##VIDEO ID:UXQLlyY6dhc## gav here we are going to gavel in this is an emergency special Boston city council meeting today is Friday October 25th 2024 I call to order today's emergency special meeting of the Boston city council viewers can watch the council meeting Live on YouTube at Boston . goov city-council DTV in accordance with chapter 2 of the acts of 2023 modifying certain requirements of the open meeting law and relieving public bodies of certain requirements including the requirement that public bodies conduct its meetings in a public place that is open and physically accessible to the public the city council will be conducting this meeting remotely this enables the city council to carry out its responsibilities while ensuring public access to deliberations through adequate alternative means Mr clerk will you please call the role to ascertain the presence of a quorum Council Braden here councelor Keta Zapata here councelor Durkin here Council Fernandez Anderson Council of Fernandez Anderson here Council F Gerald here councilor Flynn here Council lisen here here councelor mad here councelor Murphy Council Murphy Council pen here councilor Santana councilor Weber here councilor warell here councelor Murphy councilor Santana airum is presid thank you Mr Clerk and just in case people are having audio issues I do want to make sure that everyone who is here states that they are here I do not see uh councelor Santana is joining now Mr clerk would you like to to council Santana here sorry thank you clerk thank you madam president thank you and I see councelor Murphy on the zoom I see here okay coun Murphy she here all right said she just said here yes thank you so Mr clerk is there a quorum is present yes a quorum is present yes awesome thank you I've been informed by the clerk that a quorum is present to prevent further delay and address urgent Tax Matters being taken up by the city and with the state as council president I have called for today's meeting in order to refer the mayor's proposed home R petition to committee for further action in order to continue with today's order uh order of business we must first take a roll call vote for this special emergency meeting this vote will this vote will require two-thirds vote in the affirmative Mr clerk will you please conduct a roll call vote in order for this special emergency meeting uh to continue if you agree for this meeting to continue vote in the affirmative if not vote uh you may vote otherwise Mr clerk will you please conduct a roll call V Council of Braden Council Braden yes yes Council Braden yes councilor Keta zapada yes Council Keta Zapata yes Council Durkin yes Council Durkin yes Council fernandis Anderson yes Council Fernand Anson yes Council fitgerald yes Council Fitzgerald yes Council Flynn yes Council yes Council louisan yes Council louisan yes Council miia affirmative councelor Mia yes councelor Murphy yes councelor Murphy yes councelor pepen yes Council pen yes Council Santana yes Council of Santana yes Council Weber yes Council Weber yes and Council orl yes Council orl yes 13 in the affirmative thank you this special emergency meeting of the city council will continue we are now on to Communications from her honor the mayor Mr clerk would you please read docket number 1612 docket number 1612 message in order for your approval a home rule petition to the general court entitled petition for a special law regarding an act relative to property tax classification in the city of Boston thank you docket number 1612 will be referred to the committee on government operations thank you Mr Clerk and to my Council colleagues the council is scheduled to meet again in the inla chamber on Wednesday October 30th 2024 at noon thank you to my colleagues Central staff the clerk and the clerk's office and the Cil stenographer uh to adjoin today's meeting uh we will conduct a roll call vote Mr clerk will you please call the role Council Braden yes councilor br yes Council Keta zap yes councilor K zap yes Council Durkin yes Council Durkin yes Council fernandis Anderson yes Council Fernandez Anderson yes Council fitgerald yes Council Fitzgerald yes Council Flynn yes um and Mr clerk I I had a point of order also okay to the council president we are in the middle of a we are in the middle of a roll call vote to adjourn so let's I don't like disrupting the vote at the end I'll I'll take your point of order Council louisan yes Council louisan yes Council Mia I have a point of clarification if we end the meeting does that mean that we don't have the I don't know I just want to make sure I understand the protocols and procedures at this point so when you say that like are we adjourning if I say yes and are we not staying like what I just I want we're we're adjourning but I still have to say that we are adjourned at the end and I will take councelor Flynn's question his point of order so that means that the meeting is ending and then whatever he says is like what usually happens in announcements just so that I'm clear in terms of from a procedural standpoint when you say you're going to adjourn once everybody does we end the meeting and then whatever Flynn has to say is I don't have to stay to hear it or is it part of the meeting that's what I need to know I so we'll do the call where we are in the middle of a roll call vote in the way that we are in the we do roll call votes and nothing disrupts the roll call vote but in order to formally adjourn the meeting I must say that the meeting is adjourned I will wait to hear from councelor Flynn and I will not say that but we will we will take this formal vote to adjourn okay great thank you for the clarification yes councilor Mia yes councelor Murphy yes but I do have a question um after councilor Flynn is able to speak will other people be able to um ask questions if there's um a reason this this was this was a signing a docket to committee I understand exactly what we're here for but once that point of order and that is Will other people be able to make no if it's a if if you have a point of order y but if it's general question if it's a point of order we won't end the meeting with announcements or anything else speak to Okay I do have a question that I want to know if there's already a plan to go forward to have a meeting I would assume it would be scheduled for Tuesday and if the chair of the committee that this will be placed in will there be um an expectation that we vote on Wednesday and is there an expectation that this body is going to have a hearing to discuss this new tax proposal because it seems like lots of other people in the city have had the I would say pleasure opportunity to be really involved in this conversation but we on the council have not been okay thank you for um I will hold that question we're going to continue with our roll call vote and at the end thank you yeah Council Murphy yes yes Council Murphy yes Council pen yes Council pen yes Council Santana yes Council Santana yes Council Weber yes Council Weber yes and Council warell yes Council orell yes uh for adjournment 13 votes in the affirmative thank you but before we do that thank you Mr Clerk and thank you to my colleagues councel Flynn you have a point of order yes thank you madam Madam chair uh my point of order is as as we go forward in this discussion will we have a formal hearing on this docket and if so will there be public testimony that will be allowed for it as well thank you for that question that's very similar to counselor uh Murphy's question in this meeting we refer I refer the docket to committee if the chair of the committee would like to speak you may speak because it is in your committee and it is now in your control uh chair of the committee of government operations councelor GG kaleta z um if you would like to you may address those questions and if not we can uh table them uh to to your leadership councelor Keta Zapata you have the floor any any other are there any other questions yeah I do I don't yeah my yep Council Gerald your question I'll let Council KET is speak first to to council Flynn's question and then I I'll ask mine if that's all right with you madam president if you ask it now because if it's if the chair can just address them all together that would be helpful Madam chair I I have I have other qu um questions depending on what the answer is I I just would like for us to have a discussion about the next steps forward I I'd rather ask all these questions um now so we can get through with them I don't I wouldn't want to rush this process seems like we're rushing it to get to get the meeting over I know I spoke out and other colleagues did but I think other colleagues also want to learn about the next steps I just my opinion Madam chair thank you and I appreciate that normally when items are referred to committee it's not we we don't usually have if we're treating this as a normal meeting there's usually not a discussion and I did not see any hands before uh we adjourned I I moved for adjournment but I will allow folks to ask questions questions the questions are going to the chair if the questions if folks would like to ask those questions and the chair can answer those questions alog together if there are additional questions after that we will do that but I'd like to take the questions now and the chair can address people's questions so Council Gerald and Council Mia I do want you may you may ask your question now I do understand that there may there may be more questions upon councel Keta AA answering them but yeah thank you the two part one is about this meeting here I know it's adjourned um but this was an emergency meeting obviously the first I've ever taken a part of um what constitutes an emergency and did you know and who decides that just so I know uh that we met the parameters to have this meeting which I'm fine that we had but I just want to make sure for people listening at home they understand what this is and why we were allowed to have it secondly to the committee chair um if if there are panels that as we typically have when a hearing comes uh in front of us uh again and I will just uh sort of ask that there' be panels representing both sides as we have sort of as I've requested in the past if that's a possibility I know that uh public testimony can make up for that at times but I think um for our benefit and folks that listen in and for media Etc uh to have two formal panels representing the pros and cons of either side I believe would help I just want to make that statement thank you council president thank you councelor Mahia yeah thank you uh and thank you councelor Fitzgerald um I I guess your question was really right on point in terms of just I'm always going to be a stickler for process and procedures right and even though we're all here showing up as we should because that's what we get paid to do often times we walk into spaces and places and information is not you know is Cash in many ways right there are people who have lots of it and people who hoard it and people who like you know all that good stuff so for me while we rush through this whole process to adjourn the meeting to special the like it just I I like to just pause a little bit cuz now we've adjourned that's why I asked are we adjourning a meeting do we have time like it just I'm the type of person that I like to understand what I'm walking into and what the expectations are from the GetGo so that I can participate in ways that make the most sense so to go from we're going to have the special meeting then we're going to adjourn and then we're going to come back you know then we're going to ask our questions later I I just want to know what I'm I'm walking into and what I'm walking out of and what the expectation is because if we're just going to have the special meeting so we can put it on a docket and then we're just going to bring it up for a vote on Wednesday I'd like to know the the protocols policies and procedures because you didn't met you didn't state that so it just felt like rushed but if the expectation is is that because that is the process in which we go about when we put something into committee that we have a hearing I'm going to assume that Ed um councelor Finn's question questions make absolutely no sense because we know the norm is to have a hearing on something that gets placed in committee so now you got me all confused here because it makes absolutely no sense that councelor Flynn is asking whether or not we're going to have a hearing when we know that the protocols policies and procedures state that whenever something is referred to a committee there is some deliberation that happens and so I I'm unclear as to why we're even questioning it and if if he's questioning it then that got me questioning it so I just need somebody who can from a protocol policy and procedure standpoint break it down so that nobody's worried about anything that's being rushed through the process because it feels like that's what the fear is from my colleagues and I didn't walk in here with any fear and I don't want to walk out of here with any fear so it'll just be really helpful for me to understand what is at play here thank you thank you Council fand Anderson did you have a question um first a point of order um Madam president uh through you um Mr clerk is it possible that um a councelor can uh retract our Vote or at this point since it hasn't been attj returned well you I mean it's with still within parameters of the meeting you can change a vote we need 2/3 to to adjourn so if we don't have 2/3 we adjourn and if that's the case then why didn't people just vote no and I and I and I mean this with all respect due respect if you didn't want to journe and you want to have a discussion vote no and then we would have stayed and we would have I guess some within the parameters talked it out um it's gone to committee uh councelor um Madam chair um Keta if you you you are scheduling the hearing correct you've answered that already councelor fernan Anderson I I thank you for for clarifying those points I will allow I just want to take all the questions but um I I just do want to clarify that when matters are referred to committee it is that is that is the last one is another question sorry madam chair Madam president yeah I and I'll allow councelor Keta a to answer but I um just want to clarify that when a matter is referred to committee it is within the purview of the committee chair whether there is a hearing held or whether um or or or whether they pull it from the green sheets or whether they vot on vote on it without a hearing um I will now and then I'm going to turn it now to councelor Keta Zapata to answer the questions pursuant to uh the uh the docket that is in her committee I will say that this emergency meeting was called pursuant to our rules on the Boston city council rule one in compliance with the open meeting laws councelor K Zapata if you would like to answer the question thank thank you madam president I did want to say um thank you for allowing us to continue um before adjourning I guess it's becoming confusing because you've allowed it so I'm just saying should we should they take back their votes and stay or figure it out and I mean I am comfortable with us continuing I have not formally the vote was occurred I have not formally adjourn the meeting even though there was a vote taken so all are in consensus with adjournment which means that the meeting can be that I can adjourn the meeting at any moment because everyone voted in the in the affirmative but I am allowing for these questions to take place normally when a matter again is referred to committee it's when the within the purview of the committee chair it's not often that someone turns on their light to talk about a matter once it is referred to committee I also did not see any hands raised before we began the roll call vote for adjournment that is probably some of the limitations of having it this is our first online uh Zoom meeting as a city council so there may be limitations in that in terms of people raising their hands and not understanding so I understand that we did take the vote in the same way that in Chambers if once a vote is started Nothing is Stopping it that is the same thing here and so we took a vote I have not um uh ended the meeting I've allowed for these questions and I'm now going to turn it over thank you councelor fernan Anderson for those clarifying questions I will now turn it over to the chair of the government uh of government operations in whose committee this docket is now in to clarify to our colleagues any additional steps councelor Keta Zapata you have the floor thank you so much Madam chair and I appreciate all of these questions from my colleagues I welcome it um and I'm really happy to provide some clarity so uh ultimately we had to ensure that this was properly before the body nothing has been noticed to abide by public meeting law and public meeting guidelines and so if we got to this point and we had I had no idea if folks were even going to agree to this meeting happening right we need a two-thirds vote which is something that we just voted to do and it was properly referred to the committee the intent was always to have a hearing If This Were to be properly before the body and referred to committing I think personally I just want to say that this is an important matter to all of us into the city of Boston and I think it is always important to have a space for residents for their voices to be heard and so when this ends we'll be sure to have public testimony and so in terms of panels I think that that's to be determined right I just wanted to get through we want to get through today and see what happens um but I'm happy to take into consideration anybody's thoughts comments suggestions my phone is open my office is open if folks want to provide any guidance for me during this process I'm happy to talk to anybody thank you thank you madam chair so uh the chair of the committee has spoken this is um uh again we don't usually have extended conversation on once a doet is referred to committee I do see three hands continue to be up I will take them and then um upon that once they are answered we will adjourn the chair recognizes councelor Flynn thank you madam chair and uh thank you Council coleta for providing some background on that um I have I have a couple of questions um Council Cola will there be an opportunity to have um Community meetings in the neighborhood so residents we can take this to Residents and and let residents weigh in with with their opinion and and listen to them like some meetings have already taken place in various neighborhoods but is there an opportunity for the city council to go into the neighborhoods and listen to Residents explain explain this uh the pros and cons thank you uh counc Flyn for that question councel Murphy do you have a question yes there was a question earlier about what constituted an emergency my assumption when I saw it written that way is because after this hearing there would be time to schedule after this meeting there would be the 48 hour window to schedule a meeting on Tuesday so I'm not sure if that was just answered but we I'm assuming now we're going to have a hearing on Tuesday and is that why this was considered an emergency because we want to get this done and vote on Wednesday I'll answer that question for so it's within I called the meeting within my discussion under rule one to call an emergency meeting um and to do so in a compliance with the open meeting laws we are under a time constraint if there are going to be changes made to the tax assessment that there are time limitations for both uh the um for both here in the city of Boston we have time uh limitations because this has to go to Beacon Hill for for approval for further debate so I'm trying to get us to act as quickly as possible and with uh not wanting any further undue delay so that this matter can be uh so that we can deal with this matter okay also um I appreciate what councilor Fernandez said about the vote but I do want to be clear that I asked the question before I voted because I did want to make sure that if I voted to continue which I wanted to but that there would still be time for questions so maybe what we should have done first is allow a conversation before because there are lots of times at our Council meetings that people talk and talk at length and it usually is time at the hearing that those conversations should happen but if there is fair that we won't have a hearing I think it's our respons responsibility to make sure that at least some of these questions are put on the record and not fail like Wednesday is going to come and we're going to be forced into a vote without a conversation thank you the matter I think councelor K Zapata stated that she re obviously just recently received this do and she does have an intention of holding a hearing I think there are again some limitations on this being uh our our first Zoom meeting online and seeing when people are asking questions again normally when a docket is referred to committee there is an extended conversation so I was not expecting but I'm allowing for these questions uh councelor Mahia yeah thank you president I I think that I what I love about these opportunities is because everybody is trying to figure some things out here and so I I really do appreciate your patience and the chair for understanding what we're trying to do here is what is best in the best interest of the constituents that we serve and delaying this any further is just going to cause more anxiety for those Elders who have been blowing up our emails right so I think I I really do appreciate your leadership and your du diligence in doing just that and I also just wanted to note just for like procedurally I think uh an introduction because this is the first time that we've done something like this online is just a little bit more of a setup and some framing so that you know those folks who weren't sure what they were walking into have a better understanding um I guess my questions were more just kind of I want to make sure that I'm I know what I'm voting on why I'm here and what the next steps are going going to be moving forward before I voted that would have been helpful to me um so you know lesson learn and I appreciate the opportunity to do just that thank you thank you Council Mia and now uh councelor Flynn final question is this another hand yes um thank you madam chair um I guess my comment is the the process here seems Seems rushed in my opinion and that we're just doing this meeting as a formality and then we'll go right to Tuesday and right right to the vote on Wednesday it doesn't seem like we're actually doing our due diligence in studying this issue listening to constituents listening to Residents um it's almost as if we're we're a rubber stamp and we're just trying to get this out the door by Wednesday afternoon for whatever reason that's that's my opinion is that is that inaccurate um Madam chair I that's your as you stated that's your opinion I'm not going to offer an opinion on your opinion well my my point Madam chair is this is this process is rushed I don't think we're doing a due diligence to all the constituents by not operating in a transparent me thank you councelor Flynn councelor Keta Zapata would you like to respond to any of the statements or wait before that councelor ferson is that a new hand um just a point of order I'd like to uh retract my vote to a no not to adjourn there are three more that can say no and then we can have a conversation and not play victims if you want to have a conversation about it just take back your vote make it a no and let's talk if not can we adjourn I love that I love that I did thank you councelor Anderson if people feel that way I'll I'll follow your lead and I'll retract my vote too I take my vote back I will do the same I will do the same I will do the same I'll retract mine there has to be a motion for reconsideration has to be seconded and then we'll have to vote on it thank you uh motion to reconsider my vote okay all in favor of uh continuing and taking back the adjournment vote so that folks can ask questions hi n i oh it's oh wait wait wait can you m Madam chair can you explain what the vote actually is so we're all will we all understand what it is the vote is that there is not this is vote to to reconsider adjournment yep so that we can so that folks who have questions can continue asking questions I am in support and so all those in support of the motion to reconsider so that fotes can continue to ask questions say I I I I I I I'm gonna have to take a roll call for that yeah that's weird a roll call vote the motion a roll call vote on motion to reconsider Ajman Council Braden Council Braden no council Braden no councilor Keta zap um no councilor Keta zap no councilor durin no council Durkin no council Durkin no council Fernandez Anderson yes Council Fernandez Anderson yes Council Fitzgerald no council Fitz cheral no council of Flynn yes Council of Flynn yes Council Luan yes Council lisen yes councilor Mia yes councilor Mia yes Council Murphy yes councilor Murphy yes Council pen no council pen no council santiana no Council Santana no council Weber no council Weber no council warell yes counc Orel yes I think Fitz was confused Fitz you you are you trying to do something me here Council Mia his face his face I was looking at his face Mia if council fald is has an issue he can raise it himself count Mr clerk what is the roll call vote the roll call is seven vot votes in the negative and six in the affirmative thank you is anyone wants that is the vote the roll call vote is 7 to six this meeting is adjourned thank you again to my colleagues have a great day everyone