Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 10 a.m. (Boston time), Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Hearing on Dockets #0733-0740, FY27 Budget: Neighborhood Services
The Ways & Means Committee, chaired by Councilor Weber, held a hearing on dockets 0733–0740, an overview of the FY27 operating budget for the Office of Neighborhood Services, focusing on 311, SPARK Boston, and the Office of Civic Organizing. Administration officials from the Community Engagement Cabinet presented their departments' work and accomplishments and answered questions from councilors. Discussion covered budget cuts to block party and 'Spooky Streets' grants (to be replaced by external partnerships), liaison vacancies in Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, and Charlestown, the 311 system transition to a new CRM, and a dispute over how and whether the administration notifies district councilors of meetings in their districts. No public testimony was given and no votes were taken; the hearing was adjourned at the close of questioning.
5:09 i'm.
6:00 Like.
6:42 No.
11:11 Good morning.
11:12 My name is ben weber.
11:13 I am the boston city
11:15 councilor for district six and
11:17 the chair of the boston city
11:18 council on ways and means.
11:22 Today is APRIL 28th, 2026 and
11:24 the time is 10:11 A.M..
11:26 This hearing is being recorded
11:26 .
11:28 It's also being live streamed
11:31 at boston.Gov/city council tv
11:33 and broadcast on xfinity
11:35 channel eight, rcn channel 82
11:36 and fios channel 964.
11:39 Uh this is part of a series
11:40 of hearings on the budget that
11:42 go from APRIL through JUNE.
11:44 We are strongly encouraged.
11:45 We strongly encourage residents
11:47 to take a moment to engage in
11:48 this process by giving
11:50 testimony for the record.
11:51 You can do so in several ways.
11:53 First, uh, you can give
11:54 testimony in person or
11:56 virtually at our hearings.
11:58 Uh, we'll take public testimony
12:00 usually at the end of the first
12:01 round of questions from the
12:01 councilors.
12:03 Uh, the full hearing schedules
12:07 on our website uh, at
12:08 boston.Gov/council budget.
12:11 Uh, you can also show up at one
12:12 of two listening sessions to
12:14 give to public testimony will
12:15 be having those listening
12:17 sessions here in the chamber.
12:20 Uh the next one is tonight at 6
12:22 P.M. And the last uh, public
12:24 testimony listening session
12:27 will be uh, here at 6 P.M. On
12:28 thursday, MAY 26th.
12:32 Um, again uh, at all of these,
12:33 uh, hearings and sessions, you
12:34 can give testimony in person
12:36 here in the chamber virtually
12:38 via zoom for in-person
12:38 testimony.
12:41 Uh, sign up at a sign up sheet
12:42 which is near the entrance for
12:43 virtual testimony.
12:45 You can sign up using our
12:46 online form on our council uh,
12:49 budget review website by
12:51 emailing the committee at kcc,
12:53 uh, or by emailing the
12:56 committee at tcc dwm@boston.Gov
12:56 .
12:58 Or by emailing uh chris
13:04 mitchell on that's chris
13:05 marco@boston.Com.
13:06 When you are called to testify
13:08 please state your name and
13:09 affiliation or your residence.
13:12 Uh, and uh limit your comments
13:13 to two minutes.
13:17 Um, you can be here in lieu
13:18 of testifying in person or
13:18 virtually.
13:20 You can send in written
13:22 testimony to the committee at
13:24 six dwm@boston.Gov.
13:27 Uh you can also submit a two
13:28 minute video of your testimony
13:29 through the form on our
13:29 website.
13:30 Sorry.
13:33 For more information on the
13:35 city council budget process and
13:37 how to testify, please visit
13:38 the city council's budget
13:41 website at
13:42 boston.Gov/council-budget.
13:45 Um uh again in person testimony
13:47 which doesn't look like we're
13:48 we MAY have at some point um
13:50 will be uh limited to two
13:52 minutes each person and it will
13:54 be taken after the first round
13:54 of councilor questions.
13:57 Again if you want to testify,
13:59 uh, virtually please email
14:01 chris metro on our, uh,
14:03 analysis.
14:03 director of legislative budget
14:10 Uh, chris mccutcheon@boston.Gov
14:11 for the zoom link and your name
14:11 will be added to the list.
14:13 This morning's hearing is on
14:17 docket numbers 073320740.
14:19 An overview of the fy 27
14:21 operating budget for the office
14:22 of neighborhood services.
14:24 Uh, we'll be focusing on 311
14:26 spark boston and the office
14:27 of civic organizing.
14:29 Uh, again, this is one of a
14:30 series of hearings we're having
14:32 on the fy 27 budget.
14:34 These matters were sponsored by
14:36 the mayor michelle wu and
14:37 referred to the committee on
14:39 APRIL 8th, 2026.
14:40 Today I'm joined by my
14:42 colleagues in order of arrival.
14:44 Uh, councilor flynn,
14:45 councilor murphy,
14:45 councilor breadon,
14:47 councilor pepen and
14:48 councilor fitzgerald.
14:51 Uh, generally we're waiving
14:53 opening statements in these
14:53 hearings.
14:56 Uh, and uh, going directly to
14:57 the panel, which I'll introduce
14:57 .
14:59 We've got chief of neighborhood
15:00 services brandon miller.
15:02 We've got executive director
15:03 of neighborhood services
15:04 mohammed, missouri.
15:07 Uh, civic organizing director
15:08 natalia benitez perez.
15:11 Um, we have director of spark
15:12 aiden mcdonough.
15:12 Yeah.
15:16 Uh, and sorry 311 director.
15:18 Uh, or the soul of uh budo.
15:19 Right?
15:20 Almost.
15:20 Uh, okay.
15:22 We're in order, but, uh, it's
15:23 it's never happened.
15:26 uh, that this order is the same
15:27 as the order on the panel.
15:28 It's just completely out
15:28 of luck.
15:30 Anyway, so, uh, I think you
15:31 have a presentation.
15:32 Let's let's go to that and
15:34 then, uh, to my colleagues for
15:34 questions.
15:36 Good morning.
15:38 Um, chair as well as city
15:38 council.
15:39 Um, public.
15:41 Um, I'm brianna miller.
15:42 I'm the chief of engagement for
15:44 the city of boston and I get to
15:45 oversee an amazing team, um,
15:47 that you will hear from today
15:48 about each single department.
15:50 Um, overarching the community
15:52 engagement cabinet is I like to
15:53 say the cabinet that's closest
15:56 to the people we are, you know
15:57 and you know intaking
15:58 information through through and
15:59 one having conversations
16:01 through oco and spark and
16:02 neighborhood services and it's
16:04 really an opportunity for us to
16:05 hear directly from residents
16:06 and partner with key
16:07 stakeholders in each community.
16:09 That's my spiel.
16:11 I'm going to give it over to
16:12 each director to kind of talk a
16:13 little bit specifically about
16:15 their departments and then we
16:16 will obviously pass it over to
16:18 the community as well as the
16:19 councilors to answer any
16:20 questions about our budget.
16:21 All right.
16:22 thank you chief.
16:24 Um, can you just picking me up
16:25 you hear me?
16:26 yes.
16:26 Okay.
16:27 Yeah.
16:28 Ongc to the panel.
16:30 Uh, don't press the buttons.
16:32 our, uh, central staff will
16:33 take care of making sure you
16:34 make sure.
16:34 Okay.
16:35 thank you chair.
16:36 And good morning, councilors.
16:38 Um, so you know you're all
16:39 familiar with the office
16:40 of neighborhood services.
16:41 You work with us a lot.
16:42 Uh, you know, we're grateful
16:43 for that partnership.
16:44 Our mission is to bring city
16:47 hall, um, close, uh, into the
16:48 neighborhoods and to residents
16:50 but also to make sure that all
16:51 kinds of stakeholders have, um,
16:53 access to the city and to
16:54 different departments and make
16:55 sure we're making those
16:57 connections and delivering, uh
16:59 services.
16:59 ,facilitating excellence in
17:02 Um, our mission and goal and
17:03 commitment is to make sure that
17:05 residents, um, are included in
17:08 the work that the city does to
17:10 foster um, uh to foster a good
17:12 relationship but also trust in
17:12 government.
17:14 Um, our liaisons are on call 24
17:15 over seven to respond to
17:16 neighborhood emergencies.
17:18 That includes fires, you know,
17:19 building collapses, other city
17:19 emergencies.
17:22 Um, they're also obviously on
17:24 call and show up in the
17:25 neighborhood to make sure that
17:26 we're providing direct services
17:26 residents.
17:29 Um, our community engagement
17:30 specialist, uh, specifically
17:31 focus on facilitating abutters
17:33 meetings through zoning uh, for
17:34 the zoning board of appeals
17:35 licensing and cannabis.
17:36 Uh, and we have deputy
17:37 directors who provide training
17:39 staff management and make sure
17:41 that uh the users are supported
17:41 .
17:42 Uh, and you know, in their
17:44 professional development as
17:44 well.
17:45 Um, and then some of the
17:47 successes we had last year is,
17:48 you know, distributing more
17:49 than 3100 turkeys.
17:52 Uh, donating more than 2000
17:53 toys to children and families
17:54 for and know still driving
17:56 leading the mayor's first ever
17:58 citywide office hours in
17:59 roxbury, uh, to connect more
18:00 than 250 constituents to the
18:02 services in one that.
18:03 Uh, with that I'm just going to
18:04 pass it over to natalie.
18:07 I'm sorry.
18:09 All right.
18:11 Thank you.
18:14 Um, as you guys know, 311 is
18:17 our 24 hour hotline to city
18:17 hall.
18:19 Um, we provide services in
18:21 multiple languages.
18:22 We're the main data collection
18:25 center for the city for city
18:26 services to identify trends and
18:28 resource allocation.
18:30 And we're leading community
18:32 outreach through tabling at
18:33 events and facilitating
18:35 conversations to provide
18:37 constituent services in
18:38 neighborhoods.
18:44 Uh, we serve as the first point
18:45 of contact for residents
18:47 seeking information about city
18:49 services through the 311 app.
18:52 Phone calls online emails yes
18:55 um mail as well and social
18:55 media.
18:57 We answer questions about a
18:58 wide variety of topics
19:00 including basic city services,
19:02 state and federal questions
19:04 outside agencies like national
19:06 grid and eversource and other
19:07 day to day inquiries.
19:09 We create and route service
19:11 requests to appropriate city
19:12 departments that then go out
19:13 and handle those requests and
19:15 close out those cases.
19:17 Three one is the addiction
19:18 recovery line as well since we
19:21 are the 24 hour hotline city
19:21 hall.
19:24 Um we'll be the first step to
19:26 then connect people to
19:26 resources.
19:29 Our agents also work closely
19:31 with departments to improve
19:32 constituent services.
19:34 We gather, track, analyze the
19:36 data for other departments,
19:38 press inquiries, foi requests
19:39 and even requests from our
19:40 counselors as well.
19:42 And we communicate with all
19:45 through all that we communicate
19:46 with a lot of 311 centers
19:48 across the nation for best
19:50 practices and process
19:50 improvements.
19:55 This is some of our data over
19:56 the years.
19:58 Um our service level percentage
20:01 falls around 88% which the
20:03 national average is 80%.
20:05 So we're doing pretty well
20:06 there.
20:09 Um, and the number of cases and
20:12 calls that have come in this
20:14 year are just around the
20:16 300,000 mark and you can look
20:17 at those on the graph as well.
20:20 Thank you.
20:22 I'll pass it along to the
20:24 director of office civic
20:26 organizing natalia benny does
20:26 press.
20:27 Thank you okay.
20:29 Thank you councilors for having
20:29 us today.
20:32 Um, our office works.
20:33 It would.
20:34 help if you had them like a
20:35 little closer.
20:36 Is that better?
20:36 Yes.
20:37 Perfect.
20:39 Um, our office works to reduce
20:40 barriers and expand
20:41 opportunities for all boston
20:42 residents to be.
20:43 Active citizens.
20:44 in their communities.
20:47 We are committed to proactive
20:48 community engagement like love
20:49 your block.
20:49 Initiative.
20:51 Civic summit block party grants
20:51 for street.
20:51 Activation.
20:53 community like cleanups in
20:54 city hall on the go truck.
20:56 We also raise civic awareness
20:57 and service in the city
20:59 of boston neighborhoods and we
21:02 are incredibly proud of our
21:03 accomplishments throughout the
21:04 last year.
21:06 Um, getting city hall out
21:07 of city hall.
21:10 Uh, we hosted 150 neighborhood
21:11 beautification cleanups across
21:14 the city of boston in APRIL
21:14 2025.
21:16 This is.
21:17 Not the correct one.
21:17 Okay.
21:20 Um, for this year we're doing
21:22 171 sites for 2026.
21:24 We supported.
21:25 I'm sorry.
21:27 This is the wrong package.
21:28 I have to.
21:31 Thank you.
21:32 Okay.
21:32 There you go.
21:35 177 neighborhood beautification
21:37 and cleanup sites in APRIL
21:37 2026.
21:39 Um, the most recent was last
21:40 saturday and then we we are
21:41 closing out.
21:43 love your block season this
21:43 upcoming saturday.
21:47 We have supported 78 community
21:49 cleanups and four citywide days
21:50 of service uh, strengthening
21:51 neighborhood beautification
21:53 across 73 sites.
21:55 We awarded a 120 summer block
21:57 party activation grants last
21:59 year to fuel residents like
22:00 community connection and
22:00 celebration.
22:04 We awarded 78 for spooky street
22:05 activation grants to bring
22:06 safe, family friendly
22:07 programing to neighborhoods
22:08 across boston.
22:10 We delivered city services
22:12 directly to residents through a
22:14 143 city home to go truck stops
22:16 across boston neighborhoods.
22:18 And lastly, we will convene 300
22:19 civic and community leaders
22:22 again at the 2026 civic summit
22:24 at boston university from
22:24 school of business.
22:28 And with that I will pass it
22:29 on.
22:30 To my colleague aiden mcdonough
22:31 to speak on spark.
22:33 Hello and good morning.
22:34 My name is aiden mcdonough.
22:36 I have I serve as the director
22:37 of spark boston.
22:39 The mayor's uh, 20 to 35 year
22:40 old civic leader council made
22:42 up of all volunteers who
22:43 represent all of boston's
22:44 neighborhoods.
22:46 The council members helped to
22:48 create and develop ideas to get
22:49 20 to 35 year olds more
22:51 involved within the city as
22:53 well as then, uh, receive
22:56 firsthand education from uh
22:57 department heads as well as how
22:59 they can be better involved
23:00 with the happenings at city
23:01 hall.
23:04 As I said, spark boston engages
23:05 boston residents between the
23:07 ages of 20 and 35 through civic
23:07 programing like our
23:09 neighborhood social events and
23:10 structured opportunities to do
23:12 better informed to be better
23:13 informed with municipal
23:13 leadership.
23:15 Annually we select 40 uh spark
23:17 council members representing
23:17 of the 23 neighborhoods.
23:20 This past year we received 487
23:22 applications for this year's
23:22 council.
23:23 We collaborate with city
23:24 departments and external
23:25 external partners to develop
23:27 and implement new initiatives
23:28 such as building a creative
23:30 boston and our building our
23:31 neighborhood stories events
23:32 that we had this year.
23:34 Uh spark council also promotes
23:37 city of boston resources that
23:38 20 to 35 year old residents
23:39 will find beneficial such as
23:41 the early childcare uh early
23:43 childcare survey mentor survey
23:46 program.
23:46 and the first time homebuyers
23:47 With that I'll pass it back to
23:47 chief for.
23:50 Again thank you.
23:52 All for um, allowing us to
23:54 uplift some of the key uh,
23:55 accomplishments that we have,
23:58 um, successfully executed in fy
24:00 26 and we look forward to fy 27
24:03 and in the spirit of centering
24:04 decision and activations and
24:06 community, um, and seeing where
24:08 we can obviously collaborate
24:10 and um, connect more.
24:11 Okay.
24:12 thank you.
24:14 Uh, we've enjoyed my counselor
24:14 durkan.
24:16 Uh, so we're going to start
24:18 with my colleagues in order
24:18 of arrival.
24:20 uh, councilor flynn, uh, we're
24:22 going to give you six minutes,
24:23 uh, each councilor for the.
24:24 First round.
24:26 thank you, mr chair.
24:28 Thank you to the administration
24:29 team for being with us today.
24:32 Earlier this month I filed a
24:33 hearing order to discuss the
24:36 role, responsibilities and
24:38 staffing levels of the office
24:39 of neighborhood services in