Good afternoon, everyone.

I call to order today's meeting of the Boston City Council.

Viewers can watch the meeting live on YouTube at Boston.gov backslash city dash council dash TV.

At this time I ask my colleagues and those in the t in the audience to please silence their cell phones and electronic devices.

Also pursuant to rule forty-two.

Councillor Braden.

Here.

Council Braden here, Councilor Calada Sapata, Councilor Cal Pepper, Council Durken, Council Durken, Council Fitzgerald.

Council Fitzgerald.

Council Flynn.

Council Flynn here.

Council Louisiane here.

Council Luigian here.

Council Mahia.

Council Mahia here.

Council Murphy.

Councillor Murphy here.

Councilor Papan.

Councillor Papin here.

Council Santana.

Councillor Santana here.

Counselor Webber.

Counselor Webber here.

Council Rural.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

We have a quorum.

Thank you.

I've been informed by the clerk that a quorum is present.

It is now my pleasure to invite Councillor Louis Jeanne forward to introduce today's clergy.

Pastor Joseph Muset.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have the esteemed honor of welcoming Pastor Joseph Masset to the dais.

Pastor Joseph Missak currently serves as a spiritual leader of the First Haitian Baptist Church of Boston, a multicultural and multilingual multilingual congregation founded in October 1969 and located at 397 Blue Hill Avenue in the heart of Dorchester Roxbury.

This is actually the church where I grew up, First Haitian Baptist Church.

And it's an honor to be the first Haitian elected on the Boston City Council and to be doing this in celebration of what May is, which is Haitian Heritage Month.

And so I'm so proud that I get to welcome Pastor Mousset here.

The church's home was originally constructed in 1906.

It's actually a historical landmark.

It was founded as Congregation Adafoon, a prominent Jewish synagogue, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, recognizing its architectural, cultural, and community significance.

And obviously, because of the way communities have changed, uh it used to be a Jewish synagogue and is now home to a black church, a Haitian community, but you can still see the Hebrew on the church.

And so I grew up in Grove Hall going to that church, and I'm very grateful for Pastor Mousset's leadership.

Under his leadership, the first Haitian Baptist Church continues its mission of exalting the Lord, inspiring believers in their walk with God, and welcoming people of all backgrounds through ministry in English, Haitian Creole, and French.

With faith, humility, and dedication to God's calling, Pastor Muset guides the church as a place of worship, prayer, biblical teaching, fellowship, and spiritual growth, while honoring its rich legacy as a landmark of faith and community in Dorchester.

I'm so lucky to have two Haitian pastors here with us, Pastor Kiki and Pastor Muset.

Uh Pastor Kiki is basically a city councilor now, so I wanted to make sure that Pastor Muset could come here and give the invitation.

And also want to welcome his son Mito, who does a lot of work with him in the church here with us today.

Messian Peel, you have the mic, good afternoon, everyone, let's wait.

With our hearts, feel with love and gratitude for all you have done for us.

We bless your name and praise you for the life you give us.

We praise and thank you for the brief of life.

Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity we have to be in your presence with our brothers, sisters, and the leaders of the Boston City.

Yes, Lord, you are great, you are wonderful.

No one can compare himself to you.

You are the Almighty God, and we know everything is under your control.

Therefore, oh God, we pray that you take charge of everything that will take place during this gartering.

Almighty God, we live up before you, the leaders of Boston City.

You are choosing them to steal the city safely in the right direction of progress, prosperity, and we ask you to grant them wisdom, integrity, and justice in their decision making.

Because they need discernment, discernment, with fairness and compassion in order to prioritize the well-being of all citizens.

We pray for the ceremony, for the economy and the progress of our city.

As the protector God, we pray you for the safety and security of our communities.

We ask for your divine protection over all citizens, protect them from crime, violence, and accident.

Oh Lord, we present to you, the mayor of the city, Michelle Wu and her staff.

Thank you, Lord, for your presence in this ceremony.

We ask you to bless all of us.

Bless everything that is about to be done in this time.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.

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.

We have two presentations today.

Would you like to come back up again?

Councillor Santana has a uh um has a resolution, but he also has a presentation related to that resolution this this afternoon as well.

So, Consular Louis Jean, and your guests.

Thank you again, Madam President.

Um, I'm here again in honor of Haitian Heritage Month, which is the month of May, and it's an honor to get to represent this community and to every year celebrate uh Haitian Heritage Month.

I always say that May uh is so important.

It's one of the busiest times of the year, and that so many people in the Hish community carry a PhD, have a PhD in what it means to hold grief and joy at the same time, given everything that's happening with temporary protected status, given everything that's happening back home, where 90% of uh 90% of the capital is controlled by gangs, given the violence uh from this administration when we talk about um the harm to our uh immigrant communities.

Uh it is hard to find moments and times to celebrate, but there's so much happening here, whether it be the first time in 52 years that Haiti is in the World Cup, and the first game happening in Boston is Haiti versus Scotland, and to see the Haitian Haitian and the Scottish communities coming together is amazing.

Whether it's last Saturday, the first Haitian night at the New England Revolution game, or next Friday, the third Haitian night at the Red Sox.

Um, we are carrying a lot of a lot of pain and a lot of joy.

And I am so grateful to be a daughter of this community, both in uh figurative sense.

Uh the Haitian community.

I grew up, uh, Will Nehu and his wife.

Basically, um, there's something that you say in crayon, balance.

I grew up balancing on his knee and in um uh him doing work at Telecreole at Boston Neighborhood News with my father, who is here and always here, and so I'm I'm just grateful that I grew up with parents who taught me how important it is to be proud of who I am as an American, as a Haitian and as a black woman.

And so I'm grateful that during this month of May, we have a lot of celebrating, and we'll be continuing that celebrating through June.

So there's an official resolution that is on, um, that is on the docket that we will be voting on later, and I hope that my colleagues will uh join me as you do every year in voting unanimously for this resolution recognizing May as Haitian Heritage Month.

We'll also be continuing the tradition of raising the Haitian flag on Friday, and I hope my colleagues will join us uh because of the weather, it's likely going to be mostly inside, but I'm grateful.

I'm going to have uh Pasakiki say a few words, and then we're gonna have the IFC band perform uh national anthem uh Haitian National Anthem and I see Sherry for us.

So Pasakiki, if you'd like to say a few words.

My uh counselor with the Russian, I call her my daughter.

She called me the second dad because her dad is right here.

Want to thank all of you, elected officials, who always stayed uh alongside of the Asian community.

We thank you for all the contributions that you bring uh to us and connecting us as well with all the resources, and we pray that you continue to keep us in your prayers as we are about to face the challenges, especially uh TPS recipients who do not know what's going to happen in July, but we pray and hope that the Supreme Court will definitely rule in our favor so that 350,000 people can remain this country to contribute uh tremendously in this economy.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

And also just a reminder, uh, Pasekiki serves as chair of Haitian Americans United, the annual Haitian Parade, a Haitian Unity Parade with Wilna and Marie Shepard will be this Sunday starting at 1230 in Matapan Square.

So I'm going to turn it over to members of the IFC band.

We have with us today, Gevin's Gabot, Irvika Paul.

They both started as young children with IFC, and now they're in college and they continue to embody the spirit of our community and of service.

Um, and they just came from college yesterday, and today they're here with us, so thank you so much for coming in and sharing in our rich culture.

And we are also joined by Maestro Mackley and Stanley Vernett playing uh saxophone tenor.

So thank you so much for being with us.

Maybe it makes uh we'll move and you can come up here and perform the stage.

Thank you, Councillor Louis Jeanne.

And thank you to the musicians and all of you for being here today.

It's such an honor.

Someone once said, I think it's toy Delicot that said that joy is an act of resistance.

So I think it's really important to celebrate and have joy in our lives as well.

Thank you.

And I would invite Counselor Santana forward to uh for your presentation.

Thank you, Madam President.

Good afternoon, everyone.

As well.

You can come right off.

So access to information and the right to privacy are the foundations of a free society.

And for marginalized voices, they are vital lifeline.

Yet we are currently facing legislation that threatens to dismantle this lifeline and threaten the privacy of neighbors.

We refuse to let our digital rights be dismantled.

Today, alongside with Councillor Mejia, we filed a resolution in partnership with Fight for the Future to ensure that the internet remains a tool for liberation, not surveillance.

No one understands the stakes of this legislation better than our next guest.

Before I let the director of Fight for the Future, Evan Greer, speak, I do want to give Councillor Mejia.

Okay.

Alright, so Evan, so Evan, well, thank you for being here.

And thank you for all that you do on behalf of our communities.

Thank you, Counselor.

So again, my name is Evan Greer.

I'm the director of Fight for the Future, which is a national digital rights organization based here in Boston.

We have more than 60,000 members here in Massachusetts.

But I'm not just here representing Fight for the Future.

I want to give a special shout out to Burhan from III Labs who worked with Councillor Santana's office originally on this resolution.

And we're here representing a growing coalition of LGBTQIA, human rights, civil liberties, and racial justice groups across the state who are urging our lawmakers and policymakers to address the harms of big tech companies, to crack down on the predatory business practices of large corporate social media firms, but to do that in a way that does not throw the most vulnerable people in our state under the bus.

And so what this resolution does is it really points the path for a progressive vision here in Massachusetts for regulating the abusive business practices of these corporations rather than punishing families.

And what we've seen put forth at the federal level with legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act, but also what has recently come here to Massachusetts in misguided proposals from the House and from the Governor's office is legislation that rather than cracking down on these companies' practices would force every single person in the state of Massachusetts to upload a government ID or submit to a discriminatory facial recognition scan in order to post online.

That violates the First Amendment rights of every adult in the state, but it also keeps young people away from life-saving online resources, things like the Trevor Project, suicide prevention hotlines, and other online resources that we know are a matter of life and death, particularly for LGBTQ youth in our city.

And so we are here asking the Boston City Council to, in one voice, urge our policymakers to listen to experts, to listen to undocumented families who may or may not have ID or be too afraid to upload their ID in order to post online.

We know many undocumented folks in our communities are using social media right now to organize, to monitor the activity of the federal government, to raise money for family members who are facing deportation, or for young people whose parents have been deported.

These are acts, the access to these tools is essential.

It's not a luxury, and so we want to urge our policymakers here in the state to listen to experts and to craft policies that crack down on these companies' harmful practices without kicking young people off of tools that they use to organize and without undermining our privacy, human rights, and civil liberties.

So thank you to Councillor Santana, thank you, Councillor Mejia, and thank you to everyone for being here today, and particularly to the broad coalition, which includes Mass Equality, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, the Sierra Club of Massachusetts, and dozens of other civil liberties, human rights, and racial justice groups here in the state.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Evan.

And later on today, during today's council meeting, we will be voting.

We will be voting on this resolution, and I would encourage my colleagues to vote in support of this resolution for the very reasons that Ivan just described.

So I really appreciate Madam President, you're giving us the time to do this presentation today.

Thank you.

We take a picture of it.

So I feel better.

Sure.

Thank you.

Thanks very much.

Hey, Ben.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, could you please amend the uh attendance to reflect that counselor?

Colpepper has joined us.

Okay.

Yes, now on to the first order of business, which is Councillor Murphy, do you have the floor?

Um thank you, Madam President.

I rise today to briefly follow up on the point I raised last week regarding unanswered section 17F orders.

Last week I moved to suspend the regular order of business because there were multiple outstanding 17F requests sitting before this body.

I allowed the meeting to move forward after we were told that answers would be coming.

Here we are one week later, and there are still 12 outstanding 17F orders that have not been answered.

I just want to highlight a few of the unanswered orders still before us.

We still do not have answers on elevator access, life safety, and disability compliance.

We still do not have answers regarding the release of certain body-worn cameras, and we still do not have answers regarding the grant programs, contracts, funding provided to nonprofit organizations, which we've been hearing a lot during the budget hearing these last few weeks.

If Section 17F is going to mean anything, then it has to be respected.

The council cannot conduct meaningful oversight if our formal requests for information are ignored, delayed, or left unanswered week after week.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilman President.

I would like to move on.

I'd like to move on to the meeting, Councillor Flynn.

I have a point of.

I haven't started the meeting yet.

Okay.

Councillor Flynn.

Thank you, madam.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Pursuant to Rule 46, I move to suspend the regular order of business for the limited purpose of addressing overdue and unanswered section 17 F orders currently pending before this body.

Under Rule 17, the council operates under a defined order of business.

Under Rule 8, questions relating to the priority of business are properly before the chair.

I believe this matter directly impacts the council's ability to carry out its oversight responsibilities.

Before we proceed further with the regular order of business, I am requesting that the City Council address the outstanding 17F requests currently pending on the green sheets in elsewhere.

These are not informal requests.

These are orders formally passed by the Boston City Council pursuant to our oversight authority.

When those orders go unanswered, it limits the council's ability to conduct oversight, ask informed questions, evaluate policy decisions, properly represent our residents.

I also believe we need to be honest about accountability.

When 17F orders are routinely delayed, and I have one, Madam Chair, that's been delayed since January, ignored or left unanswered without consequences.

It weakens the oversight authority.

Accordingly, I move that the council suspend the regular order of business to require answers to all outstanding 17F orders.

Last week, Councillor Murphy called for the same thing, and she followed the business.

She allowed the business to go forward under the promise that all 17Fs would be in full compliance by this week's meeting.

That didn't happen.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Is that a motion to adjourn the meeting?

Yes, yes, it is.

Have you got a second?

Uh Madam Clerk, could you take a roll call vote on Councillor Flynn's motion to adjourn the meeting?

Councillor Braden.

No.

Councillor Braden, no.

Councillor Calera Zapata.

Councillor Carl Pepper.

Councillor Carl Pepper, no.

Councillor Dukin.

Councillor Duncan, no.

Council Fitzgerald.

No.

Councillor Fitzgerald, no.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes.

Council Lujan.

No.

Council Lucian, no.

Council Mahia?

No.

Council Mahia.

Council Mahia, no.

Councillor Murphy.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Papan?

No.

Council Pepin, no.

Councillor Santana.

No.

Council Santana, no.

Council Webber.

Council Webber, no.

Council Worrell.

No.

Council World, no.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

Ten votes for not to adjourn the meeting and two yeses and one non-present.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk.

Council Flynn's motion to adjourn has been overruled.

We're now on to approval of the first order of business, which is the approval of the minutes from the meeting of May 6th, 2026.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

The minutes of the May 6th meeting are approved.

We're now on to communications from her honor of the mayor.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0968?

Docket 0968.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston acting to its mayor's office of housing to accept and expand payments in the amount of $30 million given to the City of Boston, inclusionary development policy fund.

The City of Boston Executive Order in February 2000 to support the production and preservation of affordable housing and new market rate housing developments.

The IDP required all developers of residential development project within 10 or more units to include affordable units in their project as a condition of receiving relief from the Boston Zoning Code.

Further, the executive order provide the option for developers to make contribution to the IDP fund in lieu of providing on-site affordable units, subject to approval of the Boston Planning and Development Agency.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Donc 0968 will be referred to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation.

Madam Clerk, could you please read dockets 0969 and 0970 together?

Dr.

0969, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 12,573,604 in the form of a grant 2026 FIFA World Cup grant program awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, passed through the mass executive office of public safety and security to be administered by the Office of Emergency Preparedness.

The grant would fund support to the safety and security needs of our Massachusetts state and local entities directly involved with providing services for the Boston 2026 World Cup event.

Docket 0970, message in order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 1,073,239.34 cents in the form of a grant.

The FY26, Senator Charles E.

Shannon J.

Community Safety Initiative, awarded by the Mass Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to be administered by the police department.

The grant would fund regional and multidisciplinary approaches to combat given violence through coordinated prevention and intervention.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Docket 0969 and 0970 together will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0971?

Docket 0971 message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $305,600 in the form of a grant, FY26, local cultural council program awarded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council to be administered by the Office of Art and Culture.

The grant will fund innovations, art, humanities, and preventive science program that enhance the quality of life in the city.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes Councillor Louis Jeanne.

Council Louis Jean, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair, as the chair of the Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Tourism and Special Events Committee.

I move for us to suspend and pass and accept this grant.

It's a grant that we yearly annually receive from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support the work of art and art programming in our city, everything from innovative arts, humanities, interpretive sciences programming.

We are now obviously in an environment where we should be accepting grants with haste, especially to support the work that a lot of our organizations are doing.

When we're talking about the grants here, we're talking about a lot of grants that are helping us transform STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math to STEAM, so that we are incorporating more of an arts influence into the work of science programming.

And so I just ask this body to vote in favor of a suspension and passes so that we can accept this grant so the Office of Arts and Culture can get to dispersing them.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Councillor Jeanne seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 0971.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

Madam Chair, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0971?

Roll court vote on Docket 0971.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Councillor Coletta Zapata, Council Calpepa, Council Culpepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin?

Yes.

Council Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald, yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Finn, yes.

Council Luigian.

Yes.

Council Luigi, yes.

Council Mehia.

Yes.

Council Mehia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Pepin.

Yes.

Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Councillor Webber, yes.

Council Orell.

Yes.

Council Worrell.

Yes.

12 votes in the affirmative and one not present.

Thank you.

Docket 0971 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0972?

Docket 0972, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 250,000 in the form of a grant 35-75 Morrissey Boulevard mitigation funds awarded by the Boston Planning and Development Agency to be administered by the Office of Economic Opportunities and Inclusion.

The grant would fund mitigation funds from the development project located at 35-75 Morris Boulevard to the BDA community benefits fund, which will be given via MOA to OEOI for use of commercial acquisition assistance program.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes Council Durkin, the Chair of Planning and Development.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair.

The commercial acquisition assistance program is a city administered program designed to support small locally owned businesses in acquiring commercial properties they occupy.

This program helps address pressing challenges in our neighborhoods, focusing on stabilizing commercial corridors, reducing displacement risks, and creating long-term pathways to commercial ownership for small businesses.

On April 3rd, I chaired a hearing in the planning development and transportation committee on a CAAP grant, which this body later passed.

The hearing, we were joined by Chief Donald Wright, uh Philomania Falcucci, Senior Advisor for CAF, from the Office of Opportunity and Inclusion, who shared more about the origins and the goals of this initiative.

CAP was created in response to consistent feedback from small business owners that access to capital was a significant barrier to owning their storefronts.

CAP provides targeted capital tools and technical assistance and advisory services to help businesses overcome barriers to commercial real estate acquisition, particularly neighborhoods experienced significant development pressure.

Boston has already seen the success of pilot programs through two local businesses, a hair salon, and a brewery.

This body passed the 500,000 grant we discussed at the hearing to create a down payment assistance pool to support at least five additional businesses.

Today I'm requesting that we allow a vote to allow OEOI to accept and expend $250,000 in mitigation funds from the Boston Redevelopment Authority to be deployed through CAAP.

These mitigation funds originate from the development project located at 35 to 75 Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester and are intended to support independent locally owned businesses in the neighborhood.

The funds must be used to improve access to commercial to affordable commercial space as part of a CAP program and must be deployed to support small businesses in Dorchester with a requirement that at least 50% be deployed in the Columbia Point Savin Hill area.

I checked in with district counselor, Counselor Fitzgerald, and he supports the passage of this grant today.

Since the body recently learned about the program and approved funding for it, I respectfully request that we suspend the rules and pass this docket to allow these mitigation funds to support CAAP and Dorchester and promote long-term economic stability and vitality in the neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Durkin seek suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 0972.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0972?

Roll call vote on Docket 0972.

Councilor Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Council Coleta Zapata.

Council Call Pepper.

Yes.

Council Cal Pepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin.

Yes.

Counselor Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Council Fitzgerald, yes, Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes, Council Luigi.

Yes.

Council Luigi, yes, Council Mehia.

Council Mahia, yes, Council Murphy.

Councillor Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin.

Yes.

Council Peppen, yes, Council Santana.

Council Santana, yes, Council Webber.

Council Webber, yes, and Council Warrell.

Yes.

This Docket 0972 had 12 votes in the formative and one non present.

Thank you.

Docket 0972 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0973?

Docket 0973, message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 194,388.28 cents in the form of a grant.

Federal FY26 Nutrition Service Incentive Program awarded by the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services passed through the Mass Executive Order of El Dela FIER to be administered by eight strong commission.

The grant would fund incentives to state and illegible triple organization and efficient delivery of nutrition, nutritious meals to individual age 60 and older, with the outreaching goal of promoting health reducing hunger and food and security and supporting the ability of older individuals to remain independent and in their own communities.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Murphy, the Chair of the Committee on Human Services.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I rise to ask my colleagues to suspend and pass this grant.

Any funds we can get to our seniors for nutritious needs and connection is important.

So I'm asking for a vote.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Murphy seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 0973.

All in favor say aye.

Doubt the vote.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0973?

Docket roll call vote on Docket 0973.

Council Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Council Calera Zapata.

Council Call Pepper.

Yes.

Council Call Pepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin?

Yes.

Councillor Doken, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Luigian.

Yes.

Council Luigian, yes.

Council Mehia.

Yes.

Council Mia, yes.

Council Murphy?

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin?

Yes.

Council Peppen, yes.

Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Councillor Webber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes.

Council Warrell.

Yes.

Council Worrell, yes.

12 votes in the affirmative and one vote not present.

Thank you.

Docket 0973 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0974?

Docket 0974, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 150,300, 327.96 cents in the form of a grant.

The FY25 Violence Against Women Act, a stop grant awarded by the United States Department of Justice, passed through the mass executive office of public safety and security to be administered by the police department.

The grant would fund a civilian domestic violence advocate to provide services for victims in Jamaica Plain and East Boston, as well as a Spanish speaking victims citywide and supporting overtime for civilian domestic violence advocates citywide.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Santana, the chair of the Committee on Public Safety, Criminal Justice.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Last month on April 13th, we held a hearing on the Boston Police Department's grants that were in committee at upcoming, including this specific grant.

During the hearing, we heard from Deputy Superintendent Sean Martin, Assistant Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Field Services, Superintendent Alita QLane, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Intelligence and Analysis, from Ryan Walsh, Director of the Bureau of Regional Intelligence Center, Emily Achievers, Director of the Office of Research and Development.

We were also joined by my colleagues by Councillor Flynn, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Louis Gen, Councillor Fitzgerald, Counselor Culpepper, Councillor Weber, and we received a letter of absence from Councillor Peppen.

Intimate partner violence continues to be a significant issue here in Boston with thousands of calls for service and high case load for the domestic violence unit.

This grant will provide essential resources to support victims through safety planning, referrals, and assistance in navigating the criminal justice system, particularly when within our underserved in diverse communities, continued funding is vital to ensure that victims receive culturally responsive support and that services are accessible citywide.

This is a crucial for enhancing safety, holding offenders accountable, and providing comprehensive support to all residents affected by domestic violence.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Santana.

Councillor Santana seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 0974.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed say nay.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0974?

We'll call vote on Docket 0974.

Councilor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Kaletta Zapata.

Councilor Calpepper.

Yes.

Council Culpepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin.

Council Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald, yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Louis Jen.

Yes.

Council Luigian, yes.

Council Mejia.

Yes.

Council Mahia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin.

Yes.

Council Peppern, yes, Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes, Council Warrel.

Council Worrell, yes.

12 votes in the affirmative and one not present.

Thank you.

Docket 0974 has passed.

Madam Clerk, can you please read Docket 0975?

Docket 0975.

Message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expand the amount of 150,000 in the form of a grant.

Boston Family Day 2026, donor support awarded by the Pilot House filler tropey to be administered by the Office of Art and Culture.

The grant would fund 2026 flexible programming support and Boston Family Day, formerly known as BPS Sunday during the pilot program from Amos and Barbara Huster via Pilot House.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councilor Louis Jeanne.

You have the floor.

Thank you on behalf of the Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Tourism and Special Events Committee.

I move that this council suspend and pass this grant amount and a nominal amount of 150,000 dollars that is help support our more than 70,000 Boston students and families access the arts through our uh this the program BPS formerly known as BPS Sunday is now known as Boston Family Day.

So I just ask this body to accept this grant.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Louis Jeanne.

Councillor Louis Jean seeks uh suspension of the rules and passage of docket 0975.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, not to vote, madam clerk.

Could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0975?

Roll call vote on Docket 0975.

Councilor Braden.

Yes, Council Braden, yes.

Council Coleta Zapata.

Council Culpepper.

Council Colpepa, yes.

Council Duncan.

Yes.

Council Ducan, yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Council Fitzgerald, yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Lu Gen.

Yes.

Council Lu Gen, yes, Council Mehia.

Council Mehia, yes, Council Murphy.

Council Murphy, yes, Council.

Councillor Peppin.

Yes.

Council Peppin, yes, Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Councillor Webber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes.

Council Worrell.

Yes.

Council Worrell, yes.

Twelve vote in affirmative and one non not present.

Thank you.

Docket 0975 is passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0976?

Docket 0976.

Message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $60,000 in the form of a grant.

Sustainable materials recovery program grant awarded by Mass Department of Environment Protection to be administered by the Public Works Department.

The grant would fund programs implemented by the city to maximize reuse, recycling, and waste reduction.

Thank you.

Docket 0976 will be referred to the committee on city services.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Dockets 0977 and 0978 together?

Docket 0977, message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $50,000 in the form of a grant.

Create an agent program awarded by the Goddard House Assisted Living to be administered by eight strong commission.

The grant, roach youth and senior programs awarded by the donor group to be adults in Boston.

Docket 0978 message and order authorizing the city of Boston Centers for Youths and expend the amount of $50,000 in the form of a grant.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Murphy, the chair on the Committee of Human Human Services.

Yes, I rise to suspend and pass both.

If we could take a vote on each individually to get this money to the BCYF centers for our seniors, please.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Murphy, the Chair of the Committee on Human Services seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 0977.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Docket 0977 has passed.

Councillor Murphy, the chair of the committee on human services seeks suspension of the rules and passage of zero docket number 0978.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

All against say nay.

Thank you.

Docket 0978 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0979?

Docket 0979 message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 49,476 in the form of a grant.

The FY26 Firefighters Safety Equipment Grant Program awarded by Massachusetts Department of Fire Services to be administered by the fire department.

The grant would fund the purchase of the necessary personal protection and safety equipment to comply with National Fire Protection Association and Occupational Safety and Health Administration's standards to enhance firefighter safety.

Thank you.

Docket 0979 will be referred to the committee on public safety and criminal justice.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0980?

Docket 0980, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 44,300 in the form of a grant, route resiliency and water efficiency grant program awarded by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to be administered by the Office of Climate Resiliency.

The grant would fund the outdoor water use efficiency improvements and program and distribute in rain barrels and engage with public on with public on the importance of drought management.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor O'Reilly, the Chair of the Committee on Environmental Justice Resiliency and Parks.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

This grant is a response to strong resident interest and bills upon the success of two previous rain barrel giveaways held in Boston since 2024.

Grant funds will be used to purchase, distribute, and help install 300 rain barrels of Boston residents' home.

Rain barrels are a simple tool to reduce stormwater runoff, offset demand on potable water for outdoor watering, and support a more sustainable resilient city.

I'm helping to care for more vibrant gardens and preparing for our long stretches of drought or our quick burst of rains.

These barrels can fill the gap for many residents or community gardeners.

This program is also an important opportunity to engage residents about the importance of water conservation and stormwater management.

I'm asking for suspension and passage of this docket.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

Docket 0980 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0981?

Docket 0981, message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expand the amount of 28,671 dollars and 98 cents in the form of a grant.

The ACLS grant awarded by Mass Higher Department of Career Services to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development.

The ground would fund efforts to work in partnership with local adults' education programs to identify and develop career pathway opportunities for adult learners.

Chair recognizes Consular, you have the floor.

Chair of the Committee on Labor and Economic Development.

Oops.

Got it.

Thank you, Madam President.

The adult and community learning services is a unit of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

That focuses on providing high quality, no cost adult education to learners across the Commonwealth.

Services include English, English language classes, job training, GED, and high set preparation and completion for adult learners.

With these funds, representatives from the local workforce system are expected to support the development of new career pathways for adult learners and to support DESI staff in the monitoring and selection of new funding partners for delivering services.

In Boston, staff from the Mass Higher Boston Workforce Board, the Office of Workforce Development, and the two Mass Hire Career Centers collaborate jointly to support these goals.

These funds are combined with other path through funds from the state.

Each of our local career centers, the Mass Higher Downtown Boston Career Center, and the Mass Higher Boston Career Center operating in Roxbury receives a share of these funds.

The city's collaboration with DESE allows OWD to understand the type and number of seats available for adult education with state funded.

From there, the city can work to address gaps.

The city also convenes all DESI-funded adult education organizations through the adult literacy initiative to provide ongoing technical assistance and ensure that Boston residents are receiving high-quality research-based adult ed services.

As chair of the committee, I'm acting for suspension and passes of this docket.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair of the Labor Committee on Labor and Economic Development seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 0981.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

Docket 0981 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0982?

Docket 0982 message and order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $2,500 in the form of a grant.

The Roach Kids 360 grant awarded by Kids 360 charity to be administered by the Boston Centers for Youth and Family.

The grant would fund the youths program to the Roach Community Center.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes Consul Murphy, the Chair of the Committee on Human Services.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I rise to suspend and pass this small grant so that we can have this youth programming at the road center in West Roxbury.

Thank you.

Thank you, Consul Murphy.

The Chair of the Committee on Human Services seeks suspension of the sustention of the rules and passage of Docket 0982.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All of opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

Docket 0982 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read dockets 0983 through 0985?

Docket 0983.

Message transmitted certain information under section 17F regarding MWBE participation, local business inclusion, workforce impact, and procurement practices associated associated with the White Stadium project, docket number 0700, passed by the City Council on April 1st, 2026.

Docket 0984 message transmitted certain information under section 17F regarding White Stadium Docket number 0637 passed by the City Council on March 25th, 2026.

Docket 0985, message transmitted certain information under section 17F regarding environmental impact, transportation planning and resiliency considerations associated with Franklin Park and the White Stadium Project Docket number 0699 passed by the City Council on April 1st, 2026.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Docket 0983 through Docket 0985 will be placed on file.

We are now on to reports of public officers and others.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Dockets 0986 through 0997?

Docket 0986.

Notice was received from the mayor of the reappointment of Joseph Bowman as a member of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees for a term expiring in May 1st, 2030.

Docket 0987, notice was received from the mayor of the reappointment of Jose Masso III as a member of the Boston of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees for a term expiring May 1st, 2031.

Docket 0988.

Notice was received from the mayor of the reappointment of Michael Rush as a member of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees for a term expiring May 1st, 2030.

Docket 080989.

Notice received from the mayor of the appointment of Mata Dan Schwar as a member of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees for a term expiring May 1st, 2028.

Docket 0990.

Notice received from the mayor of the appointment of Meredith DeWitt as a member of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees for a term expiring May 1st, 2028.

Docket 0991.

Notice was received from the mayor of the reappointment of Paul Lee as a member of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees for a term expiring May 1st, 2030.

Docket 0992.

Notice was received from the mayor of the reappointment of Alexander LaVajal as a member of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees, a term expiring May 1, 2030.

Docket 0993.

Notice was received from the mayor of the appointment of Wadi Muhammad as a member of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees for a term expiring May 1, 2030.

Docket 0994.

Notice was received from the mayor of the appointment of Diana Fernandez BAU as a Commissioner of the Parks and Recreation Department effective June 1st, 2026.

Docket 0995 notices received from the city clerk in accordance with chapter 6 of the ordinances of 1979 regarding action taken by the mayor on papers acted upon by the city council at its meeting of May 1st, 2026.

Docket 0996.

Notice was received from the city clerk in accordance with Chapter 6 of the ordinances of 1979 regarding action taken by the mayor on papers acted upon by the city council at its meeting on May 15, 2026.

Docket 0997.

Communication was received by the city clerk of the filing by the Boston Residency Compliance Commission regarding the updated annual report January through December 2025.

Thank you.

We're now on to matters recently heard.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0733 through 0756?

Docket 0733 to 0 to Docket 0735.

Orders for the FY27 operating budget including annual appropriation for departmental operations for the school department and for others post-employment benefits.

Docket 0736 to 0737.

Order for the capital fund transfer appropriations.

Docket 0738 to 0740, order for the capital budget, including loans, orders and lease purchasing agreement.

Docket 0756.

Message and order approving an order appropriating 1,400,000 from the income of the George Francis Pacman Fund.

The funds, the funds are to be expended under the direction of the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the Maintenance and Improvement of the Boston Common and Park in existence as of January 12, 1987, filed in the Office of the City Clerk on April 6, 2026.

Thank you, Madam Church.

The chair recognizes Councillor Weber, the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means.

You have the floor.

Okay, thank you very much.

Since last week's uh council meeting, we've had six ways and means hearings, two with the police department, one with the fire department, one with parts and recreation, and two with the equity cabinet.

Uh beginning last Thursday, we heard uh twice from leadership of the Boston Police Department, heard from Commissioner Michael Cox, Chief of Staff, Nicole Taub, Chief of the Bureau of Administration Technology, Lisa O'Brien, Superintendent of the Bureau of Field Services, John Brown, Superintendent of the Bureau of Investigative Services, Paul McLaughlin, and Superintendent of the Bureau of Intelligence Analysis, Lenita Collinane.

Before I review Thursday's hearings, I just want to acknowledge that as a city and community, we've experienced uh several uh frightening and tragic incidents of violence across the city in a way that's rare for Boston.

I just want to express my appreciation.

I know my colleagues will join me uh for the work of the Boston Police Department and our public safety cabinet as well as the Boston Public Health Commission in helping ensure everyone in our city uh keeps safe.

Um the Boston Police Department's operating budget is increasing by $444,000 or 0.09%, with an overall change that's a combination of a $4 million increase to personnel services, which compromises uh 89% of the BPD budget, and a $3.6 million decrease in non-personnel items.

The Thursday morning hearing focused on mental health and substance abuse response, community policing firearms, homicides, the crime lab, and the canine uh revolving fund and fitness center revolving fund.

And was that morning hearing was attended by counselors Murphy, Culpepper, President Braden, Vice Chair Fitzgerald, Counselors Flynn, Pipenn, Durkin, Louis Jen, and Santana, included a letter of absence from Councillor Mejia.

The topics we discussed included uh BPD's uh 368 vacancies, moving cadets through the academy, uh diversity in hiring in the Boston Police Department, and promotions.

We learned that there's uh not a substantial um recruitment pool for new patrol officers.

Uh we talked about the staffing structure of the BRIC.

The afternoon hearing focused on overtime, the detail system, officer mental health and uh and diversity and recruiting, and was attended by counselors Flynn, Fitzgerald, Murphy, Papin, uh Durkin, Louis Jen, Santana, Braden, and Culpepper with a letter of absence from Councillor Mejia.

Uh we discussed spending on police overtime.

The fiscal year 2027 budget uh has uh set uh set aside 55.6 million dollars for police overtime.

Recent average historical overspends uh are over a hundred million uh for the fiscal year.

Um we talked about uh measures that the department is taking to reduce the amount of overtime last three years, they've eliminated about 300,000 in overtime hours.

We also spent some time talking about uh mass and caste, where because of the way it's classified, the department uh uh spends about or that racks up about 160,000 hours a year of overtime pay for work done at Mass and Cass.

And uh my understanding was that the department is gonna continue looking at ways to reduce the amount of overtime hours.

Um, on uh Monday morning, we heard from the Boston Fire Department, which was represented by our new commissioner, Rodney Marshall, who's accompanied by Chief of Operations for Field Services, Patrick Ellis Diversity Recruitment Officer Michael Gaskins, and Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance, Kevin Coyne.

Uh the hearing was attended by Counselors Flynn, Louie Jen, Murphy, Braden, Fitzgerald, and Culpepper with a letter of absence from Councillor Santana.

The fire department's budget is increasing by 7.9 million dollars or 2.4% to a total of $336 million.

Like the police department, that increase is driven uh almost entirely by personnel costs being raised pursuant to contractually uh uh uh CBA uh bargaining.

Um the fire department is cutting their contractual services by approximately 2.2 million dollars.

They're also losing a 1.4 million dollar grant from the state for cancer screening at the time when the Boston firefighters are living an average of only five years post-retirement due to do extremely high rates of cancer.

Uh we also learned that the department is improving their recruitment of diverse classes.

Um we uh lastly we did talk about uh uh miscellaneous supplies, which traditionally over the last five or six fiscal years has been budgeted around 3.6 million dollars, in which they have an average underspend of 900,000 a year.

Um Monday afternoon we heard about the parks and recreation uh we heard from the parks and recreation department and we talked about the Parkman Fund.

The department was represented by our new incoming commissioner of parks and recreation, Diana Fernandez Bibo, interim commissioner Kathy Baker Eclipse, Chief of Energy, Environment, Open Space, Brian Sweat, Director of Finance and Procurement, Tracy Lee, Director of Parks Maintenance, Nate Hinchcliffe, Director of Human Resources and Payroll, Darlene Buffard, and Director of Franklin, the new director of Franklin Park, Louise Perez de Marisi.

We uh the hearing was attended by counselors Durkin, Flynn, Pepin, Fitzgerald, Santana, Braden, Morrell, and Culpepper.

The Parks Department's proposed budget is down 1.4% or $524,000.

$416,000 of that is coming from contracted services.

They'll be reevaluating priority projects as they manage these costs.

The department is also planning to temporarily shift some funding from the fiscal year 27 operating budget to external funding sources to consider alternative uh processes with lower upfront costs.

On the capital side, they've added seven new projects, including uh ball field playground and accessibility improvements.

Finally, yesterday, we had two hearings with the equity cabinet.

Uh, thank you to Chief Solace Severa for being uh at both the morning and the afternoon hearings, where we heard about the loss of grant, uh grants from eight offices in the uh in the inclusion cabinet, totaling more than three million dollars in contractual services.

We're joined by counselors Flynn, Santana, Worrell, Louie Jen, Fitzgerald, Murphy, Braden, and Culpepper.

Uh, just I I've got a little, I'm gonna dive a little bit into the data and then I'll be finished.

Um, you know, we heard uh I'm just gonna go through what's happening and how much contractual services and what that's covering.

You know, we heard from um the mayor's office of immigrant advancement that they'll be losing approximately 1.7 million dollars in contractual funds.

Those funds were used for grants, including uh 375,000 for legal access and training, uh 225,000 for English speakers of other languages, and 150,000 uh for uh weaving well-being grants.

Um we heard from uh MOLA that they are losing approximately 280,000 in contracts that they won't be will not be able to give out grants, including um 275,000 for beyond pride grants, uh 100,000 for family and individual legal support grants, and $70,000 for gender affirming identity document and emergency assistance grants.

We heard from the Office of Black Male Advancement, uh which is uh losing approximately $520,000 in contract in in contract uh funds that they primarily have used for the community empowerment grants uh that won't be g uh given out, you know, uh in fiscal year 27.

We heard from the Office of Women's Advancement that's losing approximately $240,000 in contractual services, which which they have used for community-based mini grants.

We heard from the Office of Equity overall, which is losing approximately $357,000 in contracts, uh contractual funds, which they've used for community-based grants, um uh, you know, throughout the city, and that encompasses uh both hearings we did hear from uh about 40 or so uh members of the community for yesterday's yesterday afternoon's hearing uh about restoring uh grants for all of those offices and how important those services they provide are.

Um uh so I just I uh that that's it for you know sort of recounting the hearings.

I just want to remind my colleagues that we'll be hosting a final public testimony listening session on Tuesday, May 26th at 6 p.m., right here with interpretation in Haitian Koreal, Spanish, and Cantonese.

As chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, I ask that all these dockets remain in committee.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Dockets 0733 through 0756.

We remain in committee.

Madam Clerk, could you please read dock at 0909 through 0912?

Dr.

0909 message in order for your approval in order to reduce the FY26 appropriation for the reserve of collective bargain by 1,951,894 to provide funding for the Boston Police Department.

The FY26 increase contained within the collective bargain agreement between the City of Boston and the Boston Police Detective Benavent Society filed in the city filed in the office of the city clerk on May 4th, 2026.

Docket 0911.

Message and order for the supplemental appropriation order for the Boston Police Department FY26 and the amount of one million nine hundred fifty-one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four dollars to cover the FY26 cost item contained within the collective bargaining agreement between the City of Boston and the Boston Police Detective, but Beethoven Society.

The terms of the contract are July 1st, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

The major provision of the contract include base wage increase of 2% in July of 2025.

The contract also contained an updated hazardous duty pay and amended language around sick time back pay at retirement.

Docket 0911.

Message and order for the approval in order to reduce the FY26 appropriation for the reserve of collecting bargaining by 1,366,093 to provide funding for the Boston Police Department for the FY26 increases contained within the collective bargaining agreement between the City of Boston and the Boston Police Detective, Beethoven Society, Superior Officer Unit filed in the city, filed in the office of the city clerk on May 4th, 2026.

Message on order for the supplemental appropriation order of the Boston Police Department for FY26 and the amount of 1,366,093 to cover the FY26 cost item contained within the collective bargain agreement between the City of Boston and the Boston Police Detective Beethoven Society.

The terms of the contract are July 1st, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

The major provisions of the contract include a base wage increase of 2% in July of 2025.

The contract also contained an updated hazardous duty pay and amended language around pay details and summer vacations schedules.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes the chair of the commitment of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Councilor Weber, you have the floor.

Thank you very much.

Uh this morning the Committee on Ways and Means held a virtual hearing on four dockets encompassing a collective bargaining agreements between the City of Boston and the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society and the Boston Police Detectives Detective.

I'm sorry, and the Boston Police Detective Benevolence Society Superior Officers Unit.

And as they said, being able to put a name with a face.

This is also in the collective bargaining agreement is a 2% increase for uh compensation wage and 1% added for the same year to their hazardous duty rate, hazardous duty referring to some of the conditions that officers face in their work.

So this would provide an additional component of pay for these contracts in recognition of some of the difficult conditions that the officers and detectives face in their work.

Unlike uh the patrol officers agreement, uh this uh the these agreements give the two bargaining units the ability to use half days, comp days, uh, that they can redeem at retirement.

I'm sorry, uh it ups that amount from 200 to 250 for detectives.

Detective superiors already have their limited 260, so the detectives will go up to uh 250 uh half days and comp days that they can redeem retirement.

Um this contract was negotiated in uh in or these contracts were negotiating in April, primarily uh as retroactive, they've been out of contract since uh last July.

So uh this I think around three million dollars total will be for compensation for these detectives and the superior officers unit going back from now to last July and for the rest of this uh fiscal year.

Uh one other thing, and I I brought up, and I think we'll we should be asking these questions in these uh hearings is what the impact is on uh overtime uh hours and overtime spending.

Uh we were told that by expanding the amount of time uh vacation periods that are available to police officers or these bargaining units.

The idea is actually to reduce the amount of hours who will be off at any given time during the summer, which in turn reduces the amount of replacement overtime, which is a large source of overtime.

So that's an added uh cost benefit, I think, for the city.

Um so uh for all those reasons.

Uh we did this hearing on a Wednesday because again, these are retroactive uh pay benefits that have been negotiated uh by the uh the detectives unions and the city uh as the chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

Uh, you know, here today on accept I'm seeking acceptance of the committee report, the passage of these dockets.

Thank you, counselor Weber.

The chair recognizes Councillor Murphy.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Chair, for holding this hearing this morning so we could vote on this today.

I do want to thank the Boston Police Benevolent Society.

I know President Bobby Griffin and Vice President Rick Moriarty are here.

I also want to thank the Superior Office's union leadership.

I know they've put hundreds of hours in to work diligently and advocate for their members to make sure that they have a fair contract, and also just want to take a moment to thank all their members for the hard work they do and looking forward to passing this and making sure they get their retro pay soon.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Counselor Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to Chair Weber for holding an important hearing this morning on this on these dockets.

Um I'm voting in favor of this um corruptive bargaining agreement.

Um issue I did want to highlight, Madam Chair, is there's still many um we're low on the detectives in terms of getting detectives um hired promoted.

That's concerning concerning of me.

I addressed this during during the uh hearing.

Part of the solution, I believe, is hiring more police officers.

I think we are dramatically understaffed, and police officers are working 16 hours a day consistently.

I don't think that's healthy for the city for the police officers and their families.

Um, I think we need to hire 300 police officers for the next 10 years, but I also think we need to um promote uh more detectives into the rank into those ranks as well.

I want to thank the detectives union.

I want to thank the superior officers union as well for um bargaining and good faith.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Um we will take these votes separately for each docket.

Uh we'll start with docket zero nine zero nine.

Uh the chair of the committee on Ways and Means seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket zero nine zero nine.

All those in favor say aye.

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

Roll call vote on docket 0909.

Council Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Councillor Coletta Zapata.

Council Call Pepper.

Yes.

Council Call Pepper, yes.

Council Durkin.

Council Doken, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald, yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Lu Jen.

Yes.

Council Luigian, yes.

Council Mehia.

Council Mehia, yes.

Councillor Murphy.

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin.

Yes.

Council Peppin, yes.

Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes, Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes.

Council Warrell.

Yes.

Council Warrell, yes.

12 votes in the affirmative and one non present.

Not present.

Thank you.

Docket 0909 is passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a note?

The Chair of the Committee on Wales and Means seeks suspension of the rules and acceptance of the committee report for Docket 0910.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0910?

Roll call vote on Docket 0910.

Council Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Council Coletta Zapata.

Council Call Pepper.

Yes.

Council Call Pepper, yes.

Council Doken.

Yes.

Council Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald, yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Luigian.

Yes.

Council Luigian, yes.

Council Mehia.

Yes.

Council Mehia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Peppan.

Yes.

Council Peppin, yes.

Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Councilor Weber, yes.

Council Warrell.

Yes.

Council Warrell, yes.

Twelve votes in the affirmative and one not present.

Thank you.

Docket 0910 has passed.

The chair of the committee in ways and means acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket 0911.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Madam Clerk, could you please uh take a roll call vote on Docket 0911?

Roll call vote on Docket 0911.

Council Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Council Coletta Zapata.

Council Call Pepper.

Yes.

Council Callpepper, yes.

Council Dukin.

Yes.

Council Doken, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Flynn?

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Lu Jen.

Yes.

Council Lugen, yes.

Council Mejia.

Council Mehia, yes.

Council Murphy?

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin.

Yes.

Council Peppin, yes, Council Santana.

Council Santana, yes, Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes, Council World.

Yes.

Council Worrell, yes.

Twelve votes in the affirmative and one not present.

Thank you.

Docket 09911 has passed.

The Chair of the Committee on Wales and Mean seats acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 0912.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0912?

Roll call vote on Docket 0912.

Council Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Council Coletta Zapata.

Council Call Pepper.

Yes.

Council Call Pepper.

Yes.

Council Durkin.

Council Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald?

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Luigian.

Yes.

Council Luigian, yes.

Council Mehia.

Council Mehia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Papan.

Yes.

Council Papan, yes, Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes.

Council Warrell.

Yes.

Council Warrell, yes.

Twelve votes in the affirmative and one not present.

Thank you.

Docket 0912 has passed.

We're now on 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.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 0998?

Docket 0998.

Council Peppin and Fitzgerald offer the following.

Ordinance for the use of school bus violation detection monitoring system devices.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Peppin.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

This is a refile ordinance.

So in January 2025, the council voted to adopt the local law for Massachusetts House Bill 4940, an acts concerning the safety of school children embarking and disembarking school buses, which empowers municipalities to enforce violations of a school bus stop sign.

To quickly implement this enforcement technology, Councilor Fitzgerald and I first introduced this ordinance to better define the enforcement structure here at the city level.

Throughout last year, we were we were able to meet and met with questions from BPS and Boston Police Department about the use of cameras and surveillance, among other school bus-related conversations.

And after last week's hearing with the Boston Police Department, we are refined this ordinance to push this technology forward.

I look forward to my colleagues' continued support as we work with the administration to finalize the program and start holding the people accountable.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Fitzgerald.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to Council Papen for adding me as a co-sponsor here.

Living on a street with the school on it, there are bus uh buses that come by my house very often, and there are other times where there it creates an issue, whether I'm walking my kids to school or just simply trying to come to and from uh and we see incidences of people driving around and so uh not just for the safety of my own kids but for the safety of everybody out here in the city of Boston.

Uh it's important to hold these folks accountable that think that they are more important than a child's life, and uh we should hold them accountable for that.

So thank you, Council Peppett.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Culpepper, Counselor Durkin, Counselor Flynn, Councillor Louisiane, Councillor Mejia, Counselor Murphy, Counselor Santana, Councillor Weber, Counselor Warrell, and please add the chair.

Thank you.

Docket 0998 will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docker 0999?

Dr.

0999.

Councillor Culpepper offer the following order for hearing to examine fire firearms trafficking, gun violence, hotspot, and concentration of firearms violation in Boston Police District B2 and B3.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Counselor Culpepper.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I would like to add Council Warwell as the second original co-sponsor and request suspension of the rules to Councillor Flynn as the original co-sponsor.

Counselor Warrell is added as second.

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

Thank you, Madam President.

The Boston Police Department's 2025 firearm tracking report highlights the serious and ongoing impact of gun violence in our city, particularly in neighborhoods within police departments B2 and B-3, which includes Roxbury, Mission Hill, Manipin, and parts of Dorchester.

The report documents continued concentration of shootings.

We've heard over the last two days, four shootings, firearm recoveries, illegal gun trafficking, and increasing juvenile firearm arrests in communities that have long carried a disport disproportionate share of this violence.

Madam President and my colleagues, we need to take a closer look at both the data and the deeper issues driving these trends.

We need to examine the role of illegal firearm trafficking, including ghost guns, the rise in youth firearm involvement, and the broader conditions that contribute to cycles of violence.

At the same time, we must continue supporting community violence intervention efforts and targeted public safety strategies in neighborhoods most impacted by this gun violence by bringing together the Boston Police Department, violence prevention workers, community organizations, and other stakeholders.

This hearing can help identify opportunities for more coordinated and effective response that prioritizes both public safety and long-term community investment, especially in the neighborhoods that need it the most.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Warrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you to Councillor Culpepper for adding me as the original co-sponsor.

And I just want to also shout out the work that Councillor Flynn and I did in 2023.

We worked on an ordinance that established a requirement for BPD to produce an annual study and report the reviewing of illegal firearms making their way into the city.

This data, which we um was intended to not only inform how we create regional strategies, but how we deploy not simply police into these neighborhoods, but other resources that can address the root causes of firearm and firearm violence.

So I'm looking forward to diving into this conversation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to say thank you to Council Culpepper for your leadership in adding me as an original co-sponsor.

I want to say thank you to Council Warrell as well.

November 2023, Council Warrell and I, as he mentioned, passed an ordinance amending the City of Boston Code relating to the study and report on the trafficking of illegal firearms.

This passage of this ordinance now requires the Boston police to publish an annual report on the trafficking of legal firearms in Boston.

Gun trafficking, the illegal flow of firearms is a major contributor to gun violence with the Boston police recovering more than 900 firearms in 2022 alone.

Having a study and data of firearms into the city of Boston helps our law enforcement and policy makers better understand the impact of illegal guns and help us develop strategies on violence prevention, as Councillor Culpepper mentioned.

Gun violence is an important issue not only in our city, but also our nation as well.

We need to address gun violence on multiple fronts.

It's critical that we work together to stop the illegal flow of firearms into our neighborhoods.

And I know myself and councillor Council Rell and probably Councilor Culpepper.

With that 2025 report, we're probably going to have call for a hearing order next week and probably have the hearing itself sometime after the budget is over.

But I do think we have to also hold people that are selling illegal firearms, hold them accountable.

We must have zero tolerance for gun activity in the city of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Durkin, Counselor Fitzgerald, Counselor Louis Gen, Councillor Mahia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Peppin, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, and please add the Chair.

Thank you.

Docket 0999 will be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket Zero, no, 1000?

Dock it 1000.

Dock it 1000.

Councillor Culpepper offered a forum.

Order for a hearing to examine how the city of Boston can strengthen support training and resource and resource coordination for forced responders and dispatchers responding to mental health crisis.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to add Counselor Warrell as the second original co-sponsor.

And I'd like to request suspension of the rules that Councillor Mahia as a third original co-sponsor.

Counselor Warrell is added as a second.

On hearing and seeing no objections, Councilor Mahee is added as a third.

Madam President, dispatchers, police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders are often the first people call or on scene when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.

These situations can be incredibly complex.

And the way we respond to those critical moments can have a lasting impact on the safety and the well-being of everyone involved.

Dispatchers, in particular, play a vital role as a first point of contact, helping assess situations, coordinating resources, and guide responses in real time.

We need to understand how Boston can strengthen training, coordination, and support system for those responding to behavioral health emergencies.

That includes looking at the crisis intervention team training, coordination between 911 and 988 systems, responder wellness, de-escalation practices, and partnerships with behavioral health professionals.

As mental health-related emergency calls continues to increase, we need to ensure that our first responders and dispatchers have the tools, resources, training, and support necessary to respond effectively and connect individuals in crisis with the appropriate care.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Warrell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Council Cole Pepper for introducing this hearing order.

We have seen cases of officer involved shootings involving individuals who have documented mental health illnesses across New England.

So Boston is not alone in this challenge.

We have made strides in our response.

We have the best team at BPD with service providers, right along with the Boston police officers on calls.

We also have crucial agencies like the Boston Public Health Commission as well as community-based organizations like the City School and Boston Liberation Health that have been looking to start a non-officer-involved mental health crisis response pilot for some time.

This is a great opportunity for us to review our current practices.

Hear directly from the best team, the Boston Police Department, and organizations, nonprofits, community-based organizations, such as Torch Light to improve what do we do in these spaces here in Boston alongside community partners and leaders in public safety and health care.

So I'm looking forward to this conversation so we can improve the ecosystem that responded to these mental health crises.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

And I'd like to thank Council Culpepper for adding me.

I'm proud to co-sponsor this hearing order because mental health crises are increasingly becoming part of what our first responders, dispatchers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and police officers are expected to navigate every single day.

Too often our emergency systems are asked to fill in gaps that are created by underinvestments in behavioral health infrastructure.

And while our first responders continue stepping up in these difficult situations, we have a responsibility as a city to ask whether they have uh the support necessary to respond effectively and safely.

Our office has be um has also met with the um Boston People's Response who have already been doing this work directly in community.

They shared that roughly four million dollars would allow them to effectively launch a real pilot program at scale and begin demonstrating what is possible when we invest in community-based crisis response models.

The reality is that we cannot continue talking about alternatives without also talking about the resources.

We need to take a hard look at the Boston Police Department budget and examine how funds are uh funding can support behavioral health response services, civilian-led crisis intervention, and preventative care models that reduce harm before situations escalate.

I want to thank the lead sponsors for bringing this forward, and I look forward to uh the conversation and I also just want to note that you know we always talk about the people having the power, and I think these are the opportunities for us to uh share some of that power that we have in this council to do everything in our power to give people the tools that they need to make this happen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Consul Louis Jeanne, Councillor Murphy, Council Santana, Councillor Weber, Council Morrell, and please add the chair.

Thank you.

Dr.

Docket zero one zero zero zero will be referred to the committee on public health, homelessness, and recovery.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket Zero 01001?

Dr.

1001.

Council Carl Pepper offer the following order for a hearing to examine establishing a community-based mental health crisis response pilot.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

You have the floor.

Madam President, I would like to add Council Warrell as the second original co-sponsor and request suspension of the rules that Councillor Louis Jung as a third original co-sponsor.

Councillor Warrell is added as a second.

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

Thank you, Madam President.

As I just mentioned in my remarks for the previous filing, we need to better understand how we can support improved training, coordination, and resources for dispatchers and first responders responding to mental health crisis.

But we also need to be honest with ourselves.

And we need to explore every possible solution, not only improving what already exists, but also examining new approaches, such as the potential community-based mental health crisis response pilot in Boston.

Community advocates, mental health workers, public health organization had called for a model staffed by trained community responders.

Cities across the country have already implemented similar models that have helped divert mental health calls away from law enforcement, connect people to care, and reduce unnecessary criminalization and hospitalization.

How we respond to mental health crisis is a public safety issue, Madam President.

And I want to thank all of those that have been doing this work.

I want to thank the Boston People's Response Campaign, the City School, and the Boston Liberation Health Group, and for the advocacy that they have done and continue to do with the city and with my colleagues.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Council Warrell.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Again, thank you, Council Culpepper, for adding me as a original co-sponsor.

Uh there's a lot of energy to explore how we as a city is responding to mental health crisis.

The Boston People's Response Campaign is just one example that included at least 14 organizations with deep interest in exploring these options.

We know that policing and mental health crisis statistically impacts vulnerable communities the most.

We have many people with expertise in mental health care and trauma response who are equipped to respond to these complex scenarios.

I believe we would benefit from seeing the results of this pilot, um, hearing about the status from the Boston Public Health Commission, and also hearing from other organizations who might have uh other initiatives that we can establish.

So look forward to this conversation.

And thank you again, uh, Council Culpepper for adding me.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Louis Gen.

You have the floor.

Thank you, and I want to thank Council Culpepper for offering this.

I want to thank all of the advocates that my office has met with on this issue.

It's incredibly important that we create.

I know that there have been attempts and there have been some pilots, but really think about how we create a model that um puts mental health first.

Um, and I think it's gonna be an all hands-on-deck conversation.

So I look forward to the continued work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, and please add the chair.

Um thank you.

Docket zero one zero zero one will be referred to the committee on public health, homelessness and recovery.

Madam Chair, could you please read Docket Zero, no, one zero zero two?

Docket one zero zero two.

Councillor Flynn offer the following.

Order requesting certain information under section 17F regarding employment contracts for various commissioners in the city of Boston.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yes, I am requesting uh basic information uh to find out more about employment contracts for commissioners in the city of Boston.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Umcelor Flynn seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 0 1 1 2.

All in favor say aye.

1002.

Thank you.

Docket zero one one two has passed.

1002.

Madam Chair, someone doubt.

Someone died the vote.

Madam Clerk, could you take a roll call vote on Docket this uh 17F7?

Uh Docket 01.

No, 1002.

For call vote on Docket 1002.

Council Braden.

Yes, Council Braden, yes.

Council Collar is the Pada.

Council Cal Pepper.

Yes.

Council Carl Pepper, yes.

Council Durkin.

Council Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Flynn, yes.

Council Lugen.

Yes.

Council Lucian.

Yes, Council Mehia.

Council Mehia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Papan.

Yes.

Council Papan, yes, Council Santana.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes.

Council?

Yes.

Council World, yes.

12 votes in the affirmative and one.

Not present.

Thank you.

Docket zero one zero zero two has passed.

Madam Chair, could you please read Docket 1003?

Docket 1003.

Council Flynn offer the following.

Order requesting certain information under Section 17F.

We got in Article 80, large project review and small project review denial at the zoning board of appeal due to park and relief.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Flynn.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and the Assistant Clerk said it perfectly.

I filed the 17F to find out how many Article 80 large project review and Article 80 small project review proposals that have been denied at the Zoning Board of Appeals since 2020 since 2020 that required a variance for parking relief.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

1003.

I'm having difficulty with my numbers today.

All in favor say aye.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1003?

Roll call vote on Docket 1003.

Council Braden.

Yes.

Council Colera Zapara.

Council Carl Pepper.

Council Carl Peppa, yes, Council Doken.

Council Doken, yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald, yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Luigian.

Yes.

Council Luigi and yes.

Council Mahia.

Council Mehia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin.

Yes.

Yes.

Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Webb.

Council Rell.

Yes.

Council World.

Yes.

12 votes in the affirmative and one not present.

Thank you.

Docket 01 1003 has passed.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1004?

Docket 1004.

Councilor Flynn offer the following.

Resolution urging the city of Boston to resume in person work for a minimum of four days per week.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Flynn.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This is an issue I've been focused on for a number of years.

Getting people back to work.

Fidelity recently announced that employees would be required to return to the office five days a week starting in September.

The COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

The majority of us got our vaccinations in the spring of 2021.

When I was city council president, we carefully made decisions to open city hall up for business.

Hybrid and in-person hearings also took place.

2023 foot traffic was down 33%.

And office vacancies were over 20 percent downtown Boston.

I have held hearings on this so many times to bring city employees back to work.

I want to bring not only city boys but also the thousands of visitors we get every week to our city boards back to downtown to support small businesses to get a coffee grab lunch purchase clothing or some other goods the ZBA, the licensing board and a butters meetings are important but since that time only the BPDA board has reserved resumed true hybrid meetings of both in in-person and virtual while the others remain only virtual virtual only has excluded many of our seniors and those lacking digital equity and access for several access for several years now at some point we have to face reality we can't be afraid whether it's politically popular or not the city of Boston is struggling economically because our downtown businesses are struggling the financial district is struggling the financial district is looking for Boston to lead city employees need to get back to work yes I understand city employees will be disappointed at you in me but the pandemic is over we have to get people back to work the restaurant on the eighth floor closed the coffee shop on the third floor closed I said to both owners why did you close he said what do you mean Ed why did we close this place is a ghost town around here how are you going to make a profit the money that comes in from downtown Boston from businesses pay our bills they pay our school teachers they support our students they help our elderly they pay for our first responders we have to demonstrate positive leadership and lead by example we need to be back to work at least four days a week if not five but I'll settle I'll settle for four everybody should be back to work thank you madam chair thank you chair recognize counselor Murphy Councillor you have the floor thank you madam president and thank you counselor Flynn for filing this hearing order I think it's overdue to have this conversation and really encouraged that we get city workers back here in City Hall and across the city I do want to say when I'm at community meetings and out in all of the neighborhoods I'm often asked by people they're just confused why we still only hold like a butters meeting remotely and of lot of things that continue to be remote but I do want to give um you know a shout out to many city employees many departments not just our first responders and teachers that never got the opportunity to work remotely many here in this building down at records and the transportation department so if you're a city worker who's taking in revenue and you're at a window you never got that opportunity and I know that many of them have to use personal days and others where the data is showing that this remote work has allowed many of our city workers on their days at home to be you know doing things that others that aren't given that um I would say luxury so I think it's really time to look at what we've offered and I think many of it has been written into some of their current contracts but to see how we can get workers back here thank you.

Thank you would anyone like to add their name.

Councillor Durkin Councillor Councillor Culpepper Councillor Durkin Council Fitzgerald Councillor Mehia Councillor Murphy Council Peppen Council Santana Councillor Weber Councillor Councillor Free and think suspension of the rules adoption of dock at zero one start over again dock at zero one zero zero dock at one zero zero four uh all in favor say aye all opposed say nay thank you madam chair could madam clerk sorry I'm the chair madam clerk could you please uh uh take a roll call vote on dock at 1004.

Council Braden.

Present.

Councillor Colada Zapata.

Council call pepper.

Yes.

Council Carl Pepper, yes.

Councilor Doken.

Council Doken, yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Councillor Lucian.

Yes.

Council Luigi, yes.

Council Mejia.

Yes.

Council Mehia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Yes.

So Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin.

Council Peppan, yes.

Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Council Webber, yes.

Council Orell.

Yes.

Council World, yes, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

Eleven in the affirmative, one present and one not present.

Thank you.

Docket 1004 has been adopted.

Madam Chair, could you please read Docker 1005?

Docket 1005.

Council Mahia offered a fallen resolution calling for a temporary pause of vertical construction activities at White Stadium, pending the adjuvable by the Massachusetts Supreme Jurical Court.

The chair recognizes Council Mahia.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I feel like a broken record and the little engine that could, but I'm gonna keep on choo chewing away till we get justice.

So I rise as the original filer of this resolution calling for a temporary pause on the new vertical construction at White Stadium while the case is still pending before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

What um sense does it make for the city to continue moving forward with permanent construction while the highest court in the Commonwealth is still deciding whether this project even has authority to properly move forward?

This is a 325 million dollar project involving public funds, a private partnership, and a long-term consequences for Franklin Park, BPS students, taxpayers, and the surrounding communities.

Heard arguments on April the 8th.

Um the court is being asked to decide major legal questions, including whether this project requires legislative approval under Article 97 and whether the current structure of the deal is even lawful.

So why are we continuing to build as if the outcome is still already decided?

Because maybe chances are it has already been.

For two years, residents have raised concerns about this project, the rising cost, the lack of transparency, the use of public land, and the public-private structure, and the impact on Franklin Park communities, and now even with the case before the state's highest court, the city is still doing what it does best, pushing through.

That should concern every one of us.

You do not keep permanent um building structures while the legality of the project is still under review.

You wait for a decision, understanding the ruling, and then determine the responsible vote path forward.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and while I know the pushback will be, which I already know, I look forward to just moving this forward to a vote, um, and letting the chips fall where they may.

Thank you, Councilman.

The chair recognizes Council Culpepper.

Madam President, I appreciate the intent of the original co-spons, original sponsors of this file, but now is not the time to reverse course or pause this project.

One who lives across the street from the park, one who grew up across the street from the park, one whose grandparents bought the house across the street from the park years ago.

When I look at what happens, I look at this investment, the largest investment in my community in my lifetime, I have supported this project.

And I've supported it because of the real economic opportunity it can bring to the community and to black and brown businesses, not only during construction, but through the long-term operations of the stadium.

I fought for the commitment even before taking office, including securing an agreement to award the South Crescent and growth development to a non-union, to a non-union local black general contractor.

But these commitments are only meaningful if the city builds the infrastructure necessary to support MWBE participation.

I understand and share the frustration that progress in awarding contracts and MWBE firms has not moved as quickly as many of us would like, myself included.

This is exactly why I filed the Minority Business Enterprise Pilot Program in collaboration with the District 7 White Stadium Task Force to create a real pipeline for MWBEs through technical assistance and capacity building.

So local businesses already pursue contracts of this project size and on this scale.

Rather than pausing the project, we should be using the remaining phases of construction, including the Grove and South Crescent portions of the project as opportunities to secure as many contracts for minority businesses as possible.

When we secure contracts for minority businesses, minorities.

Continue.

Thank you, Your Honor.

The Supreme Court will issue its decision in due course, and until then, construction should continue to move forward.

Delaying this project now risks slowing economic opportunities and undermining momentum at a time when we should be focused on ensuring that the promised benefits actually reach the communities and businesses they were intended to support.

I am going to vote no on this resolution, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Consul Weber.

Consular, you have the floor.

Okay.

Uh Reverend Cole Pepper, amen.

That's all I have to say.

And the Chair recognizes Consul Flynn.

Council Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And I agree with much of what Council Mejia has said, although I'm I'm not going to be voting in favor of this for different reasons.

But in eight years I've never voted present.

I don't, I don't I don't want to vote present.

But the reason I'm voting against this proposal is the city is struggling financially, economically.

We do need economic development taking place in the city.

I was the one, even though I had major concerns about the project and how it was rolled out to the community, and no community engagement.

Um I was the one that really called for community standards in a project labor agreement to be part of this.

And I would have a difficult time right now asking for economic development to be stopped in the site in the city, especially when there's no economic development, or little economic development taking place.

So I'm going to be voting no.

I do understand the concerns Council Mejia highlighted, but I do believe we have to continue economic development, even though it's the community process has been lousy on this project.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, Council Flynn.

The chair recognizes Council Jerkin.

Council, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Council President Breden.

It does feel like at times this council has done the work of those suing the city versus the work of the BPS kids that will benefit from this project and the community members that will benefit from this project moving forward.

Um I understand it's complicated, but I just think it's important to read into the record that the city has one in court.

Um and right now the lawsuit going on is an appeal to the decision that's already been made.

Um so I think to stop construction when we actually already have one in court, is it doesn't, well, it doesn't make sense, but also I think the resolution to this effect, I don't think is doing the work of the people, which um I think is really important.

And then I also want to share that this is this is a really um, you know, for a lot of us.

Uh we take these decisions and these votes on resolutions, though they may mean nothing.

We take these votes um and decisions that we make on resolutions very seriously.

So I'll be voting no, and I think it's important to state my position.

Um I think it's really important as a city councilor that I um ethically not platform those that are suing the city.

And I've taken that position many times, and I just want to read that into the record here.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Warrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Uh thank you, madam president.

Um, I just want to start by recognizing the opportunity that we have in front of us.

Uh, White Stadium is not just a construction project, it's a chance to show what public investments can do when we are intentional and when we use public dollars to build facilities, strengthen local businesses, create jobs, and open doors for Boston residents.

I do appreciate uh the work around supply diversity that's been made uh part of this project.

I appreciate the goals that have been set, uh, the outreach that has happened and the efforts to track progress publicly.

Uh those are important steps, and they reflect the kind of city Boston is working to become.

But our responsibility, I believe, as a council to make sure that we are building on that progress, and I do believe that this hearing or this resolution could serve as another way to bring the administration to report on uh the diversity numbers and to see what more we can do.

Uh when public dollars are involved, we should not only ask that we meet the goal, we should ask how far can we go, how much opportunity can we create, how many local businesses can grow, and how many workers can build careers because of this project.

Uh, to answer that, we need to be we needed clear and consistent information.

We need to know that the unduplicated total go into MWBEs and local businesses so we understand the full impact and the data.

Uh we need to know what is under under signed contract, what is still a commitment, and what has actually been paid to date.

Uh, we need to know whether diverse businesses are receiving meaningful scopes of work that can help them build capacity and compete for future projects, and we need to connect supplier diversity to workforce diversity, making sure that Boston residents, people of color, women, apprentices, uh, journey and level workers are all seeing real opportunity.

So I would love to see if this resolution could be a hearing to have that conversation.

So, my request to the makers to see if we can have a hearing to go over more in depth on the uh contract dollars.

Thank you.

Thank you, counselor uh chair recognizes counselor Mejia.

Thank you, Madam President, and I want to thank my colleague Council Morrell for his fierce advocacy and uh recommendation.

And I just want to note for the record for those folks who are tuning in is that everything and anything that deals with processes, protocols, and procedures, we always find ways to um kick the can down the road.

And so I would just like to acknowledge we've had hundreds of hearings as it relates to White Stadium, and we have not received the type of answers and uh information as you've seen from my other colleagues who have been fighting around 17Fs regarding some of these outstanding questions.

And the question really is, you know, I would love to put everything that you just said in a resolution and let us vote on that.

So I would like to amend this resolution to everything that you just said and call for a vote on what you just proposed as a resolution instead of a hearing order.

Because what is happening is that time is ticking, and what we're doing is passing the camp.

And so I would like to take a five-minute recess to amend my resolution to utilize all of the beautiful language that Council Royal just uh presented here and have us vote on that resolution to see where the political will stands and whether or not we have the courage to stand with that.

No, I would like well, no, I'm changing it up.

I'd like to call for a recess to amend my uh my current resolution to substitute the language to the beautiful dissertation that my colleague council world just presented and have us then vote on that as a resolution.

Would you like to offer a friendly amendment?

I'll offer the friendly amendment.

We will take a brief recess, and if you could um oh yeah, we have a second second for that.

So let's go.

What do you think about it?

I think it's like a little bit of that.

I think it's that's what I don't know.

I like that.

I don't know.

I don't think that's what I think.

I think you're not going to be able to do that.

I mean, I want to go back to the new one.

I don't like it.

We're now back in session.

Councillor Royale has offered a friendly amendment.

It should be in front of you at this time.

Is anyone everyone got their friendly amendment?

Councillor Mejia has accepted the amendment.

Hearing and seeing no objections, this docket is probably properly before the body.

You put new light on?

You haven't got the docket?

Oh.

So let's go back to the Council Warrell offered a friendly amendment.

We had a second from Councillor Murphy.

Councillor Mejia accepted the uh the amendment.

Uh and then we're at anyone objecting to the amendment.

I have a point of information.

Because I did think uh counselor was articulate in what he had to say.

But I also thought I heard Council Warwell say this must I'd like to see this become a hearing order, to have a hearing order on everything he said.

I don't see anything in here asking for this to be hearing order.

And I'm trying to figure out and understand how you can take a resolution that's being amended to become a hearing order.

Say I'd like to see this become a hearing order.

Well, if it's being amended, my question to Council will well is, did he say he'd like to see this be a hearing order?

I think this general speaker.

Instead, I'm requesting that this matter be sent to committee.

Okay, yeah, specifically, I'm requesting referral um to the labor committee given the growing concerns regarding procurement bidding practices and whether the opportunities promised to minority-owned businesses and local residents are actually being realized.

We have done it before.

We send resolutions to committee.

Oh yeah, we haven't voted on the amendment yet, so yes, we're going to vote on the amendment.

If it's if there's no objection.

I just want to be clear on what I'm doing.

Yeah, Councillor Councillor Durkin.

For um for public records and transparency reasons.

Can Councillor Cole Pepper through the chair read what he just said into the record so that the public that is viewing from home can listen to what his comments were?

So we start over.

Councillor Morrell offered a friendly amendment to Councillor Mejia's uh uh resolution.

Oh beg your pardon.

I did have a slide on, but did I swear?

So you asked me to clarify, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Warrell offered a friendly amendment.

You've all got it before you.

Councillor Mejia has accepted that amendment.

And as the lead sponsor, she uh we we have and this hearing and seeing no objections to this amendment to the docket, uh it's been seconded.

We are we will there's an is an uh a motion to accept the amended amended docket.

Uh I haven't heard any objection, so we'll go to a vote to accept the amended docket, and then councillor Mejia has asked that that docket go go to to go to a committee.

So basically, that's what I remember.

I'm not sure that that's my question.

If it's if we go to a vote and it's voted now, how can you answer this?

I think we have we we we have we're sort of talking across purposes right now, so we're going to take a brief recess.

Please stay in this chamber and we're going to have we're going to sort this out.

Thank you.

So absent objection.

This docket is probably before the body.

Uh Councillor Mejia has asked that she is not going to ask for a vote on this resolution, and therefore it will be sent to the committee on labor and workforce development.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1006?

Docket 1006.

Council Santana offer the following resolution recognizing the contributions of African American Military Veterans and Afro-American Military Heritage Day.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Santana.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Madam President, I would like to add Councillor Flynn as an original co-sponsor.

Councillor Flynn is so added.

Great.

Thank you, Madam President.

I do want to thank Councillor Flynn for your leadership in this base.

This term I've been the veterans.

I'm chair of veterans committee and Councillor Flynn has been a great mentor to me on a hardest supplement to this new role.

So I really appreciate your leadership.

Every veteran deserves to know that their sacrifices are lasting part of our city's history.

They should feel assured that their services is honored, not only during moments of crisis, but also through the enduring story and identity of our city.

For generations, African American service members have stood on the front lines of every conflict since the Revolutionary War.

They fought for a democracy that did not always fight for them.

They defended a home front that often met their return with discrimination rather than dignity.

Their contributions, in spite of these battles, are inseparable from the story of our country and the story of our city.

This resolution recognizes the legacy by honoring African American Military Heritage Day and the role of the General Edward O.

guarded African American Veterans Memorial Park and preserving that history and educating future generations.

I am proud to have filed this legislation, but more importantly, I am humbled by the legacy and honors.

I look forward to continuing our work to ensure the service, sacrifice, and leadership of African American veterans are fully recognized across our city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I want to say thank you to Council Santana for adding me as an original co-sponsor for his work as chair of the Veterans Committee.

Since the founding of our country, African Americans have played a significant role in our country's history, as Council Santana mentioned, despite racial discrimination that they faced here.

During the Civil War, the 54th Mass Volunteer Infantry Regiment, first military unit consisting of three black soldiers fighting for the Union Army.

With integrity, with honor.

All black Army Air Corps Aviation Unit based out of Tuskegee.

Trained black pilots, navigators, bombarders, personnel, a well-known Tuskegee airman from Boston was a good friend of mine, was the former Boston Police Superintendent Willis Saunders, who received a Congressional Gold Medal.

I think Councillor Culpepper, you knew Willis Saunders as well.

We are proud of the historic 12th Baptist Church in Roxbury for their outreach and support of African American veterans throughout Greater Boston, especially those age 60 and over.

The church has many notable pastors over the years, including Reverend Judge Washington Williams, who is a civil war veteran, the Carter Post, the oldest African American post in American in the American Legion, Matt A Pan.

Proud to say I'm a member of that post.

It recognizes the work of black veterans, their bravery, self-sacrifice, their commitment.

The City of Boston Veterans Services hosts a black veterans appreciation branch every every year where we celebrate the service sacrifices of black veterans.

But we also recognize the racism and discrimination still faced by these same veterans in America.

In fact, I believe there's a federal legislation proposed in Washington.

Maybe Congressman Presley may have offered it or been part of it.

But it's for World War II veterans, their sons and daughters, that maybe they weren't necessarily veterans, but they would have received if this passes, they would receive some type of veteran services, which I support, even though they're not necessarily veterans, but based on the discrimination their father or their grandfather, grandmothers even received.

Maybe it's time to implement that federal legislation.

Maybe it's time for us to take a to take a look at it, maybe even vote on it.

Proud to support this important resolution.

Let's support our veterans, let's support our military families.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

And thank you as always for your incredible advocacy for a veteran community.

Chair recognizes Council Murphy.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Council of Santana for filing this resolution, and for all that you both already said.

I do just want to add and give a shout out to Meredith to it at the Carter Post and all she does for not just our African American but our female veterans and the services fighting all the time for them.

So looking forward to supporting this resolution.

Thank you.

Would anyone else would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Cold Pepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis Jeanne, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, Council Weber, Council Warrell, and please add the chair.

Councillor Santana and Flynn seek suspension of the rules, adoption of docket zero one zero zero six.

All in favor say aye.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1006?

Roll call vote on Docket 1006.

Councilor Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes, Council Colera Zapata.

Council Cal Pepper.

Yes.

Council Cal Peppa, yes, Council Dirken.

Yes.

Council Durkin, yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald, yes, Council Flynn.

Council Flynn, yes, Council Luigi.

Yes.

Council Luigian, yes, Council Mejia.

Yes.

Council Mahia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Council Murphy, yes, Council Papin.

Yes.

Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Rel.

Yes.

Council Warley, yes.

Twelve votes in the affirmative, one not present.

Thank you, Doctor.

1006 has been adopted.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docker 1007?

Docket 1007, Council Santana offer the following.

Resolution opposing federal and state legislation that would censor and restrict life-saving online resources for two SLGBTQIA plus communities and other marginalized groups.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Santana.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

As we did a presentation at the top of this hearing, at the top of this meeting, alongside with Councillor Mahia.

So of course I would I would I would like to add Council Mahia as an Aboriginal co-sponsor to this, but I'll refer to my remarks at the top of the meeting, and I'm looking for suspension and passage of this.

Thank you, Madam President.

Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and I want to thank Councilor Santana for his leadership and for adding me.

We all know the importance of protecting youth on social media.

However, restricting access in this matter matter is not the way to go.

It does not seek to actually hold big tech accountable and instead pretends to fix the problem by limiting access on the user and additionally cutting off access to social media will not meaningfully educate our youth on how to have healthy, engaged techniques with social media.

There are two major issues with this piece of legislation.

One is limiting access to resources, and two is privacy and data security concerns.

We know that social media provides LGBTQIA to S plus community members with access to information, resources, and supportive communities that may not have access to otherwise, lack of available resources in their local area, fear of personal safety, and much more can prevent individuals from accessing life-saving and affirming resources.

Individuals such as survivors of abuse, people seeking reproductive health care, and others rely on social media as a safe way to access resources, information, and support.

We should be increasing access to these resources, not restricting it.

Verification via ID uploads and biometric data is concerning for all as big tech continues to be irresponsible.

Potential data security breaches put everyone and their private information at risk.

Most especially our LGBTQ, i.e.

to S plus communities, undocumented, residents and those who are other marginalized individuals, especially considering all the types of surveillance we may see from the current federal government.

We need to ensure that we are protecting our loved ones, not putting them at further risk as a sanctuary city for the trans LGBTQ.

Boston must stand on strong in its values and oppose these pieces of legislation.

We must protect civil rights, privacy, and digital freedom.

I urge my colleagues to uphold our values and vote in favor of this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Mejia.

Uh would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Culpepper, Councilor Durkin, Counselor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis Jean, Councillor Mahia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Peppen, Councillor Weber, Councillor Warrell, and please add the chair.

And Councillor Flynn.

Sorry.

Councillors Santana and Mehia seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1007.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Docket number 1007 has been adopted.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1008?

Docket 1008, Councilor Luis Jean offer the following.

Resolution recognized in May as Haitian Heritage Month and May 18th as Haitian Flag Day.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Louis.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I spoke about this in the beginning.

May is Haitian Heritage Month, and I just want to thank everyone who has helped us elevate everything going on this month.

I want to thank my incredible staff, Cindy Jajust, Jacob, our constituent services director, and other resident Haitian in our office, Emily, who is basically at this point Haitian as well.

But the work that we've been doing, not only this month, but around the year, and with the World Cup coming, and Haiti making its first appearance.

There's just a lot going on, and I just want to thank my incredible team, and I want to thank the incredible Haitian community that allows me to represent and advocate alongside them.

Again, just want to repeat that this Friday we're gonna have the Haitian flag raising, have a good number of folks coming, so I hope that my colleagues can make it.

Want to thank our senator's office for the there, they'll be present and I'm grateful to have them here with us as well in the Consul General's office.

And on Sunday is the Haitian American Unity Parade, and that's beginning around 12 30 in Mattapan Square.

I mean, there's so much more happening in May.

Uh next Friday is a match at the Red Sox.

And so I just want to say, Messi MP, thank you to our Haitian community for the resilience that you teach me every day.

Thank you.

And I'm looking for suspension and passage.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Mejia, Counselor Murphy, Councillor Peppen, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, Counselor Warrell, and please add the chair.

Councillor Louis Jeanne seeks suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1008.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Thank you.

The docket 1008 has been adopted.

Madam Clerk, could you please read Docket 1009?

Docket 1009.

Councillor Flynn offer the following resolution in support of the right-safe act.

Councillor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, may I add Counselor Culpepper as an original co-sponsor?

Uh yes, Councillor Culpepper is added as a second.

Thank you.

In February of this year, I filed an ordinance to regulate all e-bikes.

At that time, the Boston Cyclist Union said my legislation was urgently needed and addressed a gray zone in the city's transportation regulation.

My ordinance remains in the Government Operations committee.

I also spoke this week with the Mass Highway Association.

Um, and they asked me to go down to Worcester County to testify and to talk about my proposal.

I want to begin by thanking Governor Haley for her leadership on this issue.

Last week she filed an act to enhance the safe use of microbility devices, a first-in-the-nation bill attempting to regulate e-bikes, moped scooters.

Cities and towns, including Boston have experienced a significant increase in concerns related to unsafe operation of both motorized devices, delivery vehicles, including speeding, riding on sidewalks, ignoring traffic signals.

In November, there was a traffic death of a 13-year-old when an e-bike collided with the vehicle in Stonham.

And last August, a man was hit by an e-bike and third-party food delivery driver in a crosswalk on Boylston Street.

Tragically passed away weeks later in September.

Improving road safety is critical to protecting all pedestrians, including our seniors, persons with disabilities, young families, including drivers, delivery workers alike, while ensuring that emerging transportation technologies operate responsibly within local communities.

The act proposed by Governor Gov the Governor, Governor Healy, seeks to establish clearer accountability measures, improve enforcement, strengthen registration, identification requirements, promote safer operation of motor vehicles throughout Massachusetts.

It would restrict high-speed devices from sidewalks, bike lanes, in other high-risk areas, very similar to what I proposed.

The streets of Boston have become less safe due to mopeds frequently traveling down through red lights and stop signs, operating on sidewalks, driving the wrong way on one-way streets.

Boston can no longer be the wild, wild west.

All of this has worsened over the last several years.

But Governor Haley's providing strong leadership.

The Ride Safe Act attempts to help address our city and state's public and pedestrian safety crisis.

And I hope my colleagues can't support the governor's work on this.

Yes, I attempted to be the first person, practically in the country, to regulate this industry, but I'm I'm glad the governor is taking taking this responsibility responsibility very seriously and um implementing critical pedestrian safety issues that need to be addressed.

Boston needs to be safe for everybody, not just our streets but also our sidewalks too.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

The chair recognizes Counselor Culpeper.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn, for adding me as an original co-sponsor.

Thank you for your leadership on this issue.

We've been doing what we can at the city level to bring attention to these growing public safety concerns, but meaningful regulation and enforcement will require strong partnership from the state.

One of the issues that gets raised most often when I'm out in the community speaking with constituents is how unsafe mopeds, e-bikes, and electric scooters have become for both pedestrians and the motoring public.

Residents regularly talk about vehicles speeding through rail lines and stop signs.

Operating on sidewalks.

Let me just say that again, operating on sidewalks, traveling the wrong way down one-way streets, and creating dangerous situations in our busiest neighborhoods.

The Riot Safe Act is an important step toward addressing these concerns by establishing clearer rules, accountability measures, and safety standards for higher speed micromobility devices.

This legislation recognizes that while these devices can play a role in our transportation system, they must operate safely and responsibly.

Supporting this legislation is about improving safety for everyone who uses our streets.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to send a clear message to the State House of Boston, is ready for meaningful action to address this growing public safety issue.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Uh Chair recognizes Counselor Durkin.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Chair.

Um, I'm really proud to support uh the Ride Safe Act.

Um, what folks have been asking for since the beginning of this has been uh clarity and classification of devices, and I think this takes a big step.

Uh it's not all of the steps that need to be taken, um, but it's definitely what came out of the micro-mobility report and committee that's been working on this.

So I'm grateful to the governor and um and the legislators who have been working deeply on this.

I want to thank specifically Rap J.

Livingstone, my state rep, who I know has been in uh a lot of collaboration with the administration on both the micromobility um aspect of the report that came out, but also just in general, I think he's a great leader in our in my district and um has been working on a lot of these concerns.

So um thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Well, would I see would anyone like to add their name?

Counselor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis Gen, Councilor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Peppin, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, Councilor Warrell, and please add the chair.

Councillors Flynn and Cold Pepper seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1009.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed, say nay.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1009?

Roll call vote on Docket 1009.

Councilor Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Council Colera Zapata.

Council Cobb Pepper.

Yes.

Councillor Durkin.

Council Durkin.

Yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fitzgerald.

Yes, Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Luigian.

Yes.

Yes.

Council Mehia.

Council Mahia, yes.

Council Murphy.

Council Murphy.

Yes.

Council Papin.

Yes.

Council Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana is Council Webber.

So Webber is Council Rural.

Council World, yes.

Twelve votes in the formative and one not present.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Docket 1009 has been adopted.

We're now on to personnel orders orders.

Madam Clerk, could you please read uh the personnel orders?

Docket 1010 personnel order, Council Braden for Council Peppen.

Um the chair moves for passage of the personnel order.

All those in favor say aye.

The ayes have it.

Person the personnel order has passed.

Before we move on to green sheets, is there anyone who'd like to add their name to a docket that they may have missed?

Okay.

Uh we uh we're now on to green sheets.

Is anyone looking to pull a green sheet?

Um, Councillor Flynn.

Uh go ahead.

Okay.

Uh thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm actually, I actually have two, but let me let me start with the first one, which is Docket 0623, which is on page three.

Absolutely.

Docket 0623, message and order for the confirmation of the appointment of Christopher Ogrids as a member of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission for terms by in March 30th, 2023.

Absent objection, the motion of the committee chair is accepted and docket 0623 are properly before the body.

Counselor, the floor is yours.

Thank you, madam chair.

Madam Chair, I I do know that it's customary to have a hearing on it, but based on timing, um, it is important for me to go forward without without a hearing.

And I do that because I have had an opportunity to work with Chris Osgood for over eight years.

And over the eight-year period of time, in my opinion, he's demonstrated positive leadership, dedication, transparency, accountability as a manager in city government.

I think he'll bring that same level of professionalism as a member of the board of the Boston Water and Soil Commission.

I respectfully urge my colleagues to pass this docket today.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Councillor Flynn, the chair of uh City Services seeks this uh seeks passage of docket zero six two three.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Uh thank you.

Docket zero six two three has passed.

Councillor Flynn, you mentioned you had a second.

Uh, yes, thank you, madam chair.

Madam Chair, may I poll zero three zero seven on page ten, please?

Uh councillor uh zero zero three zero seven, page ten.

Zero three zero seven.

Madam Clerk, could you please read docket zero three zero seven?

Docket zero three zero seven resolution in support of the Boston Housing Authority Elevator Safety Commission.

Absence objection the motion of the committee.

There's an objection.

Well, is it not only found in the committee chair?

Uh we need to poll the um so there's we will share the councillor Flynn.

Uh we will Madam Clerk, could you poll the committee on uh city services uh to um approve bringing this motion to the floor?

Um council is which uh committee was that how I believe it's in my committee.

City services.

Hold on, take a brief recess.

Okay, so that wouldn't have been a function, it wasn't done, so I think that's what I think.

Okay, I don't know.

Can I object on it?

I don't know.

What is it?

Would you take a three short recess to figure out what the timeline is in this one?

I don't know what it's not really a test.

This docket was referred to the housing committee.

So we will take a roll call vote to uh to move that this uh docket comes before the body for your information in order to vote I'd like to hear from the committee chair.

No, it's not that's not the way it goes.

So uh madam Madam Clerk, could you take a roll call vote?

To uh bring this matter from committee to the floor.

Uh it's a ninety days after the matter was referred to the committee, and it uh we need a seven members of the city council to approve.

Councillor Braden.

Yes, can you read the docket again?

We'll read the docket when we get it to the we'll bring it to the floor.

It's in the it's in the uh it's housing and community development resolution in support of the Boston Housing Authority Elevator Safety Commission.

And it's docket zero seven zero three zero seven on page ten.

Madam Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote of the members of the council to bring this forward to the floor?

Um counselor Braden.

Yes.

Yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Lucian.

Council, no.

Councillor Mahia.

No.

Council Mehia, no.

Council Murphy.

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Capan.

Council Pepin.

No.

Council Santana.

No.

Council Webber.

Council Webber, no.

Council Rural.

Yes.

One, two, three, four, five.

Six, no.

Six, yes.

One, two, six.

Six, no.

Six, no, six.

And um, one not present.

So we don't uh so the motion uh to bring this body this issue to the floor has failed.

Thank you.

We are now on to late files.

Madam Clerk.

I think it does.

I'm informed by the clerk that we have one late file.

Um absent objection.

These late file matters will be added.

Madam Clerk.

Would you please please?

Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Durkin objects.

We will move on.

Madam Chair, can you read it into the record?

No, we don't read it, no.

There's two ways to do it.

I'm not reading it into the record if it's not properly before the body.

We're now on to moving to the consent agenda.

I've been informed by the clerk that there are no additions to the consent agenda.

The question now comes before the comes on approval of the various matters contained within the consent agenda.

All those in favor say aye.

Thank you.

The consent agenda has been adopted.

We are now on to announcements.

Please remember these are for upcoming dates and events.

You have the floor for uh announcements.

Um, so my announcement is that we are in a few weeks going to be taking votes on the budget, and I file the late file.

Yes, it is.

No, it's coming up.

I can read something.

So this was an emergency hearing regarding immediate replacement for funding for the Boston Firefighter Cancer screening, health screening, mental health support in one program.

Myself and Councillor Fitzgerald and Councillor Flynn, we're hoping to get this scheduled sooner than later.

And now we're gonna have to wait another week.

And firefighters health are on the line, and the screening and the data is showing that.

It's just a shame that this is where the body has gone to.

We all can have a cheat sheet about Robit's rules of order, or we could just work as well.

Please, every calm down.

This is not an announcement.

Well, I'm done.

I'm done.

Okay.

Move on.

Thank you.

Councillor Louis Jeanne, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

And I just want to thank you because sometimes uh I just want to give you the respect that is due to you as chair.

So I just want to thank you for trying to move this meeting along.

I know that it can be difficult, and sometimes personalities do um, but I just want to thank you because I know that there's a lot thrown at you and it's hard to manage, and so I just want to thank you in this moment.

I also wanted to um elevate and just say a big big congratulations to our colleague Gabriella Kalada Zapata, who just gave birth, where she gave uh her Mother's Day present uh to our new council baby, uh Joaquin uh Zapata, and so I'm looking forward to Joaquin coming here and her bringing him to chambers.

So congratulations to our colleague, and I hope to see everyone this weekend for Asian Heritage Month events.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, and I want to just echo and rise and uh thank you publicly.

I know it has not been easy, and I know that sometimes I make it harder for you as well, but I'm also trying to balance all the drama and trauma that uh you have had to experience here in the chamber, and I think um what I'm looking forward to is the hearing that we're gonna have on the rules and making sure that we all get the memo and understand the assignment that the work here is for us to move the city forward, um, and we really need to start uh addressing the way that we have been using procedural tactics to um impact the way this body functions.

I just want to say thank you for your leadership.

Thank you, Councillor Council Mejia.

Anyone else with announcements?

I think I share everyone's joy and excitement at the little addition, um, to the Zapata family.

Counselor Fitzgerald, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Yeah, no, I absolutely would like to echo our colleague uh Council Coletta Sabato on her birth, and uh with that uh my middle guide turns seven tomorrow.

So uh you'll see me do this one more time in June for my oldest as we're in the birthday month, but I want to look at the camera.

Say happy birthday to my Mac turning seven.

He's a math whiz, doesn't listen to his dad too much at the moment, but uh he's a fat fantastic kid that asks unbelievable philosophical questions that we wonder at every day.

Like, hey dad, do roads end?

Uh what's more important and or fee?

Right?

These are the things, and uh questions that we just sit there and go, man.

I don't know where you came from.

But uh I hope he never continues.

I hope he never loses that ability and always questions everything, and so happy birthday, Magadoo.

Thank you.

As you ponder the difficult questions that those young ones can give you.

Anyone else with announcements?

Um, we're also wishing a happy birthday to Wilmer Quinonez of Councillor Santana's office.

Big month for birthdays.

But we're now moving on to memorials.

Would anyone like to uplift the name of someone who has passed?

Please put your light on if you'd like me to call on you.

Councillor Louis Jeanne, you have the floor.

Thank you.

I'd just like to uplift the memory of Joyce King and the daughters of Nel King.

I'm not sure if she, I was absent at the meeting two weeks ago, so not sure if she was memorialized, but just today was the services at Morningstar, and I just want to uh give my entire love and condolences to the King family as they um pay their final respects today to the memory of Joyce King, who lived out the legacy of her father and her mother and um as much as her other siblings.

I just wanted to pay my respects to Pamela to the entire King family.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Culpepper, you have the floor.

Madam President, I wanted to lift up the passing of a Reverend Franklin Murray, the pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church.

To his unwavering wisdom, faith, kindness, dedication to the work of the Lord, his church, along with family and friends, mourning the loss of the man, a true man of God, whose legacy of love, service, and spiritual leadership will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew him.

We pray for the Murray family and for the Bethlehem Baptist Church family.

Thank you.

On behalf of Councillor Coletta Zapata, Mario De Grio Lamo Del Russo, on behalf of Counselor Louis Jeanne, Hazel T.

Williams, and Joyce King.

On behalf of Councillor Murphy, Mr.

Regan, and on behalf of uh Councillor Culpepper, the Reverend Reverend Franklin Murray.

The chair moves that when the council adjourns today, it does so in memory of the aforementioned individuals.

A moment of silence, please.

The council is scheduled to meet again in the Ionella chamber on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 at 12 p.m.

Thank you to my colleagues, central staff, the clerk, the clerk's office, and this council stenographer.

Welcome back, Ellen.

All those in favor, please say aye.

The council is adjourned.

Thank you, everyone.