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Community Report —
Felix D. Arroyo
Boston City Councillor At-Large
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October 2007
IN THIS ISSUE:
Dear Friend,
I am continuing to work on legislation that will enhance the lives of all residents of Boston and to this end this month I will be sponsoring a hearing on increasing the fines for parking at bus stops, October 30th at 10:30 AM in the Ianella Chamber which is located on the fifth floor of Boston City Hall.
Access to public transportation is essential to many people with disabilities and is fundamental to their ability to enjoy social and economic opportunities, live independently and participate fully in their communities. When cars are parked at bus stops it impedes on their ability to carry out their daily duties.
I would also like to encourage you to participate in this years’ General Election on November 6th. Polls open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM. As Always please feel free to contact my office with comments, questions or suggestions. I genuinely appreciate your feedback and your support.
Sincerely
At City Hall
By Jamie Willmuth
Councillor Arroyo and our office have a busy couple of months planned this autumn. We have scheduled public hearings and final votes on a number of key legislative initiatives as the City Council begins to wrap-up official business amid a busy election season.
At the Council’s first September meeting (Wednesday September 12th at 11:30 AM), there was a final vote on Councilor Arroyo’s proposed Snow Shoveling Fine Ordinance. It was passed with a unanimous vote from the Boston City Council. This Ordinance – which was first introduced in April of 2005! – has been the subject of considerable public debate. After a public hearing this spring and also a meeting with officials from both the Inspectional Services Department and Public Works, the Ordinance was amended slightly to facilitate effective enforcement. The Ordinance continues to aggressively reform the current inadequate fine structure - $15 for failing to shovel a residential sidewalk and only $50 for commercial sidewalks – by increasing fines to $50 and $100, respectively. We are very hopeful that this Ordinance will pass in time to ensure safe accessibility to our sidewalks for everyone this winter.
We have also scheduled or are scheduling several public hearings for September and October.
First, we are in the process of scheduling a series of hearings on youth unemployment, job training, and alternative education. With thousands of students dropping out of Boston’s public high school annually, the large unemployment rate of City youth (estimated to be as high as 65% for certain populations) is a growing and very troubling economic and public safety crisis. As Chair of the Committee on Youth Affairs, Councillor Arroyo is working closely with Education Committee Chair Chuck Turner on these issues.
To this end, we are scheduling a series of at least three hearings on two separate Dockets. Councillor Arroyo and the Committee on Youth Affairs will address Docket #0491 (an Order for Hearing on Youth Employment). At the same time the Committee on Education is scheduling a hearing on Docket #570. This Order, sponsored by Councillor Arroyo, is for a public hearing to discuss potential reforms the School Departments’ vocational and technical education program. Following a meeting with the Private Industry Council (PIC) and other important allies in these fights, the Councillors intend to have firm dates for these hearings throughout October. Stay tuned!
Second, we have scheduled a public hearing on Councillor Arroyo’s Ordinance to increase the fine for parking in city bus stops. The hearing will be held here at the City Council’s Ianella Chamber on Tuesday October 30th at 10:30 AM.
Full access to public transportation is essential to many people - especially the elderly and those with disabilities - and is fundamental to their ability to enjoy social and economic opportunities, live independently, and participate fully in their communities. The lack of a substantial fine for parking in the City’s designated bus stops - currently $55 - results in frequent violations by personal cars, commercial vehicles and even City and State official vehicles each of which limit access to public transportation. Particular concerns include the ability of buses to utilize new technology designed to deliver disabled residents directly to the curb and sidewalk at designated bus stops. It’s our hope that the October hearing will highlight these issues and will illustrate the need for passage of Councilor Arroyo’s proposal to increase both the fines for and enforcement of parking in designated bus stops.
In addition, we have a number of other items on our agenda this fall. As Chair of the Committee on Environment and Health, Councillor Arroyo has committed to holding two hearings – one on wind power switches – on environmental matters filed by Councillor Michael Ross. The Committee also intends to schedule a hearing to discuss the City’s efforts to reduce Global Warming in sometime in-October or November. Finally, we will seek final Council votes on Councillor Arroyo’s proposals to create a new City Planning Department and to create a public education program about lead in residential drinking water. Please stay tuned for details on these additional items.
For more information about the Councillor’s legislative and policy agenda, please feel free to contact me at Jamie.Willmuth@cityofboston
August 2007
IN THIS ISSUE
Dear Friend,
This summer has been a very busy time for my office. In July, I am had three public hearings on three very important topics. As the Chairman of the Committee on Environment & Health I am hosted a hearing to discuss the issues of Impact Devices used in construction and another on Recycling, The Government Operations Committee conducted a hearing on my proposed Ordinance to allow legal resident voting in Boston. August will be just as productive as I hope to keep you informed of my legislative activities, here at City Hall. Of course I encourage you to attend and lend your voice to these issues (see details in “What’s Happening” below). As Always please feel free to contact my office with comments, questions or suggestions. I genuinely appreciate your feedback and your support.
Sincerely,
At City Hall
By Jamie Willmuth
On June 27th, the last meeting of the 2007 Fiscal Year, the FY08 Cityoperating budget was approved by a vote of 9-4, with Councillors Arroyo, Yoon, Yancey and Turner voting “No.”
Councillor Arroyo voted “No” because the proposed operating budget only included short-term funding and support for youth opportunity programs and combating the youth violence crisis. His top priorities were as follows:
1) Summer jobs - The FY08 operating budget included slightly more than $4 million in city operating funding for 2007 summer jobs. With summer already upon us, the Youth Fund infrastructure limits the City’s ability to significantly and the summer jobs program for this year. However, Councillor Arroyo asked for a commitment to increase city operating support for summer jobs by $3 million for FY09, bringing the total city commitment next year to $7.3 million. He also asked the City to extend summer job eligibility to 14-year olds for next summer. These requests were rejected by Mayor Menino and his Administration.
2) Year-round/school-year jobs - $400,000 has already been committed by a private foundation this fiscal yearfor year-round/school-year jobs. This amount of funding will provide for approximately 150 of these jobs this year. Councillor Arroyo and others had asked the Administration to commit to providing 350 additional year-round/school-year jobs beginning this September and ending in June 2009. This would have required an increase in the FY08 budget of $920,000 for the Youth Fund. As with the summer job program, we sought future growth in this program including a commitment of $2.7 million in FY09 to fund 1000 year-round/school-year jobs. These requests were also rejected.
3) Grants to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) - Mayor Menino recently committed $300,000 of city operating funds to support CBOs for summer anti-violence programming. We acknowledge the commitment of $1.25 million in state and private funds as well. However, Councillor Arroyo sought an additional $1.2 million in city operating funds which he felt should be committed this year to support CBOs, given the essential work they are doing in the community to develop young people and to prevent violence. A commitment of city operating funds was sought, rather than a commitment to continue private fund-raising, in order to ensure predictability of funding, and therefore (as with youth employment) budgetary "institutionalization." Councillor Arroyo also asked that an additional $1.5 million in new grants be committed for FY09. This would bring the totalcommitment to $3 million for FY09 -- $1.5 million for continuation grants and $1.5 million in new grants.
4) Street Workers - This Spring, the City Council passed a Resolution calling for hiring up to 300 additional Youth and Street Workers. The proposed FY08 operating budget included an increase of just ten new Street Worker positions, bringing the total citywide to thirty. However, Councilor Arroyo and others remain concerned that the Street Worker program is chronically under-funded and that morale is being impacted by the small number of Street Workers compared to the size of the population in need of their outreach. Almost 10,000 high school drop-outs, among thousands of other at-risk youth, cannot be served by such a small number of Street Workers. Therefore, the Councillors asked for at least an additional 25 Street Workers, at a cost of $1 million to be added to the FY08 budget, bringing the total to 55. They also asked for a commitment of an additional $1 million to hire an additional twenty-five Street Workers in FY09, bringing the total to 70. Finally, the Councillors asked that any additional street workers be assigned to geographical areas in our city that include the highest concentration of high-risk youth. These requests were again rejected and not included in the passed FY08 operating budget
For more information about the Councillor’s legislative and policy agenda, please feel free to contact me at Jamie.Willmuth@cityofboston
INTERN CORNER
By Vivian Bomatay
Hi, my name is Vivian and I have been interning at Councillor Felix Arroyo’s Office since late May and will be continuing until mid-August. I currently attend Fitchburg State College where I am majoring in Political Science along with three other minors.
I consider my internship as an opening gateway to my future career. My passion is working on immigration rights with a focus on ensuring needed policy reform to reach legalization for those who struggle each day. I also look forward to exploring other policy areas which will give me as much experience as possible to deal with our world today.
July 2006
IN THIS ISSUE:
Dear Friend,
This month, I have decided to revisit the subject of development and to file legislation that keeps the power to revitalize our City in the hands of the people. By calling for greater rights for permanent residents above those of institutions, we protect the quality of life for those proud to be Bostonians. By preserving access to the harbor, it is my hope that people of all socioeconomic levels can enjoy our City’s natural beauty for generations to come.
As always, please feel free to contact my office with any comments, questions or suggestions. I appreciate your feedback and your support.
Sincerely,
AT CITY HALL
By Jamie Willmuth, Chief of Staff
Arroyo Files New Planning Ordinances
Proposals to Address University Expansion and Harbor Access
As directed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the City’s “planning” process is deeply flawed. A focus on commercial development has led to an affordable housing crisis while too little is being done to preserve the city's remaining open space. A proliferation of tax-exempt properties and a lack of any real economic planning has hurt our City.
Councillor Arroyo has long asked for reform of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, including the creation of a new City Planning Department. Ultimately, Councillor Arroyo is committed to an open, inclusive planning process that engages citizens and neighborhood groups in responsible decision-making about the future of the City. In an effort to advance this agenda, the Councillor filed two new Ordinances at the August 2nd Council meeting.
If passed, the first new piece of legislation (An Ordinance Regarding a Moratorium on University Expansion) would empower the City’s Institutional Expansion board to enforce a conditional moratorium on any College or University expanding to property not currently owned by a tax-exempt institution.
The City of Boston proudly hosts a student population of well over 200,000. Our colleges and universities own just a small percentage of land in the City, have a major positive impact on our economy, and must sometimes expand to meet the needs of growing student populations. Nevertheless, in the past decade, Boston has experienced rapid and almost uncontrolled expansion by almost every major College and University. This raises significant concerns about local tax revenues because colleges and universities are tax-exempt. The City also suffers increased density and higher housing costs as the increasing numbers of students impact demand.
Councillor Arroyo’s Ordinance asks Boston’s Institutional Expansion Board to ensure that no College or University will gain control over taxed property without prior passage of a City Council Resolution approving the transaction. It also says that the City Council will not consider passage of such a Resolution unless the College or University agrees to make a new annual PILOT payment equal to or greater than the estimated amount which the City would have collected in property taxes. A public hearing on this Ordinance will be held this September.
The second matter (An Ordinance Regarding Ensuring Public Access to Boston Harbor) hopes to expand and improve permanent public access to City-owned land along Boston’s shoreline and harbor. The City of Boston hosts nearly 50 miles of shoreline. Many dedicated non-profit organizations and interested individuals have worked with the City for decades to restore and protect Boston Harbor as a world-class waterfront for everyone to enjoy, such as the HarborWalk.
>Despite these efforts, Councillor Arroyo is concerned that the Big Dig and harbor clean-up have resulted in significantly increased development on Boston’s Harbor. Projects are either beginning or planned for the Fort Point Channel, the East Boston Municipal Harbor, the South Boston Municipal Harbor including the Fan Pier, the Downtown Municipal Harbor, the Charles River basin, the Harbor Islands and elsewhere. Now is the time to establish permanent and official protection for public access to Boston’s shoreline and harbor.
The Ordinance would direct the Boston Waterways Board to ensure codification of the existing guidelines regarding the HarborWalk and other needed legislation. The Board would then submit a proposed new Ordinance which will establish legal authority to permanently preserve public access to the harbor, shoreline, and waterfront of the City of Boston. We hope to hold a public hearing on this subject in October.
For more information about the Councillor’s legislative and policy agenda, contact Jamie at Jamie.Willmuth@cityofboston.gov
What’s New
By Matuya Brand, Communications Director
Many U.S. cities with large number of residents of Latin American heritage have renamed a major street the Avenue las Americas to honor their residents’ vast contributions to the social, cultural and economic life of the city.
The City of Boston has already created several such honorary streets, such as a portion of Huntington Avenue which has been named Avenue of the Arts.
Councillor Arroyo hopes that the diverse portion of Centre Street between Jackson and Hyde Squares in Jamaica Plain will receive the Las Americas honorary title. A flag representing each of the American countries would be placed at each cross-street intersection. A local non-profit, Visionary Integration of the Americas (VIA) has agreed to coordinate this process.
Councillor Arroyo and fellow at-Large Councillor Sam Yoon marched together at the Puerto Rican Parade.
Constituent Corner
By Danielle Williams, Constituent Director
Code Violations:
We have received many calls from constituents who believe they are living in housing that is in disrepair. The State Sanitary Code sets the minimum standards that housing units must meet in the City of Boston. Tenants with complaints about housing conditions should first report them to the landlord, preferably in writing. If the landlord fails to make the repairs after a reasonable time, then the tenant should report the violation to the City of Boston Inspectional Service Department 617-635-5300
As a tenant you should only consider withholding rent if the landlord fails to make repairs and provided that:
- There are documented code violations
- The landlord was informed or should have known of the conditions.
- The damages were not caused by the tenant
- Needed repairs can be made while the tenant is in residence
- The conditions “Endanger or materially impair” the health or safety of the tenant.
Please feel free to call Danielle Williams with your information and any other problems that involve City services at 617-635-3115.
Click here for the July 2006 issue in Word format.
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