Boston City Council Looks At Participatory Budgeting, Affirmative Fair Housing, COVID Vaccines, BPS & More

City Councilor-At-Large Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. Below are a few highlights from December 2 and December 9, 2020. 

VOTES 

Ending Family Homelessness: The Council voted to pass Councilor Essaibi-George’s ordinance to create the Special Commission on Ending Family Homelessness. This commission will emphasize the crisis of family homelessness in Boston. The language emphasizes that the issue is solvable and preventable with a concrete, actionable plan that would coordinate all necessary City resources. 

Boston City Charter: The Council voted 10-3 (Councilors Baker, Flaherty, Flynn opposed) to advance Councilor Edwards’ order initiating an amendment to the Boston City Charter, which would boost the City Council’s authority to make line-item adjustments to the City Budget, as well as require a portion of the budget to be set aside for participatory budgeting. Currently, the City Council may only reduce or cut budgeted amounts, but may not reallocate funding or increase line items. In accordance with the procedures outlined in state law to change a municipal charter, the proposed order requires a public hearing within four months and a vote by the Council within six months. Then the amendment would require approval by the Mayor to advance to a public referendum at the next municipal election, pending review by the Attorney General to ensure no conflict with state laws and the MA constitution. 

Affirmative Fair Housing in Zoning: The Council voted unanimously to pass Councilor Edwards’ order for a zoning code text amendment regarding Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Fair Housing Act, outlawed discrimination in sale, rental, and financing of housing. The City of Boston has committed to the elimination of discrimination, within Chapters 10-3 and 12-9 of the Boston Municipal Code and elsewhere through policy and executive action, and has conducted listening sessions relative to fair housing, but the City’s zoning code and development review procedures lack affirmative measures to further fair housing. The matter will be submitted to the Boston Zoning Commission for consideration.

NEW FILES 

COVID-19 Rates & Reduce Transmission: Councilor Arroyo called for a hearing to discuss COVID-19 rates by neighborhoods and strategies to reduce transmission. Epidemiologists at the Harvard Global Health Institute have stated that low risk of community transmission of COVID-19 is more likely when the percent of positive cases remains below 3%, and that it is important to conduct contact tracing and targeted testing in areas that have higher localized rates. The City of Boston needs to focus on reducing transmission rates in our most vulnerable neighborhoods, increase testing accessibility, and implement targeted and holistic interventions to address the rising number of COVID cases. This matter was assigned to the Committee on Public Health. 

Boston School Committee Student Member: Councilor Essaibi-George filed a home-rule petition regarding enfranchising the Boston School Committee Student Member. Since the creation of the Boston School Committee in 1991, the Student Member has played a critical part of the Committee, ensuring that the student voice is well represented and heard when school matters are decided. Since the creation of the Boston School Committee in 1991, the Student Member has played a critical part of the Committee, ensuring that the student voice is well represented and heard when school matters are decided. While the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education includes a Student Member who has full voting rights, the Boston School Committee Student Member remains disenfranchised. The matter was assigned to the Committee on Government Operations.

COVID-19 Vaccines: Councilor Campbell called for a hearing on COVID-19 vaccines. She noted that effective and equitable distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine to a large portion of the population is critical to ending the pandemic, and historically, medical racism against Black people, including denied treatment and purposeful mistreatment, has led to distrust of medical institutions among communities of color. The City should convene conversations to plan for access and outreach. The matter was assigned to the Committee on Public Health.

UPCOMING HEARINGS (Streaming online at: https://www.boston.gov/departments/city-council/watch-boston-city-council-tv)

• Our next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday, December 9th, at 12PM.

• Monday, December 14th at 5PM: Hearing to discuss issues relating to water and sewer infrastructure (City & Neighborhood Services)

• Tuesday, December 15th at 9AM: Hearing regarding a City-Level Conservation Corps for Boston (Environment, Resiliency & Parks)

• Tuesday, December 15th at 12PM: Hearing regarding various public safety grants (Public Safety & Criminal Justice)

• Tuesday, December 15th at 1PM: Hearing to explore and recommend diversity initiatives for City of Boston public safety agencies (Public Safety & Criminal Justice)

For complete notes of Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com to sign up to receive Council Notes automatically.