City Councilor-At-Large Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. Below are some highlights from October and her final City Council meeting yesterday, November 3, 2021 with a special message:
This week’s City Council meeting will be my last as City Councilor At-Large,
as next week the Council will not meet in observance of Veteran’s Day. It’s
been a true honor to serve on this body over the last eight years. I am humbled
by the trust that has been placed in me to serve as Boston’s next mayor, and I
look forward to continuing the work.
VOTES
Safety Improvements on the
Massachusetts Avenue Bridge Resolution: We voted to approve a
resolution from Councilor Bok supporting key safety improvements on the Mass
Ave Bridge, also known as the Harvard Bridge, including flex post-protected
bike lanes by the end of the year and mode-separated travel for buses and bikes
as soon as can be feasibly coordinated with the MBTA and MassDOT.
Youth and Young Adult Homeless
Awareness Month Resolution: We voted to approve a resolution
from Councilor Essaibi George recognizing November 2021 as Youth and Young
Adult Homelessness Awareness Month, in support of the efforts of organizations,
educators, and volunteers dedicated to meeting the needs of Boston’s children
and youth experiencing homelessness.
Surveillance Oversight and
Information Sharing: We voted to approve an ordinance that I
sponsored in partnership with Councilor Arroyo on surveillance oversight and
information sharing. This legislation establishes clear safeguards to ensure
that the surveillance technologies used by the City are deployed with
transparency, public accountability, and democratic oversight. It also prevents
Boston Public Schools safety specialists from sharing sensitive student
information with the Boston Police Department to protect students from
inappropriate surveillance and ensure that BPS is a welcome and safe
environment for all students, regardless of race or immigration status.
Parking Minimums for
Affordable Housing: We voted to approve a text amendment to the Boston Zoning Code with
respect to parking minimums for affordable housing. This amendment will
eliminate parking minimums for residential housing where at least 60% of the
proposed residential units are income-restricted at or below 100% of the area
median income (AMI), preventing the use of parking minimums as a tool to delay
or prevent the construction of these affordable housing projects. This
amendment still needs approval from the Board of the Boston Planning and
Development Agency (BPDA) and the Boston Zoning Commission before it takes
effect.
REPORTS OF PUBLIC OFFICERS
Landmark Center Chapter 121A
Project: We received communication from the City Clerk of the
filing by the Boston Redevelopment Authority of the Application for the REport
and Decision on the Eleventh Amendment to the Report and Decision on the
Landmark Center Chapter 121A Project. Chapter 121A is the section of the
Massachusetts General Laws that authorizes the creation of urban renewal
corporations to undertake residential, commercial, civic, recreational,
historic or industrial projects in areas considered to be decadent, substandard
or blighted open space.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR
Housing Stabilization Home Rule
Petition: We received notice for City Council approval of a
home rule petition for a special law, Expanding the Authority of the Public
Facilities Commission with Respect to Housing Stabilization. This matter was
referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
MATTERS HEARD FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Reparations and their Impact on
Civil Rights of Black Bostonians: Councilor Mejia reported back
as Chair of the Committee on Civil Rights regarding a hearing recently held to
discuss reparations and their impact on the civil rights of Black Bostonians.
At the hearing, we heard from advocates, community members, and members of the
Administration about health and wellness, land and gentrification, education,
arts and culture, economic empowerment, and more. This conversation is not just
about slavery, but about the repeated injustices and policy decisions that have
been made to disenfranchise Black communities. We heard strong support from the
community for continuing the work of creating a reparations program and
process. (Remains in Committee)
Literacy Task Force: Councilor
Edwards and Councilor Flaherty reported back as Chair and Vice-Chair of the
Committee on Government Operations, respectively, regarding a hearing recently
held to discuss creating a literacy task force to address literacy rates in the
City of Boston and develop a plan to enact policies and programs to serve both
adults and children with literacy challenges. (Remains in Committee)
