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Record of Proceedings

Boston City Council Regular Meeting - July 22, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, July 22, 2026
BodyBoston, Massachusetts
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, July 22, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:27:39

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
3:43

Good afternoon, everyone.

3:46

Good afternoon.

3:47

Good to see so many folks in here.

3:50

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

3:54

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

4:02

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

4:09

Also pursuant to rule forty-two.

4:11

I remind all in the chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted.

4:19

Mr.

4:19

Clerk, will you please uh take a roll call vote to ascertain the presence of a quorum?

4:25

Councillor Braden.

4:26

Here.

4:26

Council Killard is a part of Councillor Culpepper.

4:30

Councillor Durkin.

4:31

Councillor Fitzgerald.

4:33

Councillor Flynn.

4:34

Councillor Lou Jim.

4:36

Councilor Mihia.

4:37

Councillor Murphy.

4:38

Council Pepin.

4:40

Councillor Saint Anna.

4:41

Councillor Weber.

4:43

And Councillor Warrell.

4:44

A quarum.

4:46

Thank you, Mr.

4:46

Clerk.

4:47

I've been informed by the clerk that we accoram is present.

4:51

I'll now ask the clerk to offer some brief remarks in as an invocation before we start our meeting.

5:00

And then following that, we'll have the Pledge of Allegiance.

5:11

Good afternoon, everyone.

5:12

Please stand.

5:16

Now may the spirit that leads us in our search for truth and justice.

5:21

That spirit has impelled men and women to devote life and fortune to public service.

5:26

Beyond hope of fame or pull of pride.

5:30

May that spirit be alive and renewed in them, in them today as they continue to do the good work of the people of Boston.

5:39

Amen.

5:51

One nation under God and the visible liberty and justice for all.

5:58

Thank you, Mr.

5:59

Clerk.

6:04

We have one presentation this afternoon.

6:06

Council Louis Jen is recognizing Eddie Crispin's retirement.

6:11

Councilor Louis Jean, would you like to come forward and under have your guest with with you?

6:16

Your honor.

6:22

Is he here?

6:25

Oh, there he is.

6:26

Good man.

6:26

Come on up.

6:55

Good morning, everyone.

6:58

This is an incredibly bittersweet moment because for many of us who have known Eddie for years, uh, we know that he does everything with fight and with heart.

7:11

And he has been a public servant here in our city and leading on our police force for decades.

7:20

I know that I don't want to see him go.

7:22

I know that there are many people here in this chambers who do not want to see him go.

7:27

But Eddie must do what's best for Eddie.

7:31

Jordan.

7:32

Oh welcome, come on out.

7:34

This is just one of the celebrations celebrating Eddie.

7:38

We surprised him a few weeks ago with the retirement party, and uh Councilor Mejia was there, and Council Warell, and so many others to say thank you, Eddie, for always putting people, Jordan.

7:50

Come on up, come on up here.

7:52

Always putting people and always putting community first.

7:55

Um you've given your heart to this city, leading Mamlio, uh Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, leading Halleck, the Haitian Association of Law Enforcement Law Enforcement Community here.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Procedural███████████████15%
Public Education████████8%
Public Health████████8%
Community Engagement███████7%
Transportation Safety███████7%
Disability Rights██████6%
Memorials██████6%
Public Engagement████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Boston City Council Regular Meeting - July 22, 2026

The Boston City Council met on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 12:15 PM in the Christopher Iannella Chamber, with President Breadon presiding. The meeting covered a wide range of items including grant approvals, school funding, police accountability ordinances, traffic safety resolutions, and numerous recognitions. The Council adopted several resolutions and referred multiple matters to committees. The meeting adjourned at 3:39 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the July 8, 2026 City Council meeting minutes.
  • Adoption of a consent agenda containing 75 resolutions (Dockets #1436–1510) recognizing individuals, organizations, and commemorating events, including memorials for Jim Galvin, Pete Doherty, David Gilmartin, Janet Jones, and others.

Discussion Items

  • Grant Acceptances and Passages:
    • Docket #1392: $810,000 from BPDA for the Phillips Square project in Chinatown, passed 11-0 after Councilor Durkan and Flynn spoke in support, noting the project will redesign a barricaded area into a cooling plaza and honor community leader Tooney Lee.
    • Docket #1393: $251,708 from Save America's Treasures for archaeological work on the Parker-Harris Pottery site in Charlestown, passed 10-0 (Councilor Mejia not present). The grant will fund a three-year study of 48,000 ceramic fragments and highlight the enslaved workers Jack and Acton.
    • Docket #1396: $150,000 for public safety lighting replacement in Brighton, passed 10-0.
    • Dockets #1398–1400: Three grants totaling $92,954 for the Age Strong Commission (nutrition services, area plan administration, disease prevention), all passed 10-0.
  • School Feasibility Studies:
    • Docket #1311: $5 million appropriation for a feasibility study and schematic design for Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, passed 10-0 (first reading) and assigned for further action. The Council heard that 57 MSBA projects are underway, with $696 million in investments anticipated.
    • Docket #1312: $850,000 for window, door, and roof projects at five schools (Boston Adult Academy, Hurley, Mendell, Kilmer, Lyon Upper), passed 10-0 and assigned for further action.
  • Human Rights Commission Hearing: Docket #1237, an order for a hearing on the future of the Boston Human Rights Commission, remained in committee after a July 21 hearing with testimony from state and local officials.
  • Police Accountability Ordinances:
    • Docket #1412 (Councilor Worrell): Ordinance to amend regulations on police transparency and accountability, including timelines for body camera footage release and civil lawsuit reporting. Referred to Government Operations.
    • Docket #1413 (Councilor Culpepper): Ordinance to amend the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT), establishing investigation timelines and public reporting. Referred to Government Operations.
  • Synthetic Kratom Ban: Docket #1414 (Councilor Fitzgerald): Ordinance to ban the sale and use of synthetic mitragynine and 7-OH (synthetic kratom). Referred to Government Operations.
  • Annual Streets Reporting: Docket #1415 (Councilors Pepén and Breadon): Ordinance requiring annual reporting of street projects, including status, delays, and spending. Referred to Government Operations.
  • Hearing Orders:
    • Docket #1416: Hearing on crossing guard recruitment. Referred to Public Safety and Criminal Justice.
    • Docket #1417: Hearing on expanding skilled trades careers. Referred to Education.
    • Docket #1418: Hearing on the citywide Bike Network Plan. Referred to Planning, Development and Transportation.
    • Docket #1419: Hearing on noise complaint enforcement. Referred to Public Safety and Criminal Justice.
    • Docket #1421: Hearing on the future of the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. Referred to Education.
  • Resolutions Adopted:
    • Docket #1420: Resolution urging improved noise complaint enforcement (adopted 9-0, with Durkan and Mejia not present).
    • Docket #1424: Resolution recommitting Boston to Vision Zero 2030 (adopted 11-0). Councilors noted 11 traffic fatalities in 2025 and the tragic death of advocate Louisa Gag.
    • Docket #1425: Resolution celebrating the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (adopted 11-0).
    • Docket #1426: Resolution in support of state bills S.2344 and H.3754 authorizing road safety cameras (adopted 11-0).
    • Docket #1427: Resolution in support of wheelchair consumer protection bills H.4358 and S.2662 (adopted 11-0, with language substituted).
    • Docket #1428: Resolution in support of nurses at Boston Medical Center, who are striking for fair wages and parity with other Boston hospitals (adopted 11-0).
    • Docket #1429: Resolution celebrating the retirement of Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Eddie Crispin (adopted 11-0).
    • Docket #1430: Resolution recognizing the Roxbury Neighborhood Council and its role in community planning (adopted 10-0, Durkan not present).
    • Docket #1431: Resolution recognizing July 2026 as Disability Pride Month (adopted 10-0).
    • Docket #1432: Resolution declaring July 1, 2026 as "Jaylen Brown Day" honoring the Celtics star (adopted unanimously).
    • Docket #1433: Resolution declaring July 26, 2026 as "BarberTime Day" (adopted unanimously).
  • 17F Information Requests:
    • Docket #1422: Request for information on the O'Bryant School capital planning process (passed).
    • Docket #1423: Request for information on the MSBA eligibility period for Madison Park High School (passed).
  • Personnel Orders:
    • Dockets #1434 and #1435: Appointments of temporary employee Jordan Frias in the City Council (passed).
    • Docket #1512 (late file): Appointment of temporary employees Cindy Dieujuste-Jacob, Emily Polston, Jesse Purvis, and Julian Viviescas Mejia (passed).

Key Outcomes

  • The Council approved $12,855,000 in grants and appropriations, including $5.85 million for school feasibility studies and $1.2 million for various city programs.
  • Two police accountability ordinances were introduced and referred to committee for further review.
  • The Council adopted resolutions supporting state legislation on road safety cameras and wheelchair consumer protections, and urged the state to pass bills extending TPS for Haiti (announced by Councilor Louijeune).
  • The Council recommitted to Vision Zero with a goal of zero traffic fatalities by 2030.
  • The Council expressed solidarity with Boston Medical Center nurses on strike for fair contracts.
  • The meeting adjourned in memory of 19 individuals, including Louisa Gag, Lisa Gregorio, and others.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. Good to see so many folks in here. I call to order today's meeting of the Boston City Council. Viewers can watch the council meeting live on YouTube at Boston.gov backslash city dash council dash TV. At this time, I ask my colleagues and those in the in the audience to please silence their cell phones and electronic devices. Also pursuant to rule forty-two. I remind all in the chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted. Mr. Clerk, will you please uh take a roll call vote to ascertain the presence of a quorum? Councillor Braden. Here. Council Killard is a part of Councillor Culpepper. Councillor Durkin. Councillor Fitzgerald. Councillor Flynn. Councillor Lou Jim. Councilor Mihia. Councillor Murphy. Council Pepin. Councillor Saint Anna. Councillor Weber. And Councillor Warrell. A quarum. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. I've been informed by the clerk that we accoram is present. I'll now ask the clerk to offer some brief remarks in as an invocation before we start our meeting. And then following that, we'll have the Pledge of Allegiance. Good afternoon, everyone. Please stand. Now may the spirit that leads us in our search for truth and justice. That spirit has impelled men and women to devote life and fortune to public service. Beyond hope of fame or pull of pride. May that spirit be alive and renewed in them, in them today as they continue to do the good work of the people of Boston. Amen. One nation under God and the visible liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have one presentation this afternoon. Council Louis Jen is recognizing Eddie Crispin's retirement. Councilor Louis Jean, would you like to come forward and under have your guest with with you? Your honor. Is he here? Oh, there he is. Good man. Come on up. Good morning, everyone. This is an incredibly bittersweet moment because for many of us who have known Eddie for years, uh, we know that he does everything with fight and with heart. And he has been a public servant here in our city and leading on our police force for decades.

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