City Council
Council Chambers
Agenda — 115 items
- 1 A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Boston was held in the Christopher A. Iannella Chamber, City Hall on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at 12:10 P.M. President Breadon in the Chair. Present Councilors Coletta Zapata, Culpepper, FitzGerald, Flynn, Louijeune, Murphy, Pepén, Santana, and Worrell. Absent Councilors Durkan, Mejia, and Weber. City Clerk Alex Geourntas delivered the invocation, and the meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. The Chair moved to adopt the minutes from the August 5, 2026 City Council Meeting. Motion prevailed.
- 2 ROLL CALL
- 3 APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 5, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
- 4 COMMUNICATIONS FROM HER HONOR, THE MAYOR:
- 5 Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) in the form of a grant, The Simoni Foundation Charitable Donation Grant, awarded by Frank R. and Elizabeth Simoni Foundation Inc. to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund supporting the work of the Homicide Unit.
- 6 Message and order for the confirmation of the appointment of Robyn Casper, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on August 24, 2029.
- 7 REPORTS OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AND OTHERS:
- 8 Notice was received from the Mayor of the appointment of Ann Moy as a Member of the Chinatown Trust Fund Committee, for a term expiring August 3, 2031.
- 9 Notice was received from the Mayor of the appointment of Helen Chan Kwong as a Member of the Chinatown Trust Fund Committee, for a term expiring August 3, 2031.
- 10 Notice was received from the Mayor of the appointment of Adam Cederbaum as Chair of the Boston Election Commission for a term expiring March 31, 2030.
- 11 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 August 5, 2026.
- 12 Communication was received from Renato Castelo, Director of the Office of Participatory Budgeting, of the report entitled "Ideas in Action: Evaluation and Review of the FY26 Cycle (2025-2026)."
- 13 Communication was received from the Law Department regarding an Open Meeting Law complaint filed in City Council on August 5, 2026, Docket #1538.
- 14 Communication was received by the City Clerk from the Boston Landmarks Commission for City Council action on the designation of the Petition #305.26 - The Folsom House, 3-4 Folsom Avenue, Mission Hill (in effect after September 13, 2026 if not acted upon).
- 15 The Constable Bonds of Darius Agnew, Devorn Buchanan, Gavin Castagna, Rolflyn Cazeau, Frico Damas, Chesterfield Daniel-Coppin, Mark Evlogiadis, Vincent James, William Joyce, Manuel Mendes, Paul Morelli, Jonas Morose, Robert Ryan, Jean Sanon, and Joseph Singletary, Jr. having been duly approved by the Collector-Treasurer were received and approved under the usual terms and conditions.
- 16 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES:
- 17 On the petition, referred on June 24, 2026, Docket #1235, for a Special Law re: An Act Relative to Pension Benefits for Firefighter Richard Lopez, the committee submitted a report recommending that the matter ought to pass in a new draft.
- 17 Councilor Coletta Zapata, on behalf of the Committee on Government Operations, submitted the following:
- 18 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1401, approving the receipt of a Conservation Restriction on land at 0 Dale Street, Boston, MA 02136. The Grantor’s title of the land is located at Suffolk County Registry of Deeds at Book 70459, Page 316. That description of the land includes all the land in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts containing the entirety of a 44,137± square foot (1.013± acre) parcel of land (“Premises”), which Premises is which land is located at Unnumbered (aka “0”) Dale Street in the Hyde Park District of the City of Boston (numbered in the records of the Assessing Department as Parcel 1808198000), and formerly the property of the former Boston and Providence Railroad Company further bounded and described according to a plan of survey made by Harry R. Feldman, Inc., Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors, Joseph L. Calabro, Jr., Registered Land Surveyor No. 15998, dated January 18, 1993 and recorded at Suffolk County Registry of Deeds Book 24453, Page 302, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.
- 19 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1402, approving the receipt of a Conservation Restriction on land at 190-198 West Eighth Street, Boston, MA 02127. The Grantor’s title of the land is located at Suffolk County Registry of Deeds at Book 71757, Page 35. That description of the land includes all the land in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts containing the entirety of the parcels of land, totaling 4,655 square feet of land, more or less, known as the Sister Mary Veronica Park, shown as “Lot 5, Lot 6, Lot 7, Lot 8, and Lot 9” on a survey dated August 12, 2025 titled “Plot Plan 190-198 West Eighth Street, South Boston, MA,” and prepared by Joyce Consulting Group, Braintree, Massachusetts, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.
- 19 Councilor Worrell, on behalf of the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency, and Parks, submitted the following:
- 20 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1403, for the confirmation of the reappointment of Samira Ahmadi, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on May 23, 2029, the committee submitted a report recommending that the reappointment ought to be confirmed.
- 21 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1404, for the confirmation of the reappointment of Jessica Boatright, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on April 24, 2029, the committee submitted a report recommending that the reappointment ought to be confirmed.
- 22 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1405, for the confirmation of the reappointment of Stephen Ellis, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on May 26, 2029, the committee submitted a report recommending that the reappointment ought to be confirmed.
- 23 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1406, for the confirmation of the reappointment of Hessann Farooqi, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on March 19, 2029, the committee submitted a report recommending that the reappointment ought to be confirmed.
- 24 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1407, for the confirmation of the reappointment of Lori Ferriss, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on July 13, 2029, the committee submitted a report recommending that the reappointment ought to be confirmed.
- 25 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1408, for the confirmation of the reappointment of Gail Latimore, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on April 24, 2029, the committee submitted a report recommending that the reappointment ought to be confirmed.
- 26 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1409, for the confirmation of the appointment of Camilo Esquivia-Zapata, as a Member of the Building Emissions Reduction And Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on July 20, 2029, the committee submitted a report recommending that the appointment ought to be confirmed.
- 27 On the message and order, referred on August 5, 2026, Docket #1514, to declare surplus City-owned property currently under the management of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and transfer the care, custody, control and management thereof to the Public Facilities Commission. The Property comprises two (2) unnumbered parcels located at Melnea Cass Boulevard in the Roxbury District (Ward 09, Parcel #02225000, 02240000). The surplus vote will allow the City to later transfer the land to the Boston Planning and Development Agency (“BPDA”) pursuant to a 2002 Memorandum of Agreement between the City, BPDA, and MassDOT, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.
- 28 MATTERS RECENTLY HEARD-FOR POSSIBLE ACTION:
- 29 On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1391, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Twelve Million Eight Hundred Fifty-Five Thousand Dollars ($12,855,000.00) in the form of a grant, Bloomberg Philanthropies grant, awarded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund the Skilled Trades Initiative which aims to enhance vocational training, expand pre-apprenticeship opportunities, and support students’ participation in Registered Apprenticeship programs. The initiative focuses on student persistence and completion, employer engagement, and program coordination to build pathways in the construction industry, water utility management, and other skilled trades. This will be administered in collaboration with Boston Public Schools, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.
- 29 Councilor FitzGerald, on behalf of the Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation, submitted the following:
- 30 MOTIONS, ORDERS AND RESOLUTIONS:
- 31 Ordinance Amending the City of Boston Code, Section 5-5.20, Paid Parental Leave for City of Boston Employees.
- 32 Ordinance to Amend the Boston Human Rights Commission.
- 32 Councilor Worrell, on behalf of the Committee on Labor and Economic Development, submitted the following:
- 33 Order for a hearing to explore raising the percentage of Community Preservation Act funds dedicated to affordable housing.
- 34 Order for a hearing to explore codifying the Office of Violence Prevention and establishing a biennial violence prevention strategy plan in the City of Boston.
- 35 Order for a hearing on high energy costs and pathways to an equitable and environmentally-resilient energy transition in Boston.
- 36 Order for a hearing to examine the challenges facing independent restaurant operators in Boston.
- 37 Order requesting certain information under Section 17F relative to speed humps installed as part of the "Safety Surge" initiative.
- 38 Resolution in support of the continued use of ShotSpotter in the City of Boston.
- 39 Resolution recognizing September as National Recovery Month.
- 40 Resolution calling for robust infrastructure solutions to protect the Charles River and other local waterways from combined sewer overflows.
- 41 Resolution celebrating National Hotel Employee Day.
- 42 Resolution in support of a deadly weapons collection program in the City of Boston.
- 43 Resolution in support of granting City of Boston Park Rangers police academy training and police powers to enhance public safety in Boston parks.
- 44 Resolution in support of Head Start and Early Head Start and the importance of their programs in the City of Boston.
- 45 Resolution recognizing Quality Homes for Humankind.
- 46 Resolution in support of a South End Alleyways Working Group.
- 47 Resolution in recognition of the City of Chelsea's All-America City Award.
- 48 Resolution in support of an investigation by the Massachusetts Secretary of State into incorrect ballots distributed during Early Voting in Boston and maintaining state receivership of Boston Election Department through the 2028 election.
- 49 Resolution declaring August 22nd as Elizabeth Freeman Day in the City of Boston.
- 50 PERSONNEL ORDERS:
- 51 Councilor Breadon for Councilor Culpepper offered the following: Order for the appointment of temporary employee Bridgit Brown in City Council, effective August 22, 2026.
- 52 Councilor Breadon for Councilor Culpepper offered the following: Order for the appointment of temporary employee Cristal Martinez in City Council, effective August 22, 2026.
- 53 Councilor Breadon for Councilor Mejia offered the following: Order for the appointment of temporary employees Nyla Fernandes, Brittany Perez and Ericson Hilaire in City Council, effective August 22, 2026.
- 54 Councilor Breadon for Councilor Murphy offered the following: Order for the appointment of temporary employee Danielle Rones in City Council, effective August 22, 2026.
- 55 Councilor Breadon for Councilor Santana offered the following: Order for the appointment of temporary employee Noah Risley in City Council, effective August 22, 2026.
- 56 GREEN SHEETS:
- 57 Legislative Calendar August 26, 2026.
- 58 CONSENT AGENDA:
- 59 Resolution recognizing 46 retiring teachers and BPS staff members.
- 60 Resolution in memory of Eileen Kenner.
- 61 Resolution recognizing Yap's Summer Youth League.
- 61 Councilor Pepén called Docket #1552, resolution calling for an immediate housing stabilization response system for Boston residents who involuntarily lose work authorization due to federal changes in immigration policy, from the Committee on Housing and Community Development. No objection being heard, the matter was properly before the body.
- 62 Resolution in memory of Robert E. Delano.
- 62 The Chair stated that in absence of objection, six late-filed matters would be added to the Agenda. No objection being heard, the following matters were added:
- 63 Resolution celebrating the Great Elephant Migration and recognizing World Elephant Day.
- 63 Councilor Breadon offered the following: Order for the appointment of City Council staff employees in City Council, effective Saturday, September 12, 2026.
- 64 Resolution recognizing Joe Heisler.
- 64 Notice was received from the Mayor of her absence from the City from Monday, August 24, 2026 at 9:00 A.M., returning Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 4:00 P.M.
- 65 Resolution recognizing The West End Neighborhood Center.
- 65 Notice was received from Councilor Mejia of her absence from the August 26, 2026 City Council Meeting.
- 66 Resolution recognizing Victor Manuel Osorno.
- 66 Notice was received from Councilor Weber of his absence from the August 26, 2026 City Council Meeting.
- 67 Resolution recognizing Ivan “Viruta” Giraldo.
- 67 Notice was received from Councilor Durkan of her absence from the August 26, 2026 City Council Meeting.
- 68 Resolution recognizing Pomona Eastie.
- 68 The Constable Bonds of Cleveland Burton, Collin Herrelle, and Ian Randal having been duly approved by the Collector-Treasurer were received and approved under the usual terms and conditions.
- 69 Resolution recognizing Joanne Hayes Rines.
- 70 Resolution recognizing Cambio Latino.
- 70 The Chair moved adoption of a Consent Agenda containing the following items:
- 71 Resolution recognizing Andrea Ilse.
- 72 Resolution recognizing Juan Carlos Ferrufino.
- 73 Resolution in memory of Ellen T. (Doris) O’Rourke.
- 74 Resolution recognizing Domenico Susi.
- 75 Resolution in memory of Erica Tiny Martinez.
- 76 Resolution recognizing Bova’s Bakery.
- 77 Resolution recognizing Blue Caboose.
- 78 Resolution recognizing Nelson Arroyave.
- 79 Resolution recognizing Marcus St. Pierre.
- 80 Resolution recognizing Annette Gonsalves-Byner.
- 81 Resolution recognizing Tele Kreyol.
- 82 Resolution recognizing Free Pentecostal Church of God.
- 83 Resolution recognizing Pastor Jean J.M. Louis.
- 84 Resolution recognizing Angel Lenz Rene.
- 85 Resolution recognizing Duckens Emile.
- 86 Resolution recognizing William Henry Wright, III.
- 87 Resolution recognizing Solèy Leve.
- 88 Resolution recognizing Dr. Alecia McGregor.
- 89 Resolution congratulating Marabou Café.
- 90 Resolution in memory of Rita DiGesse.
- 91 Resolution congratulating June Weinberg.
- 92 Resolution recognizing Central Staff 2026 Summer Interns.
- 93 Resolution recognizing Evelyn Hawkesworth.
- 94 Resolution recognizing Spice.
- 95 Resolution recognizing Dashawn Oliver.
- 96 Resolution recognizing Omesa D. Spencer.
- 97 Resolution recognizing Bishop Bitrus Maiwaazi.
- 98 Resolution recognizing Delores Christopher.
- 99 Resolution recognizing Reverend Dr. Kevin C. Peterson.
- 100 Resolution recognizing September 4, 2026, as Taina Mair Day in the City of Boston.
- 113 The items contained within the Consent Agenda were severally adopted.
- 114 Adjourned at 3:11 P.M. on motion of President Breadon, in memory of George Mitchell, Rita DiGesse, Denise Alena Washington, John Pierce Rousmaniere, Matthew St. Marc, Jack Bulger, and Dolly Parton to meet again on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 P.M. Attest: Alex Geourntas City Clerk
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