Good afternoon, everyone.

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

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

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

Also pursuant to Rule 42, I remind all in this chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted.

Councillor Braden.

Here.

Council Mejia.

Councillor Murphy.

Council of Pen.

Council Santana.

Council Weber.

And Councillor Warrell.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Thank you.

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

Now it is my pleasure to introduce this week's clergy, invited by Councillor Louis Jeanne.

Thank you, Madam President, and good afternoon, everyone.

I'm very happy to welcome back into this chambers and into this body, Reverend Caitlin Ho Givens, who is just a transformative leader here in our city and in her East Boston community.

She was here with us last year, you know, May, obviously, Asian Heritage Month, but it's also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and having her here is a testament to the diversity and the greatness of our call members of Congress to support uh extending temporary protective status for the Haitian community.

And I know if it would for any other community, you would do so.

I would get messages saying, hey, I just spent 30 minutes of my morning making these calls and with you in this fight.

And so I just want to say thank you because that work of solidarity building, our cross identity, multi- multi-racial uh solidarity, and building the just world and the just country that we want to see.

You exemplify that, both in your work as a religious leader and just as a compassionate person here in our city.

So I want to thank you.

She's lived here in Boston over 20 years and is a pastor at Resurrection Church in East Boston.

A great representation of Boston's multiculturalism and bilingual, and I heard you speaking with Anna Spanish before we started English and Spanish and pastor of a mixed white and Latino congregation.

She is passionate about building a community of Americans and immigrants that worship together and engage strategically in neighborhood life, advocating for justice, supporting neighbors in need, and partnering with local leaders for the good of the city.

It is my great honor to bring up to the dais Revan Caitlin Hoe Givens.

Good afternoon.

I wanna start by just acknowledging that there is a lot carried here in this room.

There are deadlines, there are things that you have to do, there are people who are coming to you to be listened to and be advocated for.

And I wanna just have us arrive here together.

Let's just take a moment to pause to breathe.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here, and thank you for the service that you do for the people of Boston.

It is a demanding job with seamlessly ending needs, and you are doing it in a divided time and exhausted time.

I continue to witness small and stubborn forms of hope.

I pastor a church in East Boston that is this joyful mixture of Americans and immigrants.

And much of our recent life together has involved accompanying immigrant families through seasons of uncertainty and fear.

Recently, one of the pillars of our church, Raul, he is a husband, a father, a minister in training who regularly preaches at our church.

He went to a routine immigration check-in and was detained on the spot.

I was with his wife outside in the waiting room.

His kids were outside of the building because they were too scared to come in.

They were with other church family members.

And then the moment came that no family should have to go through, where I walked with Lillian as she went to her kids to tell her that their father had been taken away, and that they did not know when they would see him again.

As they shook with grief.

There's a 12-year-old, a 13-year-old, a one-year-old in her arms, all trying to hold on to hope together.

And what followed was extraordinary.

Our small church rose in love and in advocacy and in generosity.

So meals were showing up, groceries, diapers were quietly delivered, people were watching, kids, raising funds, attending court hearings, searching for legal support, writing letters, making calls, and as people of faith, we were praying late into the night.

And Raul, this minister in training, while he was detained, he began ministering to those around him.

He was praying for men who felt abandoned.

He was preaching hope into the night when the men would gather to worship.

He was encouraging those who had spent months there waiting in uncertainty.

It was astonishing to witness.

It was amazing to behold love taking shape in the very place where love is not intended to survive.

Prison is a cold, hard place, and yet I have seen courage and hope emerge from there.

Since then, Raul has been released, and we have continued to care for men in detainment.

We have sent books and we send, we write letters, we send money so that they can buy extra clothes because it's literally cold in there.

We send money so they can buy toothpaste so that they can get small comforts like a ramen or a coke to go with their meals, like these huge little celebratory things for them in this bleak place.

We've sent Christmas gifts to their families, we've shown up at court hearings, and the judge is like, who are you?

We're like this.

We are here to support our friend and neighbor because what happens to him matters to us.

Small acts, invisible on their own, and yet together they are they form something like a stubborn light that refuses to go out.

In our home, we have blackout curtains that try to keep the street lights out at night.

And no matter what we do, there is always that one sliver of light that sneaks through the edge of the curtain.

It's like that.

Even in places that are shaped by fear and grief, even within systems that can make people feel forgotten or invisible.

Light keeps finding a way in.

Even when darkness tries to close in completely and snuff everything out.

Somehow, light still comes through the cracks.

A meal, a prayer, a ride to court, a lawyer offering pro bono help, an 11-year-old opening up a birthday gift that is from her father.

Someone saying, Hyman, you are not forgotten.

Jorge, we are with you.

Kenneth, we care about you.

Emmanuel, your life mattered.

Christians believe that God moves toward people in darkness rather than away from them.

That no person is disposable, and that some of the clearest signs of hope emerge precisely in places where the world only expects despair.

In mercy, in peacemaking, in people refusing to abandon one another in suffering.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I've watched people see strangers as neighbors and real family.

I have watched our immigrants lead us in courage and faith.

I have watched fear loosen its grip in the presence of steady compassion, the kind of peace that allows your shoulders to slowly unclench.

So that people, you could finally breathe again.

It is this beautiful thing.

It feels like glimpsing another world, breaking into this one.

Not one that's built on fear and division or winning at all costs, but one shaped by mercy, by mutuality, by a stubborn conviction that every human being bears dignity.

It is not charity, it's not just doing the right thing check.

It's something deeper.

It is a refusal to let darkness have the final word.

It is a refusal to let a person disappear.

It is a defiant act of love that says, I see you, you belong to us.

Your life is precious.

This is what Christians call the kingdom of God.

It's not something far away or abstract.

It is the embodied love of God in ordinary people.

It's light finding places, finding its way into places where everyone assumed that only darkness could survive.

It is what community looks like when love refuses to surrender to cynicism.

And perhaps that's part of the calling of public life to continue to see one another clearly, to resist the temptation to reduce people to headlines or to issues, to remember the humanity behind the disagreements to help to build a city where no one is forgotten.

And so thank you for every act of care.

Every time you are listening, every time you are trying to collaborate, every time you are trying to carefully deliberate.

It is a beautiful thing, privately and publicly, the way that you are working to build our city together.

Thank you for continuing to show up.

May you have wisdom and courage and compassion as you lead.

Let us pray.

God of wisdom and mercy, we pray for the leaders gathered in this hall today.

Would you grant them clarity where there is confusion?

Peace where there is tension, steadiness at midst all of the noise and the urgency of this time.

Help them to listen well, and not just to the loudest voices, but to the perspectives that are different from their own, to the needs of the communities beyond their immediate view.

May they remember that wisdom is often found not in standing alone, but in learning from one another and seeking the good of the whole.

God, we ask that you would protect this city, that you would strengthen its neighborhoods, that you would comfort all who are fearful and suffering, that you would continue to kindle courage and compassion and hope and bring light in every corner of Boston.

Amen.

One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Reverend Caitlin, for your words of wisdom and encouragement.

Um we have two presentations, but we also want to recognize our EMS workers.

And our colleagues to come up and get a photograph with the EMS workers.

Then we'll go on to presentations.

Come on up.

Come on up.

Just a picture.

Yes.

We have two presentations after this, so.

Right up front.

Yeah, right up front and center.

We'll be recognizing the work of our EMS workers in a resolution later.

I need a stool to stand on all these tall guys in front of me.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

We have two presentations today.

Um Sor Flynn is recognizing the Boston Debate League.

Councillor Flynn, would you like to come up with your honorees?

And then uh Council Culpepper is also going to recognize Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall.

So, Councillor Flynn, you're up first.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

We have a city council resolution to recognize the twentieth anniversary of the Boston Debate League.

Many of them are here now, and I'd like to ask them if they'd please come to the dais, please.

Thank you to uh Kim and Jackney and the entire leadership of the Boston Debate League for their exceptional work.

Thank you for joining us today.

We had a wonderful reception this morning in the curly room, but we wanted to formally recognize the Boston Debate League.

Since 2005, the Boston Debate League has empowered thousands of students across Greater Boston for their transform transformative power of debate, preparing young people for college, career, civic life through the after-school debate, debate-inspired classrooms and resolved problems.

This organization equips students with critical thinking, research, communication, and skills essential for success.

The Boston Debate League partners with more than 30 schools across the region, including right here in Boston Public School system.

Some of the students here are from Brighton, they're from the South End.

Some of them attend English High School.

With nearly 500 volunteers, and I've had the opportunity to serve as a volunteer, judging the debate between students.

But what I love about the debate between students, especially when they're partnering with each other as a team, but I love how they support each other.

And if one needs a little bit of support, the other student really encourages encourages them.

Offices offers positive words, but they're working as a team, and I try to highlight that to them.

That's what life is all about is working together, bringing out the best in each other.

So I want to say thank you to this exceptional organization for what they do, not just supporting BPS kids, but supporting so many youth across our Commonwealth.

But I'd like to ask Kim and maybe one of the young people if you'd like to come up here and say a few words.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you for having us here today.

We're delighted and honored to be here.

Um we are really proud of the work that we're doing here in Boston with young people, but we're super excited about the partnership that we've had with the city.

Uh, we have been around for 20 years, and Boston Public Schools is our longest and deepest partner.

We run three programs, which you mentioned, and all of them are built on rigor.

They are all about helping young people to develop as leaders, to develop public speaking skills, to learn how to argue with one another, grounded in evidence and reasoning, but also in community, as you talked about.

Certainly, we know the benefits, the academic benefits of this program.

Students are going to college at higher rates.

They are graduating from high school.

They are improving their literacy skills, their English speaking skills, their Spanish speaking skills, because we do debate in Spanish and English.

And what we're most proud of, I would say anyway, is the way they treat each other.

Community.

The fact that they are a part of a community and that they feel a sense of belonging.

It's not lost on me that this summer this country will celebrate 250 years of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Debate was a part of that.

Debate continues to be a part of what we do in this community.

And these young people know how to do it well and how to do that respecting one another and seeing one another's humanity, even when they disagree.

And so we're just delighted to have them here with us today.

Um, we're not the stars that have an amazing team, the staff, but the stars are these young people who are here behind us.

And I'm going to call one up, Alana LaForest, who is actually a senior in high school at BLA, and she's going to Wake Forest University on a full debate scholarship.

So she can speak for us better than anyone.

Good afternoon, Council members and public.

As Ms.

Kim said, I'm a senior at Boston Latin Academy as well as a rising freshman at Wake Forest University, and a seven-year-long member of the Boston Debate League family.

When I think about the Boston Debate League, obviously the word family comes to mind, but the community that we've created as a as a group of students as well as a group of educators and teachers and coaches, has honestly been something that can't be replicated outside.

The Boston Debate League is a part of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, which is a couple of different cities across the national across the nation, right?

We have DC and Baltimore and California and all of these other amazing leagues that we've been able to partner with across for the past 20 years, which is something that honestly I think is what makes us so special.

The ability for us to collaborate across the across the country with other students and other families to share the good word about debate, right?

I think that part of the reason why debate has been something that's been so influential to me is because of this emphasis on persuasion and respectful discourse.

I think that when we invite spaces of discourse and spaces of um interrogation or when the when the best policies are formed, I think watching even the council members have conversations about what it looks like to protect our families and what it looks like to protect um our immigrants and all of these conversations about how we can be the best um the best politicians for our people.

I think the common question throughout all of this has always been respectful discourse.

And so learning how to replicate these things are the ways in which they open opportunities for students like us to continue, right?

I'm I want to study politics and international affairs in college and rightly likely end up in a way that's similar to y'all, and I think that being able to practice these skills and practice these ways is something that I've honestly am so indebted to the Boston Debate League for.

I'm the biggest advocate for continuing to fund the program and continuing to support us because the Boston Debate League is, I, in my opinion, the best out of all of the National Urban Debate League.

So I would say thank you to Ms.

Kim, thank you to the rest of the staff, and thank you to all of my fellow students that have been able to practice and debate with me across the years.

I'm so sad that it's my last year to be part of the program, but it's definitely not going to be my last year part of a part of the BDL.

And so I encourage everyone here to find a way to get involved at the Boston Debate League, whether it's through volunteering or through coaching or judging or just finding a way to help support discourse and and research-based research-based and evidence conversations around the city of Boston.

So thank you all so much.

Thank you.

I would ask, I would ask my city council colleagues if they would like to come up for a photo.

And as they do that, I do have a City Council resolution.

Um, to the Boston Debate League.

This is from all of the city council colleagues, your outstanding commitment to empowering students uh through this transformative power of debate dedicated to fostering critical thinking, leadership, communication, civic engagement.

You continue to make a lasting impact on students.

We wish you continued success.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Kim.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Thank you so much.

Wait, what are we doing?

Okay.

I think you're gonna be the mayor's office or the governor's office someday.

Yeah.

You might need a job from you, okay.

Oh, I wasn't actually going to ask you.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn, and thank you to the Boston Debate League.

Uh Council of Culpepper, um, you have a presentation.

Welcome you up to the dais.

And your honorary uh fire commissioner Rodney Marshall, would you like to join us?

Um, thank you, Madam President.

It is an honor and a privilege to welcome Boston's 45th Fire Commissioner, Rodney Marshall to the chamber today.

Commissioner Marshall is a longtime Bostonian, born and raised in the one and only Grove Hall, Dorchester, and has spent the last 35 years giving back to the very community that shaped him.

He joined the Boston Fire Department in 1991, serving at Engine 56, and rose steadily through the ranks.

Lieutenant, Captain, District Chief, Deputy Chief, and Chief of Operations, here and two Commissioner Unit citations along the way for acts of extraordinary courage, saving multiple lives in a six-along fire and rescuing individuals trapped in a severely damaged bus.

Beyond his own heroism, Commissioner Marshall has worked to open doors for others, designing and launching the department's cadet program to create new pathways for young inner city residents to pursue careers in firefighting.

It would be lost on me to not recognize this moment in history.

Rodney Marshall serves as the Boston Fire Department's first ever black commissioner.

The fire department plays an essential role in protecting residents across every neighborhood, and it is critical that its workforce reflects the diversity of the city it serves.

While we still have progress to make, the appointment of Commissioner Marshall is a significant significant milestone and must be celebrated today.

I had the chance to hear Commissioner Marshall speak about what it meant to grow up in Dorchester, see the doors of the fire department open, and now he sits in that seat.

He wants to do the same for the next generation, and that matters.

Kids running around these neighborhoods should be able to look up and see the brave men and women who are there to protect them.

And think that could be you someday.

And when a child sees someone that looks just like them, who grew up on the same streets they did, wearing that uniform and leading that department, it changes what they believe is possible.

That's what Commissioner Marshall represents.

Not just a historic appointment, but a signal to every young person in Grove Hall in Dorchester, in Roxbury, in Mattapan, in Hyde Park, in the South End, in Jamaica Plain, to every young person, that the path is open and the future belongs to you.

We wish you all the best, Commissioner.

This chamber is in your corner, and Boston is so lucky to have you leading the bravest of all.

Thank you, Mr.

Commissioner.

And let me just read this citation.

This resolution.

City of Boston and City Council.

Official resolution presented by the city counselor, the city councillors, including Councillor Mignard Culpepper.

Bid resolved that this Boston City Council offers its congratulations to Fire Commissioner and Chief Rodney Marshall.

In recognition of Rodney Marshall on his historic appointment as Boston's Fire Commission, who became the first Black Fire Commissioner to lead the department in its nearly 350-year history.

A 35-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, Commissioner Marcel has demonstrated exceptional leadership, rising through the range from firefighter to chief of operations.

His distinguished career includes life-saving heroism, a lasting commitment to expanding opportunity through the department's cadet program.

His appointment reflects a dedication to public service and continued commitment to protecting Boston.

Be it further resolved that the Boston City Council extends his best wishes for your continued success, that this resolution being duly signed by the president of the City Council and attested to a copy thereof transmitted by the clerk of the city of Boston, President of the Council Elizabeth Braden, offered by Mignard Culpepper and its council colleagues, May 1st, 2026.

Give them a big round of applause.

Let me just correct that.

Y'all didn't catch that.

It's May 20th, 2026.

Thank you.

Madam President, thank you for having me here.

Councillor Culpepper, thank you for having me here.

Um, I'm very honored to be in front of this uh esteemed body today, and um it's fitting that we have some young folk in the audience today, because I don't know if you guys know my story, but like I said, when I was growing up, I didn't see people that look like me on the fire department, so it was never something that I wanted to pursue.

But I would in saying that, I would say to you, keep all your options open.

Because my original goal was to be a police officer, fire department was not in my line of sight, but it was a true calling to me when I did accept this job, and it is something that it's like I said, it's a calling, and it's something that resonates in my soul to be able to help the citizens of the city of Boston.

And um, I would just say, like I said, keep your options open because you never know which way your life is going to turn, and it might be something like I said that's not on your radar, but something that's meant for you is gonna come your way, and God is always in your corner, he's gonna guide you to that point.

So, in saying that, congratulations to you guys.

And I hope that you all have the Steam Careers, and you'll be a guiding light to someone that's coming up behind you.

Thank you.

Would all my colleagues please join us?

This is history.

That gives it to all of those.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper, and congratulations.

Congratulations again to Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall.

I've joined us, Mr.

Clerk.

Could you please amend the attendance to reflect that Councillors Warrell and Councillor Santana have joined us?

We are now on to the first order of business, which is the approval of the minutes from the meeting of uh May 13th, 2026.

All in favor say aye, all opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

The minutes of the May 13th meeting are approved.

We are now on to communications from our honor the Mayor.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Dockett's uh 1030 and 1031?

Document number one zero three zero message and all authorizing the purposes of funding the snow winter management appropriation to meet operating expenses of the fiscal period commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30th, 2026.

Docker number 1031, Message and Ord authorizing the City of Boston to appropriate the amount of 22 million eight hundred and forty-five thousand six hundred and seventy-two dollars for purposes of funding Boston public schools to meet operating expenses of the fiscal period commencing July 1st, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026.

This appropriation request was approved by the Boston School Committee on May 6, 2026, and is intended to cover projected deficits in health insurance, $18,087,750 in utility spending, $4,757,922.

Thank you.

Dockets 1030 and 1031 will be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1032?

Docket number 1032, message in order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $2,520,000 in the form of a grant, youth works grant awarded by the Mass Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development.

The grant would fund a summer in school year jobs program that will provide leadership development skills training and career exploration for low-income at-risk youth ages 14 through 25 years old.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor O'Reilly.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh this is a $2.5 million dollar grant for youth work to support low-income youth and young adults aged 14 to 25 in skill building, industry exposure, and mentorship in both summer 2026 and the 2026 to 2027 school year.

The Office of Workforce Development selected six recipients for this funding, included Action for Boston Community Development, the Boston Private Industry Council, Fresh Films, the Wentworth Institute of Technology, Youth Employment and Opportunity, and Youth Options Unlimited.

Collectively, this funding will help these groups serve approximately 694 youth with career building and mentorship resources.

I know this is a large dollar amount, but we know exactly what the youth job program is.

We know it works.

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

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilor Warell seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 1032.

All in favor say aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1032?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Colletta Zapata.

Councillor Culpepper.

Councillor Culpepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Durkin, yes.

Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fischero, yes, Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes.

Councillor Louis Jean.

Council of Jean, yes.

Councillor Mejia.

Councillor Mehia, yes.

Councillor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes.

Council Peppin.

Yes.

Council of Penn, yes.

Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Weber.

Yes.

Councillor Weber, yes.

And Council Warrell.

Yes.

Councilor Orell, yes.

Docket number 1032 has received 12 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Docket 1032 has passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1033?

Docket number 1033, Message in order authorizing the City of Boston to accept an expended amount of 178,000 dollars in a form of a grant, the Ray Fellowship Grant awarded by the Barr Foundation to be administered by the Environment Department.

The grant will fund a two-year paid fellowship that provides recent college graduates from historically underrepresented communities with the professional experience, mentorship, and leadership development needed to launch careers in the environmental sector.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor O'Reilly, the Chair of the Committee on Labor, Economic Development.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

The Ray Fellowship is an $178,000 grant intended to fund a two-year pay fellowship that provides recent college graduates from historically underrepresented communities with the professional experience, mentorship, and leadership development needed to launch careers in the environmental sector.

The climate analytics fellow will work with the environmental department to help shape and execute a research agenda to answer emerging questions and climate policy and implementation.

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

Thank you.

Council of Royal seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1033.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Thank you.

Docket 1033 has passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1034?

Docket number 1034, message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $100,000 in the form of a grant, sports and entertainment events fund grant awarded by the Mass Executive Office of Economic Development to be administered by the Office of Tourism.

The grant would fund the city's plan to activate neighborhoods through watch parties to reflect the diversity and spirit of our communities.

Each will feature a live match broadcast, family and youth-oriented programming and opportunities for local small businesses to participate as food vendors.

Watch parties are tentative pending matchup finalization.

All watch prices will be held on City of Boston property.

The city plans to host six watch parties supported by this grant.

Thank you.

Docket 1034 will be referred to the Committee on Arts, Culture Entertainment.

Oh, beg your pardon.

The Chair recognizes Consul Louis Jean.

The Chair of the Committee on Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Tourism, and Special Events.

Thank you, Madam President.

I move uh for suspension and passage of this grant.

This is a time when uh grant funding is so important for our city, and this uh is money, about free money that we're getting from the state to activate neighborhoods to watch parties.

Um that really is going to help make sure something that I care about deeply that all of our neighborhoods will be able to celebrate the World Cup as it comes here.

Um, there'll be uh each will feature a live match broadcast, there'll be a lot of programming and opportunities for our local small businesses to make sure that um they are also uh getting some of the economic uh revenue that is uh that is created as a result of the World Cup.

So I look forward to these watch parties in our neighborhood, and I look forward.

I know that our our neighborhoods and residents are looking forward to these as well for the number of games, the biggest one being Haiti versus Brazil, which will be um right, uh, which will be here, um, and over when Cape Verde plays it's gonna be a watch party likely in Dorchester.

So there's a lot for our neighborhoods and our people to be celebrating, and I'm excited that these grants get to go out the door to help make that happen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket uh number one zero three-four.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye, all opposed, say the vote.

Uh Mr.

Drake, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1034?

Council of Bray.

Yes, Councillor Braden, yes, Councilor Colletta's apartheid.

Councilor Culpepper.

Councilor Culpepper, yes, Counselor Durkin.

Counselor Durkin, yes, Council Fischeral.

Councilor Fischer, yes, Council Flynn, Council Flynn, yes, Council Lou Jen.

Yes, Councilor Lugien, yes, Council Mehia.

Council Mehia, yes, Councilor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, yes, Council of Penn, Council of Penn, yes, Councillor Santana, Council Santana, yes, Councillor Weber, Council Webber, yes, and Council Warrell.

Yes.

Council Rell, yes.

Docker number one zero three four has received 12 votes on the affirmative.

Thank you, Docket 1034 has passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1035?

Docker number 1035.

Message in order authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $24,095 in the form of a grant for fiscal year 24 Paul Coverdale Forensic Science Improvement awarded by the United States Department of Justice passed through the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory to be administered by the police department.

The grant will fund training and continuing education for forensic examiners, criminalists and laboratory personnel.

Thank you.

Docket 1035 will be referred to the committee on public safety and criminal justice.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1036?

Docket number 1036, Mr.

Genora, authorizing City of Boston to accept and expend an in-kind donation valued at 428 dollars and sixty-seven cents, representing the cost of tabling at the Boston Pride for the People Pride Festival to the Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA 2S Plus Advancement by Boston Pride for the People.

The purpose of this donation is to support the city's participation in the 2026 Boston Pride for the People celebration.

This table will enable the mayor's office of LGBTQIA 2S Plus Advancement to promote city programs and events, distribute resources and directly engage with residents during pride.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Councillor Flynn, you have the floor.

Oh, beg your pardon, that's right.

Did you Mr.

Council Flynn, did you wish to speak on this matter?

No, no.

Okay.

This will be referred to.

I sorry, I've got the wrong chair of the wrong committee here.

Beg your pardon.

Um the chair.

I'm I'm rather confused.

Uh it's um it says counselor Flynn, but he's not the chair of human services.

Neighborhood services, city services.

Yes.

If it was if it was going in there, I would I would move to suspend and pass just because it's a small amount of money, but it's it's it's it's actually it should be going to the chair um the human services.

Sorry for the confusion.

Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you.

And Councillor Flynn could have also spoken on it.

That would have been fine, but I will like to suspend and pass.

I hope my colleagues join me in voting in favor of it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Murphy seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket um docket one zero three six.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket uh 1036?

Councillor Brady.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Council Colorado Zapata.

Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Calpapa, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Durkin, yes, Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Fischer, yes, Council Flynn.

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes, Council Louis Jean.

Yes.

Council Luigi, yes, Council Mehia.

Councilor Mehia, yes, Councilor Murphy.

Yes.

Councilor Murphy, yes, Council Bapin.

Council of Penn, yes, Councillor Santana.

Councilor Santana, yes, Council Weber.

Yes.

Counselor Webber, yes, and Counselor.

Yes.

Councilor Warrell, yes.

Docket number one zero three six has received twelve votes in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Docket uh one zero three six has passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket's 1037 through 1041?

40.

104 uh 1040.

Docket number 1037, Message in order for the confirmation of the appointment of the Nick Kupta as an alternative member of the Boston Landmarks Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2026.

Docket number 1038, Message Nord for the confirmation of the appointment of Susan Goghinian as a member of the Boston Landmarks Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2026.

Docket number one zero three nine.

Message in order for the confirmation of the appointment of Susan Gulgenian as a member of the Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2026, and docket number one zero four zero.

Message an order for the confirmation of the appointment of Kathleen Connor as a member of the Back Bay Architectural District Commission for a term expiring December 31st, 2026.

Thank you.

Dockets 1037 through 1040 will be referred to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1041?

Docket number 1041 message transmitting certain information under section 17F relative to BPS student athlete school transfer policies.

Docket number 0698 passed by the city council on April 1st, 2026.

Thank you.

Dockets 104.

1041 will be placed on file.

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

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read dockets uh 1042 through 1052?

Docket number 1042 notice was received from the mayor of the appointment of Erica Chen as a member of the commemoration commission effective immediately.

Docket number 1043, notice to receive from the mayor, the appointment of Catherine Davis Wheeler is a member of the commemoration commission effective immediately.

Docket number one zero four four.

Notice was received from the mayor of the appointment of K Sulzman as a member of the commemoration commission effective immediately.

Docket number one zero four five.

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 of May 6, 2026.

Docket number 1046.

Communication received from the Boston Air Pollution Control Commission regarding the building emissions reduction in disclosure ordinance regulations and the statements of fiscal effect and small business impact report.

Docket number one zero four seven communication received from Timothy Smith, executive director of the Boston Retirement Board regarding a notice of a retirement board election for a vacant for vacant retirement board seats.

Docket number one zero four eight communication received from Councillor Murphy regarding selective blocking of late file matters and docket number 1049 communication received from counselors Miniad Calpepper and Brian Warell regarding their absence from the May 15, 2026 Blue Hill Avenue bus ride along.

Docket number 1050.

Communication received from Council Flynn regarding a recent violation of the Boston Housing Authority from the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board.

Docket number 1051.

Communication received from Council Webber regarding initial thoughts from the Chair on how to how the amendment process would work.

Docket number 1052.

Communication received from Mastod regarding temporary closures of Summer Street.

Thank you.

Dockets number 104 through 2 through 1052 will be placed on file.

We are now on to matters recently heard.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read dockets 0733 through 0747?

The Chair recognizes Counselor Weber, the Chair of Ways and Means.

I have to read it first.

I'll beg your pardon.

Mr.

Clerk, you do your your reading first, and we'll recognize the chair.

Dockets number 0733 through 0735.

Orders for the fiscal year 27 operating budget, including annual appropriations for departmental operations for the school department and other postemployment benefits, also known as OPEP.

Docket number 0736 through 0737.

Orders for capital fund transfer appropriations.

Docket number 0738 through 0740.

Orders for the capital budget, including loan orders and lease purchase agreements.

And docket number 0747.

Message and on approving an order authorizing a limit for the Boston Census for Youth and Families revolving Fund for fiscal year 27, 2027, to pay salaries of benefits of employees and to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to operate the city Hall child care.

This revolving fund shall be credited with any and all receipts from tuition paid by parents and guardians of children enrolled at the center.

Receipts and resumption expenditures from this fund shall not exceed $1,100,000.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes Consider Weber and the Chair of Ways and Means.

You have the floor.

Okay, thank you very much, Madam President.

Last week the Committee on Ways and Means held two hearings, one with Age Strong, Boston Vets, and the Office of Returning Citizens, all under the Human Services Cabinet, and another hearing with the Elections Department.

This week we also held hearings with the leadership from the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and Boston Public Libraries.

We heard about more painful cuts to a lot of services that we hold dear and calls for restoration for those cuts.

The good news is that the city council has a tool to deliver for Boston residents.

In terms of tools in 2021, the Boston voters gave the City Council the power to amend the budget.

Gone were the days when the City Council went through the charade of rejecting the budget only to accept whatever the mayor refiled.

Instead, Boston residents handed us a tool to do the work and deliver a budget that better reflects the needs of our constituents.

Now we and uh are talking about just rejecting the budget again.

Why?

Because we want the mayor to make our jobs easier for us.

The argument is that rejecting the budget would give the mayor an opportunity to less conservatively budget revenue, pull from reserves, or move money around to restore vital programs like youth jobs.

She would have seven days to do this, which keeps us on a timeline to amend the budget.

However, mayor's made it clear that she will just resubmit the same budget or a smaller one because state aid is less than expected.

Why would she resubmit the same budget?

Because unlike under Menino or Flynn or White, the mayor doesn't need our support.

It is our job, if we have a problem with the budget to amend it and override her vetoes if we have nine votes.

So a rejection now would be a gesture, just one with potentially serious consequences, and the hard work will still remain for us to do one week from now.

But let's say the mayor does decide to increase the size of the budget by either increasing revenue, dipping into reserves, or dipping into funds like the parking meter fund.

I deeply respect the advocates who have helped come up with these ideas, and I share the same goal.

Restore as much of the grant funding as possible.

But I don't want that to come at the expense of our financial future.

I hear you and really do understand the argument that investing in things like youth jobs and access to council are cost savings in the long run.

However, unfortunately, we can't just add money to the budget without putting our city in a potentially worse financial situation.

Dipping into reserves to pay for recurring programs or artificially inflating revenue projections would possibly erode our triple A bond rating, something the city has spent years building toward.

For example, Moody's looks for an unassigned fund balance of 30% or more of the total operating budget.

If we approve the $70 million supplemental appropriation for the FY26 budget that's before us right now, our fund balance would be $530 million.

That's 24%.

Inflating revenue and spending reserves for recurring programs are exactly why New York City and San Francisco had their economic outlooks downgraded by the rating agencies.

Moreover, additional funds would not go toward our priorities, but would more likely go to items we know have been under budgeted, like police overtime.

So even if the budget was artificially inflated, we would likely have to amend the budget to move these funds to pay for our priorities like youth jobs anyway.

And we will be calling for less conservative revenue projections in the same meeting that the mayor has filed, two supplemental appropriation orders to withdraw $70 million from reserves to cover the FY26 deficit.

Do you know why we have a deficit?

Because our projections of our revenue and of our expenses for FY26 were off by $70 million dollars.

And unlike, but you know, but unlike most cities and towns, the reason why a $70 million dollar deficit isn't a cause for mass hysteria in Boston is because we have spent years budgeting conservatively, allowing the city to handle shocks like terrible winters and rising health care costs without needing mass layoffs or tax override.

The budget is $4.9 billion.

Our residents on fixed incomes are already struggling with rising property tax bills.

They're struggling to fill up their gas tanks and to keep food on the table.

This body's response should not be just inflate the budget so we do not have to do our jobs to review the budget and make the hard choices to meet the moment.

From where I stand, the options in front of us are one do the jobs we are elected to do by reviewing and amending the budget, or two, abdicate our duties and requests that the mayor either do our jobs for us, or worse, engage in conduct that will hurt our bond rating, lower our reserves, increase the likelihood of an operating deficit of the fiscal of fiscal year 2027, and just kick the can down the road on hard choices, and maybe mortgage the future of the kids we are supposedly trying to help for our own short-term political gain.

I think we should go with option one.

Either way, I hope we can preserve our ability to amend the budget to ensure that youth jobs, housing vouchers, the equity cabinet, small business grants, and access to council are restored to the budget.

This morning, we talked about conversations the chair of the ways and means uh committee has had with the mayor.

This amendment process is a negotiation with the mayor, and every ways and means chair is in conversation with the mayor and her office during the budget process.

Uh, you can ask our prior chairs of the Ways and Means Committee.

For me, this is about what we can agree to as a body.

The budget is in our hands.

We shouldn't give up control of it.

The difficult part of the amendment process is reaching consensus on where we were willing to take the money from to fund amendments.

Regardless of a rejection, I do want to reiterate the budget ends with us.

We make the decision, and it's our job to do the hard work.

Regardless of which road we take, we are still going to have to sit down as a group and figure out whether we are serious about finding a way to restore these cuts in a way that puts the city on sound financial footing for the long run.

Uh, for those reasons, I recommend that these matters stay in committee.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Consumer Morale.

Congressman, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

And for me, this is about whether this council will use all the tools that we have before us to fight for what we've heard over the course of a month and a half.

When the mayor filed this budget, it came before the benefit of the public process that the chair ways and means ran, more than a month of hearing testimony, and a whole lot of resident feedback.

It came before this council had the full record of what these cuts would mean.

Now we have that record.

The amendment power was created to give this council more power.

Not to limit not to limit us to one form of power.

Before the Charter Amendment, rejecting the budget was one of this body's tools.

The amendment process added power, it did not replace it.

Residents have been cleared they do not want fewer youth jobs, less housing support, or cuts to food justice, arts and culture, veteran services, a strong, or the complete defunding of human rights.

And while services are being cut, homeowners are still facing double-digit property tax increases.

People are being asked to pay more and get less.

And that is a hard message to defend.

I understand that this is a difficult fiscal year, but a difficult fiscal year cannot mean the public speaks for a month and nothing changes.

The administration has tools that this council simply does not have.

They can and should increase revenue estimates to better reflect reality.

We have underestimated revenue and average of more than 200 million dollars per year for the past four years.

Last year, the forecast revenue that was inside of the budget book for FY27 was 5.02 billion dollars.

We are usually conservative on our estimates, and this year we are ultra-conservative, and we cannot address that revenue projection.

This body cannot, only the mayor can.

But we have a tool, is our vote.

Rejecting this budget today does not end collaboration.

It gives the mayor the opportunity, now that we have heard from the public, now that we have heard from counselors to come back with a budget that better respects all of our stakeholders.

If the mayor chooses not to restore these priorities, we still have the amendment process, and by the timeline and schedule that the chair laid out, we will still be on time.

But this vote gives us leverage before we get there.

The public came here asking us to use our power.

Today using our power means sending this budget back and asking for a stronger one that reflects the testimonies, the emails, the conversations we have that have been done through this budget process.

So I like to ask for the suspension of rule 24 to call for a vote to reject the budget.

Thank you.

So counselor uh you're asking to suspend rule 24 um and uh we have a second council mehia.

Um could you please take a roll call vote on counselor or else motion to uh suspend the rules and uh uh pass uh, just suspend the rules?

Suspend for rule twenty-four and uh override the uh the chair uh so we have in order to pursue on rule twenty-four.

We cannot vote on a matter without 60 within 60 days without the chair's consent.

So council Warrell is asking to suspend Rule 24 and overrule the chair's consent.

So but uh Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on the motion to suspend Rule 24?

R5, we're taking we're we're we're we're taking a vote on the motion to suspend Rule 24.

And we'll see how that goes and then we'll um in order to um in order to reject um the overall in order to order to over to rule the consent of the chair, we have to have a vote of two-thirds majority.

Council Mejia, thank you, Madam President.

Before we dive into the little voting situation here, is that I feel like oftentimes we don't really get an opportunity to talk openly and transparently.

So if we're going to, because most likely this vote is gonna die because you know nobody's gonna want to have a real conversation.

So, because of that, at what point will this body start demonstrating our ability to actually speak?

First things first, we have to we have to uh overrule rule 24.

No, no, then no, the only thing we're talking about now is rule twenty-four.

No.

Then we have the vote on the on the on the matter.

We're here protecting.

No, this is the call for a recess and ask.

No, Mr.

Clark, Mr.

Excuse me.

Please, no, we're not having a recess.

So we've got the one us to clarify the power central staff so that we know we're saying, the chair of the ways and means committee has recommended that these dockets stay and remain in committee.

Councillor Warrell has stuck has proposed that we suspend Rule 24 and that we bring the uh docket number um 0733 up for a vote.

And we haven't got there yet.

The procedure is we have the procedure is we have to over we have to suspend rule 24.

Okay, so I can speak.

So it's it's my ruling is that the chair is it's it as it's my Michelle said that we can speak.

We can on rule 24.

Yeah, we can.

We we reserve the right to speak.

Hold on a second.

It is my ruling as chair that the motion to suspend Rule 24 is proper.

Right.

We can do it.

Rule 24 applies to committee reports, green sheets, and votes within 60 days without the consent of the chair, including from matters recently heard.

Right.

Rule 46 allows for all rules beyond the listed exceptions within that rule to be suspended with a two-thirds vote, including Rule 24.

Right.

So uh so the so let me go back.

I'm gonna need my official translator here to help me out.

What I am trying to understand, Council President, is at what point are we allowed to debate why we are supporting the suspension when we when that matter actually comes up?

No, but but the next no, but we can do it now so that we are so that everybody that's watching understands why we're taking the vote that we're taking as it relates to this particular motion that is up for consideration right now.

It will come up.

No, come on, Michelle, tell her, I'm done with one.

That's right, we reserve the right to speak.

Okay.

Thank you.

The motion that we're discussing right now is rule 24.

That's right, and I'm here to speak on that.

And that's the and that's the focus of the conversation.

That's it.

So we can debate that and then go on to there to a vote on the rule 24.

So, Councilor Mahe, you have the floor.

See, this is why I think it's really important for everybody who's paying attention to understand how procedural tactics prevent people from being fully expressed.

And so, as it relates to this particular discussion, because what my the chair um has talked about the the dangers of us uh of doing anything aside from the amendment process, and I want to be clear that in 2021, when then Mayor Wu was a city councillor.

She says, quote, and unquote, the administration chooses to run out the clock with impeding fears of layoffs and cuts, and our role first is to tell the truth, just because some might think it is unlikely or hard to come to a better agreement than moving a provisional budget temporarily does not mean it's acceptable for us to hide that option under a veil of fear mongering, with administration officials falsely suggesting to city workers that they will be laid off immediately starting July 1st.

While the timing of the vote and the situation she's referring to in this quote is different from today, the overarching themes are still the same.

In late June 2020.

Then Councillor Wu pointed out that the council should not be afraid to vote down the operating budget just because the narrative being spun by the administration and the fear mongering in that narrative.

I say that to say that the vote that we're about to take gives us the power that we fought for, and that is to have a voice in the budget making process.

And so, therefore, the motion to allow us to reject the budget today allows us to do our job without fear mongering.

And therefore, for me, right?

I want to stand up in support of Council Rourell's motion, and I think we should let democracy play out.

We only need nine votes for us to be able to do the people's work in this chamber, and therefore, this is why I'm rising up to speak freely and making sure that we do our jobs and people pay attention to how narratives get hijacked.

Thank you, Councilman Mejia.

Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Um, thank you, Madam President.

I do want to rise to say I support this going forward, and I also reject the notion from the chair that this is the easy way out, or that in any way this is not wanting to do our work, our job.

I see that as the complete opposite.

The purpose of the budget hearings, we've gone through more than half of them, is to hear from the departments directly.

We've heard also from the community and those who have been impacted from the cuts and already are worried about what's going to happen to their neighbors themselves, their community, and their family.

So I believe this body needs to use the power that we do have.

The amendment process did not take away power, it's just an extra added level, and we can always we have time.

We're not a vote today is not going to say we may not come back.

But do we want to support our seniors?

Do we want youth jobs?

Do we want our firefighters our first responders to have the tools that they need, or do we want to have to pull from other departments?

Because the only thing we'll be able to do if we only use our amendment power is take from other departments, and we already know because we've heard from most of them already, they've already been asked to take cuts.

So I want to make sure the public understands that if we only use the amendment process, it means we're going to have to ask for certain departments.

And as of today, I'm still not confident that the chair isn't gonna allow us to choose which departments it comes from.

So I believe that we should take that vote, ask the mayor to do what we know she can do, give us a better budget that we can actually work with, and then we will work on amendments.

So I am standing in support of that vote.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Durkin.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much.

Um, if I'm believing my ears, right now there are folks advocating for fiscal responsibility, and I they're also advocating, in my opinion, for us to not really harness the power of the 21 2021 charter amendment.

Boston voters unanimo- I mean, we're approved question one, amending the city's charter and granting the city council the authority to amend the mayor's proposed annual budget.

What I'm hearing today is that people don't want to make hard decisions, and it's the historic expansion of this body's powers should be fully utilized.

Um, I'm also hearing there is some disrespect for the chair.

I want to thank the chair for all of his work.

It is not easy work.

We know we I've this is my third budget, and this is not easy work.

I will obviously be voting no uh today, and I think um it's really important that we stick together, that we have um we had a working session this morning.

I I think it's hard for us to get into a productive space when these are the narratives that are being thrown.

Um, and I think it's really important.

I think that Boston residents are asking us to lead with fiscal responsibility, they're asking us to make decisions.

I I can see places for cuts, and I can see places for restoration.

Um, I'm just asking my colleagues to come to the table with that in mind, and I want to thank um Chair Weber.

I'll be voting no to suspend Rule 24.

Um, thank you.

The Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

During these challenging times in our city, in our country, we must demonstrate fiscal discipline, fiscal responsibility, accountability, and transparency.

Additionally, I believe that we can't balance the budget on the back of veterans, military families cutting services for veterans of military families, cutting health and wellness programs for firefighters, or cuts to our seniors.

People often say a budget is about your values, it's a reflection of your values, and I don't disagree with them, but I but then I say, let me see the budget, and then I'll tell you what your values are.

But I have to go on record and continue to advocate for veterans and military families against cuts in services for our veterans against cuts for health and wellness cancer screening for firefighters and seniors and other programs that support persons with disabilities as well.

Yes, we're here in a very difficult situation.

Every city councilor has to make up their own mind on what they think is best for the residents of Boston.

But the bottom line for me is I'm going to continue to do everything I can in this city to ensure that people that help build the city, whether it's our first responders, our veterans, our seniors, working class residents, that they are treated with respect.

And I think that's important, that's an important part of government is listening to residents, hearing them, and trying to make your vote based on what you hear in the community.

What you hear at I was in Roxbury over the weekend at a veterans event, Gordine Park, listen to residents.

The other night I was at West Roxbury at an event listening to residents in the South End all weekend five events.

It's in Boston Common last night at a walkthrough.

Residents want basic city services.

They want neighborhood services.

They want us to address quality of life issues.

They want us to deal with the bread and butter issues of city government, fixing potholes, supporting our students, fighting for veterans, fighting for those without a voice in government.

I'm going to base my vote on what I have heard directly from the residents of Boston.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'll reiterate what I said earlier at the working session this morning.

Um City of Boston is on shaky fiscal ground.

And the projections that we see, not just this path this current year or upcoming fiscal year, but even in fiscal years ahead of us, show even less and less uh growth and less and less revenue.

Uh, only making the decisions we're talking about today, whether we amend and what do we pull from even harder and harder in the future.

Um reason I will support taking this vote to the floor is because it is our duty to apply pressure to the administration when we see that the city of Boston is trending in the wrong direction on a lot of statistical data, and so um I think it's important for us to understand that it's our job to see that, and we have a moment right now before things actually turn to get really bad because otherwise, all we're left with, guys, is that next year we'll have 50 million dollars less than what we're fighting over today, and the year after that, it could be 50 million less.

And so we're gonna have these arguments about amendments about what to pull from what.

When every single department is going to be feeling the strain of these overall less revenue going on.

I don't see a plan to change what has got us to this point, and that's what concerns me.

Whether it's uh how to create new growth and development policies, whether it's to cut from bloated middle management or overlapping departments that were created or filled in more.

I think there's efficiencies that could be had in the private sector.

When revenue is down, you right size the company.

And I think that's what has to happen.

And that will that if that falls on us, that's our job.

But our duty is to look out for the city that I love and grew up in and to make sure we continue to be fiscally responsible in the future.

And I think right now, where the way it's trending, we're not doing that, and it is our job to apply pressure to hopefully make some changes where we can change that, where we will have growth and we will have money, and the arguments we can have is how much money do we want to give to each department, not how much money do we have to take from each department.

So with that, I welcome the vote on the floor, and uh, and I hope to work with the administration to find better places to cut than the budget we were handed, because I think the budget we were handed uh is not the best work and where to cut from, as we should see.

Thank you.

Thank you, Consortifitzgerald.

The chair recognizes Council Pepe Pen.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

And I hate to reiterate everything that has been said on the floor already by all my colleagues, and it's that we are in a very tough financial situation.

We are gonna have to become very fiscally conservative moving forward, not only because of what's happening in the city but across the country.

We've already known the priorities of the federal government, we already see that our residents have had their tax increase, and our spending and our cost of materials and everything across the city, including health care, is only increasing.

And we also have to notice that in this very same meeting, earlier today, the mayor's budget proposal that we have to request to spend almost 70 million dollars out of reserves for snow management and BPS health care costs.

Two things that can possibly come again in years to come.

Today, I don't think we should vote to reject this budget because that is not a proper solution.

The solution for us to find ways that we can restore youth jobs, restore the MOAC grants, restore if it's housing vouchers.

It is truly through the amendment process, and that is something that we haven't even started.

I want to be able to work with my colleagues to say where do we want to pull our money from?

Where do we want to make sure that we are reallocating budget because our people they're hurting?

We're all hearing it from all of our districts.

And if we reject the budget, if we reject what's right now from the mayor, what's gonna happen is send it back to the mayor.

She can literally respond in an hour and says here's the same exact budget, do something with it.

She doesn't have, she only has seven days.

So for us to say, we're just not gonna start amending the process now, that looks irresponsible on our behalf.

We need to start truly doing our jobs.

I call on Chair Weber to and Central Stappen all of our offices to work together to come up with an amendment package so that we can have an actual tangible solution without kicking the can down the road and saying we're gonna apply pressure when we have already literally gotten a response from the marriage administration saying that she's not gonna change this budget.

So I call on all of our colleagues and our offices to work together because that is what our residents deserve.

We are in a very tough situation, and if we truly want to restore youth jobs, if we truly care about housing vouchers, we need to stop the finger pointing.

We need to stop saying, oh, you gotta figure it out.

No, we need to figure it out.

We need to start working on amendments, we need to start making some tough decisions because tough decisions have to be made this year.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Pepin.

Chair recognizes Council Culpepper.

Consul, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

Madam Chair, amending Rule 24 to reject this budget is not about rejecting government.

It's about demanding a budget that does not force us to choose between vulnerable groups, neighborhoods, or central services.

It is about saying clearly that the public spoke.

We heard from them, and we are willing to act accordingly.

This does not take away our power to amend the budget.

We cannot be afraid in this moment.

We cannot accept a budget that undermines the livelihoods of our most vulnerable residents.

Over the course of these budget hearings, we have heard directly from residents, advocates, service providers, workers, family, seniors, youth, small businesses, and community organizations across the city.

People took time out of their lives to come to City Hall because they believe their voices mattered and because they believe that this body would listen.

What we heard consistently is that this budget is forcing impossible choices between vulnerable communities and essential services.

We're being asked to cut senior programming while older adults are living longer and facing rising costs.

We're being asked to accept reduction in immigrant services, women's advancement, youth programming, violence prevention, and equity initiatives at the same time that residents are telling us they demand those services need to be increased, not decreased.

This is not a position this council should be comfortable accepting.

Our responsibility is not simply to move a budget forward, because it arrived before us.

Our responsibility is to evaluate whether this budget reflects the needs and priorities of the people that we represent, and I represent the people of District 7.

And when residents repeatedly come before us to say they are worried about losing child care, senior services, community grants, housing assistance, youth opportunities, public health resources.

We have an obligation to take those concerns seriously.

If we do not, then what message are we sending to the public?

Are we telling residents that participating in government changes nothing?

That showing up to hearings, testifying, organizing, and speaking out has no impact on the decision made in this chamber.

And one final point, Madam President, that bothers me, and Councillor Peppin references reference at 70 million dollars.

I just want to read this to you.

The expenses related to this appropriation are considered extraordinarily one time in nature as non-recurring costs of the city.

And this is what bothers me.

Are we saying that snowstorms are one time in nature, non-recurring costs?

Certainly not.

We know it's gonna snow next year.

How can we say that non-recurring costs one time in nature, knowing that next year it's gonna snow?

The chair recognizes Councillor Santana.

Councillor Santana, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I first want to just start off by thanking our uh Chairways and Means Councillor Weber for the process that he's been running.

I know this is um not an easy position.

Um I will not be supporting um uh this motion simple because I think all of us have heard from community.

I think everyone has had how much we've heard from community, we've heard the testimony.

I know I've been very vocal about our youth jobs and year-round jobs for our youth and how I cannot support a budget that defunds um 5.9 million dollars from youth jobs.

Um with that being said, I think we have a job to do.

Um, I think there are many counselors here who weren't here back when this amendment power was given to the council who fought for this who fought for this responsibility.

And I think it is our job right now to listen to the residents, people, as Councillor Cole Pepper mentioned, who took the time to come to City Hall to meet us in our neighborhoods, um, and we should use our amendment powers.

Um, and I know I've been working closely with the chair to make sure that youth jobs and near-round jobs are gonna be of a part of a package that we we um that we put together.

So I encourage um my colleagues um to not vote in support of this.

Um, I think an amending of package or amending a budget is a form of rejection.

Um, we're saying that this budget as is doesn't uh meet the needs of our city.

Um, and I am also in support, as I said, youth jobs, the grant funding, um housing, those are all things that if we get nine of us together, we can put a package together that we can send back to the mayor that reflects um the values of our city.

So I know that's what I've been elected to do.

I know that's what I'm hearing from my residents.

I'm hearing from the youth that they want to see amend, they want to see um some of these um cuts restored, and I think it's on us, especially if we get nine of our colleagues to work together to put a package together that we can send back to the mayor.

I think there are political games being played here, and I'm tired of it.

I think we are all politicians, I get it, we get it, but rejecting the budget does not make money money money just appear, right?

We have a job to do.

I know I work with all of y'all very closely.

I know how much we all care about our residents.

I know how much we care about our families and our youth, and I really wish that we can put the political games aside and really work together and have nine people who can work with the chair to put a men in the package together that we can send back to the mayor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Consular Santana.

The chair recognizes Consul Mejia.

Yes, thank you, Madam President.

Um, and I just want to know that for the record, you know, the globe had an opinion piece from community stating and asking us to actually reject Mayor Wu's budget.

Therefore, if we are doing our jobs of listening to the people that put us in these chairs, then what we are ultimately doing is listening to the people that we serve and doing just that.

And I want to be really clear about our job, because there's been a lot of rhetoric about us kicking it down the can.

But what we're trying to do is demonstrate that we have political courage and will to actually do our jobs without fear of retaliation, and making sure that the narrative does not get hijacked because for those folks who are paying attention, we're not losing our ability to amend the budget.

What we're doing is strengthening the integrity of this body by demonstrating that we can reject the mayor's budget, continue the amendment process, and fight to restore those jobs because what we're not going to do is continue to subsidize youth jobs with private partnerships and think that we got to pass on that.

Just be I just want everyone to start really paying attention to how business is being done because that's how they get you.

So I think people need to start being really honest about the politics that are being played and the tactics that people are using to spin the truth.

Thank you, Councilman.

Counselor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Um I just want to end this false narrative that we're not doing our job.

If we take a vote today, we are all ready and know that we don't have a meeting next week.

We wouldn't be voting on this until June anyway, and there's plenty of time.

And I, I can only speak for myself, but what I heard from my colleagues earlier is all of us are ready to roll up our sleeves, put forth amendments, which are due at the end of today, and continue to work for those things.

But how do we find 5.9 million dollars to restore youth jobs?

Where are we gonna take that from?

Police, where are we gonna take it from when we want to fully fund veterans?

If we don't ask for the mayor to say, give us a budget we can work with, where it seems like we're more concerned about a high credit rating than we are about serving the people of Austin.

So I think it is just a false narrative to say that we are not doing our job.

We are.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy.

The chair recognizes Counselor Moran.

Uh thank you, madam president.

And ten of my colleagues have got up and spoke, and not one of them said this was a good budget.

So what do we lose if we reject it?

We still we still have no crosstalk, please.

We still have the amendment process where the working sessions start on May 28th.

That's when the working sessions for the amendment start.

So we don't lose anything by rejecting this budget.

The other thing, we don't know what we gain.

The other thing is if we can't reject the budget that we all do not think is a good budget, how do we get to nine votes to override the mayor?

No.

We can't get to seven on a budget that we do not agree with.

No one, no one has got up and said this is a good budget, but we can't get to nine to reject what everyone has said.

Every 10 count, all 10 counselors said this was not a good budget, and we cannot get to nine to vote down what we all consider not a good budget.

How do we get to nine for overriding?

Um, when it comes to cuts, we see a lot of cuts, whether it's our food justice ecosystem not only experiencing cuts now on the city, but also we've seen places actually close in our neighborhood because of federal cuts.

So I just want to like, we we need to put ourselves in the best position.

And I don't know what the mayor will do, but there's an opportunity to all of us working together to make this budget better.

And the only way that the mayor can help out in that process is if we send it back, and we lose, we do not lose anything.

Thank you, Councillor Well.

The chair recognizes Council Weber, Councilman, you have the floor.

Um, Council Region, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I've started every uh hearing that I've attended, how disappointed I am on the cuts, especially the cuts that we've seen for our grants.

I want full restoration of the cuts that we've seen, and I want to work with the chair and with this body to make that happen.

Disappointment after disappointment for youth jobs, for arts, for Moya, and we do have the ability to amend the budget.

What is hard, and I don't think is being lost in conversation here, is that in order for us to amend the budget, the power that the people gave us in 2021, the power that the people overwhelmingly gave us was amend the budget.

But in order to amend the budget, you also have to make sure you provide a balanced budget and cut from somewhere.

That is hard work.

The reason why it is hard to either get to seven or to get to nine, is because you will see, and I'm, you know, hopefully everyone stays along for the process because what happens is it is hard to get consensus on where to pull the money from.

And I have always been a team player in the process of saying, all right, these are hard decisions, but if this is something you want, if we can rally the seven votes, we can rally the nine votes to make this happen so that such that we don't have to care what the mayor that there's a world in which we don't have to care what the mayor thinks or what she does, because we have nine votes to override her veto.

And the reason why, and but this is the tool that the people gave us.

The tool that the people gave us was yes, amend the budget.

Here's your power on the budget, but there has to be a cut from somewhere, and so I you know, before I knew that this budget would be this, had this many cuts to our our communities to our neighborhoods.

I was working in partnership with philanthropy before I knew that there would even be these cuts to support our communities, our immigrant communities, especially in the devastation that you've seen with ICE that all of us have seen, and I think that is also an avenue.

Government is important.

It's because we need to do everything to do the work together and find the ways that we are working collectively together, but it's not through government alone, and I believe that this is the time for us to think about how we as collectively as a city solve hard problems.

My first hearing on this body was about the city's authority to lean into its triple A bond rating to do the work of borrowing more money to get the schools that our kids deserve.

And I'm never going to stop working on that.

I do think that there are ways for us to use the fiscal strength in our city to help our most vulnerable residents.

And there have been there, there are mechanisms of doing that without jeopardizing the strength of our city.

I think that there are other cities that do dip into reserves in this way, and then you see them take a hit, and it makes it much more expensive for them to do business.

We have this mechanism.

I believe the chair, you know, he stated it.

He's found more money than I thought we would be able to find to restore, maybe to restore these cuts.

And so what the hard work is going to be in the amendment process is whether seven or nine of us can do the hard work that the people of Boston gave us to do to amend this budget.

And I am eager to have those conversations.

I want us to have those conversations because that is where the hard work is and where the trade-offs are, and is the hard work that we have to do as a body.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Um I'm going to go to Counselor Weber.

You're in the next light on Council Web, um Council Webber, you have the floor.

Sure, okay.

Thank you.

Again, I really I mean, I feel like we're all here just trying to figure out how to make a better budget, and there's different ways to do it.

Um, in terms of uh just voting to reject now, like I you know, I can't say for I can't speak for other people.

I tell people what what I can gain from this.

What I gain by standing against rejection of the budget is that I can tell my constituents that I'm standing up for fiscally responsible positions that I can stand by.

I'm not calling on the mayor to do something I would not want her to do, and then I am taking this job that I and the duties we've been handed seriously, and I'm not using the budget as a tool to increase my popularity, okay?

So we all have tough choices to make.

You make a cut from somewhere, people aren't gonna be approval of that.

But if you can use that cut and fund youth jobs, I really hope nine of us can come together and do make the sacrifices.

We have the chance to make that sacrifice, figure out how to do that and fund the things that we all care about.

So, you know, it's uh I I think when we we have to explain what we're doing, I wouldn't want the if the mayor on her own was trying to increase revenues artificially and spend on the reserves.

I I hope we would do everything we could to stop her from doing that.

Uh I just asking her to do that, you know, is not what I want to see in our city.

I want we have 4.9 billion dollars.

Let's use it to provide the benefits our residents are asking for.

Thank you.

Um Chair recognizes Counselor Durkin, and then we'll go to Consular Fitzgerald.

I just wanted to see if we had consensus to move to a vote.

Do we have a second?

No, uh, let's continue.

Consular Fitzgerald.

Thank you.

Uh I just wanted to clarify there's a difference.

Uh, I want to do the amendment work, right?

I I want to roll the sleeves up, I want to get into the amendments.

However, I'm taking a long-term view here and saying that if we don't put the pressure to change the underlying things, we will continue to deal with this.

The amendment process is only going to get harder in years to come because every department's going to be on life support and pulling from one might actually kill it.

And and that's what this body is tasked to do.

We have to pull from one to give back to another.

And so I I just want to clarify that I also think it's not fiscally responsible to Chair Weber, and he's doing a great job.

It's not fiscally responsible to start off a fiscal year saying we're gonna pull from reserves.

I understand at the end of a fiscal year, do we have to pull from reserves for unforeseen things?

Sure.

But to start off and say, so the rejection is not to say, hey, raise revenue or pull from reserves, essentially.

It's really to say fix the policies that got us into this place so we're not continuing to fall further down because otherwise, you know, we're shuffling the deck chairs, and I I just uh I don't want to be continuing going on the ship if that's all to do.

These amendments actually this year and every year, subsequent year after, are actually going to be very minor compared to the overall damage done.

So uh just want to throw out that clarification.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Counselor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank thank you.

And long before this debate started, I have consistently worked and advocated for fiscal discipline, fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability.

I informed the administration four years ago of the tough economic situation Boston is currently face is currently facing.

That was four years ago.

I kept I kept that lobbying effort.

I continue that because I know how important Boston's economy is to the residents of Boston.

We have to, as Councillor Fitcherell mentioned, we have to make some difficult decisions in policy so we can get Boston back on strong financial ground again.

But let me highlight one issue as it relates to the amendment process.

And yes, we'll all participate in the amendment process.

But when we pass the amendment at the city council, it goes to the mayor.

It doesn't necessarily mean the mayor is going to include that.

We've had a debate now several years of the amendments that were passed, do they actually get funded in particular departments?

We still don't have an answer to that.

People know I called for amendment money that went into the crime lab.

Other people called for other amendments, but we don't have a specific answer.

Did the amendment money actually go into this the budget or was it ignored?

I do believe the mayor has the ability to ignore our request, even if we voted on it, to put uh to put money in a certain department.

Um madam chair, I would like to respectfully ask Council Webber does when we pass the amendments here, but with all due respect, we're I've I've given a lot of we're really doing having a very wide conversation.

I don't want to get into a question, and really the matter in front of us now is whether we vote to go to you know, nope, suspend rule 24.

I'd like to out of respect for it.

I want everybody to have their say, and then we'll we'll move to a vote.

Thank you.

No, I was I respect the process.

Um, but my my point is I'm uncertain if we pass the amendment here at the city council.

Does the mayor is is the mayor guaranteed to put it in a si in the particular city department.

I think the answer is no, she has the right to ignore it or place it in there.

That's another factor.

I just wanted to add that factor in there for our colleagues to consider.

But the bottom line, people will vote here, they'll vote yes or they'll vote no.

I think you're making your vote based on what you think is best for the residents.

I do think, regardless of how you vote, I think colleagues should not be criticizing and calling out others for saying you're playing politics or you're or you or you're doing this for for the media.

Let people vote yes or vote no based on what they think is best for the city, but we don't have to question people's reasoning.

Everyone has their own reason.

You don't know what their reasons, reasons are.

So I would like to respectfully ask my colleagues not to cast doubt on someone that might disagree with you based because you think it's based on politics.

That's probably inaccurate.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Um counselor Mahia and then Councillor Cold Pepper.

Yeah, thank you.

Yeah, you know, in the whole popularity situation, I used to work at MTV, so I've been popular.

Anyways, um, so you know, I I, and this will be the last thing that I say, and y'all should be happy about that.

Um, is that, and I'm I'm so glad I'm hoping that people are really paying attention to all the things that people are saying but not really saying, because at the end of the day, the bottom line is is that this is our job.

Our job is to demonstrate political power, political will, and courage when it comes time to take difficult votes.

No one is kicking the can down the road.

What we are doing is affirming the integrity of this body by demonstrating that we can actually push back.

Period.

We need to reject the budget in order to receive a resubmitted budget that is an appropriate starting place for our amendment process.

It is unreasonable to expect that we can fix all the harms caused by the proposed budget through amendments, especially when there are approximately 20 million in cuts, and Chair Weber's uh memo states that he expects to realistically find, maybe if we're lucky, 11 million in funding that uh that the council can build consensus to pull from, and we also know that there's been some conversations that have been had with the mayor about what she might feel comfortable with that we still have yet to uh learn about because that information was a private conversation, but anyways, that is not enough for us to restore the cuts and look for additional amendments the council could make.

And we cannot fix a budget that is broken at its core through band-aid amendments.

We're calling the administration to more accurately project revenue and restore approximately 20 million in cuts that will deeply impact communities in a resubmitted operating budget.

And I really do call on my colleagues to reject this budget in order for that to be able to happen.

And that is not kicking the can down the line, that is us doing our jobs, and that is to be the checks and balances to the administration, and while people may hide under other guises, the fact of the matter is the reason why this vote, some folks don't want to take it is because they don't want to get called out for it.

Um, Cole Pepper, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Thanks for drawing my attention.

Thank you, madam chair.

As one who is experienced or first budget discussion, listening to what's been said over time, one of the major concerns that I have is what are we doing with this budget that has to do with the future fiscal health of the city?

What are we doing with this budget?

We've heard discussion around revenue.

All I heard is amendment, amendment, amendment.

How are we amending this budget to deal with the future fiscal health of the city?

From a real perspective.

And so when I look at the discussion, hear the discussion, look at what we're dealing with.

When we pick and choose the issues and the communities that get this investment that get their amendment, then we all lose.

We choose children over seniors, housing over black boys and black men's.

When we look at these amendments, someone's gonna lose, and we still haven't looked at the future fiscal health of the city.

And I think, madam chairman, to all of my colleagues, hopefully, we can come together and look at fiscal policies that will deal with the future and look at revenues that will deal with the future and come together and look at this budget, one that will represent a brighter and healthier future.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Consular Morale.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um the tool that we received through our charter amendment, never took any of our other powers away.

They gave us amendment power, they did not take away the power for us to reject.

Also, when we are pulling from line items or departments that we are mandated by law to pay, whether it's public safety overtime or execution of courts, we are technically raising revenue.

So if we pull $4 million dollars and we have to pay legal settlements, we are raising, we have to find another way to get that money to pay those legal settlements.

On top of that, this process this year has turned into us just plugging the holes for all the work that this body has done for the last four years.

And I can't imagine that that was the intent or the powers that the legislature the council at the time thought that we would be just plugging back the holes of the cuts that are being proposed after four years of hard work of this body to get more funding into youth jobs to get more money into city vouchers to get more money into our food justice system.

We are supposed to be building on the work.

So just want to reiterate.

One, we do not get our powers taken away because we've received new powers.

Two, when you're cutting from a line item where we are mandatory or by law have to spend, we are then raising that revenue, and this process just can't be about us plugging holes.

Thank you, Councillor Warrell.

Uh Council Weber, and then uh would like to move to a vote of uh.

Yeah, no, thank you.

And I mean I just in terms of I think Council Wells highlighted an issue in terms of execution courts, police overtime.

If we increase the revenue that on the revenue side, that's where the money's gonna go, and we'll have to amend the budget to fund things like youth jobs and what we care about.

I'd also, you know, it just we've talked about this.

I think uh you know what we're hearing, we've been told by the mayor, we reject, we get the same budget.

Well, and and I think for the fiscal reasons, I don't want to see a larger budget, so you know rejecting it is to me is is would just be for show.

And while that may feel good, I don't think that's not uh why I'm here, and I want us to work together to find that money and uh support those programs, and I you know look forward to working with everyone uh after this vote.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You just referred to me, so I just want to he said my name, so I just want to say council warrell.

Um counselor Warrell seeks suspension of rule.

No, no, no.

He I'm saying because he referred to me, I just want to speak.

Oh, beg your pardon, I didn't see your light on.

Uh, your lights.

My lights on, yeah.

Um again, I just want to um see if I can say what I said a little bit more clearly.

I think that council uh the chair might have um misinterpreted what I said.

So if we take away from execution of courts, right, we are technically increasing the budget.

So revenue will have to go up for us to cover the costs in a department or a line item that has gone over every year, right?

Um, the four million dollars.

So that is technically when you're pulling from there, because we overspend in that department or that line item, um, we are we are increasing the revenue or increasing the budget through that cut or that amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Umcelor Warrell seeks suspension of Rule 24.

Uh and what we're asking, a yes vote means you're in favor of suspending rule 24 to allow the council to move forward with a vote.

You are not voting on the uh budget uh docket number.

Uh we're not voting on the budget question yet.

We're just uh asking uh do yeah, a yes, vote means that we are in favor of suspending Rule 24 to allow the council to move forward with the vote.

So, Mr.

Clerk, could you please conduct uh a roll call vote?

Yes, a yes vote means you're in in in favor of suspending Rule 24.

Council of Rayden.

No.

Council of Raiden, no.

Council Kaletta's appointment, Council Culpepper, yes, Councillor Cal Pepper, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Durkin, no, Councilor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councilor Fischer, yes.

Councilor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes.

Councilor Lu Jen.

No.

Council Lugen, no.

Counselor Mejia.

Yes.

Councilor Mejia, yes.

Councillor Murphy.

Yes.

Counselor Murphy, yes.

Counselor Papin.

No.

Councilor Penn, no.

Councilor Santana.

Oh.

Council Santana, no.

Councillor Weber.

No.

Counselor Weber, no.

And Council Warrell.

Yes.

Counselor, yes.

Six votes in the affirmative and six votes in the negative.

The motion fails.

Motion fails.

Thank you.

Dockets 7, 0733 through 07, uh 4 7 will remain in committee.

Mr.

Clerk, can you please read Docket 0591 and 0696?

Docker number 0591, order for a hearing to review funding reimbursement and accountability for police overtime details in the city of Boston.

Document number 0696 order for a hearing to discuss Boston Police Department staffing levels.

I think the Chair recognizes Counselor Santana, the Chair of Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

The Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice held a hearing yesterday on these two dockets.

The manager sponsored by Councillor Murphy, Councillor Flynn, and Councillor Fitzgerald.

We're joined by my colleagues, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Flynn, Counselor Weber, and Councillor Fitzgerald.

The committee heard testimony on behalf of the administration.

Um, from Lisa O'Brien, Bureau of Administration, a technology chief who answered questions regarding police overtime and staffing levels.

Um, I want to thank the panelists and my colleagues for the participation in yesterday's hearing.

I know that uh not all the panelists that um the lead sponsors uh wanted there, were there, so I'd be working I will continue to work with uh um the lead sponsors um to try to see if there's another date that we can get um for this hearing.

Um thank you, madam president.

Thank you, documents 0591 and 0696 will remain in committee.

I think so.

Yes, the lead sponsor.

Uh as the lead sponsor, counselor Murphy, you have the floor.

Um thank you.

I just want to rise to make it clear that it took us a long time to get these scheduled, and the lead sponsors agreed that we could hold both of them together to make it easier, and the commissioner did not show up.

So Commissioner Cox did not show up to our hearing yesterday, and I just want to thank Lisa O'Brien who was here, and we was put in a very I would say uncomfortable position, expecting to answer questions that she shouldn't have.

And when the administration said, Well, he was here last week, that is the job, and this just echoes that the amendment process where we're still waiting for answers of if any of our amendments over these past four years have ever even been implemented.

So it's important to just make sure the reason why we have to have this hearing again is because the police department decided to not show up and answer important questions about spending revenue money, and so if we're gonna be ready to pull from a department where we can't even have the department come and defend why they're spending it, I think we're in for a few um tough conversations coming up.

Thank you.

Uh, Chair recognizes I'm chair, counselor Flynn.

You're the next you're next.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

I want to say thank you to Councillor Santana for sharing this meeting.

Council Santana did a very good job.

Was very professional.

It was disappointing that the police commissioner did not show up.

A lot of my questions were specifically for the police commissioner or someone from the command staff.

Lisa O'Brien showed up.

She did an outstanding job, but I could not ask all the questions I needed to ask based on the fact that there wasn't a swan officer there that would help us help this body make better decisions on the city budget.

Councillor Culpepper and maybe it was Council Rell, also had a similar issue when the police commissioner didn't show up.

They wanted to use and I and I supportive and they wanted to use the summons process.

But I do think residents deserve to hear from the police commissioner or someone from the senior leadership team about what is happening at the police department as it relates to manning levels as it relates to overtime.

Doesn't overtime related issues have an impact on what we're talking about here today in the city budget.

And here we had an opportunity yesterday to ask the police commissioner about funding about overtime, and there wasn't a there wasn't a representative here.

This is coming from a person that supports the police department.

I support the police department.

But I am disappointed that the police commissioner of the city of Boston did not show up or have someone that could speak on issues that are important to city councillors.

I do want to say, as I mentioned before, Lisa O'Brien did an outstanding job.

I agree with Councillor Murphy.

She was placed in a lousy position to answer on behalf of the entire police department.

I would not have done that.

I would not do that to a someone that works and maybe throw them throw them out there and be the be the spokesman on critical issues before the city council that's looking for answers on a city budget.

But I do think we have to have this meeting, Council of Santana, rescheduled and have the police commissioner here.

I do think it's respectful to the this body to have the police commissioner come to answer questions.

I think the residents want that.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

Madam President.

Yeah, so I had my light on for something else, but since I'm still trying to gather my thoughts on that one, I'll just wait.

But while I'm up, I do want to know uh for the record that it's hard for us to make any type of decisions when we don't have all of the information in front of us.

And I think uh counselor Murphy's call out of the fact that the commissioner wasn't here.

There have been times when I've asked questions that have gone unanswered, and and I think that if people are going to trust us to do our jobs, then we need all the proper tools and information uh to make better informed decisions.

So just want to rise uh to note that.

Thank you.

So dock it's 0591 and 0696 will remain in committee.

We're now on to motions, orders, and resolutions.

A reminder that under Rule 39 remarks on new matters not up for vote today shall be limited to three minutes for the lead sponsor and two minutes for the co-sponsors.

Mr.

Klerk, could you please read Dockett 1053?

Document number 1053, Councillor Culpepper offer the following.

Petition for a special law regarding an age waiver for the maximum age requirement for Jorge Enriquez to join the Boston Police Department.

Thank you, Mr.

Turk.

Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

You have the floor.

Madam President, I respectfully request suspension of the rules to vote on the passage of this document.

Yes.

Thank you.

Today I'm filing this home rule petition on behalf of my constituent and fellow Rock City resident.

Jorge Enriquez to waive the maximum aid requirement for original appointment to the Boston Police Department.

Mr.

Enriquez is a lifelong Boston resident, born and raised in Roxbury, who had dedicated much of his life to public service and protecting others from two zero zero seven to two zero one five.

From 2007 to 2015, 2015, he served the 182nd Infantry Regiment, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, where he operated in high risk environments, protecting civilian personnel and military engineers working on infrastructure projects.

In addition to his military service overseas, Mr.

Enriquez has continued serving this community here at home.

He was activated during the Boston Marathon bombing response, has worked in corrections, and has supported public safety efforts to Bartham Medical Center's Roundhouse Program in the Madison Cass area.

Mr.

Enriquez brings exactly the type of leadership, maturity, and lived experience that can strengthen community policing and public trust.

His deep roots in Boston, combined with years of military and public safety service, position him to be an asset to the department and to the residents he will serve.

I respectfully ask my colleagues' support in this home rule petition and for the opportunity to help Mr.

Enriquez continue his long-standing commitment to the people of Boston.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just want to say thank you to Councillor Culpepper for going to Badford, Mr.

Enriquez.

Councillor Culpepper highlighted his exceptional record, his work record.

But I also want to acknowledge Mr.

Enrique's commitment to our nation, the United States military.

We have to be a city that gives an opportunity to our veterans, to our military families.

We need to support them.

They've been there for the residents of this city, they've been there for the for this country as well.

I'm I'm supporting this proposal, and I know we have to give every opportunity we possibly can in the city to veterans and military families, especially during these challenging times.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Flynn, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Luigian, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Weber, Counselor Warrell, Councillor.

Councillor Murphy, and please add the chair.

Counselor Councillor Cole Pepper seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 1053.

All in favor, uh say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Mr.

Truck, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1054?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Counselor Braden, yes.

Councillor Colletta's upon it.

Councillor Calpepper.

Yes.

Councillor Calpepa, yes.

Counselor Durkin.

Councilor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Council Fisher, yes, Councilor Flynn.

Yes.

Counselor Flynn, yes.

Councilor Lou Jen.

Yes.

Council Lou Jen, yes, Council Mejia.

Counselor Mejia, yes, Councilor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes, Councillor Pepin.

Council Papen, yes, Councillor Santana.

Counselor Weber.

Counselor Weber, yes, and Councilor Warrell.

Yes.

Counselor, yes.

Docking number one zero five three has received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Dockert 1053 has passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1054?

Document number 1054, Councillor Flynn offered the following petition for a special law regarding an act relative to 17F reform.

Chair recognizes Council Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Transparency is a critical piece of maintaining both public trust, civic engagement by displaying values of good government, accountability, openness.

For so much to rule 17 on the council, a formal request for information may be submitted by a member of the council.

These requests are used to obtain records, reports, data, or other information from the administration, city departments, in order to support the council's oversight and legislative responsibilities.

Rule 17F has not been amended since 1982.

According to the city charter, the administration is responsible to answer written questions relating to at a meeting to be held not earlier than one week from the date of the receipt of said questions.

There is no time that currently exists or deadline for the mayor to provide a response, only that they can be summoned after seven days.

At the time of writing this home rule petition, 12, 17 F requests have been gone, have been unanswered with the earliest 17 order filed on January 28, January 28, 2026, over 100 days ago.

Well, the city charter indicates that the administration needs to answer 17 requests within seven days.

There are no parameters enforcing this rule because of the possibility of summonses.

Council has file 17 F requests to seek information relevant to their constituents they serve.

It's critical that counselors in their constituents receive the relevant information they have requested to address quality of life issues, public safety, public health.

Currently, the city council can request the presence of the mayor to answer a 17F in person at a council meeting if the order was not answered within seven days, an enforcement measure of which there is no known modern precedent.

Concerns remain that a 17F now only carries the same weight as a public records request.

A 17F may in some cases facilitate a more direct or expediated exchange of information than a public records request, particularly when the matter involves active city council oversight.

In the final analysis, for values of democracy to hold, they must consistently be held despite who is in power or any political relationships.

Whether it's in Washington, D.C.

or the City of Boston, we must always promote values of transparency, good government, accountability, openness to ensure the public trust and facilitate civic engagement.

It should not matter who is the mayor or who is the president or who is the governor.

Government should be accountable to the residents of the city of the state of the country.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Counselor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Counselor Murphy, Councillor Weber, Councillor Warrell, and please add the chair.

And Councillor Mejia, beg your pardon.

Thank you.

Docker number 1054 will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docker 1055?

Document number 1055, Councillors Murphy and Flynn offer the following order for a hearing regarding immediate replacement funding for Boston firefighter cancer screenings, health screenings, mental health supports, and safety health and wellness programming before the fiscal year 27 budget vote.

Thank you, Chair recognizes Counselor Murphy.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to suspend the rules and add counselor Fitzgerald, please.

Hearing and seeing of no objection, Counselor Fitzgerald is added as a third.

So last week, after we had a hearing on Monday at about 11 a.m.

after the agenda was printed, the fire commissioner and the fire department were here and their budget office, and they spoke to us about a concerning grant that they have gotten in the past, and that has funded the firefighter cancer screenings, health screenings, mental health supports, and safety health and wellness programming.

That grant is for 1.2 million dollars that they did not receive this year, so they were concerned that these obviously, we have to make sure we're advocating.

Myself and Councillor Flynn and Councillor Fitzgerald have been saying, and I'm not sure because we didn't get to speak about it last week, but I do know that some of this money.

We did see yesterday that $150,000 of the $1.2 million is going to make sure that our firefighters do have cancer screenings, which is vitally important.

We saw the data, and we do know that unfortunately, after our firefighters give their life and their service as first responders to the city, they have a five-year life expectancy after retirement.

So it's important, I believe, that we do everything we can as a council to make sure these important screenings are funded.

That being said, we're still short $980,000 from the grant.

So health screenings and other mental health support safety and wellness programs are still not funded.

Unfortunately, we did not vote today to ask the Mayor to put more money into the budget, but I will be putting forth an amendment to make sure the other parts of this grant are funded.

But I am going to pull this hearing now, knowing that some of it was.

Thank you.

Um zero five five has been withdrawn.

Um Mr.

Clerk, could you please read docket 1056?

Document number 1056, Councillor Warrell.

I call Pepper for the following order for a hearing to examine fiscal year 26.

Snow winter management costs.

In the last 10 years, the most the city has spent in one year on snow and winter management has been 28.5 million dollars, and that was back when we saw 51.1 inches of snow in 2022, one of the biggest snowstorms of the century.

That 28 million dollars does not include the second major snowstorm we saw this year in February.

So we know this number will be much higher.

In fact, we just saw earlier this week that the mayor is looking added 47 million dollars to snow and winter management through a one-time uh free cash payment.

If we are indeed seeing the cost of snow and winter management rise to levels, even beyond what we spent in 2015, we had a winter with nearly double the amount of snow that we need to figure out a far more creative and innovative way to approach snow and winter management in our city, and I believe uh some of my colleagues have uh presented some ideas already.

There has to be a better way to reduce costs and increase results for our residents, and I hope this hearing can dive into those ways.

Uh snow and winter management is one of the three items that the mayor can run over by any amount and not have to come back to the council for approval.

So we so just as we are looking for looking at public safety and overtime costs, we need to also look at winter and snow management costs.

We are paying more than a million dollars per inch of snow removed.

We have some roof room for improvement.

Thank you, and looking forward to the hearing.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Counselor Well, for adding me as an original co-sponsor and for your leadership on this issue.

At a time when the city is facing broader fiscal pressures and anticipated budget cuts.

Budget deficits, it's critical that we fully understand the drivers behind these costs.

Evaluate whether current snow removal strategies are operating as efficiently as possible, and identify opportunities for saving without compromising public safety or service to delivery.

This hearing is not about questioning the importance of snow removal or the hard work of our public employees.

It is about transparency, accountability, and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and responsibly.

Residents deserve to understand how these costs are calculated, how contracts and operations are managed, and whether reforms or efficiencies should be considered moving forward.

Thank you, madam president.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Jerkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Luigian, Councillor Mejia, Counselor Murphy, Councillor, Councillor Weber, and please add the chair.

Thank you.

Docker number 1056 will be repaired referred to the committee on post-audit.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Dockett 1057?

Document number 1057.

Councilor Culpepper of the following order for a hearing and cancer-causing chemicals and Boston Fire Department turnout gear in the transition to PFAS III replacement uniforms.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

You have the floor.

Madam President, I would like to add Councillor Murphy Murphy as a second original co-sponsor and request suspension of the rules to add Councillor Flynn as a third original co-sponsor.

I would also like to acknowledge the work that Councillor Fitzgerald has done in the work on this issue also, Madam President.

So notice.

Everyday Boston firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our residents from immediate danger.

But increasingly we are learning that many firefighters also face long-term dangers from the very equipment designed to keep them safe.

Studies have consistently shown that firefighters experience disproportionately high rates of occupational cancer and PFAS chemicals have been identified as a significant concern in turnout gear and protective uniforms.

Massachusetts has already taken important steps toward phasing out PFAS and firefighter protective gear, and departments across the country are beginning the transition to safer alternatives.

Occupational safety experts and firefighter organizations have made it clear that as PFAS-free turnout gear becomes available, departments should move aggressively toward replacing legacy equipment containing harmful chemicals.

This hearing is about ensuring that the city of Boston is doing everything possible to protect the health and safety of our firefighters, not just in the moment of a fire emergency, but for decades afterward.

Our firefighters should never have to choose between protection from immediate danger and protection from long-term illness.

Madam President, they deserve equipment that keeps them safe in every sense of the word.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Councillor Culpeper, for adding me.

I know we also spoke last week about being added to the funding for the cancer screenings.

And we both and many of us care deeply about making sure that we don't just fund our departments, but we're making sure as technology changes and we're finding out that there is better equipment that we're investing in it.

So looking forward to this hearing, finding out what more we can do and if there is equipment, and we know that we have tried to replace, and some of our firehouses still have kitchens that aren't in the proper place, and cancer causing chemicals are near our firefighters while they're sleeping and eating.

So whatever we can do to make sure that our firefighters are safe, it is the least we can do for them.

So looking forward to learning more and advocating.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy.

Chair recognizes Counselor Flynn.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I just want to say thank you to Councillor Culpepper for adding me and for leading on this important issue.

Boston firefighters face significantly elevated risk of occupational cancer, cardiovascular disease, traumatic stress, and early death due to repeated exposure to hazardous conditions, including my uncle Dennis, who died at a young age.

He was a Boston firefighter decorated Vietnam veteran, and he died at a young age.

Critical health programs funded through the federal assistance to firefighters grant, including cancer screenings, body scans, wellness services, have already identified hundreds of high-risk cases and potentially life-threatening conditions through early detection.

But this body needs to be committed to ensuring that funding is in the city budget, not just this year, but going forward for firefighters and their families, for health and wellness program, mental health counseling, cancer screening.

We must identify how we're going to support firefighters with a consistent budget option that doesn't change due to who the mayor is or who the governor is or the president is.

We need to ensure that this funding is always in the budget.

I want to say thank you to Councillor Culpepper.

I want to say thank you to Counselor Fitzgerald, Councilor Murphy, for the incredible work they did as well.

They work with local 718 firefighters union.

They work with the professional firefighters of Massachusetts and the National Association as well with Ed Kelly.

But they advocated to ensure that money was in the budget and that there would be programs.

Want to acknowledge Dana Faber as well for their commitment to Boston Firefighters.

Want to say thank you to the union for their incredible role.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Counselor Durkin, Counselor Fitzgerald, Counselor, Louis Jeanne, Counselor Mejia, Councillor Peppen, Counselor Weber, Councillor Warrell, and please add the chair.

Thank you.

Dockard, um docket zero one zero five seven, referred to the committee on public safety and criminal justice.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket one uh 1058?

Document number 1058, Councillors Warrell and Culpepper offer the following.

Order for a hearing to examine fiscal year 27 property tax rates.

Chair recognizes Councillor Warrell.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to suspend the rules and add counselor Mahi as a third original co-sponsor.

Seeing and hearing no objection, Councillor Mejia is added as a third.

Thank you.

Uh we filled the calls from homeowners every November and December.

When the council exercises the maximum power it has to set the highest residential factor and the highest residential exemption for property taxes.

The voices we hear are cut the budget so I don't have to pay so much in taxes.

I think it's important to begin to link these two conversations in the spring when we're talking about the budget.

This is when we're locking in the revenue, property taxes account for 73% of the city's projected revenue in FY26.

That 73% of revenue pie is expected to rise 2.5% in FY27.

And considering the drop in commercial property values, the average residential homeowner can again see a big hike in their bill.

And more than a 5% eight years in a row.

What I see, nothing in the FY27 budget is going to stop that from happening again.

So despite the fact that 11% of the budget, which is state aid, is forecast to go up 3%, despite the fact that 73% of the budget, which is property taxes, is forecast to go up 2.5%.

Overall budget is only going up 2.1%.

So the average homeowner might still see a big hike in their property tax bill under the proposed budget.

Your child might not have a youth job, or the active coup tutor might be cut.

And on top of that, you're going to be hit again with the big property tax bill.

We know the city in 2024 already made spring projections to the average residential property tax bill, forecasting them to be between 10 to 17% higher.

That number ended up at 10.5%.

So let's have this conversation all at once.

I know there might be some folks hoping that this budget is going to result in a property tax cut for them.

I'm here to tell them it likely won't happen, and I'd love to have a hearing discuss it further.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Councillor Warwell, for adding me as an original co-sponsor on this hearing order and for your leadership on this issue.

As the discussions continue around the proposed fiscal year 27 operating budget, increase of approximately 2.1%.

Residents are understandably concerned that overall tax impacts are rising at a similarly moderate rate, modest rate.

But the broader revenue picture is more complicated, particularly when property taxes make up the vast majority of the city's revenue base and are still expected to grow at the maximum level permitted under state law.

Residents deserve a clearer explanation of how those numbers interact and what they might ultimately mean for homeowners and taxpayers.

This conversation is especially important given that the current version of the fiscal year 27 budget proposes more than 20 million in reduction to programs of services relied upon by nonprofits, vulnerable residents, and underserved communities.

The council and the public should have a full understanding of the assumptions and projections driving those choices.

This is about transparency, accountability, and ensuring that residents have a clear and honest understanding of the city's financial position and the policy decisions flowing from it.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councilman here.

Um thank you, Madam President, and I want to thank uh Councillor Burrell and Culpepper for filing this important hearing order and um adding me as an original co-sponsor.

Residents across Boston are continuing to feel the pressure of rising property taxes while also hearing that there's not enough revenue to fully fund critical services and avoid cuts.

We need a real conversation about why homeowners are continuing to shoulder so much of this burden.

Part of that conversation also has to include pilot payment loop of taxes.

More than half of Boston's land is tax exempt, including some of the wealthiest universities, hospitals, and institutions in this country.

While residents and small businesses continue paying higher taxes, many of these large institutions are still not meeting their full pilot request.

And much of that is counted comes through community benefits rather than direct cash contributions to support city services.

If we are serious about affordability and preventing displacement, we need greater transparency around the FY27 property tax projections and a broader discussion about how large tax accent institutions can contribute more fairly to the city that they benefit from every day.

And I think that all these discussions are happening in uh good timing because what we need to do is get ahead of next year's budget and making sure that we are all rowing in the same direction if we really want um to restore trust in this body.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselor Flynn, I see your lights on, but it's only the lead sponsors who speak on this docket.

Is that okay?

Um anyone like to add their name?

Counselor uh Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Counselor Flynn, Councillor Louis Jeanne, Councillor Murphy, Counselor Peppen, Counselor Santana, Councillor Weber, and please add the chair.

Thank you.

Dockard 1058 will be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1059?

Docker number 1059, Counselor Murphy offered the following order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding new city positions created since January 15th, 2025.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Counselor Murphy.

Thank you, Madam President.

I filed a very similar 17F back in 2024.

It did take several months and a refile to get the answers back in January 15th of 2025.

So I'm asking for the same information, but just starting from the point of when we last found out that there were over 300 new positions created as of January 15, 2025.

So we'd like that information from that date to today.

So thank you.

Uh would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Flynn, Councillor Cole Pepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis Gen, Councillor Mejia, Council Pepin, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, Council Morrell, and please add the chair.

Councillor Murphy seek suspension of the rules and passage of docket 1059.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

Thank you.

Docker 1059 is passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1060?

Resolution recognizing National Emergency Medical Services Week 2026.

Chair recognizes Councillor Pepin.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I would like to also suspend the rules and add Councillor Murphy as a short original co-sponsor.

Uh hearing and seeing no objection, Counselor Murphy is added as a third.

Thank you.

This week we recognize National Emergency Medical Services Week, known as EMS, and honor the extraordinary dedication of Boston EMS professionals who work tirelessly every day to protect and care for our residents in moments of crisis.

Day in and day out, they show courage, compassion, and professionalism under pressure, and we thank them for their sacrifice and unwavering commitment to keeping the people of Boston safe and healthy 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I was able to join EMS last fall for a ride-along with them and actually respond to some calls.

And when I tell you that I was holding tight to my seatbelt and not knowing what I was going to walk into into the into it was either a house or an apartment building, the adrenaline was up there.

And that the fact that these EMS professionals do that every single day in our city, I just don't know how they do it.

They're heroes in the city.

His name is Lieutenant Ed McCarthy, who immediately responded to a fire in my district on Cummins Highway in Mattapan, saving families from a fire right on scene.

Mind you, he's on the scene before the fire department even shows up.

And he runs into the building, he starts knocking on doors, and what happens is that he's alerting families that weren't aware yet, and families and kids were able to come out, and he was able to save them, and then the fire department comes and puts out the fire and does their job as well.

So these people are literal heroes working for the city of Boston, wearing the uniforms of the VMS, and they are our neighbors.

So to the EMS and everyone of that department, to Chief Hewley and his entire staff, thank you so much.

And this week we honor you in every single day in the city of Boston.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Pepin.

The chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

You have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

And thank you, Councillor Pepin, for including me as an original co-sponsor.

National EMS Week is from May 17th to May 23rd.

This is a week where we recognize and celebrate our EMS personnel for their hard work, service, commitment to public health, safety for our residents, our emergency service personnel, including paramedics, EMTs, work on the front line, they witness firsthand in respond to accidents, violence, trauma, major incidents.

They are dedicated working workers, sometimes taking overnight shifts, remaining calm, assuring high under highly intense stressful situations, which can take a toll on their mental health.

We saw this especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Where a lot of our EMS workers and for us responders provided exceptional care to Boston residents, even at the risk of their own health.

As the cost of living increases, it is difficult for many of our EMS personnel to stay in the city.

I know the residential requirement for our EMS personnel is temporarily suspended for three years.

Although I'm not sure if this is the year when the suspension is up for reconsideration.

But I do believe it is critical that we pay our EMS personnel a good wage, a family wage, so that they can continue to live in the city and raise their families, be part of the community, continue to help people.

Last year we celebrated the groundbreaking for a new EMS station in the South Boston Waterfront, something that myself, Council of Flarity, then Councilor Woo, Congressman Lynch, Senator Collins.

We've advocated for this with residents in the South Boston Waterfront in the Fort Point neighborhood and South Boston for years.

On National EMS Week, I want to honor and say thank you to our EMS personnel.

We welcome Chief Hooley today and his outstanding team as well for their professionalism and commitment to public health and safety for all.

Councillor Pepin mentioned that they're on unsung heroes.

I agree with them.

I also want to acknowledge the incredible work that the EMS affiliate affiliation with the Boston Police Patrolman Association.

But these union workers do a tremendous job for the residents of Boston.

They deserve our respect.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council.

Chair recognizes Counselor Murphy.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you to Councillor Pepin and Flynn for letting me join you on this important resolution honoring our EMS.

Just last month, we honored our dispatch callers who are our EMS firefighter and police who take the calls.

And then obviously it's important.

And I myself have gone on a ride along with EMS, also with police and fire, and definitely left realizing how our EMS workers are there and stay with the families and show such care and love and respect to get after the police and after the fire oftentimes have gone.

They help families pack up their belongings, get them into the ambulance, and if needed to get them to the hospital, and it's often almost always in their you know worst days.

So any chance we can to thank our first respondents, our EMS workers, but also do want to call out Jason, the president of the union and Miles and all of his team who advocate and try hard to get the you know the pay and the respect they deserve.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Would anyone uh anyone uh like to add their name?

Councilor Cold Pepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Mihia, Councillor Louis Jean, Councillor Santana, Council Weber, Council Rail, and please have the chair.

Councillors Peppen, Flynn, and Murphy seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket 1060.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Thank you.

The ayes have a docket 1060 has been adopted.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1061?

Docket number 1061.

Councillor Pepin offered the following resolution recognizing May as bike month.

Chair recognizes Councillor Pepin.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

May I add Counselor Durkin as the second original co-sponsor?

And Councillor Durkins will add it.

May I suspend the rules and add um yourself, Councilor Braden, as the third original co-sponsor.

Seeing and here, no objections, I have Council Braden's added.

Thank you.

This month I am proud to recognize Mayor's bike month and celebrate many benefits that bicycling brings to our city, including healthier lifestyles, cleaner air, and stronger, more connected communities.

We also recognize the continued growth and expansion of the Blue Bikes Rideshare program, increasing accessibility to bicycles for residents and commuters across Boston and surrounding municipalities through the addition of new stations across my district and citywide, making it easier for families to travel to school and work while helping reduce traffic and number of cars on our roads.

This past, I think it was last week, it was ride to work day, and we had a we had dozens upon dozens, hundreds of bicyclists riding from all different parts of the city into City Hall.

Um it was a beautiful occasion.

Also at my daughter's school, they do a Friday bike to school day, and I was able to participate.

Shout out to Alan Wright for my district for always being a huge bicyclist advocate.

It's just it's a beautiful way of living.

Um I'm glad that our residents are having the opportunity to potentially see more blue bikes across the city.

And I just wanted to thank all the advocates who do the work in this field.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Chair recognizes Councillor Durkin.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you.

I want to thank Councillor Peppen for his leadership.

As someone who gets around sometimes on a bike, I know that it can be difficult sometimes with double parking and other things.

And just this morning, I saw some bike advocates outside of City Hall advocating for safety.

And so this fight continues and there's a lot more work to be done.

I think that as a city, it's clear that the blue bikes program is really popular.

But we need to ensure that folks that are getting on a bike for the first time have a safe route to get to where they're going, and that requires work and political leadership.

So I'm grateful to be that political leadership in my district, and also to continue up to continue to talk about how we can continue to make our streets more accessible.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Durkin.

And thank you, Councillor Pepin, for including me as a third co-sponsor.

Um I come from a district or represent a district that has uh a very high uh level of bicycle infrastructure, but also um we need more uh but also many many people who don't uh don't own a car, they rely on public transit on bicycles for getting around and so I I really want to celebrate all those who use bicycles, uh reduce her carbon footprint and uh uh improve uh physical and mental health as well.

I um I had as a young person growing up, uh one of my roommates was was uh hit in a uh with by a car in an almost catastrophic.

Well, it was a catastrophic injury.

She had a very severe brain injury and did recover, but she she was very very disabled for the remainder of her life.

So I'm really pleased to see that the blue blight program is offering uh opportunities for folks to um to ride a bicycle, but also with the introduction of the e-bikes, uh, those of us who maybe are not as fit as we used to be can actually still continue to be bicyclists in the city, and it's it's really I've heard from other folks uh uh who had sort of given up on being bicycle riders and have said that it's really transformative that they're able to use the e-bikes uh to get around uh for recreation and for um necessary travel in their neighborhoods.

So thank you, Councillor Peppen.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis Jeanne, Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, thank you.

Counselor Pepin, Durkin and Braden seek suspension of the rules and adoption of docket one zero six one.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, council.

Mr.

Turk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1061?

Councillor Braden.

Yes, Council Braden, yes, Councilor Kelly's apartment, Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Culpepa, yes, Councillor Durkin, Councilor Durkin, yes, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Fischer, yes, Councilor Flynn, Councillor Flynn, yes, Councillor Louis Jean.

Yes, Councillor Louis Gen, yes, Councilor Mejia, Councilor Mehia, yes, Councilor Murphy, Councilor Murphy, yes, Councillor Pip Pen.

Yes, Councilor Penn, yes, Council Santana.

Yes, Councilor Santana, yes, Councilor Weber, Councilor Weber, yes, and Councilor Warrell.

Docker number 1061 has received 11 votes on the affirmative.

Thank you.

Docket number one zero six one has been adopted.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read docket one zero six two?

Docket number one zero six two, Council Santana for the fall.

Resolution recognizing June 2026 as immigrant heritage month in the city of Boston.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Santana.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Madam President, I would like to add Councillor Mejia as a um original co-sponsor.

Councillor Mejia is so added.

I would also like to suspend the rules and add Councillor Peppin as an original co-sponsor.

Hearing and seeing no objections, Councillor Pepin is added as a third.

Thank you, Madam President.

As a black Latino man who immigrated to this country from the Dominican Republic at just three years old, immigrant Heritage Month is deeply personal to me.

Growing up, my parents always reminded me, never forget where you came from.

This month is incredibly meaningful to them and to so many families, just like mine.

It's time to honor the resilience, the grit, and the incredible achievements of our immigrant communities.

Too often, when people talk about immigrants, they only talk about what we do.

They talk about the essential jobs we fill, the businesses we open, and the ways we drive the economy.

And yes, we are a backbone of Boston's growth, but this city doesn't just need our hands, it needs our hearts.

We need our stories, our perspective, our traditions, and our cultures.

We don't just make Boston work, we make Boston Boston.

Yet, despite everything we pour into the city, too many of our neighbors, especially our LGBTQIA 2S Plus and immigrant siblings are forced to live in fear.

They face intimidation, marginalization, and political climate that tries to make them feel invisible.

Some voices want to dismiss our value and say immigrants don't belong.

But let me be absolutely clear.

We belong here.

This resolution is more about more than just looking back at our history.

It's about supporting our communities today and securing our future tomorrow.

It's a reminder that we must cherish and stand up for our diversity every single day.

In this resolution, and I want to thank my co-sponsors for joining me in this resolution.

I would also like to suspend and pass this today.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Mejia.

Council, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I want to thank uh Councilor Santana for bringing this resolution, and I rise in strong support of recognizing June 2026 as immigrant heritage month here in the city of Boston.

Boston is a city shaped by immigrants.

So many families, including my own, came here searching for opportunity, stability, and a better future for their children.

Growing up with a mom who was undocumented from most of my childhood, I saw firsthand the sacrifices immigrant families make every single day just to survive, work, and provide.

That is why this recognition matters, but it also has to be matched with action.

At a time when immigrant communities across the country are under attack and living with fear and uncertainty.

We are also discussing cuts here in Boston, including roughly 1.8 million dollars impacting immigrant grants and legal services.

These services are lifelines for families navigating housing, employment, immigration proceedings, and basic stability.

If we're serious about honoring immigrant communities, we must also be serious about protecting the resources and the supports they rely on.

Immigrant communities are part of our city, they contribute to our economy, culture, schools, and neighborhoods every single day, and they deserve to be supported, not just in words, but through policy and investments.

And while I do appreciate the efforts that we're making on relying on philanthropy, it is not lost on me that our budget is a value statement, and our immigrants need to hear that we're going to fight to fully restore that line item to make sure that we're protecting them.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Council Peppen.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

And I just want to say thank you to the sponsors of this resolution.

Thank you, Councillor Santana.

Me as a third.

You know, the beautiful thing about this month is that it isn't one specific group.

It's a story of the United States, the story of Boston.

It's the story of the fact that here, just in this chamber, we have descendants of Jewish immigrants of Irish immigrants of Italian immigrants, and we have Haitian immigrants and Dominican immigrants just in this chamber.

And that's what I truly love about the work of protecting immigrants because it isn't just about one specific group.

And that's something that I love to remind myself and remind others that when we're advocating for a group of immigrants.

Right now, right now, it's one group, but next we don't know who it is.

And we have to make sure that when we make policy decisions, when we stand in our on our on our two feet and we say we're going to advocate for those that need support and resources that we're doing that knowing that that was once our families before, and we don't know whose family is going to be in the future.

And that's why I am I always stand proud with the immigrant community because those were my parents.

My parents who decided to leave their country and start a home here in the city of Boston.

And well, I always say I am very blessed that they chose the city of Boston to start a new home.

And that's why I stand here in solidarity, always with my immigrant community, no matter where you're from, knowing that I stand here advocating for you every single day.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Louis Jeanne.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the makers.

Happy immigrant heritage month.

I just want to thank all of the incredible folks who work to make sure that our city remains one that is inclusive and one that uplifts all of our residents.

We have a good number of folks, unfortunately, not as many as we should, but who are indigenous to this land, who are not part of the immigrant story.

We have a deep we have a good number of folks who are descendants of folks who were brought here via Chadow slavery, African Americans.

They are not part of the immigrant story.

If you don't fall in those two categories, you have an immigrant story to this country, regardless of regardless of whether you're you're white or or or black and not a descendant from chattel slavery.

It is important for us to remember that because the xenophobia that we see, the hatred, the racism, is so hypocritical.

It is completely hypocritical, hip hypocritical.

It's one of the reasons why I really enjoy the flag raisings that we have from other countries.

Did it on Friday for Haiti because it reminds us of that story, and I just want to make sure that Boston remains that beacon as we fight these multi-level fights to protect our people and our residents, that we remember our stories and that they're rooted in making room and making place for those who are escaping all sorts of of uh of harm, want to find economic prosperity for their families.

Those who want to go home, and I know a number of immigrants who would love to be in their home countries, but political violence, uh abuse against women, uh rape, gender-based violence, domestic violence prevent them from calling their home country home.

And so I think it's important for us to continue doing everything we can to uplift and support our immigrant communities.

Happy immigrant Heritage Month.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I rise to support the support and resolution and also want to acknowledge the dedicated city employees that are immigrants but also that support immigrants across Boston, across greater Boston as well.

Do want to highlight the immigrants that have served in the US military and fought for our country, came back and really weren't treated with respect as citizens as well.

So immigrants played a critical role in Boston and our nation, helping build, helping build this city, helping build this country.

I also want to acknowledge former mayor Ray Flynn that started the official office here in the city of Boston in support of immigration immigrants.

It was a different name back then, but it's um was the office of immigrant um assistance, I believe it was, but just want to acknowledge that aspect as well.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

As an immigrant, um I'm very pleased to celebrate and join you all in celebrating Immigrant heritage Month.

I I came here um 31 years ago, and it was such an amazing experience coming from a very um yeah coming from a uh coming to a very diverse city uh and experiencing more freedom as a LGBT woman, uh, and just really getting into the into the mix with everyone here.

Boston is an amazing city, it's a welcoming city, it's a diverse city, and then that's one of its strengths.

So I'm very happy to join us.

Join you all in this uh Immigrant Heritage Month resolution.

Thank you to the makers for this.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis Jeanne, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Weber, and please add.

Oh, I'm on there, I'm on there already.

Thank you.

Um, where are we?

Councillors, um, not on there.

Councillor Santana, Mejia, and Papin seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1066.

All those in favor say aye.

One 1062.

Uh we see Councillors Santana, Mejia and Pepin seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Dockett 1062.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

Thank you.

Dock at zero 1062 has been adopted.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Dockett 1063?

Document number 1063, Councillors Flynn and Murphy offer the following.

Resolution commemorating Memorial Day in honoring our Gold Star families and those who have made the supreme sacrifice for our country.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to Councillor Murphy for joining me.

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May.

It's a solemn day to honor those that made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the U.S.

military.

After the Civil War, Major General John Logan, the head of a Union Veterans Organization, established Decoration Day.

By the late 1860s, many different locations around the country were holding their own springtime tributes to fallen soldiers in the war dead, decorating their graves with flowers.

The first large observance of decoration day was held in 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Decoration Day continued to be observed on the local level in 1968.

The U.S.

Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday.

That change went into effect 1971.

But on Memorial Day, we honor the more than 1.1 million American military personnel who made the supreme sacrifice for our nation while serving in uniform.

That their bravery and sacrifice shall never be forgotten.

We especially honor our gold star families, gold star wives, whose family members have paid the supreme sacrifice while serving in the military and recognize the sacrifice that Gold Star families have made for our country.

On Memorial Day, we try to as a nation share some of that pain that gold star families experience every day.

Imagine 365 days a year experiencing that pain of a loved one that was killed, serving our nation.

And as Americans, we only share in that pain one day.

We have to stand with our gold star families, not just on Memorial Day, in my opinion, but every day.

Boston has a number of events on Memorial Day.

I wanted to try to list as many as I as I could, so people could attend.

But one of them is the William E.

Carter Post, the American Legion Post, which is the first charted African American Post in Massachusetts on Blue Hill Avenue.

I'm I'm a proud member of that post.

Other Memorial Day events include a wreath laying ceremony at the South Boston Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is Medal of Wanna Pac.

And out the Puerto Rican Veterans Memorial in the South End.

The City of Boston's Veterans Services and Veterans Organizations throughout the city are still safely and individually placing flags at our military cemeteries in honor of those that made the supreme sacrifice for our country.

Again, this is not about cookouts, it's not about potties, it's not about a day off.

It's about remembering, sharing the pain, understanding that families that have lost a loved one are never the are never the same, but the country is better.

The country through that sacrifice, we have a better country.

And we need to acknowledge our gold star families and understand and share that pain on Memorial Day and stop and say a prayer.

Even if it's a silent prayer to our gold star families in our war dead as well.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

The chair recognizes Counselor Murphy.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Councillor Flynn, for your service, but also for your um history there of why we celebrate.

It has definitely become a weekend that people think of mainly of the kickoff to summer, about cookouts, being with family, and um Commissioner Santiago always reminds us at many of the citywide Memorial Day events that I'll be attending this weekend and have every year since I've been on the council that this is a day to remember those who did not just sign up to serve our country but then paid the ultimate sacrifice and their families.

So it's important that we do that.

I do want to also shout out all of the posts and all of the volunteers who put flags at the graves.

I visited my dad's grave, he is buried down at Bonn National Cemetery, and my son, a former student of Mass Maritime.

They do go over and put flags throughout that whole cemetery.

And I know they'll be down at Cedar Grove and all of the cemeteries around the city also.

So thank you to the volunteers who go out and pay respect to those who lost their life and to our gold star families.

Know that we'll continue to advocate our veteran budget, which is one of the smallest in the city, still has a 750,000 cut at this moment, and I'll continue also to advocate that we fully fund and hopefully someone will even put in an amendment to put even more money than just level funding our veterans department.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy.

Chair recognizes Councillor Durkin.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much.

I want to thank the lead sponsor for both his military service and also um for bringing this forward today.

Uh, one of the first things I did on the city council was um to uh establish a hero square at the intersection of Fenwood Road and and Huntington Ave and Mission Hill in recognition of Nelson Edward Young, who is a private.

Um I sponsor this with Councillor Flynn, and I know the Mission Hill Post, uh, we honor him every year at Brigham Circle.

Um, but it's that particularly that ceremony was incredibly moving for me.

Uh, because it was one of the first things I filed on the city council, and to see this um this person's family come forward so many years later.

Um, his he began active duty on November 19th, 1948, to see the generations that followed him show up uh for this uh Hero Square dedication was incredibly moving to me, and it was not a surprise that uh the folks that were at that ceremony um were fire and police and folks who are also serving our city in different ways.

So I think this, um, he also enlisted when he was very, very young, so and but to have you know, so many years later, so many family members come forward, and this was so meaningful and moving for them.

It just reminds us that we have to continue to honor those who fought for our country, and they're the reason that we have this act, you know, that we have the rights uh that we do today to serve and to be in a democratic society, and so, um, so I'm just going back to that because I think three years later, um, that was still such a moving um ceremony, and since then we've rededicated Hero Squares and Beacon Hill, and there's been there's more to do.

I look forward to hanging out with my friends at the Mission Hall Post tomorrow and on Monday, and um including our uh wonderful leader and General Woody Woodhouse.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Jerkin.

Um just give a shout out to the folks um from the Brighton Elks who will be decorating the graves at Evergreen Cemetery in preparation for the Memorial Day remembrances at Evergreen Cemetery in Brighton on Monday morning.

Um, probably on your country.

So counselors, um, one zero.

Anyone like to add their names?

063.

Anyone like to add their names?

Councillor Cole Pepper, Councillor Durkin, Councilor Fitzgerald, Councillor Luigian, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Peppa, and Councillor Weber, Council Rail, and please add the chair.

Counselors Flynn and Murphy seek suspension of the rules and passage of uh an adoption of docket 1063.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1063?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Coletta's apartment.

Counselor Calpepper, Councillor Calpepa, yes.

Councillor Durkin, Councillor Durkin, yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Fischer, yes.

Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes, Council.

Yes.

Council Lujan, yes, Council Mejia.

Counselor Mejia, yes, Councillor Murphy.

Yes.

Councillor Murphy, yes, Council Penn.

Yes.

Councillor Penn, yes, Council Santana.

Counselor Weber.

Councilor Weber, yes, and Council Warrell.

Yes.

Council Roarell, yes.

Dr.

Number 1063 has received 11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Dr.

1063 has been adopted.

Mr.

DeLock, could you please read Docker 1064?

Document number 1064.

Counselors Murphy and Flynn offer the following.

Resolution calling for the rescission of elected official salary increases and the redirection of savings to essential city services.

The chair recognizes Councillor Murphy.

Councillor Murphy, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm filing this resolution today with Councillor Flynn and calling for the recision.

In 2022, the Boston City Council approved a salary increase package for elected officials, which raised the mayor's salary from 207,000 to 250,000, and raised the city council salaries in three increments and ended at the final one at one hundred twenty-five thousand.

We gave ourselves a 20.8% raise.

Is this the best we can do?

And what we always see is we're only giving them 1.5 and 2% raises.

And we gave ourselves a 20% raise.

And also back in 2022, myself and Council of Flynn were the only two currently serving counselors who voted against that package, raise package back then.

These salary increases are now fully in effect at a time when the city of Boston is facing difficult budgetary decisions impacting essential city services, frontline workers, and vulnerable residents.

Proposed reductions, funding gaps, and service impacts affecting veteran services, public education, classroom support, services for our students with disabilities, our firefighters, first responders, arts and culture.

The list goes on and on.

The residents should not be asked to accept reductions to critical services while elected officials' salaries increase.

During periods of fiscal uncertainty.

Elected officials have a responsibility to demonstrate shared sacrifice, fiscal discipline, and accountability to the people they serve.

Rescinding the salary increases for elected officials would send a clear message that the city's priority must be preserving essential services, supporting our frontline workers, protecting vulnerable residents, and investing in the people in programs that serve Boston neighborhoods.

Any savings associated with this salary rescinded would increase should be redirected towards preserving and strengthening essential city services.

So I'm asking that my colleagues join us today in voting in support of this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This city was built on the back of military veterans, military families, and first responders.

Boston cut the Veterans Services Department by 15%.

Boston cut cancer and screening, cancer screening, the firefighters, health and wellness programs.

I think that was an embarrassment.

If that's how we balance a budget, we've abandoned our shared values and simply lost our way.

The people don't want petty politics or scapegoating.

They want positive leadership.

I know this funding would not close our budget gap, nor would it address the outrageous cuts to veterans and firefighters.

But what it does is sends a message to our constituents that we put the residents of the city of Boston before ourselves.

I know each and every one of us believe we work hard.

Can we do anything else to try to save and support programs for special needs children?

For firefighters' health and wellness, for helping the elderly.

Give the residents an opportunity to be heard, to be respected.

And this this is part of the solution.

Residents want to know that we understand that they're going through difficult times and they don't want a city council just ignoring them and thinking that they don't matter.

Residents of Boston matter, they're important, they deserve a little bit of respect.

Thank you.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

You know, this is a really good example of what it looks like when we start pitting each other against the constituents that we serve.

And I don't want that to be the narrative, so Boston Herald, if you're listening to me, know that that is not the case.

So just want to be really clear.

Um, you know, I'm all for being fiscally responsible.

And I think that it's really important for us to recognize that if I'm going to support something like this, then I want to ask the makers if they'd be willing to.

I don't mind reducing my salary as long as that salary goes to supporting youth jobs.

That 380, whatever thousand dollars we're going to make, that y'all make a commitment that it goes to youth restoring youth jobs.

Like if we're going to be there, let's just go all in.

And um I think it's really important for us to have that conversation.

If we're asking working families and vulnerable communities to absorb cuts, then elected leaders must be prepared to make meaningful sacrifices too.

Any reduction in our pay should not become something that is symbolic and or theatrical political poetry here.

It should be a direct investment in Boston's young people, and let's be clear salary reductions alone are not enough.

If this council is serious about protecting youth working families, immigrants, LGBTQ communities, black and brown communities, elders, veterans, and our most vulnerable residents, then we must be willing to explore also moving at least 20 million from public safety spending.

If we're really serious about making these decisions, then we need to go a little bit harder than just filing resolutions.

We need to be honest about the political courage that it takes to say we're gonna take from this to give to that, because everybody's has to be at the chopping table, not just some.

Thank you, Council Mejia.

The chair recognizes Councillor Calpepa.

Council, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I understand and respect the sentiment from the original sponsors of this resolution.

At a time when the city is facing difficult fiscal decisions, many residents are struggling with affordability challenges.

It's entirely reasonable for people to ask elected officials to demonstrate shared sacrifice and accountability.

However, I can only support this resolution.

If any savings resulting from rescinding salaries, salary increases for elected officials are truly and directly redirected toward restoring the very programs and services currently facing reductions in the proposed budget.

This cannot simply be symbolic.

We're asking elected officials to forecall raises, those savings should be used to protect the residents and communities most impacted by these cuts.

That includes restoring reductions to youth jobs, workforce development for the young people.

Well, of course, we all want the cut to be restored, and they shouldn't have been cut in the first place.

My priority with reducing my salary is to make sure young people in the city have jobs.

These programs are not luxuries, they're central services of young residents in the city rely on every single day.

Chair recognizes Consul Louisiane.

Consul, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Just for the record, back when this came before the body, it passed unanimously 13 to zero.

The mayor overwrote it, and then the two proponents of this uh resolution sided with the mayor in her overriding, but still, this council, nine of us came together to override the mayor's veto.

And I'd love to see us continue to see how we can build and gain nine counselors to continue doing that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's not easy.

Thank you so much.

I do believe if we reverted back to the old pay, that's like what I started with, right?

When I came onto the council because I served for six months.

Um, I do think we've reverted back to that pay.

I could I could probably survive that and I could probably do that, but I just feel like this is I don't have a family.

I have a cat and I live alone.

And I just think that this is an anti-family measure.

Um, I want families to be able to serve on this city council, and I think that um we have, you know, folks that are just bringing people into the world.

We have people who just brought people into the world in the last year.

Uh, we have a lot of colleagues that are living very different lives than I am, and so I just want to acknowledge I'm a single person that might not have the same and might be able to cut back in ways that families cannot in terms of their savings.

So I'm gonna be voting against this.

Um, not it really isn't about me, because I definitely have transferable skills.

If I needed to get a side job, I would try to do it.

But for me, um, it's about making sure that people on the council, when they when they run, that um, this is like a competitive job that people want to serve in.

Uh, the second thing um is we had a council colleague that there was some corruption that took place on this body.

I do not want anyone that serves in this body to not be able to afford their life and to go towards something that's really dark and negative.

And so I know I I should say that a little more clearly.

But essentially, we absolutely have we serve the city.

I know for me, I'm up, you know, I'm doing working for the city like from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed.

And I think that we all work that hard, every single one of us.

And so I'm not saying that we um I'm not saying that we couldn't do this or we shouldn't do this.

Um I do want to announce that I will be giving back a portion of my city council budget this time, in order I'm not going to use it all, and so I'm gonna be giving back at least $25,000 to the city of Boston, and hopefully that goes into the reserve funds or goes where it goes towards snow or whatever wherever it needs to go.

But um I'm going to vote against this because I don't think it actually accomplishes uh what we're trying to accomplish here.

And I do want to thank my colleagues who serve the city every single day.

We might have differences of opinion, but I think we all work hard, and I think we all deserve the pay that we get.

Thank you.

Um Councillor Weber.

Are you okay, Councillor Louis Jeanne?

Yes, I just accuracy and facts are important for me.

So I just want to make sure that I said it accurately.

This passed the city council unanimously in 2022 originally.

The mayor vetoed it, and then nine c nine city councillors over uh overrode the mayor's veto.

Just wanted to get that correctly.

Thank you.

I think also it's important to have some context here, just looking up some cost of cost of living findings.

A single adult needs to make around 125,000 dollars annually to live in in sustainable comfort in house.

And households require upwards of 162,000 to afford a typical starter home in the Boston area.

So we live in a very high cost city.

Many of us are are heads of households with a dependence, and uh, you know, I think I I obviously respect people's sentiments on this, but one size does not fit all when it comes to thinking about uh the salary of a city councillor.

Uh counselor uh Flynn, I think you were next, and then back to Councilor Mehiga.

Thank you.

I I wasn't planning to rise a second time, but um Madam Madam Chair, I want to be clear that during the pay raise, I didn't really want to get into this, the pay raise situation.

Um I voted against the pay raise that increased this city council's salary significantly.

Um excuse me.

No, no, but please please continue.

Okay, okay.

Um I voted against the city council um pay pay increase that was before before the body.

Um my main point, madam chair is I was at Godin Park over the weekend in Roxbury.

And black residents, black veterans, and then I was at South Boston at Medal of Honor Park as well over the weekend.

Um but they asked me, they said, hey Ed, why are you cutting the veterans' budget?

What are you gonna do about it?

Well, I think I think businesses need to get involved and support support the budget and put money in there for veterans.

I'm working on that.

But then one gentleman said to me, Ed, you you guys just gave yourself a pay raise.

What about veterans that are looking at a camp a can of soup that need to eat and they're they had their funding cut at the federal government?

What are you doing about them?

My point here is can we demonstrate and can we show residents that we care about them?

We care about what is happening in their lives.

Will this five thousand dollar pay decrease make a meaningful impact?

Probably not, but it's it sets it an example that we're willing to do everything we possibly can to support people in need, including our veterans, our seniors, persons with disabilities.

They are in that respect.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Consul Flynn.

Consul Mejia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Yes, I want everyone that's tuning in to know that we deeply care about all of our most vulnerable populations.

And so I just don't want people to think that this resolution demonstrates that the city councillors are unwilling to give up their pay because that is what the news headlines will be.

And I am not here for any of that.

So I'm going to reclaim my narrative and be honest about the the situation that we're seeing here.

Um two things.

One, I've always had two to three jobs my entire life.

So work is not something that I am immune to.

I am actually used to it, right?

I have two households now that I'm literally helping to support my own, and my mom, as you already know, has been really sick, and I've had to step up.

And so financially, this is not just about me.

This is about the life of everyone here in the city of Boston because everyone is going through it.

So I just want to acknowledge that.

And I do appreciate Councillor Durkin uplifting that this is anti-family, because as a single mom who doesn't get a lick of child support, I don't get a dime.

I do it all by myself, right?

I want to acknowledge what it says to people who are tuning in about how I view my um my service deliverable.

See, I earn every single penny that I get.

So let's just be honest.

Um, and I think that I want the I did ask a question.

If my colleagues want me to support their resolution, and if I'm going to give up my salary, I want to make sure that those dollars get reallocated to youth jobs.

And so if we're ready to make that commitment, then you can get my vote.

But if you can't make that commitment, then I'm gonna have to say no.

Thank you, Council Mejia.

Would anyone I'm gonna call anyone like to add their name?

Consular Culpepper.

Got it.

Doc at 1064.

All in favor say aye.

Oh vote.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please I did ask formally for clarification and my colleagues to answer my request as to whether or not they would be willing.

Do I take a vote?

Yeah, so my question was to the makers, before I take this vote, if they are willing to ensure that every single dollar that we're giving up of our salaries is going to be put into youth jobs.

If they're willing to make that commitment, then I need to know that because I'm not going to take on a vote without understanding what I get in return.

Yes, I I did have my mic on.

I wasn't that's not what Consular Murphy, uh Consul Flynn.

Just one of you, I don't need both of you to answer the question.

Yes, it's focused.

Okay, well, Consult Flynn, Consul Weber, you you had your light on earlier, but you can't.

It's okay.

I'm actually hold on.

He hasn't spoken on what I'm trying to respond to the question.

Excuse me.

Counselor Weber.

You know, I I again I I I don't support this, I want to support, you know, uh, my fellow counselors who are all very hardworking and have real you know expenses to deal with.

We all we we all have to make ends meet.

Uh and so but my my just and the makers can answer this in their question, but I just don't think we can take the money and guarantee it goes somewhere to Councilor Mejia's uh request as as good as that request is.

I think it just goes into the general fund, and then we talked about the budget.

But um, thank you.

Okay, I'd like to move on to a vote.

I was going to answer.

In the hearing, um, the resolution does say that, and it also acknowledges the additional legal and contractual hurdles that it would have to go through.

And I did list all of them and definitely support it would all, if it could go to youth jobs, support that.

But just like amendments, it's a suggestion.

And like the amendments we put forward oftentimes don't ever do the impact we hope for, but I would put all of it to youth jobs absolutely.

Okay, thank you.

Now we'll move on to the vote.

Counselor's Murphy Murphy and Flynn seek suspension of the rules of adoption of docket number 1064.

All in favor say aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1064?

Councillor Braden.

No.

Councillor Braden, no.

Counselor Collar is a part of Council Culpepper.

Counselor Culpepper, yes, Councilor Durkin.

Counselor Durkin, no, Council Fitzgerald.

Council Fitzgerald, no, Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes, Council Lou Jen.

Council, no.

Council Mejia.

Present.

Oh no, you have to say that you have to say that.

You have to say.

Councilor Mejia, no.

Counselor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes, Council Bippin.

No.

Council Bippin, no.

Counselor Santana.

Council Santana, no.

Council Weber.

No.

Counselor Weber, no.

Counselor Warrell.

Councilor World, no.

Nine votes in the negative and three votes in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Docker 1064 has uh not been adopted.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1065?

Document number 1065, Counselor Flynn off of the phone.

Resolution recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Boston Debate League.

The chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

Earlier this afternoon, we had the Boston Debate League come to the curly room, but also to the City Council Chamber for a celebration to recognize to recognize this outstanding organization.

Since 2005, the Boston Debate League has empowered thousands of students across the city in our public schools.

Preparing young people for college, career, civic life through debate, through education, for what's after school debate, debate-inspired classrooms, and resolved programs, three specific programs.

This organization equips students with critical thinking, research, communication, leadership skills essential for success.

Serving diverse student populations, ensuring access to inclusive, high impact educational opportunities.

And I enjoyed listening to them, I enjoyed watching them.

Um I enjoyed learning from them, especially because they're the future of our city, of our country, and those young students, whether they're in the debate program or they're in the Boston public school system.

We can't give up on them.

We have to provide them with every opportunity we possibly can so that they are successful and they are happy in their lives.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Uh would anyone like to add their name?

Counselor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor, Councillor Louise Young, Councilman, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Santana, Councillor Peppin, Councillor Weber, and please add the chair.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1065?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Kelly's apartment.

Counselor Culpepper, Councillor Durkin.

Yes.

Councillor Durkin, yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Council Ms.

Joe, yes.

Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes.

Councilor Lujan.

Yes.

Councilor Luizen, yes, Council Mejia.

Councilor Mejia, yes.

Councilor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes.

Council of Penn.

Yes.

Councilman Finn, yes.

Councillor Santana.

Councilor Santana, yes, Councilor Weber.

Counselor Weber, yes, and Councillor Worrell.

Docker number 1065 is received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Docket number 1065 has been adopted.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1066?

Docker number 1066.

Councilor Flynn offer the following.

Resolution in support of 3% cost of living adjustment and increasing the COLA base for retirees in the Boston retirement system.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, may I add Councilor Mejia as an original co-sponsor?

Council Mahia is so added.

Retirees in Boston retirement system dedicated their careers, their lives to serving the residents of Boston, improving the quality of life in our city.

Our retirees deserve a retirement package that provides a fair and dignified standard of living after years of public service.

Retirees have not received an increase to their cost of living adjustment, which is COLA base since 2021, and currently receive an annual COLA increase of only 450 bucks, which is field to keep pace with rising living expenses.

We talk about a high cost of living.

This city is 48% greater than the national average.

Grocery prices are 20 29% higher than the rest of the country.

Housing expenses, 127% greater.

Utility prices, 24%.

Could go on and on.

It is therefore critical to raise the cola base for our city retirees so that they can continue to afford to live in a city that they served and helped build.

City retirees deserve an increase in their cola base in recognition of their years of service to the city in a significant rise in cost of living across the city in the state.

These city retirees, many of them, most of them are still living in the city.

They're barely making ends meet, even with their retirement monthly check that comes in.

They're struggling to put food on their table.

Do they deserve it?

I think they do.

They were city employees during difficult times in this city.

Whether it's whether it was in the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, but they never gave up on the residents of Boston.

They supported residents of Boston.

They didn't necessarily have a large salary, but they gave everything they possibly could to the residents of the city.

Working on the weekends, working on holidays, sweeping the street, helping the elderly, coaching youth sports, fixing fixing BHA buildings.

They're asking a little bit of respect.

Maybe this council can provide it to them.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councilor Mejia.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I think Councillor Flynn uses all his time.

I appreciate that.

Sorry.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to Councillor Flynn for adding me to this resolution.

I'm proud to support this because our retirees deserve to age with dignity after dedicating years of service to the city of Boston.

The reality is that the cost of living continues to rise, and many retirees are struggling to make their ends meet just to keep up with housing, groceries, utilities, health care, and many of them are on fixed incomes.

A 450 annual increase is simply not enough as city expenses begin to rise.

Supporting a 3% cola adjustment and increasing cola base from 15,000 to 18,000 is a reasonable step towards making sure retirees can continue to afford to live on the city that they help build.

And I also think that every single year we have to come back and ask for this.

So I think what we should do is just change the amount once and for all so we don't have to keep fighting for uh this every single year.

I just think that it gets played and it does not provide our um retirees with the stability that they uh so much deserve, especially as they um continue to hope to age in place, and so therefore I'm happy to uh do this resolution and thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Counselor uh Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Peppen, Councilor Santana, Councillor Weber, Councillor Orrell, and please add the chair, uh and counselor Louis Jeanne.

Councillors Flynn and Murph uh seek suspension of the rules adoption of docket 1066.

All in favor say aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1066?

Councillor Braden.

Yes, Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Colletta's appointment, Counselor Culpepper, yes, Councillor Culpepper, yes, Councillor Durkin, Council Fitzgerald, yes, Councilor Fischer, yes, Councillor Flynn, yes, Councillor Flynn, yes, Councilor Louis Anne.

Yes, Councilor, yes, Councillor Mejia.

It's Mejia, yes.

Yes, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, yes, Council Peppin.

Councillor Penn, yes, Councilor Santana, Councillor Santana, yes, Councilor Weber, Councillor Weber, yes, and Councilor Warrell.

Councilor, yes, uh 10 document number 1066 as received 10 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Docket number 1066 has been adopted.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1067?

At the request of Councillor Durkin, document number 1067 has been withdrawn.

Thank you.

Docket 1067 has been withdrawn withdrawn.

We're now on to personnel orders.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, could you please read the personnel orders?

Personnel orders, document number 1068, Councillor Braden for Councilor Louise M.

Docker number 1069, Council of Braden for Councillor Culpepper.

Docker number 1070, Councillor Braden for Councillor Culpepper.

Docker number 1071, Councillor Braden for Councillor Culpepper.

Document number 1072, Councillor Braden for Councillor Flynn.

Thank you.

The chair moves for passage of the personnel orders.

All in favor say aye.

The ayes have it.

Personnel orders have passed.

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

Please put your light on and we'll make any adjustments.

Yes, thank you, madam chair.

Docket number one zero six one, one zero six two, one zero six three, and one zero six five.

I'll like to add my name to those four dockets and a vote.

Yes.

61.

Once uh 61, 62, 63, 65.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Councillor Centana.

Thank you, Madam President.

I would like to add my name and uh vote in the affirmative to 1063.

Thank you.

All good.

We're now on to green sheets.

Is anyone looking to pull uh anything from the green sheets?

Councillor.

Councilor Flynn, you have something for the green sheets.

Yes, madam chair.

On page three, docket zero nine one nine, zero nine two zero, please.

Mr.

Clerk.

We don't have to have to um what page, Council?

Page three.

Page three and the docket number.

The docket number is 0919, 0920.

0920.

Councilor Flynn, Chair of the Committee on City Services.

Mr.

Clerk, could you read those two dockets into the record?

From the committee on city services, document number 0919.

Message in authorizing the City of Boston Procurement Department to enter into a contract for a period of up to five years for the purchase of biodiesel ULSD Octane and Number 2 Heating Oil.

The contract term would begin in 2026.

The City Council's permission to enter a contract of this type for a period of more than three years required by Section 12 of Chapter 30B of the general laws.

The term longer than three years will enable the city to ensure that it gets the best price on purchases of harbor boat fuel by allowing the city to lock in lower costs for a longer period.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Absent objection, the motion of the committee chair is accepted, and dockets 0919 and docket 0920 are properly before the body.

Councillor Flynn, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, I would normally have a hearing on these, but in the interest of time, due to the contract, it is important for us to move forward.

What I would try to do, Madam Chair, is sometime this summer, maybe have a city council hearing just on general information relating to these dockets.

But it is important for me to go forward.

Um, I do want to be respectful to the mayor's office per their request that we move on these today.

The procurement department is currently out to bid for two citywide fuel contracts that support critical operations across the city, including vehicles, including departments in the Boston Fire Department, Boston Police Department, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, the Boston Public Library, Boston Public Schools, Property Management, and many other departments that rely on fuel every day to deliver essential services to residents.

These contracts cover the purchase of bow fuel, diesel fuel, gasoline, and number two, heating oil, all of which are necessary to keep city vehicles, equipment, facilities, and emergency operations running safely and efficiently year-round.

The city will enter into an initial three-year contract term running from July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2029.

As chair of the City Services Committee, I am seeking approval for the option to extend these contracts for up to two additional one year terms.

This flexibility is important and necessary and necessary because it allows the city to lock in favorable pricing for a longer period when marking conditions are beneficial, helping protect taxpayers from the rising cost of fuel, and providing greater budget certainty.

At the same time, the city is not obligated to exercise these extensions.

We will only move forward with additional one-year term if the locked-in pricing structure continues to provide a clear financial advantage to the city if market conditions if market conditions change and better pricing is available elsewhere, the city will simply rebid the contracts to ensure we continue receiving the best value possible.

This approach balances fiscal responsibility, operational reliability, flexibility, while ensuring that departments across the city have the fuel resources they need to continue serving residents without interruption.

As chair of the city services committee, I'm seeking approval for these op for the option to extend this three-year contract for up to two additional one year terms.

Um I'm requesting a um suspended a vote on this.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Flynn, the chair of the uh committee on city services moves for passage of we'll take it in two separate.

There's two dockets.

First of all, we'll do docket uh 0919.

All those in favor say aye.

Doubt the vote.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket 0919?

Council of Braden.

Yes.

Council of Braden, yes, Council Color is a part of Council Culpepper, yes, Councillor Calpepper, yes, Councilor Durgan, Council Fitzgerald, Councillor Fitzgerald, yes, Council Flynn, yes, Councilor Flynn, yes, Council Lu Jen.

Yes, Council Lugen, yes, Council Mehia.

Council Mehia, yes, Councillor Murphy, Council Murphy, yes, Council Papen.

Council of Penn, yes, Councillor Santana, yes, Council Santana, yes, Council Weber, yes, Council Weber, yes, and Council Royal.

Yes, Council Rao, yes, document number 0919 has received eleven votes in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Docker 0919 has passed.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, could you uh Councillor Flynn, Chair of the uh the Committee on City Services seeks uh suspension of the rules and passage of docket zero nine two zero?

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote?

Roll call vote on document number 0920.

Council of Braden.

Yes, Councillor Braden, yes, Councillor Calil is a part of Councillor Calpeck, Councilor Culpepper, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Fitzgerald, Council of Fischer, yes, Councilor Flynn.

Yes, Council Flynn, yes, Council, yes, Council, yes, Councilor Mehia, Council Mehia, yes, Councilor Murphy.

Councilor Murphy, yes, Council of Pen.

Council of Penn, yes, Council Santana, Councillor Santana, yes, Council Weber.

Council Webber, yes, and Councilor Warrell.

Yes, Councilor, yes, document number zero one two zero is received.

11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Duncan 0920 has passed.

Um counselor.

Um you um, chair recognizes counselor, the chair on the committee on labor and economic development.

You have the floor.

Uh thank you, madam president.

Uh, I like to pull docket number zero seven six two from the labor committee on page 15 of the green sheets.

Um Mr.

Clerk, could you please read docket 0762?

Okay, see you.

What page is that again?

Uh 15.

Docket number.

Docket number 0762.

From the Committee of Labor and Economic Development, Docker number 0762, message in order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 250,000 in the form of a grant.

Volunteer income tax assistance vita program awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development.

The grant will fund services to underserved populations in the most difficult to reach areas, both urban and rural through free basic tax return preparation for qualified individuals.

Thank you.

Absent objection, the motion of the committee chair is accepted and docket 0762 is properly before the body.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

This is a 250,000 dollar grant that supports the Center for Working Families Boston Tax Help Coalition is providing free tax preparation services to low and moderate income residents during tax season.

The Boston Tax Help Coalition primarily serves households with low or moderate incomes, including individuals with limited English proficiency, immigrants, seniors, and residents with disabilities.

In addition to tax preparation, the program connects participants with financial guidance and credit building resources that support long-term economic stability.

I'm recommending uh that docket number 0762 are to pass.

Thank you.

Councilor Warrell moves for passage of docket number 0762.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say nay.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket uh 0762?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councilor Braden, yes.

Councillor Color is a part of Councillor Calpepper.

Councilor Calpepper, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councillor Fischer, yes.

Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Counselor Flynn, yes.

Council.

Yes.

Councilor Lujan, yes.

Councillor Mihia.

Councilor Mehia, yes.

Counselor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, yes.

Councilor Verpen.

Yes.

Councilor Ben, yes.

Council Santana.

Yes.

Councilor Santana, yes.

Councilor Weber.

Yes.

Councillor Webber, yes, and Councilor Warrell.

Yes.

Council Warrell, yes.

Docket number 0762 has received 11 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Docket 0762 is passed.

Chair recognizes Councillor Santana.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I would like to call Docket 0979.

0979.

And what page is that on?

I don't need that.

We don't need it, please got it.

Very good.

Thank you.

That's good.

All good.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 0979?

From the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Docket number 0979.

Message you know authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of 49,476 in the form of a grant for the fiscal year 26 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services to be administered by the fire department.

The grant will fund the purchase of the necessary personal protective and safety equipment to comply with National Fire Protection Association and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards to enhance fire fire safety.

Thank you.

Absent objection, the motion of the committee chair, uh um councillor uh sentana, the chair of public safety and criminal justice.

Docket zero nine seven nine is properly before the body.

Counselor, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam President.

The Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice conducted a hearing on March 31st to review all fire department grants coming up front of the council including this particular grant this grant would provide um the necessary funds to upgrade vital equipment that enhances safety and efficiency during these rescue operations the elevator kits and poll systems will reduce um extraction time uh minimize elevator damage and improve safety for both members and civilians additionally the carbon monoxide detectors will better protect responders by identifying hidden dangers during medical calls ensuring safety safer and more effective responses having held a productive hearing on this order and other fire department grants as chair of the committee on public safety and criminal justice I recommend moving this docket from the committee to the full council for discussion and formal action at a time our recommendation um to the full council will be that docket number 0979 are to pass thank you counselor sentana council centana move to passage of docket uh we need to have a discussion certainly um chair recognizes council flynn counselor flynn you have the floor thank you madam chair i want to say thank you to council santana for bringing this forward i strongly support um support this docket this is an important program and I want to say thank you to governor governor healy and uh lieutenant governor Driscoll the administration for always being there for the residents of Boston what this also does is supports residents that need critical elevator services as well safety in our elevators can't be an afterthought we need to provide a safe environment for residents in Boston that need an elevator to go to work or to go to their apartment but this type of grant supports that and it's these quality of life issues it's these public safety issues that are are critical that we need to continue to learn more about to support but I'm glad we had a focus and discussion on how important elevator safety is in the city of Boston in fact the Massachusetts architectural access board fined the Boston Housing Authority almost 4000 last week for poor elevators in BHA development at Ruth Barkley but these are the issues I'm going to continue to focus on providing residents workers with the safest elevator access as we possibly can I want to say thank you to councillor Santana for bringing this forward thank you madam chair thank you counselor uh sentana seeks suspend uh seeks passage of moves for passage of docket zero nine seven nine all in favor please say aye mr clerk could you please read uh take a roll call vote on docket zero nine seven nine counselor braden yes counselor brain yes counselor counselor call pepper counselor call bepa yes counselor durkin counselor fitzgerald counselor yes counselor flynn councilor flynn yes counselor counselor yes counselor mehia counselor me here yes counselor murphy counselor murphy yes counselor counselor pen yes counselor sentana counselor sentana yes counselor weber counselor webber yes and counselor worrell yes counselor yes docket number zero nine seven nine as we see eleven votes in the affirmative thank you docket zero nine seven nine is passed we're now moving on to late files I'm informed by the clerk that there are one personnel order uh absent objection uh this late file matter is will be added mr.

Clerk, would you please read the the late file matter?

Personnel order, Councillor Braden for council fitzgerald.

Thank you.

The chair moves for passage of this late file matter.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

Thank you.

This personal order has passed.

We're now moving on to the consent agenda.

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

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

All those in favor say aye.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, thank you.

The consent agenda is approved.

We're now moving on to announcements.

Please remember that these are for upcoming dates and events.

Does anyone have an announcements?

Councillor Pepin, you have the floor.

Yes.

Thank you.

This is more of a thank you, a public thank you to Eversource and Mike Fitzgerald specifically yesterday.

Over 55,000 homes were impacted by a major outage.

And my district was the most impacted.

And Everstor stepped up immediately.

It was caused by Mother Nature, and they just did their really due diligence of making sure that residents were kept up to speed and were able to bring back power to all the homes.

So very thankful that we have good partners out there.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Louis Jen.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you.

I just wanted to give a shout-out to my sister whose birthday is tomorrow.

She is um my parents have four girls, and she is the sweetest um and best human being that I know.

I just wanted to wish her a very happy birthday.

Okay, and also it's morrow day weekend, so I just wanted to make sure that we I think Council Flynn mentioned earlier, but just remember those who have uh made the ultimate sacrifice and just wanted to uh thank all of those who have served.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Councillor Flynn, you have the floor.

Yeah, thank thank you, madam chair.

And I I did mention um one event or two events, I guess.

And there are other events across the city, across the Commonwealth, obviously, for as we as we go into Memorial Day weekend.

I don't necessarily have all of the events here with me, but one one event in particular is this Sunday, um, nine o'clock at the Fitzgerald Post, which is a VFW post in South Boston, my neighborhood.

Um it starts at 9:30, and we leave from the Fitzgerald Post in South Boston.

We march up to the metal of Honor Park.

But there are other events across the city that you might want to attend.

I'm gonna try to put some of these upcoming events on social media so my colleagues can see where they're at, but also residents can see where these events are at as well.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh, two announcements.

Uh one is don't forget that May 26th we have a public testimony here at 6 p.m.

It's gonna be uh an opportunity for community to uh do another push to get us to uh listen uh to community and hopefully deliver on the things that they've been asking for.

So it'll be here on Tuesday um 6 p.m.

in the INLA chamber for those who are tuning in.

And if you really want to have a good time beforehand at 4 p.m., the Better Budget Alliance is gonna be downstairs in City Hall Plaza rallying the troops up, and so if you want to be part of that disruption, you can join them there at four.

And while I'm up, I just wanted to acknowledge.

I don't think we'll be back the next time we are back in this chamber is June 3rd.

No, and so I want to thank all of the Dominican mothers um out there.

Uh happy Dominican Mothers' Day.

I know we just have American one, but I'm just letting you those folks who are tuning in that Dominican moms do have their own day out in the Dominican Republic, but many of them live here.

So, and and Haitian and there's actually in Mexican, there are lots of other mothers celebrating at the end of the month.

And so I just want to acknowledge and and thank all the mothers who are immigrants to this community.

Uh, happy Mother's Day as you celebrate.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Um, a few um happy birthday greetings, happy birthday to our colleague, Councillor Murphy.

Happy birthday.

Uh Megan Kavanaugh, both of you are celebrating your birthdays today.

We're also wishing an early happy birthday to Joaquim Lombos of Councillor Santana's office and Caroline O'Neill of Councillor Murphy's office.

We're now moving on to memorials.

Did I miss you?

Councillor Santana.

Are you putting up your use?

Do you have an announcement or you're kind of in between?

So this was it's good.

It's kind of in between both.

You're sort of in between.

And Councillor Council Santana, you have the floor, and then we'll go on to the two of them.

Yeah, so uh I do just want to I mean it's very as Councilman.

Is uplifted our Dominican mothers want to my mom just um had a birthday this past Monday, um turning 55.

Um I think many of you know that she's been battling um uh uh cancer for the last several years and um just being able to spend time with her um and my family was um this was it's amazing um as we're heading into memorials.

I also want to acknowledge that next week, May 24th.

Uh my oldest brother, um, who I think many of you know passed away in 2016 due to a car accident would have turned um 37 years old.

Um, and you know, I live through him and his spirit and his dedication um to the city of Boston and to our Boston youth.

Um, and I just want to wish him a happy heavenly birthday.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Councillor Mejia.

Did you have?

No, you're good.

We're moving on to memorials.

Um would anyone, on behalf of Councillor Flynn, world to World War II veteran John Bernard Arnold III.

On behalf of Councillor Louis Jeanne, Mr.

Roscoe Baker, and Nerver Nervera Desire, on behalf of the entire city council, Congressman Barney Frank.

The Chair moves that when the city adjourns today, it does so.

Thank you, pardon.

Councillor, um councillor Louis Jeanne, I missed your light.

You had somebody to add to the memorials.

I'm sorry.

No, I just I just wanted to speak on someone who is who's passed.

Two people.

One is um, you mentioned Nerva Desir, who is the father of uh uh sergeant, she just made sergeant last year, Sergeant Carlene Desire.

Um it was a very big loss, she's the only child, and so I just wanted to give Sergeant Dezir our condolences on the passing of her father.

He worked uh for years in construction at Dimmick Business, uh, and he is admired by his, was admired by his colleagues for his dedication, reliability and Tyler's work ethic.

He leaves behind his wife, Rosette, um, and his daughter, as I mentioned, Sergeant Carlene Dezier, along with the host of beloved uh relatives and friends.

So I just wanted to make sure that we adjourned today's meeting and that I told the family that I was gonna uplift him.

So just want to make sure that we uplift Nerva Desir and also wanted to, you mentioned him as well, Roscoe Baker.

He's a former executive director of Roxbury Boys Club and a mentor to so many.

He was very deeply involved in our public schools and in Roxbury Community College.

So just want to make sure that we uplift the memory of Roscoe Baker as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Louis Jeanne.

No, if anyone else has anyone else anyone else okay.

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, June 3rd, 2026 at 12 p.m.

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

All in favor of adjournment, please say aye.

The council is adjourned.

Thank you all.