City Council

Wednesday, October 21, 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 October 21, 2026, with Council President Liz Breadon presiding (Councilor Coletta Zapata chairing part of the session). The council approved minutes, confirmed the reappointment of a renewal constable, and unanimously confirmed ten appointments to the Zoning Board of Appeals (dockets 1515-1524). It accepted a $3.25 million grant for 887 new Bluebikes e-bikes (docket 1883, passed 10-2 with Councilors Flynn and Murphy voting no) and a $500,000 immigrant-advancement grant for a home care cooperative (docket 1774). New ordinances were introduced, including a 'worst landlords' list, a displacement impact mitigation initiative and trust fund, and neighborhood-based affordability standards, all referred to committee. Committee reports on data-center zoning, CPA affordable housing funding, and BPS responses to bullying and sexual misconduct were accepted, with those dockets remaining in committee. The council debated and passed (8 yes, 2 no, 3 present) a summons for MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng, and passed home-rule age-waiver petitions for two public safety applicants. Resolutions adopted included saving the Fields Corner post office, recognizing Ride for Your Life, supporting veterans' dental care, opposing federal public housing cuts, naming the Dorchester courthouse for Judge Leslie E. Harris, making Election Day a holiday for council staff (10-3), and recognizing Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Late-file personnel orders and the consent agenda passed, followed by announcements and memorials.

Transcript

3:36 good.

3:38 good afternoon everyone.

3:41 Good afternoon.

3:43 I call to order today's meeting

3:45 of the boston city council.

3:46 Viewers can watch the

3:49 council meeting live on

3:50 youtube@boston.Gov.

3:53 Backslash city council dash tv.

3:55 At this time I ask my

3:56 colleagues and those in the

3:58 audience to please silence

4:00 their cellphones and electronic

4:00 devices.

4:03 Also pursuant to rule 42 I

4:05 remind all in this chamber that

4:07 no demonstration of approval or

4:08 disapproval from members of the

4:09 public will be permitted.

4:10 Thank you.

4:12 MR. Clerk, could you please

4:13 take a roll call vote to

4:14 ascertain the presence of a

4:17 quorum and then I'll give you

4:18 the mic.

4:18 Yeah.

4:19 There you go.

4:20 Councilor breen.

4:20 Here.

4:22 councilor collette as a

4:23 councilor.

4:23 Culpeper.

4:25 Councilor durkan.

4:26 Councilor.

4:26 Fitzgerald.

4:27 Council.

4:28 Flynn.

4:29 Councilor louijeune.

4:30 Here.

4:31 Councilor.

4:31 Mejia.

4:33 Councilor murphy.

4:34 Council put pen.

4:35 Councilor.

4:36 Santana.

4:37 Councilor.

4:38 Weber.

4:39 I think councilor, we're all

4:39 here.

4:41 a quorum is present.

4:42 Thank you, mr burke.

4:43 Um.

4:44 I've been informed by the clerk

4:45 that a quorum is present.

4:48 Um, MR. Clerk, if you would

4:49 please do us the honor

4:51 of offering some brief remarks

4:53 as an invocation today we do

4:53 not have clergy.

4:58 Good morning.

5:00 Please stand.

5:01 Uh.

5:02 Let's pray.

5:05 We speak to the GOD, the

5:06 goodness, the spirit of life,

5:07 the eternal.

5:09 We speak to the mysterious

5:11 thread that connects us one to

5:13 the other and to the universe.

5:15 We speak to the deep wisdom at

5:17 the center of our beings.

5:18 We embody the yearning of all

5:22 people to touch each other more

5:24 deeply, to hear each other more

5:25 keenly, to see each other's

5:27 joys and sorrows as our own and

5:29 know that we are not alone

5:31 unless we create solitude for

5:32 ourselves.

5:34 And even then community awaits

5:34 us.

5:37 Out of our yearning we have

5:37 come.

5:40 MAY we help each other to

5:41 proclaim the possibilities we

5:44 seek to create the community we

5:45 desire to worship what is

5:47 worthy in our lives, to teach

5:50 the truth as we know it and to

5:52 serve with justice in all the

5:53 ways that we can in our lives

5:54 fulfilled in one another.

5:57 Let us go now into the silence

5:59 of our faith that is unique to

6:01 each of us and still the same.

6:04 Let us be silent together for a

6:04 moment.

6:10 MAY peace be yours.

6:12 Amen.

6:14 i recited the tradition.

6:15 I pledge.

6:18 Allegiance to the flag of the

6:20 united states of america and to

6:21 the republic for which it

6:23 stands one nation.

6:24 Under GOD.

6:27 Indivisible with liberty and

6:27 justice.

6:28 for all.

6:31 Thank you, MR. Clerk.

6:33 Thank you everyone.

6:36 Before we begin our present to

6:38 the presentation, uh, I'd like

6:40 to invite the a boston

6:42 students.

6:42 international newcomers academy

6:44 Uh, I think these students

6:44 visited our offices this

6:45 morning.

6:46 They had many good questions

6:47 for us.

6:48 Uh, and just invite our

6:49 students and and our colleagues

6:52 to come up for a photograph.

7:04 And there's some there's some

7:05 room up on the dais here.

7:06 So when they come on up, come

7:07 on up.

7:09 Don't be shy long after.

7:18 You.

7:23 Search on both sides.

7:23 So.

7:33 I say come on up and coming up

7:33 is there.

7:38 A it MAY seem like.

7:40 A good.

7:41 Stand up here.

7:43 You've only got what it looks

7:43 like.

7:44 You really mean business.

7:50 With which can hold in your

7:52 right hand and then paper.

7:55 Are we blocking anyone all the

7:55 time?

7:58 Okay how about this?

8:01 Because everybody is.

8:03 Full.

8:04 I have to.

8:06 Yeah.

8:09 come down here.

8:11 Should we should we go down?

8:12 The shorter ones the shorter.

8:12 Yeah.

8:16 That's what everybody in the

8:18 picture shows.

8:20 Usually you'll be short.

8:23 Come on through here.

8:23 Come here.

8:24 Yeah.

8:27 This is better.

8:27 All right.

8:28 Are you.

8:29 Is anyone still better?

8:30 Okay.

8:31 You guys got to be able to see

8:32 these phones, right?

8:35 Here in one.

8:37 Three.

8:38 Two.

8:39 One.

8:40 On your phone.

8:41 Thank you.

8:42 So thank you, big guy.

8:48 I had a good time.

8:50 What did you want to the.

9:06 Thank you.

9:10 Um, thank you to bangor for

9:10 coming to see us this morning.

9:21 No, we have one presentation

9:21 today.

9:24 Councilor pepen is recognizing

9:25 the boston red for life.

9:27 Councilor pepen, if you'd like

9:28 to come forward and bring your

9:29 guests with you.

9:30 Here they come.

9:33 One of our guests is all the

9:34 way from alaska.

9:36 So welcome to boston.

9:38 Come on up.

9:38 Yes.

9:44 grandma.

9:44 Yeah.

9:46 Good.

9:49 Welcome.

9:54 Good afternoon everyone.

9:56 Um thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT

9:57 for the introduction and good

9:59 here today.

9:59 afternoon to everyone gathered

10:01 Today I have the pleasure

10:04 of presenting to the

10:05 council alexa greenberg and

10:07 sherry arrington on behalf

10:08 of ride for your life.

10:10 Ride for your life is a

10:12 national organization that

10:13 advocates for safer streets and

10:16 an end to traffic fatalities,

10:17 particularly those involving

10:20 vulnerable road users like

10:21 pedestrians and cyclists.

10:23 The annual ride for your life

10:25 and companion events across the

10:27 country is both a somber

10:29 memorial to the lives lost to

10:30 traffic violence but also a

10:32 rally to demand action at all

10:32 levels of government.

10:35 Boston's annual ride and walk

10:37 will be taking place this

10:39 sunday, OCTOBER 25th.

10:44 Yesterday I had a very good

10:45 conversation with the family

10:48 of luis agag, a servant of the

10:49 city who lost her life riding

10:50 on our streets.

10:53 The family pointed to cities

10:56 around the country even to some

10:58 in our own backyard cities that

11:00 are doing the work and taking

11:02 ambitious steps to save lives.

11:04 That's what this is about

11:04 saving lives.

11:06 We have the obligation to do

11:09 the same here in boston, but at

11:12 this time I want to provide the

11:13 microphone over to alexa and

11:14 sherry to provide an

11:15 opportunity to for them to say

11:18 work that they're doing.

11:18 a few words and talk about the

11:22 Thank you so much, all of you

11:23 for having us today and

11:24 especially to councilor pepen

11:26 and his team for having us.

11:27 Uh, my name is alexa.

11:31 About two years ago my lifelong

11:32 friend was hit and killed by a

11:34 truck while biking in cambridge

11:34 .

11:38 Two years later, it doesn't get

11:38 easier.

11:41 Um, I wish I could tell you

11:41 that it does.

11:43 Especially for all of you who

11:44 knew and loved louisa.

11:46 My friend monty was killed in a

11:48 very similar crash to lucerne

11:49 this sunday.

11:50 We are going to honor both

11:53 of them and the 255 people

11:54 other people who have lost

11:55 their lives to traffic violence

11:57 this year in massachusetts.

11:58 I'd also like to have sherry

11:59 speak.

12:03 I'm sherry arrington and I'm

12:04 the one from alaska.

12:08 Uh, I'm the survivor of a fatal

12:08 crash.

12:11 Uh, OCTOBER 1st, 2021.

12:12 My husband and I had just

12:14 arrived in boston for the

12:15 beginning of a three week

12:16 vacation.

12:18 We got almost to danvers before

12:20 we were involved in a, uh,

12:21 crash for something came out

12:24 of a vehicle, struck our car,

12:25 came through the windshield,

12:26 impaled my husband and killed

12:26 him.

12:31 Um, so through that tragic

12:33 experience, I have the journey

12:35 that has brought mejia today.

12:37 I work with families for safe

12:39 streets and the truck safety

12:39 coalition.

12:42 Um, across the past five years.

12:44 I don't just do this to honor

12:45 my husband.

12:46 I realize that this is a

12:48 responsibility I have to help

12:50 make every community to talk to

12:51 people everywhere.

12:53 How do we make our communities

12:54 safer for everyone no matter

12:55 how they move?

12:57 Whether you're driving a car or

12:57 walking.

12:58 So I'm here.

13:00 I'll be leading the walk for

13:01 sunday.

13:03 And so come out and join us.

13:05 Um, because it really is

13:07 important that people hear and

13:08 see us and know that we need to

13:09 change our communities.

13:14 I'll just add the walk.

13:16 We'll go from boston common

13:17 around city hall, which I think

13:19 you guys are familiar with and

13:20 then and back at the common for

13:21 a rally and the ride taking

13:23 place at the same time we'll

13:25 leave from boston common, go to

13:26 the crash site where louisa was

13:28 killed and then back to the

13:30 common and there will be media

13:31 there at the ride will leave at

13:33 11 and the rally will be at

13:33 noon.

13:34 Thank you.

13:38 um I'm grateful to the both

13:40 of them and later on in the

13:41 council meeting I have, um,

13:43 filed the resolution that I

13:44 hope to get the support from my

13:45 colleagues just in honor

13:46 of ride for your life.

13:49 But I wanted to, um, provide

13:51 them both with a copy of that

13:53 resolution so that you can take

13:53 that home.

13:54 Thank you.

13:57 And then also, um, present

13:59 alexa goldberg with a special

14:01 city council um, citation for

14:03 your devotion to the cause

14:03 of pedestrian and cyclist

14:04 safety.

14:05 Thank you for your advocacy and

14:07 for organizing the boston

14:08 chapter of ride for your life.

14:10 So this is for you, alexa.

14:11 Thank you.

14:13 and to my colleagues, thank you

14:14 for your support and

14:15 partnership in making our

14:15 streets safer.

14:16 Please.

14:17 yes.

14:23 thank you.

14:34 The two different speeds.

14:37 Oh, I guess we are.

14:43 Okay.

14:49 Two one.

14:49 Three.

15:00 All right.

15:02 Thank you.

15:20 Have.

15:50 COUNCILMAN.

15:52 Thank you.

15:57 Thank you everyone.

16:00 Uh, mr clerk, could you please

16:02 amend the attendance to reflect

16:05 councilor flynn as and is

16:05 present.

16:10 We're now on to the first order

16:11 of business which is the

16:12 approval of the minutes from

16:14 the meeting of OCTOBER 7th,

16:14 2026.

16:16 All in favor say aye.

16:17 All opposed.

16:18 Say nay.

16:20 The ayes have it.

16:21 The minutes of the OCTOBER 7th

16:23 meeting are approved.

16:26 We are now on to communications

16:27 from our honor the mayor.

16:30 1953.

16:30 MR. Clerk, please read docket

16:39 Good work.

16:42 The lights on here.

16:48 And number 1953 message not

16:49 authorizing the city of boston

16:53 to accept and expend the amount

16:54 of $668,500 in the form of a

16:56 grant the community mitigation

16:58 grant awarded by the

16:59 massachusetts gaming commission

17:00 to be administered by the

17:02 office of budget management.

17:03 the grant will fund to offset

17:05 costs related to the

17:07 construction and operation

17:09 of gaming of a gaming

17:09 establishment.

17:13 Thank you.

17:15 This docket 1953 will be

17:16 referred to the committee on

17:16 ways and means.

17:19 Mr chair, could you please read

17:19 docket.

17:23 1954.195 for a message in order

17:25 for the confirmation of the

17:26 appointment of bertie makowski

17:28 as a renewal constable

17:30 authorized to serve civil

17:31 process upon the filing of his

17:34 bond for a period commencing

17:37 MAY 1st, 2026 and ending APRIL

17:39 30th 2022 2029.

17:39 Thank you.

17:41 mr chair recognizes

17:42 councilor santana country you

17:43 have the floor.

17:44 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.

17:46 Brian mccloskey has been a

17:48 councilor for many years and is

17:50 seeking a confirmation of this

17:51 position for another term.

17:54 Also my coffee has served over

17:55 a decade and this council has

17:56 approved his reappointment

17:59 without any uh without issues

18:00 many times as chair of the

18:01 public safety and criminal

18:02 justice committee.

18:04 I recommend that docket 1954

18:05 ought to pass.

18:05 thank you.

18:07 Councilor santana, the chair

18:09 of the committee on public

18:10 safety and criminal justice

18:10 seeks suspension of the rules

18:13 and confirmation of docket 1954

18:13 .

18:16 All in favor say I all opposed.

18:17 Say nay.

18:18 The ayes have it.

18:21 Docket 1954 has been confirmed.

18:25 well now I want to report to

18:28 public officers and others uh

18:31 paratrooper regarding uh rule

18:31 39.

18:34 No no remarks on communications

18:35 from there are no remarks from

18:36 communications from from

18:37 councilors.

18:39 We are not um MR. Clerk, could

18:43 you please read dockets

18:44 195531957.

18:47 Talking number 1955

18:48 communication was received from

18:50 council flynn transmitting the

18:52 fiscal year 2026 annual report

18:54 by the office of the veteran

18:57 advocate talking number 1956

18:59 communication was received from

19:00 councilor flynn regarding

19:02 boston police officers

19:04 assaulted in blackstone park.

19:07 Ducky number 1957 communication

19:08 was received from council is

19:11 called for from world regarding

19:13 civil rights concerning

19:15 concerns with the bill uh blue

19:17 hill avenue transportation

19:18 action plan.

19:20 Thank you.

19:23 dockets 195521957 will be

19:24 placed on file.

19:27 We now on to reports

19:28 of committees.

19:29 Mr clerk uh, could you please

19:34 read a dockets 151531524.

19:37 Ducky number 1515 the committee

19:39 on planning development and

19:40 transportation to which was

19:42 referred to on AUGUST 5th 2026

19:45 doc number 1515 message in

19:47 order for the confirmation

19:48 of the reappointment

19:50 of giovanni valencia as a

19:51 member of the zoning board

19:53 of appeal for a term expiring

19:54 on MAY 1st, 2027.

19:57 Submits a report recommending

19:58 the order to be confirmed.

20:01 Ducky number 1516 the committee

20:03 on planning development

20:04 transportation which was

20:07 referred on AUGUST 5th 2026

20:09 message in order for the

20:10 confirmation of the

20:12 reappointment of kate katie

20:13 wear well as a member of the

20:15 zoning board of appeal for.

20:18 A term expiring MAY 1st, 2027

20:20 submits a report recommending

20:21 that the order ought to be

20:21 confirmed.

20:25 Talking about 1517 the

20:25 committee on planning,

20:27 development and transportation

20:28 to which was referred on AUGUST

20:31 5th, 2026 message in order for

20:33 the confirmation of the

20:35 reappointment of alan e blank

20:37 as a member of the zoning board

20:39 of appeals for a term expiring

20:41 MAY 1st, 2028 submits a report

20:42 recommending that the order

20:44 ought to be confirmed talking

20:47 number 1518 the committee on

20:48 planning development

20:49 transportation to which was

20:53 referred on AUGUST 5th 2026

20:54 message in order for the

20:55 confirmation of the

20:57 reappointment of sherry as a

20:58 member of the zoning board

21:01 of appeals for a term expiring

21:04 MAY 1st, 2029 submits a report

21:06 recommending that the order to

21:07 be confirmed.

21:10 Talking of a1519 the committee

21:12 and planning development

21:13 transportation to which was

21:16 referred on AUGUST 5th 2026

21:18 message in order for the

21:19 confirmation of the appointment

21:21 of shamir turner as a member

21:23 of the zoning board of appeal

21:25 for a term expiring MAY 1st,

21:28 recommending that the order

21:28 2029 submits a report

21:30 ought to be confirmed.