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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 20h

Watch the Council's meeting live on YouTube & to read a summary of this week's policy action sign up for Friday's Weekly Transcript Round-Up!
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Boston Policy Institute

BPI is focused on providing non-partisan information and in-depth analysis about the most important issues facing Massachusetts and the City of Boston.

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 20h

Docket #1791 on p. 43 got some attn in the press this week b/c it mirrors a proposal that got a lot of attn from NYC mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani: govt-run grocery stores.

Read more from @bostonherald.com:
#mapoli #bospoli
www.bostonherald.com/2025/10/06/t...

Two Boston city councilors pitch government-run grocery stores championed by NYC socialist mayoral candidate

“Publicly-owned grocery stores can be structured to prioritize community benefit over profit, enabling lower prices, better food access, and stronger local sourcing.”

www.bostonherald.com

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 20h

Docket #1690 on p. 25-29 is approval to spend $2.5M on the 1st stage of a new bldg for Ruth Batson Academy. 1 thing that stood out from the hearing: the school currently has abt 600 students enrolled, but BPS expects 1,000 at the new bldg. W/ declining enrollment, those #'s will come from somewhere.

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 20h

Dockets #1777-1782 is $4.6M in “Federal FY26 Title III-C Nutrition Services Program Grant” for @agestrong.boston.gov:
#1777 - $2,316,369.00 p. 8-9
#1778 - $1,067,829.00 p. 10-11
#1779 - $540,791.00 p. 12-13
#1780 - $470,366.00 p. 14-15
#1781 - $177,619.00 p. 16-17
#1782 - $84,002.00 p. 18-19

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 20h

Today the @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social has a relatively light agenda, but there are a few important dockets to highlight. Read the whole agenda packet here:
drive.google.com/file/d/1EuYo...

10.08.25 Agenda Packet

drive.google.com

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 20h

If you read the news abt a major Boston-area developer being hired to figure out what to do about Carney Hospital in @dotnews.bsky.social & wondered what other hospitals have been converted into, this @wsj.com article from earlier this year offers some potential possibilities. #bospoli #mapoli

M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · Feb 18

Everyone wants office-to-residential conversions, but it's hospitals-to-residential conversions that are the big opportunity. We never stopped designing them in such a way that most rooms had a window and some access to plumbing.
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...

Forget Office Conversions. Cities Are Turning Old Hospitals Into Residential Housing.

Ideal locations are typically on prime real estate near city infrastructure with built-in amenities.

www.wsj.com

Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 1d

This week's candidate's forum is a must see! The questionnaire responses are a great read, and its issues made recent appearances in @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social regular mtg agendas. Live Q&A will add an additional layer of insight to those answers & Council debate so check out the details below:

Abundant Housing Massachusetts @abundanthousingma.org · 19d

Leadership matters in a housing crisis.

📍 City Council At-Large Candidate Forum
🗓 Oct 9, 6-8PM
📍 Roxbury Community College

Hear candidates talk about affordability, zoning, transit growth + more.
🔗 Info & RSVP: www.abundanthousingma.org/atlargecandi...
#BostonHousing #Bospoli

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 4d

Read

3 important actions in the Council chamber,

3 Council-related policy stories, and

4 state-wide announcements and events that have big implications for Boston

Here:
bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/weekly-tra...

Weekly Transcript Round-Up for 10/03/25

Packed week has updates on everything from education w/ Exam Schools, METCO, MCAS, & New School Bldg, to budget & economy w/ warnings abt federal cuts & a new office lease announcement, to bike lanes

bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com

Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 4d

Check out BPI's latest WTR! This was a packed week w/ education updates (MCAS, METCO, Exam Schools, & New School Bldg); economic & budget updates w/ FY27budget concerns on Beacon Hill & a big office lease on South Station, and a number of other issues, including housing, bike lanes & pharmacies.

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 6d

The Mayor ordered a top staffer to review the bike lane installation process. That review found that more public engagement was needed broadly & had specific issues with some bike lanes, including this one. It would seem like those issues should be publicly addressed before more work is done.

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 6d

The review discussed this bike lane & discussed relocating it. 6 months later that possibility appears to have been dismissed w/ no public discussion. An enormous about-face like that is typically explained, not done w/o any public notice.

Read the review: drive.google.com/file/d/19VTp...

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 6d

Earlier this year Mayor Wu ordered a review of bike lane policy by Mike Brohel, superintendent of basic city services, & his conclusion was there was insufficient communication. This seems like a repeat of exactly the same behavior.

Read more about the review: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/03/m...

Amid tensions over bike lanes, city releases new recommendations for Boston streets - The Boston Globe

The overarching message of the nine-page memo: pump the brakes and listen to community feedback.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 7d

. . . Docket #0972, a hearing order to learn more abt @mayorwu.boston.gov's 30-day review of streets projects was filed by @enriquepepen.bsky.social & @ben4district6.bsky.social back on 4/30/25, but a hearing hasn't been scheduled.

Read more: bostonpolicyinstitute.substack.com/p/weekly-tra...

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 7d

Based @mass.streetsblog.org's reporting, @jfh01.bsky.social & City Hall didn't inform anyone before getting starting to install new bike lane protection in Back Bay last wk. This issue also hasn't been heard by the @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social . . . #bospoli
mass.streetsblog.org/2025/09/30/b...

Boston Tries Out 'Better Barriers' to Sub For Battered Bollards - Streetsblog Massachusetts

"Long-term, our goal is to move away from flexposts in most circumstances," says Boston's Chief of Streets.

mass.streetsblog.org

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

Watch the hearing live tomorrow - October 1, 2025 - on the Council's YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@BostonCityC...

Boston City Council

www.youtube.com

Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

3/3 Docket #1750 on p. 95-96 is a “resolution in support of prioritizing a recovery campus for the City of Boston” from @edflynnforboston.bsky.social & Clr Murphy which detail how far off reopening Long Island is, but fails to mention alternative sites like Shattuck or Carney Hospital.

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

2/3 Docket #1748 on p. 92-93 is a hearing order on composting services from @councilordurkan.bsky.social & @enriquepepen.bsky.social

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

1/3 Docket #1747 on p. 90-91 is an ordinance amending the City's University Accountability rules from @councilordurkan.bsky.social does 2 things:
1 - pushes Student Housing Trends Report's (SHTR) data collection deadline for from 10/1 to 11/1
2 - Requires Housing Cmte to hold hearing on SHTR

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

3 of the 4 dockets in the “Motions, Orders, & Resolutions” - that is, new dockets from Councilors - are really interesting:

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

Read more about which orgs have appts to the Boston Art Commission here:
www.boston.gov/departments/...

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

3 appts to the Boston Art Comm, term expiring 8/01/29:

Docket #1350 on p. 83-84 is Boston Public Library’s Napoleon Jones-Henderson

Docket #1351 on p. 85-86 is Museum of Fine Arts’ Ian Alteveer

Docket #1352 on p. 87-88 is Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum’s Caitlin Gould Lowrie

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

Docket #1570 on p. 79-82 is from @enriquepepen.bsky.social reporting that he has appointed, pending Council approval, Michelle Holmes Foster as the body’s rep on the Community Preservation Cmte. She was 1 of 6 applicants interviewed by that cmte, but no the meetings were not videotaped.

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

Docket #1745 on p. 20-78 is the “Regulations and the Statements of Fiscal Effect and Small Business Impact report” from the Boston Air Pollution Control Commission - better known as BERDO. P. 77-78 is the prose answers are: the rest of the document is an ordinance.

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

This mayoral & gubernatorial appt do not need Council approval:

Docket #1742 on p. 14 is appt of Noah Tewolde to Black Men and Boys Comm term, ending 7/01/28

Docket #1743 on p. 15 is Governor Healey’s re-appt of fmr D6 Clr Matthew O'Malley to BPDA Board, term ending 9/09/30

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Boston Policy Institute @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social · 8d

1st are appts to quasi-public Boston Public Health Commission requiring Council approval for term ending 1/15/28. Watch for talk abt Mass & Cass & related issues:

Docket #1740 on p. 10-11 is the re-appt of Philomin Laptiste

Docket #1741 on p. 12-23 is a new appt of Dr. Guy Fish

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