.
Good afternoon, everyone.
I call to order today's meeting
of the boston city.
My name is richard louijeune
and I am the PRESIDENT Of the
boston city council.
You can watch the
council meeting live on youtube
at boston.Com.
Forge city council dash tv.
At this time I ask my
colleagues and those in the
audience to please silence
their cell phones and
electronic devices.
Thank you.
MR. Clerk, will you please call
the roll to ascertain the
presence of a quorum?
Councilor breadon
councilor coletta
councilor durkan council for an
seeing the city
councilor fitzgerald.
Councilor flynn.
Councilor louijeune here.
Concilor mejia here.
Councilor murphy.
Councilor pepin.
Councilor santana.
Councilor webber and
councilor.
We're all here.
A quorum.
Thank you.
I've been informed by the clerk
that a performance present at
this time I ask for all
councilors in gas to please
rise for the invocation.
After the invocation please
remain standing as we recite
the pledge of allegiance.
It's my pleasure to introduce
this week's clergy reverend
lynch invited by
councilor worrell.
Customer well, would you like
to come up to the podium with
your guest?
Good afternoon everyone.
Today I had the honor
of bringing my pastor to the
dais and to the city council.
Pastor audie lynch, who is a
charismatic, knowledgeable and
progressive thought leader who
serves as a senior pastor of my
home church a faithful church
of christ those that no party.
Personally call him a man
of passion and purpose.
Beyond the pulpit, audie is a
graduate of the berklee college
of music as a world class
musician.
He has turned toward all across
the united states and abroad
spanning from germany, israel
and the caribbeans.
Earned a master's of counseling
degree from gordon cromwell
theological seminary seminary
and served the greater boston
area and beyond as a social
worker.
Already married his best friend
jacqueline ray lynch in 215.
They are the proud parents
of are already the second at
eight and joshua and brandon
alex alexander.
I would now like to bring to
you guys pastor audie lynch.
She good afternoon everyone.
Certainly grateful for the
opportunity to stand before you
on the last day of the first
month of 2024 and truly we are
grateful for life and strength.
So we're going to go before the
lord in prayer.
Heavenly father, we thank you
for this opportunity just to
stand here with life.
O GOD blood running warm in our
things we have the activities
of our lives.
when I write mine.
I pray lord, that you will
bless us right now with a
spirit of gratitude.
We want to just thank you for
this privilege as we are
standing here as we're serving
for each person that stands in
this room what they represent,
who they are, the unique path
lord you have brought them here
for a reason and I pray that
they feel empowered and
inspired as they serve
oftentimes with less thanks or
gratitude that we deserve and
our service.
But nonetheless we are grateful
to serve in this capacity.
I pray for this council room
lord that you will give fresh
inspiration and fresh knowledge
and fresh direction that you
will give us a sense of purpose
as we serve the greater boston
community, our different
districts and our different
areas.
All that's happening in our
city we pray that the peace
that's in this room will also
translate to the peace that's
in this city.
I pray that will lock hands and
move forward with agendas that
will be profitable to everyone
not with a hidden agenda but
just for the well-being of this
community as we are a beacon to
the world.
Everyone takes a look at how we
move and I pray that we all
walk with a sense of purpose.
I pray lord GOD for every
demographic for our elderly,
our seniors, our middle age,
our young people lord those
that MAY be migrating to the
city of boston that don't have
direction I pray that their
voice is heard even as we're
moving from the month
of JANUARY to FEBRUARY.
A historic month for
african-americans.
I pray lord GOD that everybody
recognizes the importance
of what we do and why we do
what we do.
I pray lord GOD not only for
justice for the lord GOD but
for the families that we
represent that peace and love
and harmony will be in our
homes and our marriages among
our children, our loved ones.
I pray, lord GOD that we will
always be reminded of who you
are in our lives and that we
MARCH and we wake up every
morning with a sense of purpose
.
We say thank you right now we
love you.
We say thank you right now have
your day.
We pray in the name that we
know that can save and deliver
in the name of jesus christ.
Amen.
In amman.
Thank you.
Please recite the pledge
of allegiance.
I believe in the united states
of america and to the republic
for which it stands one nation
under GOD, indivisible with
liberty and justice for all
which is I thank you again,
reverend lynch for that prayer
and that blessing.
We appreciate it.
We now have a brief
presentation honoring higher ed
for all.
I'll be hosting this
presentation.
This is counselor fernanda
anderson's but she currently is
not here and so I will be I had
the honor of presenting this
coalition affordable, high
quality public higher education
and is central in promoting
economic mobility and fostering
inclusivity across diverse so
so socioeconomic backgrounds by
ensuring accessibility and
affordability individuals are
empowered to pursue their
educational aspirations
unlocking opportunities for
personal growth and
contribution to our society
investing in public higher
education a public good not
only enriches individuals lives
but also strengthens
communities and drives economic
prosperity and shared
prosperity throughout our
commonwealth.
Recognizing the critical
importance of fully funding
community colleges, state
universities and umass campuses
higher ed for all advocates for
equitable access to quality
education for all students this
entails addressing financial
barriers beyond tuition fees
such as textbooks, housing and
transportation to bolster
college enrollment and
graduation rates particularly
among underserved populations
more of our higher ed for all
underscores the need for fair
wages and working conditions
for faculty and staff within
the public higher education
system to ensure a learning
environment and a conducive
learning environment and
enhance educational outcomes by
prioritizing accessibility,
affordability and equity in
higher education we can empower
individuals to realize their
full potential, strengthen our
communities and foster a more
prosperous future for our
commonwealth.
And that's from our counselor
district seven counselor
cameron in jefferson.
If I could have the coalition
come down, I know that we're
going to share just a few words
with with everyone that would
be great.
So crystal and stephanie and
the entire coalition so as you
come up just want to say thank
you for all the work that
you're doing to advocate for
access higher education for all
with passage of the cherish act
which is on today's agenda, you
can come up here jonathan come
don't be a stranger.
Everyone come up here.
Awesome.
And I like to read this
resolution.
This is an official resolution
.
Come on up though.
Don't be shy.
Come on right here.
All right, come on.
This is official resolution be
resolved that the boston city
council extends its
congratulations to higher ed
for all in recognition of your
admirable at efforts in
advocating for fully funded
community colleges and b a
further resolve that the boston
city council extends its best
wishes for continued success.
This resolution be duly signed
by the PRESIDENT Of the city
council and attested to and a
copy thereof transmitted by the
clerk of the city of boston.
Thank you.
I would like to try to say a
few words.
I mean tell this up going I'm
jonathan cohn.
I'm here with progressive as
part of the higher ed for all
coalition the kind of the
higher ed for all coalition and
the coalition of faculty staff
students, graduates, community
members from around
massachusetts fighting for a
vision of higher ed the kind
of higher ed of for all in the
state the bill that that we're
fighting for this session in
particular the cherish act is
something that builds on that
vision with debt free higher
education so that students
aren't graduating with kind
of thousands and thousands
of dollars in debt that makes
it hard for them when they
start out and it's damaging for
the economy of massachusetts as
a whole kind of investing in
strong supports for students so
that we know that all students
who who start kind of at
college have the supports that
they needed to succeed knowing
that students are full of full
human beings in need that
support to happen for that
education to deliver on its
promise retention of high
quality faculty and staff
making sure that we are paying
paying the professors and the
staff that are that are key to
that positive experience
of everybody there and making
sure that they're having
diverse faculty and staff to
kind of to meet the need to
meet needs as well and having
green and healthy buildings I
know many people here aware
of the problems of climate
change as well as the recent
things that we with the covid
pandemic that we saw the
importance of having healthy
kind of healthy environments
and fighting to make sure that
we can have that on all of our
campuses as well.
I think I hit the main point
anybody can ask and feel free
to tag in with the additional
staff of what I'm fighting for
and continuing to build the
coalition kind of across the
state because of how critical
public higher education is in
massachusetts as an engine
of economic mobility as well as
helping to reduce racial and
economic inequalities in the
state.
So I'll pass it on anybody else
who the state is just as a
group we just want to thank you
for this.
It means a lot to have your
support for teachers, for
educators, others, staff,
faculty, administrators all
feel that beyond the
k-through-12 system that we
have your support in higher ed
and community colleges and the
state colleges
of massachusetts.
So thank you.
If I could ask my colleagues to
come up for a group photo thank
you.
Come on.
Sideburns.
Okay.
Thank you.
Awesome.
Thank you.
You can't see anything you just
kind of I'm learning.
MR. Clerk, would we please
amend the attendance to reflect
that counselor coletta is has
joined us and is now present?
Yes.
So now on to the first order
of business which is the
approval of the minutes from
the meeting of JANUARY 24th,
2024.
All in favor say I the ayes
have it.
The minutes of the last meeting
are approved.
We are now on to communications
from her honor the mayor.
MR. Clerk, would you please
read that number 0256 duncan
number 0256 message in order
for you approval in ordinance
amending city of boston called
ordinances chapter 12 section
12 dash 3.5 senior citizen
property tax work off abatement
thank you docket number 0256
will be referred to the
committee on government
operations.
Mr clerk, would you please read
docket number 0257 duncan and
number 0257 message in order
for your approval in ordinance
creating the planning
department and the city
of boston thank you docket
number 0257 will be referred to
the committee on government
operations.
Mr clerk, would you please read
docket number 0258 duck number
0258 message in order for your
approval authorizing the city
of boston to submit to the
massachusetts school building
authority statements
of interest for their
accelerated repair program for
the following schools kennedy
kinney elementary school.
O'donnell elementary school.
Adams elementary school.
shattuck elementary school.
Everett elementary school.
Gardiner pilot academy.
Linden elementary school and
murphy k through eight school
thank you DR. Number 0258 will
be referred to the committee on
ways and means.
We are now on to petitions
memorials and reminds MRS.
MR. Clerk would you please read
docket number 0259 ducky number
0259 petition of uptown
transport inc. For a license to
operate motor vehicles for the
carriage of passengers for hire
over certain streets in boston
thank you.
Docket number 0259 will be
referred to the committee on
planning, development and
transportation where we are now
on to reports of public
officers and others.
MR. Clerk, please read docket
number 0260202610260 notice
received from the mayor of the
appointment of woodrow hartzog
as a member of the surveillance
oversight advisory board
effective immediately and
docket number 0261 notice was
received from the mayor the
reappointment of gary saunders
as a trustee of the boston
groundwater trust for a term
expiring JANUARY 22nd, 2026
thank you dockets number
026020261 will be placed on
file.
We are now moving on to
motions, orders and
resolutions.
MR. Clerk would you please read
docket number 026 to duck in
number 0262 councilor of flynn
offered the following ordinance
establishing the office of pest
control in the city of boston.
Thank you.
the chair recognizes
councilor flynn kaushal flynn
you now have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
Last year I filed a hearing
order on the creation of an
office dedicated to pest
control.
We heard from neighbors city
officials about the challenges
that they face when dealing
with pest control related
issues.
I have heard from my
constituents who are supportive
of an office of pest control.
As you know, pest control is
critical to our residents.
Quality of life as rats and
rodents are not only a nuisance
but they also impact public
health.
The safety of our
neighborhoods, the maintenance
of our properties.
Currently pest control is
cross-departmental effort in
the city of boston and they do
excellent work with
inspectional services.
Public works boston water and
sewer the parks department each
department is playing a
critical role.
We have 14 inspectors covering
the city but having a dedicated
city department on pest control
would allow all of us to better
focus on the issue providing
more streamlined and
coordinated approach a process
in reducing pests in coming up
with innovative ways in
preventing pest related
challenges.
We face in the city.
This ordinance would formally
create an office of pest
control and it would act as a
central point to dedicated
persons in developing and
implementing long term short
term integrated pest management
plans for individual
neighborhoods based on their
specific needs.
It would coordinate multi
departmental efforts to reduce
pet rat and pest population,
develop overall pest control
strategies, conduct research to
residents on rodent related
issues.
I look forward to this
ordinance to work with my
colleagues and I've had the
opportunity to talk to the city
of new york.
They recently hired a and
established a standalone city
department on pest control.
I had the opportunity to talk
with the director of that
office several months back.
I do hope to visit in the near
future but it's an issue in
fact impacting every
neighborhood across the city.
Let's work together.
Let's get this done.
Thank you MADAM Chair.
Thank you.
Councilor flynn, is anyone else
welcome to speak on this matter
.
Councilor durkan, you now have
the floor to help us.
Thank you so much,
councilor flynn for your
leadership on this.
Having talked to a lot of city
departments I think what's
really needed is coordination
and so I really appreciate your
work and excited to join in the
conversation about how we can
make our offices more
coordinated around pest
control.
Thank you.
thank you.
Councilor durkan is anyone else
looking to speak on this matter
?
Is anyone else looking to add
their name?
MR. Clerk please add
councilor breadon
councilor durkan.
Councilor flynn.
Councilor fitzgerald.
Maria murphy.
Ben santana.
Webber we're out and please out
of the chair.
Thank you.
Docket number 0262 it will be
referred to the committee on
government operations.
MR. Clerk would you please read
docket number 02630263
councilor flynn offer the
following petition for a
special law relative to an act
regarding the disability
pension for brian macpherson.
Thank you.
The chair recognizes
councilor flynn.
Councilor, you now have the
floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
This is a home rule petition
for disability pension for
deputy sheriff brian mcphee son
who sustained serious injuries
when he was working in the
suffolk county sheriff's
department in 2000 and in 2008.
Brian was responding to
multiple incidents involving
inmates at suffolk county house
of correction.
He was punched in the head and
hit his head on the concrete
and as a result he suffered
permanent injuries that
prevented him from his duties
as a sergeant as deputy sheriff
and was forced to retire at age
37 when he was employed by the
suffolk county sheriff's
department.
He was a city of boston
employee and is a retired
system falls under boston.
He is working with his state
legislator who's outside
of boston.
State representative alison
sullivan on this issue and was
told that he would need a home
rule petition passed in boston
in order to receive full
disability pension pay.
So I would I would respectfully
ask that we have the
appropriate hearing.
Learn more about this.
Have a formal meeting.
Get the required documentation
and medical documentation and
do our due diligence to ensure
that sergeant brian macpherson
is treated with all the respect
that he's earned.
But we also want to do our due
diligence as city officials to
make sure we ask the tough
questions during this process.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
Thank you.
Councilor flynn, is anyone else
looking to speak on this matter
?
Would anyone else like to add
their name?
MR. Clerk please add councilors
braedon durkin, flynn
fitzgerald murphy.
Santana.
Webber.
Morrell.
Please add the chair this
docket.
Thank you.
Docket number 0263 we will be
referred to the committee on
government operations.
MR. Clerk, would you please
read docket number 02640264.
Councilor flynn offered the
following order for a hearing
to discuss the impact of for
profit urgent care centers on
nonprofit community health
centers in the city of boston.
Thank you.
The chair recognizes
councilor flynn.
Councilor you have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
MADAM Chair, MAY I add
councilor erin murphy, please?
Seeing no objections.
Councilor murphy is added.
Councilor flynn, you have the
floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
I know that we are aware about
the recent reports of stewart
health and the serious concerns
about potentially devastating
impact that could have on
health care access and quality
care issues for all of us.
We recently several hours ago
just had a hearing, had a phone
call, a discussion on that
issue with members of the mass
nurses association and seiu
1199.
In that type of situation will
have a devastating impact on
our seniors.
Persons with disabilities,
communities of color, our
immigrant neighbors in most
vulnerable and public housing.
But today I'm also asking to
keep our focus on for profit
health care in our
neighborhoods throughout boston
.
In recent years there has been
an increase in the number
of urgent care centers in
boston where these clinics
offer walk in services for
patients experiencing
non-emergency medical care.
While urgent care centers MAY
offer convenient and quick care
to patients, some of these
clinics are for profit and seen
as an investment opportunity
for private equity firms in
venture capital funds.
One reason they are as
attractive investment
opportunities as urgent care
centers is they do not have the
legal obligation to treat
patients if they do not have
the ability to pay.
Unlike emergency departments,
many urgent care centers do not
accept medicaid which creates a
barrier to access for low
income patients.
We are now seeing for profit
urgent care centers being
proposed in close proximity to
nonprofit community health care
centers who provide similar
services which can threaten the
financial success viability
of these invaluable community
health care centers and
neighborhood institutions.
Most recently a for profit
urgent care center is being
being proposed on west broadway
in south boston only a block
from the south boston community
health center which has been
providing exceptional
compassionate care to the
people of south boston and
other neighborhoods for 50
years.
They serve 70,000 patients a
year and the patients include
our seniors persons with
disabilities, communities
of color, immigrant
neighborhoods, immigrant
neighbors at our big public
housing developments that mary
allan mccormack old colony west
ninth street and the west
broadway development.
This proposal has the potential
to negatively impact the
community health care center
and take away its patient base.
This is not a health care does
it and there is no community
need here.
With this proposal less than a
block away especially when the
nonprofit south boston
community health center is
already in the process
of expanding existing urgent
care at the west broadway
facility 8 to 9 patients in the
coming months, the community
health care center also has a
nearby urgent care clinic in
the south boston waterfront
that is currently available to
nine patients with a validated
parking for $5 next door.
Boston has many great community
health care centers serving our
neighborhoods and our
constituents by providing
valuable quality health care
professional health care to all
of our residents including the
south boston community health
care center.
South cove community health
care center club and square
health care center bowdoin
street health care center.
East boston health care center
the south end fenway health and
many more that my colleagues
could mention.
Let me be clear I do not want
to see cuts to programs,
services and staff at any
of these beloved community
health care centers.
My team and I recently met with
seiu 1199 as a considerable
portion of the workers at south
boston community health center
members who come from working
families.
We are working together on this
issue as they share the same
concerns they sorry cancer plan
if we could all just please
silence our cell phones make
you comfortable and you can
continue.
We are working together on this
issue as they share the
concerns of our neighbors.
You know that this could lead
to cuts in programs, services
and staff while leading to
decreased health care access
and quality including our most
vulnerable.
I am calling this hearing to
also make my colleagues and the
people of boston aware of this
issue as similar to other
development issues.
This MAY be just the first shoe
to drop in south boston but it
could happen in many of the
other neighborhoods across the
city.
There will likely be more for a
nonprofit urgent care center is
being proposed in our city and
some might be next to the
individual community health
care centers in your
neighborhood.
We need to understand how this
can impact our community health
care centers in their quality
of care and how we can improve
access with local health care
centers and hospitals.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
Thank you, councilor flynn.
The the chair recognizes
councilor murphy.
Councilor murphy, you now have
the floor.
Thank you.
Councilor flynn, for calling
for this important hearing.
I think great minds think alike
many of the words I prepared to
say you have said.
But I will continue on.
This is happening on west
broadway in south boston next
to my health care center.
I've said it before.
We've had many hearings in this
chamber since I've been here
supporting the health centers
and the amazing work they do
for our communities across the
city in this project on west
broadway seeks to bring
american family care urgent
center to the solid right next
to the south boston community
health center.
It is a for profit company in
the largest urgent care
business in the country by
number of locations.
This urgent care location if it
is approved and constructed
will be less than a block away
from the health center in south
boston and provide only some
of the many services that the
health center already provides.
The south boston community
health center has been
providing essential quality
of life improving health care
services for over 50 years.
Guided by the principle that
all who seek care are welcome
here and like you referenced
already, councilor flynn, not
all will be able to go if they
can't afford it to this for
profit center that will take
away some of the business for
the south boston and in that
time this nonprofit with a
community based boarded
directors has been routinely
recognized for its outstanding
care of and for its community
receiving multiple awards and
patient experience pediatric
primary care in the best
overall clinical performance
demonstrating the needs in
of the moment in distributing
during covid over 35,000
vaccines and testing 14,000
people for covid 19 but the
health center doesn't stop at
offering excellent top of the
line health care as seen from
its long history, patient
satisfaction and outcome awards
in its partnership with some
of the world's best hospitals
bmc mass general and tufts
medical center, the health
center also takes the
additional steps of not just
improving health care but
moving towards overall health
and wellness in its work
through the south boston
community food pantry something
I know you've been a strong
advocate for here making sure
we can grow that one thing we
all found out when the health
care center stepped up and
provided food during the
pandemic is once the pandemic
ended it was a need that didn't
go away and they continued to
provide food for our neighbors
there in south boston it is
clear that the health center
which provides over 70,000
service visits a year to almost
half of south boston's
population is a foundational
element of the boston community
in an invested involved
committed neighbor who deserves
the same protection and
resources that it gives back to
us.
I'm deeply concerned that the
south boston health center as a
nonprofit will be at a
financial disadvantage on the
unequal footing of afc's for
profit status and the good
health centers will maybe have
to shut down some of its
services.
Like you said, councilor flynn,
if this goes through here in
south boston, it could happen
next to any of the community
health centers across the city.
So I look forward to
participating in this hearing
and advocating for our health
centers.
Thank you.
Thank you councilors for your
advocacy.
Is anyone else looking to speak
on this matter?
Would anyone else?
Councilor brayton, you now have
the floor.
Thank you.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I would like
you to bring forward this very
important discussion.
Hope very focused on the south
boston community health center
and the impact of this urgent
care facility.
But you know, we're in a moment
in the health care landscape in
which our emergency rooms are
overrun.
We don't have the capacity to
respond to all the folks who
need care.
Our community health centers
are under stress and need more
investment.
And you know, when we do need
urgent care after hours folks
are resorting to going to the
emergency room so I really feel
that we have to look to our ems
system and other ways to
respond to dealing with urgent
care matters and trying to keep
people out of out of the
emergency room which is not an
appropriate place to go all
necessary relief but also to
really focus on expanding our
primary care infrastructure
across the commonwealth
of massachusetts urgent care we
want to do a globe article on
JANUARY 25th about cvs its
expansion into this space
of providing urgent care.
There's lots of skepticism
about whether they can actually
deliver because of staffing
challenges they don't provide
continuity, comprehensive care
and continuity of care and when
you hand off care, who do they
refer to and do this?
Does the patient have a timely
response and follow up?
So there's lots of questions.
I'm really excited to
participate in this hearing
because I think it's vitally
important that we get a handle
on the needs of our community
broadly not just not just in
the particular instance that
councilor flinders is
referencing but I think it's an
important conversation to had
and please out my name thank
you councilor breadon is anyone
else looking to speak on this
matter?
Would anyone in addition to
councilor breadon like to add
their name?
MR. Clerk please please add
councilors breadon calata
durkin fitzgerald.
Maria pippen.
Santana webber while and please
have the chair thank you doctor
number 0264 will be referred to
the committee on public health
,homelessness and recovery.
MR. Clerk would you please read
docket number 026560.
mr. Clerk I'd for the record
can we reflect councilor tanya
fernando anderson is now
PRESIDENT With the council.
Thank you.
MR. Clerk can you please read
docket number 0265.0265
councilors webber and louijeune
offer the following order for a
hearing to explore a right to
councilor pilot program for
tenants facing eviction in the
city of boston.
Councilor webber you now have
the floor for what I believe is
your maiden speech.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
Before I begin, I would like to
take a second to thank you and
my 12 council colleagues.
You've all been incredibly
welcoming and I look forward to
serving with all of you even
though at least one of you is
way better than me and caitlyn
bolling so but also, MADAM
PRESIDENT, I would like to
suspend the rules and add
councilor breadon as a
co-sponsor.
I see no objections.
Councilor weber seeks
suspension of the rules add
councilor breadon as a third
original co-sponsor seeing no
objections.
Councilor breadon is so out
of council weber you now have
the floor.
Thank you.
While running for city
council I received a phone call
from a woman named marion west
roxbury.
She said she saw that I was
running.
She heard I was an attorney and
she was calling me for help.
Mary was a senior senior
citizen and was being kicked
out of her housing.
She said it's crazy.
I have lived here all my life.
I'm on a fixed income and now I
can't afford to live here.
I don't know where I'll go.
It was the kind of call I've
gotten periodically an attorney
for the last 18 years.
I connected mary with some
advocates who helped her to
eventually find housing.
But even the threat of being
evicted and having to navigate
a complex confusing legal
system without any help where
the result could be
homelessness was incredibly
stressful.
Eviction proceedings are
complex procedures where you
really want to have an
attorney.
The reality is that when people
are threatened with eviction
they often face a lopsided
playing field.
The numbers are simply
outrageous.
According to the massachusetts
housing court database
approximately 95% of landlords
here in massachusetts are
represented by councilor in
eviction proceedings due to
nonpayment of rent while less
than 4% of tenants facing
eviction in those cases have an
attorney.
In a 2018 decision, former
supreme judicial court chief
judge ralph katz summarized the
landscape here by writing that
eviction cases are quote
complex, fast moving and
generally litigated by
landlords who are represented
by attorneys and tenants who
are not.
And judge cancels not being
facetious about the fast moving
part tenants generally have
less than seven weeks from the
time they are issued with a
notice to quit from the time
they are removed from their
housing.
In an eye opening article by
harvard law school professor
esm\ camillo, she highlighted
how the lack of representation
for tenants has real
consequences.
The landlords lawyer knows what
facts are relevant and what
documents to file.
The landlord's lawyer is fluent
in english.
The landlord's lawyer has
access to the internet and a
printer.
The landlord's lawyer knows
what a hearing looks like.
Lastly, lawyer knows what
deadlines are, what deadlines
are which in housing court are
exceptionally tight.
It's simply unfair and that is
not to suggest that landlords
or their attorneys are doing
anything wrong.
We have an adversarial legal
system and landlords and a
landlords attorney has an
ethical obligation to zealously
advocate for her client and
obtain the best results
available under the law.
The results when the other side
doesn't have representation
however, are sadly predictable
.
Nearly 25% of tenants lose
their housing cases by default.
That is they never even make it
to trial because they failed to
show up in court or failed to
file important court documents
on time because they simply
don't understand the court's
complex rules.
Tenants who are represented
meanwhile end up with default
judgments less than 5% of the
cases even unrepresented tend
to make it to court and make
the filings rarely make it to
trial because they settle as
expected.
These settlements are generally
one sided where tenants either
agree to vacate their homes or
agree to conditions that are
impossible to meet.
A recent law review article by
another harvard law school
professor nicole reviewed 1000
massachusetts housing court
settlements and found that they
were so one sided she called
them quote civil probation.
The housing laws in the
commonwealth are intended to
promote public health, prevent
discrimination and prevent
homelessness.
We have some of the strongest
housing laws in the country but
the lack of representation
means that they aren't given a
chance to satisfy their purpose
due to the housing crisis.
Evictions are on the rise.
We have a housing shortage here
and the cost of housing for
renters often rises by double
digits.
As a result, evictions are also
on the rise in boston.
In the last year eviction
filings rose by more than 40%
in suffolk county.
There can be no doubt that
evictions have a discriminatory
impact.
Studies have consistently shown
that renters living in black
and latinx are evicted at
significantly higher rates than
renters living in predominantly
white neighborhoods.
Moreover, a recent study found
that single were the most at
risk for eviction.
Meanwhile, undocumented
immigrants are reluctant to
even go to court to assert
their rights and simply leave
their housing when served
notice to criminals of the time
.
Right to councilor programs
keep people in their homes.
Right to councilor programs
have a clear track record
of success.
They reduce eviction filings,
allow tenants time to find new
housing and they lessen the
burden on government resources
.
During the covid 19 pandemic,
the commonwealth stepped up and
funded the covid eviction legal
help project which among other
things provided legal
representation to tenants in
housing court.
The program kept 70%
of represented tenants in their
homes and gave another 20%
of tenants more time to find a
place to live.
A 90% success rate for people
with representation.
Cities including new york and
cleveland and the states
of connecticut and washington
have boosted access to
councilor for tenants who end
up in housing court with
similar results.
Moreover, an important part
of a right to councilor program
a here in boston would provide
representation to protect the
rights of small landlords
providing them with councilor.
I would also make sure owner
occupier landlords are able
navigate the system and stay on
the right side of the law and
that is a vital point.
An access to councilor program
does not create new rights for
either landlords or tenants.
It simply seeks to make sure
that there already existing
rights are protected.
And as other cities and states
have already found doing this
will actually save money.
Evictions have a cascading
effect on families and the
community leading to the use
of extensive public resources
from entering shelters to
relying on mental health
supports.
But by keeping more tenants
their homes when evictions do
take place it creates fair
terms for tenants and we save
taxpayer dollars.
When the boston bar association
evaluated a right to
councilor program in 2020, they
can serve it of lee estimated
that for every $1 spent on
providing an attorney it would
save taxpayers $2.40 of public
resources that would have
otherwise been spent on shelter
services.
And this number does not even
include savings on other
services such as mental health
supports.
Connecticut, meanwhile,
estimated that its access to
councilor program saved the
state $6 million in 2022.
Let's keep people have this and
preserve public resources.
I represented farmworkers as an
attorney at texas rio grande
legal aid and represented
workers across the country with
both the attorney general's
office and lipton and was
reared and I saw firsthand how
powerful it was for workers to
learn that they had rights and
that there were people willing
to help them enforce those
rights.
We can do the same for seniors
like mary in west roxbury.
We will be joining a growing
chorus seeing the need to fix a
glaring problem with housing
here in the commonwealth.
Governor healey recently
proposed including $3.5 million
in the state budget for an
access to councilor program for
tenants.
State senator sal de domenico
and representative day have
proposed state legislation
funding a broader right to
councilor program statewide.
We can help support these
efforts by establishing a right
to councilor pilot here in
boston and ensure that the
basic needs of our residents
are met.
The right to councilor is a
bedrock of our democracy.
The supreme court recognized
the fundamental right to
councilor in criminal
proceedings in 1963 in gideon
versus wainwright and the
massachusetts supreme judicial
court also found that indigent
parents had a constitutional
right to councilor on
termination of parental rights
cases in the 1970s.
It has been shown that
providing access to
councilor in housing cases
protects one of the most basic
needs a right to have a roof
over your head.
And thinking about this hearing
order I was reminded reminded
about another case involving my
first employer tiahleigh during
a lawsuit in the early 1980s
which was long before my time.
It came out while speaking to
growers at an onion while
speaking to growers about an
onion picker strike.
A texas county sheriff stated
and I quote I think that truly
is the problem because their
supplying these people with the
information and they're telling
them all about the federal laws
and everything.
That quote became a motto and a
mission statement for truly for
the last 40 years.
Like my former colleagues
literally I hope the members
of this council will join me in
being part of the problem by
providing boston's neediest
residents with the information
about housing laws and an
advocate to ensure that their
basic rights are protected.
That is why I am filing this
hearing order today.
I would like to thank the MADAM
PRESIDENT and council brainard
for co-sponsoring this hearing
order.
I would also like to thank
deputy director daniel john
johnson from the office
of housing stability who is
already doing incredible work
on this issue along with
greater boston legal services
and harvard legal aid for
already working in this space.
I'd also like to thank my staff
aaron branum, jordan frias and
melissa beltran for doing an
incredible amount of work in a
very short period of time to
help me put this together.
I look forward to working with
my colleagues and the
administration.
thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
Congratulations, counselor
weber, on your maiden speech.
You are now unleashed to speak
on the floor and I thought that
was a fantastic maiden speech
and I'm so excited to work on
this issue with you to be a
co-sponsor on this docket to
realize a legal needs
of residents in the city
of boston as they face eviction
.
Two of the people you
mentioned, nicole and esm\ were
two people who I worked with
closely as colleagues at the
harvard legal aid bureau when
we were inundated with
evictions which as you stated
affect our most vulnerable
populations our woman woman
of color, woman of color with
children.
So I'm so excited to be in
partnership with you on this
work and for your presence on
the council that you would have
the know how to to introduce
this as your maiden speech.
So thank you again, counselor
weber um, the chair now
recognizes councilor breadon,
another original co-sponsor on
this docket.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT and
congratulations, counselor
weber and thank you for
including me as an original
co-sponsor.
This is a critically important
issue and I think you hit all
the points with regard to how
incredibly necessary this is to
try to level the playing field
and, allow tenants to have more
support when they face the very
difficult and challenging
situation with the threat
of with with the threat of an
eviction.
I also am glad that you also
included the the issue
of trying to protect the rights
of small landlords folks who
are owner occupiers and find
themselves in the really
heartbreaking situation where
they MAY have to ask the tenant
to leave.
It's a very difficult situation
for all concerned.
And I also would like to show
that the necessity of mediation
services until we can probably
avoid getting to the point
of having to go to court at
all.
But this is a critically
important issue and thank you
so much for bringing forward
congratulations again on your
speech.
Thank you, councilor breadon.
Councilor coletta, you now have
the floor.
Thank you so much, MADAM
PRESIDENT.
I rise to just congratulate
you, councilor weber and
commend your leadership in
bringing this to the floor.
A stable home situation means
stability in all facets
of life.
We've seen an alarming increase
in housing shortages, evictions
and ultimately displacement.
It seems like every single week
we receive a call from somebody
who is getting evicted and they
don't know what to do or how to
protect themselves and we help
as best as we can by providing
information to resources like
you mentioned greater boston
legal services to represent
them in housing court.
The attorneys are simply
overwhelmed and at capacity and
that's with us turning away
many individuals.
So building their capacity
should be something that we
consider.
But this idea is not only
needed, it is vital for the
survival of folks and the
mental health and well-being
of many.
We can look to sister cities
and lean in with state agencies
and state partners to obtain
earmarks.
So I look forward to those
conversations and helping the
best that I can.
But just congratulations and
report to the work.
Thank you.
County clerk of the chair now
recognizes councilor mejia.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
And I want to say
congratulation to my colleague.
I think it's so important when
we file legislation and put
forth things that we do so with
our heart and purpose and
passion.
And I think that that's what
our constituents want is for us
to fight for them.
And so I'm really excited to
have you here on the colleague
fighting for those folks who
often feel and unheard and
thank you for tackling on such
an issue like this.
Having worked with women who
are transitioning out
of welfare back in the day I
remember having to go to court
and I felt like erin brockovich
because I understand the first
thing about supporting them but
it was incredibly frustrating
to be ping pong from space to
space trying to advocate for
folks who didn't have
representation and as someone
who was just a case manager I
understand how difficult it is
to advocate for folks like
that.
So I just want to say thank you
for your leadership in this
space.
I look forward to being a
champion and utilizing my
platform to being the big mouth
that I know that I can be to
ensure that we we do everything
in our power to move these
things along.
So thank you for your
leadership in the space and
congratulations to your staff
for getting you this far.
Looking forward to going all
the way.
Thank you.
Councilor durkan, you now have
the floor.
Thank you so much
council PRESIDENT Louijeune and
thank you so much
councilor weber for your
leadership here.
I thought it was beautiful that
you have lifted your new
constituent mary's issue then I
think the best the best
legislation that we can come up
with is really one that comes
to us because someone reached
out with a problem.
So thank you so much and it's
an honor to see two lawyers
partnering together on this and
to have that leadership as well
on the council so so excited
and thank you so much for
everything and can't wait to
partner with you in the future
and it was an honor to share
and something like our last
meeting and it's just an
incredible thing to have
another lawyer on the council.
So thank you.
Some of us want to be lawyers
but only two are so thank you.
Thank you.
Councilor durkin, three years
of law school hardened careers
council you now have the floor
and I thank you, MADAM
PRESIDENT and congratulation
councilor webb on your maiden
speech and I'm at the get you
on a bowling alley to see to
play yet thank you for just
putting people first leading
with your passion and it's just
trying to level the playing
field as a real estate
professional I see firsthand
how those playing fields are
not leveled and I think a
coordinated effort is much
needed here in the city
of boston to help our tenants.
Three fourths of our population
are tenants so you speak up for
the people when you lead on
with this policy.
So thank you for bringing
forward this and looking
forward to working with you on
the council so thank you
councilor around the chair and
recognizes
councilor fernanda anderson
thank you.
MADAM PRESIDENT and every time
I say that I feel like I'm
going to say she's the queen to
be.
Thank you councilor canadians
you now have the pleasure to
see their castle.
However, I am thoroughly
impressed.
Thank you so very much for
being so thorough and so
sincere and genuine over the
last couple of weeks or so
we've connected and look
forward to communicating some
more and working together.
But what I got from you is just
a sense of patience and truly
compassion and interest in the
work.
So I look forward to that and
congratulations on your maiden
speech, your official act.
I look forward to more.
Thank you.
And MADAM PRESIDENT, are we
doing a picture with this
family or folks that are do you
have your folks here?
Yes.
Thank you.
Cameraman andrew anderson, that
camera.
But would you like to take a
photo with your family and
loved ones who are here for
your maiden speech?
Awesome.
Well, okay.
I really think they don't leave
me alone.
Come on.
Yes.
Oh, sure.
However, do you and your what
what kind of come up here?
Yeah.
Come on.
No, no, no.
Come on.
Get in there.
Are your staff here?
We got your well, I think you.
Yeah.
I can't do anything.
MR. Clerk, will you please read
it out?
Congratulations again,
counselor weber.
I think as everyone stated, I
look we look forward to working
with you the housing legal aid
attorney in me is very excited
to work on this with you and
congratulations again.
Would anyone like to add their
name?
MR. Clerk please add counselors
cleta durkin, fernando anderson
fitzgerald, flynn midkiff peck,
ben santana, weber, al murphy
and please add the chair.
Docket number 0265 will be
referred to the committee on
housing and community
development.
MR. Clerk would you please read
docket number 02660266
councilor for ananda sanderson
offer the following order for a
hearing to discuss creating a
fund for translation and
interpretive services to be
utilized at community meetings
held by city councilors.
Thank you, MR. Clerk.
The chair recognizes counselor
fernando anderson.
Counselor, you have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I'm happy to offer to offer
this as I consider it a very
important matter that all
of our constituents be able to
fully participate in the
democratic process.
About one out of every eight
adults in our city has a
limited proficiency in english
language and in many of our
communities the numbers rise to
areas between one fourth to one
third.
Boston is an international city
and that is that boston is an
international city that is home
to many who come from lands
where languages other than
english are spoken such as
spanish, vietnamese, cape verde
and creole chinese as well as
many others.
Many members of these
communities often speak english
but it is in their native that
many remain most proficient at
such folks are integral members
of our community working hard,
raising children, buying and
rent homes and more.
And yet when it comes time to
being able to fully involve our
citizens and constituents they
find that language barriers
limit their ability to fully
engage in the process.
It is essential that they be
able to obtain all relevant
information that can be gleaned
from community meetings from
their elected officials and
others in positions of civic
authority.
And while we are fortunate to
have the language and
communications services under
the city's auspicious they are
auspices they are not able to
currently assist councilors due
to how the council budget is
allocated.
This creates a problematic
situation in which individual
councilors must utilize funds
from their own office budgets
or rather their own campaign
budgets in order to provide
interpreting services for civic
meetings.
And yet we are fortunate to
have within our midst a number
of nonprofits that do great
work in regards to translation
interpretation services such as
found in translation and
english for new bostonians
among others.
For example found in
translation already offers
translation services for
communities forums.
So so as a possible partnership
with them for example could be
in line with the vision I am
putting for us here.
So it seems to me that there
are mechanisms in place by
which we could provide these
services if we tweaked our
budget to reflect the
imperative need of our
councilors to provide them.
Therefore I look forward to
working with you all and
holding a hearing with the
office of language and
communication services relevant
non-profits, community
stakeholders and others to
discuss the possibility
of creating a fund for
interpretive and translation
services for city councilors to
utilize during community
meetings.
Thank you.
Thank you councilor fernando
anderson.
Would anyone else like to speak
on this matter?
Would anyone else like to add
their name?
MR. Clerk please add councilors
breadon coletta durkin
fitzgerald.
Flynn murphy, ben santana
webber and please add the chair
this docket.
Thank you doc in numbers 0266
will be referred to the
committee on city services and
innovation technology.
MR. Clerk, would you please
read docket number 0267 so I
can number 0267 council as
murphy and flynn offered the
following order for him to
address the plans underway to
do facilities work this summer
at several of our buildings
that MAY impact the services we
provide for our children,
families and seniors.
thank you.
The chair recognizes
councilor murphy.
Councilor, you now have the
floor.
Thank you.
I filed this hearing with
councilor flynn to discuss the
possible disruptions at many
of our b cyf camps and summer
school sites as the city
continues its much needed
facilities work this summer.
As many of you know bc cyf
serves thousands families with
a wide range of programing in
summer camps for our youth and
employs hundreds of city kids
each summer.
Many of our community centers
are located close to housing
developments and serve our most
vulnerable children.
Boston public schools utilizes
many of these school buildings
for summer school camp joy and
the extended school year
program which is a five week
summer program for our students
with disabilities.
Councilor flynn and I both
parents know firsthand how
stressful it is to coordinate
safe enriching plans for our
children each summer and
parents know that you start
this in the fall, maybe JANUARY
you feel like you're late if
you haven't already secured and
know exactly where and at what
times your children will be
during the summer months.
It's our priority to bring all
stakeholders together to make
sure we are communicating
between city departments and
including those communities
that will be most negatively
impacted.
Closing any one of our B.C. Y
of community centers or summer
school sites can have a major
impact on our families.
So we look forward to holding
this hearing to discuss these
possible closures and be
prepared with alternative plans
to support our residents.
Many of you who were here last
year know that I filed this
hearing last year with
councilor baker.
Many of the employees at these
centers.
Teachers at dps who teach
summer school and families were
grateful that we were lifting
their voices.
So I'm looking forward to
having this hearing again.
Like we said at that hearing
then we're very I'm very
grateful that a lot of this
h-back work and other upgrades
to our buildings are much
needed so we don't want to get
in the way of fixing our
buildings but we want to make
sure that our families to
partake in any summer
programing for their children
or seniors also that use these
community centers that will be
shut down that transportation
and other necessary city
services are put into place
well in advance so everyone is
prepared.
So thank you.
Thank you, councilor murphy.
Councilor flynn, would you like
to contribute?
Would anyone else like to speak
on this matter?
Would anyone else like to add
their name?
MR. Clerk, please add
councilors breadon coletta
durkan fernanda anderson
fitzgerald pepin santana
webber.
And please add the chair.
Thank you.
Docket you.
Docket number 0267 will be
referred to the committee on
city services and innovation
technology.
Could I ask about the committee
placement?
Sure.
Well, the committee on strong
women families and communities
concerns itself with
stabilizing communities and
show work with, as you know,
other related issues for youth
adult families ensuring their
needs are met, delivering human
human services and programing
for our youth, family and
seniors.
Yes councilor murphy I thought
about that committee as well
this when we're talking about
city facilities that to me and
we're talking about city
services that to me strikes in
the committee of city services
innovation technology.
However, the facilities there
the strong women and I'm happy
to place them in that no I know
it's just saying the
facilities.
We know the work is being done.
Last year we wanted to hear
because we weren't sure yet but
now that we know that work is
being done I think it's
coordinating with the
departments that are delivering
the social services.
I'm fine placing in that
committee especially because
we've placed a lot in the city
services committee and I know
that you chair the strong women
and families committee happy to
place in that committee.
councilor murphy.
Thank you.
Okay.
We are now moving on to oh.
MR. Clerk, if you could place
docket number 0267 in strong
women communities and families.
Thank you.
We are now moving on to docket
number 0268.
MR. Clerk, can you please read
docket number 02680268
councilor oral law for the
following order for a hearing
to discuss boston public
schools budget for fiscal year
2025 the chair recognizes
councilor oral counselor around
you now have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I like to suspend the rules and
add counselor for now jenison
as an original co-sponsor.
Seeing no objections, counselor
fernanda anderson is added as
an original co-sponsor casa
oral you now have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I'm proud to offer my first
order as a ways and means chair
and it's extremely important
one because it affects our
students.
As each day passes we are faced
with pressing challenges that
affect the educational
experiences of our students and
we must take action to address
these concerns.
We know that federal funds have
allowed bpf to delay inevitable
closures and painful mergers
but we also know that those
funds are now running dry.
But once allowed for increasing
diversity among our faculty, a
new program for our students
now has us confronting a fiscal
cliff.
We know that the district is
changing how it teaches
majority of our students which
brings new challenges.
We need to figure out.
Navigating this will require
both community input and our
council's oversight.
We also know that programs like
the fifth quarter and summer
learning academies are
producing real, real results
showing us why we need to keep
investing in stem education to
help our students learn and
grow.
With that said, this is the
right time to start a
conversation with beps and
understand and the budget
before the school committee
approved it in MARCH.
So the school committee will be
approving the budget in MARCH.
So this is just giving us as
counselors an opportunity to
collaborate with the
administration to help
influence and bring our
constituent voices to the
table.
My office has started working
with bp's and
superintendent skipper to
ensure that this council can
exercise oversight duties and
open pathways to advocacy in
the coming months.
Councils can expect to have one
on one meetings with bp as well
as a budgetary briefing which
will be followed by a working
session.
This year we are committed to a
collaborative approach to the
budget process ensuring that
the voices of our constituents
are heard in the decision
making process in our schools
budget.
Let us make this an opportunity
to showcase our unwavering
commitment to the students and
the families of boston.
Thank you.
Councilor earl cameron.
Angie anderson, you now have
the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I second of course everything
that my brother in service
council role has stated
of course very grateful for you
adding me this and looking
forward to our partnership to
work on this.
I can't tell you how proud I am
that you are our chair of ways
and means looking forward to
supporting you in whatever way
I can as well as your vice
chair councilor pepin and just
overall like in terms of budget
for veeps I know that in the
last couple of years you have
been a strong advocate in
understanding and increased
oversight.
You have also
created partnerships or
collaborations to advocate for
the needs in dps whereas some
areas need increased
allocation, some area needs
decreased allocations and we
can of course this this is the
job right?
We can all get together at a
table with vips and the
committee and our ministry our
mayor and look at what can we
change, how can we improve it.
And I think the more oversight
the better.
So looking forward to the work.
I'm so proud of you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Councilor fernando anderson
county collector, you now have
the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I rise again to thank the MAY
maker and thank you for your
steadfast leadership on this um
on this topic matter.
I've often opined publicly in
officials that by the time that
the budget is presented to us
it's fully baked veep's
appearance before us they
present their powerpoints, we
ask our questions and there's
very little transparency about
multi-year spending
differentials and that
obscurity negatively impacts
our ability to effectively
advocate for advocate for our
constituents.
After these budget hearings
there's usually very little
change and we have little
leverage to embed meaningful
changes through the budget
process.
It's extremely frustrating and
ends with a simple yes or no
vote.
And this was a point
of contention when we tried to
amend the city charter to
better say over our budgetary
authority.
It was eventually taken out
of that proposal and now we
have of course the ability to
amend line items just in the
operating budget and so maybe
there's a chance that we can
get back there but for now this
is the system that we have
inherited with the surf cliff
looming large and declining
enrollment and wade funding
decreasing as a result.
This conversation is necessary
and having a conversation with
me before this budget gets to
us in the school committee i
think will be very productive.
So I want to thank you for
bringing this forth.
Thank you.
Councilor coletta, is anyone
else looking to speak on this
matter?
Casimir, you now have the floor
and thank you to my colleague.
As you all know, I'm a graduate
of parents a fierce advocate
and I started my own nonprofit
organization to hold us
accountable so much so that I
entered this chamber to
continue to do that work.
And it's so frustrating that
every single budget season we
have the same conversation and
yet again the only thing that
changes are the characters that
are before us, right?
So I'm really looking forward
to having a very different
conversation as it relates to
beps because I gave them a pass
last year because we had a new
superintend and I really wanted
to make sure that we worked
alongside the administration so
that we can meet the moment.
But now we have an opportunity
to really make sure that we
know what accountability looks
like and that we bring the
voices of the people into this
chamber so that we can actually
really fight for people the way
that we've been elected to do
so.
So really looking forward to
doing that alongside you in
your leadership in this round
because I believe that this is
what this moment is asking for
is for us to really hold beps
to the fire as it relates to
the dollars that we have been
spending and that we need to
see a return on that investment
because I believe we can't keep
doing business as usual and
expect different results
because otherwise people are
just going to feel like we're
just more blah blah blah.
So really looking forward to
your leadership under this
space.
And congratulations to carlo
santana who's going to be
overseeing beps.
I think that we have an amazing
opportunity to really change
the conversation and really
finally give people what
they've been literally dying
for.
So looking forward to being a
big voice in that space.
Thank you.
Mejia the chair recognizes
councilor murphy.
Oh, sorry.
Sorry.
I'm sorry.
Thank you, councilor.
We're all looking forward to it
.
I've often said that one or two
meetings for a $1.4 billion
budget that bp has is not
enough.
And you've already said and my
colleagues who have been
through it before that the
slide shows that we already
know don't give us the answers
that we need.
We have an interim cfo.
Right.
And they could have has left so
we don't have the cfo that has
been there for a long time and
really understands the
questions we're going to ask.
So I'm looking forward to these
hearings before the actual
budget season kicks in.
As many of you know as a
teacher, a parent, a dps, a
student myself and I voted
against the budget the last two
times the only one last year
because one of the biggest
reasons is they continue to not
invest their lack of investment
in the athletics arts before
and after school programing but
also asking the questions that
you're going to be asking in
this hearing.
So looking forward to it.
Fearful about these esser funds
that we all know are going to
dry up what is going to happen
because we know schools are
starting to see the crunch and
starting to see that and it's
always the last teachers in or
it's the art and science
teacher that get cut.
So making sure that these
conversations are had early so
that when the budget season
does come we can really
advocate for funds directly
line item where we need them.
So thank you for your
leadership on this.
Thank you, councilor murphy.
Councilor flynn, you now have
the floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair and I
want to acknowledge and
congratulate brian
council overall on this role
and I know he'll do a
tremendous job.
So thank you councilor all that
I'm sure I just said to two
quick questions am I able to
ask council or all the
questions to you through me?
Yes.
When when we vote on the city
council budget as it relates to
the public public education the
first time in if it doesn't
pass do we have the ability to
go back several weeks later to
vote on it a second time as in
the past and again I've always
I've always voted in favor
of the city of the public
education budget but just as a
point of of parliamentary
related issues if we vote
against vote no, does that mean
we have 2 to 3 weeks to come
back again in in reconsider it
through the chair if the
councilor would like to answer
the question or I could take
that on it and it's a
discussion that you can have
this on my prior knowledge
based on the date on when the
votes happen it's it's possible
it depends on when the vote
actually happens.
It's my understanding.
Councilor moira, would you.
Yeah there's two votes.
I guess what we're trying to do
here is the beeps budget when
we get the opportunity to vote
on it all we're doing is
allocating the fines so it's
already passed through their
governing board the school
committee.
So this is giving us more
influence hopefully to to bring
our voices our advocacy on
effect in the actual budget
before it actually comes to us
just to allocate the funds.
Right.
So we're taking trying to get a
closer look at that.
So numbers in the program and
in in the dollars instead
of the the progressed the
program that they just bring it
to us in the typical budget
cycle but but yes we do have
two votes on the budget on the
two that's two votes on the
capital and it's one it's one
vote on beps.
But I think it depends on how
it's voted on.
You could potentially bring it
up for an additional vote.
MADAM Chair, I, I just wanted
to highlight again I'm not
recommending this but I've
always voted as I mentioned in
favor of the public education
budget.
But city council is do have the
right or the option to vote no
on the public education budget
.
Then the beep would come back
again, present their budget,
maybe make changes based on
what the recommendations are
and then vote on it two or
three weeks later.
That was always the process.
I don't know if that's still if
that's still the case.
MR. Clerk you've seen that
before.
I also yes.
So MR. Clerk is stating that
there are times when they vote
against it the mayor files and
then there's another vote on
the budget that's so there are
times when it's one vote there
but it all depends on the
timing based on when we are
required to to vote on the
budget by the end of JUNE.
Councilor warren, would you
okay and then thank you, MADAM
Chair and thank you MR. Clerk
then my final my final question
is we certainly have a migrant
crisis here in the city
of boston.
Are we able to consider that
now as we prepare for some
of these young people going
into our schools?
do we need to provide dps with
additional funds to ensure that
our young families are given
the best education social
services to be as well or would
that come back during the
budget time control if you
would like to address
councilor flynn's question
yeah, great question and these
are the conversations and
questions and investments that
we should be asking beps to see
what type of investments are
going towards, you know, our
children that are newcomers to
the city of boston.
So these are the questions that
we want to have to see and
understand where investments in
programs are going towards
prior to being voted on in
school committee.
So that's a great question for
when we have in this working
session with beeps thank you
councilor world thank you
councilor worrell and also yes
it comes from flynn.
Those are questions that we can
ask more of in the workings
after the hearing I think it's
great that we're getting beeps
in the door as soon as possible
so that we can ask these
questions and really take a
look deeper look at the budget.
So thank you to councilor about
for filing this and I look
forward to this hearing with
boston public schools.
I as a grad myself I care
deeply about our schools and
meeting the needs of every
single one of them and the
power that we have really is
through the budget.
So thank you would anyone else
like to speak on this matter?
Councilor fernanda anderson you
have the floor you really just
need to have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
Just to be clear and thank you
so much, councilor flynn for
your questions and for your
grace MADAM MADAM PRESIDENT,
for allowing conversation.
But yes, totally agree should
go to a hearing.
Let's talk about in hearing
let's ask in hearing or working
session it's just to be clear
for those at home if you vote
no on the beps budget if we
vote no on the budget, it goes
to rule 112 essentially that
every 30 or so days or 31 so
every month you'd have to we
would have to come back and
review the budget until it
passes or just continues and
that's what we call the 112 so
one vote it's a no it goes to
112 thank you thank you comes
from an indigenous and I
believe it depends on when that
no vote happens the one that
kicks in after JUNE 30th.
So if there are more votes
prior so okay well we have a
working session in a hearing
where we'll discuss this in
further detail.
Would anyone else like to add
their name MR. Clerk please add
councilor breadon coletta
durkin fernanda anderson cruz
fitzgerald flynn maria murphy,
pippin santana weber and please
add the chair this docket will
be referred to the committee on
ways and means.
MR. Clerk would you please read
docket number 0269 duncan
number 0269 councilor flynn for
the following resolution
recognizing JANUARY 27 as
international holocaust
remembrance day.
thank you.
The chair recognizes
councilor flynn.
Councilor flynn, you now have
the floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
MADAM Chair, I provided a
document that's a substitute
for the previous previous
docket resolution.
I just want to ensure that that
paperwork is on everyone's desk
before I go forward.
Yes.
Does everyone have the
substitution on their desk?
Yes.
So flynn, are you making a
motion to substitute?
Yes, I am.
Okay.
Seeing as that motion seconded.
Seconded.
So seeing no objections the
motion for substitution is
allowed casual flynn you now
have the floor.
Thank you.
Thank you MADAM Chair.
On JANUARY 27, 2024 was
international holocaust
remembrance day.
This day was adopted by the
united nations general assembly
and 2005 to commemorate the
liberation of auschwitz in
poland in JANUARY 1945.
We must reaffirm our commitment
in our responsibility as
citizens to ensure that these
horrific atrocities will never
be forgotten and that the
memories of these atrocities
will contribute towards the
prevention of mass crimes,
genocide and crimes against
humanity.
I hope we can suspend in pass
this resolution today.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
thank you.
Councilor flynn, would anyone
else like to speak?
The chair recognizes
councilor weber now unleashed
if you'll regret that.
But so you know as a as a
jewish person I just I'd like
to thank councilor flynn for
for introducing this resolution
.
Um, you know, as as a as a
jewish kid growing up in the
1980s, the this is only three
3540 years after the holocaust
and I felt like the scars
of that were were visible.
You know we had a woman who
worked in the cafeteria at my
elementary school um, who would
yell at us to be quiet and a
thick german accent and you
could see the tattoo on her
arm.
It was a daily reminder of of
the atrocities and you know, as
as as wounds heal I just I
don't know what are our kids
you know know about this and
it's it's very important that
we make sure that they they
know what happened during the
holocaust.
I also just like to point out
that holocaust remembrance day
is not just limited and it's is
in the resolution not just
limited to jewish people.
It's to recognize the millions
of other people, you know, who
were exterminated, you know, by
the nazis and their
collaborators.
And so, you know, I just think
it's an important thing that we
recognize.
And again, thank you to the
council.
Thank you, councilor weber,
would anyone else like to speak
on this matter?
I'll just say thank you and I
especially appreciate
councilor weber, your personal
reflections on this matter.
I had the opportunity to visit
the how concentration camp
right outside of munich,
germany and it is something
that will forever stay with
me for the jewish people who
died in the holocaust and the
political dissidents who were
and who were there maybe
collectively say never again oh
would anyone else like to add
their name?
MR. Clerk please add councilors
breadon coletta durkin,
fernanda anderson fitzgerald,
maria murphy, ben santana weber
worrall please of the chair
castro francis suspension
of the rules and passage
of docket number 0269 all those
in favor say all those opposed
say no thank you.
Docket number 0269 has passed.
Oh, okay.
Six suspension of the rules and
adoption of docket numbers 36
nine all those in favor say
aye.
All those opposed any thank
you.
Docket number 0269 is passed.
Mr clerk, would you please read
docket number 0270 docking
number 0270 of council is for
ananda sanderson and coletta
offer the following resolution
in support of the legislature
of the commonwealth
of massachusetts to pass the
cherish act.
Thank you, mr clerk.
The chair recognizes
councilor fernando anderson.
Thank you.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I like to
suspend rule 12 and add
yourself council PRESIDENT
Louijeune seeing no objections
hereby added thank you.
Thank you again and to my
co-sponsors and of course to
the community leaders here
today and MADAM PRESIDENT,
thank you so much for on my
behalf presenting the citation
earlier.
As you all know, our public
colleges and universities are
among the greatest resource in
our state.
Higher education represents a
possible pathway to economic
mobility is an inherent good
through the production
of knowledge it creates and
graduates our public
universities are more likely to
stay in massachusetts
contributing to our collective
cultural, social and economic
well-being.
The majority of black, brown
and first generation students
attend public colleges and
universities and it is vital
that they continue to provide
educational opportunities to
students who MAY not otherwise
be able to afford or access
college.
This is especially important in
light of the fact that there
remain systemic racism and
class inequities that our black
brown immigrant and working
class students must overcome
such inequities result in lower
college enrollment and
graduation rates particularly
for our black and latino
students.
Tens of thousands attend
college but are unable to
graduate due to economic
hardship, family
responsibilities and more.
While a whopping 700,000 people
in the state have earned some
credits but have not graduated
from college, the state has
additional funds now via the
fair share amendment that is
already being used toward our
public schools and
transportation system and could
also be used to assist our
working class students receive
needed funds to pursue their
education.
These funds could help our
students graduate debt free so
that they don't graduate in a
five or six figure four hole
before they are even to find a
job.
The funds from the cherish act
could also help us properly
invest in academic staff
allowing us to pay them be
competitive salaries they
deserve in order to hire and
retain first rate professors
and other professionals in our
universities.
Now based on the importance
of this proposal, I ask my
colleagues to join me and
councilor clara and
council PRESIDENT Louijeune to
suspend and pass this
resolution today.
Thank you so much and to bring
the higher education act to all
to our state.
Thank you.
Thank you, counselor finance
anderson the chair recognizes
classical letter classical
letter the floor is yours.
Thank you vice chair and I want
to thank everybody in
attendance for their advocacy
namely the higher ed for all
massachusetts teachers
association.
and I want to give a shout out
to my former local government
and policy professor caroline
kasha for contacting me through
her capacity as faculty staff
union rep PRESIDENT At umass
boston.
I am a proud product of all
public education institutions
from first grade until I
graduated college I would have
been there for kindergarten but
I MISS A deadline because my
birthday is different story.
I know how important it is to
have all these systems well
resourced so our children can
live to their fullest potential
and they're incredible staff
fully compensated to embolden
and shape young minds.
More and more americans are
going to college as tuition
increases to it.
Tuition has recently grown at
the fastest at public
institutions for which tuition
has gone up 65% since 2000.
Obtaining a degree from a
higher ed institution is
increasingly becoming out
of reach for many who do not
qualify for financial aid or
there are those like me who
have taken out thousands
of dollars in student loans in
hopes of gaining the necessary
skills to become a productive
member of society.
We know that there are
reverberating effects that
impact the economic prosperity
of these individuals like
owning a home, buying a car and
family planning.
Passing the cherish act means
properly investing in the
commonwealth's most important
engine of democracy opportunity
and economic prosperity.
it enables more people to
benefit from public education
public higher education by
increasing scholarship aid to
provide debt free college for
students, creating a debt free
community college program and
for four year reverse
universities subsequently
eliminating student fees
related to capital debt, fringe
benefits and payroll costs.
And so I want to thank the lead
sponsors up at the state house
rep gabrielli duffy senators
comerford, kennedy, mark and
all of their all of area excuse
me and I just respectfully
asked my colleagues in spending
on passing this resolution
thank you.
Thank you, councilor coletta.
MADAM PRESIDENT, the floor is
yours.
Thank you, mr chair.
I want to thank my colleagues
councilor financially anderson
and councilor coletta for adamy
and for the advocacy.
I want to thank mta and higher
ed for all for all of your work
and for being with us here in
chambers as highlighted by my
colleagues public our public
higher education system has
faced significant funding cuts
over the years leading to
soaring college costs and an
alarming increase in student
debt.
The church act would be a
transformative approach to
address these challenges that
would restore funding for
public higher education to at
least the 21 I just zero
inflation per student levels.
This report this supports the
findings of the 2014 higher
education finance commission as
a necessary step towards
stabilizing and strengthening
our education system.
Moreover, this would not only
ensure an increase in funding
but also a commitment to
maintaining these levels,
preventing further erosion
of our educational
infrastructure.
In essence, the cherish act is
not only about funding it's
about upholding our commitment
to the future generations
ensuring they have access to
affordable high quality
education.
It's a call to action for all
of us to support the pillars
pillars of our public higher
education system.
Public education is a public
good.
It's an it's an economic
equalizer and it helps to make
sure that we are allowing
families to enter into
different classes.
That's true for me and I know
that's true for so many people.
So I am just happy and thrilled
to support the cherish act to
support this coalition higher
ed for all as you advocate for
access to public education as a
public good for all of our
students.
So thank you and thanks again
to the lead sponsor for adding
me.
Would anyone else like to speak
with anyone else like to add
the names clark please add
council breadon
councilor durkin.
Councilor fitzgerald casimir
councilor pepin council santana
council weber and council water
councilor fernando anderson
councilor coletta and
council council louijeune six
suspension of the rules and
passage of docket number 0270
all those in favor say I am not
to vote clerk can you please do
a roll call vote roll call vote
on of all to seven zero.
Councilor breadon yes.
Councilor coletta yes.
Councilor durkan.
Councilor durkan yes.
Councilor for ananda sanderson
.
Councilor fernanda sense and
yes.
Councilor fitzgerald.
Councilor fitzgerald yes.
Councilor flynn yes.
Councilor louijeune yes.
Concilor mejia here.
Councilor media yes.
Councilor murphy.
Councilor murphy yes.
Councilor fetterman yes.
Councilor pepin yes.
Councilor santana yes.
Councilor webber yes.
Councilor worker yes.
And councilor worrell?
Yes.
Councilor wu yes I can.
Number 0270 has received a
unanimous vote in the
affirmative.
Thank you.
Docket number 0270 has passed.
We we did a picture but because
you were in here you are fine.
You can this is your docket?
Yes, we can take another photo.
Let's do it at the high red for
all coalition can come down for
a photo.
Thank you for with we all come
on up and don't be shy come on
up to the dais to come come on
up so thank you thank you thank
you thank you appreciate that
somewhere we are in a brief
recess now
we're now back in
session.
We are now back in session.
I want to thank ron and
everyone and help deal with the
little we had over there.
We are now moving on to docket
numbers 0271.
Mr clerk, would you please read
docket number 02715 read
resolution in support of the
hero act.
The chair recognizes
councilor flynn and
councilor flynn you now have
the floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
This is a resolution and
support of honoring recognizing
our service members and
veterans known as the hero act
now be now at the state house.
This was filed by governor
moira healy, lieutenant
governor kim driscoll under the
leadership of secretary
santiago.
They it includes 17
comprehensive spending and
policy initiatives, tax
credits, changes that are aimed
at improving veterans welfare
in the of benefit expansion, a
commitment to inclusivity and
greater representation
modernization of veterans
services.
This act includes expansion
of behavioral health treatment,
access for veterans, increase
of tax credits for small
businesses who hire unemployed
for low income veterans support
for same sex women veterans for
the creation of a pilot program
to those who have been denied
ivf reimbursements just to name
a few.
We also know that there's a
veterans suicide crisis impact
in this country over 20
veterans a day complete suicide
.
My colleagues counselor flynn
is speaking so mental health
counseling is critical.
The expansion of benefits will
impact nearly 30,000 women
veterans women are the highest
growing population in the
veterans administration.
Health care we need to improve
and focus on gender specific
quality medical care for women
veterans.
We have a good program here in
boston at jamaica plain in west
roxbury.
But it's not that case
throughout the country.
But what happens throughout
country does have an impact
here in boston with the
proposed hero act in this in
its initiatives and changes.
This would modernize and bring
substantial updates to the
benefits care requirements that
would meet the needs of our
veterans today many people have
already reached out to me about
this veterans across greater
boston across the country
veterans organizations complete
agreement with lieutenant
governor driscoll and governor
maura healey on this labor
unions are in support of it.
Local 718 the boston
firefighters union are in
support of this among others
with the proposed hero act.
This would modernize and bring
substantial changes that are
desperately and critically
needed here in boston
throughout the commonwealth.
I do hope we can suspend and
pass this today so that we can
better provide our veterans
with the best with the
necessary health care support
and resources.
Honored to be the chair of the
veterans committee and I
encourage all of my colleagues
if they want to file a hearing
order please do.
I think it's critical that we
learn as much as we can about
the importance of veterans
benefits, veterans service
we've lost three soldiers from
the U.S. Army the U.S. Army
reserve recently we lost two
navy seals recently but I guess
my main point here is during
difficult times that we MAY see
here in the city we MAY see
here in the state in the
country people will look to see
where we can cut services, cut
programs and it's usually the
groups that have the least
amount of political influence
whether it's persons with
disabilities, people in public
housing, our disabled veterans
.
But as we go forward, let's not
balance the budget on the backs
of disabled veterans.
They've put their life on the
line for our country all walks
of life in every part of the
city they've contributed
contributed greatly to boston.
So you have my commitment as
the chair of the veterans
committee that when you bring
something to my committee I'm
going to try to have a speedy
hearing and bring in the best
people I possibly can that can
provide us with the knowledge
and information we need and
deserve.
But I also would ask the
veteran's chair is for all my
colleagues to come to every
committee meeting I have and
come engaged with your
questions and to stay the whole
time I want I want to try to
provide as much knowledge and
information to all of my
colleagues as I possibly can.
So during the budget time all
of you can advocate for
veterans services.
That's my job as as the only
veteran I want to make sure you
guys have the knowledge to do
your job.
I also want to thank counselor
murphy for her commitment to
veterans as the former former
chair so I hope we can suspend
and pass this today.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
Thank you.
Councilor flynn, is anyone else
looking to speak on this matter
?
The chair recognizes counselor
murphy.
Counselor murphy, you now have
the floor.
I just wanted to rise to thank
counselor flynn and as you just
mentioned, the only veteran on
this body the veterans in the
city of boston and commissioner
santiago are in good hands.
You're always advocating and
uplifting the needs.
One of the things I learned is
that we do we don't have enough
support for our veterans but
many of our veterans don't know
how to get connected to the
services we do have and you've
always been a caring,
empathetic counselor who make
sure you connect veterans to
the services they deserve and I
look forward to your hearings
and look forward to advocating
for more in the veterans budget
so that our veterans have what
they deserve.
So thank you so much.
Thank you.
The chair recognizes counselor
here thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT
and thank you, counselor flynn
for your dedication and I'm
going to bring some glasses to
the next hearing because you
are throwing some serious shade
there.
I will be showing up for all
your hearings.
Do not worry about that.
But I just want to rise and
just uplift a few names of men
who I know have served this
country.
Tony molina I mean rodriguez
who has always been in the
front center all around all
things I deal with puerto rican
veterans and I also just want
to underscore and acknowledge
you know, I talked about the
fact that during suicide
prevention month I talked about
the fact that my cousin died by
suicide and he was a veteran.
And I think when we're talking
about veterans services and
we're talking about supports
that we also need to make sure
that we're talking about mental
health and the and and the
intersection of both I'm so I
look forward to being a loud
voice and working alongside
you.
Councilor flynn, you do not
have to worry about me because
I always show up and I am
looking forward to your
leadership as the chair of this
committee and looking forward
to working alongside you to not
just have resolutions and
hearing orders but to really
look at what can we do from a
policy perspective.
It's not just the budget but I
think that there's also some
things that we can do around
protocols, policies and
procedures here in the city
of boston to help alleviate
some of the hardships that our
veterans face.
So looking forward to
partnering with you on that
work.
Thank you, councilor fernandes
anderson, you now have the
floor.
Thank you so much, MADAM
PRESIDENT and thank you
councilor flynn.
It's good to see you smiling
today.
Looking forward to our work
together and of course
absolutely happy and proud to
stand here in support of your
filing.
I wanted to just acknowledge
our young men and women in our
country really if you can just
imagine what volunteerism looks
like.
I think that's really what the
service is because they don't
get paid enough.
They're not treated in my
opinion with the financial
compensation that they should
be to be.
And of course I'm a little
biased to the U.S. Marines
because as a military mom but I
wanted to shout out today also
PRESIDENT Union PRESIDENT,
firefighter sam dillon who is
here present with us.
Thank you so much your service.
Thank you, counselor flynn for
your service as well and thank
you to my son corporal rocha
for his service.
And I think that here I want to
just make sure that we clarify.
Last year we had a process in
the budget where we looked at
funds and there were some
services that could there were
in compensation sort
of services that could be
compensated or supplemented by
other funds or allocations.
And so some of my colleagues a
couple of my colleagues asked
that we reallocate funds from
services and that went south
right that went wrong bad idea
and still refuse to tell you
who that was or those my
colleagues were and I just I
believe that we're not perfect
and we made some mistakes and I
think that we look at it
carefully if there are truly
compensating sort of supplement
or funds that can be allocated
if you move these funds because
they're not being used in a
timely fashion or whatever the
programmatic things are, we
should look at it carefully
because it with that I live
next to a veterans home like
literally like a veteran
service home where veterans go
to live and if you look at the
conditions it's not adequate
and I look forward to advocate
so that we can improve those
programs and whether or not we
agree here it's really not
about us.
It's about looking at people as
human beings that are
sacrificing their lives for our
freedom here in this country.
So I stand here and I hope you
receive this in good faith
council flynn that I am in full
support in looking at the
allocations and looking at
programs and supporting our
military men and women here in
boston more appropriately.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Counselor fernanda anderson
counselor coletta, you now have
the floor.
Thank you so much.
I simply rise to thank
counselor flynn over the last
six years it really has been
such a joy to see your passion
and leadership on this issue
with with veterans and I'm so
grateful to have you as a chair
so that you can bring your
lived experience as a veteran.
And I want to thank you for
bringing these issues into the
forefront of public discourse
for the betterment ultimately
of the quality of life of folks
as councilor fernandez
mentioned of the folks in their
families who make the ultimate
sacrifice.
So I just wanted to stand and
say thank you and express
gratitude who said my name and
I will be voting in the
affirmative.
Thank you.
Councilor coletta, is anyone
else looking to speak on this
matter?
I just want to say thank you to
castro flynn thank you to
everyone all of my colleagues
who spoke and highlighted how
important it is for us to
support our veterans and their
needs.
Thank you to
councilor fernanda anderson to
also always bringing in your
lived experience as a military
mom and so I am grateful for
your leadership as a chair
of veterans of the veterans
committee and looking forward
to more conversations what
anyone else like to add their
name?
MR. Clerk please add counselors
breadon coletta durkin,
fernanda anderson fitzgerald
murphy but then santana weber
we're out.
Please add the chair.
The chair seeks castro flynn
seek suspension of the rules
and passage of docket number
0271 doubt the vote MR. Clerk,
will you please do a roll call
vote roll call vote on docket
number 0271 council read yes
council agreed and yes
council coletta
councilor coletta yes.
Councilor durkin
councilor durkin yes.
Councilor for ananda sanderson
.
Councilor for ananda sanderson
yes.
Councilor fitzgerald.
Councilor fitzgerald yes.
Councilor flynn yes.
Council louijeune yes.
Councilor louijeune yes
concilor mejia here yes
concilor mejia here.
Yes councilor murphy
councilor murphy yes.
Councilor turpin
councilor pepin yes.
Councilor santana yes.
Council santana yes.
Councilor webber yes.
Councilor wu yes.
Councilor worrell yes talking
about 0271 has received a
unanimous vote in the
affirmative.
thank you DR. Number 0271 has
been adopted.
MR. Clerk, would you please
read docket number 0272 docking
number 0272 councilor fernandes
sanderson offer the following
resolution recognizing FEBRUARY
1st as world hijab day in in
boston.
Thank you.
The chair recognizes
councilor fernando anderson
councilor you now have the
floor.
Thank you.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I am very
happy to stand here and offer
this resolution in recognition
to of world hijab day
particularly in light of going
ignorance and misunderstanding
and lack of tolerance around
the matter that continues to
prevail among far too many
world hijab day has founded was
founded by asma khan and to
2002 13 to honor hijab wearers
around the world over in now
recognize each year by 140
countries.
The purpose of the day is to
encourage women of all
backgrounds to experience the
wearing of hijab to contemplate
its meaning from an educational
perspective if they should
choose so to do so.
Additionally, it seeks to
spread awareness as to why many
women choose to wear hijab.
Like to pause there just to
explain that hijab is an arabic
word it means covering or
protection or to cover you to
for modesty a scarf.
So let's not romanticize it too
much just a scarf on my head.
Can the founder of bangladeshi
women american and said
created the day to raise
awareness and normalize the
wearing of hijab?
This was done in the spirit
of fostering religious
tolerance due to her personal
experiences of facing
discrimination and being
bullied in school and at
college as well as being chased
spat on and called a terrorist
among other indignities.
Sadly, these are outrages.
These are outrage that many
of our hijab wearing women
girls and non-binary people
face on a daily basis as
islamophobia and anti-muslim
bigotry remain prevalent across
so the so called progressive
and developed world including
right here in boston.
Indeed millions of hijab
wearers throughout the world
continue to face such
harassment as well as harmful
and hateful acts due to
islamophobic stereotypes.
Hence this day serves as a
powerful counterbalance to the
profound ignorance that
continues to abound in
non-muslim world about what the
wearing of hijab signifies.
Furthermore, the message of the
day connotes that the wearing
of hijab should be a personal
choice and that it loses its
meaning when it is forced upon
the wearer of the state
authority.
Therefore, while no state
should insist on wearing the
hijab of hijab neither should a
state or any of its people
harass or discriminate against
anyone who chooses to wear
hijab.
Essentially the point is that
the wearing of hijab is
personal a personal decision to
be made by the individual and
that it can function as an
important manifestation of the
wearer's spirituality and
religious belief.
Any of all and all efforts made
to spread awareness and to
educate the masses of people as
to the true meaning of hijab
and what it symbolizes are
valuable particularly in our
era of strife, conflict and
stereotypes.
Look, I.
I am what we call revert
because in islam we believe
that people everyone belongs to
GOD and that everyone is born
muslim meaning belonging or in
submission to GOD.
And so this is a belief this is
our personal belief.
And so I when I reverted back
to understanding this, I
decided to wear hijab.
Even sometimes when I don't
want to wear it or want to wear
it, it keeps me reminded that
what I represent and that I am
human and that I'm flawed and
that I should be kind or more
patient that wearing this
represents a sense
of centralized unity with
people that are struggling.
The word.
Please don't MISS Edit that and
make sound something else.
Media people meaning that when
you struggle your internal
struggle when you are
conquering your own demons,
your own negativities.
That is the struggle.
If you breastfeed your young
that's called.
If you feed the poor that's.
If you wear a hijab and it's a
sacrifice it's because believe
you me.
you guys don't want to see
me without it.
It's a sacrifice.
So I preserve my beauty myself
in the way that I cover to keep
myself more focused on what's
important on the inside.
My character.
So if you ever or friends or
people are interested in your
communities, if you're
interested in more education or
opportunities, I would love to
collaborate with you to be able
to extend that education and to
all of you.
It MAY be difficult for some
of you to accept.
It MAY be difficult for some
of you to digest it but that's
okay.
I'm not going to force feed you
because you know what happens
when you force feed people.
They throw up all over you and
that's ugly.
So I look forward to again
slowly bring us to a
realization when I'm ignorant
and I'm faulted and I am less
than respectful.
Correct me.
Let's do this together.
Let's evolve and together do
the work in this council.
So therefore I ask my
colleagues to join me in
recognizing FEBRUARY 1st, 2024
as world hijab day in the city
of boston and I appreciate you
today for your support.
Thank you.
Time's up.
Fernanda anderson what anyone
else like to speak on this
matter?
Councilor weber you now have
the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
i just wanted to rise in
support of councilor fernandez
anderson's resolution.
You know, I think we need to
support any effort to raise
awareness and allow people to
wear the hijab without
experience seeing harassment,
discrimination or islamophobia.
And so I just want to support
her efforts.
Thank you.
Councilor webber, is anyone
else looking to speak on this
matter?
I want to thank you,
councilor fernanda andersson
for introducing this resolution
.
And I know you spoke on this
last year as well, so thank
you.
Would anyone like to add their
name?
MR. Clerk, please add
councilors breadon durkan
fitzgerald flynn murphy, pat
benn.
Santana webber.
Worrell, please out of the
chair.
Castro fernanda anderson seeks
suspension of the rules and
passage of docket number 027 to
all those in favor say I.
All of polls say nay.
Mr clerk, please do a roll call
vote roll call vote on docking
number 0272.
Councilor breadon.
Yes.
Councilor breadon.
Yes.
Councilor coletta.
Councilor coletta yes.
Councilor durkan.
Councilor durkan yes.
Councilor fernanda sanderson
yes.
councilor fernanda sense and
yes.
Councilor fitzgerald yes.
Councilor flynn yes.
Councilor louijeune yes.
Concilor mejia here.
Yes.
Councilor murphy.
Councilor murphy yes.
Councilor pitman yes.
Council captain yes.
Council S.A. Yes.
Councilor ten yes.
Councilor webber.
Yes.
Councilor webber.
Yes.
And councilor worrell yes.
Councilor wu yes.
Talking number 0272 has
received a unanimous vote in
the affirmative.
Thank you.
Docket number 0272 has been
adopted.
MR. Clerk, would you please
read docket number 0273 docking
number 0273
councilor fernanda sanderson
offered the following
resolution on behalf of the
boston city council in honor
and celebration of black
history month to be recognized
in the month of FEBRUARY 20, 24
.
Thank you, MR. Clerk.
The chair now recognizes
councilor fernanda anderson
councilor green envy anderson,
you now have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
MAY I suspend the rules and add
councilor roll and
council vision, please see no
objections.
councilor rl is now added that
councilor fernando anderson
seeks to suspend rule 12 and
add councilor louijeune as an
original co-sponsor.
Seeing no objections the rule
is suspended and carol
louijeune is at it.
Councilor fringe anderson you
now have the floor.
Wakanda forever no.
Stick to the script.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
So of course this is like super
,super, super exciting.
We're getting into the month
where we celebrate all of is it
26 or 27 days whatever three
ticks all of our 2029
sorry we're oh 29 oh okay great
awesome and this is super
exciting.
I'm so proud to have to rise
and do this for my afro-latino
actually like I would love to
have so set better the rules
and and also I would have loved
to done that.
I would love to add a
councilor mejia and add santana
and everybody else that I
consider brown here.
That is not a letter I would
have added.
I would bring in now to add an
oreo because you are all
invited to the cookout anyway
so the black people in and
whoever you could you could
come to the cookout to like
fitzgerald like come on
council are you are invited to
the cookout flynn everybody's
invited.
The black people in the united
states have made epic
contributions to humanity
despite centuries of systemic
structural and personal
oppression, marginalization and
disenfranchisement, this
mistreatment manifests in a
variety of ways leading to
systems of thought and power
awash in neo colonialism and
anti-blackness to come back to
centuries of criminality that
such systems connote the black
historian chirurgie woodson
created history week in 1926
the main idea of the week was
to give black people a true
sense of their collective worth
and history to better forge
ahead in the struggle
of liberation of their people.
In 1969, black educators and
students at kent state in ohio
discussed plans to build on
woodson's week by creating a
black history month which they
did the following year.
In 1970, black history month
was recognized by then
PRESIDENT Gerald ford in 1976
as part of the bicentennial
celebrations of that year.
Since then black history has
grown to be recognized through
the world throughout the world
most fittingly by several
countries in africa the
motherland of the black, the
black diaspora whose continent
was looted of its people labor
,land and resources by the
economic and political elites
of europe and the americas.
The month of FEBRUARY has
within it many powerful
landmarks in his historic
events including the uprising
led by the enslaved nat turner
,the first of harriet tubman's
daring escapes the act
of rebellion led by the
ultimate white ally john brown.
My guide the birth of frederick
douglass and web dubois the
greensboro sit in of 1960 and
the ultimate assassination
of malcolm x to name several
black history month continues
black history continues to play
an important role in reminding
all of us of the centrality
of black experience within
american life the wonders
of black music literature,
dance activism, cuisine, family
traditions and more as well as
the entrenched efforts by those
in positions of power to
brutalize and marginalize them
at every turn based on the
wondrous history and the
indomitable will of spirit and
spirit that our black brothers
and sisters continue to
demonstrate.
I ask you to join me in the
council to recognize black
history month and I just wanted
to shout out to the
african-american people who
have paved the way with their
blood, sweat and tears for all
black immigrants, for all those
in a spirit of bringing
migrants and welcoming them to
roxbury today and forward.
I wanted to say that it was
it's a very difficult thing to
make way in already disinvested
or disenfranchized communities
and african-americans are often
put in those situations where
they have to prove their
humanity.
They have to explain why they
deserve they have to calculate
out a budget for you to say
what is equitable and what is
not.
Often if it's not sensational
the media doesn't want to talk
about it.
So a lot of the issues in
african-american communities
are not interesting for the
media.
No one takes notice of all
of the important work that my
myself and my colleagues do
here in terms of equity.
No one in the media takes
notice and says I want to talk
about how you're building
economic development in
roxbury.
I want to talk about all
of your sense of arts and
preserving history and culture
that you are doing in 87 and
boston I want to talk about I
want to talk to my white
colleagues and about their work
on equity that they are doing
as well and shout out again to
councilor clara who is always
rising in support of equity
shout out to my afro latinos
who is stands boldly against
their own suppressive cultures
and background and colourism
and all that they have to face.
I'm here to say to you
everybody understands clearly
that civil rights is for for
everyone but human rights is
what I'm looking for.
I'm I'm looking to partner with
you with an open mind to say
look, what is equity?
What does that mean to you?
So every time I say black I'm
going to say black.
I'm going to say black, I'm
going to say black and I'm
going to say black until you
understand it is not
threatening to your whiteness
or it's not threatening to your
brownness or it's not
threatening to your classes
that you look at us in a way
that I don't have to constantly
explain in order for me to be
worthy of rising to the
occasion so that we can become
allies and actually do the work
without feeling like I have to
execute.
I have to be soft in my
delivery before you can accept
that I am human enough or that
my people are human enough to
be able to talk about racial
equity in the city of boston.
I thank you for indulging me in
listening to me and I look
forward to working with you
again.
I hope that you can and you can
hopefully that my heart is
sincere and pure enough to come
up to stuff right?
Sometimes we talk like that and
we look at allies and this is
for my muslim or my religious
brothers and sisters.
You look at allies in the gay
the lgbtq gay and lesbian are
out there doing all the work
and we're not coming up to
stuff.
So I'm asking everyone to come
up to stuff put your behind
you and look at how we can work
together for a better humanity
,for better life, for better
equity or racial equity
solutions in boston let's
celebrate black history month
y'all.
We got a barbecue.
Thank you.
Councilor fernanda anderson the
chair recognizes councilor oral
casual, oral.
You now have the floor.
Thank you, councilor anderson
thank you to my co-sponsors.
Thank you for your leadership
and I'm looking forward to that
cookout.
I'm humbled to be a voice for
my people and to stand here
today recognizing the
importance of black history
month, especially in the city
of boston.
Our city's history is deeply
intertwined with the remarkable
contributions of black people
who have not only shaped his
identity but also changed the
entire trajectory of boston.
I just want to amplify and I
think it's important that we
continue to amplify our rich
black history that we have in
the city of boston because it's
not always put out there.
So I'm just going to go through
a list of people black people
who have come through boston
for boston based trailblazers
like rebecca lee crumpler who
is the first black dentist
mccall bowling allen who
shattered the barriers in the
legal fields to iconic figures
such as the first patriot
crispus attucks whose bravery
ignited the flames
of revolution boston black
population and black population
has left an enduring mark on
our country's cultural
tapestry.
Boston holds the honor of being
home to the first black senator
edward brooke and also boasts
the oldest branch charter
of the naacp established in
1912.
Our city has a rich legacy a
spearheaded litigation that has
led to major reforms in areas
such as school desegregation,
employment equity and housing.
We celebrate luminaries from
the 18th century such as poet
phillis wheatley to iconic
figures of the 20th century
such as activist melina cass
additionally, we cannot
overlook the contribution that
black women leaders past and
present will work tirelessly to
make boston a better place.
She also not forget those who
broke boundaries in boston
sports such as william ray,
chuck cooper and bill russell
remind us of the profound
impact black athletes had on
our sporting landscape this
FEBRUARY FEBRUARY we reflect on
the triumphs and struggles
of black americans throughout
history.
Let us also recognize the
importance of preserving their
rich legacy.
My office is committed to
honoring the contributions
of black boston's black leaders
and we have partnered with wet
wet wet wrap around four
corners main street in the
craft foundation's to educate,
amplify and to showcase our
black leaders to our community.
And we did this by honoring 200
black women and the black women
lead initiative where we had
the faces of 200 women on the
blue who life is still up there
today and we want to continue
to do that too and recognize an
individual's hopefully and and
a statue for crispus attucks
ensuring that their legacy and
their stories are woven into
our city's narrative.
So let's join together in
commemorating black history
month and reaffirm our
commitment to fostering equity
and our mutual understanding
of the history of the city
of boston.
Thank you.
Thank you councilor.
Rl I'll just speak briefly as
an original co-sponsor.
Thank you COUNCILMAN Andrew
anderson for introducing the
resolution and earl I love
black history month also known
as black heritage month in some
spaces we have to know that
american history is black
history and black history is
american history and we have to
do a better job in our schools
.
I'm excited to hear that their
schools now where african
american history is offered at
the ap level and so we still
have so much more to do.
We're still bending that moral
arc of the universe towards
justice.
We are on the heels of mlk
weekend where everyone picks
out a favorite mlk quote but
it's not just about the
coat it's about the work as
counterpoint anderson said to
really center equity racial
equity and to correct for our
past our arms.
But it's also a moment to
celebrate to celebrate all that
we've achieved, all those
who've attempted and all those
who are still striving.
I was today looking at the wall
of past city council presidents
and was looking at bruce
bowling was looking at charles
yancey and all of those who
paved the way and all of those
who tried and attempted and
didn't make it and they are
they are too they are legacy
and so I'm excited to have you
all as colleagues and for this
council as a body to celebrate
black history month which we'll
be doing on FEBRUARY 18th here
at city council where we'll be
also honoring our small
businesses.
So thank you so much for having
me on and I look forward to
celebrating black history month
black heritage month with all
of you and I think cause we're
out to do a good job
of uplifting how much rich
black history we have here
african-american trail and
beacon hill we talk about
lonely cars.
We talk about harriet tubman,
we talk about mlk, malcolm x
who all have a local history.
And what's so great about the
embrace monument is a tribute
to our local freedom fighters
who sometimes go nameless but
whose sacrifices are important
to the stories to my story and
to a lot of people's stories
here in the city of boston.
So onward and thank you for
having me.
Thank you for allowing me to
speak and thank you for having
me on the resolution council.
Fernando anyone else looking to
speak on this matter?
Councilor mejia, you have the
floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT and
thank you to my colleagues.
I remember when I first came
onto this council then
councilor janey was the
PRESIDENT And I was so
incredibly honored that she had
invited me to participate in
that in the annual celebration
that happens here on the
council and it was a really
important moment for me because
she affirmed my identity in
terms of how I always talk
about being a afro-latina,
being a black latina.
It was the first time that I
have felt seen and affirmed in
understanding my culture and
understanding the fact that
when they abducted our
ancestors the only difference
was the point that they dropped
us off at right when we talk
about black culture, when we
talk about black history, I
think a lot of dominicans in
particular have a hard time
embracing their black roots.
And so for me, even though I'm
light skinned I always tell my
family and the blackness
of them all because I'm here to
affirm those those who have
come before me.
And I just wanted to say that
as a policymaker, you know, one
thing is to be an ally.
Another thing is to be a leader
when it comes to affirming here
the work on the council, you
know, under my leadership we
established the the black men's
commission with a budget
of $1.6 million to support
black male advancement work.
We also work alongside our
community to establish a
reparations task force and I
worked alongside counselor
janey and campbell to establish
juneteenth as a national as a
city a municipal holiday here
in the city of boston.
So when we're thinking about
this work and what we're
thinking about what allyship
looks like it thinks, I think
there's an opportunity for us
to recognize that resolutions
are important and hearings are
important.
But when we have an opportunity
to affirm blackness and we have
an opportunity to really do the
work that we all rise up in
doing just that.
So looking forward to
celebrating black history month
alongside my siblings and I'm
here for all of it.
Thank you.
Thank you concilor mejia here
councilor flynn, you have the
floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
And listening to my colleagues
I.
I was glad to hear of our
former colleague mayor janey's
name mentioned and and city
councilor andrea campbell's
name mentioned as well.
The massachusetts attorney
general.
I also wanted to highlight some
other some other political
officials, civic leaders
including our former colleague
lydia edwards who's the state
senator now from the the east
boston area.
One of the people I also wanted
to highlight was my constituent
mel king, former state
legislator candidate for mayor
who did a tremendous job in the
city bringing people together
and we certainly MISS Mel and
we MISS His advocacy and
support for not just the black
community in boston but for all
major marginalized communities
as well.
Malkin is a real trailblazer
and a hero to so many,
including quoting myself he was
a good friend.
I also wanted to highlight
another friend of mine who's
been gone for a long time as
well as saunders.
If any of the older people
remember wallace saunders he
was a tuskegee airman and was
the superintendent of boston
police a real a real hero and
another some other names that
come to come to mind is another
friend ted lance markham
exceptional loyal educator is
on the bpa board.
Doris bundy was the first vha
resident to become the director
as I mentioned well a saunders
but also george russell.
Many people MAY know george
russell of leon stamps was the
first collector treasurer from
the city of boston the first
order of the city of boston at
that time a lot of those
financial jobs in city
government didn't necessarily
go to the african-americans but
it was people like george
russell and leon stamps and so
many others that opened the
doors for others in this city.
So I wanted to say thank you to
my colleague
councilor fernandez anderson
and my other colleagues for the
tremendous work you do.
But also I'm glad you have
mentioned a few of these names
because I've always respect and
admire some of those some
of these leaders in the city
including our current police
commissioner and our former
police commissioner.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
Thank you.
Councilor flynn.
As any councilor the chair now
recognizes councilor durkan
councilor durkan, you now have
the floor.
Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT Rosie
louijeune and our third black
woman council PRESIDENT.
It's exciting.
We're an exciting moment in the
city of boston and I'm excited
to celebrate black history
month and I was last night I
was at the museum
of african-american history on
joy street in beacon hill and
it just reminded me how much or
how little I know about the
history of my own neighborhood
.
So I know they're eager to
partner with the boston city
council on a tour one that I'm
happy to help get everyone and
get the council PRESIDENT
Connected to.
But just knowing that there are
spots in each of our districts
that have important
significance in black history.
So I would be excited to kind
of go across our neighborhoods
and see what what history that
we maybe are just uncovering
because so much of our history
has been written by the wrong
people and so excited excited
to honor black history my first
time as a city councilor.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Councilor durkan the chair
recognizes councilor breadon
and councilor breadon and you
have the floor well in
evergreens cemetery in brighton
there was an unmarked grave in
a corner of the cemetery which
was the last resting place of a
man called horatio homer.
He was born in 1848 and he died
in 1923 and he was boston's
first african-american police
officer.
He was hired by the boston
police department in 1878 and
served on the force for 40
years.
And the reason I'm saying is
that this is there's a I belong
to a group called the irish
tiara of the irish ancestral
research association and one
of our members actually did
research into she was
interested in police history
and she went discovered this
this horatio sergeant ratio
homework in a research and she
really got into it and did his
just a notable thing and she
actually did a whole
presentation I went to hear the
presentation in the roxbury
library and nubian square and
then we invited to come to
allston brighton which was
where sergeant horatio homer
was buried and we had the
presentation and two of this
man's grand granddaughters were
came to the presentation in at
the historical society in
brighton.
He was born in 1848 and his
granddaughters came to this
presentation and you know, do
the math but it's interesting
that not only that but it was
really incredible and now you
find out that he that his grave
was unmarked so there was a
special celebration and
official placement of a mark a
stone marker in the graveyard
at evergreen cemetery to mark
this is him as being the first
african-american police officer
in boston police department and
is and to mark honor his
service by putting a marker on
his grave in brighton in the
evergreen cemetery.
I just wanted to hold up his
memory today.
Thank you.
Thank you, councilor breadon
for sharing that.
I think that was very powerful
.
You know, in hyde park we have
rebecca crumpler crumpler at
fairview, the first medical
doctor recognized as a medical
school.
we know that a lot of black
women were doctors and healers
without being recognized as
such.
Just another example of how
black history is every part
of our local history.
So thank you councilor breadon
for sharing that.
Councilor fernanda anderson for
a small addition because of an
injury.
Anderson you now have the floor
.
Thank you.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I would be
remiss if I didn't properly
acknowledge my colleague
concilor mejia here because
of me here you have been the
exemplary councilor in terms
of the work on racial equity
and I wanted to properly rise
and acknowledge that and I
appreciate your courage and
your presence, your heart and
you standing in your identity
and being able to do this work.
I partner with you or you added
me to the reparations task
force and I look forward to
working with you as the chair
of civil rights moving the
reparations rfp forward.
Looking forward to working with
you on other things as well.
Yes, you have done tremendous
work here for racial equity and
for black people in the
diaspora.
In that spirit I wanted to say
that I think we can responsibly
and appropriately celebrate
this month where we can include
a diaspora without it and again
responsibly and respectfully do
it in a way that we are one
united people.
So for the black history month
I encouraging those at home
watching that we include our
latino brothers and sisters
afro-latino, afro-latinos,
breton sisters and all of that
for the caribbean, the african
continent.
So here in the united states so
that we can celebrate as one
united people.
Thank you.
Councilor for in and now so
when I think in uplift
council durkan for mentioning
and I think it was mentioned as
well but when I was saying the
photos of councilors bowling in
yancey in addition
council presidents bowling
yancey janey, andre campbell
and janie so I want to thank
all of them for the legacy that
they've given me so I.
Councilor it's been inge
anderson councilor worrell and
louijeune expansion of the
rules.
Oh we've got other names but
anyone else like to add their
names?
MR. Clerk please add councilors
breadon calata durkan
fitzgerald flynn mckinney.
Murphy pippen.
Santana webber to docket number
0273.
Sorry.
Yeah.
0273.
Castro fernando, you understand
we're out and louijeune
expansion of the rules and
passage of docket number 0273
all those in favor say I.
All those opposed nay.
The ayes have it.
This docket has been adopted.
We are now moving on to
personnel orders.
MR. Clerk, would you please
read the personnel orders?
Duncan number 027 for
council louijeune for
council on mejia.
The chair CHAIRMAN Mr passage
of docket number 0274.
All those in favor say.
All those opposed nay.
The personnel order has been
adopted.
We are now moving on to green
sheets.
Is anyone looking to pull
anything from the green sheets
?
We are now moving on to late
files.
I'm informed by the clerk that
there are three late file
matters to two late bio matters
one personnel order and one
consent.
There are three right person.
Okay.
We we are informed by the
correct that there are three
late file matters.
One personnel order, one
resolution and one for the
consent agenda.
We will take a vote to add
these matters to the agenda.
All of those in favor of adding
the lethal matters say I all
oppose the same.
The ayes have it.
The late file matters have been
added.
Councilor flynn, your light is
on.
I'm not.
I ask the question is it about
the late file matters?
Yes, it's health conditions
about the green sheets.
Yeah.
Point.
Point of order.
I no, sorry.
point of orders are just on
orders for the rules.
No, not for.
So if it's not on a point
of order, I.
I don't know under what are you
are looking to pull something
from the green sheets.
No, I'm not.
I want to ask a question about
the green.
Okay.
And the reason I'm rising is
because the there's a there's a
federal grant that's in the
green sheets now.
But the time for us to act on
it is now.
I am concerned that if we don't
act on it other cities and
towns across greater boston
need this funding so that they
can keep their communities
safe.
Boston might be okay but we
need to provide support to
chelsea and to quincy and to
other areas.
But I am concerned that if we
don't pass this today, MADAM
Chair, that other communities
will be placed in there their
safety will be will be impacted
and I can't take that chance.
I request to disagree with you
but you should.
Do you want to pull it?
Do you?
Would you like to pull it?
Yes, I would like to see no
objection.
The vice chair.
The chair who I believe has and
the vice chair can pull
something from committee with
that which vice chair?
What would you like to pull it
from?
Committee.
I know there's still some i
know some of my colleagues
still have some outstanding
questions and I do want to give
them the opportunity to get
some of their questions
answered.
MADAM Chair, thank you.
Thank you, councilor.
I understand that but we've had
so many opportunities to
discuss this and the police and
fire and first responders are
desperately in need of this
funding.
They want to keep our city safe
.
They want to keep our
neighborhoods safe.
But also it's about working and
partnering with cities and
towns in and around boston.
I just can't take the chance
that we're sitting on this
grant in some potential
emergency disaster could take
place.
I'm really looking this for
this body to provide leadership
and take a vote on this talking
things.
Thank you.
And I just spoke with.
We are ending discussion on
this.
I am also prepared to vote on
this docket because it's been
filed within 60 days.
Only the chair can actually
move to pull the docket the
chair the vice chair if they
are looking to pull the docket
they can do so.
But if not we'll come forward
and forward.
Okay.
Do we have the docket number?
I'll have to read it into I
think we'll get to what he's
calling the docket so do you
have the docket number so for
docket number 0134.
Okay.
Yeah, it's docket number 0134.
Yes.
Mr clerk, can we pull docket
number 0134 from the green
sheets on page four from the
committee of public safety and
criminal justice dugan number
0134 message in order
authorizing the city of boston
to accept and expend the amount
of $13,317,200 in the form of a
grant from the fiscal year 2023
urban area security initiative
awarded by the united states
department of homeland security
.
Pass through the mass executive
office of public safety and
security to be administered by
the mayor's office of emergency
management.
The grant will fund planning,
exercise training, operational
needs that will help prevent
respond to and recover from the
threat of acts of terrorism
including chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear and
explosive incidents.
Thank you, MR. Clerk.
The chair recognizes the vice
chair of the committee.
You've had a hearing on this.
Those sorry we've had a hearing
on this.
The administration has
responded back when the right
information that was sent out
on JANUARY 22nd to all of our
council colleagues so it's time
to suspend and pass these these
funds that our public safety
officers and office
of emergency management
desperately need.
Thank you.
Council rl are you are there
any objections from the
committee members?
If not, are you are you looking
to move this to a vote
council?
Yeah.
All right.
I was anyone looking to speak
on this matter?
Councilor breadon, you have the
floor.
This is speaking on the matter
before we vote
councilor breadon, you have the
floor PRESIDENT And I fully
intend to support this docket.
But the questions we had
outstanding where the fact that
as a pass through entity for
federal grants the city
of boston must have internal
controls, monitor the
activities of some recipients
to ensure that the sub sub
award is used for authorized
purposes and compliance with
federal regulations and to
ensure performance goals are
achieved for the city
of boston's financial year 22
audit report a review of U.S. I
ask you a s I grant for
financial year 20 1919
financial year 20 financial
year 21 and financial year 20
to find that the city's
internal control over sub
recipient monitoring reflected
a significant deficiency.
The report stated that the city
did not perform a formal
evaluation of each subsequent
risk of noncompliance with
federal statutes regulation
some terms and conditions
of the sub award for purposes
of determining the appropriate
sub recipient monitoring to be
performed.
It appears to be due to
inadequate policies and
procedures surrounding both the
initial risk assessment of the
sub recipients as well as
follow up months when sub
recipients with sub recipients
when differences were noted
between funding amounts
reported to the sub to the sub
recipient by oem and the
amounts reported of the sub
recipients sched schedule
of expenditures for federal
awards.
This is why I asked for a
further discussion of this.
I asked the chair to send our
questions of a to the to the to
to figure this out before we
had a vote on it.
Um, you know, I the importance
of this but we also have a have
a have a responsibility for a
good oversight over
expenditures especially with
relation to federal grants.
So that's my reason for I will
vote present today.
Thank you.
Thank you councilor breadon and
I agree with you that we have
an incredible oversight
responsibility.
Councilor coletta, you now have
the floor.
Thank you so much.
PRESIDENT Louijeune I voted in
the affirmative for this last
year mistake in session and
vote yes for it again.
These funds for 90% of the
office of emergency management.
Every time they show up to fire
or disaster that funds the
grant funds that oem does all
of the emergency management
planning that supports my
district specifically.
The training through this grant
funds all public safety, tech
rescue and swift water rescue
and it would fund high water
vehicles in the region to
support calls for flooded
residents.
I always talk about when not if
a hurricane is going to hit
boston and so for those reasons
I do intend to vote yes on
screen.
Thank you.
Thank you, councilor coletta.
COUNCILWOMAN, here you have the
floor and cars cars for mejia.
You now have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
And I do appreciate the vice
chair's consideration for
allowing us to have democracy
play out.
And I do appreciate the fact
that there was a hearing.
The hearing happened under a
different council.
Right.
So while I do appreciate the
fact that some of the
council colleagues have been
briefed, I do believe in
honoring the integrity of what
this body is supposed to do and
that is really to be the checks
and balances to the
administration.
And so for me I have some
serious concerns about just
approving something without a
formal process and I think that
because we've been so
criticized for being a rubber
stamp, I don't want to set the
tone that that's how we're
going to operate.
And though under normal
circumstances for a mount this
huge we normally have some sort
of public discussion in which
people are able to deliberate.
And so for me because I am the
chair of government
accountability, transparency
and accessibility, I feel
really uncomfortable about just
taking a vote without some sort
of process or some compromise
if my colleagues are looking
for additional questions and
even if we can just send them
over email and have them
answered.
I think that in the spirit
of maintaining the integrity
of this body, I think it's
important for us to do our due
diligence which is why gravely
concerned about just taking a
vote just for the sake
of taking a vote.
I don't think that that's going
to send the right message to
our constituents especially
because they already fear that
we are just going to be rubber
stamping everything that comes
through this council.
I don't want to set the stage
as our first vote on JUNE $13
million to just go on as
business as usual.
I don't think it's fiscally
responsible for us to do so and
I think it's going to set the
stage for creating further
mistrust in this.
So that is why I am advocating
for us to at the very least
honor the fact that there are
still some unanswered questions
and to everyone's surprise I
will I am not opposed to
supporting this.
I think it's really important
but I am more concerned about
the process.
For me the process is far more
important than the outcome.
And so while I do support the
initiative, I think for me it's
about maintaining the integrity
of this council and making sure
that we have a process.
if there is a process in place
I am more than welcome to say
let's go for it and approve as
is but currently I am not going
I don't feel comfortable just
stepping to the side and being
cloud over in a way that
undermines the body and our
voice in decision making
processes.
So I would recommend that we
maintain the integrity of this
council and I agree with
councilor reed in vote is
really more about the process,
less about less about the merit
of what is at hand.
Just for the record.
Thank you, councilor mcguire.
Councilor murphy, you now have
a floor.
Thank you.
And again I rise to say that
I've been in support of this
grant since it came to a
hearing by then
council of flaherty on DECEMBER
11.
Many of us it was a different
body than many of you weren't
councilors then in on DECEMBER
12 questions were brought back
as many questions we did have
from the council and
councilor flaherty then made
sure that all questions we had
were answered so we had that
information.
All of us had that information
before the vote on DECEMBER 13
I voted yes.
It didn't pass.
That's why it's here again last
week when it was pulled from
the to be voted on to suspend
it passed last week I was like
council me here saying what
about the process?
The questions to the answers to
the questions we received by
email from megan cavanaugh on
DECEMBER 22nd were the same
questions we had on DECEMBER 12
the day before we voted on the
13th.
So my question then is the same
question I have now why the
whole purpose of the
council meeting and placing a
docket into a committee is to
hold a hearing.
Why wasn't a hearing held and
why are we now discussing it on
the council floor seven days
past and I hadn't heard from
anyone about whether or not I
saw on friday when candice
share the council schedule that
there was nothing scheduled for
monday or tuesday which were
open times for us to hold a
hearing and get questions asked
.
I understand the importance I'm
going to be voting yes again
for this but I just would like
to know why we didn't hold a
hearing.
But now today you didn't want
to pull it from the green
sheets because you say there
are new questions.
So why didn't we try to hold a
hearing on monday or tuesday?
Because I'm not sure that would
even hold a hearing before the
next council meeting.
So I'm going to make sure to
vote and hope that hopefully it
passes today.
But that's what I just want to
ask on the record because I
haven't seen any other
questions I asked last week
where there are new questions
and I didn't get an answer to
that because I wanted to make
sure that we weren't violating
any open meeting laws or that
only some councilors had
information.
We all need to have access to
the same information so we know
what we're voting on and that
we all feel confident that
we're voting on the same thing
.
Thank you.
Councilor murphy.
Councilor rob, would you like
to respond?
Councilor?
Yeah, I could respond.
I mean councilor breadon
brought up a few of her
questions that she still had so
those are that right and then
on then on top of that I
believe claire correct me but
wrong anyone in the committee
could could could host a
hearing from the chair but can
anyone host a hearing that's
usually usually a chair.
Okay.
Excuse me chair so yeah, any
question some of the questions
councilor breadon has presented
and I'm willing to communicate
that to the administration but
we're looking to suspend
suspending pass just because
public safety has asked for
this after this money so it
won't further any operations.
Thank you councilor.
I'll the chair calls on you
have your light on
councilor fernando anderson
thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I hope it's okay that I stay
seated.
I just wanted flaherty on
councilor MAY here through.
MADAM PRESIDENT flaherty on
both my my colleagues caused
me and councilor murphy.
So if the hearing happened
prior to the new councilors do
any of the new councilors have
questions or does
concilor mejia here have
questions?
Thank you
councilor fernanda anderson
because for mejia you have your
light on if you want to speak
so I'm going to go back to what
I started with is the fact that
what is at stake is the
integrity of this body in terms
of how we move and there are
rules and processes in place
regardless of the questions
that I have it is around
creating a public discourse for
us to really have a
conversation about $13.9
million.
And so for me it's more about
the process and making sure
that we feel so okay.
You know I'm a be honest the
way this council works and how
we move it's all about who has
access to information and who
does not and I don't think
right for us to walk into this
chamber already I found out at
7:00 last night that this was
going to go down.
That's just how we do business,
right?
We need to be able to be
transparent and if people have
had sidebar conversations and
have already negotiated with
the administration right.
That's not collaborative.
And so for me as I continue to
walk into this space, I want to
make sure that I'm always open
and transparent which is why I
called for a hearing when I
stopped the motion from being
on the floor last week, I was
really concerned that the
entire week had gone by and no
hearing and I was surprised to
hear because I didn't hear
about it until this morning
because I had a missed call
after 7:00 last night that this
was going to be pulled from the
green sheets.
That's not how we do business
that is not what colleagues do
when we're trying to really
move the work forward.
And so for me I'm not here to
carry anybody's and so I would
like to be all about the
process and if my colleagues
still have questions then I
would like the chair to at the
very least honor the fact that
they're still I'll standing
questions he had already he had
already committed to allowing
us to submit those questions so
that we can then take a vote so
again I'm going to go back to
what I started with.
I am more concerned about the
process than I am the outcome
and if we're going to have a
hearing about this particular
issue right now then let's have
a hearing about this issue
right now.
But I'm not going to just rush
a vote for the sake of passing
$30 million.
I'm not doing that.
Thank you councilor here I
yeah, one moment I will just
state that as someone who had
questions last time and was
given the answers on the day
of our meeting last time 727
pages to really make sure that
they were complying with our
surveillance order that my team
need to do a deep dive in the
answers and make sure that we
felt comfortable.
This is a grant that we voted
for in the past that's actually
passed unanimously on this body
with me being present in the
conversations with the
community who had questions
they elevated those questions
and the office of emergency met
of the office of emergency
management and bpd were really
gracious in actually giving
me a lot of the answers to
those questions.
And so now not that all the
questions have been answered
there are more questions but
this is a grant that we review
every year and there will be
opportunities to ask for
questions.
Kathryn andrew anderson it's if
you want to make a brief point
because senator flynn apologies
has been thank you MADAM
PRESIDENT.
It's clear that
councilor breadon has a
question and or questions and
then I guess the question here
is whether or not we motion to
recess so that she can this is
flaherty on the answers that
she's seeking.
It's not clear to me whether or
not my colleagues
councilor murphy and
councilor mcguire have
questions too because I heard
her say I heard one of them say
that because the hearing took
place prior to the new
councilors that the new
councilors deserve the
integrity and the right to have
their questions answered.
But I don't hear any of the new
councilors stating that they
have questions today
councilor breadon is saying she
needs further clarification
then do we recess and get the
clarification?
Does councilor mejia need us
have specific questions and can
we motion to also ask for a
motion to speed up this
conversation and decide what
we're doing?
Thank you COUNCILMAN Andrew
anderson there is a vote on the
floor because and this is the
conversation before the vote
because not only that
council as well as the vice
PRESIDENT Moved for a vote.
So I appreciate your comments
and the comments of my
colleagues concentrate on you
and I have the floor.
Thank you, MADAM Chair.
And you know, this is the
reason I wanted to have a
further hearing on this which I
anticipated.
I'm bringing this these
questions into the space today
because I was anticipating that
I didn't know that there was
going to be pulled from green
sheets until about a few hours
ago.
But we had this prepared for we
had this prepared to bring to a
hearing and it's a post it's a
post audit and oversight issue
that if we are getting federal
grants we need to ensure that
they're that we're attending to
the details.
There's been questions about
these grants going back to 2013
and it's about just recording
and knowing that the money's
been spent expended as it's as
anticipated.
And you know, I voted in the
and I've supported this grant
all of the time I've been on
city council but we're going
into a period of like you know
we need to we need to pay
attention to these details and
a post audit and oversight
isn't really critical for
congress and we do as a city
council.
So you know, I just I had hoped
that we could and chair were
able to suggest that we just
send these questions and bring
it to a vote next time next
week if we can get some
commitment to follow up on
these recommendations from the
audit this year on year on year
these recommendations for
tightening up of reporting and
those you know what happens
year on year it hasn't happened
so we need to fix that.
I respectfully you know, I will
respectfully honor the will
of the community, the the body
here but I'm just raising some
concerns that I have and I do
support this grant.
I want it I want it to be spent
in a timely way.
But this is our job to keep a
good tight a tight oversight on
these.
It's a huge grant 13 and a half
million dollars.
This is our job to keep keep
oversight on how this money is
spent.
It's I totally trust that it's
been spent appropriately but it
needs to be documented
appropriately as well.
Thank you.
Thank you, councilor breadon
councilor durkin, you now have
the floor.
I move to close discussion and
push for a vote.
Is there a second?
Okay.
Thank you.
I didn't get a chance.
Speak with you now patrick
flynn after catching flynn
there's no more speaking and
we're voting on the matter.
thank you the before before I
speak.
MADAM Chair, isn't this the
opportunity for everybody to to
weigh in whether they yeah,
there was a motion made so out
of courtesy I'm allowing you to
say no because it was seconded.
I understand it but other
others might want to weigh in
on on on the issue too.
There are no other lights on
but yours.
Okay.
Well, I think people I think
people my colleagues that I
support the grant.
I'm looking for an immediate
vote today.
We also had a hearing and this
is not not against the new
colleagues because they weren't
here but we also had a hearing
in in DECEMBER in this body in
this chamber and there's only a
few city councils that were
present for for that hearing
and the director of emergency
management was here maybe for
an hour and a half maybe 2
hours answered every question
and provided background on this
grant the chief the the chief
of office emergency management
also invited all of our city
councilors several months
before that to assure of the
facility if they had any
questions on this department
and this grant and the function
of this department and I was
the only city council that
showed up to that site visit
and I spoke and we had a
discussion and there were some
staffers there and we talked
for about 2 hours about this
grant.
I think councilor flynn there
is a motion on the floor so I
just want to I know I
understand but what I'm saying,
MADAM Chair, it's important I
take this I take this issue
very seriously as do my as do
my colleagues.
I have seen how unsafe this
city can be.
This is where the marathon
bombing started.
This is where the fights left
from on SEPTEMBER 11th in a lot
of other potential issues where
we're stopped because of the
professionalism of our armed
force.
But people my my my main point
is of the $13 million about
half of it goes outside
of boston to cities and towns
that desperately need it and
it's not just about us.
It's about us working together
providing leadership to a city
such as chelsea or to a
cambridge or somerville working
together.
The boston fire department
works closely with the chelsea
fire department.
What happens in chelsea has a
major impact on on east boston.
On boston the lng tankers,
logan the airport, the
transportation system while
that sits on top of chelsea in
boston, the trucking so we have
a lot of high tech we're an
international city we have to
plan in protect the city and
provide the best public safety
for first responders.
They know what they're doing.
They need this money to protect
us.
It's about public safety.
It's about security and I wish
we did have it.
I wish we did have a hearing
but we can't wait any longer
the time to vote on this is
now.
Thank you.
Thank you, councilor flynn.
And I think that's why we want
to be on to get on to a vote
because of all of my colleagues
who have who have spoken.
We are we are going to move on
to a vote because it's on the
in on the floor.
So a point of order if it's a
rule issue I throw seen andrew
in that he was the only
councilor to attend I thank you
for that hearing as well.
I just want to thank you
councilor brayton for
correcting the record.
I appreciate you and I
appreciate the work that you do
on this.
I also know that a lot of us
are in districts and in areas
where security is a major issue
and a lot of us on this body
are part of identity groups
that are often under attack
whether as lgbtq plus muslim,
jewish, black people, people
of color.
That does not abdicate our
responsibility for oversight.
It is really important for us
to get this right and
councilor brayton we will have
opportunities.
We will continue asking these
questions.
I have questions as critical I
can be of surveillance and the
powers that we give police
bodies I also know that
security and safety is
important for this body.
It's important for this
community and for the city.
And so I think you council are
all for moving for the vote.
i think you cast offline for
your statement which I know a
lot of people share and we've
heard from people like j.C r.C
who talk about the white
supremacist groups and about
how a lot of us face terrorism
both foreign and domestic how
we've seen that in the city
of boston against lgbtq plus
people, against people
of color, against jewish
population, against our muslim
brothers and sisters.
And so I think that we all
appreciate what you stated
councilor flynn and appreciate
your advocacy and we've heard
from other people in towns
about the importance of this
and so we are now moving to a
vote on docket number 0134
council rl seek suspension
of the rules and passage
of docket number 0134 all those
in favor say I have mr clerk
can we take a roll call vote?
Do we have to do we did because
you agreed?
Yes.
And there was no objection.
So it's only if there's an okay
roll call vote on numbers 0134
count celebrating as
councilor breadon present
councilor coletta
councilor coletta yes.
Councilor durkin
councilor durkin yes.
Councilor for ananda sanderson
yes.
Councilor fernandes yes.
Councilor fitzgerald yes.
Councilor flynn yes.
Councilor of flynn yes.
Councilor louijeune yes.
Councilor louijeune yes
councilor me here councilor to
murphy councilor and murphy
yes.
Councilor pepper yes.
Councilor pepin yes.
Councilor santana yes.
Councilor webber yes.
Councilor l yes.
Councilor well yes sir.
I can answer oh three four has
received uh 11 votes in the
affirmative one vote present
and one absent.
The docket passes.
Thank you, MR. Clerk.
We are now moving on to late
files.
I believe that's where we were
before and then we went back to
read sheets.
I am informed by MR. Clerk
present that was on docket
number 0134 accounts for mejia
voted present.
Okay.
Thank you.
Late files.
I'm informed by the clerk that
there are three late vital
matters one personnel order,
one item for the consent agenda
and one resolution we MAY have
done this already but just for
the sake of flaherty on the
record we will take a vote to
add these matters to the
agenda.
All of those in favor of adding
late file say I all oppose say
nay thank you.
The late the late file matters
have been added to the agenda.
Mr clerk, will you please read
the first late matter into the
record?
Firstly five men a personnel
order councilor louijeune for
councilor a brief the church
expansion seeks passage of that
personnel order all in favor
say I all oppose in the ayes
have it the docket is passed so
I can like file a male
resolution recognizing FEBRUARY
2nd, 2024 as lucius day in the
city of boston, the chair
recognizes councilor durkin
councilor durkin, you now have
the floor.
Thank you so much.
Councilor PRESIDENT Maybe
you've heard of a group called
lucius, maybe you haven't.
But we all have something in
common with his band members
jess wolf, holly, lisa daniel
that and peter lesh and that is
a love and appreciation for the
city of boston as a transplant.
I resonate with the band's
story because each of us have
found a place to grow in
community here boston welcomes
lucius as a success story from
my district and one I'm proud
to recognize today in an
interview with boston magazine
in 2013, lead singer jess wolf
said when we went to berkeley
it was the time we felt like we
were a part of community.
I don't know if it's something
about boston but for us it was
boston.
It brought such a release waves
and such a powerful time for us
as young women in their own
words.
Boston was where it all began
for meeting in dorm rooms off
mass of and boylston to their
very first time on stage at
berkeley performing arts center
and the first real show as
lucia's paradise rock club.
They celebrated many milestones
in district eight and
throughout boston including
their first sold out show
headlining at great scott and
playing boston calling
alongside berklee instant
strings.
Lucia says gained over 1
million monthly listeners on
spotify performed over 600
concerts while stopping in
boston for every major tour.
Their lead singers have
received three grammy
nominations and 2023.
My sister tori introduced me to
this band over ten years ago
and it's a pleasure watching
these accomplished artists and
vocalists that are joining us
at the house of blues on friday
in my district to celebrate
their ten year anniversary
of their breakout album will
the woman.
I would be honored if we would
vote to make friday FEBRUARY
second lucia's day in the city
of boston to celebrate their
contribution to boston's music
history.
And I asked my colleagues to
suspend in pass.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, councilor durkin.
Is anybody else looking to
speak on this matter?
Would anyone else like to add
their name?
MR. Clerk, please add
councilors breadon coletta,
fernando anderson fitzgerald.
Flynn murphy.
Pippin santana.
Webber.
Worrell and please add the
chair.
Councilor durkin seeks
suspension of the rules and
passage of this resolution.
All in favor say I am opposing
the ayes have it.
This resolution has been
adopted.
mr. Clerk, please read the next
file matter into the record.
The consent agenda.
We're now moving on to the
consent agenda.
I have been informed by the
clerk that there is one
addition to the consent agenda.
The question now comes on
approval of the various matters
contained within the consent
agenda.
All those in favor say I think
the consent agenda has been
adopted.
We are now on to announcements
for announcements.
We have two birthdays coming up
this week.
I want to give a special shout
out to lorraine schettino.
It's her birthday on saturday.
I believe so lorraine is in
central south all the time.
So happy birthday lorraine and
happy birthday to my policy
director.
Who's birthdays tomorrow?
Jessie purvis who and for
anyone who I MAY have missed
happy birthday.
I also want again we saw there
was an op ed this week in the
globe by attorney general
andrea campbell and mayor
michelle wu about third party
suppliers.
So again want to remind
everyone about the importance
of boston community choice
electricity and having folks
enroll in that program to lower
their cost and how we should
opt in to bce and not the
people who come knocking at
your door trying to engage
engaging in deceptive practices
to have you actually end up
paying more for your
electricity so it can save the
average household hundreds
of dollars a year in energy
cost and you could opt into
100% renewable energy.
It's boston go forward slash
energy.
Please be sure to share it with
everyone in your family, your
constituents so that we can
help bring people's energy
costs down.
We are now moving on to oh does
anyone have any announcements
any of my colleagues have any
announcements?
Okay.
We are now moving on to
memorials today we will adjourn
our meeting in memory of the
following individuals and if
anyone would like to add anyone
just feel free to put your mic
on.
For myself counselor louijeune
ronald cormier longtime
gardiner city city
councilor judith duffy,
longtime employee of the city
clerk's office.
A moment of silence please.
The chair moves that when the
council adjourn today it does
so in memory of the
aforementioned individuals.
The council is scheduled to
meet again in the iron chamber
on wednesday FEBRUARY 7th at
noon.
Thank you to the clerk's office
for all of your hard work.
Thank you to central staff.
Thank you to all of our
staffers for all of your
incredible work every day.
This meeting is hereby
adjourned.