Boston City Council Looks At Street Trees, Community Voice, Land Use & More

City Councilor-At-Large Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. Below are a few highlights from February 24, 2021 Boston City Council meeting. Please note that the Council did not meet on February 17.

VOTES

Special Commission on Ending Family Homelessness: The Council voted to pass an ordinance to create a Special Commission on Ending Family Homelessness, which will develop an actionable and measurable plan to end family homelessness in the City of Boston.

NEW FILES

Street Tree Removal: Councilors Flynn and Breadon called for a hearing to discuss the process for street tree removals in the City of Boston. The current process includes a public hearing to gather feedback before a removal, but there is no requirement to notify abutters, and when trees are removed prior to a development project entering into the permitting process, residents do not have the opportunity to provide input beforehand. This matter was assigned to the Committee on Environment, Resiliency and Parks.

Community Voice in Impact Advisory Groups: Councilor Mejia called for a hearing on community voice in Impact Advisory Groups (IAGs), which are groups of up to 15 individuals tasked with providing advice and feedback on large-scale projects proposed by the Boston Planning and Development Agency to ensure that these developments meet the needs of the community and do not contribute to displacement, gentrification and a loss of community character. This matter was assigned to the Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation. 

Community Notification Process: Councilor Essaibi George called for a hearing to review the procedures to alert a neighborhood to development-related meetings. The BPDA must publish documents related to a proposed document within 5 days and share with the local neighborhood council or to a similar community or civic organization, but there is no mention throughout the Zoning Code of a required period of time that the BPDA should notify residents of any upcoming public meetings. This matter was assigned to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation.

Developer Profiles: Councilor Essaibi George called for a hearing regarding the creation of publicly available developer profiles, which may include information like accurate contact information, information regarding anh partnered firms, average Boston Residents Jobs Policy (BRJP) score, number of market-rate units and affordable units, and the BPDA Project Manager, the total number of commercial and residential units, any past or present DND or BHA contracts, list of publicly knowable civil rights litigation, and basic developer history. This matter was assigned to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation.

Planning and Land-Use Tools for Public Good:  Councilor Bok called for a hearing regarding using planning and land-use tools for public good; for example, by building on past tradition and using BPDA tools to help secure more land for the community purposes and long-term affordability that community land trusts can ensure; writing ground leases to ensure the long-term value of public land is captured by the public; and structuring city deed restrictions and ground leases to provide preferential options for conversion to cooperative or community land trust structures whenever possible. This matter was assigned to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation.

UPCOMING HEARINGS (Streaming online at https://boston.gov/departments/city-council/watch-boston-city-council-tv) 

• Next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday, March 3rd at 12PM.

For complete notes of Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com to sign up to receive Council Notes automatically.

Boston City Council Ends Year With Preservation, Acoustic Music, Marijuana Tax, Schools & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their December 6, 2017 meeting and at the final meeting of the year on December 13, 2017:

Community Preservation Committee: The Council voted to confirm the Council’s four nominees to the Community Preservation Committee. As previously reported the four individuals are Matthew Kiefer for a term of 1 year, Kannan Thiruvengadam for a term of 2 years, Madeligne Tena for a term of 3 years, and Ying Wang for a term of 3 years. They will join Mayor Walsh’s appointees: Chris Cook (Boston Conservation Commission), William Epperson (Parks and Recreation Commission), Felicia Jacques (Boston Landmarks Commission), Carol Downs (Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) Board), and Kate Bennett (Boston Housing Authority).

Acoustic Live Entertainment:  The Council voted to remove the sunset clause from the ordinance passed last year that eliminated the permit requirement, hearing, and fees for small businesses in business districts to host acoustic live entertainment acts with up to five performers between the hours of 10AM-10PM. The goal was to formally extend a tool to small business owners throughout the city to increase foot traffic and create more opportunities for artists in Boston, and the ordinance included a provision that it would expire at the end of 2017, in order to require review and discussion. At our hearing last week, small businesses and residents reported overwhelming support for the program, citing that it has helped bring in more customers and community members to their businesses.

Recreational Marijuana Tax: The Council voted to approve an order submitted by the Mayor to opt into a local recreational marijuana sales tax at the maximum 3%. At the hearing the Committee discussed ways to allocate the funds collected under this ordinance to a specific purpose at a future time, but which at this time will be allocated to general funds. Councilors Pressley and Jackson urged that the funds should be directed to restorative justice, workforce development, and other areas to help those that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.

Community Preservation Committee Funding: The Council voted to approve an appropriations order for just over $285,000 for the administrative and operating expenses of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for FY 2018 (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018). The Council also voted to appropriate $17.9M from the Community Preservation Fund annual revenues for further appropriation upon the recommendations of the Committee. By statute, the administrative and operating expenses cannot exceed 5% of the CPA funds. This appropriation makes up approximately 1.6% of the current fiscal year funds.

BPS Start Times: Councilors McCarthy, Flaherty, Campbell, and Ciommo introduced a hearing order to discuss the proposed start time changes for the 2018-2019 schoolyear. Several Councilors noted that the lottery begins in January and at the very least, the plan should be pushed back. Councilors noted that the goal of later start times for high schoolers is laudable, and we understand the complexity of the BPS system as a whole, but 7:15am-1:15pm schedules do not work for working families. Many Councilors also emphasized the need for communication with much to be improved. Councilors O’Malley and Essaibi-George noted that they will present a letter to the School Committee at their meeting tonight. Councilor Jackson also introduced a resolution expressing disapproval of the new start times and calling for a special meeting of the School Committee to reconsider. Because there was not unanimous consent to act on this matter (Council rules require unanimous consent to act on a matter on the same day on which it was introduced),the Council did not take a vote.

Funding Orders from the Mayor: The Council voted to approve the Mayor’s orders authorizing the City to accept and expend the following grants:

• $17,000 grant from various donors for the Climate Ready Boston Leaders Program. This grant, to be administered by the Environment Department, will fund increased community education, translation of educational materials, and awareness of climate impacts and possible solutions.
• Nearly $4,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to reimburse four police officers on the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force who are traveling to the 2017 ICAC Conference in December.
• $2,000 grant from the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program. This grant, to be administered by the Environment Department, will fund existing waste reduction program or facilitate new low cost initiatives including purchasing items such as backyard composting bins which are sold to Boston residents at a discounted price.
• $45,000 grant from Harvard Business School for the Office of Neighborhood Development to shape housing policies and real estate projects that will improve the lives of Bostonians.
• A $151,100 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to be administered by the Fair Housing and Equity Commission in order to fund the processing of housing discrimination complaints.
• $170,000 grant from MassDOT, to be administered by Elderly Commission, to fund mobility management software and hardware to improve efficiency of Boston’s Senior Shuttle operations.
• $440,000 grant from MassDOT, to be administered by the Boston Fire Department, which would reimburse the BFD for maintenance and upkeep of foam capability for firefighting equipment in the highway tunnels throughout the City.
• $50,193 grant from the Friends of Puddingstone Park, Inc. (Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park) to be administered by the Boston Police Department to fund an electronic security project to enhance public safety in Mission Hill.

Next meeting: The next scheduled Council meeting will be January 1, 2018, right after the inauguration!

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At CPA, Marine Park, Plastic Bag Ban, Marijuana Tax & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their November meetings:

Appointments: Mayor Walsh made the following appointments, subject to Council confirmation:

• Lynn Smiledge and David Berarducci, reappointed as members of the Boston Landmarks Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2020*.
• Kirsten Hoffman and Felicia Jacques, reappointed as members of the Bosotn Landmarks Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2019.
• Diana Parcon, reappointed as an alternate member of the Boston Landmarks Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2019.
• John Karoff, reappointed as member of the Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission for a term expiring May 1, 2020.

 * Also serve on the Fort Point Channl Landmark District Commission. 

Community Preservation Committee: The Mayor submitted an order to appropriate just over $285,000 for the administrative and operating expenses of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for FY 2018 (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018). The order also included appropriations of $17.9M from the Community Preservation Fund annual revenues for appropriation upon the recommendations of the CPC. The order was assigned to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Boston Arts Academy:  The Council voted unanimously to support a $123M appropriation for the construction of a new facility for the Boston Arts Academy, located on the existing site at 174 Ipswich. Because this is a capital appropriation, there are two votes required at least two weeks apart with a 2/3 majority. The matter is now assigned for further action.

Raymond Flynn Marine Park PILOT Agreement: The Mayor gave notice to the Council of a PILOT agreement that the City reached with the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Boston (EDIC), the owners of Parcel R in the Raymond Flynn Industrial Park. Instead of being subject to taxes between now and Fiscal Year 2025, the developers will pay $100,000 for FY 2018, $400,000 for FY 2019, and thereafter a rate per square foot on the construction that has been completed, starting with $6 in 2020 and increasing to $10 in 2024. If construction has not begun by FY 2020, the site will be subject to taxes.

Funding Orders: The Council voted to approve the Mayor’s orders to authorize accepting and expending the following grants:

• A $13.8M grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, passed through the MA Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, to be administered by the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management. The grant will fund the continued support of planning, exercises, trainings, and operational needs, that will assist in building enhanced and sustainable security capacities to help prevent, respond to and recover from threats or acts of terrorism, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents.
• A $628,365 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Boston Fire Department to fund pre-fabricated fire props to train firefights on wind-driven fires; mid and hi-rise operations; plus expenses for a 4 day driver training program that will bring the BFD into compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards.
• A $200,000 grant for the Beta Blocks grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to be administered by the Mayor’s office for experiments that support Boston’s efforts to create a process for deploying sensors in urban environments.
• A $179,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for the FY18 Local Culture Council program, administered by the Office of Arts and Culture. The grants fund sub-awards for arts, humanities and science related programming.
• A $100,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to be administered by the Mayor’s Office to fund the cost of researching and planning an Economic Mobility Lab to advance economic mobility and security for lower and lower-middle class Bostonians.
• A $69,975 grant from FEMA to fund a consultant to update the functional needs of specific populations and neighborhoods into all aspects of the City of Boston Emergency Management Program.
• A donation of 3 bicycles for use by the District C-6 of the Boston Police Department.

Plastic Bag Ban: The Council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance sponsored by Councilor O’Malley and me to reduce plastic bag waste in Boston (Councilor Jackson was not at the meeting and therefore couldn’t vote, but he did send in a letter of support that was read into the record). This legislation would ban single-use plastic checkout bags; retail establishments in the City would be required to offer only recyclable, reusable, or compostable bags at checkout with a minimum 5-cent fee that would incentivize customers to bring their own reusable bags. Plastic bags are created using petroleum, increasing our dependence on fossil fuels. As Councilor O’Malley noted in his remarks, approximately 370 million single-use plastic bags will be used in Boston this year alone, most for a matter of seconds before ending up as litter in countless parks, streets, and neighborhoods. Taxpayers are already paying for these bags, from cleanup costs and the price of our recycling contractor removing 20 tons of plastic bags each month from their equipment all of which are paid for with taxpayer dollars, to the long-term costs of climate change and degradation that we are paying and our children will pay for years to come. The measure now goes to Mayor Walsh for his signature or veto.

Recreational Marijuana Tax: The Mayor submitted an order for Boston to opt into the municipal sales tax on recreational marijuana at the maximum amount allowed by state law. The order would have the City of Boston accept the provision of Section 3 of Chapter 64N of the General Laws – allowing us to impose the sales tax – and it would set that sales tax at the maximum of 3 percent. The matter was assigned to the Government Operations Committee for a hearing.

Upcoming Hearings/Working Sessions (Watch at www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/live.asp)

• Tuesday 12/5 at 6:00PM: Hearing on Docket #0293 - re: BPS Student Assignment Process (Education) [Ianella Chamber, 5^th Floor City Hall]
• Thursday 12/7 at 10:00AM: Hearing on Docket #0196 - re: the Regulations & Enforcement of the Residency Policy for BPS Students (Education) [Ianella Chamber, 5^th Floor City Hall]
• Thursday 12/7 at 4:00PM: Hearing on Docket #1099, Early Education and Childcare Briefing Series on the topic of expanding childcare access (Healthy Women, Families, and Communities) [Codman Square Library, 690 Washington St, Boston, MA 02124]
• Monday 12/11 at 10:00AM: Hearing on Docket #1399 – re: the FY18 Boston Public Schools Transportation Budget (Joint Committee on Ways and Means & Committee on Education) [Ianella Chamber, 5^th Floor City Hall]
• Monday 12/11 at 2:00PM: Hearing on Docket #1062 - re: the benefits of net-zero carbon requirements & incentives for future construction in the City of Boston (Environment & Sustainability) [Ianella Chamber, 5^th Floor City Hall]
• Tuesday 12/12 at 1:00PM: Hearing on Docket #1427 - re: Jitney/Star Shuttle, Inc. (Parks, Recreation & Transportation) [Ianella Chamber, 5^th Floor City Hall]

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

City Council Hearing For Seaport/Fort Point Public Facilities (Civic Spaces) & Services

Updated  11/14/17: City Council Hearing is postponed pending a new date.

City Council President Michele Wu is sponsoring a hearing (docket #1320) to review plans for public facilities (including civic spaces) and services in the Seaport on:

Thursday, November 16, 2017

11 am

City Hall

5th Floor, Christopher Iannella Chamber

Public is welcome to attend and offer testimony (details below:)
Watch Live

• Whereas, The South Boston Waterfront or Seaport neighborhood has undergone an unprecedented residential transformation, with the population more than doubling between 2000 and 2015; and

• Whereas, The residential population of the Seaport neighborhood is set to continue to grow at a high rate, given that more than 4,100 new units of housing were approved between 2010 and 2016 with some estimates that the population will exceed 20,000 people by 2030; and

• Whereas, Residents in the Seaport and Fort Point do not have immediate access to civic spaces or public facilities, as there is no school, library, community center, fire station or police station in the neighborhood, and

• Whereas, The ongoing and projected developments in the neighborhood represent important opportunities to address the lack of public facilities and services; Now Therefore Be It

• Ordered, That the appropriate committee of the Boston City Council hold a public hearing to review the unprecedented residential transformation of the South Boston Waterfront and to discuss plans to expand access to public facilities and services in the neighborhood. Representatives from various City of Boston Departments and other interested parties shall be invited to attend. 

Members of the public are cordially invited to attend and testify.  If you have not testified at a Council hearing before, please arrive (5) minutes before the call of the hearing to sign up and become familiar with the hearing format, testimony locations, and sound system. Please bring fifteen (15) copies of any written documentation you wish to present at the hearing. Written comments may be made part of the record and available to all Councilors by sending them by email. If you know of others who may be interested in this hearing, kindly notify them.

Committee Liaison: Juan Lopez. Contact via email or call 617-635-3041
Committee on Planning & Development Chair: City Councilor Michael Flaherty

Boston City Council Looks At South Boston Funding, Right To Charge & To Purchase, CPA & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their October 18, 2017 meeting:

Yesterday (October 18, 2017) was Councilor Bill Linehan’s final Council meeting, as he submitted a letter of resignation and we thanked him for his combined 43 years of service to the city. Mayor Walsh joined us to present Councilor Linehan with a silver Revere Bowl, and in line with Council tradition I presented him with a crystal gavel given to outgoing Councilors who have served as Council President.

South Boston Community Funding: The Council voted to pass Mayor Walsh’s order to accept additional funding from Massport for the South Boston Foundation. This $1.5 million is pursuant to the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) agreement, and will be paid in ten annual payments of up to $150,000. Councilor Linehan urged support of this as his final item he wanted to accomplish for his district.

Right to Charge: The Council voted unanimously to advance the right-to-charge legislation that I introduced which would codify the right of condominium and homeowners to install personal electric vehicle charging stations in or near their dedicated parking spots. In Boston, we have many multi-family homes that have been converted to condos, sometimes with just 2 or 3 condos in the association, and the governing documents require unanimous consent for any changes to the property. That means one owner could prevent another from switching to an electric vehicle by blocking installation of charging infrastructure for any reason. Given that 30% of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, we want residents in any living situation to be able to switch from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles, and we want to set the stage for charging infrastructure now since the costs of electric vehicles are quickly becoming more affordable. Other states and jurisdictions have passed similar right-to-charge laws that prevent condo associations from being able to block homeowners from installing charging infrastructure at the owner’s expense; associations may still add reasonable conditions or restrictions on the location and other features. At last week’s hearing, representatives from the Environment department and Transportation department expressed support for the content but passed along concerns from the law department that the City would be more vulnerable to litigation by passing this in the form of an ordinance rather than a home-rule petition. Although I am generally skeptical of filing home-rule petitions since we have no control over the pace and likelihood of state approvals, I have already spoken with state colleagues who are optimistic about passage on a reasonable timeline. With passage of the home-rule petition at the Council, we begin the process of advocating on Beacon Hill. More to come!

Tenant's Right to Purchase: The Council voted to adopt Councilor Pressley’s resolution urging the State Legislature to pass H.3017, An Act to Preserve Affordable Housing Through A Local Option Tenant’s Right to Purchase. This bill would allow tenants, or a non-profit on their behalf, the opportunity to match the fair market value offered by a prospective buyer for a building with three or more units. This would provide an important tool for Boston to fight the displacement and affordable housing crises.

NOTE on Community Preservation Act: The CPA committee and working group met last week to develop the application for the CPC and the guidelines for evaluation. The approved application should be up on the City website soon. We also discussed the fact that since passing the relevant orders and ordinances, we discovered a mismatch in timeline. The original order required that nominations be finalized within 90 days of passage, instead of within 90 days of the relevant committee being formed. In order to line up those timelines and give the City Council’s CPA committee 90 days to complete their work, we will be filing an amendment to the law at next week’s meeting.

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At Seaport/Fort Point Civic Amenities, Flight Paths, CPA, Energy & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their September 19, September 28 and October 4, 2017 meetings:

South Boston Waterfront/Seaport Public Facilities: I filed a hearing order to discuss plans for access to public facilities, civic space, and city services in the South Boston Waterfront and Seaport / Fort Point areas given the continued residential transformation of the neighborhood. The area has seen population double in the last ten years, some projections estimate that the population will grow from about 4,000 current residents to upwards of 26,000 residents in 10-15 years. Currently there is no civic space in the area (e.g. no library, school, community center, fire station or police station), and we should be looking ahead to plan for how we will deliver city services and civic spaces to current and future residents. The matter was assigned to the Planning & Development Committee for a hearing.

Community Preservation Act: Councilor Flaherty filed a communication with the Council announcing the members of the CPA Working Group, whose purpose is to assist the City Council's Special Committee on the Community Preservation Act in recruiting and evaluating candidates for selection to the Community Preservation Committee. The members are Boston residents Curtis R. Kemeny (Beacon Hill), Beverly Johnson (Mattapan), Cortina Vann (Dorchester), Shelly Goehring (Dorchester), and Jeffrey Gonyeau (Dorchester). The group will meet soon to approve the application materials and kick off the process.

Flight Paths: Councilor McCarthy rose to give an update on his trip to Washington DC to meet with Congressmen Capuano and Lynch about the concentration of flight paths over a narrow band of households in recent years after the FAA instituted changes to GPS navigation systems. This has significantly increased noise and pollution over certain neighborhoods in Boston, including South End, Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury and Hyde Park. Councilor McCarthy will make available the in-depth report from MIT commissioned by the Congressmen.

Community Choice Energy: The Council voted unanimously to authorize the City of Boston to adopt the Community Choice Energy that I was proud to file in partnership with Councilor O’Malley. The order charges the Administration with beginning due diligence on a municipal electricity aggregation to increase clean energy for Boston residents and small businesses. At yesterday’s packed hearing, advocates, residents, and experts spoke about the environmental and economic benefits of increasing our renewable energy supply. We learned that dozens of municipalities in Massachusetts have instituted a CCE program with a 5% increase in renewable energy, and in all but one the rates have been cheaper than the Eversource basic plan rate. Boston’s 5% renewables increase would reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to removing 6,400 cars from the city’s roads.

At today’s meeting, Councilors rose to speak about the urgency of committing to a clean energy future as we face the impacts of destructive climate change in weather disasters and the environmental refugees that we will welcome after each incident. Adopting a green municipal aggregation is the single largest action that Boston can take to immediately and dramatically increase our clean energy consumption. Moreover, the process has numerous safeguards, including the ability for anyone to opt out back onto the utility’s default basic plan. The utility company will continue to deliver the electricity and administer billing, so the transition would be seamless for the ~125,000 accounts that would chip in a little towards a big result. As mentioned at the hearing, not everyone can afford to install solar panels on their homes. CCE allows all residents to pool together and share in the transition to a green economy.

With the Council now having voted to authorize CCE, the Administration will begin the process of researching and requesting proposals from energy procurement companies, and vetting them in consultation with state agencies and public process. There are still months of process ahead before any draft plan would be presented and approved.

Short-Term Rental Housing: Councilor Zakim called for a hearing to discuss how the city reviews plans for new developments with respect to short term rental set-asides. The hearing is designed to increase transparency in the development review process around plans that a developer may have to set aside entire floors for short term rental corporations. The matter was assigned to the Committee on Housing & Community Development for a hearing

Upcoming Hearings/Working Sessions (Watch online)

• Tuesday, 10/10 at 4:30PM, hearing on project with the National Black Women's Justice Institute (NBWJI) (Healthy Women, Families, and Children) [Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington St, Roxbury]
• Tuesday, 10/10 at 2:30PM, working session on parking permits for home health professions (City, Neighborhood Services, and Veterans Affairs) [Piemonte Room, 5th Floor City Hall]
• Thursday, 10/12 at 10:00AM, hearing on the right to charge (Government Operations) [Piemonte Room, 5th Floor City Hall]
• TENTATIVE, 10/16 at 11:00AM, hearing on the BPD Detectives Benevolent Association collective bargaining agreement (Ways and Means) [location TBD]

                       
For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At Appointments, Commissions, DACA, Extreme Weather & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their September 13, 2017 meeting:

Appointments: Mayor Walsh made the following appointments:

• Richard DePiano, Temporary First Assistant Collector-Treasurer and Anthony Dello Iacono, Temporary Second Assistant Collector-Treasurer, for a period of 60 days
• Board of Appeal: we confirmed the following people
  • Anthony Pisano, Bruce Bickerstaff, Eugene Kelly, reappointed until July 2018
  • Kerry Walsh Logue reappointed until November 2019
  • Tyrone Kindell, Jr., reappointed until October 2018
  •  Mark Fortune, reappointed until June 2018
  • Mark Erlich, reappointed until September 2019
• Zoning Commission: we voted to confirm David Marr, Jill Hatton, and Elliot Guerreroasas members until May 2020

Boston Boards and Commissions Home Rule Petition: The Council voted to follow Councilor Flaherty’s recommendation to pass the Mayor’s Home-Rule Petition that would help the Administration fill more board and commission seats. The legislation would allow the Mayor to appoint members to vacant or expired seats on certain city boards and commissions if the relevant nominating entity fails to submit names for the Mayor’s consideration within 90 days after being notified of a vacancy or expiration of a member’s term. The proposed legislation was amended to include a Council confirmation requirement for all boards and commissions, as well as a residency requirement for nominees. A full list of the city boards and commissions to which this would apply can be found here.

City Response to Extreme Weather Events: Councilor O’Malley called for a hearing to examine the City’s responsiveness to extreme weather events, as they are likely to increase in frequency as climate change continues. The goal is to provide a public opportunity to evaluate the City of Boston’s preparation, physical protective infrastructure, and local response for preparing and reacting to a catastrophic weather event. The matter was assigned to the Committee on Environment & Sustainability for a hearing.

Right to Charge Ordinance: I filed an ordinance on the “right to charge” for Electric Vehicle owners. This ordinance would codify the rights and responsibilities of residents of Boston who wish to install electric vehicle charging stations on their properties and barring condo or homeowners associations from banning or unreasonably burdening the owner doing so. As I mentioned, this in no way is meant to hold back our advocacy for complete streets and improving other modes of transportation such as cycling, walking, and public transit. We need to make it possible for car owners who are looking to switch to electric vehicles to access the necessary infrastructure to reduce their emissions in this way. The matter was assigned to the Government Operations Committee for a hearing.

Resolution on DACA: The Council unanimously adopted Councilor Jackson’s resolution opposing the Trump Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Boston has a long history as a home to immigrants from hundreds of different countries, and the thousands of DACA recipients living and working in Boston currently. The U.S. Congress has six months to come up with a legislative solution before the Administration fully revokes DACA. Several Councilors spoke eloquently on the importance of protecting these youth who have known no other country as home, and who are our coworkers, friends, students, family and neighbors.
 
NOTE: Our next two Council meetings will also be held in Fanueil Hall, but due to scheduling conflicts they will not be held on the usual Wednesday. Our next meeting will be 12:00pm on Tuesday September 19^th.

Upcoming Hearings/Working Sessions (Watch at www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/live.asp)

• Thursday, 09/14 at 1:30PM, Docket #0199 policy briefing related to a key topic in early education & childcare, specifically transitions from early education to kindergarten. (Healthy Women Families & Communities) [Piemonte room, 5^th Floor City Hall]
• Tuesday, 10/03 at 2:00PM, hearing on an order authorizing the City of Boston to adopt Community Choice Energy (Environment and Sustainability) [Ianella Chamber, 5^th Floor City Hall]

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At Overdose Awareness Day (8/31), Guns, CPA & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their August 23, 2017 meeting*:

Appointments: Mayor Walsh made the following appointments:

• Jesse Jeter, reappointed to the Boston Employment Commission until July 2019.
• Anne Connolly, reappointed as Associate Commissioner to the Parks and Recreation Commission until January 2021.
• Boston Fair Housing Commission: Onyen Yong, Egobudike Ezedi Jr., Michele Feliz-Rosario, reappointed as members of the Commission until July 2020.

Overdose Awareness Day: The Council voted to adopt Councilor Essaibi-George’s resolution desgnating August 31, 2017 as Overdose Awareness Day in the City of Boston. Councilor Essaibi-George noted that 4 in 10 MA residents know someone who has misused prescription painkillers in the last 5 years. Stigma may prevent someone from reaching out for help, or getting support, and this awareness day is one way of breaking down stigma around our city. There are several events happening in Boston on August 31, including on City Hall Plaza where an interfaith ceremony will occur from 5-6:30pm.

Gun Control Legislation: The Council voted 11-0 (Councilors Campbell and LaMattina absent) to adopt Councilor Flaherty’s resolution in support of H.3081, a bill under consideration at the State House to create a process for temporarily removing firearms from the possession of at-risk individuals. Individuals including mental health workers, family members, and caregivers would be able to petition a judge to issue an extreme risk protective order when someone poses a significant danger to themselves or others were they to maintain possession of a firearm.

Community Preservation Act: The Council took two actions following up on last meeting’s passage of the ordinance setting up Boston’s procedures for its Community Preservation Committee:

• First, the Council voted to pass my order creating a Special Committee on the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which will help guide our process to nominate four members to the Community Preservation Committee and then ensure that the City Council remains an engaged and active partner in CPA actions. The Special Committee will accept applications from interested residents of Boston, evaluate candidates, hold public hearings for input from residents, and nominate four individuals for a vote from the full Council. After all the Community Preservation Committee members are in place, the Council’s Special Committee will continue to exist as a mechanism for transparency and open public process in the allocation of CPA funds.
• Secondly, the Council voted to pass my order creating a 90-day Working Group to support the Special Committee for this first round of nominations. This first round of nominations requires the start-up work of creating an application form and process, setting evaluation criteria, and choosing four members at once; with staggered terms, future openings will likely follow the same process and come up one by one. As described in my order, this Working Group will include representatives of the Yes for a Better Boston Coalition, as well as representatives from the business community and other stakeholders as determined by the Chair of the Special Committee.
   

Sandwich Board Signs: The Council voted to reject without prejudice the Mayor’s proposal to make permanent the regulations instituted in 2015 as a pilot program for advertising on free-standing signs (sandwich boards). Because this proposal was delivered from the Mayor as a 60-day order, the Council needed to take action procedurally, but the Government Operations Committee plans to hold a working session to review the ordinance as well as proposals from Councilor Zakim to amend the regulations regarding concerns about too many signs on Newbury Street. In rejecting the proposal without prejudice at this time, the Committee can continue to study the issue and the Mayor can reintroduce the matter at a later date.

MBTA Green Line Extension: The Council voted to support a resolution offered by Councilor O’Malley and me in support of extending Green Line streetcar service on South Huntington Avenue from Heath Street to Hyde Square in Jamaica Plain. Such an extension would support local businesses in the Hyde Square neighborhood by attracting more visitors to the area, and would be a much needed public transit improvement for those living in the hundreds of new units of housing that has been constructed along this corridor in recent years. Thousands of new units are planned for this corridor, and residents would be almost entirely reliant on the 39 bus for public transportation without a Green Line extension.

Upcoming Hearings/Working Sessions (Watch Live )

• Monday, Sept. 11th at 4:30PM: project with the National Black Women’s Justice Institute (NBWJI) and the Boston City Council on disciplinary policies’ impact on girls of color (Healthy Women, Families, and Communities) [Offsite at Bolling Building, 2300 Washington St.]

*Please note that August 23d was the final August City Council meeting. City Council meetings will resume September 13, 2017.

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At Martin's Park, CPA Committee, Community Choice Energy & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their August 2, 2017 meeting:

Martin’s Park: The Mayor submitted an order to transfer certain city-owned parcels at Sleeper Street and Seaport Boulevard to the Parks Department for the design and construction of Martin’s Park.  The park will be open to the public and dedicated to Martin Richard, whom we lost in the Boston Marathon bombings but whose short life continues to inspire us all.  

Enhanced 911: Mayor Walsh filed two requests to accept and expend grants from the state for training and certification of 911 telecommunications staff and for providing enhanced 911 services. The grants were assigned to the Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee for a hearing.

Community Preservation Committee: The Council voted to pass an amended ordinance creating Boston’s Community Preservation Committee. After the successful Community Preservation Act ballot referendum in November, the 1% property tax surcharge has been added to tax bills starting in July. Before these CPA funds can be disbursed to projects, state law requires that the local legislative body pass an ordinance to define the composition and procedures of the committee that will make recommendations on how to allocate the funds. In our ordinance, the Committee will have 9 members: 5 appointed by the Mayor and 4 by the City Council--all for staggered 3-year terms. Of the seats appointed by the Council, one seat requires expertise in open spaces, housing and/or historical preservation, one seat requires expertise in development, business, finance, and/or construction, and two are at-large seats; all must be city residents who do not work for the City. The ordinance also includes requirements for transparency and community engagement. The Council will post the positions through the City website for anyone to apply, and a Council subcommittee to be set up will vet the applications and make recommendations to the full Council for a confirmation vote.

Voter Registration in the City of Boston: Councilor Zakim filed a hearing order to examine ways to change our voter registration process to guarantee more ballot access, including eliminating voter registration deadlines, allowing same-day voter registration, and moving to an automatic opt-out system. The matter was referred to the Special Committee on Civil Rights for a hearing. 

Net-Zero Carbon Requirements and Incentives: Councilor O’Malley called for a hearing regarding the benefits of net-zero carbon requirements and incentives in future construction in Boston. Given that more than half of Boston’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, instituting such requirements would help the City meet its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The matter was assigned to the Environment and Sustainability for a hearing.

Community Choice Energy: I was proud to introduce an order in partnership with Councilor O’Malley authorizing the City of Boston to adopt Community Choice Energy, following our hearing order from January and working session in April. The adoption of a green Community Choice Energy plan would allow the City of Boston to surpass state renewable energy requirements and bring energy decisions into local control. This would be the first step in a state-defined process with community oversight. Our order includes specific language with stipulations to seek bids for at least 5% renewable sourcing about state standards for the default option and pricing for an opt-in of 100% renewables. 98 cities and towns in Massachusetts have already adopted community choice energy. The matter was assigned to the Environment & Sustainability for a hearing.

Safe Disposal of Home Generated Sharps: Councilor Essaibi-George introduced an ordinance to provide safe disposal of home-generated sharps. More than 20,000 improperly discarded sharps were collected by the City of Boston in 2016. This ordinance would require all retailers and distributors of sharps for home use to collect and properly dispose of used sharps at no additional cost to the consumer. The matter was assigned to the Government Operations Committee for a hearing.

Reminder: Summer City Council meetings are in Faneuil Hall while the Council Chamber undergoes renovations for universal accessibility.

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At Summer St Improvements, Budget, Nips & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their June 21st, June 28th and July 12, 2017 Council meetings:

Appointments: Mayor Walsh made the following appointments:

• Zoning Commission: David Marr and Jill Hatton, reappointed until May 2020 and Elliot Guerreroas, appointed until May 2020.
• Richard DePiano, as Temporary First Assistant Collector-Treasurer
• Anthony Dello Iacono, as Temporary Second Assistant Collector-Treasurer 
• Boston Public Library Board of Trustees: Priscilla Douglas, reappointed until April 2019
• Mayor’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board: Jerry Boyd, Feleshia Battles-Byrdsong, Eugene Gloss, Dusya Lyubovskaya appointed as Commissioners until June 2020; Kyle Robidoux reappointed until May 2019, Carl Richardson until June 2019, and John Winske until March 2019.

Sandwich Board Signs: Mayor Walsh filed an ordinance to make permanent the 2015 regulations that created a pilot program for citywide consistency on free-standing signs aka sandwich boards. The Council passed this legislation in 2015 to provide consistent rules across all neighborhoods that would lighten the permitting load on small businesses by eliminating the free-standing sign permit, but include rules to guarantee accessibility of the sidewalk and accountability from store owners. The matter was assigned to the Committee on Government Operations for a hearing.

Summer Street Improvement Project: The Council voted to authorize the Public Works Department to accept and expend a $6M MassDOT grant for pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic improvements on Summer Street in the Seaport. Construction is scheduled to begin this September and end in November 2019 that would include reconstruction of sidewalks, addition of protected bike lanes on both sides, as well as trees, benches and light fixtures for a better pedestrian experience.

FY18 Budget: The Council voted to pass all the different elements of the City of Boston’s programmatic budget for the next fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018. This includes several votes:

• General Operations Budget: passed 12-1 (Councilor Jackson voting against)
• Boston Public Schools Budget: passed 11-2 (Councilor Jackson and Pressley voting against)
• Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund: passed unanimously. This was an annual $40M appropriation to pay down our long-term, unfunded liability for retiree benefits.
• Vision Zero $1M appropriation: passed unanimously. This was an additional $1M for the Vision Zero capital line item, bringing the total appropriation to $4.1M for capital funding for the Neighborhood Slow Streets program.
• Capital Budget: Passed with a unanimous 2^nd reading today. All capital items require two separate 2/3 affirmative votes at least 2 weeks apart. At the June 7, 2017 meeting, each of the five dockets received a unanimous first vote, except the Parking Meter Fund capital appropriation, which received a 12-1 vote (Councilor Jackson voting against) then. Today, each of the five capital dockets received a unanimous second vote.

Most Councilors rose to explain their votes for or against the various budget components. While no one believes these budgets are perfect, most Councilors stated that the plans represent positive investments in the future of our City. Several Councilors praised the increases in allocations for Vision Zero safe streets infrastructure, the Boston Police Department’s mobile psychiatric crisis team, the mobile sharps team that picks up improperly disposed needles across the city, the indigent burial fund, and resources for BPS to address the needs of students experiencing homelessness. Some Councilors expressed continued need for a city-funded housing voucher program, and several reflected on the need for more strategic vision and accountability from BPS. The Council isl grateful to our Central Staff who supported this process in many ways, to the members of the Mayor’s Administration who engaged thoughtfully and fully with us in the process, and to the members of the public who took time to offer testimony both in person and in writing. For full budget details, see the City website.

Grants: The Council voted to authorize the Administration to accept several grants today from various sources:

• $30M for the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) from the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) Fund to produce/preserve affordable housing. This fund collects payments from new residential developments, where the developer can choose to offer affordable units on-site or pay a “buy-out” rate into the fund for projects that DND chooses through a competitive public notice process. Since FY15, DND has collected $50.4M in IDP payments and anticipates collecting $17M more through FY19.
• $24.5M for DND from the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to support grants that fund housing education, down payment assistance, production of new affordable housing, operating support for CDCs, tenant-based rental assistance, and permanent housing placement.
• $28M for DND from HUD Continuum of Care grant funds to support programs that provide services and housing to the homeless. Councilor Essaibi-George described the funding as being used to serve the chronically homeless, including front-door triage and programs to streamline housing search applications. A recent 1-day housing search  event served 63 attendees experiencing chronic homelessness, where 44 were housed that day by the Boston Housing Authority, 5 received pending offers, and 9 received housing vouchers from MBHP.
• $33,931 for the Environment Department from the MA Dept of Revenue for the Climate Ready Boston Community Leader Program, which would fund outreach on climate initiatives in multiple languages and targeting specific communities in Boston.
• $400K for the Office of Immigrant Advancement from various donors to fund programs including Immigrant Integration & Empowerment, English for New Bostonians, and Citizenship Day.

Medically Supervised Injection Facilities: Councilors Essaibi-George and Baker reported back on the hearing on medically supervised injection facilities in Boston. At the hearing, Councilors heard from the Boston Public Health Commission, the MA Medical Society, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, concerned residents, and many other key stakeholders. Councilor Essaibi-George stated that she was not convinced this is a tool that Boston should use in combating the opioid epidemic, but that action must be taken and the Council should be part of the conversation. Councilor Baker stated that he was against these sites and that we need 30-day treatment . As a reminder, safe injection sites would be legally sanctioned, medically-supervised facilities, where opioid users could consume illicit recreational drugs intravenously under the care of medical experts. Safe injection sites are meant to reduce nuisance from public drug use and provide a hygienic and medically supervised environment. The MA Medical Society has adopted a resolution urging the state to launch a pilot program allowing the creation of two safe injection sites, including one in Boston. Safe injection sites would need not only state approval, but federal approval as well. The matter remains in the Committee on Homelessness, Mental Health & Recovery.

Disposal of Miniature Alcohol Containers: The Council voted to adopt Councilor McCarthy’s resolution to support HD3528, a bill filed by Rep. Randy Hunt at the State House which would promote the proper disposal of miniatures, often called “nips”. Currently, miniature containers are not covered by the MA bottle deposit statute that applies a 5-cent deposit to containers of soda and beer. Councilor McCarthy spoke about the number of empty miniature bottles that are littered throughout our city and emphasized the need to explore solutions. The bill would add a 5-cent deposit on the sale of nips, which is meant to incentivize consumers and others to return empty nip bottles for the 5-cent deposit redemption, rather than improperly disposing of them. Councilor Jackson rose to ask that the term “nip” be removed from the Council resolution, given its connotation as an ethnic slur in certain contexts. The Council voted on the amended version without that terminology. 

NOTE: Summer City Council meetings are in Faneuil Hall while the Council Chamber undergoes renovations for universal accessibility.

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At Summer St. Funding, Sanctuary Schools, Cultural Districts, Marijuana & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and more at their June 7th and June 14th Council meetings:

Transportation Infrastructure Grant: The Mayor filed an order asking for authorization for the Public Works Department to accept and expend a $6M MassDOT grant for pedestrian, bicycle and traffic improvements to be used in the reconstruction of Summer Street in the Waterfront. The matter was sent to the Parks, Recreation & Transportation Committee for a hearing.

FY18 Operating Budget: By City Charter, the Council must act on the budget each year by the 2nd Wednesday of June but our fiscal year ends June 30^th, so it is customary that the Council rejects the budget without prejudice, allowing the Administration to resubmit a revised version with changes reflecting feedback from our many Ways & Means Committee hearings (27 to date). The Council voted down the General operating budget, BPS operating budget, and other post-employment benefits (OPEB) liability trust fund. The Administration will most likely resubmit the budget at next week’s Council meeting, with a hearing on the changes tentatively scheduled for June 27th at 10AM. If the Council does not approve the budget by the start of FY2018 (meaning a vote at the June 28th meeting), departments will continue on a month-to-month basis with 1/12 of the funding that was allocated in this current fiscal year.

Sanctuary School Act: Councilors Flaherty and Jackson reported back on yesterday’s hearing on Councilor Jackson’s proposed Sanctuary School Act, which would codify practices regarding federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Boston Public Schools. Under the ordinance, ICE agents would not be allowed to enter BPS sites without a signed warrant from a judge and explicit written permission from the Superintendent and District Attorney; BPS will refuse all voluntary information sharing with ICE; and BPS may not ask for or require proof of legal immigration status upon enrollment. The matter remains in the Government Operations Committee for further work given testimony from Administration officials that some revisions would be needed. Several Councilors urged the city’s law department to act quickly on suggesting those revisions, because students are going into summer school and teachers had testified at the hearing about confusion due to lack of policy at the moment.

Medical Marijuana Dispensary: Councilor Zakim called for a hearing regarding a medical marijuana dispensary at 331 Newbury Street. Compassionate Organics, a non-profit medical marijuana company, is seeking approval to open a dispensary at 331 Newbury Street in the Back Bay. In order to advance in the state’s application process, any petitioner must obtain a letter of support or non-opposition from Mayor Walsh or the City Council. This particular applicant had appeared before the Council in August 2016 when applying for a location on Harvard Ave in Allston, and the Council voted to decline offering a letter of non-opposition for that location. Councilor Zakim stated that he does not have a position on this particular applicant at this location, but wanted to give them a fair and open hearing before the Council to hear from neighbors. The matter was assigned to the Planning & Development Committee for a hearing.

City Council Summer Meetings Location: President Wu filed public notice confirming the location change for Council meetings on July 12^th, August 2^nd, August 23^rd, and September 13^th – which will be moved to Faneuil Hall while the Council Chamber is under renovations for accessibility improvements. As a reminder, the project will lift the Council floor and make our space fully accessible for those with mobility challenges and/or using wheelchairs. Currently, the Council floor is three steps down from the main floor, and the only way down is from a ramp that requires someone in a wheelchair to go all the way around to the back entrance for access. The new plans will mean that no one will have to go around to the back to access the Council floor, and that the Councilors’ entrance and President’s podium will be fully accessible. The plan will also change a row of public seating to provide wheelchair-accessible seating (currently nonexistent). The improvements will also include sound treatments on some of the walls to help attendees hear better, LED lights that will save energy and provide adequate lighting on one side of the Chamber that is currently dark, and new carpeting in the form of carpet tiles that are easier to clean and overall more cost-effective to maintain. The Council was told that renovations are scheduled to be completed by mid-September, so the plan is to be back in City Hall for our Council meetings on September 20^th and 27^th. If construction runs long, Faneuil Hall is already booked for these dates, but we’ve reserved backup dates in Faneuil Hall on different days of the week for those two weeks. Committee hearings will take place in Room 801 of City Hall during construction. All hearings and meetings will continue to be live-streamed with closed captioning as usual. Thanks to Council Central Staff, Property Management, the City Cable Office, and Boston Neighborhood Network for all your coordination and efforts to plan for this transition.

Urban Renewal: President Wu filed a letter attaching a communication from BPDA Director Brian Golden codifying the agency’s understanding of the City Council’s role in future urban renewal plan extensions within the City of Boston, as a follow up to our most recent City Council Urban Renewal Biannual Update meeting. The letter confirms that the BPDA will seek and obtain Council’s approval for any future extension of the urban renewal plans prior to seeking the MA Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) approval. Read the letter here.

Fenway Cultural District: The Council voted to adopt a resolution President Wu filed in partnership with Councilors Pressley, Jackson, and Zakim to support the renewal of the Fenway Cultural District Designation. Last week, the Council held a hearing at the Museum of Fine Arts on the district’s reapplication for another 5-year period, where we heard from Chief of Arts and Culture Julie Burros, Fenway Alliance Executive Director Kelly Brilliant, leaders from the MFA, Simmons College, First Church of Christ Scientist, and Berklee College of Music, and many residents in support of renewal. As a reminder, on March 24, 2012, the Fenway Cultural District was officially designated as Boston’s first cultural district by the Massachusetts Cultural Council thanks to a resolution sponsored by Councilors Pressley and Jackson, along with then-Councilor Mike Ross. To maintain this designation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council requires all cultural districts to submit a reapplication every five years and to hold at least one community input meeting. The reapplication includes an expanded map to include Berklee College of Music. Council sponsors emphasized that the renewal would reinforce collaboration among the city’s now three cultural districts (the Literary Cultural District and Roxbury Cultural District in addition), that there are practical benefits to designation (including closer collaboration and cross-promotion), and real economic benefits too.

Upcoming Hearings (Watch Live) 

• Monday, 6/19 at 2:00PM, Medically Supervised Injection Facilities (Homelessness, Mental Health & Recovery)
• Tuesday, 6/27 at 10:00AM, [Tentative] FY18 Budget Resubmittal (Ways & Means)

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Boston City Council Looks At Community Preservation, Pregnant Workers, Chamber Accessibility & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and many more during their May Council meetings:

Community Preservation Committee: Councilor Flaherty reported back on May 15th's working session on the creation of the Community Preservation Committee. State law requires that after communities opt in to the CPA, the local legislative body passes an ordinance to define the composition and procedures of the committee that will make recommendations on how to allocate CPA funds. This ordinance proposes a committee of 5 members appointed by the Mayor (heads of various agencies/commissions that oversee affordable housing, parks and open space, and historic preservation as statutorily defined) and 4 appointed by the City Council, serving staggered 3 year terms. The group would be responsible for recommending allocations of expenditures from the Community Preservation Fund, which must be appropriated by vote of the City Council. CPA projects must be related to the acquisition, creation, and preservation of open space, historic preservation, and affordable housing.
At the working session, a revised draft that included more specific language on transparency, committee member expertise, and the selection process was reviewed. The Yes for a Better Boston (YBB) Coalition which had led the community mobilization efforts pushing for the ballot initiative had requested that all four Council appointments should come from a list of 12 people that YBB would provide. The Administration also drafted an ordinance that would have the Mayor appoint these seats – 1 from a list created by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and 3 from a list of 9 from YBB. Councilors expressed concern about allocating seats to specific organizations, given that ordinances will be on the books for years to come and the composition and leadership of organizations can change. Our proposal is for the Council to create a subcommittee to oversee the selection process (through an open application portal on the City website that could include support letters from organizations) and hear recommendations from the CPA Committee on allocation. Councilor Flaherty also mentioned that there was some discussion on whether the Council needed to formalize the committee structure by June 1^st in order for the City to begin collecting and potentially disbursing the funds in this fiscal year; if that is the case, we would have to vote on the ordinance at next week’s meeting. The matter remains in the Committee on Government Operations.

Temporary Protected Status for Haitian Nationals: The Council voted to adopt President Wu's resolution filed in partnership with Councilors Jackson, McCarthy, and Zakim to urge the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals. TPS is an emergency immigration status given when people are temporarily unable to safely return to their home country because of ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. The TPS designation allows eligible Haitian nationals to temporarily continue living and working in the United States, and it was granted to Haitian nationals who were in the US as of January 12, 2010, the date of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The designation has been renewed multiple times, and the latest extension expires July 22, 2017, with a decision due by May 23^rd to leave enough time for a 60-day notice period. Legally, the decision should only be based on current conditions in Haiti, and whether people could safely return. We know that Haiti has not yet recovered from the 2010 earthquake and the nation suffers from economic and political crises, rampant Zika and Chikungunya, the effects of a devastating cholera epidemic, and the destructive effects of Hurricane Matthew. However, there have been recent reports that the Trump administration has requested questionable data regarding TPS beneficiaries’ involvement with the criminal justice system and public benefits system, suggesting that they are looking to build a misleading narrative. Several Councilors rose to support extending TPS for Haitian nationals, citing the strong and thriving Haitian American community in the Greater Boston region, which makes up the country’s third-largest Haitian population; nearly 1 out of 10 Haitians living in this area have TPS. May is Haitian Heritage Month, and the City of Boston is proud to be the first city in the nation to formally celebrate Haitian Heritage Month.

Council Chamber Accessibility Project: President Wu gave a brief update on the Council Chamber accessibility project, which is proceeding on schedule for renovations this summer beginning in early July and lasting until September. Plans are being finalized to use Faneuil Hall for those summer meetings during construction, except that the space is booked already for the dates of our last two meetings in September, so those dates dates may need to be adjusted or a different location found. As a reminder, the project will lift the Council floor and make our space fully accessible for those with mobility challenges and/or using wheelchairs. Currently, the Council floor is three steps down from the main floor, and the only way down is from a ramp that requires someone in a wheelchair to go all the way around to the back entrance for access. The new plans will mean that no one will have to go around to the back to access the Council floor, and that the Councilors’ entrance and President’s podium will be fully accessible. It will also change a row of public seating to provide wheelchair-accessible seating (currently nonexistent). The improvements will also include sound treatments on some of the walls to help attendees hear better, LED lights that will save energy and provide adequate lighting on one side of the Chamber that is currently dark, and new carpeting in the form of carpet tiles that are easier to clean and overall more cost-effective to maintain.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: The Council voted to pass Councilor Pressley’s resolution supporting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act proposed at the state level, which would protect women needing reasonable accommodations during and after pregnancy. The City of Boston already has these protections in place. Councilor Campbell and I, both expecting this summer, were especially eager to support!

Upcoming Hearings/Working Sessions (Watch Live)

• Wednesday, 5/31 at 2:00PM, Fenway Cultural District (Arts & Culture) [Offsite at the Museum of Fine Arts Remis Auditorium]

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email.