City Councilor-At-Large Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. Below are some highlights from March 31, April 14 and April 21, 2021 Boston City Council meetings:
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR
FY2022 Annual Appropriation and Tax Order: The Council received the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 Recommended Budget for the City of Boston, including $3.75 billion for the Operating Budget and $3.2 billion for the FY22-26 Capital Plan. Over the coming weeks, the City Council will hold a series of hearings to discuss the proposed budget before holding a vote to approve or reject it. (Placed on file)
FY2022 Annual Appropriation for the School Department: The Council received the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget for Boston Public Schools of $1.29 billion. This budget will be supplemented by federal COVID-19 recovery funding through The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and the American Rescue Plan. This budget has already been approved by a vote in the Boston School Committee. Over the coming weeks, the City Council will hold a series of hearings to discuss the proposed school budget before holding a vote to approve or reject it. (Placed on file)
Environment Conservation Commission Revolving Fund: The Council received an order authorizing up to $50,000 for the purpose of securing outside consultants to aid in the review of proposed projects to the Commission protecting local wetland and promoting climate change adaptation, to be credited with receipts from fees imposed by the Commission. (Placed on file)
Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture Revolving Fund: The Council received an order authorizing up to $120,000 to purchase goods and services to support public art, to be credited with receipts for easements within the public way granted by the Public Improvement Commission; and up to $30,000 to purchase goods and services to support the operation of the Strand Theatre, to be credited with receipts from rental fees. (Placed on file)
NEW FILES
Short Term Rentals Ordinance: Councilors Flynn, Bok and Edwards called for a hearing to discuss updates on the status and enforcement of the Short Term Rentals Ordinance. In 2018, I introduced the original Short Term Rentals ordinance language in partnership with Councilor Edwards, which mandates that only units that are owner-occupied are eligible to be short-term rentals and requires that operators register their units, apply for a license annually, and notify their abutters. However, advocates and civic organizations have expressed concerns that corporate actors are exploiting a loophole in the ordinance to convert their rentals into executive suites, which are exempt from the ordinance, and that these conversations are being approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. This matter was assigned to the Committee on Housing & Community Development.
MATTERS RECENTLY HEARD
Housing and Community Development Grants: Councilor Edwards reported back as Chair of the Committee on Housing and Community Development regarding several grants from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, to be administered by the Department of Neighborhood Development, to fund community and economic development programs, the creation of affordable housing units by nonprofits and for-profit developers, rental assistance and services for persons with HIV/AIDS, housing stability and homelessness prevention, and services and housing to the homeless. (Passed all five dockets)
Zoning Relief for Affordable Housing: I reported back as Chair of the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation regarding a hearing recently held to discuss zoning relief for 100% affordable and deeply affordable housing projects. At the hearing, we heard from representatives from the BPDA and DND about potential tools for zoning relief, including easing requirements for parking, open space, and setbacks; density bonuses that would allow increased height and scale in exchange for affordability; and an expedited review process and waived fees. (Remains in Committee)
Inclusionary Development Policy: Councilor Edwards reported back as Chair of the Committee on Housing and Community Development on a hearing recently held to discuss the state of affordable housing and Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP). The current IDP requires housing developments with 10 or more units to place income restrictions on 13% of units to ensure affordability, but these income restrictions are based on an Area Median Income (AMI) that does not reflect actual household incomes in the City of Boston. At the hearing, we heard from advocates calling for a change to IDP to increase the proportion of affordable units, enact specific protections for lower income residents, require permanent affordability, and lower the unit threshold to trigger IDP, among other proposals. (Remains in Committee)
GRANTS AND APPROPRIATIONS
$8,600,000 in the form of an appropriation from the City’s Capital Grant Fund, transferred from the Parking Meter Fund, to fund various transportation and public realm improvements aligned with the goals of Go Boston 2030. (Placed on file)
$2,000,000 in the form of an appropriation from the City’s Capital Grant Fund, transferred from revenue received from the Commonwealth Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund, to address the impact of transportation network services on municipal roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure. (Placed on file)
$2,051,903 in the form of a grant for the Boston Cultural Fund, awarded by the Boston Redevelopment Authority to be administered by the Office of Arts and Culture, to fund cultural spaces, organizations, programs, artists and activities in the South End, with the goal of preserving and enhancing cultural activity. (Assigned to the Committee on Arts, Culture and Special Events)
$25,500,374 in the form of a Community Preservation Act appropriation order for the Fiscal Year 2021 Preservation Fund revenues for community preservation projects at the recommendations of the City of Boston Community Preservation Committee (Passed)
$38,685,686 in the form of the Federal Fiscal Year 2020 Continuum of Care grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to support programs that provide services and housing to the homeless (Referred to the Committee on Housing and Community Development)
UPCOMING HEARINGS (Streaming online at https://boston.gov/
Next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday, April 28st at 12PM.
Wednesday, April 21st at 1PM: Hearing on off-leash dog recreation spaces in the City of Boston (Committee on City & Neighborhood Services)
Thursday, April 22nd at 9:30AM: Hearing on an ordinance on surveillance oversight and accountability (Committee on Government Operations)
Thursday, April 22nd at 2PM: Hearing on expanding access for minority business (Committee on Small Business & Workforce Development)
Monday, April 26th at 10AM: Hearing on the FY22 budget (Committee on Ways & Means)
Monday, April 26th at 4PM: Community working session on the FY22 budget – Administration and Finance overview (Committee on Ways & Means)
Tuesday, April 27th at 10AM: Hearing on the FY22 budget – Boston Public Schools overview (Committee on Ways & Means)
Tuesday, April 27th at 2PM: Hearing on the FY22 budget - BPS school budgets (Committee on Ways & Means)
Wednesday, April 28th at 5PM: Hearing on the FY22 budget – public testimony priorities for an equitable recovery (Committee on Ways & Means)
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