City Council

Name: Boston City Council meeting
Start: 2026-07-08T16:00:00+00:00
Location: Council Chambers

Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 12 p.m. (Boston time), Council Chambers

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend a gift of a Percheron Gelding Horse, valued at Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($8,500.00) from the Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit. This gift is awarded to the City of Boston through the Parks and Recreation Department for use by the Mounted Unit of the Boston Park Rangers.: Passed 10-0
On the message and order, referred on May 13, 2026, Docket #0970, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Million Seventy-Three Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Nine Dollars and Thirty-Four Cents ($1,073,239.34) in the form of a grant, the FY26 Senator Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative, awarded by MA Executive Office Of Public Safety & Security to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund regional and multi-disciplinary approaches to combat gang violence through coordinated prevention and intervention, law enforcement, prosecution, and reintegration programs, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.: Accepted 12-0
On the message and order, referred on May 13, 2026, Docket #0968, authorizing the City of Boston, acting through its Mayor’s Office of Housing, to accept and expend payments in the amount of Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000.00) given to the City of Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy Fund. The City of Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) Fund was established by Executive Order in February 2000 to support the production and preservation of affordable housing in new market rate housing developments. The IDP required all developers of residential development projects with ten or more units to include affordable units in their projects as a condition of receiving relief from the Boston Zoning Code. Further, the Executive Order provided the option for developers to make contributions to the IDP Fund in lieu of providing on-site affordable units, subject to the approval of the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.: Accepted 11-0
Resolution calling on Boston Public Schools to fully partner with the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Program.: Adopted 11-0
Resolution denouncing the United States Supreme Court's decision allowing the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian nationals and affirming Boston's support for TPS holders.: Adopted 11-0
Resolution in support of Senate Bill 3112, "An Act Authorizing Municipalities to Opt-in to a Temporary Pilot to Extend the Hours of Liquor Licenses and to Allow for Public Consumption in Designated Districts in Summer 2026.": Adopted 8-2
Resolution in support of a fair contract for MAB Community Services' group home direct support staff.: Adopted 11-0
Resolution calling for an immediate briefing on Boston's summer safety plan and a collaborative review to strengthen public safety.: Adopted 11-0
Resolution to use a supplemental budget to restore funding for Boston Public Schools (BPS) employees.: Passed 6-3
Resolution of unequivocal denouncement against any violence, assault, or harassment towards Boston Police Officers, our dedicated first responders, and city officials.: Adopted 10-0
Resolution in support of declaring July 11th as MADMOMS Day in the City of Boston.: Adopted 9-0
Councilor Santana called Docket #1035, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Twenty-Four Thousand Ninety-Five Dollars ($24,095.00) in the form of a grant, FY24 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement, awarded by United States Department of Justice, passed through the Massachusetts State Police / Crime Laboratory, to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund training and continuing education for forensic examiners, criminalists and laboratory personnel, from the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. No objection being heard, the matter was properly before the body.: Passed 11-0
Councilor Santana called Docket #1225, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) of credits from Anthropic to strengthen the City’s cyber defenses. These credits are granted by Anthropic through the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) Cyber Defenders Program. The credits will be utilized to automate the scanning, triaging, and patching of our City’s technology infrastructure using Claude Opus 4.8, the latest model of Anthropic’s generative AI tool. This initiative will help to significantly elevate our cybersecurity posture against increasingly sophisticated, AI-driven threats, from the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. No objection being heard, the matter was properly before the body.: Passed 11-0

Documents

Summary

The Boston City Council meeting on July 8, 2026 covered numerous agenda items. The Council accepted a $1.07 million Shannon Community Safety Initiative grant for violence prevention, a $30 million Inclusionary Development Policy fund allocation for affordable housing, and a $24,095 forensic science improvement grant. Members introduced multiple hearing orders on BPS personnel cuts, HVAC in schools, the Blackstone pool, transit equity, housing voucher discrimination, and other matters. The Council adopted resolutions supporting Safe Routes to School, denouncing the Supreme Court TPS decision, and denouncing violence against police. A resolution on a supplemental BPS budget failed 6-3-2. A resolution on Prop 2.5 was objected to and sent to committee. The Council also recognized youth sports coaches, BPS basketball champions, and passed a late-file hearing order on community-based summer safety after a violent July 4th weekend.

Transcript

5:22 2022 and completed clinical

5:25 pastoral education at jefferson

5:26 um einstein hospital in

5:27 philadelphia, pennsylvania and

5:29 at haven wood heritage heights

5:30 in concord, new hampshire.

5:32 In their role as multi-faith

5:34 chaplain, sarah supports the

5:35 spiritual well-being

5:36 of patients, their loved ones

5:37 and staff at dana-farber.

5:39 Sarah's work is rooted in

5:41 approaches in humanist

5:42 philosophy, religious pluralism

5:44 and people centered care.

5:47 They are endorsed as a chaplain

5:48 by the humane society and we're

5:50 with us.

5:50 so happy that they are here

5:56 Thank you.

5:58 Good morning everyone.

6:01 I'd like to begin by sharing a

6:02 reading written by howard

6:05 thurman from meditations of the

6:07 heart called two areas of need.

6:10 There are at least two areas

6:13 of need in which all people are

6:13 involved.

6:16 One is the insistence upon

6:17 finding something to worship.

6:20 Everybody has to have something

6:20 to worship.

6:22 It is not optional.

6:25 It is not merely the result

6:26 of some particularly

6:28 significant spiritual bias in

6:29 personality either.

6:31 There is something native to

6:34 the human spirit that insists

6:36 upon the offering of one's

6:38 precious gifts precious

6:39 possessions.

6:42 Offering them to something

6:44 outside of oneself something

6:46 that is regarded as supremely

6:46 worthwhile.

6:50 What happens when you get a

6:51 very wonderful piece of good

6:51 news?

6:52 what do you do?

6:56 You want to tell somebody

6:57 somebody who means enough to

7:00 you to accept your tidings as a

7:02 symbol of nearness and devotion

7:02 ?

7:05 What do you worship?

7:07 What do you bring the most

7:09 precious increments of your

7:11 spirit, your mind and your

7:12 possessions.

7:14 The need is ever present.

7:17 Whatever it is that holds so

7:19 central a place in your

7:21 reaction to living that is your

7:21 all.

7:24 There is also the need of being

7:27 a part of the family, the human

7:28 family, the human race.

7:32 I'm aware that all the race in

7:34 some meaningful sense breathes

7:36 through me that I am a part

7:39 of the very pulsating rhythm

7:39 of existence.

7:42 I am not a thing apart.

7:44 I am not a separate unit.

7:47 I am deeply involved in the

7:49 collective experience

7:51 of aliveness and of human

7:51 aliveness.

7:54 If I am cut off so that only my

7:56 little life breathes through

7:58 me, only my little hopes

7:59 coursed through my mind and

8:00 spirit.

8:03 Only my little thoughts

8:05 penetrate my brain and life for

8:06 me is not worth living.

8:10 I must have a sense of deep

8:11 corporate vitality.

8:14 Nothing less than this will

8:15 satisfy.

8:18 Therefore I must manage somehow

8:19 to keep the lines

8:21 of communication open between

8:22 me and the human family.

8:26 How wonderful it is if I can do

8:28 this by love, by warmth, by

8:30 kindling flame of abiding

8:30 fellowship.

8:34 often if it cannot be done that

8:37 way there is resort to heat to

8:40 antagonism two agency.

8:43 The shouting of defiance is the

8:44 call of my heart for kinship.

8:48 If one cannot become the center

8:50 of an increasing affection in

8:51 their desperation they become

8:53 the core of a great rejection.

8:55 For better or for worse.

8:57 There is but one family under

8:58 all.

8:59 And I am a member of it.

9:05 In my work as the chaplain at

9:06 dana-farber, um, I frequently

9:09 wonder about what it means to

9:09 provide care.

9:11 What is the meaning of care?

9:15 In her essay titled who cares?

9:17 Political scientist and author

9:18 joan toronto states.

9:21 Needs never end until we die.

9:25 Care is always present, rarely

9:27 visible, always requiring

9:28 something from us.

9:33 What does it mean to care?

9:37 I imagine in today's meeting

9:39 this council will indeed take

9:41 care in reviewing the items on

9:43 today's agenda and

9:44 contemplating how best to meet

9:46 the needs of the city of boston

9:47 .

9:50 Then let us prepare for the

9:52 task ahead with a moment

9:54 of quietude and a blessing.

10:10 MAY a spirit of wisdom,

10:13 discernment and compassion

10:15 guide the contemplations and

10:16 decisions of this

10:17 council today.

10:20 MAY a spirit of sibling hood

10:22 and friendship be in the hearts

10:24 of all persons in the city

10:27 of boston and MAY we

10:29 collectively strive to create a

10:32 more caring world together.

10:35 Thank you so.

10:40 much.

10:42 allegiance to the flag.

10:43 Of the united states.

10:45 of america and to the

10:47 republic for which it stands

10:51 one nation under GOD,

10:52 indivisible with liberty and

10:53 justice for all.

11:00 Thank you sarah.

11:01 Thank you, councilor durkan.

11:02 Um.

11:05 I would like to know invite

11:10 um, the um a big uh uh.

11:14 The ma big group contract group

11:15 to come forward.

11:18 Um, for a photo we have a

11:20 resolution for with and support

11:22 of they MAY be and they're, uh

11:24 ,seeking a fair contract.

11:26 Um, and if you'd like to come

11:28 up, we have a photograph with

11:28 our colleagues.

11:30 Colleagues that would come up.

11:31 them.

11:31 We'll have a photograph with

11:32 The massachusetts association

11:34 for the blind and visually

11:36 impaired community services mab

11:39 was founded in 1903 and has

11:40 long created opportunities and

11:41 empowered people with

11:42 disabilities through programs

11:44 that promote independence,

11:45 resilience and community.

11:49 Uh, today's resolution is that

11:51 the boston city

11:52 council expresses support for

11:53 the mab community service

11:56 workers represented by seiu for

11:58 509 and calls upon the mab

12:00 community services to promptly

12:02 and meaningfully, meaningfully

12:04 respond to all my members

12:06 contract proposals and speedily

12:07 reach a fair contract without

12:08 delay.

12:09 So welcome.

12:14 This.

12:17 Um.

12:20 so this isn't a formal

12:21 presentation.

12:22 We want to have a resolution so

12:23 we'll just have a photograph

12:24 of our, uh, colleagues.

12:30 So, uh, are you in, um, I was.

12:31 Come, come.

12:31 Thinking come forward.

12:35 Come forward up to the front.

12:38 So thank you.

12:40 I worked at perkins school for

12:42 the blind for 16 years and I

12:43 really appreciate the

12:45 importance of care workers like

12:47 the folks who there MAY be who

12:48 help support our, uh, folks

12:50 with, uh, visual impairment as

12:52 they, uh, live independently in

12:55 the community and uh and also

12:56 as they age and place later on

12:57 in their lives.

12:59 So I want to thank you so much

13:01 and I wish you, uh, all the

13:02 best in your contract

13:04 resolution.

13:04 negotiations and a speedy

13:05 Thank you, thank you, thank

13:06 you.

13:06 And we'll.

13:07 hold this off.

13:14 Good.

13:17 Thank you.

13:31 Anyone?

13:33 Thank you.

13:43 So when next we will have, um,

13:45 two presentations today.

13:48 Uh uh, colleagues,

13:49 councilor weber is recognizing

13:51 bhp's girls sports coaches.

13:53 And councilor santana is

13:55 recognizing bhp's sydney

13:55 basketball champions.

13:57 Lots of athletes in the room

14:01 and cultural well, are you you

14:02 consider santana and country

14:04 well excellent.

14:04 So we'll start it off.

14:06 Councilor weber, um, you have

14:08 the floor for five minutes.

14:09 Do you want to invite your.

14:11 focused on.

14:12 yeah.

14:13 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.

14:15 Uh, if I get, uh, john connelly

14:18 and claudia prudential.

14:19 Uh, clarita.

14:20 Sorry.

14:21 Prudential down here.

14:30 Okay, so so yeah.

14:31 You know, just in the same

14:32 behind me.

14:33 Okay.

14:39 Uh, today I have the honor

14:40 of presenting, uh, two

14:42 resolutions to two incredible

14:43 individuals that have made a

14:44 difference in the lives

14:45 of countless girls involved in

14:47 youth sports here in boston.

14:50 Uh, with me today are, uh,

14:52 parkway girls soccer coach, uh

14:54 ,and, uh, former at-large city

14:57 councilor john connolly and uh

14:59 clarida prudential who is the

15:01 head volleyball coach at east

15:02 boston high school.

15:04 Um I'm going to start with uh

15:07 coach prudential uh, who has

15:09 been hard at work as the head

15:10 of the girls uh head coach

15:12 east boston high.

15:12 of the girls volleyball team at

15:15 Um I am presenting this

15:16 resolution on behalf

15:17 of district one city

15:18 councilor gabrielle colletta

15:20 zapatos uh, currently out on

15:21 maternity leave.

15:24 Um, we asked uh, for to

15:26 recognize somebody who's made a

15:29 difference in the lives of our,

15:30 uh, girl athletes here in

15:34 boston and, uh, and we were

15:35 told coach prudential was the

15:37 person to recognize, uh, an

15:39 east boston high alum and

15:40 former member of the city

15:43 league, uh, volleyball and

15:44 softball all star teams.

15:47 Uh coach clarida became a

15:48 member of the east boston high

15:50 school staff in 2021 and had a

15:52 terrific first season as head

15:53 of the volleyball program with

15:55 ten wins and three losses with

15:59 her former teammate uh jessica

16:01 saravia uh serving as um her

16:03 assistant coach uh under her

16:04 leadership the volleyball team

16:07 became an mia tournament

16:10 qualifier in 2022 and 2024.

16:12 As a leader uh coach nco can be

16:13 described as an organized and

16:15 disciplined coach who's well

16:16 connected to the needs of her

16:18 team in constant communication

16:20 with parents and families and

16:22 uh and is an active member

16:23 of the east boston high

16:23 community.

16:26 Uh coach prudential is

16:27 currently teaches physics at

16:30 east boston high school and um

16:33 uh has uh has really shown

16:36 excellence uh in coaching that

16:37 that team I know I've been to

16:39 some volleyball games my

16:41 daughter goes to bella was on

16:42 the jv team and so uh we saw

16:44 how well drilled the east

16:44 boston team was.

16:46 Although I'm not sure who won

16:47 this year I could have been

16:50 play but um uh we we we don't

16:52 have any favorites here.

16:54 Um except right now we're our

16:55 favorite is east boston high.

16:58 Um, so I have a resolution here

17:01 for, uh, coach clarida I if you

17:02 would like to.

17:07 Come up um, and, uh, here.

17:08 If you would like.

17:10 To say anything, I recognize

17:10 you.

17:12 Okay.

17:12 Whoever's with you.

17:15 Just, um.

17:16 Good afternoon everyone.

17:18 I would like to thank the

17:19 boston city council and boston

17:21 public schools and athletics

17:22 for this incredible honor as a

17:23 proud east boston high school

17:25 graduate and former student

17:26 athlete, it means so much to

17:27 And coach.

17:27 come back.

17:28 at the school that.

17:29 helped shape who I am.

17:29 This recognition.

17:31 Belongs to my players, my

17:32 assistant coaches, families and

17:34 the entire east boston

17:34 community.

17:36 Thank you for trusting me and

17:37 making our program what it is

17:37 today.

17:38 I'm grateful for the

17:40 opportunity to give back and

17:41 look forward to continuing to

17:42 support and inspire the next

17:44 generation of student athletes

17:44 .

17:45 Thank you.

17:49 Okay.

17:50 uh, thank you very much.

17:53 Uh, we're also joined today,

17:57 uh, by a team member of this

17:59 body, uh, john connolly.

18:02 Um, uh, he served for three

18:03 terms as an at large city

18:03 councilor.

18:05 Uh, I was here now for his work

18:07 on education, environmental

18:08 matters going on to become the

18:10 founder and leader, uh, an

18:11 advisor in the nonprofit school

18:13 for boston and also the

18:15 executive director and founder

18:16 of 1647 families over there.

18:17 Okay.

18:18 Um, and given his interest in

18:20 public education and the youth

18:22 in our city, it's no surprise

18:23 that councilor connolly is now

18:24 nose coach connelly.

18:26 Um, as PRESIDENT Of parkway

18:28 travel soccer, he's helped grow

18:31 the west roxbury based program,

18:33 uh, to nearly 600 girls

18:34 participating this season alone

18:34 .

18:36 His long standing commitment to

18:39 you soccer um, you know, in

18:41 west roxbury and, uh, I know

18:44 families come from uh, hyde

18:45 park and roslindale and jamaica

18:47 plain also, uh, has made him a

18:49 city partner, uh, to the boston

18:50 soccer league since its

18:53 inaugural uh pilot seasons

18:54 supporting girls participation

18:56 access to sport across the

18:56 city.

18:58 I know, uh, when I played

19:00 soccer as a kid, none of the

19:01 parents knew how the sport

19:04 worked and there was one person

19:06 in my hometown who was from a

19:07 long gone country called

19:09 yugoslavia because he was not

19:10 from the united states.

19:12 He must know something about

19:13 soccer.

19:14 So he was the soccer coach in

19:15 the town and towns like that

19:17 all over the country relied on

19:18 people just to organize

19:20 something around soccer.

19:22 And so you know and that that

19:23 back then it was a few kids

19:24 here and there who would be

19:26 playing now it's people like

19:28 john connolly, you know, who

19:29 are really gathering

19:31 communities and setting up the

19:32 infrastructure that can handle

19:35 uh, providing coaching jerseys

19:38 ,you know, uh shin guards, uh

19:41 and teams for 600 uh girls in

19:42 park soccer alone and it's that

19:45 kind of, you know, community

19:46 organizing and organizing

19:47 around soccer that is really

19:49 you know, it really benefits

19:51 all of our uh all of our

19:52 neighborhoods.

19:53 And you know, I'm proud to be

19:55 able to stand up here, uh, with

19:57 coach connelly and and

20:00 recognize him for his work, uh,

20:01 with parkway soccer.

20:08 Um.

20:09 thank uh.

20:10 thank you.

20:12 Councilor weber for the kind

20:14 words and, um, thank you, uh,

20:16 PRESIDENT Britton for all your

20:17 good work and thank you.

20:18 Uh, councilors.

20:20 It's great to see so many

20:22 familiar faces and to see some

20:24 new ones and, uh, I know how

20:26 hard you work, uh, on behalf

20:27 of the city of boston and I

20:29 thank you for all your your

20:30 hard work.

20:33 Uh, in the parkway we started

20:34 parkway girls soccer this past

20:37 year, uh, for 5 to 8 year olds

20:39 to, uh, have an entry point for

20:41 an all girls uh, soccer league.

20:43 We had, uh, over 100 girls sign

20:45 up like that um, which really

20:47 showed, uh, the demand for it

20:49 uh, primarily girls from west

20:50 roxbury, roslindale, jamaica

20:52 plain, hyde park but also girls

20:54 from mattapan, dorchester and

20:57 brighton um, who play in it uh

20:58 as well.

21:00 It's incredible to see the

21:01 smiles on their faces as

21:03 they're learning the game um,

21:04 for the first time but also to

21:06 know, uh, that they're

21:07 developing self-confidence and

21:09 leadership skills um, at the

21:10 same time and I would be remiss

21:13 if I didn't say that parkway

21:15 girls soccer was founded by,

21:17 um, seven parents, five of whom

21:18 are moms.

21:20 Um, the PRESIDENT Of the

21:21 organization is is a, uh, mom

21:23 and a nurse who couldn't be

21:24 here today because she had to

21:24 work.

21:27 Um, and so I'm I'm honored to