City Council

Name: Boston City Council meeting
Start: 2026-09-23T16:00:00+00:00
Location: Council Chambers

Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 12 p.m. (Boston time), Council Chambers

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Message and order authorizing an appropriation order to amend the FY27 Community Preservation Fund’s (“the Fund”) appropriation in the amount of Forty-Seven Million Two Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-Five Dollars ($47,265,655.00) from the Fund’s estimated annual revenues for Fiscal Year 2027, to be appropriated and reserved for future recommendation by the CPC and appropriation by City Council consistent with the Act. This number includes both the originally approved FY27 revenue of Thirty-Nine Million Five Hundred Eighty-Seven Thousand Seven Hundred Ninety-Eight Dollars ($39,587,798.00), as well as Seven Million Six Hundred Seventy-Seven Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty-Seven Dollars ($7,677,857.00) in unused revenues from projects in previous fiscal years.: Passed 13-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) in the form of a grant, Boston Family Days Program Support, awarded by The Boston Foundation to be administered by the Office of Arts & Culture. The grant would fund support of the Boston Family Days Program from Amazon via the Boston Foundation. The previous instance of this grantor's support for the program (via project code ART24026) occurred when the program was known as the Cultural Access Pilot Program, or BPS Sundays.: Passed 12-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Two Hundred Two Thousand Five Hundred Thirty-Seven Dollars and Eighty Cents ($202,537.80) in the form of a grant, WIOA Adult Activities Admin Grant, awarded by the United States Department of Labor, passed through the MassHire Department of Career Services, to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund the creation of a seamless system of adult education workforce preparation and training services.: Passed 12-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) in the form of a grant, the Boston Family Days Grant, awarded by The Boston Foundation, to be administered by the Office of Arts & Culture. The grant would fund the Boston Family Days program from 2026-2027, provided by the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.: Passed 13-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) in the form of a grant, Mayor's Office of Human Services' Connect, Learn and Explore Initiative, awarded by Boston Children's Hospital to be administered by the Office of Human Services. The grant would fund an annual citywide activation summit for youth, host recurring professional development sessions and network convenings for youth workers, and conduct a youth needs assessment.: Passed 13-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($125,000.00) in the form of a grant, the Liberty Mutual Climate Resiliency Grant, awarded by Liberty Mutual Foundation INC, passed through the Boston Local Development Corporation, to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund mitigative and adaptive approaches to climate change. By supporting innovative solutions, scaling proven strategies, and promoting nature-based initiatives, this funding empowers grassroots efforts to tackle environmental challenges.: Passed 13-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($110,000.00) in the form of a grant, the FY27 DMH Co-Response Grant, awarded by MA Department of Mental Health to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund one full-time recovery coach hired through BEST.: Passed 13-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Ninety-Two Thousand One Hundred One Dollars and Forty Cents ($92,101.40) in the form of a grant, WIOA Dislocated Workers Admin Grant, awarded by the United States Department of Labor, passed through the MassHire Department of Career Services, to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant would fund individualized career services and training services for dislocated workers to rejoin the workforce as early as possible and overcome barriers to employment.: Passed 12-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) in the form of a grant, Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, awarded by Bloomberg Philanthropies to be administered by the OYEO Admin. The grant would fund the launch of open innovation competitions and mobilize young people ages 15-24 to design, develop, and implement youth-driven solutions that address pressing local needs and align with the city's climate goals.: Passed 13-0
Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) in the form of a grant, FY23 National Violent Death Reporting System, awarded by MA Department of Public Health to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund data collection by the Bureau of Investigative Services and the Drug Control Unit.: Passed 13-0
On the message and order, referred on June 3, 2026, Docket #1085, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Twenty Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty Dollars ($20,930.00) in the form of a grant, the El Centro Fellowship grant, awarded by Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston to be administered by the Department of Innovation & Technology. The grant would fund the fellowship program for El Centro IT training program graduates, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.: Accepted 12-0
On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1395, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Two Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand One Hundred Twenty-Five Dollars and Eleven Cents ($225,125.11) in the form of a grant, the MBI Digital Equity Partnership Program, awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury, passed through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, to be administered by the Department of Innovation & Technology. The grant would fund services and support for residents of the Commonwealth who cannot afford broadband service and/or internet connected devices or lack the digital literacy skills needed to utilize the internet, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.: Accepted 12-0
On the message and order, referred on July 22, 2026, Docket #1397, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend a gift of 43 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Units of various types valued at Eighty-Four Thousand Two Hundred and Ten Dollars ($84,210.00) from FWC2026 US, Inc. This gift is awarded to the City of Boston through the Mayor’s Office for use in the public facilities of various departments across the City, including police stations, schools, and municipal offices, the committee submitted a report recommending that the order ought to pass.: Accepted 12-0
Resolution supporting Boston Medical Center Resident Physicians and their efforts to secure a fair contract.: Adopted 13-0
Resolution in support of reviving the Codman Square Merchants Association.: Adopted 13-0
Councilor Santana called Docket #1394, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Two Hundred Forty Thousand Eight Hundred Six Dollars and Fifty Cents ($240,806.50) in the form of a grant, the FY27 DMH CIT-TTAC Grant, awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund the implementation of 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for officers under the umbrella of the Bureau of Professional Standards, from the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. No objection being heard, the matter was properly before the body.: Accepted 13-0
Councilor Santana called Docket #1678, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Two Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-One Dollars ($288,221.00) in the form of a grant, the FY25 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program, awarded by United States Department of Justice to be administered by the Police Department. The grant would fund two Criminalist positions, overtime, lab supplies, equipment, and continuing education expenses, from the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. No objection being heard, the matter was properly before the body.: Accepted 13-0
Councilor Santana called Docket #1680, message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Sixty-Four Thousand Two Hundred One Dollars And Fifty Cents ($64,201.50) in the form of a grant, Federal FY25 Emergency Management Performance Grant, awarded by Federal Emergency Management Agency, passed through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, to be administered by the Office of Emergency Preparedness. The grant would fund the enhancement of operational capacity at the Boston Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and promote the professional development of OEM staff, from the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. No objection being heard, the matter was properly before the body.: Accepted 13-0
Resolution in support of Governor Healey's proposal to temporarily suspend the state gas tax.: Adopted 9-1

Documents

Summary

The Boston City Council, presided over by Council President Liz Breadon, opened with presentations recognizing Bi+ Visibility Day and retiring staffer Mark Cohen, then passed a $47,265,655 Community Preservation Fund appropriation (docket 1771) on a 13-vote roll call along with more than a dozen grants, including Boston Family Days funding, workforce grants, a police recovery coach and dockets 1085, 1395 and 1397 from the City Services Committee. The Council adopted resolutions supporting Boston Medical Center resident physicians' contract efforts (1806), reviving the Codman Square Merchants Association (1807), naming September 25 as 9 to 5 Day (1810) and recognizing October as Italian American Heritage Month (1811), plus a late-filed resolution backing Governor Healey's proposed two-month gas tax suspension, read as 9 yes, 3 present and 1 no. New hearing orders and ordinances were referred to committee, including surveillance oversight amendments (1796), package theft (1798), the 21st Century Road to Housing Act (1799), the specialized stretch energy code (1801), rodent control (1804) and Question 4 election day registration (1805). A resolution supporting a police hiring and retention commission (1808) and a resolution on targeted housing tax abatements (1809) were sent to committee after objection and questions. After a reconsideration vote, the Council overturned the chair's committee assignment for docket 1801 and sent it to Planning, Development and Transportation, and it passed three public safety grants pulled from the green sheets (1394, 1678, 1680) after an exchange about the police crime lab.

Transcript

0:36 and.

1:19 I'm.

4:22 Afternoon everyone.

4:25 I call to order today's meeting

4:26 of the boston city council.

4:28 Viewers can watch the

4:31 council meeting live on

4:31 youtube@boston.Gov.

4:35 Backslash city council dash tv

4:35 .

4:38 At this time I ask my

4:39 colleagues and those in the

4:40 audience to please silence

4:41 their cell phones and

4:42 electronic devices.

4:47 Also pursuant to rule 42 I

4:49 remind all in this chamber that

4:50 no demonstration of approval or

4:52 disapproval from members of the

4:53 public will be permitted.

4:54 Thank you.

4:57 MADAM Clerk, will you please

4:58 call the roll to ascertain the

4:59 presence of a quorum?

5:01 Councilor breadon here.

5:02 Council.

5:02 Breadon here.

5:03 Council.

5:03 Colletta.

5:04 Zapata.

5:05 council.

5:06 Culpeper.

5:07 Yes.

5:08 pepper.

5:08 Yes.

5:09 councilor.

5:09 Durkan.

5:10 Councilor.

5:11 Kenya.

5:11 Council.

5:12 Fitzgerald.

5:13 Council.

5:14 Fitzgerald.

5:14 Here.

5:14 Councilor.

5:15 Flynn.

5:15 Yeah.

5:16 Council flynn.

5:17 Here.

5:18 council louijeune here.

5:20 Councilor louijeune here.

5:22 Councilor mejia council.

5:22 Mejia.

5:23 Here.

5:23 Council murphy.

5:25 Here.

5:25 Council.

5:28 Councilor.

5:29 Santana.

5:31 Council santana.

5:31 Here.

5:32 Council.

5:32 Weber.

5:33 Council.

5:35 Weber here and on several

5:36 fronts overall.

5:38 A quorum is present.

5:40 Thank you, MADAM Clerk.

5:41 I've been informed by MADAM

5:42 Clerk that a quorum is present.

5:46 Um, MADAM Clerk uh, I would

5:47 invite you to come and offer

5:49 some brief remarks as an

5:51 invocation since our truck is

5:54 absent today and following the

5:57 ,uh the clerks, MADAM Clerk

5:59 remarks we will do the pledge

5:59 of allegiance.

6:02 Let's pray now.

6:05 Made us further lead us in our

6:07 search for truth and justice.

6:10 That spirit that has ample man

6:12 and woman to devote life and

6:14 fortune to public service

6:17 beyond hope of fame or pearl

6:17 of pride.

6:20 MAY that spirit be alive and

6:21 renewed in them know today as

6:24 they continue to do the work

6:24 of the people of boston.

6:25 Amen.

6:30 the flag of the united

6:33 states prepared the republic

6:36 for which it stands one nation

6:39 under GOD, indivisible with

6:40 liberty and justice for all.

6:43 Thank you everyone.

6:45 thank you, MADAM Clerk, before

6:47 we begin our presentations I'd

6:48 like to invite the boston

6:50 medical center resident

6:54 physicians group, um, to come

6:55 up for a quick photograph with

6:56 ,uh, my colleagues our

6:57 colleagues.

6:59 Uh, we will be voting on this,

7:00 uh, legislative resolution

7:02 later on on the agenda.

7:03 But for right now, if you'd

7:04 come forward and ask my

7:05 colleagues to come up for a

7:07 photograph with the, uh, boston

7:09 medical center resident

7:11 physicians group who are in the

7:12 midst of.

7:13 Contract negotiations right

7:14 now.

7:22 Just put you center front and

7:23 center.

7:23 wonderful.

7:28 Doctor.

7:32 You can get in.

7:35 absolutely.

7:35 between a few people here.

7:39 And.

7:46 Thank you.

7:57 All right.

7:57 Excellent.

7:58 Thank you.

7:59 yes.

8:01 so we understood the primary

8:01 right.

8:04 So we're sending all the

8:05 buildings and again.

8:07 council.

8:07 It's supported by the city

8:13 Okay thank you.

8:14 Thank you.

8:18 Uh thank you.

8:19 Got to.

8:20 Bring a little sunshine.

8:21 every time.

8:39 Uh, we have two presentations

8:39 today.

8:42 Uh, councilor santana is

8:44 recognizing bisexuality in

8:45 this, um, visit plus visibility

8:46 day.

8:48 Councilor weber is recognizing

8:49 mark cohen.

8:51 So, uh, councilor santana,

8:52 would you like to come forward?

9:10 Thank your guest.

9:11 Yeah.

9:12 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.

9:14 I'm up here.

9:16 Good afternoon everyone.

9:20 Last week the council passed my

9:21 resolution recognizing

9:23 SEPTEMBER 20th through three,

9:25 2026 as bi plus visibility day

9:25 in boston.

9:29 I've written to activists like

9:31 wendy curry, michael page and

9:32 gigi raven.

9:33 Wilbur established this day in

9:34 1999.

9:38 The demand has to remain clear

9:41 visibility, safety and respect

9:42 boston must stand firmly

9:44 against bi plus erasure.

9:46 I am proud to introduce today's

9:48 featured speaker ayanna peoples

9:48 .

9:50 Ayanna is a board member of the

9:52 bisexual resource center and a

9:53 legal aid paralegal whose work

9:56 bridges community advocacy with

9:57 the legal system shaping

9:58 everyday lives.

10:00 She studied human rights and

10:02 sociology at columbia

10:03 university, where she served on

10:05 the board of the university's

10:07 kutti bipoc student group and

10:08 was honored upon graduation

10:11 with the lgbt lgbtq legacy

10:11 award.

10:14 Through her extensive

10:15 background across the nonprofit

10:18 sector and brings a vital

10:19 intersectional perspective to

10:21 questions of representation and

10:24 access to support her

10:24 leadership.

10:27 Um a black plus people are

10:29 arguably included in the

10:29 conversations and decisions

10:31 that affects the broader lgbtq

10:32 plus community.

10:35 Please join me in welcoming

10:36 ayanna peoples.

10:44 Good afternoon council.

10:47 Thank you to councilor santana

10:48 and his team for giving us this

10:49 space.

10:51 Councilors I come to you today

10:52 representing the bisexual

10:54 resource center here for the

10:56 second year in a row because we

10:57 and the greater bi plus

10:58 community in boston continue to

10:59 have needs.

11:00 That must be met.

11:03 Massachusetts and boston in

11:04 particular has a history

11:06 of championing the and trans

11:06 community.

11:08 Massachusetts was the first

11:09 U.S. State to legalize same sex

11:10 marriage in 2004.

11:12 In 2025, boston declared itself

11:14 as a sanctuary city for the

11:15 and trans community and

11:17 recognized SEPTEMBER 23rd as

11:18 international celebrate

11:20 bisexuality day and bi plus

11:20 visibility day.

11:22 However.

11:24 boston cannot afford to rest

11:25 on its laurels.

11:26 It is not that long ago that

11:28 lgbtq plus people had zero

11:30 rights in this country and 2004

11:31 was a little over 20 years ago.

11:35 2025 was last year and boston

11:36 is not completely insulated

11:38 from the sinister political

11:39 machine that is the current

11:39 federal government.

11:42 According to the most recent

11:43 gallup.

11:47 Poll by people represent 58.2%

11:49 of the lgbtq plus population in

11:50 the.

11:53 U.S. That is a majority that is

11:55 about 5% of the U.S. Adult

11:56 population.

11:59 And yet by plus organizations

12:01 such as the bisexual resource

12:03 center receive approximately 1%

12:04 of dedicated dollars for the

12:06 lgbtq plus community about

12:08 $0.02 per buy plus adult in

12:10 america by plus people are

12:11 counted as a part of the

12:12 community, but organizations

12:13 serving us are still expected

12:15 to do enormous amounts of work

12:17 with almost nothing.

12:19 Resources for the broader lgbtq

12:20 plus community are assumed to

12:21 reach us and meet our needs,

12:22 but.

12:23 That's often untrue.

12:27 Even within the lgbtq plus

12:28 community, five plus people

12:29 face pernicious stereotypes and

12:31 exclusion during pride, for

12:32 example, there always seems to

12:34 be discourse surrounded by plus

12:35 people should be allowed to

12:37 attend events or how we're

12:38 allowed to show up.

12:40 There are also serious health

12:41 consequences.

12:43 Rates of substance use disorder

12:44 are higher for bisexual women

12:45 than lesbians and higher for

12:46 bisexual men than.

12:47 Heterosexual men.

12:49 According to the nih.

12:51 About 1 in 3 heterosexual women

12:52 will experience intimate

12:55 partner violence, but 61%

12:57 of bisexual women and 78%

12:57 of non.

12:58 Mono sexual.

12:59 Women will.

13:02 and devastatingly almost

13:04 half of bisexual young people

13:05 seriously considered attempting

13:07 suicide in 2019 in the united

13:09 states and 27%.

13:11 Did attempt suicide.

13:14 That is more than any other

13:14 group.

13:16 moreover, systemic issues that

13:18 affect all bostonians such as

13:19 housing costs, affordability

13:21 and ice disproportionately

13:22 affect by plus people.

13:24 By plus people come to boston

13:26 seeking that sanctuary city for

13:28 and trans people but then can't

13:29 afford anything or live in

13:30 safety when they get here.

13:32 I struggle to believe that any

13:34 of you are truly for the

13:35 community if you are not

13:36 putting in the work daily to

13:38 solve these issues, it is an

13:39 act of biphobia to let these

13:40 crises fester.

13:43 Moreover, as a bi plus mixed

13:44 race neurodivergent woman, I

13:45 know that many in our community

13:47 have multiple marginalized

13:47 identities.

13:49 For example, surveys find that

13:50 more than 40% of bipoc people

13:52 in the community identify as

13:55 bi plus any of the troubling

13:57 facts that I stated before are

13:58 exacerbated if they are part

13:59 of another marginalized group.

14:01 But the bisexual resource

14:03 center, those small and run

14:05 entirely by volunteers has done

14:05 incredible work.

14:08 For example, this year with the

14:10 $2,000 molar grant a drop in

14:11 the bucket amount for other

14:12 larger groups.

14:13 We did some high impact

14:14 outreach.

14:16 We created over 83 community

14:17 care kits and distributed them

14:18 to by plus people who are often

14:19 underserved.

14:21 We also created and distributed

14:23 over 50 copies of bi plus held

14:24 signs to various bookstores and

14:26 libraries ensuring that for

14:27 once bi plus people got

14:29 information necessary for them

14:29 .

14:32 with this grant we were able to

14:33 be there in our community and

14:36 help but to be honest we are

14:39 all volunteers and so often we

14:40 do not get the support we need.

14:42 Many of us are burnt out.

14:45 Many of us have to take long

14:46 mental health breaks or cannot

14:47 show up everywhere we're needed

14:48 like being here today.

14:49 This could change with.

14:50 Further support.

14:53 And that's why I'm here today.

14:55 The bi plus community is not

14:56 just statistics or something to

14:58 perfunctorily include in the

14:59 lgbtq plus label.

15:01 I am here as a person and

15:02 looking at.

15:04 of boston.

15:04 All of you and the city

15:06 Last year we made demands and I

15:08 can tell you they were not met

15:10 this year I'm here to both make

15:11 those demands again and to lay

15:11 out these.

15:12 new ones.

15:15 One we demand investment in

15:16 suicide prevention and

15:17 accessible mental health

15:18 support that explicitly

15:19 addresses by plus people.

15:21 That includes working with bi

15:22 plus organizations on outreach

15:24 and helping providers recognize

15:25 the particular forms of stigma

15:27 our community encounters.

15:29 We will not let her fellow bi

15:31 plus youth continue to die too.

15:33 We demand that the city treat

15:35 housing affordability in the

15:36 safety of immigrant communities

15:38 as essential to its commitment

15:40 to lgbtq plus residents.

15:41 We expect that commitment to.

15:43 Inform funding and policy

15:44 decisions throughout the year.

15:47 Three we demand increased

15:49 fiscal investment for the

15:50 bisexual resource center.

15:51 this would mean sustained

15:53 funding that reflects the work

15:54 being asked of us and gives us

15:56 the ability to plan beyond a

15:56 single small grant.

15:59 Ideally we demand at least

15:59 $15,000.

16:02 Finally, before we demand a

16:04 meaningful role for

16:05 intersectional bi plus voices

16:07 in decisions about lgbtq plus

16:10 resources include us while

16:11 priorities are being set and

16:12 budgets are being developed.

16:16 We want to respond to these

16:17 requests including who will

16:19 work with us and when we can

16:19 expect follow up.

16:21 We will not wait until next

16:22 SEPTEMBER for answers.

16:26 Councilors the bi plus

16:27 community is here in the city

16:29 of boston and we want change.

16:32 We demand real recognition not

16:33 just lip service or slivers

16:33 of money.

16:35 We deserve to be able to do

16:37 more than struggle to keep our

16:40 community care available in the

16:40 bi plus community.

16:42 We know that our rights did not

16:43 fall into our laps.

16:46 They were fought for by our

16:47 community because they know

16:49 like we know that our lives

16:49 matter.

16:52 We are prepared to continue to

16:53 do that work and it is time for

16:55 you to take responsibility for

16:56 your part in it.

16:57 thank you.

17:07 Thank you I on I really

17:08 appreciate those words and um

17:09 what we're actually going to do

17:10 a picture if that's okay.

17:14 Um um so yeah if I can um by

17:16 all my um council colleagues

17:16 please come up here and.

17:17 if you.

17:34 Um please I want to this item

17:36 come open it up here.

17:37 Okay.

17:38 Thank you.

17:54 What?

18:19 Thank you, councilor santana.

18:22 Thank you to our friends the

18:24 bisexuality uh, visibility

18:24 group.

18:25 Thank you for being here.

18:28 Um, we're now onto constable

18:30 weber and invite you and mark.

18:33 Um, and it's.

18:37 Uh.

18:41 So, uh.

18:41 Working out.

18:43 Mark over here.

18:47 Uh, yeah.

18:50 Just, um.

18:50 Okay.

18:51 Yeah.

18:52 Uh.

18:55 There's um.

18:56 also like this way.

18:58 Um, I.

18:59 can look that way.

18:59 Okay.

19:03 Uh, well, um, because as you're

19:04 walking up here so, uh, you

19:07 know, I I speak from personal

19:09 experience but, um, you know, I

19:11 think every councilor could use

19:13 someone in their office who is

19:13 smart.

19:17 We'll go to the mat for you,

19:18 um, and who is able to

19:19 occasionally look you in the

19:23 eye and say with conviction

19:25 you're full of.

19:28 Um, mark cohen for me is that

19:31 guy um, as someone who has

19:32 worked for the city for nearly

19:35 40 years, mark brought his

19:37 saltiness and some wisdom

19:39 sprinkled in, uh, to this job

19:41 and to our office.

19:44 Um, but hey, I I always wanted

19:46 to work with a veteran of the

19:49 spanish-american war, so, uh uh

19:53 uh, when I first met mark, um,

19:54 it was just as somebody who was

19:56 critical of my campaign.

19:58 Uh, I later learned he was just

19:59 as capable of being critical

20:00 of my work on the council.

20:03 Uh, but he had a surprise in

20:04 store for me.

20:07 It turned out that despite

20:10 being retired and his monday

20:11 morning quarterback tendencies

20:14 ,mark still wanted to help

20:16 people and he was really good

20:16 at it.

20:18 Folks who were skeptical about

20:20 me and west roxbury found that

20:22 their calls about street

20:23 issues, garbage pickups and

20:24 permitting were handled quickly

20:27 and effectively by my office

20:29 because mark was on it when

20:31 they went to an evening meeting

20:33 they found mark was there to

20:34 listen and often already had

20:35 the answers even if they didn't

20:36 like them.

20:40 Um it turns out at the heart

20:41 of this crusty city hall

20:44 veteran is a person who cares

20:45 about his neighbors.

20:49 I can't ever replace mark.

20:52 Uh, but as he leaves the office

20:54 I want him to know that I will

20:55 always be looking for someone

20:57 like him because he made my

20:59 office better and I loved

21:00 having him around.

21:04 Um, so, uh, my staff would like

21:06 to invite everyone after this