Our South Boston Newsletter: St Paddy's Day, Outdoor Dining, Dog Licenses

News From Our South Boston Liaison: Haley Dillon

St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast Hosted by Senator Nick Collins With COVID-19 still among us and the difficulties and sadness so many Americans have endured over the last year, Senator Collins is bringing back the breakfast this year with a live, virtual event! He hopes to still bring together the voices of leaders around the community and state, talk about how the community has come together in this tough time and try to add in a few laughs along the way. Click here to read more about the event. STAY INFORMED AT Facebook.com/SouthieONS Our community meetings have moved to an online platform and all meeting links will be posted on our Facebook page. You do not need to have a Facebook to access the page and the information. Just type “Facebook.com/SouthieONS” into your browser and you can see information on all upcoming meetings in the South Boston area.  Click here! City Announcements BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ANNOUNCES OPENING OF FIRST VACCINATION CLINIC Boston Public Schools (BPS) announced today the opening of the first vaccine clinic dedicated to administering COVID-19 vaccinations to educators, bus drivers, bus monitors, administrators and all BPS employees and contractors. The first of two BPS-only sites will open on Sunday, March 14, and will add a new level of access to the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the health and safety of the BPS workforce. The first clinic, located at the Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) Gallivan Community Center in Mattapan, will offer approximately 200 appointments per day. BPS will operate the clinic on Sundays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Monday through Thursday from 2:00 to 7:00 pm. The clinic will run for two weeks, then will be operational again after 21 days to provide second doses for an additional two weeks. Staff and contractors can sign up for appointments at the BPS clinic beginning Thursday, March 11. Read more. OUTDOOR DINING TO BEGIN IN BOSTON ON MARCH 22 Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that in collaboration with the Boston Licensing Board and City departments, outdoor dining for approved restaurants in Boston will now begin on March 22 due to the weather forecast. This is an earlier start than the previously-announced date of April 1.  The 2021 Outdoor Dining Pilot Program will continue many of the successful initiatives from last year's program, such as streamlined permitting and outdoor patios on roadways that enable restaurants with narrow sidewalks to offer patio seating to patrons, while offering new features based on community feedback. Applications for outdoor dining licenses on both public and private property are now open, and businesses can apply online. Read more. BOSTON DOG LICENSING DEADLINE IS MARCH 31 With a current increase in dog adoptions during the COVID-19 quarantine, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Animal Care and Control Division is reminding City dog owners that the annual deadline for licensing their pets is March 31. All dogs in Boston require a new license each year. Read more.  MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR FUNDING FOR ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING CHILDCARE Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement (MOWA) and the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) today announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) of $250,000 in funding to support organizations working to create equitable access to child care services in Boston. Grantees will be awarded until the fund is exhausted. Childcare providers, nonprofit organizations, community stakeholders are encouraged to apply. The application period is now open and proposals will be accepted through April 23, 2021. Application can be found here. Read more. MAYOR WALSH SIGNS 42 PERCENT INCREASE IN LINKAGE FEES INTO LAW Mayor Martin J. Walsh today signed a 42 percent increase in Boston’s Linkage fees into law. The Linkage Program requires large scale commercial developments over 100,000 square feet in Boston to pay into funds that support the creation of affordable housing and workforce development. The increase will raise the current fees to $15.39 per square foot, of which $13.00 will be dedicated to affordable housing and $2.39 will be dedicated to workforce training. The increase was proposed by Mayor Walsh in February and follows unanimous approval by the Boston Planning & Development Agency Board and Boston Zoning Commission. Read more. CITY OF BOSTON COMPLETES $11 MILLION INVESTMENT IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY UPGRADES ACROSS 14 CITY BUILDINGS Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the completion of the first phase of Renew Boston Trust, the City of Boston’s initiative to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures for municipal buildings. The first phase of the $45 million investment spans 14 City-owned buildings, including libraries, community centers, police and fire stations, and helps reduce energy use, save money, and reduce city-emitted greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.  This work marks continued commitment by the City of Boston to lead by example and implement strategies outlined in the 2019 Climate Action Plan update to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050. Read more. COVID EVICTION LEGAL HELP PROJECT (CELHP) Are you a tenant or owner occupant facing housing instability? The COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP) provides free legal help to low-income tenants and owner-occupants across Massachusetts in COVID-related eviction cases. To find free eviction legal help in your area go to Find Legal Help. You may also be able to get assistance paying back rent or back utilities or be protected by the federal eviction moratorium. To learn about new changes to the law and links to other resources like rental assistance and food benefits go to EvictionLegalHelp.org.   ST. PATRICK'S DAY COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDANCE The City is asking everyone to celebrate responsibly this St. Patrick's Day. The safest way to celebrate is at home with the people you live with, or to gather virtually with friends and family. Attending gatherings increases your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. When celebrating, please be sure to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines: Avoid crowds and large parties Wear a face mask in public Stay at least 6 feet apart from others Wash your hands often Celebrate responsibly, Boston. Find more CDC holiday tips here. INSPECTION SERVICES WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU  The Inspectional Services Department will be hosting a series of workshops featuring Boston’s Zoning Code and ISD’s permitting process. In order to get a better understanding of topics to discuss we are asking the community to fill out the questionnaires at http://www.boston.gov/zba-survey ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS TRACKER  This new tool will increase access to information related to proposed projects seeking relief from the Zoning Board of Appeals. The tracker is designed for anyone to quickly search for a specific appeal that has been submitted to the ZBA, or to search for appeals based on criteria such as location or applicant, in order to identify the status of the appeal. Visit the ZBA Tracker page. Find the Project Tracker here.