GOOD HERE. GOOD. GOOD TO SEE YOU. YEAH. >> WHAT'S. >> GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. AT ALL THE ALL UP. >> I JUST WANT. TO RELEASE. THANKS. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I CALL TO ORDER TODAY'S MEETING OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL. VIEWERS MAY WATCH THE COUNCIL MEETING LIVE ON YOUTUBE@BOSTON.GOV BACKSLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV. AT THIS TIME I ASK MY COLLEAGUES AND THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE TO PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE UNTIL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. ALSO PURSUANT TO RULE 42 I REMIND ALL THOSE IN THE CHAMBER THAT NO DEMONSTRATION OF APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL BE PERMITTED. THANK YOU, MR CLERK. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL TO ASCERTAIN THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM? OH. YOU NEED THEM, MIKE. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU. COUNCIL OF HERE. COUNCIL OF COLOR AS OPPOSED TO COUNCILOR CULPEPER. COUNCILOR. DURKAN. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE HERE. COUNCILOR. MEJIA. COUNCILOR. MURPHY. COUNCILOR. PIPPIN. COUNCILOR. SANTANA. COUNCILOR WEBER AND COUNCILOR L. A ROLL UP QUORUM IS PRESENT. THANK YOU, MR CLERK. UM, MR. CLERK, WOULD YOU KINDLY OFFER AN INVOCATION TO BEGIN OUR MEETING TODAY AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW THAT WITH THE PLEDGE. UH, AS WE WILL RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. LET US PRAY. WE GATHER ONCE AGAIN TO DO GOD'S WORK. THE WORK OF PEACE. MAY WE SEEK TO RENEW TO RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT WITHIN OUR OWN SOULS AND A RIGHT SPIRIT AMONG OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS GATHERED HERE TODAY SO THAT WE MAY CARRY THE SPIRIT OF THE GOD OF PEACE INTO THE WORLD TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF ALL SENTIMENT BEINGS REACHING INWARD WE PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO BE AT PEACE, TO WORK WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN PEACE AND TO BRING PEACE TO THE WORLD. WE HEAR THE WORDS OF OUR TEACHERS ECHOING THE UNDERSTANDING AND WISDOM OF OUR MANY SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS. AND SO NOW AS WE TURN TO OUR WORK AT THIS MEETING MINDFUL OF OUR COSMIC COMPANIONSHIP, LET US PRAY WITH OUR ACTIONS FOR PEACE IN THE NATIONS AND IN THE CITIES. MAY THIS BE A REFLECTION OF THE PEACE THAT RESIDES IN EACH OF OUR HEARTS. MAY OUR GREATEST PASSION BE COMPASSION AND OUR GREATEST STRENGTH BE LOVE. SO MAY IT BE. AMEN. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. TO THE. >> FLAG. OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE. REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER. GOD. >> INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND. JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, MR. CLERK. >> UM, WE HAVE NO PRESENTATIONS TODAY SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. UM. NOW THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MEETING OF MARCH 4TH, 2026. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 24TH MEETING ARE APPROVED. UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO COMMUNICATIONS FROM HER HONOR THE MAYOR. UM, MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0500. DUNCAN NUMBER 0500 MESSAGING ON AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPEND THE AMOUNT OF $2,315,966.88 IN THE FORM OF A GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 STATE LUNCH PROGRAM GRANT AWARDED BY THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ELDER AFFAIRS TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE STRONG COMMISSION. THE GRANT WILL FUND NUTRITION SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AT A RATE OF $7.39 PER MEAL FOR UP TO 313,392 MEALS. UM CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MURPHY, THE CHAIR OF UM THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES CANCER. MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I AM RISING AND I'M GOING TO READ A DESCRIPTION AND I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES JOIN ME IN PASSING THIS TODAY. THE STATE ELDER LUNCH PROGRAM IS PART OF THE FUNDING FOR THE SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAM. THE FUNDING IS PART OF THE STATE BUDGET AND COMES TO AID STRONG THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF AGING AND INDEPENDENCE BECAUSE WE ARE BOSTON AREA AGENCY ON AGING. WHEN THE COMBINE WHEN THEY COMBINE THIS FUNDING WITH ADDITIONAL FEDERAL AND CITY FUNDS AND MAKE COMMUNITY GRANTS OUT TO PARTNERS WHO OPERATE THE PROGRAMS IN BOSTON, THE SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAM PROVIDES OLDER ADULTS WITH HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS HOME DELIVERED AND COMMUNITY GROUP MEALS THROUGHOUT EVERY BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO REDUCE FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION, PROMOTE SOCIALIZATION AND SUPPORT THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF BOSTON'S AGING COMMUNITY. IN FY 25, MORE THAN 300,000 MEALS WERE PROVIDED AT OVER 30 FREE COMMUNITY MEAL SITES ACROSS THE CITY. IN ADDITION TO OVER 2.3 MILLION. HOME DELIVERED MEALS. THERE ARE FIVE COMPONENTS TO THE PROGRAM. HOME DELIVERED MEALS DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THE HOME AND ALSO SERVING AS A CHECK IN FOR ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS. CONGREGATE MEALS OPEN TO ALL PEOPLE OVER AGE 60 AND DELIVERED TO OVER 30 COMMUNITY SITES ACROSS BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS. THESE SITES OFTEN PAIR THE DELIVERY OF A MEAL WITH PROGRAMING DESIGNED TO REDUCE SOCIAL. ISOLATION AND BUILDS CONNECTION . NUTRITION EDUCATION DELIVERED IN GROUP SETTINGS BY REGISTERED DIETITIAN. NUTRITION ASSESSMENT DELIVERED 1 TO 1 FOR ALL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. NUTRITION COUNSELING DELIVERED 1 TO 1 AS NEEDED. PROGRAM MENUS ARE APPROVED BY REGISTERED DIETITIANS. ALL MEALS MEET ONE THIRD OF THE RDA AND ARE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE WITH MEAL TYPES INCLUDING CHINESE, VIETNAMESE, CARIBBEAN KOSHER TRADITIONAL AMERICAN. ITALIAN, VEGETARIAN. PURE RATE, ALLERGEN FRIENDLY AND THERAPEUTIC MEALS. UM FOR DIETETIC DIET DIETARY RESTRICTIONS BASED ON ANY MEDICAL. NEEDS IN BOSTON. THE PROGRAM IS OPERATED BY NONPROFIT PARTNERS ETHOS IN COLLABORATION WITH MULTIPLE LOCAL KITCHENS IN THE GREATER BOSTON CHINESE GOLDEN AGE CENTER. THERE ARE MULTIPLE FUNDING STREAMS FOR THE PROGRAM, WITH. >> SOME OF THE FUNDING. PRIMARILY FEDERAL AND STATE, WITH THE CITY CONTRIBUTION. COMING AS PASS THROUGH. GRANTS FROM AID STRONG BOSTON AREA AS IT SAID AGING AGENCY ON AGING. SO THE AGE STRONG ALSO PLAYS A MONITORING ROLE FOR THE PROGRAM AND ENSURES COMPLIANCE AND MAKING. >> SURE. THAT THIS MONEY IS SPENT. PROPERLY AND PUT INTO THE FOOD THAT OUR SENIORS NEED AND PROGRAMING FOR COMBATING ISOLATION. SO I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES JOIN ME IN PASSING THIS TODAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MURPHY. UH, COUNCILOR MURPHY, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES SEEKS SUSPENSION OF THE RULES AND PASSAGE OF DOCKETS 0500. ALL THOSE YOU KNOW, HANG ON THE STEERING. YEAH, THAT'S THE RIGHT 10500. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. UH, MR CHAIR, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL? VOTE ON THE DOCKET 0500. ROLL CALL VOTE ON DUCK NUMBER 0500 COUNCILOR BREADON. YES, COUNCILOR BREADON. YES, COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS OPPOSED. YEAH. COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS OPPOSED TO YES. COUNCILOR CULPEPPER. COUNCILOR CULPEPER. YES. COUNCILOR. DURKAN. COUNCILOR. DURKAN. YES. COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD. YES. COUNCILOR. FLYNN. COUNCIL. FLYNN. YES. COUNCIL. LOUIJEUNE. COUNCILOR. MEJIA. COUNCILOR. MEJIA. YES. COUNCILOR. MURPHY. COUNCILOR. MURPHY. YES COUNCILOR. PIPPIN. YES. COUNCIL. GRIFFIN. YES COUNCILOR. SANTANA. COUNCILOR. SANTANA. YES. COUNSELOR. WEBER. COUNSELOR. WEBER. YES. AND COUNCILOR EARLE. DUCKY. NUMBER 0500 HAS RECEIVED 11 VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THANK YOU. >> UH, MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0501? DUCKY NUMBER 0501 MESSAGE IN ORDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPEND THE AMOUNT OF $97,000 IN THE FORM OF A GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 LOCAL CONSUMER AID FUND GRANT AWARDED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND LICENSING. THE GRANT WILL FUND STAFF COSTS, OUTREACH MATERIALS AND OPERATIONAL EXPENSES TO CONDUCT THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS PROGRAM. THANK YOU. >> THIS DOCKET 0501 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . UH, WE'RE NOW ON TO REPORTS OF UH, PUBLIC OFFICERS AND OTHERS. UM, MR CHAIR, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0502 AND. 050320502 NOTICE WE RECEIVED FROM THE MAYOR OF THE APPOINTMENT OF CATHERINE DAVIS WHEELER AS A TRUSTEE OF THE BOSTON GROUNDWATER TRUST FOR A TERM EXPIRING MARCH 9TH, 2030 AND NUMBER 0503 COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILOR BULLPEN REGARDING STALLED TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. THANK YOU. >> DOCKET 0502 AND 0503 WILL BE PLACED. >> ON. 512 MATTERS RECENTLY HEARD. MR CLERK, PLEASE READ DOCKET 0283. DOCKET NUMBER 0283 ORDER FOR A HEARING REGARDING ELDER SCAMMING AND FRAUD PREVENTION. UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES. COUNCILOR MURPHY. COUNCILOR MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. MADAM PRESIDENT. UM, WE HAD A HEARING ON MONDAY TO DISCUSS HOW THE CITY OF BOSTON IS WORKING TO PREVENT ELDER SKIMMING AND FINANCIAL. EXPLOITATION. >> THAT WAS CO-SPONSORED WITH MYSELF COUNCILOR. FLYNN AND IN ATTENDANCE WAS ALSO COUNCILOR CULPEPER. THE PANEL INCLUDED EMILY SHEA, THE COMMISSIONER OF EIGHT STRONG. KATHLEEN JOYCE, THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOSTON. LICENSING BOARD. SUPERINTENDENT CHIN FROM THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT CAHILL FROM THE BRICK ISSUES WE DISCUSSED DURING THIS HEARING, THE ADMINISTRATION DESCRIBED THE WORK BEING DONE ACROSS SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING H. STRONG, THE POLICE AND THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND LICENSING TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ,INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS AND SUPPORT VICTIMS OF FRAUD. THE ADMINISTRATION HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH INCLUDING PRESENTATIONS IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND SENIOR CENTERS. PUBLIC AWARENESS. CAMPAIGNS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND AARP. THE ADMINISTRATION ALSO. DISCUSSED THE ROLE OF THE. OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. >> AND LICENSING IN ASSISTING RESIDENTS WHO. BELIEVE THEY. >> HAVE BEEN. TARGETED BY FRAUD, INCLUDING HELPING RESIDENTS REPORT. SCAMS, MEDIATING CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND CONNECTING. INDIVIDUALS WITH THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES FOR INVESTIGATION. THE ADMINISTRATION. TESTIFIED THAT THE CITY CLOSED MORE THAN 1000. CONSUMER CASES LAST FISCAL YEAR AND HELPED RECOVER MORE THAN. $264,000 FOR RESIDENTS WHO. HAD EXPERIENCED CONSUMER FRAUD . COUNCILORS EMPHASIZED. >> THE. SCANDAL TARGETING SENIORS REMAIN A SERIOUS CONCERN, PARTICULARLY SCAMS INVOLVING. >> HOME REPAIR FRAUD. IMPERSONATION SCAMS AND ONLINE OR. PHONE BASED FINANCIAL SCAMS. WE ALSO. HIGHLIGHTED SCAMS TARGETING VETERANS INCLUDING SITUATIONS. >> WHERE. INDIVIDUALS ARE ASKED. >> TO PAY. FOR ASSISTING ACCESSING BENEFITS THEY HAVE ALREADY EARNED. SO THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR ALWAYS REMINDING OUR VETERANS OUT THERE THAT YOU NEVER NEED TO PAY SOMEONE TO HELP GET THE BENEFITS YOU EARNED. COUNCILORS ALSO NOTED. THAT OLDER ADULTS MAY BE TARGETED. BECAUSE THEY OFTEN OWN HOMES, HAVE SAVINGS. OR HAVE STRONG CREDIT. >> SCORES THAT MAKE THEM. ATTRACTIVE TARGETS. FOR SCAMMERS. THE DISCUSSION. UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING. TO STRENGTHEN COORDINATION. AMONG CITY. DEPARTMENTS AND. COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHILE EXPANDING. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. SO RESIDENTS KNOW HOW TO RECOGNIZE. I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT THE POLICE DID SAY THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE. ABOUT $7. >> MILLION THAT I REPORTED THAT THEY KNOW THAT'S WAY. UNDERREPORTED BECAUSE MANY. SENIORS AND. >> OTHERS WHO GET SCAMMED DON'T WANT TO SHARE THAT THEY'VE BEEN SCAMMED. THEY FEEL SHAMED BY IT. SO WE DID WANT TO UM, FIND WAYS AND. EVERYONE HERE IN THE CITY. UM WAS TELLING US THAT THEY'D. >> HELP. US SHARE. >> THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE SO WE COULD USE OUR PLATFORMS TO COMMUNICATE THAT WITH SENIORS ACROSS. THE CITY. UM, COUNCILOR CULPEPER. >> DID ASK FOR OUT OF THE 264 RECOVERED IN THE PAST YEAR. HOW MUCH WAS. RECOVERED FOR ELDERS? UM UM. ALSO IT SAYS HOW I. >> ASKED. FOR COPIES OF. >> THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF US DO WANT TO HELP SHARE. THE INFORMATION TO. OUR RESIDENTS NOT JUST. >> OUR SENIORS BUT ANYONE WHO FEELS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF SCAM, THAT THERE ARE. RESOURCES AND JUST WAYS. >> TO HELP STOP IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MURPHY. DOCKET 0283 WILL REMAIN IN COMMITTEE. MR. CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0175? NUMBER 0175, ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS THE REGULATION OF CREDIT UM, IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD THE CHAIR UM, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH HOMELESSNESS RECOVERY. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS AND RECOVERY HELD THE HEARING ON MONDAY, MARCH 9TH 2026 ON THE FOLLOWING DOCKET IN ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS THE REGULATION OF KRATOM IN THE CITY OF BOSTON DOCKET 0175 THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY MYSELF AND COUNCILOR FLYNN AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 28TH, 2026. I WAS JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES COUNCIL. FLYNN. COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR CULPEPER, COUNCILOR WEBER AND COUNCILOR DURKAN. DOCKET 0175 WAS FILED AFTER HEARING FROM MANY RESIDENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT SYNTHETIC KRATOM AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A BUNCH OF EMAILS UH, BETWEEN WHOLE LEAF AND SYNTHETIC THAT SYNTHETIC KRATOM IS BEING SOLD AT LOCAL GAS STATIONS, SMOKE SHOPS, CORNER STORES ETC.. SYNTHETIC KRATOM IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED, UNREGULATED AND COMMONLY MARKETED PRODUCT SOLD IN MANY FORMS INCLUDING DRY LEAF POWDERS, CAPSULES, TEAS, GUMMIES, ENERGY DRINKS, CONCENTRATED EXTRACTS AND INHALANTS THAT ARE WIDELY ACCESSIBLE TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND CAN BE HARMFUL AND OFTEN FATAL. THE COMMITTEE HELD A HEARING ON MONDAY, MARCH 9TH, 2026. THE COMMITTEE HEARD TESTIMONY FROM CITY OFFICIALS, DOCTORS, RECOVERY EXPERTS AND THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES DUE TO THE USE OF SYNTHETIC KRATOM. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS THROUGHOUT MASSACHUSETTS THAT HAVE A BAN ON SYNTHETIC KRATOM, WITH MANY OTHERS TAKING VOTES IN THE COMING WEEKS. FROM ALL THE INFORMATION GATHERED IT IS CLEAR WE NEED TO HAVE A WORKING SESSION TO WORK THROUGH THE TECHNICALITIES WITH THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES. AS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH HOMELESSNESS RECOVERY I RECOMMEND THIS MATTER REMAIN IN COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DOCKET 0175 AND REMAIN IN COMMITTEE. MR CHAIR, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0276 AND DOCKET 0277 TOGETHER? TALKING IN A0276 ORDER FOR A HEARING ON TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN SERVICE PROVISION AND SPENDING FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS AND DOCKET NUMBER 0277. ORDER FOR A HEARING TO AUDIT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RETURN ON INVESTMENTS. THANK YOU MR. CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MAHEU THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. ON MARCH 10TH THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION HELD A HEARING ON. DOCKET 0276 IN ORDER FOR A HEARING ON TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN SERVICE PROVISION AND SPENDING FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. >> WHICH. WAS SPONSORED BY MYSELF, COUNCILOR. CULPEPER AND. >> COUNCILOR SANTANA. THE COMMITTEE. ALSO HEARD DOCKET 0277 IN ORDER. >> FOR A HEARING TO AUDIT. BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPECIAL. EDUCATION SPENDING. AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT SPONSORED BY MYSELF. COUNCILOR AND COUNCILOR MURPHY . THE HEARING INCLUDED. PARTICIPATION FROM COUNCILORS FLYNN. PEPPING SANTANA. MURPHY, BREADON WEBER. FITZGERALD CULPEPER AND LOUIJEUNE. THE COMMITTEE PANEL INCLUDED EDITH BAZIL OF BLACK. ADVOCATES FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE, OUR REBRANDS OF SAINT STEPHEN'S YOUTH PROGRAMS, DOCTOR MARIA CERPA OF LASALLE UNIVERSITY, KATIE DE ROSA OF THE BOSTON TEACHERS UNION AND STUDENT NYLA HICKS. THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL INCLUDED DOCTOR SIMON WRIGHT, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF ACADEMICS JOEL HERE, CHIEF OF THE OFFICE OF MULTICULTURAL MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION. CASEY THE CHIEF UH OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES AND CHRISTINE TOURISM SENIOR ADVISOR FOR SPECIALIZED SERVICES DURING THE COMMUNITY PANEL AND PUBLIC TESTIMONY, SPEAKERS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S APPROACH TO MULTI LINGUAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AND ADVOCATES NOTED THAT CURRENTLY OPERATES 12 BILINGUAL PROGRAMS WITH TWO ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS PLANNED WHILE FEWER THAN 10% OF MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS ARE ENROLLED IN DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. TESTIMONY ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THAT THOUSANDS OF THE MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS REMAIN IN ENGLISH ONLY SETTINGS. >> AND THAT THE PROPOSED. BUDGET INCLUDES REDUCTIONS OF 110 BILINGUAL. TEACHER POSITIONS AND 28 BILINGUAL PARAPROFESSIONALS. COMMUNITY MEMBERS CALLED FOR A LONG TERM PLAN TO EXPAND BILINGUAL PROGRAMS. GREATER TRANSPARENCY ON TITLE ONE FUNDING AND STRONGER SUPPORTS FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES. KEVIN BOLDT OF THE MULTI UH CULTURAL EDUCATION, TRAINING AND ADVOCACY TESTIFIED THAT RECENTLY RELEASED RECORDS SHOW THAT MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN TOTAL ONE FUNDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SERVICES WENT UNSPENT . SPEAKERS ALSO NOTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 553 MILLION OF THE 1.7 BILLION BUDGET IS ALLOCATED TO SPECIAL EDUCATION. WHILE CONCERNS REMAIN ABOUT PROPOSED REDUCTIONS OF 167 SPECIAL EDUCATION POSITIONS, STAFFING SHORTAGES AND CONTINUE RELIANCE ON OUT OF DISTRICT PLACEMENTS. THE ADMINISTRATION REPORTED EARLY INDICATORS INCLUDING A 4% INCREASE IN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AMONG STUDENTS IN GRADES SEVEN AND NINE. INCREASED GRADUATION RATES FROM MULTICULTURAL EXCUSE ME MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND PLANS TO EXPAND ADDITIONAL DUAL LANGUAGE PATHWAYS. COUNCILORS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT STAFFING REDUCTIONS, EDUCATOR TRAININGS AND THE USE OF EVIDENCE BASED EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES. OFFICIALS STATED THAT STAFFING CHANGES ARE TIED TO ENROLLMENT SHIFTS AND QUOTE UNQUOTE SERVICE MAPPING PROCESS THAT ALLOCATES RESOURCES BASED ON STUDENT NEEDS AND THAT SOME BILINGUAL STAFFING REDUCTIONS REFLECT CODING ADJUSTMENTS AND CHANGES IN NEWCOMER ENROLLMENT. GIVEN THE CONTINUED GAP IN DISTRICT INVESTMENTS AND THE EXPERIENCES RAISED BY STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND ADVOCATES, THIS HEARING WILL REMAIN IN COMMITTEE AND I ALSO WOULD JUST LIKE TO UPLIFT. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN OUR GRADUATION RATES. BUT DURING THE TESTIMONY WE HEARD SOME CONFLICTING DATA AND OUR OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO DIVE IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER TO SOME OF THOSE DISCREPANCIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MEJIA. UH, DOCKET 0276 AND DOCKET 0277 WILL REMAIN IN COMMITTEE. MR. MR. COULD YOU PLEASE RECORD THAT COUNCILOR WORRELL HAS JOINED US? THANK YOU. MR COOK. UH, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0201 AND 0202 TOGETHER. TALKING NUMBER 0201 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS BOSTON'S FISCAL YEAR 27 OPERATING BUDGET AND NUMBER 0202 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FISCAL YEAR 27 OPERATING BUDGET . THANK YOU, MR BURKE. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WEBER, THE CHAIR OF WAYS AND MEANS. COUNCILOR WEBER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. >> VERY MUCH. MADAM PRESIDENT. LAST NIGHT THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS HELD A PUBLIC TESTIMONY SESSION ON DOCKET 201202. UH, HEARING ORDERS TO DISCUSS THE FY 27 OPERATING. BUDGET AND THE F UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FY 27 OPERATING BUDGET. I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCILORS DURKAN MEJIA CULPEPER PIPPIN LOUIJEUNE AND WORRELL FOR ATTENDING YESTERDAY'S LISTENING SESSION. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK UH, MEGAN, ETHAN AND CANDACE FROM CENTRAL STAFF FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE, UH, RECEIVED AN ABSENT LETTER FROM COUNCILOR FLYNN. UM, WE WERE IN THE CHAMBER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF. UH, WE HEARD FROM, UH, RESIDENTS UH ABOUT UH INVESTMENTS WE SHOULD BE MAKING IN THE BUDGET. UM, THAT WILL BE RELEASED ON APRIL 8TH. JUST TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW. YOU KNOW, WE HEARD, UH, FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, A FEW DOZEN FOLKS WHO WANTED TO SEE MORE INVESTMENT IN YOUTH JOBS. AND YOUTH PROGRAMING AND THEY CALLED OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, INCREASES IN AMOUNTS WERE SPENDING UH, ON THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MOST SPECIFICALLY ON UH OVERTIME WHICH UH IS I THINK SLATED TO BE OVER $100 MILLION. UH, YOU KNOW, IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. UH. >> WE HEARD FROM UH, ADVOCATES WHO WANTED TO SEE, UH, INVESTMENTS IN STUDENT FACING STAFF IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE HEARD ABOUT CUTS AT THE CURLEY AND THE O'BRYANT WHICH ARE GOING TO IMPACT STUDENTS. UH, WE ALSO HEARD FROM SOMEONE FROM HIS ATTENDANCE OFFICE. UH, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL HEARD FROM, UH, CORY MCCARTHY ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO TO GET STUDENTS TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. UH, THIS OFFICE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE CUTTING THAT OFFICE STAFF IN HALF IN THIS BUDGET AND IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR STUDENTS. WE ALSO HEARD FROM, UH, HOUSING ADVOCATES. UH, TO TO HIGHLIGHT HOW WE'VE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB THE LAST TWO YEARS IN INVESTING IN THE CITY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM. HOW IMPORTANT THAT'S GOING TO BE. AND ALSO WE HEARD FROM SEVERAL FOLKS FROM UH THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA. THEY WERE HERE I KNOW THEY SHOWED UP AS A GROUP AT OUR UH AT OUR SNOW HEARING ADVOCATING FOR I THINK UH, SHOVEL CORPS. UH, THEY CAME LAST NIGHT TALKING ABOUT, UH, WE NEED AN INVESTMENT FOR PUBLIC BATHROOMS ACROSS THE CITY. UM, AND THEY POINTED OUT HOW FEW WE HAVE AND HOW IMPORTANT OF INITIATIVE THAT IS AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WE HAVE, UH ,A WORLD CUP MOST LIKELY COMING HERE THIS SUMMER AND ALL THESE PUBLIC EVENTS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RESTROOMS IN PLACE. UH, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE CITY. SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UP LAST NIGHT, UH, FOR THEIR IMPORTANT TESTIMONY. WE WILL BE DOING THIS AGAIN ON MARCH 24TH AT 6 P.M.. UH, WE WILL HAVE A FLIER FOR EVERYONE TO SEND OUT TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHICH YOU THINK COULD BE YOU KNOW, UH, WE COULD BE BENEFITED BY SHOWING UP AND TESTIFYING. UH, WE'RE ALSO, UH, JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WE'RE HAVING A WORKING SESSION TOMORROW AT 2 P.M. UH, TO GO OVER UH, A LETTER, UH, ON BUDGET PRIORITIES. SO I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. UM, UH, SO I I I THINK UH, THIS I GUESS GETS KEPT IN COMMITTEE. MADAM PRESIDENT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, DOCKET 0201 AND DOCKET 0202 WILL REMAIN IN COMMITTEE. UM. UM. YES. UH, COUNCILOR ORAL, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UM. >> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT OUR RETURN TO DOCKET NUMBER 0501. CERTAINLY. >> MISTER CHAIR, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0501? I THINK YOU READ IT ALREADY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT IT. SO I CAN HAVE 0501 MESSAGE NOT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPEND THE AMOUNT OF $97,000 IN THE FORM OF A GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 LOCAL CONSUMER AID FUND GRANT AWARDED BY MISS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND LICENSING. THE GRANT WILL FUND STAFF COSTS, OUTREACH MATERIALS AND OPERATIONAL EXPENSES TO CONDUCT THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS PROGRAM. THANK YOU MR. CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL ORAL THE CHAIR OF LABOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE COMMITTEE OF LABOR AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THIS IS A SMALL DOLLAR AMOUNT GRANT THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CONSUMER FUND THAT HELPS SUPPORT THE CITY'S CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIVISION AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND LICENSING. THE FUNDING HELPS STAFF ASSIST RESIDENTS WITH RESOLVING CONSUMER DISPUTES THINGS LIKE BILLING ISSUES, SCAMS OR PROBLEMS WITH PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WHILE ALSO PROVIDING CONSUMER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM ALONE, THE CITY HAS HELP RESOLVED OVER 1000 CONSUMER CASES EACH YEAR AND RECOVER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR BOSTON RESIDENTS. FOR THOSE REASONS, I WOULD LIKE TO SUSPEND AND PASS, UH, THIS LOW DOLLAR AMOUNT. GRANT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE OF LABOR AND ON LABOR AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SEEK SUSPENSION OF THE RULES AND PASSAGE OF DOCKET 0501. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. UH. >> ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. SO. >> UH, MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL? VOTE ON DOCKET 0501. ROLL CALL VOTE ON DOCKET NUMBER 0501, COUNCILOR BREADON. YES. COUNCILOR BREADON. YES. COUNCILOR COLOR AS A COUNSELOR . CLOSER. YES. COUNCILOR. CULPEPER. COUNSELOR. CULPEPER. YES. COUNSELOR. DURKAN. COUNSELOR. DURKAN. YES. COUNCIL. FITZGERALD. YES. COUNCIL. FITZGERALD. YES. COUNSELOR. FLYNN. YES. COUNSELOR. FLYNN. YES. COUNSELOR. LOUIJEUNE. COUNSELOR. LOUIJEUNE. YES COUNSELOR. MEJIA. COUNSELOR. MEJIA. YES, COUNSELOR. MURPHY. COUNSELOR. MURPHY. YES COUNSELOR. THE PEN KNOTS OF A PEN. YES COUNSELOR. SANTANA. COUNSELOR. SANTANA. YES COUNSELOR. WEBER. COUNSELOR. YES AND COUNSELOR. WORLD. YES. COUNSELOR. WORLD. YES. DOCKET NUMBER 0501 HAS RECEIVED A UNANIMOUS VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THANK YOU, MR. CLERK. WHEN I WANT TO MOTIONS, ORDERS AND RESOLUTIONS A REMINDER THAT UNDER RULE 39 REMARKS ON NEW MATTERS NOT UP FOR A VOTE TODAY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES FOR THE LEAD SPONSOR AND TWO MINUTES FOR THE CO-SPONSORS. LAST WEEK I ERRONEOUSLY ALLOWED FOR A POINT OF INFORMATION ON A HEARING ORDER NOT UP FOR A VOTE. TO BE CLEAR OF COUNCILORS A POINT OF ORDER SPECIFICALLY CALLING ATTENTION TO A BREACH OF RULES OR AN ERROR IN PROCEDURE THOSE CAN BE ASKED OF ME AS CHAIR BUT POINT OF CLARIFICATION REGARDING INVITED PANELISTS TO THE HEARING OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DETAILS OF A HEARING SHOULD BE ASKED OF THE RELEVANT COMMITTEE CHAIR IN A SETTING OTHER THAN THE COUNCIL MEETING AND WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 050 FOR. DOCKING OF A050 FOR COUNCILOR FLYNN? NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING PETITION FOR A SPECIAL LAW REGARDING AN ACT RELATIVE TO MILITARY BY BACK FOR VETERAN INVISIBLE EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU, MR. CLERK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FLYNN AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HERO ACT PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE BUYBACK. OF MILITARY. SERVICE TIME HAS. SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED THE TIME LINE UNDER WHICH VETERAN MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES MUST OPT IN TO PURCHASE CREDIBLE MILITARY SERVICE. AND A PRIOR PRACTICE. VETERAN EMPLOYEES WERE PERMITTED. >> TO BUY BACK UP TO FOUR YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE. AT ANY POINT DURING THEIR MUNICIPAL. CAREER. >> ALLOWING SUCH DECISIONS TO BE MADE LATER IN LIFE WHEN FINANCIAL. AND CAREER. CIRCUMSTANCES ARE CLEARER. . >> UNDER THE. CURRENT FRAMEWORK. VETERAN EMPLOYEES ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS AND PAYMENT PLANS FOR THE BUYBACK OF MILITARY SERVICE TIME WITHIN ONE YEAR OF. REACHING PENSION. VESTING ELIGIBILITY WHICH. OCCUR AFTER TEN YEARS OF CREDIBLE SERVICE WITH THE CITY. THIS REQUIREMENT COMPELS VETERAN EMPLOYEES, PARTICULARLY FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL NONREFUNDABLE FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS. AT A. >> RELATIVELY YOUNG AGE IN EARLY STAGE OF THEIR MUNICIPAL CAREERS, OFTEN AT A TIME WHEN THEY ARE RAISING YOUNG FAMILIES AND CARRYING SIGNIFICANT. FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS. FIREFIGHTERS TYPICALLY. >> REACH THEIR TEN YEAR VESTING MILESTONE BETWEEN THE. AGES OF 35 AND. 40, LEAVING THEM WITH 18 TO 25 OR MORE YEARS REMAINING. IN ACTIVE SERVICE. AT THAT POINT IT IS NOT REASONABLY POSSIBLE. FOR EMPLOYEES TO KNOW. WHETHER THEY WILL ULTIMATELY RETIRE AT THE. EARLIEST ELIGIBLE RETIREMENT. DATE OR CONTINUE WORKING BEYOND THAT DATE. PAYMENTS MADE TOWARD THE BUYBACK. OF MILITARY. SERVICE TIME ARE CURRENTLY ASSIGNED. TO THE EMPLOYEES ANNUITY. ACCOUNT WITH THE BOSTON RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND. >> A. NONREFUNDABLE EVEN IF THE EMPLOYEE. REMAINS IN SERVICE BEYOND. THE EARLIEST RETIREMENT DATE MADE POSSIBLE BY. >> THE BUYBACK. AS A RESULT, VETERAN EMPLOYEES WHO REMAIN EMPLOYED BEYOND THE EARLIEST RETIREMENT DATE MAY EFFECTIVELY FORFEIT THE THE BENEFIT THEY PAID FOR. DESPITE HAVING CONTRIBUTED. SUBSTANTIAL SUMS TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF THAT BENEFIT. THIS COULD IN. >> TURN THIS CONCERN AS PARTICULAR. >> FOR FIREFIGHTERS WHOSE POST-RETIREMENT LIFE EXPECTANCY HAS BEEN DECLINING DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL CANCER ILLNESS AND EXPOSURES, RAISING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT VETERAN EMPLOYEES MAY NEVER FULLY. REALIZE THE. >> BENEFIT OF THE MILITARY SERVICE BUYBACK THEY FUNDED EARLIER IN IN THEIR CAREERS. THIS HOME RULE PETITION WILL ALLOW VETERAN MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES TO BUY BACK THEIR MILITARY SERVICE TIME LATER ON IN THEIR CAREER. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING TO DISCUSS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLYNN. AND WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? WE DO WISH TO SPEAK ON NO THANK YOU. FINE. UM, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? CONSIDER CULPEPER COUNCILOR DURKAN COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD COUNSELOR. IMAGE AND CONSUMER HERE CULTURE MURPHY CONTRA PEPEN, COUNCILOR. SANTANA COUNCILOR. WEBER, CONSTABLE WORRELL AND PLEASE OF THE CHAIR. THANK YOU. DOCKET 0504 BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. MR CHAIR, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0505. DUCKING NUMBER 0505 THE PEN OFF OF THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MATTAPAN SQUARE TASK FORCE AND OTHER MUNICIPAL SUPPORT FOR MATTAPAN SQUARE. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR PEPEN. COUNCILOR, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. MAY I, UM, ADD COUNCILOR WORRELL AS MY SECOND CO-SPONSOR. COUNCILOR WHAT I ALSO ADDED. IN MAY I SUSPEND THE RULES AND OUR COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE AS MY THIRD. CO-SPONSOR HEARING AND SEEING NO OBJECTION COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE IS ADDED AS A THIRD. OKAY. >> UM THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT. I AM PLEASED TO BRING FORWARD THIS HEARING ORDER TO HEAR FROM THE MATTAPAN SQUARE TASK FORCE THAT WAS CREATED LAST YEAR. AND REVIEW THEIR WORK THUS FAR. THIS HEARING WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS HOW WE CAN REVITALIZE MATTAPAN SQUARE, ADDRESS TRANSPORTATION, COMMERCIAL CHALLENGES, SERVICE CHALLENGES AND ENSURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A LEADERSHIP RESOURCES TO SUPPORT. IT NEEDS TO THRIVE AS A SAFE, VIBRANT AND ECONOMICALLY STRONG COMMUNITY HUB. I BELIEVE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE GIVE MATTAPAN SQUARE THE SUPPORT IT NEEDS TO STRIVE FOR THE SAFE AND VIBRANT COMMUNITY HUB, AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT MATTAPAN SQUARE TASK FORCE IS ALSO WORKING AND TO TRY TO DO THAT. UM, JUST A FEW DAYS AGO I WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH THE MATTAPAN FOOD AND FITNESS COALITION AND JUST. LEARN ABOUT THE THE AMAZING WORK THAT CHEVELLE AND HER TEAM ARE DOING. AND THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR THESE EXACT RESOURCES. AND JUST MATTAPAN SQUARE IS ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL MAIN STREETS DISTRICTS IN MY DISTRICT. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH. UPDATES AND THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU COUNCILOR PEPEN THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WIRRAL COUNCILOR WORRELL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR PEPEN FOR HAVING ME AS A ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR. UM, LOT OF ENERGY GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND REIMAGINE, REIMAGINING AND REVITALIZING MATTAPAN SQUARE. UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT THE CITY HAS IS DOING UM, IN MATTAPAN TO ENGAGE NOT ONLY THE RESIDENTS BUT ALSO THE BUSINESSES. BUT I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A TIME TO JUST SHOUT OUT ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, THAT ARE HELPING ENGAGE IN THIS WORK UM ,ESPECIALLY ON SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH THE COORDINATED RESPONSE TEAM AND THE MANY, MANY, MANY UH COMMUNITY UH GROUPS THAT ARE ENGAGING AND SHOWING UP AND VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, IN MATTAPAN SQUARE. I'M HAPPY THAT YOU CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING IN AND TO THIS ROOM, UH, TO HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS UM, ON UM THEIR VISION UM, AND THE TASK FORCE AND TO HEAR FROM THEM WHAT MORE SUPPORT WHAT THEY NEED FROM THE CITY. UH, SO THANK YOU AND SHOUT OUT TO THE WHOLE TASK FORCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR WORRELL. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCIL DIVISION. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UM. >> THANK YOU. >> MADAM CHAIR. AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILOR BENTON FOR ADDING ME. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC MATTAPAN SQUARE. THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING FOR A BETTER AND BRIGHTER MATTAPAN SQUARE AND THAT INCLUDES MEMBERS OF THIS TASK FORCE AND INCLUDES MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT ON THIS TASK FORCE . UM, I'VE BEEN CONTINUING TO HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MATTAPAN BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL UM, WITH PLANNED MATTAPAN THAT ALLOWS FOR A VISION OF MATTAPAN THAT IS MORE EXPANSIVE THAN WHAT WE SEE NOW. SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY AS SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN IN MATTAPAN AND AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES A TEN MINUTE WALK FROM MATTAPAN, I'M CONSTANTLY HOPING AND WISHING AND DREAMING FOR SOMETHING MORE FOR THE RESIDENTS. UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF POSSIBILITY THERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE BUT ALSO WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH OWNERS IN MATTAPAN SQUARE, UM, AND WITH OUR CITY TO. TO TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE. NEXT STEP FOR AN IMPORTANT UH, ECONOMIC SQUARE IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. WOULD ANYONE, UH, LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME, COUNCILOR UH, COLLETTE AS A POWDER COUNCILOR. CULPEPER. COUNCILOR. DURKAN. COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD. FLYNN. COUNCIL. MEJIA. COUNCILOR. MURPHY. COUNCILOR. SANTANA COUNCILOR. WEBER COUNCIL. WORRELL AND PLEASE UH THE CHAIR DOCKET UM. I WISH. DOCKET 0505 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES. UH, MR CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET. 0506. NUMBER 0506 COUNCILOR DURKAN OFF OF THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING ON MODERNIZING PERMITTING SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. >> UM, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES CANCER, JOY COLON CANCER AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. >> SO MUCH. >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREEDEN I WOULD LIKE TO ADD COUNCILOR CLAUDE. ZAPATA AND THEN. >> I'D ALSO. LIKE TO. >> SUSPEND THE RULES. >> AND ADD COUNCILOR PEPEN AS A. THIRD ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR. COLLETTA ZAPATA'S ADDED UM, SEEING AND HEARING NO OBJECTIONS. WHO'S YOUR SECOND. PEPEN GOT COUNCILOR PEPEN WAS ADDED AS A THIRD. THANK YOU. UM SINCE. >> THE DAY I PUT MY NAME ON THE. BALLOT I COMMITTED TO MAKING GOVERNMENT WORK BETTER FOR OUR RESIDENTS THIS YEAR. HEARING ORDER STEMS FROM. >> THAT COMMITMENT ACROSS BOSTON. WORK IS HAPPENING ON OUR STREETS EVERY DAY AND AS THE WEATHER GETS NICER WE'RE REMINDED THAT CONSTRUCTION SEASON IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. ISSUES RELATED TO CONSTRUCTION AND STREET WORK ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON CONCERNS FROM OUR OFFICE HOURS, AND THIS IS A TIMELY MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER MANAGE PERMITTED WORK HAPPENING ACROSS OUR CITY. EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD FACES CHALLENGES AND BEACON HILL AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND NARROW STREETS MAKE COORDINATION ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT IN THE FENWAY AND THE BACK BAY COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY PLACES SIGNIFICANT DEMAND ON ALREADY LIMITED CURB AND SIDEWALK SPACE ACROSS ALL BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS . PERMANENT WORK CAN BRING DISRUPTIONS FROM NOISE AND MOBILITY CHALLENGES TO STREET CLOSURES AND PARKING OBSTRUCTIONS AFFECTING DAILY RESIDENTS LIVES AND SHARED PUBLIC SPACES. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS OFTEN A LACK OF CLEAR, ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT THE TOP ISSUE I HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS IS THAT THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON OUR STREETS. I WANT TO THANK LAUREN KAMI, OUR QUALITY OF LIFE LIAISON TONY BAEZ, OUR OPERATIONS DIRECTOR LILY SWEETMAN, MY CHIEF OF STAFF WHO ARE OFTEN RESPONDING TO CONSTITUENT CONCERNS ON THE ON THE DAILY. BUT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS EASIER FOR RESIDENTS. IN A HEARING I HELD LAST YEAR ON CONTRACTOR PARKING OF WHICH I WAS THE ONLY ATTENDEE OUT OF OUR OUT OF OUR UH COUNCIL, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS OUTDATED SYSTEMS AND FRAGMENTED COORDINATION ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS. THAT CONVERSATION LED ME TO ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION HOW CAN THE CITY USE TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER COORDINATE THIS WORK? AND WHAT IF WE CREATED A PLATFORM OR RESIDENTS COULD ACCESS REAL TIME INFORMATION AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS? RECENTLY MAYOR WU ISSUED A TECHNOLOGY MODERNIZATION EXECUTIVE ORDER DIRECTING THE CITY TO BEGIN CITYWIDE PERMITTING REFORM STARTING BY MOVING APPLICATIONS ONLINE. THIS IS A HUGE STEP BUT AS THE CITY BEGINS THAT WORK, I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK BIGGER BEYOND DIGITIZING APPLICATIONS, WE SHOULD EXPLORE HOW WE CAN MAKE PERMITTING INFORMATION MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. PROVIDING MAY I INTERRUPT FOR A MOMENT? I'D ASK ALL MY COLLEAGUES TO BE QUIET AND NO CROSSTALK WHILE OUR COLLEAGUES ARE SPEAKING JUST OUT OF RESPECT. THANK YOU. CONTINUE TO CONTINUE. CONTINUE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DO THAT TOO AND I'M SORRY BECAUSE I DO HAVE A DISABILITY AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT I BE ABLE . >> TO FOCUS. SO I DO. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILOR BRITTON. UM AS THE CITY BEGINS THAT WORK, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK BIGGER BEYOND DIGITIZING APPLICATIONS, WE SHOULD EXPLORE HOW WE CAN MAKE PERMITTING INFORMATION MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, PROVIDING RESIDENTS WITH REAL TIME INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PERMITTED WORK IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD COULD MAKE SYSTEMS MORE PREDICTABLE AND EASIER TO NAVIGATE. THROUGH THIS HEARING, I'M EXCITED TO EXPLORE HOW WE CAN BETTER COORDINATE ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR OUTWARD FACING PLATFORMS FOR RESIDENTS CAN EASILY SEE WHAT PERMITTING WORK IS HAPPENING AROUND THEM. I'LL JUST TELL YOU I'VE HAD SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS WITHIN CITY DEPARTMENTS. WE NEED TO BRING THE CONVERSATIONS OUT IN THE OPEN. NOBODY WANTS TO FIX THIS WITHOUT PRESSURE. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT WE HAVE. TO RESIDENTS DEMAND MORE ACCESSIBILITY AND I'M EXCITED AS THE CHAIR OF PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT AND THE OTHER ISSUES FACING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO MY CO-SPONSORS. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKAN. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNTRY CLUB AS A PARTY. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AND I. >> WANT TO. THANK COUNCILOR. >> DURKAN FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT. >> UM. HEARING ORDER. FORWARD AND ADDING ME AS A CO-SPONSOR. UH. >> TECH GOVERNANCE IS ESSENTIAL TO MAKING. GOVERNMENT WORK. >> BETTER FOR OUR RESIDENTS. WHEN SYSTEMS. ARE MODERN, TRANSPARENT AND COORDINATED WE ARE ABLE TO. DELIVER SERVICES FASTER. BUILD TRUST WITH THE. PUBLIC AND. >> MAKE. IT EASIER FOR. RESIDENTS AND. BUSINESSES UH. >> TO INTERACT. >> WITH CITY HALL. IN REAL TIME. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. WHO OPENED UP THE SIDEWALK AT THE CORNER OF PRINCE STREET AND THATCHER STREET ON FEBRUARY 27TH AND WHY SOMEBODY FELL INTO IT. UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE FINE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHO OWNED THAT PERMIT. UM WHAT HAPPENED AND UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CROSS COMMUNICATION OR UM A GAP IN INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION. SO SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD UH, HELP AVOID THIS SITUATION. FOR YEARS I'VE PUSHED FOR UPGRADES TO SYSTEMS LIKE CO BOX WHICH IS THE CITY OF BOSTON UTILITY COORDINATION SYSTEM WHICH TRACKS AND MANAGES STREET EXCAVATION AND CONSTRUCTION PERMITS. THESE TOOLS ARE CRITICAL BUT THEY NEED MODERNIZATION AND BETTER INTEGRATION SO RESIDENTS CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOODS IN REAL TIME THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF YOU ,WE'VE WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY HAS THE RESOURCES IT NEEDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL UH, BECAUSE INVESTING IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS INVESTING IN BETTER GOVERNMENT. MODERNIZING OUR PERMITTING SYSTEMS WILL HELP US COORDINATE ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, REDUCE CONFUSION AND ULTIMATELY PROVIDE HIGHER QUALITY SERVICES FOR THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON. SO THANK YOU COUNCILOR DURKAN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. >> UM, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR PEPEN. PEPEN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AND THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKAN AND COUNCILORS. CLEDUS, A PART OF FOUR OUT OF ME IS THE THIRD CO-SPONSOR. UM, OUR PERMITTING PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE A RELIC OF THE HOLD THAT HOLDS PROJECTS AND COMMUNITIES BACK. UM, TIME AND TIME AGAIN MY OFFICE RECEIVES CALLS FROM RESIDENTS ASKING WHAT A CONSTRUCTION SITE IS DOING ON THEIR STREET OR HOW LONG YOUR ROAD WILL BE CLOSED WHEN THEY WALK OUT THEIR DOORS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING UM, DIGITIZING THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND BUILDING A REAL TIME NOTIFICATION SYSTEM WHERE WE LEAVE A LOT OF THAT STRESS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO INTO THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON OF 2026. I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO UM, KERRY AND IN CHIEF GARZA BECAUSE JUST LAST WEEK EARLY LAST WEEK THEY HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE IN ROSLINDALE ABOUT HOW THEY'RE UPDATING THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS ALREADY STARTING, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS RECEIVE THIS AND I AND I UM REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE DID A CITY SERVICES HEARING WHERE SUPPORT THAT WAS ABLE TO BRING IN EVERSOURCE AND NATIONAL. GRID AND HOW IT WOULD BE EVEN HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT WORK THEY'RE DOING UM IN OUR CITY. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS. I'M EXCITED. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL IN THE ROOM FOR GROWTH HERE SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR PEPEN. UH, WOULD ANYONE ELSE WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? UM CULPEPER. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, COUNCILOR. FLYNN, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCIL MEMBER HERE COUNCIL. MURPHY COUNCILOR. SANTANA COUNCIL. WEBER, COUNCILOR WERE WELL AND PLEASE UH THE CHAIR DOCKET 0506 WILL BE UH REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES. MR COOK. UM, UM. UH, CANCER AND YOU HAD A QUESTION? YES. >> UM, SO I WROTE. SPECIFICALLY UM THAT TO GO INTO PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION TO FOLLOW. >> UP ON. >> UH, HEARING ORDER I DID ABOUT CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT. I'M FINE. I I THINK THE CHAIR. >> OF. CITY SERVICES WOULD DO A GREAT JOB WITH THIS, BUT I DO JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I WROTE IT SPECIFICALLY, UM, TO TALK ABOUT TO GET TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT UM, TO THAT CONVERSATION. I THINK WE REVIEWED THE I MEAN WE READ YOUR YOUR HEARING ORDER UH, WE LOOKED AT THE DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND IT SEEMS LIKE CITY SERVICES IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR IT TO LAND. UM, I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS ALL OF US IN OUR DISTRICT. SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO A TIMELY HEARING UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCILOR FLYNN AND UH, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY NOW AT THE START OF THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON. WE NEED TO GET TO IT. SO THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAD A QUESTION. I WOULD JUST COMMIT UM, TO COUNCIL TO COUNCIL DIRECTION THAT I WOULD HAVE A. HEARING WITHIN. 30 DAYS IF THAT'S IF THAT'S HELPFUL TO. >> COUNCIL DRAGON. >> THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET. 05070507 COUNCILOR WEBER FOR THE FOLLOWING QUARTER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS AMONG STUDENTS IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WEBER. COUNCILOR WEBER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH, THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT . UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD YOU AS A CO-SPONSOR. UH, AND, UH, SUSPEND THE RULES AND COUNCILOR MEJIA AS A THIRD. UH. >> THANK YOU. UH, CONTRIBUTED AND CITED AS A SECOND AND SEEING AND HEARING NO OBJECTIONS COUNCILMEMBER HERE IS ADDED AS A THIRD. OKAY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, ALL OF US SEE NUMBERS, UH, THAT SHOCK THE CONSCIENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, EIGHT $8 FROM THE 2015, UH, FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF BOSTON STUDY THAT FOUND THAT, UH, AVERAGE WORTH OF BLACK HOUSEHOLDS IN BOSTON WAS $8 UH 9.39.3 YEARS. THE AVERAGE GAP IN LIFE EXPECTANCY BETWEEN UH BLACK MALES AND OTHER MALES IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS IS 5000, WHICH IS THE NUMBER OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN A GIVEN YEAR. WE'VE BEEN TOLD, UH, THAT THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GO UP. UM, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE EXPECT OUR KIDS TO LEARN IF WE CAN'T EVEN KEEP THEM IN STABLE HOUSING? UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I WAS PROUD TO JOIN WITH COUNCILOR BRAID AND EVERYONE HERE, UH, TWO YEARS AGO TO START THE ACCESS TO COUNCIL UH, PILOT PROGRAM WHICH HAS HELPED UH, DOZENS OF FAMILIES OVER THE LAST YEAR KIDS STAY IN THEIR HOUSING. UM, AND WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO HEARD HOW, UH, THAT SAVES FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE SPENT ON PROGRAMS LIKE THAT. IT SAVES 3 TO $10 IN PUBLIC SPENDING THAT WOULD BE USED ON BUSSING OR SHELTERS. UM, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK, UH, CUT OUT FOR US THAT WE, UH THE NUMBERS SUGGEST THAT IN THE 2024 2025 SCHOOL YEAR. THE NUMBER OF. STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOUSING HOMELESSNESS ROSE TO 5405. UM. >> AND IN OUR RESPONSE TO OUR RFIS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM DPS AND OUR WORKING SESSION WITH. >> THE SCHOOL. SUPERINTENDENT, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE UH EMERGENCY HOMELESS INTERVENTION PROGRAM WHICH HAS BEEN USED TO FIND STABLE HOUSING FOR THOUSANDS OF UH FAMILIES SINCE 2020 UM AND WHICH FACILITATES THE ACCESS TO COUNCILOR PROGRAM UH HAS LOSING ITS EXTERNAL GRANT FUNDING FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO I THINK WE WE ALL NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THE MOST BASIC OF SERVICES FOR OUR OUR STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, AS A BODY WE CAN'T GO INTO CLASSROOMS AND TEACH KIDS HOW TO READ OR TEACH THEM HOW TO DO MATH OR COACH THE BASKETBALL TEAMS. BUT WE CAN COME TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES THAT ARE GOING TO BE USED TO KEEP THOSE KIDS IN CLASS SO THEY CAN LEARN ALL THOSE GREAT THINGS. SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYONE HERE ON THIS, UH, AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE THIS. UH. >> YOU KNOW, PERSISTENT PROBLEM . THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR WEBER, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILMEMBER HERE COMES FROM ME. HERE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU ARE SECOND UP. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. UM, SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST THINK, UH, MADAM PRESIDENT, FOR ALLOWING ME TO RISE AND COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ADDING ME AS A CO-SPONSOR. WE HAVE WELL OVER 5000 STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND OUR SYSTEM AND WE KNOW, UM, WHAT AND WHAT AN ENORMOUS UM, IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR YOUNG PEOPLE'S WELL-BEING IN EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND THEY CANNOT FOCUS ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING WHILE THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO NAVIGATE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. UM, ADDRESSING THE HOUSING CRISIS IN BOSTON GOES HAND IN HAND WITH ADDRESSING THE NEEDS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO BASIC NECESSITIES, HIGH RENTS AND HOUSING THAT IS NOT DEEPLY AFFORDABLE PUTS OUR FAMILIES AT RISK. UM HOMELESSNESS UH INTERVENTION PROGRAM AND ACCESS TO COUNCILOR PROGRAM HAVE PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO EXPAND THESE PROGRAMS INSTEAD. WE'RE LOSING 750,000 IN FUNDING FOR THESE SERVICES. WITH THIS LOSS, WE CAN ANTICIPATE SEEING MORE HOMELESS AMONG STUDENTS GROW. I'LL JUST PUT THIS ON THE SIDE. UM. I WANT TO JUST KIND OF UPLIFT THAT. EARLIER THIS WEEK WE HOSTED A PEOPLE'S AGENDA. UM, SUMMIT AND WE HAD OVER 150 PEOPLE ATTEND BUT WE HAD UH, A SECTION DEDICATED JUST TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND I WAS SO OVERWHELMED WITH THE NOTION THAT EVERY SINGLE YOUNG PERSON THAT WAS THERE. NORMALLY WE HEAR ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT THEY CARE. ABOUT. >> BUT THE NUMBER ONE. PRIORITY FOR. >> THEM WAS HOUSING. AND WHEN YOU HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT ISSUES OF HOMELESSNESS AS THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, WE HAVE TO STOP AND PAUSE AND THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO HERE ON THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF REALLY UH, MAKING MORE INVESTMENTS AND AND PUTTING IN PLANS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. SO IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY TIME HERE. I USUALLY I HEAR ABOUT YOUTH JOBS AND THINGS OF, YOU KNOW, OTHER ISSUES BUT HOMELESSNESS WAS UH THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TOO. SO IF THAT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING TO US THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMES FROM HERE. UH, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR CULPEPER. UH, COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD. MURPHY. COUNSELOR. PEPEN. COUNCILOR. SANTANA. UH COUNCILOR WORRELL AND PLEASE ARE THE CHAIR AND COUNSELOR COLLETTE AS A POWDER. AND PLEASE ADD THE CHAIR. DOCKET 0508 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. OH SORRY. DOCKET 0507 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0508. DOCKET NUMBER 0508 COUNCIL SANTANA FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING REGARDING THE USE AND IMPACT OF HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. >> THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR SANTANA. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. UM, HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ALLOW OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE A STANDARDIZED CURRICULUM TO STUDENTS AND ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. BY DOING THAT, THEY ALLOW FOR CONSISTENT AND PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTION TO ALL OF OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS. GIVEN THE CENTRALITY OF THESE MATERIALS TO THE EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW THESE MATERIALS ARE CHOSEN AND HOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED IN PRACTICE. I LOOK FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE ,UM, INFORMATIVE HEARING THAT WILL SHINE FURTHER LIGHT ON THE ROAD IS ON THE ROAD THESE MATERIALS HAVE IN OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME TO THIS? CONSIDER COLLETTE AS A POWDER COUNCILOR. CULPEPER. COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR. FLYNN. COUNCILOR. LOUIJEUNE. COUNCILOR. MEJIA. COUNCILOR. MURPHY. COUNCILOR. PEPEN. COUNCIL. WEBER. COUNTRY. MARYLAND PLEASE. UH THE CHAIR DOCKET 0508 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0509. DUCKING NUMBER 0509 COUNCILOR SANTANA AND FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING REGARDING BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM. THANK YOU. >> THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR SANTANA. COUNCILOR, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. OOPS. YOU HAD IT ON THERE. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. UH, THE FIRST STEP TO LEARNING IS SHOWING UP. AND FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT REFERS TO THEIR ATTENDANCE. SINCE COVID CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IS ON THE RISE AND OUR SCHOOLS ARE TAKING PROACTIVE STEPS TO COMBAT IT. HOWEVER, ADDRESSING CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IN MANY CASES ALSO MEANS COMBATING THE BROADER ISSUES UM ISSUES OF HOUSING INSTABILITY. AS COUNCILOR WEBER UM JUST DID A FILING ON THAT. UNMET SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OR HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE ACCESS. THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT GIVE RISE TO CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM REQUIRES OUR CITY'S AGENCIES TO TAKE A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH. I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WHAT WE CAN DO TO STRENGTHEN INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION TO GIVE OUR YOUTH A STRONG START TO THE SCHOOL DAY ONE THAT ALLOWS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET THROUGH OUR SCHOOL DOORS. I ALSO LOOK FORWARD FROM HEARING FROM OUR ADMINISTRATION AND EDUCATORS ABOUT THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE. WHILE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE AND HOW THESE EFFORTS CAN BE STRENGTHENED. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILOR SANTANA. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS A POWDER COUNCILOR. CULPEPER COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR. FLYNN. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE OVER HERE. CATHERINE MURPHY, COUNCILOR. PEPEN COUNCILOR. WEBER CULTURAL WORRELL AND PLEASE THE CHAIR. THANK YOU. DOCKET 0509 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET. 05100510 COUNCILOR SANTANA FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ITS IMPACTS ON STUDENTS COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR SANTANA. COUNCILOR, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. UM, CAN I PLEASE ADD COUNCIL AS WELL AS AN ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR ? UM COUNCILOR WERE ALSO ADDED. AND THEN CAN I SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADD COUNCILOR CULPEPER AS AN ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR? HEARING AND SEEING NO OBJECTIONS COUNCILOR CULPEPER IS ADDED AS A THIRD. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. UM. OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFER ROBUST CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ALLOWING OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES THROUGH HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. THESE OPPORTUNITIES OPEN PATHWAYS FOR OUR YOUTH, GIVING THEM THE ABILITY TO ENTER HIGHER EDUCATION OR THE WORKFORCE WITH ESSENTIAL SKILLS CULTIVATED THROUGH YEARS OF SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION AND HOLDING A HEARING. WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE PROGRAMS LOOK LIKE IN THE DAY TO DAY AND THE LONG TERM IMPACTS THEY HAVE ON COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS. I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THE STRUCTURAL IMPACTS OF THESE PROGRAMS WITH OUR STAFF. I ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY CO-SPONSOR COUNCIL WHERE WHO'S BEEN WHO'S BEEN LEADING ON THIS UM ISSUE UM SINCE THE DAY HE STEPPED ON ON THE ON THE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT. YOU CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WORRELL COUNCIL. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AND THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR SANTANA, UH, FOR FOLLOWING THIS HEARING ORDER AND FOR ADDING ME AS A CO-SPONSOR. UM, AND THANK YOU TO CASA UH, CULPEPER AS WELL. UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO MEASURE OUR SUCCESS BY HOW WELL WE ARE PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. THE PBS IS TRULY BUILDING A CRADLE TO CAREER PATHWAY. YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR ME SAY THAT MORE AND MORE. UH, THEN OUR STUDENTS SHOULDN'T JUST BE SHOULDN'T JUST BE ATTENDING BOSTON'S WORLD CLASS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. IT SHOULD BE WORKING IN THEM, LEADING THEM AND BUILDING CAREERS TO THEM THAT YOU SEE THEMSELVES BECOMING DOCTORS AND NURSES AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS SERVING AT OUR WORLD RENOWNED HOSPITALS. THEY SHOULD SEE PATHWAYS INTO THE UNION TRADES THAT BUILD OUR CITY INTO THE BIOTECH SECTOR THAT DRIVES OUR INNOVATION ECONOMY AND TO CLEAN ENERGY AND TO THE INDUSTRIES THAT CONTINUE TO GROW BOSTON BECAUSE BECAUSE IF ANY CITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE REAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, IT SHOULD BE BOSTON. WE HOPE TO FIND PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTRY. WE ARE SURROUNDED BY WORLD CLASS INSTITUTIONS, INDUSTRIES AND EMPLOYERS. THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT WE LACK RESOURCES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOO UNCOORDINATED IN CONNECTING THOSE RESOURCES TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THAT'S THE WORK IN FRONT OF US BECAUSE WHEN STUDENTS AND FAMILIES CAN SEE A REAL PATHWAY FROM BHS TO THE TRADES, FROM TO COLLEGE, FROM TO CAREERS IN OUR HOSPITALS, OUR BIOTECH COMPANIES AND THE INDUSTRIES THAT POWER OUR CITIES. THAT IS WHEN WE START CREATING REAL BELIEF AND BUY INTO OUR SYSTEM. OVER THE LAST TWO BUDGET CYCLES THIS COUNCIL MADE THAT COMMITMENT CLEAR. THIS BODY PASSED BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT CREATED FUNDING FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. THESE GRANTS HAVE SERVED OVER 4300 BOSTON STUDENTS. I WANT TO TAKE TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS DOING INCREDIBLE WORK. YOUNG MAN WITH A PLANNED BOSTON CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER SQUATCH BUSTERS BOSTON HIGH EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTER EV KIDS, CRYSTAL RAY FOSTER PROJECT MINISTRIES, MINDS THAT MATTER, THE PATHWAY INITIATIVE, THE POSSIBLE JOHN YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROJECT, TRINITY BOSTON CONNECT, THE STEPPING STONE FOUNDATION AND HIGH SCHOOL TASK FORCE. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR WORRELL THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CULPEPPER. CAN YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? THANK YOU, COUNCILOR SANTANA FOR FOLLOWING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING ORDER AND FOR ADDING ME AS A CO-SPONSOR. STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL BY PROVIDING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS. I'M PROUD TO HAVE MADISON PARK TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL IN MY DISTRICT. BOSTON'S ONLY TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL. AND TO WELCOME FRANKLIN CUMMINGS TECH, A TECHNICAL COLLEGE TO NUBIAN SQUARE. BOTH ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE HANDS ON EDUCATION THAT PROVIDES REAL WORLD PREPARATION AND CAREER PATHWAYS STUDENTS MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE. UNDERSTANDING THE SCOPE AND IMPACT OF THESE PROGRAMS CAN HELP STRENGTHEN POST-GRADUATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR PEPPER. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS A MATTER. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE COUNCILMEMBER HERE COUNCILOR MURPHY PEPEN COUNCIL WEBER AND PLEASE OF THE CHAIR. UM DOCKET 0501 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. MISTER KIRK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0511. DUKKHA NUMBER 0511 COUNCIL I'M HERE FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING TO REVIEW THE MID-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION AND EDUCATIONAL IMPACT OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET. THANK YOU. UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES CONCILOR MEJIA HERE. CONSIDER MEJIA. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD COUNCILOR CULPEPPER AS AN ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR TO THIS DOCKET. UM, COUNCILOR CULPEPER RUSSO ADDED. AND WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION, I'M JUST GOING TO ASK WHETHER OR NOT, UH, COUNCILOR WEBER WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS AN ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR. >> TO THEM. THE AGREEABLE, UH, HEARING AND SEEING NO OBJECTIONS COUNCILOR WEBER IS ADDED AS A THIRD CO-SPONSOR. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR JUMPING ON BOARD . UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US, ESPECIALLY IN THIS MOMENT, TO REALLY START THINKING ABOUT HOW ALL OF THIS WORK IS INTERCONNECTED AND IF WE REALLY WANT TO HELP SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES THEN DOING WORK ACROSS OUR COMMITTEES UM IS SHOULD BE PART OF THE WAY WE TRY TO MEET THE MOMENT. SO TODAY I'M FOLLOWING THIS HEARING ORDER SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SPENDING AND BPA IMPACTS OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR SUCCESS. SO I'M REALLY LOOKING LESS AT THE THE DOLLARS BUT MORE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF IMPACT, UH, THAT WE ARE SEEING IN THE OUTCOMES OF OUR STUDENTS AS A CITY COUNCIL, IT IS OUR DUTY TO ENSURE THAT PUBLIC RESOURCES ARE USED EFFECTIVELY BY CONDUCTING MORE FREQUENT REVIEWS OF EXPENDITURES AND BY ADDING MID-YEAR REVIEWS, WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUDGET AND IDENTIFY HOW THAT TRANSLATES INTO EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND PROGRAMING THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING AND OPPORTUNITIES OF ALL STUDENTS IS VITAL UM TO THIS BODY AND ALL BOSTONIANS AND A MID-YEAR REVIEW PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON HOW THE CURRENT ALLOCATIONS ARE FUNCTIONING IN PRACTICE. HOW ARE THOSE PROGRAMS MANIFESTING THE INTENT OF WHAT UH, THE THE GOAL OF THE UH PROPOSED WAS AND SO THIS INFORMATION AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEARS BUDGETING UM, IT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AND HOW WE CAN ADJUST IN REAL TIME. WE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT, UM, THERE WAS OVER $1 MILLION THAT WENT UNSPENT, UM, TO SUPPORT MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OVERSIGHT. THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS IN BPA SHOULD LEAD TO IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, STRONGER PROGRAMING AND ADEQUATE SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS, INCLUDING SERVICES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES ESPECIALLY IN THE FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT OUR CITY FINDS ITSELF IN. WE MUST ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND STAFF DO NOT FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF INADEQUATE BUDGETING. THIS MID-YEAR REVIEW WILL ALSO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INCREASED TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND BUDGETING, SOMETHING THAT COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO ASK FOR. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BUDGET CUTS AT BHP'S FACING NEXT YEAR, WE MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND HOW EPS IS FUNCTIONING CURRENTLY AND IF WE CAN REALLY AFFORD TO CUT EDUCATORS, STAFF AND MORE IN TERMS OF EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, PROGRAMS AND STUDENT SUPPORT. SO THIS WOULD REALLY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BRING IN COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, PARENTS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THOSE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES. UH, IN TERMS OF LIKE THE RETURNS ON THOSE INVESTMENTS. AND SO MY HOPE IS IS THAT AS THE CHAIR OF EDUCATION, I CAN CONTINUE TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CHAIR OF WAYS AND MEANS TO HOST MAYBE JOINT COMMITTEE MEETINGS AROUND THIS ISSUE. SO THAT WAY WE ARE LOCKSTEP UH WORKING COLLABORATIVELY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. COME TO MEJIA. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CULPEPER COUNCIL CULPEPER. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. I'M JUST. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR HERE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS MATTER AND FOR ADDING ME AS A CO-SPONSOR. INVESTING IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF THE BFS AND EVERYONE WHO KEEPS OUR SCHOOLS RUNNING TEACHERS, STUDENTS PARENTS FACILITY STAFF, BUS DRIVERS. OF CAFETERIA WORKERS, BUS MONITORS AND MORE. A MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW ALLOWS THE CITY COUNCIL TO ASSESS WHETHER RESOURCES ARE IMPROVING OUTCOMES STRENGTHENING PROGRAMS AND ADVANCING DISTRICT PRIORITIES. STUDENT LEARNING AND EVEN EDUCATIONAL EQUITY I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS CONVERSATION AND TO ENSURING BPA SCHOOLS ACROSS BOSTON AND IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPPER. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WEBER. COUNCILOR WEBER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. OKAY. >> THANK YOU. I HAVEN'T PREPARED ANYTHING BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS COSPONSORING. BUT I WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCILOR MEJIA, UH, FOR THE INVITATION. UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TIME AND ENERGY WE SPEND ON IS NOT WASTED. UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD. UH, AND I THINK THESE HEARINGS HELP FOCUS US ON A VERY, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR, UH, THE CITY AND ALL OUR FAMILIES AND, UH, I JUST I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER FOR, YOU KNOW, A BETTER THANKS. THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS A POWDER CONSTRUCTOR CAN CONSIDER FITZGERALD CONSTRUCTION AND TO LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR MURPHY COUNCILOR PEPEN. COUNCILOR SANTANA AND PLEASE UH THE CHAIR. DOCKET 0511 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON POST AUDIT. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0512. DOT NUMBER 051 TO COUNCILOR CULPEPER FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING TO EXAMINE BOSTON'S 48 HOUR PARKING SPACE SAVER POLICY FOLLOWING SNOW EMERGENCIES. THANK YOU. >> THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CULPEPER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. EVERY WINTER BOSTON RESIDENTS SHOVEL SHOVEL PARKING SPACES IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES AND UNDERSTANDABLY WANT TO PROTECT THE TIME AND EFFORT THEY PUT INTO CLEARING THEM. AT THE SAME TIME THERE ARE PUBLIC STREETS AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE PARKING REMAINS ACCESSIBLE AND FAIR FOR EVERYONE. THE 48 HOUR RULE WAS CREATED TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE. BUT AFTER THE RECENT SNOWSTORMS THIS WINTER, MANY RESIDENTS HAVE RAISED CONCERNS THAT SPACE SAVERS OF REMAINING WELL BEYOND THEIR LIFETIME AND THAT ENFORCEMENT APPEARS INCONSISTENT ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS HEARING IS ABOUT BRINGING SOME FLAHERTY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO A POLICY THAT OFTEN LEADS TO CONFUSION AND SOMETIMES CONFLICT BETWEEN NEIGHBORS AND I MIGHT ADD ON MY WAY IN THIS MORNING I GOT A CALL FROM SOMEONE THAT HAD AN ALTERCATION. THEY'RE NOW IN COURT. THE TWO. PARTIES HAD A FIGHT OVER A SPACE AND THEY ASKED ME TO REPRESENT THEM. I DID SAY I'M NO LONGER IN PRIVATE PRACTICE. I'M NOW IN THE CITY COUNCIL. BUT I WOULD TAKE THEIR CONCERN TO THE COUNCIL AND MADAM CHAIR . I DON'T THINK WE UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS THIS ISSUE IS, ESPECIALLY WHEN NOT ONLY ARE THEY LEFT IN THE STREETS PAST 48 HOURS, BUT I'VE GOT SOME PICTURES HERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE WHEN THOSE SPACE SAVERS STAY THERE FOR THREE DAYS, FOUR DAYS A WEEKS. EVEN YESTERDAY I TOOK PICTURES. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THESE SPACE SAVERS, I THINK IT'S A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. I THINK RESIDENTS DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE, HOW THEY ARE ENFORCED, WHAT STEPS THEY CAN TAKE WHEN THE POLICY IS NOT BEING ENFORCED. SO WE NEED TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS SO WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS WORKING OR ISN'T WORKING. IDENTIFY WHERE ENFORCEMENT OR COMMUNICATIONS MAY BE FALLING SHORT AND EXPLORE PRACTICAL WAYS TO ENFORCE THE RULES AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE APPLIED CONSISTENTLY SO THAT BOSSES STREETS REMAIN FAIR, SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE ALL WINTER. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPPER. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS A POWDER COUNCIL. DURKAN. COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD COUNCILOR. FLYNN, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNTRYMAN HERE COMES FROM MURPHY. PETRAS. PEPEN. SANTANA. CARTER. WEBER. CONSTABLE RELL AND PLEASE OF THE CHAIR. DOCKET 0512 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES . MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0513. DUCKING NUMBER 0513 COUNCILOR CULPEPER FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING TO EXAMINE OPTIONS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE NUBIAN SQUARE AREA. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CULPEPER. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. MOVING TO SQUARE IS A PART OF OUR PLACE WITH RESIDENTS SHOP. WORK. >> COMMUTE AND GATHER BUT MANY PEOPLE LIVE AND DO BUSINESS THERE TELLING US THAT CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND HAVE CHANGED. BUSINESS OWNERS AND NEIGHBORS ARE REPORTING INCREASED DRUG USE, ILLEGAL ACTIVITY THAT AFFECT THE DAILY LIFE OF MANY IN THE SQUARE. MANY IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ALSO NOTICING NEW FACES IN THE AREA AND BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE INCREASED ACTIVITY WE ARE SEEING IS CONNECTED TO THE CITY'S ONGOING RESPONSE TO MASS AND CARS AS PEOPLE ARE DISPLACED FROM ONE PART OF THE CITY AND BEGIN APPEARING IN OTHERS SUCH AS NUBIAN SQUARE. AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE GOAL HERE IS NOT TO CRIMINALIZE OR OVERPOLICED COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY EXPERIENCED DISPROPORTIONATE SURVEILLANCE AND ENFORCEMENT. THE PEOPLE OF ROXBURY DESERVE SAFETY, BUT THEY ALSO DESERVE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE THOUGHTFUL, BALANCE AND ROOTED IN DIGNITY. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN NUBIAN SQUARE CARED DEEPLY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE DISTRICT, AND MANY HAVE ALREADY TRIED TO TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. INSTALLING GATES, HIRING SECURITY AND DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO KEEP THEIR STOREFRONTS AND SIDEWALKS SAFE. BUT THIS CANNOT BE SOMETHING THE COMMUNITY HAS TO SOLVE ALONE. WE NEED A COORDINATED RESPONSE THAT BRINGS TOGETHER PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH, SANITATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO THE NUBIAN SQUARE REMAINS A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES FEEL COMFORTABLE WALKING. BUSINESSES CAN THRIVE AND RESIDENTS FEEL SUPPORTED RATHER THAN OVERLOOKED. THIS HEARING IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY AND WORK TOWARDS SOLUTIONS THAT PROTECT BOTH THE SAFETY AND THE LONG TERM VIABILITY OF NUBIAN SQUARE. MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO COMFORT LITTLE LITTLE. RUTH. >> LUCE HERE AND AS A SECOND ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR AND I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A SUSPENSION OTHER RUTH THE UH COUNCILOR WORRELL AS A THIRD ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR. THANK YOU MADAM. UM THANK YOU. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE IS ADDED AS A SECOND AND HEARING AND SEEING NO OBJECTIONS COUNCILOR WU AS OTHER THERE'S A THIRD COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPER. LOUIS LIKE A LOUIS VUITTON BAG AND JEN. >> LIKE YOUR FRIEND JEN LOUIJEUNE BUT IT TAKES IT TAKES A MINUTE TO GET IT. SO, UH, IT'S ALL GOOD. THANK YOU FOR ADDING ME AS A SECOND ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR ON THIS HEARING ORDER. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPER FOR RECENTLY HOLDING THAT, UH, MEETING IN NUBIAN SQUARE WHERE WE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NUBIAN SQUARE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE CARED ABOUT DEEPLY SINCE I FIRST CAME ON THIS BODY AND I JUST PROBABLY LIKE YOU GET THE EMAILS, THE CALLS, THE TEXT VIDEOS OF THINGS HAPPENING IN NUBIAN SQUARE THAT WE WOULDN'T ALLOW TO HAPPEN IN ANY OTHER ECONOMIC CENTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I'M REALLY UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW WE CAN MOVE OVER THE MOVE FORWARD THIS CONVERSATION. IN SOME WAYS THE SOLUTIONS. >> ARE. SIMPLE HOW DO WE GET SUSTAINS SUSTAIN CITY SERVICES IN NUBIAN SQUARE SUCH THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS HAVING TO CALL THINGS IN WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED. WE'RE GETTING MORE LIGHTS IN NUBIAN SQUARE IN NUBIAN SQUARE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET UM, MORE HOKIES IN NUBIAN SQUARE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO UH, LOOK AT PROGRAMS AND MODELS THAT EXIST LIKE THE NEW MARKET BID AND TO SULLIVAN AND THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE. HOW DO WE BRING THAT TO NUBIAN SQUARE SO THAT IT'S IT FEELS LIKE UH IT'S THE PEOPLE IN NUBIAN SQUARE WHO ARE ALSO TAKING CARE OF NUBIAN SQUARE. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD EXAMPLES OF OF INDIVIDUAL THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN NUBIAN SQUARE BUT NOT WITHOUT AN AN OVERALL COLLECTIVE PLAN IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE SUSTAIN IT. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS HEARING ORDER BECAUSE I THINK THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND EVERYONE WHO IS CURRENTLY INVESTING IN NUBIAN SQUARE TO MAKE IT THE STRONG SQUARE THAT IT IS UM THAT WE THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING ON THIS ACTIVELY AND THAT WE UH ALSO CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF NUBIAN SQUARE. SO THANK YOU COUNCIL CULPEPER AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS HEARING. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WIRRAL COUNCIL. WELL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT AND THANK YOU TO UH, COUNCIL CULPEPER UM, AND COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE UH, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD ANATOMY AS A CO-SPONSOR AND UH AS INVESTMENT UH, CONTINUE TO GET PUT INTO NUBIAN SQUARE. UH, I STAND WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MORE OF A COORDINATED APPROACH. UM, I WANT TO I DO WANT TO SHOUT OUT THE WORK OF THE NEW BASQUIAT TASK FORCE, UH, THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE. UH, BUT WE HAVE OTHER, UH, AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE CAN LEARN BEST PRACTICES UH, FROM TO BE IMPLEMENTED HERE IN NEW ORLEANS. SO JUST, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, THE BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INVEST UM, AND YOU KNOW, REVITALIZE OR CONTINUE TO GROW UH, NUBIAN SQUARE INTO THE BUSINESS DISTRICT THAT WE KNOW IT ALL CAN BE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS A POWDER. CONSIDER AN ANSWER. FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR. MEJIA. COUNCILMAN. MURPHY. COUNCILOR. PEPEN. COUNCILOR. SANTANA, COUNCILOR WEBER. AND PLEASE ADD THE CHAIR. THANK YOU. DOCKET 0513 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0514. DUCKING NUMBER 0514 COUNCILOR FLYNN OFF OF THE PHONE FOR A FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS BOSTON GROUNDWATER TRUST AND GROUNDWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FLYNN. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MUCH OF THE LAND AND. AREAS OF. BOSTON WAS CREATED THROUGH FILL FILLING THE LAND AND IS. SUPPORTED BY WOODPILE. FOUNDATIONS THAT RELY ON CONSISTENT GROUNDWATER LEVELS TO REMAIN STRUCTURALLY SOUND. MANY BUILDINGS THAT ARE BUILT ON FILLED LAND IN BOSTON INCLUDE THE BAY VILLAGE, BACK BAY, THE SOUTH AND FENWAY, THE NORTH END AND OTHER IN OTHER AREAS. WHEN GROUNDWATER LEVEL DROPS IN EXPOSURE AND EXPOSURE OF THESE WOODS PILINGS TO HERE THEY BEGIN TO ROT. POTENTIALLY WEAKENING BUILDING FOUNDATIONS AND LEADING TO COSTLY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. CLIMATE CHANGE. DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS. DRAINAGE SYSTEMS AND UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE MAY CONTRIBUTE AS WELL TO GROUNDWATER LEVELS. IN 1986 THE CITY OF BOSTON ESTABLISHED A GROUNDWATER TRUST. WHICH WORKS TO MONITOR AND ADDRESS GROUNDWATER LEVELS. THE TRUST ALSO GIVES CLEARANCE TO PROPERTY OWNERS TO DEVELOP HOMES BEFORE APPEARING AT THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. RECENT REPORTS INDICATE APPROXIMATELY 8000 BUILDING SUPPORT SUPPORTED UNFILLED LAND AND WOOD PILINGS ARE POTENTIALLY AT RISK OF STRUCTURAL FAILINGS IF UNDERGROUND FOUNDATIONS ROT. DUE TO DECLINING GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN OXYGEN EXPOSURES. REPAIR REPAIRS CAN COST UPWARDS OF 200,000. RESIDENTS. PROPERTY OWNERS AND CITY AGENCIES WOULD BENEFIT FROM A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, RISK AND LONG TERM STRATEGIES USED TO PREVENT BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED ON GROUNDWATER DEPENDENT FOUNDATIONS. FOR YEARS I WAS PROUD TO SERVE ON THE GROUNDWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES. WHEN I BECAME CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT I VOLUNTARILY LEFT TO GIVE MY SEAT OVER TO COUNCIL DURKAN. WHO'S DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB AS. IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AS WELL. UM, I HAVE HELD HEARINGS ON THIS ISSUE IN THE PAST, UM, WITH BOSTON WATER AND SEWER BECAUSE IT HAS A BIG IMPACT IN MY MY DISTRICT. BUT I WANT TO ALSO INVITE OTHER CITY COUNCILS THAT IMPACTS THEIR DISTRICT. AS WELL, UM, TO WEIGH IN AND TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. UH, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS A POWDER COUNCILOR. CULPEPER COUNCILOR. DURKAN COUNCILOR. FITZGERALD, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE FROM HERE. COUNCILOR. MURPHY. COUNCILOR. PEPEN. COUNCILOR. SANTANA. COUNCILOR WEBER. COUNCIL AROUND, PLEASE. UH THE CHAIR. DOCKET 0514 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, RESILIENCY AND PARKS. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET. 05150515? >> COUNCILOR FLYNN, UM, FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS THE STATUS OF ADDRESSING POTHOLES IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. UM, CONSIDERING, UH, I KNOW WE'RE TO THE NEXT IT HAD, UH, CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FLYNN. DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? UM, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PAVING OUR ROADS. FILLING POTHOLES IS A CRITICAL PART OF CITY GOVERNMENT. POTHOLES ARE AN ONGOING, PERSISTENT ISSUE ON ROADS THROUGHOUT BOSTON, PARTICULARLY DURING WINTER AND EARLY SPRING MONTHS WHEN FREEZE THAW CYCLES AND HEAVY TRAFFIC CONTRIBUTE. TO STATE. STREET DETERIORATION. POTHOLES CREATES SAFETY HAZARDS FOR PEDESTRIANS, DRIVERS. CYCLISTS AND CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VEHICLES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. POTHOLES CAN ALSO CREATE SIGNIFICANT RISK FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN ALL RESIDENTS. RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT POTHOLES TO 311 TO ENSURE THE CITY KNOWS WHICH POTHOLES ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. RESIDENTS ACROSS THE CITY HAVE REPORTED POTHOLES INCLUDING ON CONGRESS STREET JUST DOWN THE STREET AND POST OFFICE SQUARE. THERE ARE SEVERAL LARGE ONES EAST AND WEST EIGHTH STREET, WARREN STREET HARRISON AVENUE WEST NEWTON STREET IN MY DISTRICT. IT WAS REPORTED IN 2025 THAT THE CITY FILLED OVER 4000 POTHOLES, DOWN FROM 7000 POTHOLES FILLED IN 2023. IMAGINE BOSTON 2030 THE CITY ESTABLISHED GOALS. RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE ROAD RAIL. ROADWAY QUALITY UNDERSTANDING THE CITY'S BENCHMARK FOR POTHOLE REPAIR, PREVENTATIVE STREET MAINTENANCE, DATA TRACKING LONG TERM ROADWAY RESURFACING STRATEGIES WILL ENSURE THAT BOSTON CONTINUES TO MEET ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY GOALS. THESE ARE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES. THESE ARE BASIC CITY SERVICE ISSUES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. UH, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLITIS, A POWDER COUNCILOR CULPEPER. COUNCILOR DURKAN FITZGERALD. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR. COUNCILOR MARIA COUNTRY MURPHY ,COUNCILOR. PEPEN. CONSCIOUS SANTANA, COUNCILOR. WEBER. CONSTABLE. RAEL AND PLEASE UH THE CHAIR. THANK YOU. DOCKET 0515 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES. MR. CLERK, MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET. 05160516 COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE FOR THE FOLLOWING ORDER FOR A HEARING TO ENSURE EQUITABLE INVESTMENT FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN BOSTON PRE-K PROGRAM. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. >> THANK YOU. >> MADAM CHAIR. I'M INTRODUCING THIS HEARING ORDER TO REVIEW THE PROGRESS UM, WE'VE MADE IN THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE BOSTON'S PRE-K EXPANSION. EARLY CHILDHOOD WE KNOW IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL INVESTMENTS THE CITY CAN MAKE. IF EDUCATION IS TO BE THE GREAT EQUALIZER THAT WE EXPECT IT TO BE AND THAT WE WANT IT TO BE, IT REALLY DOES HAVE TO START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLOSING SOME EDUCATIONAL GAPS OPPORTUNITY GAPS, RACIAL GAPS. RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY SHOWS THAT HIGH QUALITY PRE-K IMPROVES LONG TERM ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, SUPPORTS WORKING FAMILIES AND HELPS CLOSE OPPORTUNITY GAP GAPS BEFORE CHILDREN EVEN REACH KINDERGARTEN. WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES AS A CITY OVER THE PAST DECADE BY EXPANDING EARLY CHILDHOOD SES THROUGH A MIXED DELIVERY SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. WE OFTEN HEAR FROM FAMILIES ABOUT UH, COSTS BEING EXORBITANT, ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF SEATS. WE NEED TO REVIEW HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE PROGRAM. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BODY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT UH ONE OF MY FIRST PANELS WHERE WERE PRESENT THEY STATED THAT WE DO A BAD JOB OF COMMUNICATING HOW AVAILABLE SOME OF THESE NEEDS ARE AND THEY WANT THEY THEY WANT IT SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE EVERY FAMILY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON ONCE THEY HAVE A NEWBORN WITH SOMETHING THAT SAYS A UNIVERSAL PRE-K STARTS WITH ME AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO. UM, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO REVIEW THE AVAILABILITY UH, BY GEOGRAPHY, BY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHAT THE DEMAND IS LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CONTINUE WITH OUR INVESTMENTS. WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED UM, OVER THE YEARS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN UNIVERSAL PRE-K AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REVIEWING THE THE EFFICACY OF THOSE INVESTMENTS, UH, THE CREATION OF THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD AND CONTINUED ROLLOUT OF BOSTON PRE-K INITIATIVES REPRESENT IMPORTANT STEPS IN COORDINATING AND STRENGTHENING THIS WORK ACROSS THE CITY. AND AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS PROGRAM GROWS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT HOW EXPANSION IS UNFOLDING ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHETHER FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO ACCESS ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES. I OFTEN THINK ABOUT HOW HEAD START, AN ANTI-POVERTY GROUP UH REALLY UM TAKES HOLD OF THE IDEA THAT THE EARLIEST WE GET OUR CHILDREN INTO EDUCATION THE BETTER OFF THEY ARE. WE AS A CITY HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT. UM, AND WE CAN HAVE ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS LATER AND THEY'RE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER. UH, WE HAVE TO START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, UH, WITH OUR YOUNG KIDS AND WE HAVE TO MAKE IT AS ACCESSIBLE AND AS, UM. UM. >> ACCESSIBLE AND AS, UH, COST EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR FAMILIES. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT'S AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. UM, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? CANCER. COLITIS IPAD. CANCER. CULPEPER. CANCER. DURKAN. FITZGERALD. CANCER. FLYNN. CANCER. MEJIA. CANCER. MURPHY. CANCER. PEPEN. CANCER. SANTANA. CANCER. WHEREVER. CONSTANT WORRELL AND PLEASE ADD THE CHAIR DOCKET 0516 WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. THANK YOU. MR BURKE. WOULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0517? I UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR, UM, LANGUAGE ON THIS ONE. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. DUNCAN. >> NUMBER 0517 COUNSELOR CULPEPER THE FOLLOWING ORDER REGARDING A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE BOSTON ZONING CODE TO ESTABLISH A NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT AS PART OF THE LINKAGE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CULPEPER COUNCILOR CULPEPER. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A SUBSTITUTE FILING FOR. >> DOCKET NUMBER 0517. UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? UH COUNCILOR? UH, MURPHY A SECOND YOU MAY CONTINUE. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. TO BE CLEAR, THIS FILING DOES NOT CREATE CREATE AN ADDITIONAL TAX OR FILING FEE ON DEVELOPMENT. LET ME JUST SAY THAT AGAIN THIS FILING DOES NOT CREATE AN ADDITIONAL TAX OR FEE ON DEVELOPMENT. INSTEAD IT MODIFIES THE EXISTING LINKAGE PAYMENT FORMULA SO THAT A PORTION OF THE FUNDS ALREADY BEING GENERATED BY DEVELOPMENT ARE DIRECTED TOWARD INVESTMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. MOST DEATHS MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THAT DEVELOPMENT. WHEN THE LINKAGE PROGRAM WAS CREATED, ONE OF ITS CORE INTENTIONS WAS TO HELP MITIGATE THE IMPACTS THAT MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS MIGHT HAVE ON COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY ARE BUILT, BUT OVER TIME THE PROGRAM HAS LARGELY BECOME A CITYWIDE FUNDING MECHANISM WITH MITIGATION DOLLARS GENERATED BY A PROJECT CAN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN END UP SUPPORTING PROGRAMS SOMEWHERE ELSE ENTIRELY? MEANWHILE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS HOSTING THESE DEVELOPMENTS OFTEN CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE PRESSURES THAT COME WITH RAPID GROWTH, INCLUDING RISING COMMERCIAL RENTS AND THE DISPLACEMENT OF LONG STANDING SMALL BUSINESSES. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE CONCERNS AND IDEAS ABOUT HOW THIS COULD BE IMPROVED. THAT'S WHAT THE COMMITTEE PROCESS IS FOR. BUT THE CONVERSATION ABOUT UPDATING THAT LINKAGE PROGRAM NEED TO START NOW. COMMUNITIES THAT HOST LARGE DEVELOPMENTS SHOULD SEE MORE DIRECT INVESTMENT IN STABILIZING THE SMALL BUSINESSES, WORKERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ARE ALREADY AFFECTED BY THESE PROJECTS AND I MIGHT ADD, MADAM PRESIDENT, TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES, THIS WAS A PROGRAM THAT WAS INSTITUTED UH, LONG AGO BY BRUCE BOLAND, THE FORMER DISTRICT SEVEN CITY COUNCILOR. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PURPOSE OF WHICH BRUCE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, INITIATED THIS LEGISLATION, IT'S NOT WORKING THE WAY HE INTENDED AND MY ATTEMPT IS TO BRING IT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL EXTENT THAT THE ORIGINAL SPONSOR AND THE ORIGINAL CREATOR, UH, DESIGNED THIS PROGRAM FOR MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD COUNCILOR WORRELL, AS A SECOND ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR TO THE SUBSTITUTE FILING FOR THE A NUMBER 0517. THANK YOU. MADAM COUNCILOR WORRELL IS SO ADDED. UH, CANTRELL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH, THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR CULPEPER FOR, UH, BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND UH, LIKE YOU SAID, I DO BELIEVE UM, NOT ONLY LINKAGE BUT ANY UH, OF OUR POLICIES WE SHOULD BE REEVALUATING THEM, UM, EVERY SO OFTEN JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WORKING IN THE WAY THAT WE INTENDED THEM TO WORK. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO JUST THAT WITH THE LINKAGE ORDINANCE. UM, BUT ALSO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND NEW WAYS AND CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE UH, INVESTMENTS THAT ARE COMING FROM UH, SOME OF OUR DEVELOPMENT STAYS WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP STABILIZE THE BUSINESSES AND THE RESIDENTS. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. BUT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO FOR MORE OF OUR POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WORKING THE WAY THAT WE INTENDED THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR WORRELL WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? COUNCILOR COLLETTE AS A POWDER COUNCILOR FITZGERALD COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCILOR MURPHY COUNCIL. PEPEN SANTANA COUNCIL. WEBER THANK YOU. DOCKET 0517 WILL REFER TO THE COMMITTEE ON PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION. WE ARE NOW ON TO RESOLUTIONS NO. TWO MORE OR TWO MORE. THINGS WHICH GO TO THE. IT UM. UH, MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0518. DUNCAN EMBER 0518 COUNCILOR CULPEPER UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE SPARK ACT TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CULPEPER. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THE SPARK ACT, THE SUPPORTING POTENTIAL ENTREPRENEURS THE REGIONAL KNOWLEDGE ACT IS LEGISLATION RECENTLY INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS DESIGNED TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE BILL WOULD ESTABLISH REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION HUBS THROUGH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO BETTER CONNECT MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS WITH MENTORSHIP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, CAPITAL ACCESS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT. MINORITY AND WOMEN BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL DRIVERS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN CITIES LIKE BOSTON. THEY CREATE JOBS, STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, BUILD PATHWAYS TO GENERATIONAL WEALTH. YET MANY ENTREPRENEURS FROM THESE COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO FACE STRUCTURAL BARRIERS WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESSING CAPITAL NETWORKS AND THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO SCALE THEIR BUSINESSES. THE SPARK AIMS TO ADDRESS THOSE GAPS BY INVESTING IN REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THAT BRING TOGETHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UNIVERSITIES, BUSINESS LEADERS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. WHILE NO SINGLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION WILL SOLVE EVERY CHALLENGE FACING MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES, INITIATIVES LIKE THIS CAN HELP LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD AND EXPAND ACCESS TO THE TOOLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED. SUPPORTING SUPPORTING THE SPARK ACT IS CONSISTENT. BOSTON'S COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE MORE MINORITY AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ABLE TO START BUSINESSES, GROW BUSINESSES AND FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE INNOVATION ECONOMY. MADAM PRESIDENT, THIS IS ALSO LEGISLATION THAT WAS FILED BY SENATOR MARKEY WHO INVITED US TO HIS INITIAL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH REGARD TO THE SPARK ACT AND WHAT A GREAT INITIATIVE TO BEGIN TO WORK ON THE LOCAL LEVEL. MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS A SECOND ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR AND REQUEST SUSPENSION OF THE RULES TO HAVE COUNCILMEMBER HERE AS THE THIRD ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK FOR A SUSPENSION OF THE RULES TO VOTE ON THIS PASSAGE OF THIS TARGET. THANK YOU. >> MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. CHAIR. UM COUNCILOR WORRELL IS ADDED AS A SECOND AND SEEING AND HEARING NO OBJECTIONS COMES FROM HE IS ADDED AS A THIRD COUNCILOR. WELL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU TO COUNCIL CO PEPPER FOR INTRODUCING THIS RESOLUTION AS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT AND AS A FORMER SMALL BUSINESS OWNER MYSELF, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I OFTEN THINK ABOUT UM, IN STARTING AND RUNNING A BUSINESS IN BOSTON. UM, IT'S NOT EASY. IT'S NOT EASY ANYWHERE. AND MY OFFICE IS ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE BARRIERS THAT EXIST AND ASKING HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS PROCESS EASIER FOR ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS OUR CITY? AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, COUNCIL ME HERE HAS WORKED ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE AS WELL. SO WHETHER IT'S EASING THE LICENSING PROCESS, CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR LICENSES, UM, IMPROVING LANGUAGE ACCESS, UH, OR MAKING SURE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THEY NEED BEFORE THEY OPEN THEIR DOORS ARE THE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE HERE ON THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES CAN BE SMALL BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO THRIVE. I KNOW EFFORTS LIKE THE SPARK ACT MOVE THIS CONVERSATION FORWARD BY EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS AND STRENGTHENING THE ECOSYSTEM. SO I STAND TODAY IN FULL SUPPORT, UM, OF THIS UH, RESOLUTION AND OF THE SPARK THAT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE UM THESE CONVERSATIONS THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR WORRELL THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILMEMBER HERE COME TO MEJIA YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILOR CULPEPPER FOR ADDING ME AS AN ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR TODAY I RISE IN SUPPORT OF STRENGTHENING PLACE BASED ACCESS RESOURCES A KNOWLEDGE ACT LED BY SENATOR UM ADMIRAL MARKEY, CONGRESSWOMAN TIANA PRESLEY AND SENATOR CORY BOOKER AND SENATOR MAZZEO. YOU KNOW, THE ACT CREATES THE SPARK PROGRAM THAT WILL PROVIDE GRANT FUNDING TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, ACCELERATORS AND INCUBATORS AS WELL AS THE SPARK FINANCING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANTS AND LOW COST LOANS DIRECTLY UM TO SUPPORT UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES AND MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS ARE A VITAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THIS BILL WILL NOT ONLY PROVIDE THEM WITH THE FUNDING BUT ALSO THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT THEY NEED. THE SPARK ACT SEEKS TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES FACED BY MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES BY INVESTING AND BUILDING A SUPPORT SYSTEM. OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OWNED BY MINORITIES, ARE FACING SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO OPENING THEIR DOORS AND KEEPING THEM OPEN. THIS BILL ADDRESSES MANY OF THE ISSUES BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY COMMUNITY AND OUR AND WE URGE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS PROGRAM AND HELPING OUR UH TO SUPPORT OUR MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES AS THEY THRIVE. ALSO DURING COVID, OUR OFFICE WAS ONE OF THE LEAD OFFICES THAT WORKED WITH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES PARTICULARLY OUR IMMIGRANT MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO SUSTAIN. WE CREATED PROGRAMS, WE WORKED ALONGSIDE FOLKS AND SO I UNDERSTAND FIRSTHAND AS SOMEONE WHO WORKED IN GOVERNMENT DURING THAT CRISIS THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY'RE STRUGGLING DUE TO EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO I THINK THAT NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO REALLY RISE UP IN SUPPORT. AND I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE BLUE HILL LAB, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THE CONSTRUCTION THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND AND PROVIDING THEM WITH SOME TYPE OF RELIEF THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ALL. CARE ABOUT. THANK YOU. >> CONCILOR MEJIA AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR DURKAN COUNTRY YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPPER FOR FILING THIS. I WANT TO THANK OUR U.S. SENATOR ED MARKEY WHO DOES SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB THINKING ABOUT THE PIPELINE OF BILLS THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED WHEN WHEN THE ENERGY SHIFTS AT CONGRESS. UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THE PIPELINE OF BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES IN DISTRICT EIGHT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO FOSTER THAT. IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO BE AT THE FIELD HEARING WITH SENATOR MARKEY AND TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT CHALLENGES BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES, UM, AND UH, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES ARE FACING. UM, IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT UM AS A CITY THAT WE TACKLE THESE ISSUES HEAD ON. BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT THE FEDERAL INITIATIVES THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE, UH, A NEW DEAL POSSIBLE FOR UM FOR BUSINESSES THAT NEED SUPPORT, NEED PERMITTING HELP, NEED LICENSING SUPPORT AND NEED THAT MENTORSHIP. SO IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO HEAR FROM THOSE THAT TESTIFIED AT THIS FIELD HEARING. AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILOR CULPEPER, UH COUNCILOR PIPPEN, UM, FOR BEING THERE WITH ME. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. AND AS A FORMER UM STAFFER OF SENATOR MARKEY'S, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE HIM IN A PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY UM AT RCC WHICH UM YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A STONE'S THROW AWAY FROM DISTRICT EIGHT. SO, UM SO GREAT TO BE WITH UH, COUNCILOR CULPEPER THERE AND I FULLY SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKAN. ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ON THE MATTER? ANYONE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME? UH, COUNCILOR COLLETTE HAS THE POWER TO CONSIDER. AND COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, COUNCILOR FLYNN, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR PEPEN CONSCIOUS COUNCILOR WEBER CONSIDER WHAT ELSE REALLY MATTERS AND PLEASE ADD THE CHAIR. UH COUNCILOR UH CULPEPER SUSPENSION OF THE RULES AND ADOPTION OF DOCKETS 0518. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY I, UM MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL? VOTE ON DOCKET 0518. ROLL CALL VOTE ON DOCKET NUMBER 0518. COUNCILOR BREADON. YES COUNSELOR. BREADON. YES, COUNSELOR. COLLETTE AS A COUNCIL COLETTE AS A PUTTER. YES, COUNSELOR. CULPEPER. YES, COUNSELOR. CULPEPER. YES COUNSELOR. DURKAN. COUNSELOR. DURKAN. YES. COUNSELOR. FITZGERALD. COUNSELOR. FITZGERALD. YES. COUNSELOR. FLYNN. COUNSELOR. SAYING YES. COUNSELOR LOUIJEUNE. YES. COUNCIL. LOUIJEUNE. YES. COUNCIL. MEDIA. COUNCIL MEMBER HERE. YES. COUNSELOR. MURPHY. COUNSELOR. MURPHY. YES. COUNSELOR. PIPPIN. COUNCILOR THE PEN. YES COUNSELOR. SANTANA. YEAH. COUNSELOR. SANTANA. YES. COUNCIL. WEBER. YES. COUNSELOR. WEBER. YES AND COUNSELOR. UM. YES, COUNSELOR. WE'RE ALL YES. TALKING OF A0518 HAS RECEIVED A UNANIMOUS VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. DOCKET 051. IT HAS BEEN ADOPTED. MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0519. DUKKHA NUMBER 0519. COUNCILOR FLYNN OFFERED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A TEMPORARY ROLLBACK FOR THE BUILDING EMISSIONS REDUCTION AND DISCLOSURE ORDINANCE, ALSO KNOWN AS BURGLE AND STRETCH ENERGY CODES FOR FIVE YEARS. THANK YOU. >> THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FLYNN CONSTRUCTION. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WITH REPORTS CONTINUING TO SHOW THAT HOUSING PRODUCTION HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOSTON IN RECENT YEARS FROM 98 100 UNITS APPROVED IN 2020 TO 3800 APPROVED IN 2024. IN JUST 852 UNITS IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2025, ALL OPTIONS SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE TO INCREASE SUPPLY AND MEET DEMAND . A BOSTON GLOBE REPORT ALSO INDICATED THAT BOSTON LAGGED 16 CITIES IN HOUSING PRODUCTION IN 2024 ALONE. I VOTED FOR BOURDEAUX JUST LIKE I VOTED TO INCREASE IDP AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS. I HAVE SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES LIKE THIS IN AS MUCH OR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS ANYONE OVER THE LAST DECADE, BUT AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND POLICYMAKERS, IF THOSE HOUSING NUMBERS AREN'T BLINKING RED AS AN EMERGENCY, I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. BORDEAUX IS A CITY OF BOSTON ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRES LARGE BUILDINGS TO REPORT THEIR ANNUAL ENERGY AND WATER USE AND ESTABLISHES GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION STANDARDS AIMED AT REDUCING CARBON POLLUTION FROM THE BUILDING SECTOR. WHEREAS BORDEAUX IS A COMPONENT OF THE BOSTON CLIMATE ACTION PLAN INTENDED TO HELP US TO MEET ITS CITYWIDE GOAL OF ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050 BY REQUIRING CERTAIN LARGE BUILDINGS TO GRADUALLY REDUCE EMISSIONS OR COMPLY THROUGH APPROVED ALTERNATIVE MEASURES. RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WITH 35 OR MORE UNITS ARE SUBJECT TO EMISSION COMPLIANCE IN 2025, WHILE. RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS. WITH 15 TO 34 UNITS WILL BE SUBJECT TO EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE IN 2030, 35,000FT2 OF NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ARE SUBJECT TO EMISSION COMPLIANCE IN 2025 WELL NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS BETWEEN 20,000 AND 35,000FT2 WILL BE SUBJECT TO EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE IN 2030. VERONA REQUIRES ANNUAL REPORTING THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION, REDUCTION IN TOTAL ANNUAL EMISSIONS. THE CITY ENFORCES COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEES. ADDITIONALLY, THE STRETCH ENERGY CODE IS A STRICTER VERSION OF THE TYPICAL BUILDING CODE WHICH REQUIRES NEW BUILDING AND MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO BE MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT THAN THE BASIC STATE MINIMUM. BOSTON ADOPTED THE STRETCH ENERGY BUILDING CODE IN 2023, WHICH REQUIRES DEVELOPERS TO USE HEAT PUMPS INSTEAD OF GAS FURNACES. ENERGY EFFICIENT. VENTILATION SYSTEMS. STRONGER INSULATION CONTRACT THIRD PARTY CONSULTANTS TO TEST EFFICIENCY DURING THIS TIME OF GREAT ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, A HIGH INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT A HIGH INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW TO STEM POST-PANDEMIC INFLATION INCREASE COST TARIFFS BOSTON MUST USE ALL TOOLS TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THIS TIME. I'M NOT ASKING FOR A VOTE, MADAM CHAIR. I'M ASKING IT TO BE PLACED IN. UM AND FOR A HEARING SO WE CAN HAVE HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. IT'S NOT THE TIME FOR POLITICS BUT I WANT TO I WANT US TO SEE THE ECONOMY MOVE FORWARD AGAIN TO GET MORE CRANES IN THE AIR AND UH, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO GET OUR ECONOMY WORK AND GET OUR BUILDING TRADES WORKING AGAIN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. UM, SO YOU DON'T WISH TO BRING THIS UP FOR A VOTE? NO. COME IN. SENATOR COMMITTEE. UM, SO WE WILL NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ISSUE. UH, I WILL ASK ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME TO THIS DOCKET. UH, COUNCILOR MURPHY. UH, THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILOR UH, THANK YOU. DOCKET 0519 WILL BE UH, WILL BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE RESILIENCY AND PARKS. UH, MR CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ DOCKET 0520. DUCKING NUMBER 0520 COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE FOR THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION COMMENDING HISTORIC GRADUATION AND DROP RATE DROPOUT RATE IMPROVEMENTS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR. UH LOUIJEUNE. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UH, COUNCILOR UH, PIPPEN AS A SECOND ORIGINAL CO-SPONSOR. COUNCILOR PEPEN IS SO ADDED. AND I'D LIKE TO ADD COUNCIL SANTANA AS THE THIRD ORIGINAL. CO-SPONSOR HEARING AND SEEING NO OBJECTIONS COUNCILOR SANTANA'S ADDED AS A THIRD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >> I'M INTRODUCING. >> THIS RESOLUTION AND SEEKING SUSPENSION AND PASSAGE. I RISE TODAY TO INTRODUCE THIS ACKNOWLEDGING AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN OUR SCHOOLS. THE DISTRICT HAS REACHED THE HIGHEST GRADUATION RATE SINCE THE STATE BEGAN TRACKING THIS METRIC WHILE ALSO SEEING THE LOWEST DROPOUT RATE IN MARTIN MODERN REPORTING HISTORY IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT COMING FROM BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT ARE THAT D.C. THE STATE REVIEWS AND ASSESSES HOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE PERFORMING. UM IT'S THE IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST POLICY SUCCESSES SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT IS 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING AND WHILE VERY MUCH NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE, IT IS A SIGN OF PROGRESS. AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY IN MY HEARING ORDER ABOUT REVIEWING AND AUDITING OUR COMMITMENTS TO UNIVERSAL PRE-K DOESN'T DO A GOOD JOB OF COMMUNICATING WHEN THEY'RE WHEN PROGRESS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. AND SO I WANTED TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO JUST THAT. UM, I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF THIS RESOLUTION. IT'S NOT ABOUT DECLARING VICTORY OR SUGGESTING THAT THE WORK IS DONE. AS A BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL KID MYSELF WHO WENT TO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF DIFFERENT CALIBERS, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THE MORALE OF SCHOOLS AND THE MORALE OF OUR STAFF TO KNOW THAT WE ARE WE ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON A SPECIFIC ISSUE. UM ANYONE WHO HAS SPENT TIME IN OUR SCHOOLS AS I TRY TO DO EVERY SINGLE WEEK UM OR IN ANY OF OUR HEARINGS WE KNOW THAT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS STILL FACE SERIOUS CHALLENGES. WE CONTINUE TO SEE CHALLENGES FACING, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME. WE CONTINUE TO SEE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES THAT LAG BEHIND FOR OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. AND WE SEE CONTINUE TO HAVE CHALLENGES WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR OWN GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AROUND MASK CORE. BUT WHAT I REALLY STRONGLY BELIEVE IS THAT PROGRESS MATTERS AND SOMETIMES PUBLIC DISCOURSE SPEND SO MUCH TIME FOCUSING ON WHAT IS NOT WORKING AND AS A PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT IS CLUNKY AND HARD AND TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF POVERTY AND RACISM AT THE SAME TIME, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO, BUT WE HAVE TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHEN WE ARE INCHING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND I BELIEVE THAT UM, IMPROVING GRADUATION RATES FOR EVERY CATEGORY WHICH STRETCHES ACROSS ALL TYPES OF STUDENTS BLACK STUDENTS, LATINO STUDENTS, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THE BIGGEST PROGRESS FOR OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IS A GRADUATION RATE IMPROVEMENT OF 4.9% THAT IS READY FOR US TO TAKE A PAUSE AND SAY WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON THIS CATEGORY. AND SO I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THAT, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS WORK, COUNCILOR SANTANA, OFFICER UH OFFERED A HEARING ORDER TODAY TO TALK ABOUT ABSENTEEISM. ALTHOUGH WE ARE SEEING ABSENTEEISM GO DOWN, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A HEARING ORDER ON THAT ISSUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE ABSENTEEISM GO DOWN THROUGH THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE MAKE HERE AS A BODY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO EVERYONE TO MY CO-SPONSORS AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A VOTE ON THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR PEPEN. COUNCILOR PEPEN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AND THANK YOU COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE FOR OUT OF ME AS A SECOND CO-SPONSOR, I THINK THAT YOU FRAME THIS PERFECTLY, UM, THAT THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY A VICTORY DECLARATION. UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT AFTER THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT UM AND VISITING MULTIPLE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT JUST MY TENURE HERE JUST TO WHERE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE IMPROVING AND I WAS JUST AT BENKO THIS PAST FRIDAY TALKING TO A SENIOR CLASS AND HEARING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE. I WAS. THERE WITH. UH WITH YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT AND BEING ABLE TO REALLY HEAR FROM THEIR STORIES OF HOW THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT NEXT STEP IN THEIR IN THEIR LIFE. UM, I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK LAST YEAR AT THE O'BRIAN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND BE ABLE TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR SUCCESS STORIES AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE HONORING WHAT'S WORKING MAKING SURE THAT ME AS A FORMER STUDENT, AS A PARENT OF A STUDENT, UM THAT I REALLY TRULY WANT THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS WHICH IS WHY I AM GLAD THAT, UM, WE'RE SEEING NUMBERS. WE HAVE TO HONOR THAT BUT ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE ON AND I'M COMMITTED TO THAT AND I'M SO GLAD THAT, UM, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE SUBMITTING HERE IN ORDER TO TALK ABOUT VERY TOUGH TOPICS. YES, THAT WE HAD UH EDUCATION HEARING ON ON ON VERY TWO IMPORTANT TOPICS AS WELL. SO THESE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT CONTINUES TO HAVE THAT TRAJECTORY OF MOVING FORWARD AND SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE OUR STUDENTS AND THAT BOSTON POST SCHOOLS CONTINUES TO BE UM AND WILL BE THE BEST PUBLIC SYSTEM IN THE NATION. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR PEPPER. AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR SANTANA. COUNCILOR YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. I WANT TO THANK UM, COUNCILMAN LOUIJEUNE UM FOR INCLUDING ME IN THIS UM I THINK AGAIN THE THE FRAMING OF THIS IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S ABOUT. UM. >> THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING. UM, AND UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT PROGRESS OVER THE LAST, UM, SEVERAL YEARS. I KNOW THAT, UM, EARLY ON IN THE YEAR, UM, EVEN MAYOR WU AND THE SUPERINTENDENT SUPERINTENDENT MARY SKIPPER. UM ANNOUNCED I THINK SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES HERE INCLUDING. MYSELF UM, WE WE'VE GONE TO THE DOOR AND UM TO STUDENTS UM AND FAMILIES HOMES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTING WITH THEM. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE MEASURES. UM. >> AND. ACKNOWLEDGED AGAIN IN THE PROGRESS. UM. >> UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE AND THEN. SEE HOW WE CAN MULTIPLY THAT MOVING FORWARD. UM, AND UM, SO UH I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE JUST ALL THE EDUCATORS THE TEACHERS. UM THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AGAIN WHO WHO UM, PUT SO MUCH WORK INTO DOING THIS UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SHOWING UP THAT. >> OUR STUDENTS ARE GRADUATING AND LEARNING. UM, I THINK IT'S. INCREDIBLY CRUCIAL, UM, AGAIN, TO. UM, CELEBRATE THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE. SO. UM, REALLY WANT. >> TO SHOUT OUT AGAIN COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. >> FOR THIS UM, AND I LOOK I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO UM, VOTING. IN SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION. >> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. >> COUNCILOR SANTANA. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES CONSUMER FREQUENCY. MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UM, THERE WAS A FLURRY OF LIGHTS ALL COME ON AT THE SAME I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN. SHE WAS FIRST. THAT'S FINE. COUNCILMEMBER A FEW OF THE FOR YOUR NEXT COMES FROM HERE. OKAY. THANK YOU. >> UM, I'D LIKE TO START, UM, OFF BY SAYING I STARTED MY MORNING IN BRIGHTON AT THE WINSHIP AND HAD A WONDERFUL START TO MY DAY WITH SOME GREAT K-1 STUDENTS. UM, BUT I WANT TO, UM, BEGIN BY RECOGNIZING THE HARD WORK OF BOSTON STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND FAMILIES. EVERY STUDENT WHO EARNS A DIPLOMA DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED AND EVERY TEACHER WHO HELPED THEM GET THERE DESERVES OUR APPRECIATION. HOWEVER, I WILL BE VOTING NO ON THIS RESOLUTION TODAY NOT BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO CELEBRATE STUDENTS BUT BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK HONESTLY AT THE DATA AND THE POLICY CONTEXT BEHIND THESE NUMBERS. THE CLASS OF 2025 WAS THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS FOLLOWING THE NOVEMBER 2024 BALLOT QUESTION THAT REMOVED THE MIXED GRADUATION REQUIREMENT WHEN A MAJOR GRADUATION REQUIREMENT CHANGES. IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT GRADUATION RATES INCREASE. THAT CHANGE PARTICULARLY AFFECTED GROUPS WHO HISTORICALLY FACED BARRIERS WITH THE MIX INCLUDING OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES . AT THE SAME TIME, STATE DATA SHOWS THAT FEWER THAN HALF OF BOSTON GRADUATES GRADUATES COMPLETE THE MASK CORE CURRICULUM, WHICH IS THE RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCE FOR ADMISSION TO MANY MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THAT MEANS MANY STUDENTS MAY GRADUATE WITH A DIPLOMA BUT STILL NOT MEET THE ACADEMIC PREPARATION EXPECTED BY OUR STATE COLLEGES. THERE ARE ALSO SERIOUS EQUITY QUESTIONS. MASKED CORE COMPLETION IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN EXAM SCHOOLS THAN IN MANY OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS IN BOSTON AND IN SEVERAL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HIGH SCHOOLS. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS COMPLETING THAT RIGOROUS PATHWAY REMAINS VERY LOW. AND WHEN WE LOOK EARLIER IN THE PIPELINE, THE NUMBERS RAISE ADDITIONAL CONCERNS. RECENT STATE ASSESSMENT DATA SHOWS FROM D.C. THAT ONLY ABOUT 17% OF BLACK EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS ARE READING ON GRADE LEVEL IN ABOUT 15% AND MEETING MATH EXPECTATIONS. THOSE NUMBERS TELL US THAT MANY STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING LONG BEFORE THEY REACH HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. SO WHILE I ABSOLUTELY CELEBRATE EVERY STUDENT WHO EARNED A DIPLOMA, I CANNOT SUPPORT A RESOLUTION THAT FRAMES THESE NUMBERS AS PROOF THAT THE SYSTEM. THANK YOU. >> COUNCILOR MURPHY. WHEN THE DATA IS NOT SHOWING THAT. SO I THINK YOU FINISH. YEAH. THANK YOU. >> UM, COUNCILMEMBER HERE YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE. THE INTENT OF THE RESOLUTION AND THE DESIRE TO RECOGNIZE PROGRESS. GOD KNOWS WE ALL NEED SOMETHING TO BE JOYFUL ABOUT, ESPECIALLY IN THESE DAYS. BUT WHEN I HAVE MY HISTORIC EDUCATION HEROES LIKE JOHN MUDD, EDITH BASIL AND SUZANNE LEE ASKING ME TO PUMP THE BRAKES, I'M GOING TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT I SERVE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM THE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING GRADUATION RATES WITHOUT EXAMINING THE FULL STUDENT OUTCOME DATA REPRESENTING AN INCOMPLETE PICTURE OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, THE NUMBERS TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY. DISTRICT DATA SHOWS THAT THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY BLACK STUDENTS, REMAINS IN SUBSTANTIALLY SEPARATE PLACEMENTS RATHER THAN LEARNING IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS WITH THEIR PEERS. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ALSO ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY HALF OF THE SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS DESPITE REPRESENTING A MUCH SMALLER SHARE OF STUDENT POPULATION. THE SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION IS NEARLY 11,000 STUDENTS OR 21%. ATTENDANCE DATA RATE RAISES SIMILAR CONCERNS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM. I WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS REMAINS EXTREMELY HIGH ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND IN SOME PROGRAMS SERVING STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES EXCEEDS 80%. GRADUATION RATE MUST MATTER. BUT LITERACY AND ATTENDANCE AND ACCESS TO INCLUSIVE INSTRUCTION AND THE FOUNDATION OF GRADUATION IS IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT. A SYSTEM CANNOT CLAIM SUCCESS WHILE ITS OUT WHILE ITS MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS REMAIN UNAVAILABLE UNABLE TO READ. CHRONICALLY ABSENT SCHOOLS UM AND SEPARATE FROM THEIR PEERS IN SEGREGATED CLASSROOMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE DATA ON STUDENT OUTCOMES SHOWS THAT LESS THAN 10% OF MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS ARE REACHING GRADE LEVEL CONTENT STANDARDS AND CAST AND CAST. IN ADDITION, ONLY 5% OF MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES ARE MEETING GRADE LEVEL UM CONTENT STANDARDS, ACCORDING TO MARCUS. YESTERDAY WE HEARD DATA THAT ONLY 4 IN 10 STUDENTS STATEWIDE ARE READING AT GRADE LEVEL WITH READING SCORES WITH MORE THAN 20% BELOW PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. THIS IS A LONG EXCUSE ME TOO LONG FOR ME TO KEEP READING BUT I WILL JUST SAY EXCUSE ME. I AM NOT TRYING TO BE. DISRESPECTFUL OR DISRUPTIVE. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES IN THEIR ADVOCACY BUT WHEN I HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT HERE ADVOCATING FIERCELY, I THINK IT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE AND THEREFORE I AM RESPECTFULLY ASKING FOR UH A BLOCK TO UH UH TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND UM AND INSTEAD TO PLACE THIS IN MY COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN INDEPENDENT UM, STUDY, UM, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING. SO I'M BLOCKING THE RESOLUTION AND ASKING FOR IT TO BE PLACED IN MY COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILMEMBER HERE. UM, CANTERBURY HAS REQUESTED THAT THIS DOCKET BE SENT TO COMMITTEE SO THEREFORE THERE BE NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. UH, DOCKET 0520 WILL BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. UH. THANK YOU. THAT'S UM. WHEN I NOTED PERSONNEL ORDERS. UM, MR TURK, UM, COULD YOU PLEASE READ THE PERSONNEL ORDERS? UH, DOCKET 0521 AND 0522. PERSONNEL ORDERS DOCKING 0521 COUNSELOR BRAIN FOR COUNSELOR DURKAN AND DOC NUMBER 0522 COUNSELOR BRAIN FOR COUNSELOR DURKAN. THANK YOU. >> THE CHAIRMAN PASSAGE OF DOCKET 0521 AND ZERO 5 TO 2. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THE PERSONNEL ORDERS HAVE BEEN PASSED. UM, WELL ON TO GREEN SHEETS. DOES ANYONE WISH TO PULL A DOCKET FROM THE GREEN SHEETS? OKAY. UM, WE WANT TO LOOK AT FILES. MR. CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY ACCESS? WE HAVE ONE YET. FILE MATTER, WHICH IS A PERSONNEL ORDER. UH, I'VE BEEN FORMED BY THE CLERK. ONE ABSENT OBJECTION THESE LATE FILES MATTERS WILL BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA. MR. CLERK, UH, COULD YOU PLEASE READ THE LEAD FILE? MATTER LIKE FIVE MATTER PERSONNEL ORDER, COUNSELOR BRAIN PERSONNEL ORDER FOR CENTRAL STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL OFFICE STAFF. THANK YOU. >> THE CHAIR MOVES FOR PASSAGE OF THE SLATE FILE MATTER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. UM. >> THE AYES HAVE IT. THANK YOU. THE PERSONNEL ORDER IS PASSED. WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'VE BEEN INFORMED BY THE CLERK THAT WE HAVE NO ADDITIONS TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. THE QUESTION NOW COMES ON APPROVAL OF THE VARIOUS MATTERS CONTAINED WITHIN THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. UH. THANK YOU. THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN ADOPTED. UM, WE ARE NOW ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE FOR UPCOMING EVENTS AND DATES. DON'T DO ANYONE DOES ANYONE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS IF YOU WISH TO UH HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS. YOUR PUT YOUR LIGHT ON AND WE CALL ON YOU. UH COUNSELOR DARK AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON GROUNDWATER TRUST. UM, WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL 40 YEARS AGO. UM CREATED. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ANNOUNCE TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE'LL BE HAVING A RECEPTION WITH THE TRUSTEES AHEAD OF THE MEETING AND THEY'LL ALSO BE A PRESENTATION AT THE MEETING. UM, SO I APPRECIATE IT. UH, COUNCILOR FLYNN'S FILING TODAY AND EXCITED TO CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF THE BOSTON GROUNDWATER TRUST. I PROUDLY AM, UH, TRUSTEE AND EXCITED, UM, TO GET AN. OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO TO KEEP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING WELL IN THE AREAS THAT ARE INFELD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> ANYONE ELSE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT? UM, WE WERE ALSO ON TO, UM, BIRTHDAYS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JULIE RYAN AND COUNCILOR UH, FITZGERALD'S OFFICE MARCH 12TH. UH. >> CONGRATULATIONS TO CLAIRE BROOKS ON LEAVING COUNCILOR WEBBER'S OFFICE TO JOIN THE POLICE ACADEMY. SO VERY GOOD. UH. >> HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY TO EVERYONE. MARCH 17TH IS THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF EVACUATION DAY. UH, AN AUSPICIOUS DATE ON THE CALENDAR. IS IT INDEED? I'VE BEEN CORRECTED. SAINT PATRICK'S DAY IS. MARCH 17TH. >> AND THAT'S WHAT THIS OFFICE. OH. ELLEN'S BIRTHDAY. OH. HERE WE. I SHOULD. >> HAVE HAD WRITTEN THAT DOWN LAST WEEK AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE CELEBRATING ELLEN'S BIRTHDAY. IT'S ON THE AUSPICIOUS DAY OF MARCH 17TH SINCE SHE'S MARRIED TO AN IRISHMAN FROM FROM COUNTY DOWN, NEWRY. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG DAY IN YOUR HOUSE. UM OKAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLEN. WE'RE NOW ON TO MEMORIALS. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO LIFT UP A NAME? COUNCILOR CULPEPER YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. MADAM PRESIDENT. I'D LIKE TO LIFT, UH, THE NAME OF DEACON TAYLOR. ONE OF THEM WAS PASSED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. LONG TIME DEACON AT THE PLEASANT HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. DEACON WHO SERVED UNDER MY GRANDFATHER SERVED UNDER ME. SO WE WANT TO LIFT UP HIS NAME TO HIS FAMILY IN PRAYER. WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING THE NAME I HAVEN'T GOT? MY HEARING ISN'T. WIDE ANGLE PAUL TAYLOR ONE UM. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CULPEPER COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE US. TO END TODAY'S MEETING IN HONOR OF ANDRE HOLLYWOOD EVANS, A. DEAR FRIEND UH A DEAR FRIEND OF OURS HERE ON THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL, CLIFTON BRAITHWAITE AND ALSO MY BIRTHDAY TWIN SO WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE UPLIFT UH, ANDRE HOLLYWOOD EVANS AND MAY ALL OF HIS LOVED ONES KNOW THAT WE'RE THINKING OF HIM AND IT'S MADE ME AS A MEMORY BE A BLESSING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WEBB. UH, CONSTABLE? WELL, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH, THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. I LIKE TO. UM, ASK THE COUNCIL TO REMEMBER THE NAME MOLLY REED. UM, MY COUSIN, UM, HAS PASSED AWAY. UH, SHE WAS A FIGHTER, UM, WHEN SHE WAS, UH, JUST A TEENAGER. THEY TOLD HER THAT SHE WOULDN'T LIVE TO SEE PAST 17. UM, AND SHE FOUGHT, UM, AGAINST ,UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT AILMENTS AND, UH, PROBABLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST, TOUGHEST PEOPLE, UH, THAT I KNOW. AND SHE DID IT, UH, WITH SO MUCH GRACE, SO MUCH COURAGE. UM, AND IT NEVER, UH, SHOWED UP IN HER PERSONALITY AT ALL. UH, SO I ASK YOU TO REMEMBER, UH, THE REED FAMILY, UM, AND THE NAME TO MOLLY REED. COULD YOU REPEAT THIS? READ AND READ. READ AND HER FIRST NAME. TO MOLLY. >> TO MOM? YES. ANYONE ELSE? >> THE CHAIR MOVES. UM, SO ON BEHALF OF UM, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE ANDRE HOLLYWOOD EVANS ON BEHALF OF COUNSELOR CULPEPER TAYLOR VARNUM ON BEHALF OF COUNSELOR WELL TO MOLLY REED ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL COUNSELOR BREADON ISAAC UH JIM MCISAAC. UM I'D ALSO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER THE MCISAAC FAMILY THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR NEIGHBORS OF OURS AND ALSO IN BRIGHTON AND OAK SQUARE. UH, JIM, UH, A YOUNG MAN IN HIS 50S UH FATHER UH DEVOTED HUSBAND AND UH, A GREAT FAMILY MAN. UH, WE WE'RE GOING TO MISS HIM IN OAK SQUARE. THE CHAIR MOVES THAT THE COUNCIL ADJOURNS TODAY AS IT DOES IN THE AS IT DOES SO IT DOES SO IN MEMORY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED INDIVIDUALS THE COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED TO MEET AND WE'LL TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. UM, TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. THE CHAIR THE COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED TO MEET AGAIN IN THE IRON CHAMBER ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18TH, 2026 AT 12 NOON. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, CENTRAL STAFF, THE CHURCH, THE CHURCH OFFICE AND THE COUNCIL STENOGRAPHER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT PLEASE SAY I THE COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED.