Good afternoon, everyone.

I apologize for the delay in getting started.

We had some technical difficult difficulties with our live stream, but we're ready to roll.

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

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

Also, pursuant to rule forty two.

I remind all in this chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted, including not but not limited to signs, placards, banners, cheering, clapping, booing, etc.

And if such demonstrations are made, the gallery or public seating area will be cleared.

This rule will be strictly enforced.

Thank you.

Mr.

Clerk, will you please re uh call the role to ascertain the presence of a quorum?

Councillor Braden.

Yes, here.

Councillor Colorado's a part of Councillor Calpepper.

Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Lou Jen, Councillor Mihia, Councillor Murphy, Council Be Penn, Councillor Santana, Councillor Weber, and Councillor World of Quorums.

Thank you.

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

Mr.

Clerk, I'd like to call on you to offer some brief remarks as an invoction today.

And following which we will recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you, Councillor.

Good morning, everyone.

Let us pray.

Spirit of life and love which moves through us and through all the world.

May we this day be grateful for the gift of life which is ours, remembering today and always that the life we have and hold is to us a mystery and precious.

May we this day be reminded of the responsibilities we carry, not so that we are intimidated or overwhelmed, but so that we may be true to them.

So that we may be faithful in carrying them forward.

May we this day be inspired, be filled with new breath, and be filled with new enthusiasm, be ready to use fresh opportunity, new perspectives, unnoticed avenues for action and resolution.

And may we this day remember those virtues that bless our lives and bless the lives of others, the virtues of caring and concern, the virtues of honesty and respect, the virtues of charity, industry, and patience.

And may the members of the Boston City Council maintain a high sense of their calling.

Remember that we are invested here with honor and call to a wider vision of the world and a world made more fair, more just, more equitable by their efforts.

Amen.

Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Great Public, for which is indivisible with a justice for all.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

We have two presentations today.

Councillor Mejia is recognizing BPS paraprofessionals, and following that, Councillor Weber will be recognizing the BPS Cross Country State Championship champions.

Oh, did you want to go first?

Councillor Mejia, you are up first.

Good afternoon, everyone.

It is so good to see this chamber full with people who we work for.

So welcome to your chamber.

So good afternoon.

I am really excited today to recognize and celebrate the paraprofessionals of the Boston Public Schools.

And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the difficult moment many are experiencing.

This year, Boston Public Schools proposed the elimination of a hundred and sixty one paraprofessional positions as part of a broader staffing reductions across the district.

Okay?

While the Boston public while the Boston City Council's role in the BPS budget process is limited to voting yes or no, because that's the job of the appointed school committee, the overall budget is just for us a yes or no.

But we do not have the authority to amend the school department budget itself, and we must recognize the symbolic impact of our votes and the message that they send to the people who make our schools work every day.

Behind every position is a person who has spent countless hours helping students succeed, providing one on one-on-one support, assisting teachers, supporting students with disabilities, helping multilingual learners, and ensuring that young people feel seen, safe, valued, affirmed in our classrooms.

And so to our power professionals who have dedicated their entire careers to helping to support our most vulnerable learners, we are recognizing today as your day in the Boston City Council.

Come on down, y'all.

Let's give it up for our power professionals.

And we would like to just I'll read this into the record and then we'd love to give you all an opportunity to speak.

So this is an official resolution from our office.

It's send it's congratulations to the Boston Public School paraprofessionals in recognition of their dedication to supporting students across the city of Boston through their daily commitment and care.

They help create supportive and enriching learning environments for countless young people.

We honor the essential role of power professionals of the Boston Public Schools in strengthening our schools and uplifting the next generation.

So let it be resolved that the Boston City Council extends its best wishes for continued success, and that this resolution be signed by the president of the city council and attested to with a copy transmitted by the clerk of the city of Boston.

And this is not just a piece of paper, this is part of the history book.

So forever, this will be a part of our historical um archive.

So just want to thank you all for your dedication and your work, and we would love to give Colleen the mic.

Thank you, Councillor Mahia.

I appreciate it.

Um we accept this in all the paraprofessionals of the city of Boston, many of which cannot be with me today because they're supporting our schools.

As we mentioned, today is a really important vote for the budget.

I ask you and implore you to vote no.

Standing behind me right now are many generations of parents from the last 40 years that came with me today to represent the paraprofessionals of these cities, some of which are still very active in our schools.

This is it's a the vote is so important.

Our students deserve the best we can offer them in this city, and if they don't have the supports they need every day to be successful, what type of education are we giving them?

So I ask you to vote no today in favor of the uh for the budget so that we save the positions, we save the services our students deserve.

But I would like to thank you for this uh honor today on behalf of all the paraprofessionals across the city of Boston.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And and I want to note too for those who are tuning in is that the majority of our paraprofessionals, uh, many are women, single mothers, and in communities of color who are taking on these roles, and I think it's really important if we're really serious about racial equity, then we really start thinking about how we're utilizing this budget season to define what that really looks like.

So thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

And I now ask my colleagues to come up and take a photo.

Thank you very much.

Let's give it up one more time for our paraprofessionals.

I don't want to blow up on that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Come on.

Occupy space.

There you go.

Vote no.

That's right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Mejia.

So, um counselor Weber, um, invite you up to make your presentation, and invite the uh VPS cross-country uh state champions to come up as well.

Yeah.

So I think I saw you at the end of the city championships last year.

Uh Hannah, she was just on the team for a while.

Okay.

Okay, thank you very much.

Um yeah, please.

So um, the BPS cross country team uh, you know, I think it was really a passion project for Coach H for anyone who who knows him.

And up until a couple years ago, it had been 50 years since the BPS cross-country team, I think boys or girls had made it to the state meet, and uh they finally made it after all this hard work, uh, competed for a couple years, and then a couple years, and then this fall, both the boys and the girls team won the state meet.

So please, a round of applause.

Uh so yeah, uh so under Coach Ward, who's done an incredible job with this group.

Uh 13 students, seven boys and six girls from various BPS schools won the division two cross-country championship the first time for BPS athletics in over a hundred years.

Very nice.

Uh, not even I was around for that.

Uh the students in front of us today are from uh the O'Brien, the Dearborn, Boston Latin Academy, uh, and our sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

As Coach Ward told the base eight banner last November, in order to be successful at cross-country, it takes a special type of dedication and work ethic.

Being able to find young athletes wanting to go through the everyday grind of cross-country training was only made possible by the joint leadership of both Coach Ward and Coach H over the past 10 years.

Uh most recently, October, Coach Ward predicted that that his uh his teams would step up to a higher level after meet in Falmouth.

Is that uh where uh the girls won their competition by one point and and the guys finished third, uh, only five points off the lead.

Uh in November, the girls team scored a decisive victory over Cannon High School.

Uh and who who came in second for the boys?

Okay, fall fall meadow.

Long meadow, sorry, long meadow.

Um, before I pass the the mic over to Coach Ward, uh I just want to take a moment to recognize some of the team's top runners.

I have uh I have resolutions for all of you.

Let me see if I can hand these out.

Um, we have uh here, Coach Ward.

Uh let me see, uh Khalid, no?

Oh, okay, great.

Uh we have um Nathaniel.

Thank you.

Nathaniel Illiff, Maya Friedman.

Great job.

Uh we have Nev Flynn.

Okay.

Uh Ryan Collins.

Yeah.

Okay.

Uh we have Pietro Waterman.

Okay.

Nice.

Um Sarah Blanco.

Okay.

Uh uh Adam Kramer.

Okay.

I don't know if we're gonna get to everyone.

Uh Brandon Spice, okay.

Speaks.

And Maddie.

Okay.

Okay.

Uh did everyone get one?

No, okay.

Uh well, great.

Um, Sarah, Sarah Blanco uh goes to the O'Brien, Nev Flynn is from BLA, Brandon Speace and Adam Kramer are from the O'Brien.

Uh Ryan Collins goes to BLA.

Uh and Terrence McGee is Terrence.

No, Terrence isn't here.

Youngest member of the team goes to the Dearborn Academy.

Uh, I just want to congratulate all the runners.

Uh I hope uh you know the seniors are going on to run next year.

Uh and everyone else just, you know, PRs next fall, and uh and and and and does a little better with Coach Ward's help.

So, Coach Ward, if you have anything you want to say.

Um, um just thank you to all for uh giving us this honor.

It was a lot of hours of hard work and dedication.

These kids they really put in so much time um as like a unified co-op team in Boston.

It takes a lot of effort to kind of bring in all these different schools and all these different kids, but they're really special.

They work really hard.

There's a lot of talent in Boston, a lot of really hardworking kids, and um, if we kind of give them more and more of these opportunities, um, this is what can happen.

So I'm just really really proud of them and um thank you so much for the honor.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

I'd like to invite my colleagues up for a photo.

They will be where are the seniors going next year.

Oh, yeah.

Okay, are you running?

Who's running?

Okay.

Okay, I ran up for this.

Okay, thanks a lot.

Have a good summer, everyone.

Make sure you're running.

Congratulations.

Okay.

How does it go?

Congratulations to the new white stadium.

I don't know.

Congratulations once again to the BPS cross-country state champions.

Um, I actually ran cross-country when I was in high school, believe it or not.

Yeah.

Um, I just throw it in the Crown.

Uh Mr.

Klerk, could you please amend the attendance to say that um to record that Councillor Louis Jeanne, uh Councillor Warrell and Councillor Culpepper have joined us.

Thank you.

We're now on to the first order of business, uh which is the approval of the minutes from the meeting of uh May 20th, 2026.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

The minutes of the May 20th meeting are approved.

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

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docker 1083 and 1084 together?

Document number 1083, message in order, authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of eighty thousand dollars in a form of a grant.

Community safety initiative initiative awarded by the mass executive office of public safety and security to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development.

The grant will fund the City of Boston's comprehensive step strategy aimed at reducing gun gang and youth violence in the city of Boston.

Document number 1084, Message and Author authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $39,000 in a form of a grant.

Donation by MSP surplus vessel Marine 43, awarded by the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory to be administered by the police department.

The grant would fund the transfer of one 1979 Coast Guard UTB patrol boat, Marine 43 from the Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit to the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

The chair recognizes Councillor Santana, the chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um rising today to suspect and pass um both of these grants.

First on Docket 1083.

Um this grant is one of many grants that fund the U program.

You will be able to support over 200 who are involved or at risk youth on a yearly basis.

The core participants will have access to case management, which includes resource coordination, advocacy and support, mentoring, transitional support, and much more, depending on the needs of each individual youth.

Also, have the opportunity to explore different supervised opportunities with our community-based organizations.

Some of these opportunities include opportunities in the culinary arts, DJ and mixing sports, leadership, entrepreneurship, and photography, and many more.

With the acceptance of this grant, the Office of Workforce Department will be able to continue to uplift and serve these young residents who need that support as they continue to learn and build the skills necessary to be successful and productive members of this community.

Um the second grant, um, uh 39,000 um low-level grant that is going to be going to the crime lab um to support the effort.

I know we've had many hearings led by counselor Flynn on this issue.

We want to make sure that that office uh has the resources it needs um to be able to execute the work.

So um I'm looking to spend them has both of these grants today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor.

Councillor Santana, the chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

Um Counselor Flynn, thank you, Councillor Flynn.

You have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

I just may I speak on Docket 1083, please.

Certainly, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair.

I know this grant would fund the Boston's strategy aimed at reducing gun gang and youth violence in the city.

Just want to acknowledge, well, want to say thank you to councillor Santana.

Um, myself and Council Well will be holding a hearing soon on the yearly report the Boston police sends to the City Council on trafficking of guns throughout the country here into the city of Boston.

So I'm looking forward to having a discussion on how we work closely to reduce gun violence in the city, but also trafficking guns that come into Boston that come into Massachusetts.

But that's also part of the strategy as well.

I want to say thank you to um Council Santana.

Thanks, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

Counselor Santana, the Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 1083.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0183?

Counselor Brain.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Coletta's apartment.

Counselor Calpepper, Councillor Culpepper, yes.

Counselor Durkin, Councillor Durkin, yes, Counselor Fitzgerald.

Counselor Flynn.

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes, Councillor Lugen.

Councilor Lugen, yes, Councilor Mejia.

Counselor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes, Councilor Penn.

Councillor Penn, yes, Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Councillor Santana, yes, Counselor Weber.

Yes.

Councilor Weber, yes, and Counselor Warrell.

Docket number 1083 has passed.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Counselor Santana, the Chair on the Committee of Public Safety and Criminal Justice seeks suspension of the rules and passage of Docket 1084.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1084?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Counselor Coletta's apartment.

Counselor Calpepper.

Counselor Calvepa, yes.

Counselor Durkin.

Counselor Durkin, yes, Councilor Fitzcherald.

Counselor Flynn.

Yes.

Counselor Flynn, yes.

Councilor Luis Gen.

Yes.

Councilor Louisiana, yes.

Counselor Mihia.

Counselor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes.

Councillor Pepin.

Councilor Pen, yes, Councilor Santana.

Counselor Santana, yes.

Counselor Weber.

Yes.

Counselor Webber, yes, and Counselor Warrell.

Docket number 1084 has passed.

Thank you, Mr.

Clark.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1085?

Mr.

Nota authorizing the city of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $20,930 in the form of a grant, the L Central Fellowship Grant, awarded by Catholic charities, Arch Diocese of Boston to be administered by the Department of Innovation and Technology.

The grant will fund the fellowship program for L Central IT training program graduates.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Docket 1085 will be referred to the Committee on City Services.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1086?

Docket number 1086 message transmitting certain information under Section 17F regarding all grant programs, contacts, and funding provided to nonprofit organizations, community-based organization, and external partners in fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027, including all reductions, eliminations, and changes in funding.

Docket number 0873 passed by the city council on April 29th, 2026.

Thank you.

Docket 1086 will be placed on file.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1086 and 1095?

Oh, sorry.

Sorry, beg your pardon.

1087 and 1095.

Docker number 1087.

Notice received from the mayor of her absence from the city on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 11 a.m.

and returning Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 1215 p.m.

Docket number 1088.

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 April 29, 2026.

Docket number 1089.

Notice 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 13, 2026.

Docket number 1090.

Communication received from the city clerk of the filing by the Boston Planning and Development Agency regarding application of West End Library Preservation Associates Limited Partnership for Authorization and Approval of a Project Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 121A and the Acts of 1960 Chapter 652, each as amended for the West End Library Redevelopment Project in the West End neighborhood of Boston.

Docket numbers 1091.

Communication received from the city clerk of the filing by the Boston Planning and Development Agency regarding Mildred Haley Phase 1 Chapter 121A project.

First amendment to report and decision.

Second amendment to report and decision.

Docket number 1093.

Communication received from the city clerk of the filing by the Boston Planning and Development Agency regarding Mildred Haley phase one chapter 121A project completion of design review procedures for phase 4A and phase 4B.

Second amendment to report and decision.

Docket number 1094 communication received from the city clerk of the filing by the Boston Planning and Development Agency regarding Franklin Hill Phase 2A and 2B, Chapter 121A project.

Amendment to report and decision and regulatory agreement.

Docket number 1095.

Communication was received from the city clerk of the filing by the Boston Planning and Development Agency regarding Matapan Heights 3, Chapter 121A project.

Second amendment to report and decision.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Docket's zero.

Docket 0.

Docket zero one eight seven through docket zero nine five will be placed on file.

Mr.

I'm having my dyslexic numbers today.

Docket zero one zero eight seven through one zero nine five will be placed on file.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1096?

Docket number one zero nine six communication was received by the city clerk from the Boston Landmarks Commission for City Council action on the designation of the petition number two nine four.

The Swallow Mansion 33 Quarters Street Charlestown Mass in effect after July 1st, 2026, if not acted upon.

Chair recognizes Councillor Durkin.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much.

As chair of the Planning Development and Transportation Committee, I wanted to speak on the Swallow Mansion, which was built in 1845.

It's an architecturally significant rare Boston area example of Greek revival temple form house with a full height columned portico capped by a pentament.

Through the Greek revival style, Greek revival style was common throughout New England.

Only a handful of homes in Boston are Temple Friends with a high high height porches.

With the monumentality of its columns and the pentament, the swallow mansion could be considered the finest example of a Greek revival house in Charlestown and one of the finest in all of Boston.

Sat back from the street, the house's position on its site is also unique for the neighborhood.

From the south uh from the south end of Courtus Street, the Swallow Mansion rests on its foundation like a temple projecting from the incline of Breeds Hill.

Constructed at a moment and of social tension amid efforts to create both an upper class enclave in Charlestown and counter the increasing emicant immigrant habitation in the area.

The history of the Swallow Mansion uniquely centers around both Boston's political and merchant elite and its immigrants.

The saddle changes to its fabric, including the earlier 20th century alterations that formed in its high style home of the prominent swallow family and to a multifamily home for Irish immigrants, made it uniquely well preserved example of Boston's elite housing stock creatively adopted by underrepresented groups to help propel them into better standards of living.

The Boston Landmarks Commission recommends that this ought to pass, and as the chair of planning development and transportation, I'd like to uh ask for your support today on this landmark designation.

Thank you, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Durkin, the Chair of the Committee on Planning Development and Transport Transportation, seeks suspension of the roads and passage of Docket 1096.

All those in favor say aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1096?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Council Colorado's a pilot.

Councillor Culpepper.

Council Culpepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin, Councilor Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald, Councilvischer, yes, Council Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Council Luigian.

Councillor Mihia.

Council Mejia, yes.

Councillor Murphy.

Councillor Murphy, yes.

Council of Pen.

Council of Penn, yes.

Council Santana.

Counselor Weber.

Yes.

Councillor Weber, yes.

And Council Warrell.

Council Warrell, yes.

Docket number 1096 has passed.

Thank you.

Docket zero 1096 has passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1097 through 1098?

Docket number 1097.

Communication was received from Councillor Flynn, transmitting the Wolf and Company audit.

And docket number 1098.

Communication was received from Council Flynn regarding a double amputee.

Disabled veteran sleeping outside due to an elevator failure at BHA Ruth Barkley apartments.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Docket 1097 and 1098 will be placed on file.

We are now on to reports of committees.

Mr.

Clerk, would you please read Docket 1969?

Docket number 0969.

Docket number 0969.

The Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, which was referred on May 13, 2026, Docker number 0969.

Message in order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of $12,573,604 in the form of a grant.

2026 FIFA World Cup grant program awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency passed through the mass executive office of public safety and security to be administered by the Office of Emergency Preparedness.

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

Submits a report recommended that the order ought to pass.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Uh the chair recognizes Councillor Santana, the Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

Council Santana, you have the floor.

This is for Docket 0969.

Thank you, Madam President.

On Thursday last week, we held a hearing on the 2026 FIFA World Cup grant program.

During the hearing, we heard from Adrian Jordan, who's the chief of emergency management, Malik Kanti, Director of Administration and Finance with OEM.

Deputy Superintendent Sean Martin with the Assistant Bureau Chief of Fuel Services with Boston Police Department.

Kevin Coyne, who's a deputy commissioner of administration and finance with the Boston Fire Department, and Neomi Lane, who's a deputy of the Office of Fuel Services with the Boston Fire Department.

I was joined by my colleagues, Councilman Lujan and Councillor Fitzgerald.

At the hearing, we learned that the grant will provide necessary funding to enhance security and preparedness operations in the city during the 2026 FIFA World Cup event.

Um they went over the uh the way work of the 12 million dollars housing will be break broken down to multiple grants.

Um obviously we're gonna have a lot of visitors this upcoming summer.

Um, about 10 million dollars of this twelve million dollars is gonna cover um overtime um for the Boston Police Department and this so this credit is um gonna be needed um and it's gonna be useful.

So uh as a chair of the committee on public safety and criminal justice, I recommend a docket number 0969 auto-pass.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Centana.

The Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket 0969.

All in favor say aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0969?

Councillor Braden.

Yes, Council of Braden, yes, Councillor Coletta's apparent counselor Culpepper, Councillor Culpepper, yes, Councillor Durkin, Councilor Durkin, yes, Councillor Fitzgerald, yes, Councilor Fitzgerald, yes, Council Flynn, yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes, Council Luigi, Council Luigian, yes, Council Mejia, Councilor Mehia, yes, Councillor Murphy, Councilor Murphy, yes, Councillor Pipan, Council of Fenn, yes, Councillor Santana, Council Santana, yes, Council Weber, Councillor Weber, yes, and Council Warrell.

Yes.

Councilor, yes.

Docket number 0969 has received 12 votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

The committee report has been accepted and docket 0969 is passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you would you please read Docket 1030 and 1031 together?

Docker number 1030, the Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred on May 20th, 2026.

Docket number 1030.

Message in order authorizing the City of Boston to appropriate an amount of 47,120,292 dollars for the purposes of funding the snow and winter management appropriation to meet operating expenses of the fiscal period commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30th, 2026, submits a report that the order ought to pass.

And Docker number 1031, the Committee on Ways and Means, which was referred on May 20, 2026, Docker number 1031.

Message in order authorizing the City of Boston to appropriate the amount of 22,845,672 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, $18,000, $87,750, and utility spending, $4,757,922, submits a report.

Recommend the order ought to pass.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Chair recognizes Council Weber and the Chair of Ways and Means.

You have the floor.

Okay, thank you very much.

Um for docket number uh 1030.

Uh this is a supplemental appropriation for the amount of 47 million dollars, 120,292 dollars for the purpose of funding this snow winter management.

The committee held a hearing on this docket on Wednesday, May 27th.

Was joined by Councillors Culpepper, Fitzgerald, Murphy, Flynn, and Madam President Braden.

I'd like to thank my colleagues for attending as well as CFO Groffenberger and uh Office of Budget Management Director Jim Williamson to thank them for their participation in the hearing.

As you recall, this winter was extraordinary uh with uh extensive amounts of snow and cold uh and ice.

Uh at the hearing, the administration proposed uh the uh the use of free cash to fund this supplemental appropriation in doing so following the guidance of the state regarding the use of free cash as stated by the division of local services free cash is considered a non-recurring revenue source used for one-time expenditures uh given the unique and one-time nature of this winter season, the emergency response necessary.

Uh, the committee believes that it is an appropriate use of those funds while also helping protect the city's fiscal stability by addressing these expenses uh now rather than carrying a deficit forward in the fiscal year.

In addition, there is um there we uh there's state law that governs snow removal, and if we do not fund the uh the amount of our overage on snow removal, which is $47 million over our budget, uh it gets tacked on in a tax order for next year.

Um Madam President, do you want me to address both dockets?

If you could address both both dockets and then we'll separate them for a vote, okay.

So for those reasons, I recommend uh the committee uh that I recommend uh passage of docket one zero three zero and respectfully ask my colleagues for their support.

Docket number one zero three-one.

This is a supplemental appropriation, the amount of twenty-two, eight hundred forty-five thousand six hundred seventy-two dollars for the purpose of funding the Boston Public Schools operating expenses for the fiscal year two thousand twenty-six.

After hearing testimony from the Boston Public Schools leadership and reviewing the financial impacts facing the district, uh I recommend passage of this docket.

I'd like to thank counselors uh Pepenn, Flynn, Fitzgerald, Culpepper, and Madam President Braden for attending our hearing, and we'd also like to thank BPS CFO Bloom for his participation and thorough responses at last week's hearing, CFO Bloom presented on the budget challenges that the district is currently facing, particularly around rising health insurance and utility costs.

Uh, the administration outlined steps already taken during uh during the school year to reduce spending, including pauses on discretionary spending, delaying certain hires, and implementing cost-saving measures across the district.

Uh, that uh even with those efforts where the projected deficit was over 50 million uh dollars.

The district uh uh continues to face significant unexpected costs, particularly due to the increase in employee health insurance expenses and utility rates.

This supplemental appropriation would help stabilize the district's finances the remainder of the school year and allow BPS to meet its operating obligations.

Uh I I I this funding is necessary to address immediate uh financial pressures on BPS and avoid carrying a deficit forward into next year.

For those reasons.

Uh as chair of the ways and means committee, I recommend passage of docket number one zero three-one and respectfully ask for my colleagues' support.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

The chair, we're going to vote on these separately.

The chair on the committee of the committee on ways and means seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket one zero three zero.

All those in favor say aye.

Mr.

Clerk, would you please take a roll call vote on docket 1030?

And I'd like to amend the attendance record to recognize Councillor Coletta Zapata.

Welcome back.

Roll call vote on Docket No.

Councilor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Colletta Zapata.

Yes.

Councilor Colletta Zapata, yes.

Councilor Calpepper.

Yes.

Councillor Calpepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin.

Counselor Durkin, yes.

Council Fischero.

Yes.

Councillor Vicero, yes, Councilor Flynn.

Yes.

Council Flynn, yes.

Councilor Louise N.

Council Louisiana, yes.

Council Mihia.

Council Mihia, yes.

Councilor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes.

Councilor Penn.

Yes.

Council of Penn, yes.

Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Weber.

Yes.

Council Weber, yes.

And Council Warrell.

Yes.

Councilor Warrell, yes.

Docket number one zero three zero has received a unanimous vote in the affirmative.

Thank you.

The committee report has been accepted and docket one zero three zero has passed.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please the chair of the committee on ways and means seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket 1031?

Mr.

Clerk, would you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1031?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Councillor Colette is a file.

Yes.

Councillor Coletta's a party.

Yes.

Councilor Culpepper.

Councillor Calpepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin.

Councilor Durkin, yes.

Councillor Fischero.

Yes.

Council Fischer, yes.

Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Council of Flynn, yes.

Councillor Louisiana.

Yes.

Councilor Louisiana, yes.

Council Mejia.

Council Mejia, yes.

Counselor Murphy.

Yes.

Council Murphy, yes.

Council Benn.

Yes.

Council of Penn, yes.

Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Council Santana, yes.

Council Webber.

Yes.

Council Weber, yes.

And Councilor Warrell.

Yes.

Council Orell, yes.

Docket number one zero three one has received the unanimous vote in the affirmative.

Thank you.

The committee report has been accepted and docket one zero three one has passed.

We're now on to matters recently heard.

Pursuant to rule thirty-nine, each councillor will have 10 minutes to discuss the main motion, which is the full docket as presented.

The assistant clerk will help track with a stopwatch, track time with a stopwatch.

If counselors do not use their time in the first round, they'll be able to use any remaining time they have in a second round.

Pursuant to Rule 30, Councillors will have a separate two minutes for each subsidiary motion, meaning and including amendments for counselor will be limited to two minutes.

We will be reasonably uh enforcing time limits in accordance with the council rules and to ensure that each councillor is allocated an equal and fair and equal amount of time.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read dockets 0733 through 0740?

Docket number 0733 through 0735.

Orders for the fiscal year 27 operating budget, including annual appropriations for departmental operations for the school department and for other post-employment benefits.

Dockets 0736 to 0737.

Orders for capital fund transfer appropriations and docket number 0738 through 0740.

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

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

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

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I'd like to get through a couple of these before we get to the operating budget.

Uh, I'd ask uh Madam President for uh a 15 minute recess to allow.

Uh we're gonna pass out all the tax orders and everything, and people can have 15 minutes here in the chamber to review.

Uh, but I I think we need to get to a couple of the to get to op ed and capital and BPS first.

Thank you.

I I think 15 minutes here in the chamber would be um allowed.

Yes, thank you.

Counselor Mejia, you have the floor.

Yes, so that I'm clear and I'm understanding and tracking the the dynamics that are happening here.

We're going to get um we we've only had seven hours and thirty-eight minutes over the last four or five days to review these budgets, and now we're going to be given 15 minutes to review documentation, and then you were only going to get two minutes to speak on our deliberation, and we're going to be asked to take votes with no voice and no way of really being able to be fully heard in this process.

I just want to hear that if that's what's happening right now before we engage in this process.

Councilor Mahia, each counselor is a mean motion.

It will be allowed 10 minutes to discuss.

And if there's subsidiary amendments, they'll be allowed two minutes to discuss.

So and so I'm sorry, and I'm sorry, I'm sorry, President.

Yesterday, during a working session, the meeting was adjourned without proper procedures and without allowing us as a member of 13 bodies here to be able to talk about amendments.

And so you're going to only give us two minutes to talk about any amendments we potentially may want to make.

So I need to hear from you, President Council Braden, that we're not going to utilize procedural tactics to prevent people from advocating for the things that the community has asked us to do.

That is not the intention.

Okay.

First of all, we'd allow the chair to present his report.

It's customary to bring in the final report.

In previous years, the report has arrived on our desks on the morning of this vote.

And in previous years, we've had 30 hours worth of deliberation, not just seven hours and 38 minutes.

I appreciate that concern.

So that concern is cause for us to recognize how flawed this process has been.

We can debate it and then we can move on from there.

Right.

And then the other piece of it, right?

The other piece of it, because right now what it's beginning to feel like is that we're being steamrolled through this process, right?

And what we're not going to do is continue to do business as usual.

And if we've given if we've been given powers to do our jobs, then you need to allow us to do our jobs today in this chamber.

Well, that's our intention.

We'd like to see the report first, though.

It was not given to one individual councillor, one committee chair, or a process negotiated with the administration without the full council.

This is now the fifth budget cycle since voters approved that change, and I have been here for all of them.

And for the last four years, there has been a process for working through proposed amendments.

Council is submitted amendments, reviewed them together, discussed priorities, and used a straw vote or a show of hands to see which amendments had enough support to move forward.

That process was not perfect, but it gave every councillor a fair opportunity to have their proposals discussed and considered by colleagues.

This year has been very different.

There were 11 amendments submitted by counselors, and it was a Google Doc where you couldn't also add where you wanted pulls from.

You were only allowed to say what you wanted to add, which was very different from past times.

I understand that some were duplicative and overlapped with others, but this body never worked through the full list together.

Instead, the ways and means chair gave us his much shorter package of amendments, and at every working session, council is asked how that list was determined, why some amendments were included, and why others were left out.

We still do not have a clear answer why this process wasn't transparent.

The chair also made clear that counselors who voted to reject the budget on May 20th did not have their amendments included for discussion in this package.

That is a serious process problem.

A vote against the earlier budget order was not a decision to give up our role in the amendment process.

Counselors who voted no still represent residents, we still have budget priorities, and still have the responsibility to advocate for the communities we serve, excluding those amendments from discussion based on a prior vote is not how I believe this authority should be executed.

This discussion was abruptly cut off yesterday by the chair.

While counselors were still asking questions, and it was the first working session, we still hadn't had any of our questions answered.

And now we're being expected to read through a very thick document without having any discussion completed.

So we're coming here today, and in the past four years, there was a very clear understanding when we came into this chamber.

And maybe Brian's office printed it out and we got it the day of the vote, but we already knew where we stood.

We all had our voices heard, and we weren't blindsided like I feel we are today.

The ways and means chair has an important role in managing hearings in helping organize the budget process.

But the Charter Amendment gave budget amendment authority to the council as a body, not just one person.

If we are going to use that authority responsibly, every councillor should have a fair opportunity to submit amendments, have them discussed, and see whether they have support from colleagues.

That is what voters approved in 2021.

A stronger role for the council in shaping the budget, exercised openly, collaboratively, and transparently, and that is not what has happened.

And so we're I just think we need to pause, not just take a 15-minute break.

I think we need to not take a vote today.

Thank you, Councilman Murphy.

Counselor Flynn.

Thank you, madam chair.

Pardon, beg your pardon, Council Flynn.

Counselor, I let me just say, let me just say, we haven't we haven't heard from the chair of the committee yet.

We haven't seen the packet, and we're going to be open.

Murphy, uh, we are going to be open to amendments.

We are on time to peruse it.

We've, you know, we know we've seen this packet that's been in circulation for two weeks.

Last Friday.

So I want to recognize the chair of the committee on ways and maids.

Thank you.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you very much.

Uh, due to some technical difficulties uh with the package, it's taken a few more hours to produce.

We're I'm told it's being printed out.

We will have time to review it.

Uh, this year is different than other years.

Uh, we have an overwhelming call to fund several uh areas that were cut from the budget.

Almost every councillor advocated to fund those uh programs, whether it was the office of equity, housing vouchers, age strong, youth jobs, arts and culture, returning citizens, and so we had a different budget process because this budget was different.

There was a series of cuts.

We heard restore the cuts several times and all in terms of what people submitted.

Everyone agreed, uh, or most of the most of us agreed uh on what to fund with our uh polls, and I will explain those when we get to the talk about that first.

Uh there's docket number 0735, which is uh the appropriation of 40 million dollars for the other post employment benefits liability trust fund, better known as OPED.

This cost covers retiree health and life insurance benefits, similar to pensions.

Employees can earn oped over the year their years uh uh over their year of service and then receive them during retirement.

As of June 30th, 2024, the OPED trust fund had a balance of 1.17 billion.

The city has been contributing uh 40 million to the fund each year since fiscal year uh 2013.

That being said, I recommend we approve this docket today to uh fund op ed benefits for our retirees.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

The Chair of the Committee on Wars and Main seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket 0735, which is OPED.

Uh Mr.

Turk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0735?

Councilor Braden, yes, Council of Braden, yes, Council Calera Zapata, yes, Councillor Zapati, yes, Councilor Culpepper, Councillor Calpepa, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councilor Durkin, yes, Councillor Vischeral, Councillor Fischer, yes, Councillor Flynn, yes, Councillor Flynn, yes, Councillor Louis Gen.

Yes, Councilor Louisiane, yes, Council Mehia.

Yes, Council Mejia, yes, Counselor Murphy, Councilor Murphy, yes, Council Pepin, Councillor Papen, yes, Councillor Santana, Councillor Santana, yes, Councillor Weber, Councillor Weber, yes, and Councilor Warrell, yes, Councilor Row, yes, docket number 0735 has received a unanimous vote in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Committee report has been accepted on docket 0735 has passed.

Mr.

Chair, um, do you have uh any other dockets?

Mr.

Chair, you have the floor?

Yeah, thank you.

Um, so uh docket numbers 0736 to 0737, uh I'm recommending passage of these dockets, which total 8.5 million for the city's capital grant fund and the surplus property disposition fund.

Uh it's 3.5 million to the capital grant fund and 5 million to the surplus property disposition fund.

City's capital grant fund is used to address the impact of transportation network companies or TNCs on our roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure, and can be used for other public purposes that are substantially related to the operation of TNCs on the city.

The surplus property disposition fund is credited to the city's capital fund for planning, design, and construction of coastal resilient solutions around the city.

In recent years, this fund has supported decarbonization efforts at BHA and helped uh repair and improve the city's animal shelter and supported the city's interim coastal resilience efforts.

So that being said, I recommend uh we approve dockets 0736 and 0737.

Thank you.

The chair of the committee on where's the main seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket 0736?

Council, yes.

Yes, thank you, madam.

Um, just so that I'm curious.

The operat where this docket, which one is the the BPS budget?

We're not there yet.

We're not there yet, right?

No, no.

Okay, no, I just want to make sure that y'all are not trying to pull up that we have a lot of dockets to go through.

Thank you.

Thanks for your question.

The chair of the committee on where's and mean seeks acceptance of the committee report and docket 0736, which is the capital grant program.

Councillor Flynn.

Mr.

Clerk?

Oh, sorry, Mr.

Councillor Flynn.

Thank you.

Just on on this particular docket, thank you, madam chair, for letting me speak.

Um but just on this particular docket, I know some of this, some of this funds will be used towards BHA.

Wanted to respectfully ask the chair.

The one of the main challenges I've had in my district is the faulty elevators at BHA.

I know some of this, some of this will be supporting BHA operations, but could I ask the chair what impact will this have on supporting residents living in public housing at BHA developments, specifically with how we're going to improve safety, elevator safety, and quality of life of residents.

I do think it's an important discussion, and just want to respectfully ask the chair where we go from here in terms of addressing the faulty elevators throughout the BHA system, and if this will have any impact at all on how we can support residents living in public housing.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Chair recognized Council Weber, you have the floor.

Okay, yeah, it has been used for decarbonization efforts at BHA developments.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Weber.

I have Chairman.

Councillor Flynn, yes, you have the floor.

Um I just want to say thank you to the chair for that response.

I appreciate it.

I look forward to working with the chair on how we improve elevators in the BHA development.

I also know Councillor Pepin reached out to me as well.

He's he wants to work with me on how we can improve elevators in our BHA development.

I do respectfully want to ask all of my counselors if they will commit to working with me to improve elevator safety related issues, not just in my district, but throughout the city.

I do think it's I do think it's a very important issue.

It doesn't get discussed very often, but I am concerned if there is a fire at one of our BHA developments, our elevators are down how we're going to get people from the fifth floor down to the first floor.

I do think it's a matter of life and death, and I do take this issue very seriously, and I take it personally.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Um I appreciate your advocacy.

Um I'd like to move on to the vote, please.

Um, um, the chair of the committee on where's the means seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket seven three zero seven three six, which is the capital um capital grant program.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0736?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Counselor Braden, yes, Councillor Coletta is a pilot.

Yes.

Counselor's part of yes, Councillor Culpepper, Counselor Culpepper, yes, Councilor Durkin.

Counselor Durkin, yes, Council Fitzcherald, yes, Councillor Fischer, yes, Council Flynn.

Yes, Councilor Flynn, yes, Councillor Lugen, Council Louis, yes, Councilor Mejia.

Council Mehia, yes, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, yes, Council Pepin, Council Papen, yes, Councilor Santana.

Councilor Santana, yes, Councilor Weber, Councillor Weber, yes, and Councilor Warrell.

Councilor, yes.

Docket number 0736 has received a unanimous vote in the affirmative.

Thank you.

The committee report has been accepted and docket zero seven three six has passed.

The chair of the committee on where's and means seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket zero seven three seven.

Uh this is the docket on surplus property.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket zero seven three seven?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Counselor Colletta's a part.

Counselor Coletta's a party, yes.

Council Culpepper.

Yes.

Councilor Calpepper, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councilor Durkin, yes, Councilor Fitzgerald, yes, Council of Chow, yes, Councilor Flynn, yes, Councilor Flynn, yes, Councilor Louis Gen.

Yes.

Councilor Louis Gen, yes, Council Mehia.

Councilor Mehia, yes, Councilor Murphy.

Yes.

Councillor Murphy, yes, Councillor Pen.

Councilor Papen, yes, Councillor Santana.

Councillor Santana, yes, Councilor Weber, yes, Councillor Weber, yes, and Councilor Worrell.

Yes.

Councilor, yes.

Docket number 0737 as we see the unanimous vote in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Docket 0737 has passed.

Mr.

Chair, you have the floor.

Okay, thank you very much.

Uh next, I'd like to address docket numbers 0738 to 0740, which are the capital budget.

I'm recommending approval of docket number 0738 to 0740, which is the 4.4 billion dollar five-year fiscal year 2027 to 31 capital plan, which will fund 321 projects across all of our neighborhoods.

As you may recall, the committee held two hearings on the capital budget, the first on April 14th, the second on Tuesday, May 26th.

Both hearings, we reminded that our capital budget is primarily funded through the sale of capital obligation, I'm sorry, general obligation bonds.

Careful management of our debt service is a big reason why we have a triple A bond rating, which keeps the cost of our debt as low as possible, enables us to fund projects that we we need uh across the city.

Uh again, uh uh much of the capital fund is used for maintenance of already built structures.

We should note uh the city restructured our debt schedule this year in order to maintain our capital funding uh source while reducing the burden our fiscal year 2027 budget by 13.1 million, which is a 4.2% reduction to the fiscal year uh 2027 debt service appropriation.

Uh we've done this by uh spreading out the amount of time uh that we pay off our loans.

Furthermore, this loan order would specifically support four BCYF centers uh along with renovations and repairs at various BCYF and BPS pools, two loan orders for the fire department, four for BPDA projects, an IT server infrastructure refresh project for the public health commission, various BPS parks and rec property management and public works project, and financial memorial to Crispus Attics, as well as support a permit and licensing technology system for the uh for the Department of Innovation and Technology that are known as do it as the chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

My recommendation is that uh these matters ought to uh ought to be read for the first time and assigned for further action.

I think we have yeah and docket number please docket number 0738, 0739, and 0740.

0747, 0738, 0739, and 0740.

Um these are the dockets pertaining to capital correct um the chair of the committee on ways and means six acceptance of the committee report and passage of dockets 0738 hold on 07390 uh so I'm opening the floor for for comments or debate at this point.

Counselor Mejia, you have the floor.

Is that a thank you?

Thank you.

Um just uh I'm just curious.

I know in previous iterations of the ways and means, um, there was a breakdown based on neighborhoods in terms of how much money is being allocated to like Dorchester Roxbury Mattapan.

Do you have that information?

I know counselor then Anderson did like a racial equity analysis about our capital budget, and we were able to determine, you know, kind of like how we were spreading the wealth around.

Do we have that here so that we can see uh counselor uh Mr.

Chair, would you like to answer that query?

Thank you.

Yeah, we were provided a breakdown of all the projects by neighborhood uh in the budget book.

But it's not unified over before.

Uh it's no, it's in the budget book.

It's in the budget book, so people gotta go dig for it.

Well, we covered it at the hearing.

So, okay, great, thank you for that.

And then I'm just curious about uh white stadium.

Are we are we seeing an investments here for White Stadium?

I think I don't see White Stadium here.

That's because we already funded it in the last budget cycle.

Yeah.

I'm just curious because I don't see it in your report.

Okay, I believe it's it's in the capital budget.

Yeah, but it's not in your report.

Okay.

I just want to know for the record that white stadium was not listed here.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

On the capital budget, I will be voting in favor of the capital budget, although I I aggressively advocated for a new Blackstone school.

I have been talking to teachers and neighbors and parents and students.

The Blackstone School is in the South End.

And it's literally sandwiched between Ruth Barkley apartments and Villa Victoria.

It's not included in the Capitol Plan.

It's probably one of the most diverse schools in the city of Boston.

The school is falling apart.

It needs major structural repairs.

There is a swimming pool that's also on the grounds that is a that is part of the school building with BCYF.

That school pool has not been operating for many, many years.

The pool will not be fixed until there is a well, it won't be fixed.

We'll only get a new pool if there's a new school building.

Um I am concerned about this issue.

I want to make sure that the residents of the South End in Roxbury, it's it's not too far from Roxbury in in Chinatown as well, but mostly the South End in Roxbury.

I want to make sure that they have a school in a BCYF facility that works for them.

But right now, this school is in very bad, very bad condition.

It needs a lot of maintenance and needs a lot of support.

It should have been part of the capital budget.

Having having fully addressed this issue for for many years, we're we're delaying justice for so many students and families in residents.

But we have to make a priority that the Blackstone is going to be part of the Capitol Plan next year.

Again, I'm voting on this plan on this budget now, but I do have to highlight the major concern I have with the Blackstone, a new Blackstone school not being part of the budget.

I don't want to shortchange our constituents in the South End and across the city of having a new school.

Not sure if this is a priority with the administration or with BPS, but it's one of the most schools that is in neglect across the city.

Many of my colleagues here on the city council have been there.

But I do want to address that issue and ask that it be part of the next capital budget because I think the residents of the South End deserve a new school that doesn't leak on them, that has a pool that people can swim, that kids can take swimming lessons.

And we can't pretend it's not happening right now.

The residents of the of the South End deserve a new Blackstone school, and I'm respectfully asking that this body support the residents of the South End and across the city as well.

Again, it's not going in this budget, but I don't want to, but I want to respectfully ask now if people will support a new Blackstone school going forward.

I think it's a priority, and I I don't think we can delay justice any longer.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Uh Councillor Braden, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And thank you, colleagues.

Um I have given this vote a great deal of thought.

Uh as many of you know, capital, the capital budget is something I have been talking about for many years.

Um I want to thank the administration, the chief financial officer and city departments, and my colleagues in the council for the tremendous amount of work that we've gone into this budget.

These discussions have reflected a very real challenge facing our city and our neighborhoods and our finances.

These are not easy times.

Therefore, throughout these hearings, however, one message came through clearly.

Residents want to know not only what we are funding, but whether those investments will ultimately ultimately be delivered.

They want transparency, they want accountability, they want confidence that investments are reaching neighborhoods fairly and equitably across the city.

They want to know that when promises are made, there's a clear path to results.

As someone who served as the on the council for six years and now is council president, I have heard these concerns consistently from residents across Boston.

They are legitimate concerns and they deserve a response.

Over the course of this budget process, we have had productive conversations with Mayor Wu, members of our administration in multiple uh hearings here in the chamber, the chief financial officer and my colleagues regarding ways we can strengthen transparency, accountability, public reporting, and public confidence in the capital process.

I appreciate the administration's willingness to engage in these issues and to continue that work in the months ahead.

The concerns raised during these hearings did not bring, did not bring this administration, did not begin with this administration, and they will not be solved by any one administration.

They reflect challenges that we have accumulated over many years and in many cases decades.

My expectation is that before next year's budget cycle, we will make meaningful progress towards giving residents a clearer understanding of how projects move forward from authorization to delivery, how investments are distributed across neighborhoods, and how public dollars are being tracked and managed.

At the same time, Boston cannot afford to stop investing in its future.

Our schools need investments, just as Councillor Flynn has just mentioned.

Our infrastructure needs investment.

Our roads and bridges need investment, our public facilities need investment.

We need to invest in climate resilience, and our neighborhoods need investment.

For that reason, I will be voting yes on this capital budget.

As we face tighter fiscal conditions in the years ahead, this work becomes even more important.

Every dollar matters.

Every neighborhood matters.

And public trust matters.

And today's vote authorizes investment.

Tomorrow, together, our responsibility is to ensure delivery.

I also want to remind my colleagues and those watching that this capital docket this appropriation is not for specific projects per se, but it is in it gives the it authorizes the city to borrow to build capital to do capital investment in our in our infrastructure across the city.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Braden.

Councillor Pepin, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And just thank you to Chair for allowing us to talk about capital budget.

As a district councillor, the capital budget is always one that I look closely at, making sure that the three neighborhoods that I represent are well represented.

When I saw the budget this year, obviously has some concerns, and I spoke with the budgeting team about my priorities and what my residents are asking for, making sure that throughout the next few fiscal years that they the neighborhood that I represent Madapan, High Park and Rosnow are getting the investments that they deserve.

You know, my residents in High Park are asking me for a new EMS port, capital plans for Healy Fueled in Rosendale, residents of Madapan that want to see continuation in infrastructure improvements for their pools, for their roads, for their BC, for their libraries, making sure that the projects that are scheduled or to be scheduled inside of the capital budget actually, get done.

So I'm I'm going to work closely with the budgeting team and with the property management team to make sure that those projects do go through the line.

And I also just want to advocate for all the neighborhoods because when we look at the funding to neighborhoods, making sure that every neighborhood gets a fair share throughout the years.

And you know, I am advocating obviously for district five's priorities, but always looking out for every single neighborhood in the city.

I'll be voting yes on the capital budget today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Papen.

The Chair recognizes Councillor Meh and Louis Jeanne, and then we'll follow up with Councillor Coletta Zapata.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And I want to say thank you to all my colleagues, especially my district colleagues who continuously advocate for the needs of their district in the Capitol budget.

The capital budget is an important reflection of where we want to see long-term investments across our city.

And so, Madam Chair, your advocacy in Austin Brighton.

I want to thank all the community members and residents who have come out and have demanded what they should have and what every neighborhood neighborhood should have, which is a community center that is vibrant, that is that has facilities for everyone.

And I also want to uplift the advocacy of the residents of Mattapan.

It's important that all residents feel like the city is thinking about them when we're thinking about the capital budget.

I do think that we need to have a lot of a look back, a five-year look back to see what neighborhoods have and haven't received investment and the follow-through.

I know one area of investment in Mattapan is via uh the Taylor School, my elementary school, and their merger with the PHA.

That is going through the process of the Mass School Building Authority.

We have work to do there because it's been very evident that our students, that our students, our urban district isn't getting the same amount of resources that suburban districts get from MSBA, and that's why our schools are left behind.

And so I think there's a lot more work that we need to continue to do on our capital budget.

Specifically, that's why I propose the Boston School Building Authority, because I do think that there is fiscal strength in this city, and that we have with our triple A bond rating that we're not using enough when it comes to building schools when it comes to building affordable housing.

And so I'm eager to really work alongside a number of education advocates on the Boston School Building Authority because I think that there's work for us to do there.

But I also want to point out that you know my first hearing order here on the council was about how we are using our fiscal strength in the city to do the work of building schools, to do the work of a of building housing, and how we uh issue more affordable housing bonds, how we issue more social bonds.

And I do want to give credit to what OBM did this year, finally, after you know, years of advocacy, is looking into how we're repaying back our debt.

Because aggressive repayments of debt means that we have less money to do the things that we need for our residents, especially our most vulnerable residents.

So, one thing you'll see, and I think the chair mentioned this, is uh uh for some of our outstanding debt, there's been a longer runway for repayment.

And that longer uh runway for repayment, which would still, you know, people have looked into it and and and don't believe that that will negatively affect our bond rating, will free up money for us to do things, and I think one of those things is the Boston School Building Authority doing the work of building schools.

Um, and so I want to say that uh to the residents of Matipan, the Greater Matipan Neighborhood Council, so residents of Austin Brighton, their advocacy is important for us to make sure that we are investing equally and looking, especially when it comes to issues of equity, making sure that we are investing in communities, black and brown communities that have too long been ignored.

Uh, I think this capital budget is inching in the right direction because of how we're looking at debt service, and I think there's more work for us to do, but I'm happy sort of at least with that, and want to make sure that you know, as we move forward, we continue to try to be more equitable with how we're making sure capital projects happen in every district.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Coletta Zapata, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Today, I rise in support of the FY27 capital budget.

First, I want to thank Chair Ben Weber for your diligence and thoughtful approach in this year's budget process.

It has not been easy.

You have not shied away from conversations.

You have gone to uh difficult conversations, you've made yourself available and accessible in various neighborhoods.

And so I just want to say thank you for what you've done.

I think you've done an incredible job.

Um, you and your staff.

I also want to thank Karishma and the entire central staff team for their thorough analysis and responsiveness during budget season.

Karishma has 13 different bosses, and she does it all with grace and and love for the city of Boston.

So I want to shout her out for her work as well.

Um, I also want to thank my staff who has worked tirelessly through this budget season while I have been on maternity leave.

I just gave birth to beautiful Joaquin who is here with me.

He's waiting for me to feed him, but I will be here to vote on all of the budget no matter how long it takes, because it's very important that we are here and doing our due diligence and um uh maximizing our power here on the council.

Um, and I want to thank all my council colleagues for their uh thoughtful um suggestions, comments, uh, everything has been done again with love for the city and its people for district one.

There are significant investments that I just I want to highlight and uh say uh why I'm voting in favor of it in Boston in East Boston.

We continue to advance critical climate resilience and waterfront protection efforts, despite uh historic divestment from the federal government.

So this includes Border Street Resilience, Lewis Mall, and Carlton Wharf.

These projects will uh protect uh vulnerable residents in the city of Boston, despite the fact that we will see not if but when we will see uh major and severe weather um storms coming through uh Boston, and these are just incredible um investments, and I just want to shout out the Office of Climate Resilience for that.

We are seeing major investments in our schools for the PJ Kennedy, the Adam School, the O'Donnell School, the Otis, the JFK.

Um, we're moving forward with improvements at McLean Park.

Shout out to Harvard View Neighborhood Association and your advocacy for that, the Mary Ellen Welsh Greenway, and projects that will improve accessibility, recreation, stormwater management, and public space for residents in Charlestown.

Transformative projects continue to move forward.

We recently celebrated the reopening of the Clarity Pool.

Construction is underway at Ryan Playground.

There are improvements being made in the lost village uh neighborhood, and investments continue to uh happen at Bunker Hill Housing.

We're also advancing long-awaited transportation improvements through Sullivan Square.

Thank God it's been 30 years, and Rutherford Avenue Corridor Project, expanding waterfront access through the little Mystic Harbor Walk connection.

And the North End, we continue to move forward on what is one of the most important civic investments in our neighborhood's future, the North End Community Center.

Thank you to State Representative and Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michaelwitz for getting 25, I think 30 million dollars for the state budget for that.

Design work is also advancing for Christopher Columbus Park, Webster Avenue Playground, and improvements to several historic public spaces that help preserve the character and accessibility of that neighborhood.

In downtown in the Wharf district, major resilience investments continue along Long Wharf while substantial improvements are underway elsewhere in that section of the neighborhood.

At the same time, today's vote is not simply about celebrating projects that are underway, it's about recognizing that there are still projects that need our attention.

Of course, I'm going to shout out the North End Library because to me that is the last piece of the puzzle in our district for major capital improvements.

Berry Field Clubhouse, Ryan Playground Field House, Eagle Square, and Austin Street Bridge.

And so the projects before us represent investments in safety, resilience, housing, recreation, accessibility, and quality of life.

And these are investments that will benefit residents not just this year but for decades to come.

And I do want to shout out, I forgot to um to mention uh the budget staff, OBM, and all of the incredible city workers that work day in and day out to serve this city, uh, including our mayor.

Um, but again, I want to thank my colleagues and uh just reiterate that I will be voting yes on uh the capital budget this year.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Kaletta Zapata.

Uh, we look forward to meeting your little guy.

Um, the chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper, you have the floor.

Thank you, madam chair, and thank you, Councillor Weber, for bringing this forward.

I would say that when we had the capital investment hearing, one of the things that I asked for was for a list of what capital investments were in District 7 through the chair.

I have yet to see that list of capital investments for district seven.

Even though it was two to three weeks ago.

When I look at this list of attached to capital investments to docket number 0738, I don't see if anything for district seven on this list.

And so my question to the chairs is this list, what's being voted on with regard to the capital investments.

Chair, um, would you like to answer?

You have the floor.

Yes.

So in in the in the budget book, it's broken down by neighborhood.

Uh you can uh view all the projects.

They're broken out by projects, there's a description of each one with a dollar figure, uh, and what the status of that is, whether it's being constructed, it's in design to be scheduled, uh, and that's that's that's been in the budget book since it was produced uh on April 8th.

One of the reasons I asked for it during that hearing and through the chair, and they the leadership said they would provide it, is so we wouldn't have to be looking through that book, trying to find capital investments in District 7.

And so I stand here today.

I have no idea if there's anything and when I look at this sheet my question is is this sheet of what's listed here representative of what's going into the different districts.

That's not my question.

Here's my question.

Is that representative of what we're voting on today?

This list that we've got attached is that what's represented in what we're voting on today it's the list that's in the budget book is presented by the mayor.

I think it's all I want to know is what capital investments are in district seven somewhere without having to take time to run through that budget book.

Well then let's take a recess and let me look at the budget book.

Very well we'll take a five minute recess.

No five minutes thank you.

No, we're taking a very brief recess, five minutes, yeah.

Yeah, that's what we've got to do.

I think that's what I think.

Oh, that's good.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I think that's how you have a lot of people.

Thank you, everyone.

I call my colleagues back.

We'd like to get started.

Councillor Culpepper, um, we're back in session.

Um, you have the floor.

Could everyone please take their seats?

Madam Chair, I think I'm reviewing what's in my district, and I'm fine.

Yeah, but I am reviewing it right now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Chair, uh Councillor Weber, you have the floor.

Yeah, thank you very much.

Just to clarify, uh, the report has new authorizations.

So the capital plan again, it's five years.

Uh, a lot of these uh projects are in the capital plan, which you can view through the um through the budget book.

And also just for um my colleagues, the budget the capital budget requires two votes.

So we'll be voting today, and then uh, you know, depending on how we vote, we'll we'll have another vote in a couple weeks.

Um, if that makes it helps anyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we have three dockets.

Um zero seven three eight, zero seven three nine and zero seven four zero.

Um, the first docket um is zero seven three eight, the message in order approving the appropriation of three hundred eighty-four million four hundred and fifth five thousand dollars.

Uh counselor, yes.

Um, Mr.

Chair.

I just I just wanted to give Councillor Culpeper uh sufficient time if you feel like you need more time.

Thank you had your light on before we took the recess.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you so much to Chair Weber, Central Staff.

Um, and to the chair.

Um, three years into being a city councilor, I can see my office's fingerprints and the advocacy of our district eight neighbors reflected in the Capitol budget.

Um, I still think there's much to do on the realization of the Boston Common Master Plan, and I continue to advocate for the need for a downtown parks administrator that would help manage that work.

The reconstruction of Blossom Street, which has been long awaited, I know, is on the agenda for this year and talks the thorough path reconstruction, which we have shared the great news with WACA.

The mayor and I attended a WECA meeting recently to talk about the plans for the reconstruction.

AC and improvements of the Choven Community Center.

Every single thing in the district, I remember a community walk or a meeting that has helped precipitate it.

And right now alleys are being repaved in the back bay, four alleys, curve to curve that have been asked for for a very long time.

In addition, the Kenmore Square Mall connecting our historic Kenmore Square to the Com Av Mall will be completed this year.

Delivery for District 8 on a lot of what we want to see is often contingent upon development projects and are there part of community benefits.

So in District 8, we're still waiting on a Fenway library.

We're still waiting on a number of things.

I am proud that the West End library redevelopment went through the BPDA board, and that the West End can expect to have a new library in addition to hundreds of units of affordable housing.

So I'm grateful.

I think there's more work to do, and I'm excited to continue to roll up my sleeves to prioritize things and get things on the agenda in my district.

But I want to thank the administration for the thought and the partnership on all of the projects that we are working on in partnership.

So thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Council Durkham.

Chair recognizes Counselor Warrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just want to rise and say that when I first started, I took a look at the capital plan and did a five-year analysis, and what I saw was that District 4 over that time span uh was one of the lowest uh districts to receive capital funding towards it.

So I'm constantly going to be advocating uh for more equitable investments uh just because of past uh lack of investments, but also advocating for corrective investments because district four um and district five, parts of district five have received uh small portions of the capital plan, and those are the neighborhoods of Dorchester and Maddapan.

I know in the past uh budget cycles we have received uh large investments, whether it's through the BCYF, uh Grove Hall Center that's coming in, Mother's West Parks, Walsh Park, and other parks in the district, but we need to make sure that those investments continue to come into the neighborhood to fix all of our public infrastructure.

So advocating for equitable investments, but also corrective investments to make sure that we are catching up to pass capital plans that have not funded equitably inside of the district.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Mejia.

Counselor, you have the floor, thank you, Madam President.

And I think that it is important for us to continue to sound the alarm around how monies get distributed, and I'm so happy to hear that District 9 is going to get Jackson Mann and the center because I know you fought hard uh during the budget cycles in previous iterations.

Um, and I know your advocacy regarding the capital budget, um, in years past really and the ground soul of support from the community really led to that victory.

So I just want to acknowledge your leadership and and your voice in that space.

Um, and I do want to stand in partnership and in solidarity with my council colleague from district four, which is my district, in regards to uh the much more uh work that we still need to do to make sure that we catch up.

So thank you for pointing that out, and I'm with you.

Thank you.

So we're gonna move on to a vote.

Uh we've cut three dockets.

Uh we are we have this will be the first reading, so um we'll have another reading and a vote on another reading, a second reading in a few weeks.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, could you please um?

Chair, the chair of the committee on waves and main seeks acceptance of the committee report and possible passage of docket zero seven three eight?

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on dock at 0738?

Yes.

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Council of Braden, make your pardon.

Council Colorado's a part of the Council Colorazapata, yes, Council Culpepper.

Council Culpepper, yes.

Councillor Durkin, Councilor Durkin, yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Council Fitzho, yes, Council Flynn, Council Flynn, yes, Council Lu Jen.

Council Lugen, yes, Council Mejia.

Council Mehia, yes, Councilor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes, Council Papen, Council of Penn, yes, Council Santana.

Council of Santana, yes.

Council Weber, Council Weber, yes, and Council Worrell.

Yes.

Council Warrell, yes.

Docket number 0738 has received a unanimous vote in the affirmative, and it is assigned for further action.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

0738 has been assigned for further action.

The chair of the committee, uh, of ways and means acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket zero seven three nine.

Mr.

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

Councilor Braden.

Yes.

Council Braden, yes.

Council Colletta Zapata.

Council Colorado's party, yes.

Counselor Calpepper, Council Cal Pepper, yes, Councilor Durkin.

Councilor Durkin, yes, Council Fitzgerald, Council Fischer, yes, Council Flynn.

Council Flynn, yes, Council Luigi and Council, yes, Council Mejia.

Council Mejia, yes, Councilor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, yes, Council Peppin, Council Papen, yes, Council Santana.

Councilor Santana, yes, Council Weber, Council Weber, yes, and Council Orell.

Council, yes.

Docker number 0739 has received a unanimous vote in the affirmative and assigned for further action.

Thank you.

The committee report has been accepted, and Docket 0739 has received its first reading and will be assigned for further action.

The Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means 6 acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 0740.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 0740?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councilor Braden, yes.

Councilor Coletta Zapata.

Councilor Colada Zapata, yes.

Councilor Culpepper, Councilor Calpepper, yes, Councilor Durkin, Councilor Durkin, yes, Council Fitzgerald.

Council Fitzgerald, yes, Council Flynn, yes.

Council Flynn, yes, Council, Council, yes, Council Mejia, Council Mejia, yes, Councilor Murphy, Council Murphy, yes, Council Papin, Council of Penn, yes, Council Santana.

Council Santana, yes, Council Weber, Council Weber, yes, and Council Warrell.

Council World, yes.

Docket number 0740 has received a unanimous vote in the affirmative and assigned for further action.

Thank you.

The committee report has been accepted and docket 0740 has received its first reading and will be assigned for further action.

Um let's see.

Sure.

Uh thank you very much.

Uh now I'd like to discuss docket number 0734, the BPS budget.

Um Madam President, uh today I'm recommending approval of the BPS budget, docket number 0734, the amount of 1.73 billion dollars, which is an increase of 2.7%.

It's about 83, 88 million dollars.

As uh I think uh I think we're all aware the committee held several hearings and working sessions on BPS, including pre-budget hearings and three uh three actual budget hearings on the BPS budget uh that was approved by the Boston School Committee on March 25th, like the FY27 operating budget, the school operating budget uh requires uh us to make some very tough decisions.

Um, you know, uh unlike uh the operating budget, the cuts uh will actually impact personnel uh for some of our lowest paid BPS employees, such as paraprofessionals for special needs students and other in school support staff.

Uh much of this being the result, even though the budget is going up by eighty-eight million dollars because of the sharp rising costs in health care, plus uh declining enrollment and the rise in cost of other services.

Uh well I don't want to see the loss of jobs, and as the parent of two BPS students and the son of a New York City special ed teacher, I do not want to see any teachers or parasites or jobs.

We have heard that this is the result of the loss of 3,000 students in our system, and most of those positions being eliminated are due to the closure of schools.

We are still heavily investing in our kids with 1.73 billion dollars.

I think it's about $35,000 per student, you know, among the highest in the state.

Uh but due to change in circumstances, loss of so many of our students in large part because of the uh Trump immigration policies, um, we have to make a tough choices.

Uh and so, and also as we discussed in the uh discussion we had about rejecting the budget, the proposal by the BTU to reject this and have the mayor pull from reserve funds.

Again, it's not going to add students to our schools, uh, it's not going to add long, you know, funding in the long term.

Rather, we have to close additional schools.

I think we heard it's three to four more schools over the next few years.

Uh so um, you know, my heart goes out to our hard-working uh BPS staff, um, you know, I but I still recommend passage of of this docket, given that it'll provide stability for the district, which which needs an operating budget by July 1st in order to fulfill collective bargaining agreements we passed and would allow the district to enter into other agreements uh to provide for our students and families, including being able to uh go forward with uh some summer programming would be jeopardized if we don't have a budget by the end of this month.

Uh, I know we all support our teachers and staff at BPS and our students and recognize how painful some of these cuts are.

Uh I think it's important for us to ensure that the district is able to deliver for our students and their families for the current and upcoming school year in a way that is fiscally responsible, as is why I'm recommending passage of this document.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

The chair recognizes Councillor Mejia.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

And as a BPS graduate and a BPS mom and a BPS agitator, I rise here today on behalf of the voices of the people.

And so I'm going to read into the record the letter from the BTU dated June 2nd to the Boston City Council.

On behalf of the more 10,000 active and retired educators of the Boston Teachers Union, we strongly urge you to vote to oppose the proposed BPS budget.

This request does not come lightly, but we cannot endorse a budget which will eliminate more than 400 student-facing positions from an already under-resource school system.

Each educator eliminated from our schools has an impact on student academics' career.

Each position represents a class of students, cannot take additional supports that a struggling learning learner cannot access, or a needed counseling session that is no longer available.

And eliminating 700 positions, the proposed budget sets a dangerous precedence in difficult physical fiscal times, it is our most vulnerable students who will carry the weight of our struggles, and we will need to stand with them.

We are calling on the city to enact a preemptive supplemental budget to add additional resources to the Boston public schools.

This cannot be done by leveraging increasing state aid, modestly tapping into our growing reserves, this can be done by leveraging our increasing state aid, modestly tapping into our growing reserve funds, or transferring money from historically over budgeted departments.

As of now, Boston Public Schools is the only city department to see job cuts.

We understand that this budget was not an easy one, but the further of but the future of Boston children cannot be where we give up.

The BTU strongly urges you to oppose the proposed BPS budget at your June 3rd meeting, which is today.

Thank you for your time and your consideration.

And I just want to know for the record is that, you know, there's a lot of what we can't do here in the city of Boston, and I believe that we should have a can do attitude.

And there's a lot of fear mongering going on about what potential things could happen to us.

But if you all remember, then councillor, when she was the city counselor, talked about these fair tactics, and I just want us to be mindful that when it comes to this budget, the conversation has shifted significantly.

So I just want to know for the record that I am as education chair uh rejecting uh this vote.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

Counselor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think this is probably the most significant vote that we will take over the last two years.

Whether or not we stand up for students with disabilities.

We all personally thank them for the incredible work that they are doing every day, helping helping all students, students with disabilities, most of them are students of color.

We thank them today and cut their job tomorrow.

We have to decide if students with disabilities and their teachers, paraprofessionals, are they important?

Are they a priority?

Do they deserve a little bit of respect and dignity?

Or, yes, these are difficult times, or should we balance the budget on their backs?

That's the choice we have to make in the next few minutes.

Do we stand with these students and students with disabilities and their teachers and the paraprofessionals and say we think we think you deserve a little bit of respect?

We think you deserve these incredible programs and services that these teachers are providing.

I think they're worth it.

I think they should be a priority.

I don't think we should overlook them.

They are not insignificant.

Students with disabilities and their parents.

Getting them ready for school, taking them to sports programs on the weekends, trying to get the best services they possibly can for their child.

I see grandmothers doing that same support also.

Now they come to us.

Hey Ed, do you think we could ensure that our child that has disabilities?

Do you think we can get a little bit of justice here from the Boston City Council?

That's the decision we're making.

And if the answer is no, then fine, that's the answer.

The answer is no, there's no justice here.

But that's not what I came here for.

I came to fight for my constituents.

Many of my constituents, more than any district city councilor here, live in public housing.

Most of them go to public schools.

Do they deserve to be treated fairly?

Do they deserve to be treated with respect?

Or should they be overlooked?

That's the decision we're going to make today.

Boston has a triple A bond rating due to the financial management of many mayors over the over the last 50 years.

And let me just highlight them.

Mayor White, Mayor Flynn, Mayor Menino, Mayor Walsh, Mayor Janey, Mayor Wolfe.

But can we find any money in the budget for students with disabilities?

Can we find any money in the budget for paraprofessionals?

Can we find any money in the budget for teachers?

Or are we just going to throw up our hands and say, no, there's nothing here for you.

Maybe next year.

Well, that's not that's not what I'm here for.

I'm here to make difficult decisions to say to our students with disabilities to say to their teachers, their paraprofessionals, to their parents or their guardian, that they are part of the city too.

They may not come from privileged backgrounds or have a lot of money or live in exclusive neighborhoods, or go to the Cape on the weekends, or New Hampshire skiing, but I see them and we value them.

We see them at our youth sports programs all of the time.

We see them at after school programs, and the decision we have to make today is are they part of the city of Boston?

Should we overlook them?

Is there money in the budget for them?

There's money in the budget for a lot of things, but is there money in the budget for students with disabilities?

Is there money in the budget for paraprofessionals?

Is there money in the budget for teachers that teach these special special needs children, how to read, how to interact with each other.

I see these paraprofessionals taking in teachers taking these students with disabilities to the bathroom, helping them exercise, cleaning them after they go to the bathroom.

Does that teacher deserve a little bit of respect?

Or are we just a white, privileged, wealthy city that can just simply overlook people because they don't have any political advocacy.

They don't have any lobbyists.

What's best for the residents of the city, especially those people that don't have a voice in government.

I think that's our job.

Wealthy people have people that can speak for them.

We see them every day.

They contribute to our campaigns too.

But the families of special education, those families, they need city counselors to stand with them, to fight for them, to do what we can to make sure that they're treated with respect.

Those are the values I learned in my neighborhood in South Boston.

That's what I hope I contribute as a city councillor.

That's why I fight fiercely for my constituents, whether they're in the South End, whether they're in Chinatown, or they're in my neighborhood of South Boston.

But I especially advocate for my constituents if they live in public housing.

Most, many of the students in public education here in Boston are public housing.

Live in public housing.

What are the after school programs for them?

Many are single parents.

I just don't think this progressive body can overlook what's happening in our city if we vote to eliminate paraprofessionals.

They're one of the lowest paid city employees.

And what are we going to do?

We're going to cut them.

But we're not going to cut high salaries employees.

But why why should we why should we balance the budget on paraprofessionals?

They're only trying to make ends meet.

They don't have any money.

They don't have any money for their kids' clothing.

They don't have any money to take the MBTA.

Sometimes they don't have any money to eat.

Why are we trying to balance the budget on their backs?

Is that fear?

I come here and I know I used up my time, but I do think this is important for me to speak out because when I see injustice, I don't turn around and walk the other way.

That might be the political thing to do is to go along with everybody.

But that's not what I signed up for.

I came here for this job for one reason, one reason only, to advocate as hard as I possibly can for my constituents.

I don't think they're being treated with respect.

I think there's money in the budget for them.

We have to ensure that there is money for them.

They're not insignificant.

They are important, they are part of the city, they deserve a little bit of respect from the city council, and I hope we're going to provide it to them this afternoon.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Council Flynn.

Chair recognizes my tolly here.

Councillor Culpepper, you have the floor, and then you'll be followed by Councillor Coletta Zapata.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

When I ran for this district seventh seat, one of the promises that I made for not just the BPS in District 7 and the teachers and the paraprofessionals.

I made it to everyone I came into contact with that I was going to fight for them.

There was one promise that I knew I could keep, is that I was going to fight for them.

And so I stand here today thinking about that scripture that says do justice.

Do justice.

Today, we stand with the possibility of taking food off the table for these children.

Taking away rent money.

Gas for the cars, shoes where those shoes have holes in them.

I can't believe that I'm standing here fighting with a 1.73 billion budget.

No, I'm serious.

Did y'all hear that?

What did I say?

No, no, no.

What did I say?

Say it like you believe it.

One point seven million budget?

We're putting folks out of work.

We have some rules, and I'd like to provide by them.

You know, I understand our we have lots of very supportive people in the in the audience, but um you the floor is yours and yours alone right now.

On Sunday morning, I'm used to that.

I know you are.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

This is a sad day.

Especially when we started these hearings.

All of us heard them say no one was going to lose their jobs.

All of us heard them say that.

And when David sat here a couple of weeks ago, I asked him about that.

He said, yes.

He couldn't even tell us how many.

I asked him how many folks are going to lose their jobs.

He couldn't even tell us.

But I come back to do justice.

I can't believe that we're even considering talking about approving this budget.

I don't know when the last time the city council stood up to send a budget back to the school committee, but it's time for the city council to stand up and send this budget back to the city to the school committee and say, based on your 1.73 billion dollar budget, you need to find some money to keep folks working in September.

It's a sad day.

If we send this budget and approve it, and we have the authority to reject it, we don't have much authority, but what little authority we have, we ought to use it.

I mean, I can't believe I'm standing here with a 1.73 billion dollar budget and what folks are calling the most progressive city in the country.

Well, if we're progressive that we ought to progress and send this budget back.

We cannot.

We cannot.

And I know my chair said my heart goes out.

But I don't want your heart to go out.

I want your no vote to go out.

Because that will tell where your heart is, they led us to believe that there would be no teacher cuts.

And I'm standing here today, arguing for this 1.73 mind boggling budget to make sure that everyone that got up to go to work this morning will be able to get up in September and go to work.

That's all we're asking for.

We're not asking for raises, we're not even asking for overtime, and we're so used to overtime.

We're just saying to give them what is due.

And when you think about that scripture says do justice, and then it says to love mercy, this is time for us to have mercy.

If anybody wants to shout, have mercy, this is the time to say, have mercy on these teachers that are going to be laid off, have mercy, city council on these prayer professionals, have mercy.

This is the time.

This is what mercy is all about.

If you don't know what mercy is, mercy is saying send this budget back, make sure everyone is hired, and then send it back to us.

That's what mercy is.

And it's, you know, it's funny how easy we said lay it off.

We're firing folks.

We're firing folks.

We go to work every day, right?

In a couple of years, some of us will be up for reelection, right?

Some of us may get fired.

But for today, for today, I say to this council, let's have the courage to do justice.

Because these are the most vulnerable of all of us.

And somebody's got to stand up and fight for the most vulnerable.

If this council doesn't stand up and fight for the most vulnerable, who will?

Who will?

If we don't stand up and fight for folks that cannot fight for themselves, then who will?

And that's not the city I live in.

That's not the city I want to see.

Treat the most vulnerable without looking again at this budget.

One, I keep saying that, I can't believe it.

Somebody needs to correct me.

I can't believe it's 1.7.

Correct me.

Am I, Mr.

Chair, how much is this budget for?

Through the president.

Is it really 1.73 million?

The budget is increasing by 88 million for 1.73 billion.

The layoffs were announced when the school committee approved the budget in March.

If you look at the stories, all the layoffs.

I've been wanting a story that I still can't believe all those.

All the testimony before this body is that there would be these.

Hang on, no crosstalk, please, just one at a time here.

Did you say it's increasing by 88 million?

What are we doing?

Seriously.

We are employers.

We are employers.

As employers, let's not fire anybody today.

Let's send this budget back with the directive to hire and make sure in 1.73 billion plus an increased budget by 88 million dollars to find room for those that otherwise come September would not know how they're going to pay their rent or mortgage, would not know how they're going to buy new clothes for their kids.

Everybody in September buys the kids new sneakers, new jeans, and new shirts.

We all do.

I mean, I'm doing now for my grandkids.

But we all do.

We cannot take the food out of these young children's mouths.

We cannot put families on the street.

That's not us.

That's not what we do.

And I hope that we look at the last part of that scripture that says walk humbly.

That we walk humbly.

And make sure that those that got up to go to work this morning, just like we all did, that will be able to in September get up and go to work to keep a roof over their head.

I would hate to think that this city counselor, this progressive city council, would vote with a 1.73 billion budget, increased by 88 million, has the courage to send anyone home, take away their means of making a living, and then have the audacity to come back to work tomorrow.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Consulate.

The chair recognizes Consulate Kalada Zapato, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Madam President.

Um, this budget does arrive during a challenging moment for uh public education across the Commonwealth.

Um, as we know, and it's been widely reported.

Uh, school districts across Massachusetts and across the country are facing rising costs, enrollment shifts, and increasing demand on student services.

And BPS is no exception.

We are managing significant increases in health insurance, transportation, special education, and collective bargaining costs, while also planning for approximately 3,000 fewer students than just two years ago.

In my district, we have seen a rising increase in declining enrollment due to gentrification, quite frankly, and uh the fear tactics taking hold within immigrant communities.

Um, folks are are leaving Boston, they're leaving the country.

And so, especially in in my district at Charlestown High School and other places where we see multilingual learners, we have seen this decline in enrollment.

And that reality has consequences, has real consequences, and we are faced with these difficult decisions, and they are hard and difficult decisions.

But despite these fiscal pressures, the city is continuing to um invest, and we set it 1.73 billion dollars, a 74 million increase over the last year.

And this investment allows for the district to continue moving forward on priorities that many of us have advocated for inclusive education, multilingual learner supports, equitable literacy, high-quality instructional materials, early college pathways.

And I want to shout out Tommy Welsh in my district who has done an incredible job building these early college pathways.

We have a historic partnership with the Center for Community Collaborative Education, excuse me, CCE and Oscar Santos, in partnership with Dr.

Contempas to help these kids have better pathways from kindergarten through high school or middle school and through high school.

And this includes expanded opportunities for students with diverse learning needs.

As the representative of District One, I am particularly encouraged by continued investments in bilingual education and multilingual learners.

East Boston is one of the most linguistically diverse communities in the city, and our students thrive when they have access to strong language supports, dual language programming as seen at the Umana.

Shout out to the Iman, you all are doing incredible job, and culturally responsive learning environments.

I'm also encouraged by the district's continued commitment to inclusive education and ensuring that students with disabilities have access to resources and services they need to succeed alongside their peers.

And I'm in constant communication with my school leaders and school principals.

They have not flagged any sort of uh divestments that will impact their ability to provide inclusive education for students with disabilities.

But that does not mean that every concern has been resolved.

Throughout the hearing process, members of this council heard concerns from families about enrollment changes, classroom impacts, transportation, facilities, and the implementation of the new school funding formula.

Those concerns are real, and I expect the district to continue engaging families transparently as these changes move forward.

And as the council, we have the responsibility not only to review the budget, but also to continue exercising oversight throughout the year.

I just want to uh get to the rejection call here.

As it was stated by the chair, rejection doesn't change the very real circumstances that we have lost thousands of students.

It doesn't solve for the long-term budget issues, the structural systematic issues that we are feeling, not just in Boston, but statewide.

It was said that or there was discussion that this is on the backs of teachers in Paris, and of course, we do not want to see this.

I think it should also be said that there has been a huge reduction.

I don't have the exact percentage, maybe the chair can correct me, but there's at least been a 17% reduction in central office, which is something that we have all been calling for, understanding that there have been multiple positions that have gone that were created that we were all calling into question whether or not it was positively impacting our students and positively impacting classroom outcomes at the end of the day.

And so our teachers and Paris deserve respect, they also deserve stability and long-term solutions.

And I think we all I'm not going to speak for anybody, but I remain committed to finding that and trying to pull from the discretionary funds is a very short-term solution.

So I do remain committed to monitoring how these investments are implemented, ensuring resources reach students who need them the most, and advocating for equitable outcomes across every neighborhood in Boston.

And so for those reasons, I'm going to be voting yes on the BPS budget this year.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Canada Zapata.

The chair recognizes Counselor.

Who's on the next minute?

Counselor Murphy, you're next.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

So, as a former teacher for over two decades, I know firsthand how important our paras are.

Colleen Hart, who was here earlier, worked with me in our classroom.

She was the power professional at the Murphy with me in our classroom in kindergarten.

And all of my years, 20 plus years, the students, our most vulnerable students do not and will not get the education they deserve.

It's the paras who show up for them every day doing what they need to access the curriculum to fail included.

They're also paid so low that many of our paras are also our bus monitors because they need to make ends meet.

So it's discouraging that, yes, Reverend Carl Pepper.

For the last four years of budgets, Council Mahir and I have voted no, and the fact that we're increasing each year, and we're at 1.74 billion, and we can't make sure that our lowest paid, and we're still waiting, chair on Bloom to give us the answer because central office payment funding, it doesn't just include those who are the highest paid working with the superintendent, all of our itinerants, nurses, our custodians, our paraprofessional social workers are all paid through central office.

So that's 17%.

We never got a clear answer how many were actual office workers, managers who are not forward-facing with our students.

And most of those positions, it would take four to five paras salary to equal one of those positions.

So I think it's important that we vote not just to make sure, even though it's incredibly important that people aren't losing their job, but that our students, our most vulnerable students that we know from the data by standout pair every time and say it when 84% of our students aren't reading on grade level, and that percentage is even higher when we look at our students of color, when we look at our ESL students, and when we look at our special ed students, all who have paraprofessionals, now they do next year, many won't, in front of them, helping them make sure that they get the education they deserve.

So I really do hope my colleagues reject it.

It also is true that it's the beginning of June.

If we just rubber stamp the BPS budget today, then they're just gonna come back next year and maybe not give us full answers again.

But if we reject it today, there is time to work through changes we want to see.

There's plenty of time to have more meetings and vote on this before the end of June and not force it into a 112 budget.

So don't be fooled that this is the only day we get to take a vote and a stand for our students and our teachers.

So I want to thank our paras, know that I know firsthand how important your work is, and I hope that my colleagues join me in voting now.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy.

The chair recognizes Council Le Vigen.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, and I want to thank the chair for bringing this forward.

I want to thank uh BPS for all uh their work.

Uh I'm a Boston Public School through and through, kid through and through.

It's all I know, it's all my sisters know.

Um, my dad, when he got here, people encouraged him to go to to send uh put me and my sisters in Catholic school, couldn't afford it.

And so when we look at who's in our Boston public schools, it's often our kids who um there were no other there often weren't any other options, and so when I look at what we're doing in BPS and are we getting it right by our kids, it is a complicated question because I want our schools always to exist in a place of abundance.

Our public schools are too often treated as though they are the last option or the only option, and our and and that's not enough for our kids.

Over the last few years, I've been the biggest advocate for our SLIF classrooms, those are our classrooms with students with limited or formal or interrupted formal education to make sure that they had paraprofessionals to make sure that they have social workers and everything that they need so that the students in those slave classrooms can thrive.

Every budget hearing, every BPS hearing, that's what I talked about, as we saw the numbers in our BPS schools increase, as we were experiencing the money that we did have, which was a sort of abundance that I don't think any of us realized with the federal government with the ESSER funds, and so now we don't have those funds, and even more than that, we have antagonistic federal government, and we see declining enrollment of 3,000 students year over year, and that is there needs to be a response to that.

I want to see everyone always choosing Boston Public Schools, which is why, again, I think focusing on facilities, making sure that all of our school buildings are ones that have a gym, an art classroom, and they're equipped with a library with a librarian is essential for every classroom.

Uh, is a sentence for every school, which is why when we're having these conversations, and I heard that there was a school where all of the librarians were being cut, I went to the source, and I think another counselor is a counselor by then to make sure that that was not happening, because again, every lot every school deserves a library with a librarian.

So I do think that there are tough calls.

I think another colleague has mentioned that central office has been cut, in addition to what we see happening uh because of layoffs, because of declining enrollment in our schools, and also because of uh the discontinuation of those federal ESSER dollars.

Um, but we we we have the inclusion model that we are that we need to get right in all of our schools and in all of our classrooms.

I know as an at-large city counselor, uh I try to visit as many schools as possible to make sure that I'm talking to school leaders and students to talk about the needs of their schools, and honestly, the number one of the biggest issues that I hear is about infrastructure.

The schools that don't have elevators and the students who think it's too much for them to ask for an elevator, teachers that are living with bathrooms that I know none of us want to use.

So there's so many things that are important when it comes to physical infrastructure of our schools because infrastructure is policy.

That's why we're working on the Boston School Building Authority to give ourselves dedicated revenue streams, right?

Revenue is an important part of this conversation so that we can do the work of school buildings.

Too often, when we're talking about our schools and when uh we're talking about funding them, it's always, you know, people are always asking about well, you know, show us that they're worthy of the money.

And I think it's important for us to know that our public schools uh schools are often dealing with the students who have the high levels of disability, who are English language learners when you compare them to other sorts of schools, and so they are schools that need to be resourced differently and abundantly.

I want to work with all of my colleagues to think about how we are getting more money.

More money for our city, more money for our schools.

That has to happen by working in partnership with the state to get more money from the mass school building authority, to get more money from the state when it comes to charter school reimbursements.

There's so much work that we have to do, and that we can do collectively as a body to get more money into our schools to create school buildings that are worthy of our students that attracts students back to our public schools.

And so, you know, I support this budget.

I know that there were some hard choices, and I'm gonna continue working alongside everyone to make sure that we are making the best decisions possible for our kids.

I know that there are some schools that had, you know, resources that were able to, you know, pull out, they were able to pull out students on a on a more frequent basis because of the dedicated resources that they had.

Um, and it's gonna be it's going to be a change to not have as many staffers.

Um, but I think that's uh that these issues are being thought about thoughtfully, and I want to ask any of my colleagues that want to do the work of figuring out how we get more, whether it be federal or state dollars into our schools, or how we can think about having dedicated revenue streams.

I think there are a lot of really great ideas about how we have dedicated revenue streams for our schools, and I'd love to have those conversations with my colleagues.

So I think um I want to again say thank you to everyone to the superintendent to her team for the work that they do.

Um, the work of showing up for our students is and the work of public education is incredibly hard, especially when it becomes um, you know, when when politics are involved, when uh politics at all levels are involved, but I do at the end of the day every day think about what are we doing for the most vulnerable kids in our schools and are we getting it right?

And I do believe that we are on that we are not perfect, far from it, but I do believe that we are inching in the right direction when it comes to making sure that our most vulnerable students are cared for in our schools and that we are able to attract uh students back into our school system.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes counselor and Durkin, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Chair Braden.

Um, so I want to respond.

I will be voting in support of the BPS budget.

Um, I do want to respond to some of the themes that have been offered today.

Um, I think in a city where we have declining enrollment, 3,000 students less than yet last year.

Healthcare costs are up 34 million dollars.

Transportation is up 11 million dollars, um, special education, um 12 million dollars, staff salaries are up 29 million dollars, which we voted on.

There's a collective bargaining that we approved.

Um, students with disabilities were spending 175 million dollars up from 456 million dollars.

This year we had a 53 million dollar budget shortfall, and now we are in a hiring freeze.

Um the cost per student is $36,000, and that's how much being spent per student.

Um costs are rising faster than revenue in the city of Boston.

Superintendent Skipper is doing a great job.

Um we are working hard to um to get a lot of things done.

I do want to talk about one conversation that I had with Superintendent Skipper.

Um, we did we heard testimony um in our BPS uh hearing specifically about the supervisors of attendance and how important they were.

Um, and I got the chance to meet with Superintendent Skipper.

Um three of those positions were restored, which I think was a city council advocacy.

So I want to thank everyone who weighed in.

I specifically want to thank uh supervisor of attendance that um that weighed in at the city council.

Um while we don't have a ton of power, we do I do want to thank the chair, um, Chair Weber uh for outlining some of our concerns.

I think a big part of this is um 197 million dollars is being spent over 197 million dollars on busing.

We were able in a working session to get Superintendent Skipper to go to dial down into like those numbers.

Um there are a number of things that they feel like fixed costs, and unless the school uh district deals with sort of these overarching issues, we're gonna continue to face uh these headwinds, and so um I think the problems are mounting.

They're they are mounting, and um, and I think we budgetarily are um really really confined in this year's budget.

Um, but I want to share that I believe that the superintendent is doing a great job.

I believe that there are more families that are choosing BPS.

I've had a lot of conversations with folks in my district about choosing BPS, choosing schools that are nearby.

We don't have a lot of district eight elementary schools.

Um we are moving towards a system of we we do need to shrink in order to thrive.

Um, the cost of simply managing these some of these schools that need a lot of investments, you know, those those costs are mounting, and so I think there's a lot of difficult decisions being made in terms of uh closures in terms of mergers.

I applaud those really difficult decisions that are being made because I think they're setting us up for a more resilient school district, but um I hesitate to talk on BPS issues because I don't have a child and I didn't grow up in Boston and I didn't attend a BPS school, but this is such a big part of our budget.

I think we all need to do our part and weigh in.

Um so I support this budget.

Um I do think there are a number of issues that the chair of Ways and Means outlined in the city council's letter that for future years should absolutely be dealt with and should be responded to.

Um I understand that we have an appointed school committee, and that our powers are less than that, but I don't think our powers in terms of advocacy are because I've seen through this budget process and through past budget process how the city council has shaped BPS, and I think we should continue to do that, and I want to thank all of my colleagues.

I know whether you're voting for this budget or against this budget, uh, there's a lot of people who really care about BPS students, and I think some of our points of advocacy on the council I think can be really really useful towards making a better school district.

So I want to thank all of my colleagues for all that they do uh to weigh in on both the um the schools in their district and also just across the city.

So um, so thank you, Chair, and I'm I'm grateful to the chair for all of his work on this uh on this budget, and um as we continue to see um, you know, as we continue to move forward.

Uh, I want to take thank the superintendent and continue to work collaboratively uh to make the best education for all BPS students and also to make more families choose BPS.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Chair recognizes Consular Mahie for your second um.

Thank you.

Because I didn't use all my time.

So I'm reclaiming the rest that I have left.

I want to just note a few things as we continue to have these conversations that I think for those who are paying attention and tuning in, a no vote, what it does, it gives us the opportunity to organize and to really demonstrate that the city counselors are willing to do the hard work of standing up to the administration and the superintendent and the appointed school committee and letting them know that we're paying attention and doing our job by being the checks and balance.

So by no means a no vote today is really going to have the district um in in a disarray.

What it does, it demonstrates that we are doing our job.

So don't get it twisted.

A no vote today just gives us more time to organize.

Um, just for the record.

Secondly, um, we do have an appointed school committee.

My office worked alongside advocates a few years ago so that we can have an elected school committee, and the mayor rejected that home rule petition when it got to her desk.

So if we're really serious about democracy and if we're really serious about giving people a voice and a vote and how these things get done, then we would have be having a different conversation had we had uh an elected school committee, because therefore people would feel a sense of accountability.

Right now, 99.2% of all of the votes that the appointed school committee has taken has been in favor of the administration and the superintendent.

So if we're really serious about being uh independent, then we also have to be mindful of the fact that that appointed uh committee structure has no real power either, just like the city council.

Lastly, there's been a uh significant disregard for students, staff, residents.

I think about the the CPC SPED PAC, and we even had a multilingual, I was on the EL task force, and that EL task force dismantled and formed their own because they had no real vote of confidence in Boston Public Schools.

Therefore, we continue to feed a system that continues to disregard the very same people that we're supposed to be uh advocating on behalf of.

So I think that it's really important for us to understand everything that is at play while people may want to support BPS, and I do appreciate the progress that it has made, but we can't continue to feed a system that is not giving us a return on all those investments.

And at some point, we're gonna have to be held accountable for the liability that we are continuing to engage in when we always give BPS a pass.

So I've said it as a BPS parent when I was organizing on the outside, and I've rejected the budget every year since I've been on the inside, and I think this is a moment, and while I understand what's happening on the federal level, we can't just keep using what's happening on the federal level as an excuse to not do our job here locally because at the end of the day, the decisions that we make locally also set a stage for what happens globally.

So there you go.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Consular Royale.

Consular Warren, you have the floor.

Uh thank you, Madam President, and I do want to applaud uh BPS for uh the progress that they have made throughout the years, but I do want to be clear we are continuing uh to feel our black students, uh multilingual learners, and too many families who are counting on BPS to deliver.

I appreciate that some of the day-to-day operations are running a bit smoother and that matters.

Uh, but last year I stood here and said we needed to stop only talking about operations and start focusing on academics, because at the end of the day, buses running on time is important, but if our students are not reading, if they're not being served in the right classroom settings, if they are not getting the support they need to succeed, uh then we are not doing our job.

So let's look at where we are today.

Uh, we still have more than 3,000 students in substantially separate classroom settings, even though federal guidance points to us toward the least restrictive environment whenever possible.

And of those students in those sub-separate classrooms, 40% 43% are black, even though black students make up only 29% of the overall school population.

That should stop us all in our tracks.

And when we look at academic outcomes, the picture is just as alarming.

Last year, fewer than 10 black students in third, fourth, fifth grade scored extremely proficient on the reading test on MCAS.

That's fewer than 10 in a 1.7 billion dollar school system.

And when 95% of multilingual learners in the fifth grade are above or not meeting state academic standards, we cannot pretend that this is a system that just needs a few tweaks around the edges.

This is a system that needs serious improvement, serious attention, urgency, and serious investment.

We're not going to get there by eliminating hundreds of teachers and paraprofessionals from our classrooms.

We're not going to get there by telling schools to plan for inclusion, but then only funding the bare minimum.

We're not going to get there by dismant dismantling exclusion models that have worked for years in some of our strongest schools.

That's not reform.

It feels like retreat.

And my fear is that this budget put BPS on a pathway towards cuts this year, more cuts next year, and then more cuts the year after that.

And every year, the students who need the most support will be asked to carry the heaviest burden.

And that's something I can't support.

Our students need from more from us, our families need more from us.

Our educators, the people doing the work every single day, need to know that this body is not going to balance the budget on the backs of classrooms.

We need more investments in our schools, not less.

And for those reasons, I'm a no on the BPS budget.

Thank you.

I'd like to ask my colleague and the dean of the body, Councillor Culpepper, to take the chair for a few moments.

Madam President, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Um I stand here for two speeches.

It's on.

It's on now.

Very good.

The mic is on.

The mic is on.

Thank you.

I have two speeches.

It's like justice, weighing the scales here.

This is the hardest vote I'm making today.

EPS.

I have a yes vote and I have an I have a no speech and a yes speech.

I'd like to begin by acknowledging the hard work of our teachers, paraprofessionals, school staff, superintendent, and the administration.

This is the most this Boston public schools, and the work we do with our children is the most important work that we do in the city.

It's an investment in our future, and it demands our serious attention.

My vote will reflect the concerns that I have raised consistently throughout my six years on the city council.

During that time, I've repeatedly asked for greater transparency, stronger financial accountability, clearer reporting, and better long-term planning within Boston public schools.

I recognize that this administration and the superintendent have made progress, and I appreciate that the work of the work that has been done.

However, we have a long way to go.

Boston Public Schools, as someone has already mentioned, receives approximately 1.7 billion dollars this year, and represents one of the largest investments we make in the city.

One third of the city budget goes towards Boston public schools.

Yet we continue to face significant challenges with aging school buildings, deferred maintenance, long-term capital planning, public under the public understanding of how major decisions are made is wanting, and yet our families, our families deserve the deserve confidence.

Of where the our resources are being invested.

The issues that are particularly important to me are the fact that so many of our students are not reading a grade level.

And yet I hear from families that there are children falling through the cracks that need support, they need behavioural functional behavioral assessments that need support, they need paraprofessionals to support them in the classroom so they're not so they can learn and that they're not disruptive to other students.

Buses are a nightmare for some of our families.

I have one particular school in our district where it's last year there was one five on five instances of the buses being late all year, and this year it's more like five instances of a week.

It's really stressful for families, and at this moment families are evaluating their options and figuring out should they stay or should they leave the city and leave BPS.

This is not what we want.

I was educated in a public school system back in Northern Ireland, and I love public schools.

I love going to our classrooms.

Despite the efforts of our school department, we're not there yet.

And we as individuals, every single one of us, have a responsibility to hold our school department accountable and keep the pressure on.

This is the most important investment we make as a city, and it is the future of our city.

It's our future leaders, our future parents, our future workers, and the issues that I really care about, are just holding our school department accountable like we hold every other department accountable, and also we despite given that we spend we invest so much in Boston public schools, we have to ensure that we get value for our money and that we see the results and that we have uh goals and expectations that we can see year on year that we're meeting those goals.

I feel that we have a long way to go, and uh I'm hopeful.

I'm hopeful, I see progress, but it's not enough.

I'm hopeful that with all of our efforts and all of our partnerships with our schools and holding our school department accountable that we can move the ball down the field.

So I urge you, despite my very grave concerns about how we're progressing.

I'm going to vote yes on the BPS budget, but but um every single one of us needs to hold their school department accountable.

And next year's budget starts to starts this year in July.

We need to start talking about the BPS budget and what we want to see and what the measurables are this July, July 2026, because we can't leave it to next February to have a conversation about Boston public schools.

Thank you.

The Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 0734.

Beg your pardon.

Councillor, I didn't let I recognize the chair of Wes and Means.

Councillor Weber, you have the floor.

Yeah, I'm just uh Councillor Collette is a pilot is in the building.

I think for a chance to weigh in on this.

Thank you.

Um I see Councillor Mejia, you have um your light is on.

I was just joking.

You're joking, okay.

Very good.

I like that.

Um we will take a um council Flynn.

Well, I I just I know you've already had your time, but as a courtesy, I'm curious to see what I'm saying.

I just want to be, I just want to be respectful to my colleagues.

Um, do we want to um take a brief recess and give Councilor Colour Zapata an opportunity to come and um want to take a 10-minute report?

I think we'll take it's coming.

She's coming.

Hold on.

I'm just trying to be respectful to my colleagues, that's all.

Thank you.

I appreciate your concern.

Oh, sorry to interrupt your uh time with your little guy.

Hey, welcome back.

Um, where were we?

The chair of the committee in West and Means seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of docket zero seven three-four.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on docket zero seven three four?

Councilor Brady, yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councilor Killetta's a part of it, Councillor Collette Zapata, yes.

Councilor Culpepper, Councilor Culpepper, no, Councilor Durkin, Councilor Durkin, yes, Council Fitzgerald, Council Fischer, yes, Councilor Flynn, Councilor Flynn, no, Council Louis Gen.

Yes.

Councilor Louis, yes, Council Mejia.

Counselor Mejia, no, Counselor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, no.

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

Council, no, eight votes in the affirmative and five votes in the negative.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

The committee report uh uh has been accepted and docket 0734 has been passed.

Now we move to recognize the chair of Wes and Means.

Councillor Weber, you have the floor.

Okay, thank you very much.

Uh we're now going to discuss the operating budget document numbers 0733 being passed around is the the committee report, the tax order, and uh just a table that we printed up to help people uh and I would ask for uh you know at least a 15-minute recess for people to be able to review this and come back and have a discussion about it.

Councilor Flynn, thank you, madam chair.

Um I'm receiving the this information for the first time, the the committee report, which is very significant.

I'm also receiving other information that have been attached as well.

I do think in the interest of us doing our job in putting our due diligence into this.

Um I'm not I'm not prepared.

I won't be prepared in 15 minutes to thoroughly review all of these documents.

There might be 20 or 30 pages, I don't know.

But I would need, I would need time to do my due diligence to look at every single line item in this.

So I'm providing my constituents the best leadership I can and to the residents of Boston, but to give me 10 minutes to look at this and to rubber stamp it, that's not what I'm going to do.

I'm asking for significantly more time than 10 or 15 minutes.

I think I'm probably speaking on behalf of all of my council colleagues that also want to look at these documents and not just rubber stamp it.

They want to read this and figure out what is in here.

This is the first time we're seeing this, and I say this, madam chair, as someone that hasn't missed a city council budget vote at all this year.

I take this job seriously.

I'm gonna read every every word in these documents, but I'm not going to just rubber stamp something that's put in front of me and and say to me, Ed, you need to vote on this in a in a few minutes.

That's not what I'm going to do.

I want us to have the opportunity.

I think I speak for all city councillors when I say we need several hours.

I know the audience might not might not like that, but we need several hours, if not more time than that, to actually review these documents.

If if we take a look at these documents and vote immediately, we're not doing our due diligence.

We're not, we're not being an effective advocate for our constituents.

We're not really representing the residents of Boston if we're not willing to do the hard work of reading the documents, studying it, asking questions, maybe even having the opportunity to call a city department and ask what impact does this have.

This is the first time we're seeing this, and I want to do my due diligence, so I'm fully prepared.

That's what my constituents expect from me.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councilman.

The chair recognizes Councilman here.

Councilman here, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, and I just want for the record, for those folks who are tuning in, uh, to be really clear about what has happened up until this point.

Because there's lots of narratives, and I like to just keep it straight.

Um, so first of all, there have been 31 public hearings, absolutely.

Most of those hearings, usually we don't get any answers to the questions that we've asked the administration.

So oftentimes we utilize our political capital and never get any answers anyway.

So that's number one.

Number two, right?

We had four days after May 26th, actually, we had a big uh public testimony session, at which point we had already been asked to submit amendments before we even had the whole situation finalized, but that's another conversation.

But we were asked to uh provide amendments without saying where we were going to pull from.

Then we were asked that we were gonna have four days to have working sessions.

Usually working sessions, you get like eight hours full of, you know, maybe ten of these working sessions, and during this time you have an opportunity to deliberate to actually build consensus, to read and to learn and to hear your colleagues speak.

But this particular budget was designed with the administration and the chair of ways and means, not the Boston City Council and the Chair of Ways and Means because seven hours and 38 minutes were dedicated to an amendment process, and now we get a I don't know how many pages this is, but we get a whole booklet of changes that we are going to have to digest and then vote on, and when you're asking me to do my job, right?

Showed up ready to do my job yesterday, and we got adjourned, because Fitzgerald presented an alternate back budget for consideration, but we didn't even have the audacity or the courtesy to allow us to review those recommendations, but yet steamrolling, again, to just present us with the version that the chair wants us to consider.

So, therefore, President Braden, this body really needs to recognize who it is that they work for, and they work for the people of Boston, and I'm not done yet.

Hold up, hold up.

So I know clerk.

We've already talked about what of a this is gonna be a long day.

This is gonna be a long day because I don't think it's fair and just for you all to think, especially because nobody really talked to me about this.

I know IGR made their rounds, but nobody came knocking on my door because they know I don't do behind the scenes negotiations, right?

So everything has to be done in public.

So therefore, because things are gonna get done in public, I'm going to ask that we have more time to review this and that we allow ourselves to unpack this package.

Because otherwise, we're just going to go along to get along, and I think these moments are calling us to demonstrate that we have political will and courage to fight back and really take a deep dive to see if this budget.

One, how much time are we going to have?

And I do also want to say through you, the chair, before it was five o'clock, and I was driving home earlier than I thought, I called you, and I said, as the president of this body, are you going up to the clerk's office to schedule so it could have a 48-hour notice, a meeting, a council meeting for this Friday, in anticipation that we would not get to a vote today.

We could come in on Friday and have this vote if needed at 3 30 on Friday.

That is 48 hours out.

So I do just want to continue, which I have done in the past, to remind those who are at home watching Wednesdays, and there's only 32 meetings.

We come here on a Wednesday, is not the only time important votes can happen.

So maybe with the clerk here, we can schedule a meeting for Friday, because I'm assuming if any of our colleagues come back with more concerns or questions, and we need departments to come down or time to work through a lot of amendments that are going to be filed on top of what this packet says that we're going to need that time.

So I would like to know that answer.

How much time are you giving us now?

And are you willing to schedule a meeting for Friday in case that we don't get to a vote today?

Thank you, Councillor Murphy.

Uh the time right now is three, uh 3 30 p.m.

Um I will uh recess this meeting until uh 4 30.

Um, we're in recess and please be uh you've give you adequate time to review the papers.

You've not they're not unfamiliar to you, and we will be back here to uh to discuss further at 4 30.

Thank you.

We're in recess, we do have a lot of people.

Thank you, everyone.

The meeting is back in session.

I hope folks have time to review the um the docket.

I think we've got a quorum.

Seven?

Okay, we're ready to go.

Councillor Santana, would you mind taking your seat?

Thank you, everyone.

We're back in session.

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

You have the floor.

I believe Councillor Murphy.

Oh, it was before you.

Okay.

Councillor Murphy.

Um just switching on your mic.

You have the floor.

So Madam President Clerk, does the chair of ways and means need to read the operating budget docket into the record or no?

Are we fine?

Okay.

So I stand.

Thank you, Madam President.

I move that we postpone the consideration of this matter, which is docket zero seven three three orders for the operating budget until a day certain, which would be the meeting of the council on June 10th, 2026.

As the discussion in our working sessions is very incomplete, I will also advocate that we host a council meeting on June 17th so that we have a meeting scheduled to receive the mayor's response to our vote.

Additionally, between today and June 10th, we must hold additional working sessions to do our work.

So debate on the motion to postpone and the time it has been moved to be postponed to um can occur.

So I'm hoping that we now can take a vote and see if our colleagues agree.

Hold on a second.

Yes.

Okay.

Hold on.

We have one motion, one motion at a time.

We have a second.

Uh counselor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy has a motion to postpone to a day certain, which is Wednesday, the 6th of June 2026 at 12 noon in the INLA chamber.

Yeah, 2010.

Thank you.

Mr.

Clerk, can you please take a roll call?

No, I actually roll up and I said that's the one.

So that's what I call a vote.

That's fine.

Okay, so counselor um counselor mehia uh wants to move the question and uh move to a vote.

Uh this requires a majority.

Two-thirds majority to move to a vote.

Mr.

Clerk, uh could we please take a roll call vote on Councillor Mejia's uh motion to move to a vote?

Without debate.

Council of Brady.

My mic's off, yeah.

Council of Braden.

Let me clear what we're voting on here.

Um, we want to get to cut.

We're gonna vote on the to move the question.

Um, I'm sorry.

Beg your pardon.

Turn this off.

So Council Mahia has a motion to move the vote.

So to go to a to go to a vote.

So uh if you want to move to a vote, please say yes.

And if you want do not want to go to a vote, say no.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote?

And who's second?

Oh, and did you have a second council?

Council Flynn.

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councilor Colletta's a part of it.

Council Colletta's a part and no.

Council Culpepper.

This is the moment to a vote, right?

Yes.

Council Culpepper, yes.

Councilor Durkin.

Councillor Durkin, yes.

Council Fitzgerald, Council of Show, yes, Councilor Flynn.

Yes.

Councilor Flynn, yes.

Council Lugen.

Council, yes, Council Mejia.

Council Mehia C.

Councilor Murphy.

Yes.

Councilor Murphy, yes, Council Papen.

Council Papen, yes, Council Santana.

Councilor Santana, yes, Council Weber.

Yes.

Council Webber, yes, and Council Warrell.

Yes.

Council Rowe, yes.

Motion to uh has passed by two thirds.

So the uh motion to move to a vote has been approved.

Uh Mr.

Clerk.

We have to repeat the motion, Mr.

Council Murphy.

Could you please repeat the motion?

So my motion is to postpone off the zero set I read three, voter for a mic.

Oh, mic.

Hold on, we're just getting our mic on.

Thank you.

Beg your pardon, Councillor Murphy.

You've got the floor.

Thank you.

My motion is to postpone Docket 0733 orders for the operating budget to move this matter to the next council meeting on June 10th, 2026, as the discussion in our working sessions is very incomplete.

I will also advocate that when we vote today, that we're also voting that we host a council meeting on June 17th so that we have a meeting scheduled to receive the Mayor's response to our vote on the 10th.

Additionally, between today and June 10th, we must hold additional working sessions to do the work.

There is still time to vote on this matter at the June 10th meeting, as the Boston City Charter states that in section 48, no later than the second Wednesday in June, the City Council shall take a vote on the annual budget by adopting amending or rejecting it.

So June 10th is the second Wednesday in June.

So that is what we're voting on now that it's properly before the body.

Chair Weber, you have the floor.

I don't know if there's voting on scheduling working sessions, you know, which I'm fine to do, but uh that's up to the discretion of the chair.

The motion.

I just think it's an improper subject for a motion.

I'm just gonna move to a vote.

Um Mr.

Clerk, can you please take a roll call vote on the motion to postpone and to have a seven?

Uh yes.

Uh Wednesday noon.

June 10th.

Docket number 0733.

0733 to move it to next week's council meeting.

Council of May.

I thought every vote that we had that we could raise issue for against with regard to this.

No, we just move to vote.

I understand that.

And so we're now voting.

I thought every vote we could then speak on that motion.

No, not in this case.

Why'd you do that?

That's why.

All right.

Okay, folks.

Okay.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on the motion to postpone to a day certain?

The vote on Docket No.

0733.

0733 to next Wednesday at noon in the INLA chamber 610 26.

Councilor Braden.

Yes.

Councilor Braden, yes.

Councilor Coletta's apartment.

Councilor Colette is a no.

Councilor Culpepper.

Yes.

Councillor Culpepper, yes.

Counselor Durkin.

Councilor Durkin, no.

Councillor Fitzgerald.

Yes.

Councilor Fischer, yes.

Councillor Flynn.

Yes.

Councillor Flynn, yes.

Councilor Louis Jean.

Councilor Jean, yes.

Councilor Mejia.

Counselor Mehia C.

Councillor Murphy.

Councilor Murphy, yes.

Council Pepin.

Councillor Penn, yes.

Councillor Santana.

Yes.

Councillor Santana, yes.

Councillor Weber.

No.

Councilor Weber, no.

And Councilor Warrell.

Council Worrell, yes.

Councilor Murphy, yes.

So part of the motion that we all vote now is it?

So we have part of this vote?

Yep.

Thank you.

So the motion to postpone to a day certain has been passed.

And the second part was that we would come back on the 24th.

Was that the second part of the motion?

Yeah.

Thank you, everyone.

Excuse me.

Councillor Mejia, you have the floor.

No, beg your pardon.

Is that the nice?

Thank you, Councillor President.

So I understand that discussions regarding what chairmanships are allowed to do or not, but I want to state for the record publicly that I do believe that seven hours and thirty-eight minutes to deliberate on a budget is not enough time, and therefore, regardless of whether or not the chair is at their discretion, I am going to advocate and ask you as the president of this body to ensure that we have more time to deliberate as a 13-member body about what we're going to do for the people's budget.

I find it unreasonable and disrespectful that we're not going to have a definite commitment to continue to have working sessions so that we can do the job that we've been hired to do.

So I need to hear that from you as the president of this body that we're going to make sure that we continue to have working sessions publicly so that we can continue to do this.

We are now moving on to motions, orders, and resolutions.

We are now on to motions, orders, and resolutions.

Mr.

Clerk, can you please read Docket?

Excuse me.

Oh, they do have a third meeting as well.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1099?

I can number 1099.

Councilor Warrell offer the following.

Ordinance to require quarterly revenue reports to be provided to the city council.

The chair recognizes Council Culpepper.

Oh, Councilor Warrell, beg your pardon.

Councillor Warrell, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm asking to uh add uh Council Culpepper as an original co-sponsor.

Councillor Cole Pepper is still added.

And suspend the rules and add Council Mahe as a uh third original co-sponsor.

Hearing and seeing no objections, Councillor Mahee is added as a third.

Uh this is an ordinance that codifies the practice.

Um I had as chair's ways and means committee, which was to receive quarterly revenue reports.

Um I think it's important that we receive uh these reports as a body.

Uh last year we had Q3 revenue through March 31st available.

Um, but it's more it's more important to make sure that this practice is codified uh into law.

Right now, what's codified into law is that we receive quarterly expenditure report, but revenue is currently left out inside of that language inside of the charter.

If we are going to have budget conversations and advocate um uh for the budget, I think this is best practice that expenditures and revenue um is part of the conversation and the data around both expenditures and part and in expenditures and revenue is presented from the administration on a timely matter.

Um, some might point uh to underinvestments or uh under forecasting income from investments for reasons why we are uh in a financial revenue constraint, but we have consistently under forecasted revenue throughout the many years.

Uh so this ordinance gets it on the books and make sure that there's something uh on the in our law to make sure that we are receiving all the information the data required to make sure that our budget powers and our process is informed by data.

Thank you.

Um, Chair recognizes Council Cole Pepper.

Council, you have the floor.

Thank you, Council for Rell, for your leadership on this issue of advocating for more transparency around revenue.

Thank you for our beg your pardon, Council Cole Pepper.

We're trying to take care of the sunlight.

Um, please continue.

Thank you, Council Worrell, for your leadership on this issue of advocating for more transparency around revenue reporting, and for adding me as an original co-sponsor.

This is about transparency, accountability, and ensuring that the city council has the information it needs to make informed decisions on behalf of the people of Boston.

This ordinance is straightforward.

The council already receives quarterly expenditure reports, and with this ordinance, the city would also have to provide quarterly revenue reports so that we can have a complete picture of the city's finances throughout the year rather than only seeing one side of the ledger.

At the same time, we are regularly asked to make difficult decisions based on revenue assumptions, approve supplemental appropriations, and elevate proposed spending reductions.

If the council is expected to exercise meaningful oversight over the city's finances, we should have access to timely information about both expenditures and revenues.

This is not a radical proposal.

At the state level, revenue collections are reported publicly every month.

Legislators, stakeholders, and the public can track trends in real time and make more informed decisions as a result.

This ordinance simply brings a similar level of transparency to city hall by requiring quarterly revenue reporting no later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter.

Good government depends on transparency, better information leads to better policy making, better budgeting, and greater public trust.

For those reasons, Madam President, and Council Warrell, I am proud to support this ordinance and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Mahia.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

And I just want to thank Councillor Rorell for his fierce advocacy.

As the previous Chair Ways and means, he was really all about making sure that we were well informed and had data and information so that we can actually do our job.

So I just want to say thank you for your leadership.

And now this ordinance here is a continuation of that amazing work.

So as the former chair of government accountability transparency and accessibility, which is a committee that I uh established here in the city of Boston under uh thank you to Councillor Flynn for allowing me to create it.

My office has regularly held quarterly hearings reviewing the implementation of previously approved budgets.

Those conversations highlighted the need for stronger mechanism to monitor the city's finances throughout the year, not just during the annual budget process.

The council is often asked to make decisions about spending supplemental appropriations, the future budgets with limited visibility into how revenues are tracked in real time.

Regular revenue reporting would provide greater transparency and help inform those discussions.

This is a straightforward proposal that strengthens accountability and gives both the councillors and residents a clearer understanding of how the city's physical position looks like throughout the year.

So I want to thank Councilor Morrell for bringing this forward, and I also uh would be remiss if I did not also include the importance of oversight and the fact that our office worked on establishing the Office of Inspector General and it got watered down, and still this day we're still trying to fight uh now in the State House, but we have always been about making sure that the city uh counselors have access to information in real time.

So I'm hoping through this ordinance we can at least get a step closer to that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Flynn, um, just the co-sponsors will speak on this, but if you wish to add your name.

Okay.

Um anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisiane, Councillor Murphy, and please add the chair.

Thank you.

Docket zero one one zero nine nine will be referred to the committee on government operations.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1100?

Docket number one one zero zero.

Councilor Warrell offer the following resolution to receive quarterly revenue reports from the finance cabinet.

Chair recognizes Councillor Worrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to add Council Culpepper as an original co-sponsor.

Um Councillor Culpepper, so added.

And I'd like to um suspend the rules and add Council Mehia as a third original co-sponsor.

Seeing and hearing no objections, Councillor Mehia, so added.

Uh, this just goes off of the ordinance I just filed.

Um in um a resolution that just supports us receiving quarterly revenue uh uh reports from the administration, thank you.

Uh thank you.

Uh Councilor Culpepper, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilor Rourrell, for your leadership on this issue and for advocating for more transparency.

And instead of reading the entire remarks again, let me just close with this paragraph.

Good government depends on transparency.

Better information leads to better sea policy making, better budgeting, and greater public trust.

For those reasons, I am proud to support this resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Mejia.

Councillor, you have the floor.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

But since we've had a long day, I think I've said enough.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor uh Councillor Flynn.

And Councillor Fitzgerald.

Um, and Councillor Murphy, and please add the chair.

Counselor's Roarell, Cold Pepper and Mejia seeks suspension of the rules and adoption of docket one one zero zero.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Uh Mr.

Clerk.

Have we got a call?

One, two, seven.

Yeah.

Um, Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on uh Docket 1100?

Councillor Braden.

Yes, Councilor Brady, yes, Councillor Killeth as a part of it.

Counselor Culpepper.

Yes.

Councilor Culpepper, yes.

Counselor Durkin.

Councilor Fitzgerald.

Council Fischer, yes.

Counselor Flynn.

Yes.

Counselor Flynn, yes.

Council Lugen.

Council Mehia.

Council Mejia, yes.

Councilor Murphy.

Counselor Murphy, yes.

Council McPenn.

Council Santana.

Counselor Weber.

Councilor Rurell.

Yes.

Council Roe, yes.

Seven votes in the affirmative.

Thank you.

Um, you have a question?

Yeah.

Where did everyone go?

I know we have a quorum, but six of our colleagues aren't here.

Is there something happening that I'm not aware of?

Um I have no idea.

Let's continue.

Um, could you please read Docket 1101?

Document number 1101.

Councillors Flynn and Murphy offered the following order for a hearing to discuss Boston Main Street's programs and the recently released Wolf and Company audit.

Chair recognizes Council Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Boston Main Street programs were created to support neighborhood commercial districts throughout the city through revitalization, supporting small businesses with technical assistance, community engagement, and with millions in city and federal money funding distributed annually.

In 2025, the Boston Finance Commission uncovered alleged financial irregular regularities at three square main streets in Jamaica Plain, including forged bank statement transactions and a potential misuse of federal grants.

The discrepancies were flagged by a dedicated city employee who demonstrated accountability, civic responsibility.

In response, the city of Boston contracted the Wolf and Company, that's a national CPA firm, to conduct a wide-ranging audit of up to 20 Main Street organizations across the city.

The Wolf and Company audit report published in December 2025.

I actually just got a copy of it, and I put it in the communications that should be available to the public also.

Found that internal controls did not meet reasonable standards to manage risk.

The report report also confirmed fraud in missing funds for an altered bank statement.

Found that two main street programs did not accurately port their annual FY24 2024 submissions.

The findings in report raise serious concerns about financial oversight, internal controls, transparency of city-supported nonprofit programs.

Dozens of other main street organizations across Boston continue to operate with integrity, providing valuable services and support to small businesses and commercial corridors to all Boston.

I believe it is the duty of the city council to ensure that all public funds are used for their intended purposes, and that the community trust in city supported nonprofit partnerships is upheld through proper stewardship and accountability.

Madam Chair, much of a portion of this money was federal funds.

We did have a hearing on this previously, but that was before I actually got the report from the Wolf and Company.

It took me a while for me to actually receive it, although it was published in December 2025.

I just received it, not from the city, I just received it a couple weeks ago.

But I do think as city councilors, we have a financial responsibility and oversight to ensure that any money we receive, whether it's city money, whether it's state money or federal money, that we spend it appropriately.

And I'm asking for us as a city council as a body to have a hearing to discuss main streets, their financial practices, and want to stress that the majority of Main Street programs are doing very good work.

However, we need to ensure that they're all operating effectively, efficiently, and taxpayer mounting taxpayer money is spent appropriately.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Counselor Flynn.

The Chair recognizes Councillor Murphy.

You have the floor.

Yes, just looking forward to this hearing now that we have a copy of the report and just want to echo what Councillor Flynn said.

Most of our main streets, if um close to all of them are doing wonderful work for our small businesses in our communities.

But when we see something like this, it is our job to be fiscally responsible.

So wanting to make sure that the supports are there for all of the other main street directors to make sure that they have the supports they need and that this doesn't happen because any federal dollars that are misspent could go to important services that are needed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Culpepper, Counselor Fitzgerald.

Counselor Warrell.

Councillors Flynn and Murphy seek suspension of the rules.

Oh no, sorry, beg your pardon.

Wrong thing to do.

Thank you.

Docker 01101101 will be referred to the committee on post audit.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1102?

Document number 1102, Councilor Mahia of the following.

Order for a hearing regarding the City Council's authority to adopt amend or reject the annual budget under the Boston City Charter.

Chair recognizes Councillor Mejia.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

And I'd like to add both Councillor Fitzgerald and add Councillor Rourel as original co-sponsor.

Counselor Fitzgerald is added, and hearing and seeing no objection, Councillor Morrell is added as a third.

Okay.

So today, as we we prepared to vote for the fiscal year 2027 budget, I'm filing this hearing order because I believe there's value in creating a shared understanding of how city council's role and authority looks like in the bud in the Boston budgeting process.

Throughout this budget season, there has been considerable public discussion about the powers available to the city council when reviewing the mayor's proposed budget.

Questions have been raised about the relationship between council's authority to amend the budget and its authority to reject it.

Others have expressed differences of interpretations of what voters intended when they approved the 2021 Charter Amendment establishing shared budget powers between the mayor and the city council.

These conversations have highlighted that there is not always a common understanding of the council's role in this process.

Given the importance of the annual budget, I believe it's appropriate for the council to host a hearing that brings together legal experts, municipal governance scholars, former elected officials, public finance professionals, and members of the public to discuss the scope and the purpose of the council's budget authority.

The process is flawed.

The 2021 Charter Amendment changed Boston's budget process by establishing shared budget authority between the mayor and the city council and granting the city council the power to adopt, amend, or reject the budget.

But as we continue implementing those reforms, I believe it's important to examine their intents and how they function in actual practice.

This hearing is an opportunity to better understand the role that that adoption, amendment, and rejection each play within the shared budget process, and to provide residents with greater clarity about how budget decisions are made and whether or not the way we're going about it makes sense.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You have the floor.

Okay, Councillor Uh Fitzgerald.

I'll beg your pardon.

I'm getting you guys out of order.

Counselor Fitzgerald.

Thank you, Madam President.

I think one thing we've learned through this process and in having these powers as we've gone through the years is the process is flawed.

It is a good time after five years of looking this like any business would do.

You sort of do a review of past practices and see where you can look to improve them.

Um I don't think we're getting the result we want out of this, essentially.

So uh I think it's a good time to review it, have that discussion, and see how it can be improved.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Royal.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Thank you to Councilor Mejia and Councillor Fitzgerald.

I know you have been leading on examining uh this charter amendment process uh for a while now.

So I think this is a great time to do it.

I think it's also very important that the council has their own independent legal analysis on all the options that can play out so that we have our own expert buying for us.

So I'm just looking forward to this hearing.

Also looking forward towards any recommendations on how to make this process better because the original intent behind this charter amendment was to make sure that the city council had more power.

So looking forward to that conversation to make sure that we are living up to the original intent of the Charter Amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Culpepper, uh, Counselor Flynn, Councillor Murphy.

Thank you.

Docket uh 1102 will be referred to the committee on uh ways and means uh Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1103?

Docket number 1103, Councilor Warrell offer the following order for a hearing to examine eliminating minimum lot size requirements in District 4.

Thank you.

The chair recognizes Councillor Warrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Uh thank you, madam president.

There are hundreds of vacant lots across the city, meaning empty lots that could be used to house residents.

The mayor's office of housing owns 915 vacant lots, including 187 in district four.

These vacant lots become eye source, they attract rodents, and oftentimes seen as dumping grounds while they're not being taken care of.

And I know us district councils probably get hundreds of phone calls around these vacant lots.

One of the reasons these smaller lots remain vacant is because the zoning code for that district forbids building residential housing on anything less than 3,000 or 4,000 square feet.

We have made progress on this thanks to Welcome Home Boston, which has turned dozens of vacant lots into affordable homeownership units built by WMBE contractors.

It's an innovative program that has done great work, but has also only scratched the surface and is limited to publicly owned lots.

Over the past two years, my office has had regular meetings with developers.

I just want to just say thank you to all the developers that have uh given us their time and their knowledge of both small and large projects in District 4 to hear feedback from them on ideas that can help make development more affordable, unlock resources, and thereby spur the production of more housing and home ownership opportunities in the city.

One of the most common themes we heard was that the minimum lot size requirement often poses a problem.

For example, the current zoning law requires a minimum lot size ranging from three to seven thousand square feet across district four for single family to three family units.

In District 4, more than 60 vacant city owned lots are under the 3,000 square feet minimum lot requirement, and does this more or smaller than the 7,000 square feet minimum lot requirement?

So if someone wants to build a three-story project on any of these lots that are 3,000 square feet or less to add three new units to the area, they will be forbidden from doing so for no other reason than the zoning code's arbitrary minimum lot size restriction.

This conversation comes at a pertinent time when people need housing, and the city has vacant space just sitting there waiting to be used.

Counselors and residents have been asking over and over for real solutions to create housing and to make development more affordable.

This is a method that targets a specific part of the city's outdated zoning code in the way that this chief of planning testified last month that he prefers it to be done, which is neighborhood by neighborhood and not blanketed reform citywide.

The needs of each of our neighborhoods and residents vary so much, and our zoning code should reflect that.

This is a way to tangibly make it easier for developers to build more housing by removing unnecessary requirements to free up all of this currently unused space.

I'm looking forward to diving in and figuring this out together so we can bring more housing and more revenue to the city.

Thank you, Councilor Borrell.

Would anyone um like to add their name?

Councillor Culpepper, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, and please add the chair.

Docket 1103 will be referred to the committee on Planning, development, and Transportation.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1104?

Document number 1104.

Councillor Culpepper offered the following order for a hearing to examine the elimination of the Boston Human Rights Commission in the fiscal year 27 operating budget.

Chair recognizes Councillor Culpepper.

Thank you, Madam President.

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

Councillor Flynn is added as a second, and seeing and hearing no objections, Council Warrell is added as a third.

Thank you, Madam President.

The mayor's proposed budget eliminates a human rights commission by including no appropriation for it, with its functions to be absorbed by the equity cabinet and supplemented by existing state resources, according to the narrative in the fiscal year 27 budget book.

Significant questions remain about whether those departments have the staffing, the expertise, and the capacity for fill to fully absorb the commission's responsibilities, and whether state agencies can deliver services that are local, timely, accessible, and responsive to Boston residents' specific needs.

Above the structural concerns, Madam President, eliminating a department dedicated to making Boston more equitable, inclusive, and safe for all of our neighbors is deeply troubling.

The fact that this administration has allowed the commission to remain inactive for two years is not a justification for eliminating it.

It is the very question that we should be asking today.

Why was it allowed to deteriorate?

What message does that send to our constituents?

We need to rebuild the commission as a stronger institution than it was before.

This is the moment to invest in these protections, not allow them to fade.

How can we sit in these seats, speak out against a federal government that is actively coming for a basic human rights, and then turn around and eliminate the very department designed to protect these rights for our constituents?

That's a contradiction we cannot afford, and one our residents cannot afford either.

In Boston, we like to brag about being the most progressive city in the country.

Well, Madam President and my colleagues, let's act like it.

Every Boston resident deserves comprehensive, accessible civil rights protection against discrimination.

And this council has a fundamental obligation to ensure that structural changes do not come at the expense of people we serve.

This is at its core.

Let me just say that again.

This is at its core a civil rights issue just eliminating the human rights commission.

This is the time to invest boldly, strengthen our communities, and ensure that every community in Boston has the most robust protections they deserve.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Counselor.

The chair recognizes Counselor Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

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

Thank you to Councillor Culpepper for your important words, but your actions are for many years in this in this field as a as a housing lawyer fighting for civil rights and equal equal justice.

I also want to acknowledge Council Louise Zhen, who was working on this issue as well.

So I want to acknowledge Council Louis Zhen in her commitment to the Human Rights Commission.

I also want to acknowledge former Senator Wilkerson for her commitment to civil rights in this field as well.

There's a lot of lot of good people doing doing this work, and I I want to be I want to be part of it.

I know others are leading on it, but I do want to do my part.

This commission was established in 83 84 under Mayor Flynn.

And the first director, executive director, I should say of the Human Rights Commission was a friend of mine, Ian Sanders.

I don't know if many of you know Ian Sanders.

Diane knows Ann Sanders.

She was my neighbor in South Boston just recently, and she moved out.

But at one time, Boston had a lot of hate crimes.

We still have hate crimes in Massachusetts and Boston, but we had a lot of hate crimes against gay and lesbian people at one time, now the LGBTQ community.

And that was really what the Human Rights Commission was all was about, but also supporting civil rights, human rights, ensuring people of color are treated with respect.

But it was an opportunity and avenue for people to be heard and to be respected.

I agree with Counselor Cole Pepper.

I agree with Counselor Louis Jeanne and others in the community.

This is an important opportunity for us to address civil rights to address human rights, and we need to ensure that there's money in the budget for this important department.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

The chair recognizes Counselor Warrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, and thank you to Councillor Cole Pepper and Councillor Flynn for adding me on this.

I just want to thank uh Councilor Louis Gen uh for your leadership and work on this matter as well.

Um I know both of you uh have a deep history with this commission and saw its power during the 1980s and 1990s.

Uh my office has been in touch with one of the former executive directors, as Councillor Flynn just mentioned Ann Sanders.

And I have a letter uh that she wanted shared with me to read into record.

As a former executive director of the Boston Human Rights Commission in the early 1990s during Mayor Flynn's Ray Flynn's administration, I'm writing in support of the commission and urgently request that funding be restored for this critical city department.

A little history, the commission was established by city ordinance in 1984 by then city council David Scondress and signed into law by Mayor Flynn.

It was dedicated to promoting equality, preventing discrimination, and advancing human rights for Boston residents, and was the first such commission in the commission in the country to include LGBTQ protections.

It became inactive in 1996 and was finally reactivated in 2019 under Mayor Martin Walsh, largely due to growing concerns about the civil rights and protections of immigrant communities.

The importance of commission both then and now cannot be understated.

It was a place where immigrants who had lived in the city for years, as well as newcomers to Boston, could come and feel safe.

Many had come from countries where the police are other government agencies where they would go for protection, often with their oppressors.

It was a place where people could feel safe and understood because often an investigator for the commission spoke their language.

It was a place where an LGBTQ person could come and receive a warm reception.

It was a place where a person who had been treated differently because of his or her faith could come.

Many may think today that those population and many others no longer need protection, but sadly they are wrong.

To think that discrimination no longer exists in Boston, or that there is no longer a need for a human rights commission, is misguided and short-sighted.

People coming to the commission feel they have been treated differently in a variety of settings, such as employment, public accommodations, transportation, because of who they are.

During my tenure, we instituted the practice of mediation as a form of alternative dispute resolution, which was a very effective in dealing with many complaints.

In addition to speaking different languages, all our investigators, all our investigators became certified mediators.

The city of Boston is known worldwide as a city that is welcoming.

Part of that is due to every person being able to feel safe working, visiting, or going to school here.

And they know if they need help, they will be able to access that in a supportive environment.

The city's a Boston Human Rights Commission, one of the things that makes Boston a great city and a great place to live, is because it cares about the people who live and work here.

Signed, Anne.

And thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Warrell.

Would anyone like a second on here?

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Louis Jeanne, Councillor Mejia, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Pepin, and please add the chair.

Dock at 1104 will be referred to the Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Immigrant Advancement.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1105?

Docker number 1105, Council Warrell offer the following.

Order for a hearing to explore the creation and maintenance of public bathroom facilities in the city of Boston.

Chair recognizes Councillor Warrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to add Council Mejia as an original co-sponsor.

Councillor Mahia is so added.

Thank you.

There are areas of the city, including in my district, that do not have a public restroom.

There might be a bathroom inside a privately owned facility, but the owner of that facility is not required to open up their restrooms to the public.

This is a public health issue.

It is an access issue.

It's an equity issue, and it's relevant to the health and well-being of every resident's life.

Yes, you might be able to access a library community center, but that's obviously a very limited window to use.

Models exist in other cities such as Cambridge, have piloted them.

Oftentimes I go to Lovefield at Roberts Playground, and there are three different porter parties, all with locks on them, because one of the youth organizations orders and maintains them.

And then half the time the Porter Party has fallen over the hill or has not been well maintained.

It's just not befitting of a world class city.

I'm looking forward to having this conversation to make sure that our public parks and public restrooms are better maintained and more accessible.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor.

The chair recognizes Councilor Mejia.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Adam President.

And I want to thank Council Morrell for filing this hearing order and adding me as an original co-sponsor.

And I also want to give a shout out to the Austin Brighton DSA crew because they have been one of the loudest voices here in this chamber advocating on this very specific issue here.

So access to uh public restrooms may seem like a small issue until you need to use one yourself and can't find one.

For many residents, including seniors, families with uh young children, people experiencing homelessness, and those managing health conditions, access to clean and safe restrooms can determine whether they are able to do so comfortably while navigating and enjoying public spaces.

Other cities have found creative ways to provide and maintain public restroom facilities, and this hearing gives us an opportunity to learn from those models and explore what we can be doing here in Boston, considering that Boston wants to prize itself as being a progressive city.

We want to make sure that we are living up to that name.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Mejia.

The chair um so and would anyone like to add their name?

Counselor Culpepper, Counselor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louisiane, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Peppen, and please add the chair.

Thank you.

Docket 1105 will be referred to the Committee on City Services.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1106?

Docker number 1106, Councillor Slynn and Warrell offer the following order for a hearing to discuss the 2025 Boston Firearm Trafficking Report.

Councillor Chair recognizes Council Flynn.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, may I suspend Rule 12 and that Councillor Culpepper?

Um hearing and seeing no objections, Councillor Culpepper, so added.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Gun violence is a leading cause of death and injuries in this country, causing harm to not only the individual but also to communities that experience gun violence.

In October 2022, the City Council unanimously adopted a resolution declaring gun violence as a public health emergency.

In November 2023, the City Council approved an ordinance requiring requiring the Boston Police Department to study the trafficking of illegal firearms and to publish a report every year on their findings.

According to the police stats from January 2025 through December 2025, there were 122 shooting victims.

Gun trafficking in illegal fall of firearms is a major contributor to gun violence.

Boston police recovered 819 total illegal firearms in 2025.

There were 470 arrests for firearm related charges in 2025.

73 of them of the arrests were juveniles, an increase of 13% compared to 2024.

With growing concerns relating to ghost guns, that's basically an illegal firearm that you can practically build at your own house and have pods sent to you from a 3D printer.

It is critical that the Boston police continue to collect data and help law enforcement and policymakers across Massachusetts and really across New England and the country to better understand the illegal the impact of illegal gun trafficking.

According to the report, 54 gun crime guns recovered were privately manufactured as ghost guns, as I as I mentioned.

But I do think it's important for us to provide a critical, provide the critical leadership on gun violence in our city, but what happens in other cities and towns across the country has a huge impact right here in Boston.

What happens up in Maine or what happens in Florida has an impact here in Boston.

It's about us working together, studying the issue, providing the leadership to ensure that guns don't come into this city, but also really to any city in America, because we have an epidemic of gun violence throughout, throughout the major, many major cities across America.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

The chair recognizes Councillor Borrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Counselor Flynn for adding me on this and your work around this issue.

I think this data is incredibly useful, is only available thanks to our collaboration in 2023 to identify the flow of guns into the city.

But these stats inform not only where our police should be located, but they also help us as a city to see where our other resources should be directed, such as housing, food access, and employment assistance.

Because we know that if you have a good job, good enough uh food food on the table and steady place the rest of your head at night, then we're addressing the root causes of violence.

So thank you to Councillor Flynn, and I look forward to this hearing.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Flynn, for your advocacy on this issue and for adding me as an original post sponsor.

And thank you to Constable Well for your advocacy.

Collecting data is not only impactful if we analyze it and use it to make purposeful change.

As a council, we have a profound obligation to the victims of firearm violence, to their loved ones, to occurring residents, to the future of this city to always strive for safer streets.

That obligation is not passive, it demands action.

The 2025 firearm report reveals a significant concentration of firearm recoveries and violence in districts B2 and B3 at the very heart of Boston.

This is not just concerning data, it is a call to action.

Reports like this one exist to show us where the need is greatest, and it is our responsibility, madam president, to respond.

We cannot allow these findings to just sit on a shelf.

That is why this hearing, along with the one I filed on firearm trafficking, gun violence, and firearm violations in police districts B2 and B3.

We must bring together the right bodies and stakeholders to analyze this data, understand the root causes, and develop intentional targeted policy solutions that meet this very moment.

The residents of B2, B3, and every neighborhood in Boston, deserve a city council that turns data into action and action into results.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Luigiane, Counselor Murphy.

Please add the chair.

Thank you.

Dockard 1106 would be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1107?

Docket number 1107.

Councilor Flynn offered the following.

Order for a hearing to discuss the findings of the 2025 annual report by the Boston Disability Commission.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

The Chair recognizes Councillor Flynn.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Boston Disability Commission serves as the city's primary advocate for advancing assessive accessibility, inclusion, and civil rights for residents with disabilities.

I have great faith in this commission.

I have great faith in the Commissioner, Commissioner McCauch.

The Commission's 2025 annual report provides valuable data, findings, recommendations, regarding architectural and communication access, ADA compliance, training, transportation, employment, public accommodations, overall quality of life for persons with disabilities in Boston.

According to the Center for the Disease Control Prevention, more than one in four adults in the United States live lives with a disability, making disability inclusion a critical component of effective, effective municipal governance, and public service delivery.

Boston has committed itself to advancing accessibility in ensuring that all residents, regardless of ability, can fully participate in civic, economic, education, and the cultural life.

The findings contained in the 2025 report provide an opportunity for us on the city council, city departments, advocates, and residents to evaluate progress, identify barriers, discuss strategies to improve accessibility across the city of Boston.

Disability rights are civil rights.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Flynn.

Um would anyone like to add their name?

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

Docket 1107 will be referred to the Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Immigrant Advancement.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docket 1108?

Docket number 1108, Council Flynn offered the following.

Order requesting certain information under Section 17F regarding the number of parking meters and annual revenue generated in the City of Boston.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Councillor Council.

Counselor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I filed the 17th to learn more about annual revenue Boston receives from parking meters over the last 15 years, and how many we have had in service every year, how many parking meters we had every year, how many were removed each year, and what streets they were removed from.

I think this is important information to have because we're 100 million dollars in the red right now in our 50 million in our schools.

It's important for us to learn as much as we can about revenue sources and this is a simple 17F.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Councilor Flynn seeks suspension of the rules and passage of docket 1108.

All in favor say aye.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please take a roll call vote on Docket 1108?

Councillor Braden.

Yes.

Councillor Braden, yes.

Councillor Coletta's apartment.

Councillor Culpepper.

Councillor Culpepper, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councilor Fitzgerald, yes, Council for Joe, yes.

Councillor Flynn.

Yes, Councillor Flynn, yes.

Councillor Lujan.

Councilor Mehia.

Councilor Mehir, yes, Councillor Murphy.

Councillor Murphy, yes, Councillor Papin.

Councilor Penn, yes, Councilor Santana.

Counselor Weber, Council Roreau.

Docker?

Councilor Warrell, yes.

Docket number one one zero eight has received eight votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

May I ask my colleague, Councillor Culpepper, to take the chair for a few moments while I um.

Madam President, you have to read it in ready to go.

Document number 1109.

Councillors Braden Flynn offered the following resolution recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander Month.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Madam President.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I'm honored to be here to support the recognition of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Month in Boston this past May, because we didn't have a council meeting last week.

We missed actually having this as a resolution in May, but we did not want to let this important recognition go unnoticed.

I want to thank Councillor Flynn for being a co-sponsor and for always being a strong advocate for AAPI community in Boston.

You can find a vibrant and diverse community of all Asian American and Pacific Islanders from all walks of life throughout Boston.

And they provide leadership and business growth as well as civic engagement and culture in Boston as they continue to thrive within our neighborhoods.

There are many contributions that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made to help the City of Boston continue to move forward, whether just through education or healthcare services, small business ownership, artistic ability, or advocacy for the public good.

As the district consular for Austin Brighton, I'm proud to represent a vibrant and growing AAPI community.

This recognition reminds us that we must continue to support all residents to feel safe, respected, and represented, especially given the recent rise in discrimination against people of Asian descent and the increase in the occurrence of anti-Asian hate-related incidents.

I hope this resolution will show that we as a council reaffirm our commitment to equity and advancing opportunity throughout the city and celebrate our diversity, which makes us strong.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Counselor Flynn, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and thank you to Council Braden for including me.

I also want to acknowledge all city councillors for their important work they have done as well in supporting Asian Americans here in Boston, but across Massachusetts, and want to acknowledge Mayor Woe and her team as well for the incredible work that they have done on this issue.

Mr.

Chair, when I when I served overseas in the military, I served with Asian Americans and saw their incredible devotion to our country and service, and I also saw their willingness to you know lead and to take charge to provide the incredible leadership, not just in the military, but also throughout so many segments of society.

And I think of that because I also know that at the same time their loved one is serving overseas in harm's way back here in the United States.

So it's important to acknowledge that to address it.

And we haven't treated them with the respect that they've earned as well, including a history of racism against the Asian community, including the Chinese exclusive Chinese Exclusion Act, which is the first time the United States ever excluded a race of people based on based on their race.

Again, being excluded, the Chinese community.

There was a famous photo out in Salt Lake City when the when the railroad was connected.

Even though it was built by the Chinese laborers, not one Chinese person was pictured in several hundred people in that photo.

But that's just one small example, it's actually a large example of the in-dive racism that continues to take place across the country.

We need to acknowledge it, and we need to work together.

Mr.

Mr.

Chair, thank you for giving me an extra few seconds.

Thank you, Council Flynn.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councilor Murphy.

Yes, you may.

I just want to rise in the Hong Kong and Hong Kong.

If I start on it, okay.

Thank you, Councillor Culpepper.

I just wanted to rise to thank Councillor Flynn and Council Braden for filing this.

It's never too late to make sure we recognize our Asian community.

Next to Councillor Flynn, I spent a lot of time in Chinatown and in all the communities around the city and in my own home neighborhood, a lot of Vietnamese families, neighbors.

So I think it's important that we're always uplifting the Asian community.

I do, I know both of my colleagues have already expressed thanks and gratitude to many of our city employees, but I did want to give a special shout out to Superintendent Chin and the intent that I know the captain in A1 that covers Chinatown has really intentionally made sure that our police that we're really putting a lot of Asian police officers in Chinatown.

And I know that when I go to the Chinatown safety meetings and the business meetings, they talk a lot about thankful for the language access and knowing that they just feel safe and seen in so many different departments across the city.

So just thank you for this and know that if anyone ever wants to go to Chinatown with me, I'm always um up for a good visit.

They have great food, great neighbors, and it's a vibrant community that really does need our support.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Murphy.

Would anyone like to add their name to this docket?

Councilor Murphy.

Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Mahia, Councillor Pepin, Councillor Weber, and Councillor Worrell.

Councillors Braden and Flynn seek suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1109.

All in favor say aye.

All opposed say no.

The ayes have it.

Mr.

Clerk.

Document number one zero, Councillor Brady offer the following resolution affirming the City of Boston's commitment to green infrastructure.

Counselor Madam President.

Sorry.

Got it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would like to suspend the rules, and uh Councillor Warrell is an original co-sponsor.

There being no objections, Councillor Warwell is added.

I rise today to ask for suspension adoption and adoption of this resolution reaffirming the council's support for green infrastructure across the city of Boston.

With Boston still feeling the effects, continuing to feel the effects of climate change.

Right here in the city of Boston, we have three watersheds.

We have the Charles River, we have the Mystic River, and we also have the Neponset River that have uh are part of our landscape and our geography.

Green infrastructure helps to strengthen our neighborhoods by enhancing stormwater management systems, providing usable green space, and improving public health for all members of our communities.

In Alston Brighton and throughout Boston, our citizens have voiced many times, many have voiced many times their concerns regarding the need for clean air, resilient infrastructure, and planning that supports a sustainable future within our communities.

The city's 2030 Climate Action Plan identifies green infrastructure as a core strategy for addressing stormwater and inland flooding, and it calls for clear standards and coordinated implementation.

With the recent elimination of the Office of Green Infrastructure, many residents and advocates have raised understandable concerns about how this work will continue, how ongoing projects will be managed, and how the city will meet its stated climate goals.

This resolution urges the administration and the streets cabinet to restore staffing capacity, provide transparent timelines, and ensure clear reporting on all green infrastructure and stormwater projects.

Our communities deserve clarity, accountability, and sustained investment in this critical climate resilient work.

And I respectfully ask for your support.

Just out of a few incidents, we had a storm a few years ago where two inches of rain fell in two hours.

It resulted in closure of the green line because water was a stormwater was accumulating, the line had to close, and a newly constructed uh below grade uh basement apartment was flooded with four feet of water.

Uh this is real, and it's uh very very important that we uh continue to support uh um an active and dynamic green infrastructure uh infrastructure um in our uh department in our city.

Thank you, thank you, madam president.

Would anyone like to add their name?

Councillor Warrell.

Councillor Warrell, you have the floor, thank you.

That was blinker, okay.

Oh, there we go, figured it out.

Uh thank you, Chair, thank you, Madam President, for adding me and bringing this uh hearing order forward as Council President Braden stated.

Boston is facing multiple climate threats, many of them directly related to serious issues with the infrastructure around the city.

We need all experts as hands-on deck to address the challenges ahead.

A lot of this office's work, the climate uh office, uh, slated for Madapan to address inland flooding issues and other infrastructure tools.

The elimination of the Office of Green Infrastructure, especially after the city's release of the climate action plan, uh concerns me.

But I think I speak for all in this council that we are committed to green infrastructure, but what we need to have a conversation with the administration about is how these plans and these goals will be uh brought forward.

Uh, one way to do that is to reinstate this office to make sure that we'll be following through the city's climate action plans promises.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council.

Would anyone like to add their name to this document?

1110, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn, Councillor Louis Jean, Councillor Mahia, Councillor Murphy, Council Pepper, Council Weber.

Thank you.

Councilor Braden seek suspension of Councillor Culpepper.

Thank you.

Councillor Council President Braden six suspension of the rules and adoption of Docket 1110.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those in favor say nay.

The ayes have it.

Oh, Mr.

Clerk, please count the vote.

Councillor Braden.

Councillor Braden, yes, Councillor Collette is a pilot.

Councillor Calpepper.

Yes.

Councillor Calpepa, yes, Councillor Durkin.

Councillor Fitzgerald, Council Show, yes, Council Flynn.

Councillor Flynn, yes, Council Luzian.

Yes.

Council, yes, Councillor Mehia.

Councilor Mehia, yes, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Murphy, yes, Councillor Pipen.

Council Papen, yes, Councillor Santana.

Councillor Weber, Councillor Weber, yes, and Councillor World.

Council Rowell, yes.

Docker number one one zero has received ten votes in the affirmative.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Welcome.

You get an argument, yes.

Thank you.

Um Councillor Culpepper for taking the chair.

See where we are.

One one one.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read Docker number one one-one-one?

Councilor Warrell offer the following resolution recognizing Juneteenth in the city of Boston.

Chair recognizes Council Warrell.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to add Council Culpepper as an original co-sponsor.

Counselor Culpepper Silated.

And I just suspend the rules and add Council Mejia as an original co-sponsor.

Seeing and hearing no objections, Councilman is still added.

I'm proud to stand today in support of this resolution, recognizing Juneteenth and calling for the establishment of an annual Juneteenth banner program here in the city of Boston.

As a black man, as a father and someone who represents the district rooted in black history, culture, and resilience.

This is deeply personal to me.

Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom for black Americans did not come all at once.

Even after the emancipation proclamation was signed, enslaved black people in Texas remained in bondage for more than two years before finally learning they were free on June 19th, 1865.

That history matters because it reminds us that progress is not always immediate.

Justice is not always guaranteed, and information itself can be power.

And here in Boston, a city built in part by black labor, black advocacy, and black resistance.

We have a responsibility not just to acknowledge that history, but to make it visible.

That's why I'm excited about the idea of a Juneteenth banner program across our city.

I think about young black kids walking down Blue Lab through Dorchester, downtown, back bay, and seeing banners honoring black leaders, freedom fighters, artists, organizers, and community builders, seeing reminders that they come from strength, brilliance, and survival matter.

And this is also about investment.

Supporting black artists, black designers, and black owned businesses and creating these banners mean turning celebration into opportunity and economic empowerment.

As we approach Juneteenth, I hope we continue telling the full story of this country, not just the comfortable parts, but the honest parts.

Because understanding that history is how we continue moving closer to the freedom and equity our ancestors fought for.

Thank you.

Counselor Worrell for adding me as an original co-sponsor.

June 19th, 1865.

The day enslaved black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally told they were free.

Making the true end of slavery in this United States.

This came roughly two and a half years after the emancipation proclamation had already declared it so.

That delay is part of the lesson.

Freedom declared is not freedom delivered.

Justice promised is not justice done.

Juneteenth is our annual reckoning with that gap and our unwavering commitment to closing it.

In Boston, we know this history well.

Black Bostonians didn't just wait for change.

They forced it, they organized, they marched, they sacrificed.

Right here on these streets in Boston.

To recognize Juneteenth officially, is to tell the full truth of who we are, how we got here, and how much further we have to go.

The banner program this resolution calls for is how we continue to close that gap.

Each June flags on our lamp posts, street polls, and our parks will pull history into the light, making visible the legacy, the sacrifice, and the living contributions of black Bostonians and Americans.

We are filling this gap with real economic purpose.

By rooting this program and black owned businesses, trusting them to design and create these banners.

We go beyond symbols.

We put resources where they are owed, support present-day community leaders, and turn commemoration into direct investment.

Juneteenth reminds us that the Ark of Justice does not bend on its own.

It bends because people push it.

The vote is one push, but our black communities are still fighting for equitable schools, equitable safety, housing, and health.

Let this resolution, Madam President, and my colleagues be a foundation but as a promise, a promise that Boston will keep working until equality is no longer the exception, but the expectation.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Council Mejia.

Counselor, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President, and I want to thank Council Rorell for adding me as an original co-sponsor to this resolution, recognizing Juneteenth in the city of Boston.

Juneteenth holds a special place in my heart in 2020 at the height of the racial and civil unrest.

Uh, then alongside Councillor Kim Janey and Counselor Andrea Campbell, I was proud to help lead the effort to have Juneteenth be recognized officially by the city of Boston and then later by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a holiday.

What started as a resolution before this body became a statewide holiday, ensuring that this history would be acknowledged and remembered for generations to come.

For me, Juneteenth is not only a celebration of freedom, it is a reminder that freedom delayed is freedom denied, and that the fight for justice, equity, and liberation did not end in 1865.

It still continues today.

As an Afro-Latina, as an immigrant and as someone who believes deeply in solidarity across communities, I understand that our struggles are interconnected.

Juneteen calls on all of us to honor black history, celebrate black joy, and remain committed to dismantling systems that continue to create inequities and exclusion.

And I also think, and I say this everywhere that I go, is that when they abducted our ancestors, the only difference was the port that they dropped us off at.

So I love to stand in solidarity, and I want to thank Council Morrell for adding me.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

The chair recognizes Councillor Luigian, then we'll go to Consular Fent.

Thank you.

Just want to stand in recognition of Juneteenth and the folks in Galveston, Texas, who found out on uh June 19th, 1865, learned of their freedom.

And I just want to, you know, so many, as a black woman here in this city, uh whose parents came from Haiti.

I recognize that we stand on the shoulders of so many who were brought here via chattel slavery and endured and helped really build this country and built the groundwork for capitalism in this country.

So I just want to, you know, say happy Juneteenth.

I uh enjoy uplifting and celebrating alongside our African-American community here.

I also want to give a big shout out to Opal Lee, who was the architect and job of one and really pushing to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Um, and so want to make sure that we recognize those who came before us who did the work to make sure that we could pause and and and remember Juneteenth, which was really a day of Jubilee that started off in the backyards of churches and in people's homes, celebrating um in Texas what freedom really meant.

And so I look forward to all the Juneteenth celebrations that will happen across the city and to the people who will put them on and to the continued work of justice and freedom.

Thank you.