City Council

Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 12 p.m. (Boston time), Council Chambers

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Summary

The Boston City Council met on July 22, 2026, opening with a presentation honoring Sergeant Detective Eddie Crispin on his retirement after roughly three decades of Boston Police service. The Council accepted and passed several grant appropriations, including $810,000 for the Phillips Square project (Docket 1392) and a $251,708 Save America's Treasures grant for the Parker-Harris pottery site archaeological collection (Docket 1393), Fair Share lighting funds for Brighton (Docket 1396), and Older Americans Act nutrition grants (Dockets 1398-1400). The Ways and Means Committee reports on $5 million for a Madison Park High School feasibility study and $850,000 for five school repair projects (Dockets 1311-1312) were read for a first time and assigned. New filings included police transparency and OPAT accountability ordinances, a synthetic kratom ban, an annual street-project reporting ordinance, hearing orders on crossing guards, noise enforcement, the O'Bryant School, and the bike network plan, and resolutions on Vision Zero, ADA anniversary, BMC nurses, the Roxbury Neighborhood Council, disability pride month, Jaylen Brown Day, and BarberTime Day. Docket 1237 (future of the Boston Human Rights Commission) was reported from a hearing and remained in committee. The meeting closed with memorials and adjournment until August 5, 2026.

Transcript

1:33 and.

2:16 I'm.

3:49 Good afternoon everyone.

3:52 Good afternoon.

3:53 Good to see so many folks in

3:53 here.

3:56 Um, I call to order today's

3:57 meeting of the boston city

3:58 council.

4:00 Viewers can watch the

4:02 council meeting live on

4:04 youtube@boston.Gov backslash

4:06 city council dash tv.

4:08 At this time I ask my

4:10 colleagues and those in the

4:11 audience to please silence

4:12 their cell phones and

4:13 electronic devices.

4:16 Also pursuant to rule 42, I

4:18 remind all in the chamber that

4:20 no demonstration of approval or

4:21 disapproval from members of the

4:22 public would be permitted.

4:24 Thank you, mr fox.

4:26 Would you please, uh, take a

4:28 roll call vote to ascertain the

4:29 presence of a quorum?

4:31 Councilor breadon here.

4:33 Council is allowed as a part

4:33 of council.

4:36 Culpeper council, durkan.

4:37 Councilor.

4:37 Fitzgerald.

4:39 Flynn.

4:39 Councilor.

4:39 Yes.

4:40 Council.

4:41 Who's in council?

4:41 Mejia.

4:43 Councilor murphy.

4:44 Councilor.

4:45 Councilor.

4:45 Pepen.

4:46 Santana.

4:47 Council.

4:47 Weber.

4:49 And councilor earle.

4:50 A quorum.

4:52 Thank you, mr clerk.

4:53 uh, I've been informed by the

4:55 clerk that we a quorum is

4:55 present.

4:58 Uh, allow us to clerk to offer

4:59 some brief remarks.

5:02 Uh, in in as an invocation

5:04 before we start our meeting and

5:06 then following that we'll have

5:07 the pledge of allegiance.

5:14 Thank.

5:18 good afternoon everyone.

5:18 Please stand.

5:22 Now MAY the spirit that leads

5:24 us in our search for truth and

5:25 justice.

5:27 That spirit has impelled men

5:29 and women to devote life and

5:31 fortune to public service

5:33 beyond hope of fame or pull

5:34 of pride.

5:36 MAY that spirit be alive and

5:39 renewed in them and in them

5:41 today as they continue that to

5:43 do the good work of the people

5:43 of boston.

5:45 Amen.

5:51 Allegiance to the flag of the

5:52 united states of.

5:54 America and to the republic for

5:56 which it stands one nation.

5:59 Under GOD, indivisible.

6:01 all.

6:01 with liberty and justice for

6:05 Thank you, mr clerk.

6:10 uh, we have one presentation

6:11 this afternoon.

6:13 Council division is recognizing

6:15 ,uh, any, uh, crispin's

6:16 retirement council.

6:18 Would you like to come forward

6:20 and have your guest with with

6:22 you your honoree?

6:28 This year?

6:31 Oh, that is good, man.

6:32 Come on up.

7:01 Good morning everyone.

7:04 Um, this is an incredibly

7:06 bittersweet moment, uh, because

7:09 for many of us who have known

7:11 eddie for years, uh, we know

7:14 that he does everything with

7:16 fight and with heart and he has

7:18 been a public servant here in

7:20 our city and leading on our

7:23 police force for decades.

7:26 Um, I know that I don't want to

7:27 see him go.

7:28 I know that there are many

7:29 people here in this chambers

7:31 who do not want to see him go.

7:34 But eddie must do what's best

7:36 for eddie jordan.

7:38 Um, welcome.

7:39 come on up.

7:41 This is just one of the

7:42 celebrations celebrating eddie

7:42 .

7:44 We surprised him a few weeks

7:46 ago with the retirement party.

7:46 And.

7:47 uh, COUNCILMAN He was there

7:49 in council morale.

7:52 Um, and so many others to say

7:53 thank you, eddie, for always

7:54 putting people.

7:55 thought of.

7:56 Come on, come on of you.

7:57 Always putting people and

7:59 always putting community first.

8:00 Um.

8:02 You give in your heart to this

8:04 city leading man leo.

8:06 Uh, massachusetts association

8:07 of minority law enforcement

8:09 officers leading halik the

8:11 haitian association of law

8:12 enforcement law enforcement

8:13 community here.

8:15 There are so many people in

8:17 this room and out of this room

8:17 .

8:19 A debt of gratitude to you for

8:20 your mentorship, to how much

8:22 you make sure that we are

8:23 thinking and always doing the

8:25 work of community policing and

8:26 really centering the needs

8:27 of all of our residents.

8:29 Um, there are so many meetings

8:31 where you have been such an

8:31 integral role whether we're

8:33 talking about needs in the

8:34 haitian community, needs in the

8:35 black community needs in our

8:36 city at large.

8:41 Um, and so whether as a deputy

8:42 superintendent or as sergeant,

8:43 your leadership has been

8:43 palpable.

8:45 Um, I don't know if there's

8:46 anybody who really is doing the

8:48 work in the city of boston who

8:49 doesn't know you and who can't

8:52 pay tribute to how much of your

8:54 heart has been on the line in

8:55 this work of policing.

8:57 goodbye.

8:57 We know that this is not

8:58 We know that you are still

9:00 going to be centered in the

9:00 work.

9:02 Um, at the reception earlier

9:04 sister virginia was talking

9:05 about your board membership

9:09 of girl power um and dc and how

9:10 you have really just always

9:12 been about the people uh, not

9:15 about, you know, all the optics

9:16 or anything but just really

9:17 truly about the work.

9:20 Uh, as you raised two wonderful

9:21 children but the people who

9:22 wanted to show up for you are

9:23 the people who know your

9:25 spirit, who know your

9:27 character, um, and who are like

9:28 me sad to see you go.

9:33 Um, you see from um and you've

9:34 made this job for me a lot

9:36 easier whenever I had issues or

9:37 questions.

9:38 You are when the first calls

9:40 especially if it has to do with

9:41 policing and I'm sad that that

9:42 won't be the same.

9:43 But we'll be talking about

9:44 other things and making sure

9:45 that the spirit of the work,

9:47 the spirit of social justice

9:47 continues.

9:48 you know it's not easy.

9:49 I know that it wasn't easy.

9:52 Um, the path in the boston

9:53 police department and it still

9:55 isn't easy but you have made it

9:56 a lot easier for so many people

9:57 and that's what leadership is

9:58 and that's what courage is.

10:00 And so I just want to thank you

10:01 on behalf of the city council,

10:02 on behalf of community, on

10:04 behalf of the haitian

10:04 community.

10:06 Uh, I you know, I know folks

10:07 who are here for me and leo

10:08 what you've done for black

10:10 officers in the city in terms

10:11 of advancement what you've done

10:13 ,um, to make sure that we were

10:15 just in the room but that we

10:16 were making decisions in the

10:16 room.

10:18 And so I'm grateful for you.

10:21 I have this resolution, um,

10:22 that says resolution

10:23 celebrating the retirement

10:25 of eddie crispin after more

10:26 than three decades

10:27 of extraordinary public service

10:28 leadership and advocacy.

10:30 Eddie crispin is set to leave a

10:31 lasting legacy in the city

10:33 of boston and throughout the

10:34 commonwealth of massachusetts

10:36 and since his arrival in the

10:37 united states from haiti as a

10:39 child, he has been guided by a

10:40 deep commitment to justice that

10:41 have defined not only his

10:43 professional accomplishments

10:44 but the way he has shown up for

10:45 family, colleagues, community

10:46 and the city.

10:47 Um.

10:48 whether it's through shaping

10:49 the future of policing through

10:50 your service on the boston

10:52 police reform task force and

10:53 your appointment by attorney

10:55 general andre campbell to the

10:56 massachusetts peace officer

10:57 standards and training

10:59 commission, uh, you've had a

11:00 statewide impact on police

11:02 accountability and on reform.

11:04 Uh, your retirement is not only

11:05 a moment to look back with

11:06 gratitude, but also a moment to

11:07 celebrate the beginning of a

11:09 new chapter filled with family

11:12 ,joy, rest and purpose.

11:14 Now therefore be it resolved

11:16 that the boston city

11:17 council extends its heartfelt

11:18 congratulations to eddie

11:20 crispin on his retirement

11:21 honors his decades of service,

11:23 leadership, mentorship,

11:25 advocacy and integrity

11:26 celebrates the enduring legacy

11:27 he has built in boston and

11:29 beyond and offers its deepest

11:30 gratitude and best wishes to

11:33 him and his family as he begins

11:33 this next chapter.

11:38 I want to give you this.

11:42 why don't you me some

11:42 flowers?

11:45 This framed photo.

11:46 Sorry.

11:48 This is a framed photo.

11:50 This last day on the first day

11:52 on the force and his last day.

11:54 But I made sure that we gave

11:54 you.

11:55 know.

11:56 How far he's come.

12:00 and.

12:03 And thanks to farooq.

12:04 we have a certificate

12:06 of special recognition.

12:07 Congressional recognition

12:08 presented to uh sergeant uh

12:11 detective eddie crispin in

12:12 recognition of a 27 year career

12:13 dedicated to serving the people

12:14 of.

12:16 Boston with integrity,

12:18 compassion and commitment to

12:18 the community.

12:19 so thank you.

12:22 And.

12:26 and along with my elected

12:28 officials over here, I'd also

12:30 like to recognize randolph town

12:31 councilor natasha pleasure who

12:32 is here and with us.

12:36 And let's take.

12:39 it all you see.

12:40 Absolutely.

12:41 I'll keep it short.

12:41 I just want to thank everybody

12:42 who's.

12:42 Showing up.

12:44 Uh, I want to thank my parents

12:46 who unfortunately.

12:47 are not here.

12:49 Um, but but for them I could

12:50 not be here to, uh

12:52 approximately three years ago,

12:53 both of them passed within two

12:53 days of each other.

12:56 Uh, but for them I could not

12:56 stand here.

12:58 Um, I want to thank this

12:58 country.

13:00 I came here as a seven year old

13:02 boy from haiti.

13:04 Um, I say my father gave

13:04 me life twice.

13:06 Gave me life when the.

13:09 Birth me with my mother and the

13:11 life that he gave me when I

13:12 came here to the united states.

13:14 I think it's important that I

13:16 acknowledge, um, all the things

13:16 that I received from this

13:17 country.

13:18 I want to thank the city

13:19 of boston for allowing me to

13:23 serve serve in the way that

13:25 really spoke to who I am as a

13:25 person.

13:27 I think policing all too often

13:29 sometimes people come in and

13:30 they think they have to fit

13:31 into the role of being a police

13:32 officer.

13:34 For me it was always about

13:35 fitting, making sure that i

13:38 remain true to who I was and I

13:40 am and police in that way,

13:41 right?

13:43 I think oftentimes policing is

13:44 a job.

13:45 It's not who we are.

13:47 I made sure that I never lost

13:49 myself in policing right.

13:51 I think if we are really

13:52 invested in changing policing

13:54 as it historically has been

13:56 that we have to come in and be

13:58 who we are not allow policing

14:00 to changes and to these

14:01 historical notions of what a

14:03 police officer is.

14:05 Um, over the course of my 30

14:07 years of public service service

14:08 as a social worker, a probation

14:10 officer not even counting the

14:12 work I did when I was in

14:14 college um, running advanced

14:15 prevention program tutoring

14:16 mentoring program.

14:19 I've been blessed to meet a lot

14:21 of people, um, all of whom have

14:22 impacted me in in some way.

14:23 Right.

14:25 And I think for me, one of the

14:26 things I will continue to talk

14:27 about I talked about it briefly

14:30 was um the work that we do in

14:33 policing is it's policing but

14:35 the work that we need to do as

14:36 a society really speaks to

14:38 social engagement pulling

14:38 people in.

14:40 Uh, one of the things that we

14:42 never say if somebody commits a

14:43 crime, we never say we don't

14:44 have enough money to

14:45 incarcerate them.

14:46 Never.

14:47 Right.

14:48 But we oftentimes say we don't

14:50 have enough money to invest in

14:50 families.

14:52 I know as a social worker I

14:54 would walk into people's homes

14:55 and I could already somewhat

14:56 predict where these young

14:58 people were going to be.

15:00 And unfortunately I've seen too

15:01 many of those young people come

15:03 system.

15:03 in through the criminal justice

15:04 I've seen them buried.

15:05 I've seen them incarcerated.

15:09 So I beseech I beg of you to

15:10 continue to do the work

15:12 investing in people um, while

15:14 policing is important but the

15:15 work of investing in people is

15:16 what really matters.

15:17 If we do the work in investing

15:20 in people then they'll be less.

15:21 we'll have.

15:22 To invest a lot.

15:23 less employees.

15:26 I don't want.

15:27 us standing on a soapbox.

15:29 I want to thank everybody who's

15:30 here from the bottom of my

15:30 heart.

15:31 I know there are people who

15:32 wanted to be here couldn't

15:34 because of life circumstances

15:35 and those people I thank them

15:37 too because we know people show

15:37 up for us.

15:39 They have people who have been

15:41 incredibly impactful uh and

15:42 helped me especially over the

15:43 last two years when I went

15:44 through a tough time.

15:46 This is not how I wanted it to

15:48 finish but this is the right

15:48 way for me to finish.

15:52 So um I walk away without any

15:54 regrets, without any

15:55 consternation about who I am,

15:56 how I behave as a police

15:57 officer.

15:58 Um, there are a lot of things

15:59 that I learned along the way.

16:01 Of course hindsight is 2020 I

16:02 there's some things I would

16:03 have done differently.

16:04 Absolutely.

16:05 But the things that really

16:07 speak to who I am oh, my

16:08 parents taught me to be there's

16:09 nothing I would change.

16:10 So I want to thank

16:12 councilor louijeune, uh, for

16:13 having this for me.

16:14 I want to thank a lot of the

16:15 other people city councilors

16:15 here.

16:17 I was able to have deep

16:19 insightful conversations over

16:21 the years and my role as ma'am

16:22 your PRESIDENT I want to thank

16:24 mainly because they really

16:25 raised me right.

16:27 I came into policing with my

16:28 own ideas about how I was going

16:29 to be.

16:29 A change agent.

16:32 But having interacted and

16:33 talked to so many people, it's

16:34 really change who I am as an

16:36 individual and I hope that

16:37 there are many other young

16:39 people leaders um who are going

16:41 to take up that baton and take

16:42 it a lot further than I ever

16:45 could and I hope to be able to

16:45 support them.

16:46 Thank you.

16:47 Again.

17:01 if I could have everyone who

17:02 is here for eddie come and my

17:04 colleagues join us for a photo

17:05 and then afterwards whoever

17:06 wants there's still cake back

17:08 in the room and goodies.

17:09 So feel free to have that.

17:10 But everyone who is here for

17:11 eddie please come and join us

17:12 for this photo.

17:17 Just because you.

17:28 All all.

17:34 This was hard getting we got.

17:37 Here in the middle.

17:38 of this.

17:39 Uh, I don't know if it's, uh,

17:40 stress that makes you younger.

17:41 You really?

17:44 Okay?

17:51 yes, mr PRESIDENT, once

17:51 again and.

17:58 Uh, staff.

17:59 You're about to go up there.

18:02 Oh, no.

18:03 please go ahead.

18:11 Oh, sorry.

18:12 oh, uh.

18:17 He should be on the phone.

18:19 Right next.

18:20 to me.

18:22 At the window.

18:23 Yes.

18:23 okay.

18:25 Can you guys turn your phone?

18:26 Yeah.

18:30 He's the most important person

18:31 in this place.

18:31 Okay, make sure we're not

18:31 blocking.

18:35 Why don't you yell?

18:40 From the eddie?

18:41 Eddie.

18:44 I need.

18:45 We get.

18:48 I.

18:58 yeah.

19:03 Yeah.

19:09 There.

19:10 Okay.

19:14 The patient.

19:23 Up she she is.

19:36 Oh my GOD.

19:45 That's right.