City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson (Roxbury) today proposed a halt on any further sales of city-owned vacant land in Roxbury for development until neighborhood residents get more of a say on what gets built on it before any RFPs to developers are published. Read more.
City Councilors Ed Flynn and Michael Flaherty will do their part to prod the city - and state and federal - public-works crews to ensure we won't see any repeats of the incident last week when a light pole held only by rusted bolts gave way and fell on a woman walking across the Moakley Bridge. Read more.
The Boston Licensing Board decides tomorrow whether to let the owner of Madras Dosa at 55 Boston Wharf Rd. extend its closing hours from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Read more.
Three city councilors say they city should use some of the money the city's getting from the feds to help out the owners of taxi medallions, whom they say have been decimated by unfair competition from Uber and Lyft. Read more.
Mejia argues against state takeover.
The City Council voted overwhelmingly today to fight to keep local control of BPS in the face of possible state receivership, saying a new mayor and a new superintendent deserve a chance to finally bring the sort of change BPS needs and that the last thing Boston - where voters strongly supported an elected school committee in the fall election - needs is an outside commissar screwing things up even more. Read more.
Vice President Kamala Harris had to cast the deciding vote, but the US Senate today confirmed Suffolk County District Attorney as the US Attorney for Massachusetts. Read more.
The USPS tries to stamp out allegations by City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Ed Flynn.
City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Ed Flynn said a temporary letter carrier threw out an unknown number of ballots in South Boston, NECN reports. Read more.
No need anymore for Flaherty to remind voters what he uses to mix things. Read more.
Ayanna Pressley has endorsed Julia Mejia (incumbent), David Halbert, Ruthzee Louijeune and Carla Monteiro for the four at-large council seats and Kendra Hicks in District 6 (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Mission Hill). Didn't say if she'll be endorsing somebody for mayor. Read more.
Michelle Wu today unwrapped her housing agenda, which focuses on making Boston more affordable for the middle class, and which includes a return of rent stabilization, a commitment to use $200 million of incoming federal relief aid on affordable-housing construction and eliminating parking requirements for new all affordable buildings. She would also use municipal funds for mortgage support and savings matching to help people who are not in the market for a condo at One Dalton. Read more.
WHDH reports City Councilors Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, Downtown) and Michael Flaherty (at large) have proposed dramatic fine increases for people who throw the sort of raucous late-night parties that might be tolerated well to our south but which are antithetical to the sort of city Boston is.
In e-mail to supporters this morning, at-large City Councilor Michael Flaherty said he is "keeping my options open" about running to replace Marty Walsh as mayor.
Flaherty, who ran for mayor against Tom Menino in 2009, then adds, though, that unlike certain other candidates he could name, he doesn't have a large war chest, so: Read more.
Shutting T stations after protests only creates dangerous situations for people who just want to get home, several Boston city councilors said today.
But the council did not formally go on record with a resolution calling on the T to stop shutting stations near vigil and protest sites at their regular Wednesday meeting because two councilors objected, which means it will instead go to a council committee for a hearing before the council votes. Read more.
Councilor Kenzie Bok checked into meeting from normally busy intersection at Charles and Beacon.
Workers at the Boston Transportation Department have begun inventorying city-owned traffic cones and barrels as they ready for a coronavirus-related effort to claim parts of some city roads for expanded sidewalks to allow for greater social distancing among pedestrians - including patrons at restaurants that would be forced to reduce their indoor seating once the governor gives them the OK to re-open their dining areas - a BTD official told city councilors today. Read more.
City Councilor Michael Flaherty says that the case of a man charged with threatening him and his campaign staff and injuring two Boston police officers highlights Boston's needs for better mental-health care - and that he hopes that, this time, the man can get the care he needs. Read more.
Councilor Flaherty discusses the ballot question as former Councilor Chuck Turner listens.
The City Council yesterday approved a non-binding question on this November's ballot that asks voters whether they would approve formally changing Dudley Square's name to Nubian Square. Read more.
City Councilor Michael Flaherty (at large) says he has the solution to many of Boston's parking woes: No, not making people pay for residential parking permits, which he opposes with the blinding fury of 10,000 suns, but making people with handicap placards pay for metered spaces - and then ticketing them if they stay more than two hours. Read more.
Mary Church of Jamaica Plain announced today she's running for an at-large city council seat - because of incumbent Councilor Michael Flaherty's comments about cars earlier in the week:
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