market and I'm around at some of the stores in that area, we can see that it's moving in the direction the neighbors want, but I think this would help move it even further. So looking forward to working alongside the neighbors here. Thank you, Councilor Worrell.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy. Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to rise in support of this resolution. As someone who actually lives in Codman Square and I walked every day to Dorchester High from Four Corners to Dorchester High, I had to walk down Washington Street. in the 80s. And so, for me, it is really exciting to see this renewed energy regarding making sure that the merchants understand the role that they've played in not only just keeping our neighborhoods together, because back in the day, you could go into any merchants, be like, hey, I owe you. They'd be like, okay, I know you walk by here every day, so I know you'll pay when you come back through this way. there's also a sense of community when it comes to our merchants. And so really excited to support this. I actually, it's really awesome because I also live in Codman in the space that I grew up in. And so it's great to stand up and support this resolution. And I'm going to ask my colleague to add me as an original co-sponsor.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Worrell. You had the floor.

Yeah, I'd like to suspend the rules and add Councillor Mejia as the original co-sponsor. And I'd also like to shout out Naldo over at the Common Square Neighbourhood Development Corporation for all his work as well in the small business area.

Thank you. Seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Mejia is so added. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Coletta Zapata, Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Levisian, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Santana, Councillor Webber, and please add the Chair. Councillors Worrell, Murphy and Mejia seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1807. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1807? Councillor Blythyn.

Council Braden, yes. Council Kaleta Zapata, yes. Council Kaleta Zapata, yes. Council Culpepper, yes. Council Culpepper, yes. Council Durkin, yes. Council Durkin, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Louisian, yes. Council Louisian, yes. Council Mejia, yes. Council Mejia, yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Santana, yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor O'Rourke. Yes. Councillor O'Rourke. Yes. 13 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1807 has been adopted. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1808?

Docket 1808. Councillor Flynn offered the following. Resolution in support of a commission to hire and retain Boston Police Officers.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. The longstanding issue of understaffing, overstretched resources, mandatory overtime, looming retirements at the Boston Police Department remain a public safety, public health emergency, which also disregards officers' personal, physical, and emotional well-being, as well as that of their families. In July 1980, the minimum number of patrolmen at any given time for the Boston Police Department rose from 2,300 to 2,500 by law in the city municipal code to ensure adequate staffing for police duties. Recently, the Boston Police Patrolman's Association said that there were approximately 1,600 to 1,700 police officers. with such low staffing levels, it is all the more critical for the city of Boston to act urgently to ensure that the Boston Police Department is comfortably in excess of 2,500 officers. The city must make it a top priority to prevent a dynamic of overworked offices, which has resulted in this ongoing public safety crisis. During these challenging times, with increasing violent incidents over the summer, we must have the necessary tools to hire and retain Boston police officers. A commission dedicated to hiring and retaining Boston police officers is a critical step to addressing our dangerously low staffing levels. The commissioner will work to improve public awareness of upcoming Boston Police Academy classes, promote officer wellness, and take the necessary steps to retain officers. We also recently cut the budget for Boston Police officers' health and wellness programs. Enhanced legislation will be needed to codify this commission in the city code. However, it is critical that the Boston City Council indicates its support for taking concrete steps to improve officer wellness for the overall public safety of the city, police officers, and their families. Boston police officers need to know that the Boston City Council understands how challenging it is for them and their families, especially on health and wellness issues. It's time for this body to stand with our police officers and their families to establish a commission where we can study on how we can retain and recruit new police officers to our city. They're part of our neighborhood. They're part of our city. They're active in our community. We see them every day at our coffee shops. We see them every day coaching Little League. Let's treat them with the respect they don't think the city council supports them. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. The chair recognizes Councillor Colletta Zapata. You have the floor.

Councillor Colletta Zapata Thank you so much, Madam Chair, and thank you to Councillor Flynn for bringing this forward. I just have a few questions. I think it should be said that you shouldn't mistake my questions for opposition, because I don't intend to object. I'm just doing my due diligence, as the lead sponsor so frequently says. And I think we all want to recruit and retain police officers. I myself have put forward the home rule petition seeking to waive the maximum age requirement so that we can recruit more folks and at least give them a shot into the police academy. And if they do well in the police academy, great. And all the other tests, awesome. But if not, then that's their shot. And at least we give them the opportunity to do so and to prove themselves. I want to remind folks to come with me to the State House and to advocate for that. So the invitation stands for everybody, including the lead sponsor. My questions include, what exactly would this commission do that BPD, its HR, Police Academy, and existing police cadet program are not already doing. Have you talked to Commissioner Cox? Have the police asked for something like this? If they have identified barriers to recruitment and retention, I want to understand these specific barriers before considering another or prescribing a new governmental body. So although a commission may be the right avenue and tool to figure this out, I don't necessarily believe that a resolution affirming our support of a commission until we understand the full scope of its commission, who appoints it, what its authority is, how we'll hold them accountable. I don't necessarily feel comfortable voting yes on this resolution, so I'll probably vote present on it, but just would love to understand those details from Councillor Flynn before I make a decision. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Councillor Flynn, would you like to respond to the question through the chair?

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you important questions that you asked me. What would the commission do? I think they would study issues that are impacting police and their families, making it difficult for police officers to remain in the city, to remain on the force, I should say, and how we recruit new police officers as well. I do think we have to change the dynamic of our language when we on how we interact with police officers. I don't think they feel like they're supported by the city council. That's my own personal opinion. Like you, I talk to the police officers every day. They don't feel like they're supported by members of the city council. Because of that, and for other reasons too, oftentimes, Boston police or potential recruits don't want to take the examination A lot of police officers currently are leaving the department early before the early mandatory retirement age. Many are actually leaving for the fire department. Many are leaving for other city departments. Many are leaving to save their marriage because when you work 16 hours a day and you have obligations as a parent to take your child to a medical appointment, take your child to an after school program, and then you're required to work an extra shift, or even you volunteer to work an extra shift knowing that you might be called to be told that you're working a shift At some point, it doesn't work for officers, and the officers' health and wellness are being impacted. That's why I'm trying to do everything I possibly can on this issue. I do think it's a public safety and a public health crisis. When you're working 16 hours a day consistently, It impacts public safety. It impacts your ability to do your job right.

Thank you, Councillor. Thank you. I move on to Councillor Mejia, who's next. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I'm curious, just for my own edification here, did we already have a hearing on establishing a commission? Because I may have missed that one. So a lot of the questions that my council colleague from District 1 asked, were related to the end of workings of what this particular commission could be. And are we supporting, are we voting on supporting the resolution because we've already done the working sessions? I may have missed that because so much has been going on in my life over the last few months. So just for the sake of the exercise. Did I miss a hearing? Was there, so we haven't even talked about what this could look like. Okay. So I think that just, I'm a process person. I think that there's some steps that go into establishing a whole commission. I know working on establishing the Black Men and Boys Commission, that was a whole ordinance. It was hearings. It was working sessions. So I think that, and I think, Council President, this is something that you may want to consider. When we're doing resolutions, If it's a resolution for something that we haven't even had a hearing on or things of that nature, I don't know. We just need to better understand the dynamics with this particular example. If there hasn't been a hearing order on the need for this, if there hasn't been an ordinance that has been written and working sessions for us to establish. It is really challenging as a body for us to vote on a resolution that we support something that we don't even know the mechanics of it. So I respectfully am going to object to taking a vote on this resolution here today because we have to do our due diligence and making sure that we understand what we're supporting. So actually, I don't know how people, because I see other people's lights on, I do not want to prevent people from speaking.

I think we should be responsible. There has been an objection to this resolution. This resolution will go to the Committee on Public Safety. Could you please read Docket 1809?

Docket 1809. Councillor Pepin offered the following resolution in support of accessory and house production with proposed target tax amendments.

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

Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to add yourself as a second co-sponsor and suspend the rules and add Councillor Ben Webber as a third co-sponsor.

I will—hearing and seeing no objections—add Councillor Culpepper as a third co-sponsor.

No, Councillor Webber.

Oh, Councillor Webber. I beg your pardon. Sorry. You're good. I know you're good. We'll put Webber in there instead, though. I will ask my colleague, Councillor Coletta Zapata, to take the chair for a few minutes.

Sorry, Councillor put that in there before.

Thank you. As we know, Boston is in a housing crisis every day. We hear from residents that rising costs make home ownership unattainable. We know that we need to build more units. Yet, even with the large number of development projects that have been approved, there are still major financial obstacles delaying them to break ground from stalled state and federal grants. We need to use every tool available to get construction started and so i support the temporary tax abatements the mayor proposed on four approved housing developments these abatements would jumpstart three projects in austin brighton and one in charlestown to provide over 1400 much needed housing units they will pack they will pay back those taxes in the future so that these projects will come to fruition rather than staying as proposals as a chair of housing i take this very serious and have had multiple conversations about this with the chair of housing um with with chief dylan with so many of her department members but i know that i've also gotten a lot of questions from my council colleagues so at this time i'm not going to ask for a suspension and pass of this resolution if not i'm going to do a hearing about this so that we can ask questions and my council colleagues have the opportunity to do so thank you chair recognizes council braden council brady before um

Thank you Madam Chair, and thank you Councillor Pepin for adding me as a second. In the midst of an acute housing shortage, Boston has seen housing construction stall due to such factors as high interest rates, rising construction costs, tariffs and broader economic conditions. Last week the Mayor proposed targeted, time-limited tax abatements for four approved developments, three of which are located in Alston Brighton. In Alston Brighton, these three projects will bring nearly 1,000 units of housing to our neighbourhood, while also delivering income-restricted housing, public realm improvements and transportation benefits. Abatements will temporarily defer tax increases for these projects, contingent on them beginning construction, and will not result in any net loss of tax revenue for the city. Again, these are approved projects with neighbourhood support that have not been able to break ground. Offering tax abatements in order to enable them to begin construction is a sensible and proactive strategy. These proposals will go through a public process with the Planning Department before they move forward. These include a 30-day public comment period an upcoming community meeting where residents can ask questions and provide feedback, and we need to use the tools available to increase housing production, create more income-restricted homes, support good jobs, and get stalled projects moving. That's why I'm proud to support this resolution and this hearing order as it has transpired into, and I call on my colleagues to do the same. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Braden. Council Weber is third co-sponsor.

Okay, thank you, Chair. I just want to thank Councilor Pippin for adding me. You know, I think we all know that we need to DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO JUMP START HOUSING PRODUCTION HERE IN THE CITY. AND THIS IS ONE WAY OF DOING THAT WHILE MAINTAINING THE REQUIREMENT THAT WE BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THIS IS A WAY TO GET UNITS AND EVEN IF PEOPLE BUY OUT THEIR AFFORDABLE UNITS, WE'RE GETTING AN EXTRA UNIT OF HOUSING PLUS MONEY TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I applaud Councillor Pepin for filing this. I look forward to the discussion with my colleagues. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Weber. Councillor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, may I, through the Chair, ask Councillor Pepin a question?

You may.

Councillor Pepin, is this resolution, I know it's going to be a hearing on it, but is this similar to the proposal the Mayor Announced recently or The draft the draft report I should say is this similar to the draft report the mayor? Put out recently on some of these strategies to improve housing to build housing Thank You madam chair through the chair to respond to my council colleague from district 2

This is part of the mayor's toolbox and proposal to do more housing production across the city. This is also just very directly in response to four of the projects that have been on hold for quite some time. Those four projects are over 100 units of developments that have been on hold. So yeah, so this is in response to part of the solution in the housing proposal.

Okay, Madam Chair, may I ask one more question?

You may.

Okay, thank you, Councilor Pepin. That's exactly what I was asking, so I appreciate that. So, Council Pippin, I know the draft report is a draft report, and it hasn't been released to the public. Are we able to get a copy of that so we can review it, we can read it? I know the media has it, but I don't believe the city council has it. Are we able to read it so we can be thoroughly prepared about what the plan is, so that will help us as we prepare for this meeting as well?

I think that as we prepare to have this hearing in my committee, I will make sure that the Health Department has as much resources as possible to answer these questions. I think that's why having a hearing before taking a vote on this would be the best idea, so that we can have those answers for you.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Thank you, Councillor Pepin. The Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia, who had her light on. It's a resolution, so people do have the opportunity to speak on it. I do think that if folks want to speak on it, they should be allowed to. Okay, if we're going to vote on it, yeah. Okay, so we might as well. It's being sent to the committee, so okay. I think people should be able to speak on it. It was introduced as a resolution. People should have the opportunity to speak on it, but it will be going to committee. Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank Councillor Pepin for sending it to committee for a hearing because I was going to ask questions myself. I'm glad that we're able to participate that way I think decisions like this really do give us an opportunity to really get into the weeds of things and so thank you for doing that I also think counselor district 9 counselor is really going to be one of the beneficiaries if we can get this off the ground and I think that also in Brighton given the housing prices that were in I think we This is a priority hearing, and I would hope that we can get it on the docket as soon as possible. And then you could bring it up for a resolution. I think that there needs to be a process here. We need to go through the process, do the hearing, and then we can stand on that business and what we believe in when it's time for us to take these votes. So I look forward to doing just that. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Mejia. Councillor Durkan, and then Councillor Murphy.

Thank you so much. Yeah, and thank you for being able to speak. Yeah, I just wanted to speak into the record. Obviously, a lot of what's been being described as sort of new powers are Chapter 121Bs, which we're already using. for office to residential conversions. We really just need to have more of a conversation about how we utilize these tools. And I know in previous hearings, I've brought up the idea of using these tools to create tax abatements for residential buildings over 100 units of housing, of which we have very few that have been built since the stretch code and the specialized municipal opt-in stretch code that I talked about earlier today. But these are basically urban renewal powers that are you know as old as time and it's really just about using these In a new way to spur development but it's not lost on us how controversial this could be in certain ways because obviously we've just gone through our budget process and we know that we need more tax revenue for housing so it's like I When do we use this and how and how is this negotiated? It's a great conversation to be having, but it's not a new tool. It's the oldest tool and it's, you know, one that we have based on Massachusetts law that we've had for a very, very long time. So it's just the question of when we use it and how we use it. And I think it's the perfect topic of a hearing. So thank you to the lead sponsor for bringing this forward.

Thank you.

Councillor Murphy, you have the floor. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Pepin, for filing this. I think it's always important that we're talking about how we're going to support accelerating housing production. I do just want to go on the record. Councillor Flynn, thank you for reminding me. When this first was reported in the media a couple of weeks ago, I did reach out to the administration, made several phone calls to different people, and I was told that this on the mayor's plan here that what you're referencing is kind of based on why you're filing this hearing order was just in draft form and it was leaked to the media so that I was not able to get a copy of even the draft. So I do hope through you, if you could get a copy for us before this hearing, even if the hearing isn't for a few weeks, as soon as we can, or through the President, Councillor Braden, if you could help us on the Council. I think we, as elected officials, deserve a copy of the draft before the Globe and Channel 5 and other media outlets get it, and it's been a few weeks, so I think it would be important for us, especially if we want to champion and support pushing this forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy. Councillor Worrell, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Councillor Pepin, for putting this to a hearing order. Just one request. I know this is a housing issue, but also Councillor Durkan brought up the revenue projections. So I'd love to have the CFO or someone from her team here to just speak about the revenue implications around this conversation. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Orrell. Just really quickly, I'll say that this is supposed to benefit a parcel in Charlestown at 1 Mystic. There has been multiple hands that have overseen that parcel. I don't necessarily know why this one particular project, rather than others in Charlestown, were chosen. So I do appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation. Thank you to the late sponsor for filing. Docket 10, sorry, would anyone else like to add their name? Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, Councillor Worrell, Councillor Louisian, Councillor Murphy, and please add the chair. Docket 1809 will be sent to housing. Madam Clerk, can you please read docket 1809? One zero. Docket one eight one zero.

Councillor Durkin offer the following. Resolution honoring Dolly Patton and naming September 25th, 2026 as nine to five day in the city of Boston.

Thank you. The chair recognizes Councillor Durkan.

Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you so much. So we are naming Friday, September 25th, 9 to 5 day in honor of Dolly Parton's incredible legacy. This is in partnership with the Massachusetts State House, who my friend Senators Julian Cyr and Rep. Sam Montano have done the same. Dolly Parton was an icon whose passing felt personal to many. Her voice and songwriting inspired generations of working people. while her service to others and message of love and acceptance uplifted communities here in Boston and across the country. For that reason, I'm introducing this resolution today. And there's a Boston connection. Many don't know that the song 9 to 5 began here in Boston. It was inspired by a group of female office workers in Boston who came together in 1973 to fight for more dignity and fairness in the workplace. They worked to organize around fundamental workplace rights, and their movement became known as 9 to 5. Throughout her life, Dolly lifted up her success and used it to lift up others. Through the Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, she helped make childhood literacy more accessible to families around the world, sending free books to hundreds of millions of children. it's extremely personal Dolly Parton's legacy to me as a southerner with progressive values she always led on she was a longtime ally of the LGBTQIA plus community long before it was it was what people in show business did. And she just did what was right. She began performing as a child and rose from humble beginnings. And she grew to be one of the most beloved figures in American music and pop culture. And so I'm proud to join my friends and State House colleagues, Senator Julian Cyr and Rep Sam Montano. I'd love to add my colleagues, Ruth C. Louisian and Councilor Santana. And I'm putting them on the spot, but I feel like they like Dolly Parton. So go ahead.

Thank you. No, because I did plan on speaking on Dolly Parton. She was such an incredible figure and an incredible person who cared deeply about the rights of others. It was interesting. I watched an interview that they did with her sister, and her sister talked about how she left, you know, intentionally left her politics sort of vague, but it was very clear where she stood on the issues. And when I was working... On a presidential campaign prior to this, Senator Warren's, this was the soundtrack to our work, making sure that we were centering the needs of workers, thinking about how too often our workers are being exploited, taken advantage of, don't have safe working conditions. And so it is, I just want to honor, and it's actually beautiful to see the number of people and who spoke up at Dolly, and who didn't speak up, but who spoke up at the passing of Dolly Parton. A number of civil rights leaders were heralding her for the work that she's done and for who she is and how she stood up every day for just the regular person and for human decency and kindness. So I'd just like to join Councillor Durkan in honoring the memory of Dolly Parton. Thank you.

Thank you. Just a little formality here. Councillor Louis-Jean is added as a second, and seeing and hearing no... Are you going to be added as a third? I'm going to add you as a third, then. But seeing and hearing no objections, you're the third. Would you like to speak? You're speechless. All right, that's the first time for everything. Councillor Weber, and then we'll go to Councillor Mejia. Councillor Weber, you have the floor.

I just want to say, as a former resident of Nashville, Tennessee, that, you know, Dolly Parton was a wonderful part of the community there, and I think all of the accolades she's getting are well-deserved. I just want to join my colleagues in this resolution. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. Working night too fast. What a way to make a living. We need a little joy here, guys. So everyone already said all the amazing things about Dolly. And the only thing that I'd like to just add is that a lot of people probably did not take her serious, just because oftentimes her demeanor and just women who tend to be voluptuous or who tend to be a little bit more animated or whatever the case may be, oftentimes people don't see their serious side. Dolly did a great job at recognizing her power and utilizing it in ways that help other women understand that they could be themselves no matter where they were. And in many ways, she's an idol and someone who I always looked up to because she walked into every space and was like, look on her heels and didn't really care what other people thought. And that's very liberating. And so I just want to also acknowledge that part of her and her presence and and how she liberated so many women. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Mejia.

Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Colletta Zapata, Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Santana, Councillor Webber, Councillor O'Reill. Please add the chair. Councillor... Where are we here? Councillor Durkan, Councillor Louisiane and Councillor Santana seek suspension of the rules in passage of Docket 1810. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Docket 1810 has been adopted. Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1811. Docket 1811.

Councillor Clarissa Potter offered a following resolution recognizing October as Italian American Heritage Month.

The Chair recognises Councillor Colletta Zapata. You have the floor.

Councillor Colletta Zapata Thank you, Madam President. I rise today to recognise October as Italian American Heritage Month in the City of Boston, as a proud fourth-generation Italian American representing East Boston and the North End. This is deeply personal to me. My great-grandparents, Alessandra Severino and Carmine Gaeta, arrived here in East Boston and were processed through the immigration station, walked up the Golden Staircase, as many immigrants did in that time, and settled on Cottage Street. The golden staircase, by the way, are getting repaired this year because this council was successful in advocating for a citywide stairway RFP. So shout out to the folks that are going to be in charge of renovating those stairs as well as other stairs across the city. But my grandparents' story mirrors generations of Italian immigrants who came to Boston seeking opportunity and went on to build our neighborhoods and our city. I always like to draw parallels between Italian immigrants and immigrants of today. Italians were once treated as outsiders. Their experience reminds us that we need to extend the same dignity and opportunity to families arriving today in pursuit of their own American dream. And this year is especially great because Joaquin will be there. He's fifth generation, and I'm really hopeful that he can act as a good luck charm for Italy to finally make the World Cup. So let's see how this goes. But everyone's invited. It's on October 6th. There'll be cannolis. And of course, the Elliott School folks and kids are going to be there to sing the American anthem as well as Italy's national anthem. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll take a moment to also give a shout out to the Italian community in Alston Brighton. The Chomo's, the Salvucci's, the Tacci's, the whole crew. And many of them came from a small village in Italy called Sandinato. The Sandinato families are very much well represented in

alston brighton and we're very proud of our italian heritage out in alston brighton chair recognizes counselor flynn counselor you have the floor thank you madam chair and thank you to the sponsor for bringing this important resolution forward in my neighborhood of south boston i also have a large italian community and they contribute greatly to our neighborhood to our city and just want to also acknowledge the incredible role Italian Americans have made in our military as well. They served honorably in our armed forces. They sacrificed for our nation. They put their life on the line for our country. And we respect the Italian culture. We respect their heritage as well. And we're a better city and we're a better country because of Italian and Italian Americans. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

Thank you so much. I just want to thank Councillor Cleta Zapata for bringing this forward. I know when I got onto the council, one of the first things, one of the first invites I got was Councillor Cleta Zapata inviting me to the North End for dinner. I had very similar hospitality from Rep. Aaron Mikeowitz when I started running for office. And I just think that Italian Americans that serve our community, our city, and our state do such an amazing job of like, Being kind of beacons of their community and so I just want to thank you for your leadership And I just feel like we all benefit as Bostonians from our rich Italian American communities in ways that we can see in ways that we can't see Particularly the food particularly the community particularly the way that people band together to build community I think of new run like a lot of the groups in the north end as people that as communities that my constituents are looking to like oh this is what it's like when we've gotten to a place where we are own our community and we're doing it all. And representing the West End, a mostly Italian and Irish community that was decimated. You know, there are remnants of that Italian American community in the West End of people who are displaced West Enders who still live in the West End. So I want to shout out to them. And I just want to say that Italian Americans make our communities rich. And so, you know, getting to represent Boston, you meet a lot of Italian American people who have made their home here and have made our city better. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Pepin. You have the floor. I may be taking you out of order, but then Councillor Fitzgerald and then Councillor Louisian.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you to Councilor Zapata for filing this resolution. I represent a very rich Italian community as well in District 5. There's very strong Italian roots in both Roslindale and Hyde Park, and they have contributed so much to the community. Just, you know, thinking on top of my head, like, just you think about Tony and Adriana Cello, who have been in Roslindale and doing so much for the community for over 50 years. You know, owners of Tony's Market in Rossi, the owners of Tutto Italianos in Hyde Park. I'm sorry, ranked the best Italian sub in the entire city by the Boston Globe. So right in Reedville, Hyde Park. But it's a beautiful Italian community that I represent. And there's this guy, he's a state rep in Hyde Park, and he's a proud Italian, too. His name is Rob Consalvo. Rob, if you're watching, I'll see you at the flag raiser. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam President. I'd just like to thank the lead sponsor for leading on this and bringing it forward. And I just want to uplift the Dorchester Italian community. He's a really nice guy.

Chair recognizes Councillor Louis-Jean.

You have the floor. Thank you. As an at-large Councillor, I too represent a very large Italian community here and just want to thank Councillor Coletta Zapata for your work in making sure that your culture is uplifted and celebrated and there are also so many business owners who said who participate in the events who just wanted to just uplift your advocacy and also Wanted to just think all of the residents who do other it's true to Italiano and my hood of Hyde Park or the other many wonderful Italian restaurants around the city that we uplift all of our entrepreneurs our businesses and Celebrate with them. Thank you.

Thank you chair recognizes comes from here counselor. You have the floor Thank you, Madam President, and I want to thank Councillor Calera-Zapata for bringing all of herself into this chamber and celebrating your heritage and inviting us to do so alongside you, so thank you for that. I'm going to have to go to dinner with you in the North End, just so, you know, Councillor Durkan is up in here going too. I'm going to go with you one day. But no, seriously, all jokes aside, and I really do appreciate how You have managed to really help people understand the parallel process of immigrating to this country. That every single community has to recognize that those others that have come before us and have had to endure that pain. And so I just wanted to thank you for acknowledging that as part of your remarks here today. Because I think any moments that we have to really help bring to light the issues that so many immigrants are experiencing today. I really do appreciate, so thank you for that. And I will be having a cannoli, thank you.

Thank you. Oh wait, one more thing. One more thing, Constantine.

Just what I ended up, what I got up to say, I don't know where my head went today, but I went to the McKay and to the Umana. So I grew up in the 70s and the 80s being bused to the other side of town and got to, there were still Italians left, there during that time, and so got to learn some bad words. So thank you for that.

Thank you. Would anyone like to add their name? Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkan, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisianne, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, Councillor Worrell, and please add the chair. Councillor Koleta Zapata seeks suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1811. All in favour say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Docket 1811 has been adopted. We're now moving on to personnel orders. Madam Clerk, how many personnel orders do we have? We have two personnel orders. Madam Clerk, could you please read the personnel orders?

The Chair moves for passage of the personnel orders. All in favour say aye. The ayes have it. The personnel orders 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? You put your light on. We'll start with Councillor Worrell on the right here. Councillor Worrell.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to add my name to docket number 1799, please. Okay. 1799. Councillor Mejia.

Aye. Oh, you're not ready? Councillor Dirk, and we'll come back to Councillor Mejia.

I'd like to request reconsideration of 08-01, which was overturning the decision of the chair on the committee. I just want to give all of my colleagues who were not in chambers a chance to vote on whether to overturn the decision of the chair on 08-01, which we voted on, which got seven votes and needed nine.

Okay. Do we have a, hold on, take a brief recess here. Just get my bearings. Thank you. Thank you. So you've got a second. Do you wish to speak further on this issue?

Sure. So a yes vote would put it in the committee that the chair put it in, which is environment, and no vote would put it in planning, development, and transportation. I did make the case, and specifically looking at the committee description, this does involve the zoning commission, which is underneath the auspices of planning, development, and transportation. We didn't have a full council here when we voted on it. So I'd like to ask my colleagues to vote no to put this in the Planning, Development, and Transportation Committee. And probably even more illuminating is that the Chair of Environment voted no to put it in Planning, Development, and Transportation, which I very much appreciate. because I really do want to have a development-focused conversation regarding this docket. And it was written to be in the Planning, Development, and Transportation Committee to talk about development and the specialized municipal opt-in stretch code. which I think makes sense. So I would ask my colleagues to vote no. And this really is not in order to go against the council president. I really want to have a conversation that's focused on development, and I think I could do the best job as the chair of that conversation.

What are we? So we'll just move on to a vote. Councillor Durkan?

It's a motion to reconsider first. A motion to reconsider, which was seconded. Yes.

And now we need to vote. So all in favor of a vote yes. Madam Clerk, could you?

Are we voting on the motion to reconsider? Yes. Okay.

We're voting on the motion to reconsider. So all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you take a roll call vote on the motion to reconsider docket 1801? Council Braden.

No. Council Braden, no. Council Calera-Zapata. Yes. Council Calera-Zapata, yes. Council Culpeper.

No.

Council Culpeper, no. Council Durkan. Yes. Council Durkan, yes. Council Fitzgerald. Yes. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Yes. Council Flynn.

No.

Councillor Flynn, no. Councillor Louis-Jean, yes. Councillor Mejia, yes. Councillor Murphy, no. Councillor Pepin, yes. Councillor Santana, yes. Councillor Weber, yes. Councillor Worrell, yes. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, yes.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Yes. How many times can you put forth in the same hearing a request for reconsideration? Because we already took a vote. Could you continue to do that? Is there a limit?

No, we're not going to continue.

No, I'm asking how many times. So, Megan, if you could help answer that question.

We're doing it now, and that's it.

No, no, no, that's not my question, Councillor Braden. I'm saying in general for any reconsideration. How many times can you keep bringing the same question up if you don't get the vote you wanted first?

Thank you. We need to take a brief recess.

Thank you. you

So we've had a motion to reconsider that was seconded and passed. So the question before the body is, shall the decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the council? A vote yes keeps the docket in the committee the chair has decided, and a vote no changes the committee assignment. So, Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on the question, shall the decision of the chair stand as a judgment of the council? A yes vote keeps the docket in the committee that it was sent to, and a no vote changes the committee assignment.

Okay, on docket 1801. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Breeden, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata? No. Councillor Colletta-Zapata, no. Councillor Culpepper?

No.

Councillor Culpepper, no. Councillor Durkan? No. Councillor Durkan, no. Councillor Fitzgerald?

No.

Councillor Fitzgerald, no. Councillor Flynn?

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Louis-Jean?

No.

Councillor Louis-Jean, no. Councillor Mejia? No. Councillor Murphy? No. Councillor Murphy, yes. Councillor Pepin? No. Councillor Pepin? No. Councillor Santana? No. Councillor Santana, no. Councillor Webber? No. Councillor Webber, no. Councillor Worrell? No. Councillor Worrell, no. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine votes in the no. Councillor Mejia? I'm going to vote.

No, it's to whether or not the decision of the Chair shall stand.

No.

Okay. So, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten of the no. Thank you. And one, two, three, yes. So, it did pass.

It went to. So, go back to docket 180. Oh, is it? Let me double check. Okay. Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Okay. Okay. So the appeal of the decision of the chair has been passed and docket 1801 will go to the committee on, it wasn't my second choice either, will go to planning, development and transportation. Thank you. So would anyone else wish to change? Oh, yes. That's where we were. I got it. Councillor Pepin, did you wish to change or to record a vote that you missed?

Yes. I'd like to just add my name to dockets 1798, 1799, 1800, and 1801.

Got it. Concha Mejia, you had somebody who wanted to record.

Concha, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to be on the record in favour of the following dockets. Docket 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783, 1784, 1789, and 1790.

Thank you Madam President.

I would just like to add my name to 1802, 1803 and 1804.

Thank you. Anyone else? All good? Thank you. Now we're now on to green sheets. Is anyone looking to pull anything from the green sheets? Councillor Santana, see your lights on? You're the chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to, I have a few green sheet polls. I would like to pull docket number 1394 on the Committee of Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

It's on page 27 of the green sheets Madam clerk, could you please read docket one three nine four?

I?

Will if you have more than one I could oh yeah, have you others counselor seven Santana I do Okay, so yeah one one three nine four one six seven eight and One six eight zero

Madam Clerk, could you please read dockets 1394, 1678 and 1680?

Docket 1394, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expand the amount of $240,860.50 in the form of a grant for the FYDMH-CIT-TTAC grant awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. be administered by the police department the grant would fund the implementation of the 40-hour crisis intervention team training for officers under the umbrella of the bureau of professional standards docket one six seven eight message and order authorizing the city of boston to accept and expand the amount of 288 dollars 221 cent in the form of a grant the fy 25 dna Capacity Enhancement and Black Log Reduction Program awarded by the United States Department of Justice to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund two criminalist positions, overtime, lab supplies, equipment, and continuing education expenses. Docket 1680, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $64,200 one dollars and fifty cents in the form of a grant federal fy 25 emergency management performance grant awarded by federal emergency management agency passed through the massachusetts emergency management agency to be administered by the office of emergency preparedness the grants would fund the enhancement of operational capacity at the boston emergency operations center and promote the professional development of OEM staff.

MS.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Absent objection, the motion of the committee chair is accepted and dockets 1394, 1678 and 1680 are properly before the body. Councillor, you have the floor. Councillor Johnston.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I will just read my statements on all three different remarks. MS.

If you make your remarks, then we'll vote on them separately.

Great. So for docket number 1394, the Boston Police Department will use these funds to continue staffing and improving its new crisis intervention training and technical assistance center. The center will serve the entire city by increasing mental health training opportunities for not only VPD officers, but also other security personnel who work in the city. The crisis intervention team, the CIT team, program is a community partnership of law enforcement, mental health professionals, individuals with mental illness, and other partners to improve community responses to mental health crises. The goal of the CIT training is to teach law enforcement officers about the realities of mental health and help them divert individuals away from the criminal legal system into proper mental health care. Officers will be taught about recognizing mental illness, de-escalation, and resources available to officers in the community. During the training, individuals and family members share their lived experience with mental health illness and is an opportunity for officers to hear powerful stories, and it's frequently cited as its most impactful experience. We know that Boston police officers are often called to situations involving a mental health crisis, and this training would equip them with invaluable tools. CIT training is a tool that will help make our city both safer and more compassionate. As the Chair of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, I recommend that bucket 1394 ought to pass. For docket number 1678, the fund from this grant will go towards supporting staff in BPD's crime laboratory that are doing incredible work. Not only will these funds support daily operations and DNA testing supplies, but they will also increase capacity at the lab and help further reduce a backlog of forensic biology cases. The BPD also plans to provide reimbursement for costs associated with registration and travel to relevant training and continue education opportunities to ensure that staff at the lab remain fully accredited without financial hardships to employees. As chair of public safety and criminal justice, I recommend that docket number 1678 ought to pass. And finally, docket number 1680. We know that public safety means being prepared during these times of disaster. This funding provided by the grant will support the technology upgraded and improvements to Boston's Emergency Operations Center, which will enhance its operational capacity and ability to coordinate emergency response efforts. Additionally, the grant will support professional development and training for staff at the Office of Emergency Management. These investments will strengthen the city's emergency preparedness, coordination, and response capabilities, ensuring that OEM remains equipped to effectively support Boston's residents during emergencies and major incidents. As the Chair of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, I recommend that Docket No. 1680 be passed. Have we had hearings on these particular dockets?

Councillor Santana, we've had hearings on these dockets.

So we don't have, as you know, since I've taken over the committee, we don't have hearings on every single specific docket, but we do have multiple hearings at the beginning of the year where we bring 3PD personnel to talk about all grants, and these grants were included in those dockets.

I'm not going to object on any of these dockets. I'm going to vote in favor of all of them. But I have serious concerns about the Boston Police Crime Lab. I've been looking to have a meeting, a hearing on this issue for a long period of time. Hasn't been scheduled yet. So can you just explain to me, on docket 1678, can you give me a deeper understanding of how we're going to, how this is going to improve why screening for sexual assault kits?

Councillor Santana?

Yeah, thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Councillor Flynn. So what I have said is that these funds will be used for daily operations and DNA testing supplies. And then they also plan for, I talked about the reimbursement associated with the registration. This is something, I think this is money that you've actually advocated for in the past. I know you had questions about that money, especially the extra million dollars being allocated to the office. But this is gonna help their efforts and something that you've been advocating for. In terms of the hearing that you requested, I do not believe that I have received a request from you or your office about scheduling that hearing. So happy to coordinate with you and your office afterwards to make sure that that happens.

Thank you. Councillor Flynn?

The issue of the crime lab, I'm going to vote in favor of it. I am troubled. about the leadership we have over the last many years at the crime lab. I don't like just going to support a docket for funding when I know there's outstanding issues in a particular department. We have outstanding issues at the Boston Police Department crime lab. We don't have strong leadership there. And everybody knows I'm a strong supporter of the Boston Police Department, but I'm gonna call them out when I know when there are issues at a particular department or a particular reason for them, such as the crime lab. Councillor Flynn. No, I know, but Madam Chair, this is important because we— I know, I know. I know, but we haven't had a hearing.

May I interject?

Yes.

Councillor Santana has indicated that he's happy to have a hearing. I would hope that your office can work with his office to set up a hearing and expedite that. because I don't know that this is the best forum for a conversation, a long conversation about the crime land. Respectfully, I feel that it does deserve a hearing, a full hearing, rather than this back and forward discussion right now. So, Councillor Flynn? Thank you. Councillor Murphy, you have the floor. No? So these dockets, 1394, 1678, 1680. Absent objection, the motion of the Chair is accepted. We'll start with docket 1398. We've already spoken. All these dockets are absent objection. The motion of the Chair is accepted and all of these dockets are properly before the body. Councillor Santana moves for passage of docket 1394. All in favour say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1394?

Roll call vote on docket 1394. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Calpepper. Yes. Councillor Calpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn. Yes. Councillor Louisianne. Yes. Councillor Louisianne. Yes. Councillor Mejia. Yes. Council Murphy. Yes. Council Murphy. Yes. Council Pepin. Yes. Council Pepin. Yes. Council Santana. Yes. Council Santana. Yes. Council Weber. Yes. Council Weber. Yes. Council Orrell. Yes. Council Orrell. Yes. 13 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1394 has passed. Councillor Flynn, you have your light on?

Yeah. Madam Chair, I just wanted to correct the record. I did send a email request to Councillor Santana. I respectfully asked for a hearing to discuss resources at the Boston Crime Web. I asked for dates in August. So I just wanted to get on the record. I asked for a particular hearing and I'm still waiting and I'll continue to wait. But I am asking Councillor Santana. to please have a meeting on crime lab. That is a serious issue. I just can't take people's word that we are doing a very good job at the crime lab. I need to know for myself and ask the difficult questions. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn. Thank you. Councillor Santana moves for passage of Docket 1678. All in favour say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1678?

Roll call vote on docket 1678. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Braden. Yes. Councillor Coletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Coletta-Sapata. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Durkin. Yes. 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. Councillor Murphy. Yes. Councillor Papin. Yes. Councillor Papin. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Santana. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Webber. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. Councillor Worrell. Yes. 13 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Docket 1678 has passed. Councillor Santana moves for passage of Docket 1680. All in favour say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 1680?

Roll call vote on docket 1680. Councillor Braden? Yes. Councillor Braden? Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata? Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata? Yes. Councillor Culpepper? Yes. Councillor Culpepper? Yes. Councillor Durkin? Yes. Councillor Durkin? Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald? Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald? Yes. Councillor Flynn?

Yes.

Councillor Flynn? Yes. Councillor Louisian? Yes. Councillor Louisian? Yes. Councillor Mejia? Yes. We are now on to late files.

I am informed by the Clerk that there are four laid files, one communication from the Mayor, one resolution, one 17F and one hearing order. Absent objection, these laid file matters will be added.

I'd like to ask for the late files to be read separately because I object to two of them.

We will start off with the— Specifically, I object to the emergency— We'll get there. We will get there. We'll start off, Madam Clerk, with the communication from Her Honourable Mayor. Absent objection— This communication from Honourable the Mayor is properly before the body. Could you read that into the record, thank you.

Notice was received from the Mayor of her absent from the City from Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 at 12 p.m. returning Thursday, September 24th, 2026 at 2.30 p.m.

Thank you Madam Clerk. This communication from Honourable the Mayor will be placed on file. We're now on to the second late filed matter which is a resolution. Do you have the late-file matters? Has everyone got the late-file matters in front of them?

This is a resolution from Councillor Culpepper. Resolution in support of Governor Haley's proposal to temporarily suspend the state gas tax.

Thank you. Absent objection, this late-file resolution is properly before the body. The Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper. Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. Earlier this year, I filed a resolution calling for a temporary suspension of the state gas tax as Massachusetts residents face rapidly increasing fuel costs. That resolution did not pass in April, but since then, the situation at the pump has only gotten worse. Yesterday, Governor Healey announced that she will file legislation to suspend Massachusetts $0.24 per gallon tax. And I think I may have called for that earlier. $0.24 per gallon tax on gasoline to suspend it for two months. Under the proposal, retailers would be required to pass the savings on to consumers and the approximately $120 million in foregone tax revenue would be placed with projected unbudgeted fair share surtax revenue so that funding roads, bridges, and public transportation would be maintained. The resolution before today supports that proposal and urges the legislature to act on it. The need for relief has only become more urgent. This is an emergency, and as of yesterday, The average price of gasoline in Massachusetts was approximately $4.41 per gallon. Last night, I paid $4.79 per gallon, up from $2.90 in February, while diesel had risen from approximately $4.20 to $6.46 per gallon. These increases affect more than what people pay when they fill up their cars. They affect workers commuting to work, and from their jobs, families getting children where they need to get picked up, small businesses, delivery drivers and truck drivers, and ultimately the prices we all pay for goods and services. An important component of this particular proposal is that it is only temporary, Madam President and my colleagues, for only two months and includes a plan to replace the foregone revenue rather than simply taking $120 million away from our transportation system. The governor has now put this proposal forward, but it still requires the legislature to approve it. By passing this resolution, the council can formally communicate its support for the proposed two-month suspension to the legislature as it considers this measure. Thank you, Madam President, and I hope that all of my colleagues this time join me on supporting this resolution.

Councillor Palletta-Sapata, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank Councillor Culpepper for introducing this. This one's an interesting one. It's a little nuanced. I think from the outset, initially I would, as an environmentalist, say no, because I am not in favour of incentivising anybody to use their cars more than they should or more carbon emissions. However, this proposal is a little bit more, as you mentioned in your remarks, it's more comprehensive. There's a finite date. And in my mind, this wouldn't put... more cars on the road, but more importantly, it would give relief to folks that need it the most. Some of our low wage workers who have to drive to get to work. I know there's a bunch that work for the airport. They travel from from Brockton and folks that live in East Boston who go work other places. So initially I was a no for this, but I am supportive of it because it will ultimately help our low wage workers. And folks are really feeling the pinch right now in their wallets. And so I'm happy to stand in support.

Thank you, Councillor Koleta-Zapata. The chair recognizes. I'm going to go to Councillor Flynn, then I'll come back to Councillor Durkan. Councillor Flynn, you're the second school sponsor.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I want to say thank you to Councillor Culpepper for bringing this important resolution forward, for the important resolution he previously brought forward as well. But this is about providing some relief to working class families, low income families, low income workers, families that are struggling. Some families need an automobile to get to work, to take their kids to doctor's appointments. They don't have the luxury to have someone take them there. But this is about a little bit of support for families in our city, in our Commonwealth, that are struggling to make ends meet. They're having challenges buying food. They're having challenges paying the bills. They're sending their kids to college. Can they afford $5 for a gallon of gas that we see now? That's outrageous. I do want to say thank you to Governor Haley for bringing this common sense approach forward. It will help working class residents of this city. It will help struggling families. It will help low wage workers. It's about justice for low wage workers as well. Thank you, Councilor Culpepper.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

The chair recognizes Councillor Dirk. And Councillor, you have the floor. Thank you so much. When I knocked doors for the fair share amendment, I really believed in that money being supplemental. And I do feel like this proposal is extremely reactive. It's happening in the middle of the campaign cycle. I was probably the leading opposition the last time that this was brought forward. Honestly, as a city official, we aren't tasked with this job. And so I would like to defer to the legislature. And if I had to talk to the, I'll just speak directly to the legislators in my district. You should not support this. This is simply passing the buck. What we want is better schools. We want better transit. We want more investment in the T. That's what the fair share amendment was and has been tasked with. There's been over $4 billion that have gone into public transit and schools since its inception. I feel very much, I really do believe that the fair share amendment absolutely saved the state budget. And so letting this be sort of a way that we say, oh, $120 million of revenue that we would receive in these two months, we're just going to pull it from the fair share amendment, is really not the point of the activist movement. like myself, who were out there knocking on doors, we wanted supplemental money. We wanted more money for schools, more money for transit. And I know that when we were knocking on those doors, it was controversial. The state house wasn't in support of it. They often aren't in support of amendments so I just think I'm gonna I you know and I often as we do I'm gonna put my you know activist hat back on and say this isn't what we intended and I it's scary right to like you know have opinions and to you know in the middle of this but I just I think we I need to stand behind what I believe which is that we need more money for schools and more money for transit and simply passing the buck here for for two months is not going to do that so I urge my colleagues to vote no Honestly, look online. Look at the mixed reactions. Progressives and Democrats don't feel one way about this. Honestly, neither do Republicans. I don't think it's fiscally responsible.

Thank you, Councillor Durkan. Anyone else wish to speak? Councillors Culpepper and Flynn seek suspension of the rules and passage of this late-file resolution. Oh, yeah, beg your pardon. I forgot to ask if anyone would like to add their names. Would anyone like to add their names? Councillor Coletta Zapata, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Worrell, and please add the Chair. So, Councillors Culpepper and Flynn seek suspension of the rules in passage of this late file matter. All in favour say aye. All opposed, say nay. Nay. Okay. Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote of this late file resolution?

Roll call vote on the late file resolution. Councillor Breedon. Yes. Councillor Breedon, yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata. Yes. Councillor Colletta-Zapata, yes. Councillor Culpepper. Yes. Councillor Culpepper, yes. Councillor Durkan. No. Councillor Durkan, no. Councillor Fitzgerald. Yes. Councillor Fitzgerald, yes. Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes. Councillor Lewisham. Council Lewisham, present. Council Mejia? Present, okay. Council Murphy? Yes. Council Murphy, yes. Council Pepin? Yes. Council Pepin, yes. Council Santana? Present. Council Santana, present. Council Weber? Yes. Council Weber, yes. Council Worrell? Yes. Council Worrell, yes. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, yes. Oh, did I do that right? Hold on. What? Yeah, once again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Somebody's missing? No, I missed one, so I'll go back. Well, I'm gonna go back and do it again. Just, Councilor Braden. Yes. Councilor Braden, yes. Councilor Calera-Zapata. Yes. Councilor Calera-Zapata, yes. Councilor Culpepper.

Yes.

Councilor Culpepper, yes. Councilor Durkan. Yes. Councilor Durkan, no. Councilor Fitzgerald. Council Fitzgerald, yes. Council Flynn? Yes. Council Flynn, yes. Council Louis-Jean? Present. Council Mejia? Present. Council Murphy? Yes. Council Pepin? Yes. Council Santana? Present. And Council Weber? Yes. And Council Worrell, yes. So it's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Yes. And 3 present. 9, 10, 11, 12. Yeah, it's correct. So it's nine yes, three present, and one no.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. This resolution has passed. We're on to the second. We're on to 17F. Yes. You have the 17F in front of you?

Yep.

Absent objection, this late... Okay, absent objection. Councillor Durkan objects. So this late file, 17F. will not be brought forward. We have one more. We have a hearing order. Councillor Durkan objects to bringing this hearing order forward. Therefore, it will not come forward. We're now moving on to the consent agenda. I've been informed by the clerk that there are 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 on to announcements. Would anyone Please remember that these are for upcoming dates and events. Does anyone have any announcements? We'll start with Councillor Flynn. You've got your light on. Please put your light on if you have an announcement.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There's an important City Council hearing tomorrow at 10 a.m. It's about the Blackstone swimming pool. And I believe it's at 10 o'clock in the morning. I do want to ask all my city council colleagues to be there. The Blackstone hasn't had a pool in the longest period of time. We're trying to get an independent study engineering studies so we can hopefully fix the pool. But I really need all my city councilors present tomorrow, engaged, asking questions, supporting the Blackstone School. This is about providing residents of the south end in Roxbury with the opportunity to have a swimming pool. And Madam Chair, I had a city council hearing the other day. Not one city councilor attended my hearing. So I am asking you to come to my hearing tomorrow because it is very important. It's also about providing access to people of color so that they can enjoy a swimming pool in a predominantly communities of color area. which is surrounded by the Ruth Barclay Apartments, which is Cathedral. Castle Square is up the road. Villa Victoria, Roxbury is right down the road. This is a justice issue. I'm asking my colleagues to be there tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. Thank you.

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

Madam President, I do support the Blackstone School getting a swimming pool. Tomorrow morning is the funeral, the home going for Victoria Williams, the former chair of Ward 12, and a former fair housing director in the city. I'll be at that funeral tomorrow morning, but I do support Councilor Flynn and his efforts to bring the pool to the Blackstone School. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam President. I appreciate the advocacy for the Black Center. I know that Councillor Flynn shows up to my district quite a bit for events, so I'll be there tomorrow to support you. This weekend in Roslindale, we have the Dumpling Festival on Saturday, but also to support the clerk, Alex, and the Greek community. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is the Greek food festival at St. Nektarios Church. So I'm inviting all my colleagues to have some good food, some Greek food and some dumplings in Rossi. Thank you.

Sounds like the place to be. The chair recognizes Councillor Durkan, and then we'll go to Councillor Murphy.