--------- BUT
INSTEAD FOR THE
. AND I APOLOGIZE. I HAVE MY OWN.
OKAY. THAT AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.
TODAY IS JUNE 18TH, 2025 AND IT IS EXACTLY 1004 IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025 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 HEARING
VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. THIS HEARING IS ALSO BEING RECORDED. IT'S BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON.COM. FORWARD SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON EXTREMITY
CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIRE CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT DOGGO AT BOSTON.COM AND WILL BE MADE A
PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP OR WILL HAVE TO MENTION TO TESTIFY IF THEY WANT
TO PROVIDE ANY TESTIMONY PLEASE EMAIL MEGHAN AT ANY AGE AND DOT C0R EUGENE EDO AT BOSTON.COM FOR THE ZOOM LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST
TODAY. IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE HEARING BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A HYBRID WORKING SESSION JUST BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME LANGUAGE EDITS THAT I BELIEVE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT OVER TO
THE LEAD SPONSOR AND OTHER COLLEAGUES BUT IT IS A HEARING ON TWO DOCKETS SO IN 0549 WHICH IS THE PETITION FOR A SPECIAL LAW WHERE WE HAVE SOME EDITS
FRAMING FROM PAST DOCKETS IN THE STATE HOUSE BUT IT'S A PETITION FOR A SPECIAL LAW REGARDING AN ACT RELATIVE TO PENSION BENEFITS FOR A FIREFIGHTER. LEO J.
BRACKEN THE MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS ED FLYNN AND AARON MURPHY AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY 26, 2025. AND THEN THE SECOND DOCKET IS
0550A PETITION A PETITION FOR A SPECIAL LAW REGARDING AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE PENSION OF MICHAEL SULLIVAN. THIS WAS ALSO SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR FLYNN AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY 26.
TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR FLYNN AND COUNCILOR WEBER. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM
COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE. I'LL PASS IT TO THE LEAD SPONSOR FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS HE MAY HAVE AND THEN I'LL INTRODUCE THE FIRST PANEL FOR DOCKET 0549 WHICH INCLUDES
MR BRACKEN AND THEN ALSO MR O'REILLY. BUT I'LL GO OVER TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS HE MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR HOSTING SPONSORING THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION THIS MORNING.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MICHAEL O'REILLY AS WELL. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO LIEUTENANT LEO BRACKEN FOR THE
OUTSTANDING WORK HE'S DONE AS A LIEUTENANT AND THE BOSTON FIREFIGHTER. MY OPENING STATEMENT, CHAIR CARTER, FOR CHAIRING THIS
IMPORTANT HEARING. AGAIN TO LIEUTENANT BRACKEN AND HIS REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL RILEY FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS A HOME RULE PETITION
FOR LEO BRACKEN, FIRE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES WHILE UNDER PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES ON OCTOBER 17TH, 2019 IS TOTALLY
AND PERMANENTLY INJURED AND INCAPACITATED FOR THE SERVICE AS A BOSTON FIREFIGHTER. FIRE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN SERVED THE CITY OF BOSTON.
MADONNA IN DISTINCTION FOR OVER 35 YEARS. HE STARTED HIS CAREER WITH THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT ON OCTOBER 1986 AND WAS PROMOTED
TO FILE TENANT IN JANUARY 1993 AND SERVED ON A LOT OF TRIPS AND MISSION HILL IN ATLANTA 29 MATTAPAN ON OCTOBER 17TH, 2019
FILE TENANT BRACKEN WAS RESPONDING TO AN INCIDENT AT THE FIREHOUSE IT WAS AND WAS REACHING FOR THE APPARATUS FLOOR VIA THE FIRE POLE BUT DUE
TO THE EXISTING FLOODING SITUATION AS HE ATTEMPTED TO GRAB THE POLE AND WRAP HIS LEGS AROUND IT TO REGULATE HIS DESCENT DOWN THE WATER
PREVENTED HIM FROM BEING ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY SLOW HIS DESCENT FROM THE POLE AND HE FELL. HE FREE FELL MORE THAN 20 FEET
DOWN TO THE CONCRETE APPARATUS FLOOR BUCKLING HIS LEGS CAUSING HIM TO FALL BACKWARDS AND HITTING HIS HEAD AS A RESULT
OF THESE SEVERE INJURIES, FIRE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN IS PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND WAS FORCED INTO EARLY RETIREMENT. HE CUT HIS CAREER SHORT AS A
FIREFIGHTER A JOB HE LOVED AN ADDITION FIRE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN IS ALSO VERY SKILLED AND TALENTED AS A MASTER ELECTRICIAN IN HIS INJURIES AND
UNFORTUNATELY ELIMINATED ANY CHANCE OF POTENTIAL FUTURE EARNINGS AS A LICENSED MASTER ELECTRICIAN. FIRE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN IS CURRENTLY RETIRED AND RECEIVING
AN ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 32 SECTION SEVEN THIS HOME RULE PETITION SEEKS TO SECURE FOUR
FURTHER BENEFITS FOR LIEUTENANT BRACKEN FROM BEING TOTALLY PERMANENTLY INJURED IN A CAPACITY EIGHT INCAPACITATED FROM ANY FURTHER SERVICE AS A FIREFIGHTER.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN AND BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO FIRE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN AND HIS REPRESENTATION MR RABBIT IT WAS A LEGISLATIVE AGENT FOR THE
MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION OF RETIREMENT SYSTEMS JUST TO FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES AND ALSO FOR MY VICE CHAIR AS WELL WHO IS HERE. COUNCILOR WEBER THE PURPOSE
OF THIS ACT IS TO INCREASE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN'S PENSION BEYOND THE 72% CAP SET UNDER MASH GENERAL LAW CHAPTER 32
SECTION SEVEN BRINGING IT TO 100% OF THE COMPENSATION HE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED. HOW DO YOU REMAINED IN SERVICE AUTHORIZED TO IT AUTHORIZES
POST-RETIREMENT INDEMNIFICATION OF MEDICAL EXPENSES UNDER G.L. CHAPTER 41 SECTIONS 101 HUNDRED BEING THREE ENHANCES SURVIVOR BENEFITS FOR HIS SPOUSE,
GRANTING HER 75% OF HIS PENSION UPON HIS DEATH FOR IT PROVIDES EARNINGS FLEXIBILITY POST-RETIREMENT BY LIFTING THE FULL CAP UNDER SECTION 90 1A5
INSURERS COLA ELIGIBILITY UNDER SECTION ONE AND THREE FOR BOTH THE RETIREE AND HIS SURVIVING SPOUSE AND LAST MAINTAINS COMPLIANCE WITH THE TAX LAW AND
STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM STRUCTURES AND WE CAN GET INTO THAT BUT I WILL NOW PASS IT OVER TO LIEUTENANT BRACKEN OR HIS REPRESENTATION FOR ANY
STATEMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE RESUME IS NOW WAS GOOD MORNING THE CHAIRWOMAN CLAUDIA ZAPATA
AND VICE CHAIR WEBER SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU TO HOLD THIS HEARING AND ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY BEFORE YOU AND THE REST OF THE
GOVERNMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE AS WELL AS COUNSELOR FLYNN FOR SPONSORING THIS THIS HORMEL PETITION AS A WAY
OF INTRODUCTION. MY NAME IS MICHAEL O'REILLY. I AM A BOSTON FIREFIGHTER MYSELF, FORMER LEGISLATIVE AGENT FOR BOSTON FIREFIGHTERS
LOCAL 718 AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE AGENT FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS CONTRIBUTORY ASSOCIATION. MAKRIS MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATES WHO
CONTRIBUTE TO EVERY TIME THE SYSTEMS THAT ALWAYS TWIST MY TONGUE WHEN I TRY TO GET THAT ALL OUT THAT'S WHY I JUST SAY MAKRIS BUT ANYWAYS, CASTLE FLYNN KIND OF STOLE MY THUNDER BUT I WON'T GET INTO A LOT
OF THE DETAILS THAT CASTLE FLYNN JUST JUST MENTIONED BUT I WILL ADD A FEW THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, LIEUTENANT BRACKEN, HE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN HYDE PARK, LIFELONG RESIDENT
OF HYDE PARK. HE AS COUNCILOR FRIEND MENTIONED HE HE HE WORKED HIS LAST TOUR OF DUTY ON OCTOBER 17, 2019.
ONE THING I WILL ADD AS WELL AND THESE DOCUMENTS AS MANY AS I COULD WE COULD COME UP WITH IS THIS FLOODING SITUATION HAD
BEEN OCCURRING FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS. THERE WAS TEN YEARS OF FORM FIVES FROM VARIOUS HOUSE CAPTAINS OF THE FIREHOUSE ON
BLUEGILL ADVENTURE 52 A LOT OF 29 TO FIX THE FLOODING SITUATION, THE ROOF SITUATION. SOME OF THESE FORM FINDS GO WAY BACK INTO THE EIGHTIES AND YOU
KNOW I WOULD IMAGINE THEY PROBABLY IN GOOD TEMPERED SEND A ROOFER OUT OR SOMEONE OUT TO ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. BUT NEVER REALLY FIXING THE PROBLEM.
SO AS COUNCILOR FLYNN MENTIONED LIEUTENANT BRACKEN'S CAREER WAS WAS CUT SHORT DUE TO THIS FALL THE ON THE DAY OF OCTOBER 17TH
IT WAS A THE WEATHER IN THE CITY WAS IT WAS IT WAS IT WAS RAINING IT HAD VERY HEAVY HEAVY RAIN AND WHICH IS THE TYPE
OF RAIN THAT CAUSES THIS FLOODING THROUGH THE ROOF INTO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE FIREHOUSE. LIKE ANY OTHER RAINY DAY LIKE THIS, COMPANIES ALL OVER THE
CITY RESPONDING TO, YOU KNOW, MANY RAIN INDUCED INCIDENTS, CAR ACCIDENTS, WATER LEAKS SUCH . AND AGAIN, AS MENTIONED WHEN LIEUTENANT BRACKEN, THEY HAD
COME BACK FROM A RUN, HE WENT TO THE OFFICERS ROOM TO TRY TO CATCH UP ON SOME PAPERWORK. THEY RECEIVED ANOTHER RUN ON HIS WAY TO THE APPARATUS FLOOR BY THE FIRE POLE.
HE HIT THE HIT THE FLOODED AREA THE WAY THE OFFICER'S ROOM COMES OUT TO A HALLWAY RIGHT TO THE POLE. SO THERE WAS NO WAY TO AVOID THIS AREA HE CAME OUT OBVIOUSLY
WE ALL TAUGHT YOU MAKE UP YOUR TIME IN THE FIREHOUSE AND ON THE MAIN FLOOR, NOT ON THE ROAD AND IN HIS EFFORT TO GET TO THE TO THE APPARATUS AND THE OTHER
DOOR AS QUICK AS HE COULD, HE HIT THE THE FLOOD FLOODED WATERS BASICALLY HYDROPLANE TO CROSS THE FLOOR AND WAS ABLE TO FORTUNATELY ENOUGH WAS ABLE TO
RIDE HIMSELF UPRIGHT IN ORDER TO LAND ON HIS FEET VERSUS ON HIS HEAD OR ANYTHING ELSE AND MAKING THE HIS FAULT WORSE.
ANYWAYS BROCK AND HE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER. HE HAD LEFT ANKLE LEFT KNEE,
LEFT HIP BACK INJURIES. DOCTOR DIAGNOSED AS ANKLE INJURY AS A SPRAIN. SUBSEQUENTLY TREATED AND RELEASED ON. I ALSO WILL MENTION WHEN HE
RETURNED BACK TO THE FIREHOUSE AFTER BEING RELEASED THAT DISCHARGE FROM BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER THERE WAS ACTUALLY A ROOFING COMPANY THERE SO THEY WERE ABLE TO GET HIM OUT PRETTY
QUICK ONCE THEY FOUND OUT THAT A REAL LIKE SOMEBODY HAD HAD HAD FALLEN TAKEN THIS FALL HE THEY STARTED ON A LOT OF HIS
INJURIES FOR SOME REASON ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NEVER AN MRI DONE UNTIL AFTER A LENGTHY PETTY AND PAIN AND SWOLLEN PERSISTED THAT THEY FINALLY DID AN MRI WHERE THEY THEN REALIZED
THAT HE HAD A A PYLON FRACTURE OF HIS ANKLE ABNORMALITIES OF HIS MEDIAL LATERAL MENISCUS OF THE KNEE. THE MRI ALSO REVEALED THEY FRACTURED THE L1 VERTEBRAE BODY
AND DISK SIMILAR TO ABNORMALITIES OF THE L5, S1 AND L1 L2 VERTEBRAE. HE WAS PLACED IN A BOOT FOR THE LEFT ANKLE AND INSTRUCTED TO
NOT BEAR WEIGHT AS A RESULT OF THIS NOT BEARING WEIGHT AND BASICALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING HE DEVELOPED BLOOD CLOTS IN HIS LEG AND HIS ANKLE WHICH THEN TRAVELED TO HIS
LUNGS CAUSING A POOL AREA EMBOLISM IN HIS LUNGS. AS COUNCILOR, FLYNN ALSO NOTED LIEUTENANT BRACKEN, A VERY SKILLED AND TALENTED LICENSED MASTER ELECTRICIAN, A SKILL
WHICH WAS OFTEN SOUGHT BY INCIDENT COMMANDERS AND CHIEFS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT WHEN LEO WAS WORKING, LIEUTENANT BRACKEN WAS WORKING AND THEY COULD ALWAYS RELY ON HIM ON
ANY, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICITY IN DOING FIRES WITH A LOT OF WATER BEING USED CAN BE DANGEROUS. ALSO ANY ELECTRICAL RELATED
FIRE INCIDENTS THEY WOULD REFER TO LIEUTENANT BRACKEN FOR HIS EXPERT ADVICE AND OPINIONS AND HOW REALLY THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WORKS.
SO AGAIN, I THANK THE COMMITTEE. I THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, MR VICE CHAIR FOR HOLDING THE HEARING.
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO LIEUTENANT BRACKEN AND LET HIM SPEAK MORE OF, YOU KNOW, THE INJURIES AND THE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAT HE HAS ENDURED
DUE TO THIS ACCIDENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HELLO, MADAM CHAIR. AND VICE CHAIR WEBER AND
COUNCILMAN FLYNN. I JUST MIGHT FROM MIKE O'REILLY PRETTY MUCH HIT EVERYTHING THAT THING I HAD BACK SURGERY I HAD
I STILL HAVE THEY COULDN'T DO SURGERY ON MY IT WAS A PYLON FRACTURE ON MY ANKLE SO IT SWELLED UP EVERY DAY. IT WENT SOME ON MY FEET FOR
VERY LONG AND YOU KNOW, IT REALLY AFFECTS MY SLEEP AND YOU KNOW, OF COURSE ALL THE YOU KNOW, THE BACK SURGERY AND ALL
THE OTHER STUFF BUT IT'S IT'S MADE ME THAT I CAN'T DO THE ELECTRICAL WORK EITHER SO AND MY WIFE DOESN'T WORK SO WE
PRETTY MUCH I WAS SINGLE EARN A FAMILY WITH THE PENSION AND ALL THAT STUFF SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEKING THIS. I THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING
TO THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M I'M SO SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO ENDURE WHAT YOU'VE HAD TO AND OVER THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS JUST FOR AGAIN MY VICE CHAIR AND FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT. THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER POINTS THAT I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AS WELL. SO THERE WERE THREE INDEPENDENT
PHYSICIANS AND A REGIONAL MEDICAL PANEL THAT CERTIFIED THAT LIEUTENANT BRACKEN IS PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND INCAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF A FIRE
LIEUTENANT AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE NATURAL AND APPROXIMATE RESULTS OF THE OCTOBER 17, 2019 INCIDENT AND
THEN IN AUGUST 2021 THE BOSTON RETIREMENT BOARD APPROVED HIS APPLICATION FOR ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT UNDER THE
EXISTING NATIONAL LAW. AND SO JUST FOR FOR EVERYONE ELSE'S EDIFICATION, I DO THINK THAT THE THE LEGAL JUSTIFICATION AND FACTUAL
JUSTIFICATION IS THERE IT'S CLEAR THAT HIS INJURIES RESULTING FROM HAZARDOUS DUTY RELATED FALL ARE CLEARLY DUTY CONNECTED, SEVERE AND PERMANENT
AND GIVEN THAT THERE IS PRECEDENT ON THIS OFFICER IN 2022, BOTH OFFICER SCOTT
O'BRIEN AND OFFICER KURT STOKING JR I BELIEVE THAT'S HOW YOU SAY HIS NAME ESTABLISHED A CLEAR PATTERN OF GRANTING SIMILAR RELIEF FOR FIRST RESPONDERS WITH DUTY RELATED
PERMANENT INJURIES. WE CAN GET INTO THE LANGUAGE I THINK IN A LITTLE BIT BUT I DO WANT TO PASS IT OVER TO FIRST THE LEAD CO-SPONSOR AND THEN VICE CHAIR WEBER FOR ANY
QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE BEFORE. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND AGAIN THANK YOU TO
LIEUTENANT BRACKEN FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY AND INTO THE COUNTRY AS WELL. THANK YOU.
SO IN MADAM CHAIR, I KNOW THIS IS OFFICIALLY DOCUMENTED THROUGH MEDICAL EXPERTS THAT IT'S THAT IT'S A THAT IT HAPPENED ON ON SITE AND IT'S
DOCUMENTED BY WAS IT THREE DIFFERENT MEDICAL PROVIDERS? IS THAT WHAT YOU MENTIONED, MADAM CHAIR? YEP. THREE INDEPENDENT TREATING PHYSICIANS AND THERE ARE RELEVANT DOCS IN THE FOLDER
THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED THAT HAS TEN POINTS OR TEN DIFFERENT CORRESPONDENCE IS IF FOLKS WANT TO REVIEW THAT. OKAY NO THANKS.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. THANKS OR THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE. LEO THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER YOU
OWN YOUR FIREFIGHTER AND THEN KNEW YOU SPENT YOU YOU OBVIOUSLY PASSED THE EXAM EXAMINATION TO BECOME A LIEUTENANT THAT WAS THAT YOU PROBABLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME
DOING STUDYING THAT AND IN PROVIDING LEADERSHIP TO OTHER FIREFIGHTERS. AND THEN I KNOW MICHAEL HIGHLIGHTED AND I HIGHLIGHTED
YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A AS AN ELECTRICIAN, A MASTER ELECTRICIAN. CAN YOU TELL US AND MICHAEL MICHAEL HIGHLIGHTED THAT ALSO
BUT CAN YOU TELL US, LEO AS AS A MASTER ELECTRICIAN HOW THAT HELPED THE THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WAS THAT WAS
THAT TIME CONSUMING FOR YOU TO BECOME AN ELECTORATE A MASTER ELECTRICIAN IN TERMS OF TRAINING, EDUCATION EXPERIENCE AND I DON'T KNOW IF
THEY HAVE AN EXAMINATION TO BECOME A MASTER ELECTRICIAN BUT CAN YOU JUST TELL US ABOUT THE TIME COMMITMENT YOU PUT IN TO BECOME A MASTER ELECTRICIAN BECAUSE I'M SURE IT BENEFITED
AND I KNOW IT BENEFITED THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON. YES. TO BECOME AN ELECTRICIAN YOU HAVE TO BECOME AN APPRENTICE FIRST. THERE'S A FOUR YEAR
APPRENTICESHIP AND YOU HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL AT NIGHT ALSO AND THEN YOU BECOME A JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN. THAT'S A TEST YOU HAVE TO TAKE IN PASS OF COURSE AND THEN YOU
HAVE TO DO AT LEAST WELL WHEN I TOOK IT ANYWAY YOU HAD TO DO AT LEAST ONE MORE YEAR OF COURSE WERE ACTUAL WORK AND I THINK
IT'S LIKE 400 HOURS MORE OF SCHOOL TO TAKE YOUR MASTER'S ELECTRICIAN AND SO THERE'S
QUITE A BIT OF TRAINING AND SCHOOLING FOR IT ALSO ON I WORKED A LOT IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS AND WITH YOU KNOW
GENERATION GENERATED PLANTS AND ALL THE ELEVATORS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THERE WAS COMPLICATED PHASE THE
CHIEFS WOULD ASK ME TO LET THEM TELL THEM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ELECTRICALLY PRUDENT FOR THEM TO SHUT THINGS DOWN OR YOU KNOW, WHETHER SOMETIMES THAT
EDISON FIRE AS THEY ACTUALLY YOU KNOW, EDISON WOULD ACTUALLY SUGGEST THAT DO SOME THINGS THAT THE CHIEFS HAD ASKED ME AND I SAID I WOULDN'T DO THAT. I WOULDN'T PUT MY MAN IN THERE FOR THAT.
AND I THINK EDISON WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR EQUIPMENT MEN SO THERE WAS MANY TIMES THAT CHIEFS CONSULTED ME BECAUSE THEY ALL KNEW I WAS
ELECTRICIAN THAT THAT EDUCATION IN THAT TIME YOU PUT IN THAT EXPERIENCE THAT THAT EDUCATION THAT KNOWLEDGE BENEFITED THE
RESIDENTS OF THE CITY CERTAINLY BENEFITED THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN WHEN YOU YOU BECAME RETIRED FOR THIS FOR
THIS INJURY, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DO WE LOSE AN EXPERIENCED FIRE LIEUTENANT BUT WE ALSO LOST AN EXPERIENCED FIRE LIEUTENANT
WITH A GREAT DEAL OF KNOWLEDGE ON ELECTRICAL ELECTRICITY AND A MASTER ELECTRICIAN. SO I THINK THAT THAT HAS THAT
HAS AN IMPACT AS WELL. LET ME LET ME ASK LEO IF IF YOU IF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AND
YOU AND YOU RETIRED AT THE REGULAR AGE THAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO RETIRE, COULD WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN TO WORK IN THE IN
THE ELECTRICAL FIELD AND IN IN CONTINUE CONTINUE EMPLOYMENT OR WAS THIS OR WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU JUST DEDICATED TO THE TO THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT SO
YOU COULD BE AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AS YOU COULD ABOUT HOW TO RUN RESPOND TO A FIRE ESPECIALLY ONE ONE ELECTRICAL ISSUES ARE
INVOLVED NO I DID IT FOR BOTH. I ALSO BECAME AN EMT JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW FOOT TO MAKE TO BE BETTER AT MY JOB ON THE FIRE BUT SO I DID IT FOR THAT TOO
BUT I ALSO DID IT TO SUPPLEMENT MY INCOME BECAUSE MY WIFE WASN'T WORKING OR BRINGING IN SO I WAS A ONE EARNER FAMILY AND I PLANNED ON GOING TO THE
END YOU KNOW, RETIRING SUPERANNUATION AND THEN STILL KEEP WORKING YOU KNOW, NOT ALWAYS FULL TIME BUT I MEAN I WANTED TO KEEP WORKING AS
ELECTRICIAN BECAUSE I ENJOYED IT TOO. I MEAN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THEY MAKE YOU RETIRE AT 65 I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD EVEN WANTED TO RETIRE THEN IF IF I WOULD HAVE HAD A CHOICE BUT BECAUSE I
LOVED THE JOB AND I ALSO LOVED BEING AN ELECTRICIAN SO NOW I CAN'T DO IT EITHER. SO THAT'S YEAH AND THANK YOU. WELL SO SIMILARLY YOUR YOU ARE
CURRENTLY AT 72%. IS THAT IS THAT ACCURATE? YES THAT'S ACCURATE IF THIS INJURY DIDN'T HAPPEN YOU COULD
HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE MONEY TO SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY. IS THAT ACCURATE? YES IT IS. I ACTUALLY YOU KNOW FOR A LONG
TIME WORK A SECOND STEADY JOB TO HELP MY FAMILY. BUT THEN I WENT AND THE ACADEMY ASKED ME TO COME DOWN AND HELP THEM WITH TRAINING THE RECRUITS. SO I DID GIVE THAT UP FOR A
LITTLE WHILE AND WENT DOWN THERE AND DID THAT AND THEN I WENT BACK AND THEN I WAS JUST DOING SIDE JOBS PRETTY MUCH YOU KNOW YOU KNOW SOMEONE ASKED ME CAN YOU DO THIS?
CAN YOU DO THAT? BUT I PLANNED ON DOING THAT AFTER I RETIRED. YES. AND SUPPLEMENT MY INCOME. SO THE 72% THEN YOU WE SEE
REALLY IS NOT MAKING IT FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN TERMS OF DIGNITY AND RETIREMENT AND PAYING YOUR BILLS AND PROBABLY I DON'T WANT TO USE I DON'T
WANT TO EMBARRASS AND EMBARRASS YOU BUT IT'S IT'S STRUGGLING AT AN AGE WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO STRUGGLE FINANCIALLY. IS THAT IS THAT ACCURATE? WELL, YES, THAT'S THAT'S
ACCURATE. WELL, MY MY MY POINT OF OF ASKING THAT THAT QUESTION IS YOU KNOW, YOU'VE WORKED WORKED
HARD YOUR WHOLE CAREER IN THE BOSTON FIGHT A FIGHT APARTMENT AND SAVED SAVED LIVES TO YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION
AND PUT YOURSELF ABOVE ABOVE ABOVE OTHERS YOU PUT YOUR YOUR HEALTH ABOVE OTHERS AS WELL. FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON,
YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD I WOULD SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE PERCENTAGE THAT WE THAT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO
ADVOCATE FOR BECAUSE I DON'T I DON'T THINK WE'RE GIVING YOU ANYTHING. WELL I THINK THESE ARE BENEFIT THAT REALLY YOU'VE EARNED
THROUGH YOUR SACRIFICE AND FOR YOUR CAREER AND FOR YOUR PAIN AS AS A BOSTON FIRE LIEUTENANT. SO I DON'T I DON'T THINK WE AS
A CITY ARE GIVING YOU ANYTHING. THESE ARE THESE BENEFITS THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR CAREER AND YOUR
INJURIES THAT YOU SUSTAINED IN THE LINE IN THE LINE OF DUTY. AND I MIGHT ADD THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF WE KNEW
THAT THERE WAS WE DID KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH WATER LEAKS AT THE FIREHOUSE. MAYBE THAT'S THAT'S A TOPIC FOR
ANOTHER FOR ANOTHER TIME BUT I JUST I JUST AM IN ADAMANT THAT YOU DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY AND I WANT
TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AS A CITY TO SUPPORT YOU AND TO ENSURE YOU ARE ABLE TO RETIRE IN DIGNITY.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR. THANK YOURSELF ONE YEAH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I DON'T I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR NOW, MADAM CHAIR. OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR. WHOEVER MAY BE HAVING MICROPHONE ISSUES I'LL JUST GO TO HIM IN THE EVENT THAT HE'S ABLE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. OH, OKAY. DECENT WAY TO GO NOW I WORKING
ON THIS? YEAH. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. IS IT OKAY, CHAIR ABSOLUTELY DISCLOSURES SO I JUST I'VE IN
TERMS OF THE THE PROCESS HERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS IS MORE FOR MICHAEL TO HAVE AT YOU HAVE YOU MADE A PRESENTATION TO THE
TO THE RETIREMENT BOARD OR WHAT HAS HAPPENED UP TILL NOW? YOU KNOW, I JUST I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE KIND OF ARE THE CITY COUNCILS ROLE IN THIS. IT SEEMS A LITTLE STRANGE THAT
WE WOULD SORT OF BE FUNCTIONING OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR FOR PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE A GREAT SERVICE TO THE CITY LIKE YOU KNOW LIEUTENANT BRACKEN AND BUT
THAT HAS HAS SOMEBODY ALREADY SAID NO TO THIS BEFORE COMING TO US.
GOOD MORNING LIGHTYEAR WEBER NO, THAT'S NOT AS AS A FORMER RETIREMENT BOARD MEMBER THE THE
ANSWER TO THAT IS ACTUALLY NO BECAUSE THAT'S NOT REALLY HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS UNDER THE LAW. CHAPTER 32 SECTION SEVEN BASED
ON HIS INJURIES IT WOULD BE AN ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT. HOWEVER ONCE HE WAS RETIRED AND
PENSIONED OFF THE JOB AT 72% AND IT EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES IT TAKES A YEAR AND MAYBE SOMETIMES A LITTLE MORE IN THAT
TIME, YOU KNOW IS WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT NOT ONLY IS HE TOTALLY INCAPACITATED FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT ALSO
TOTALLY INCAPACITATED FROM BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING YOU KNOW, ANYTHING I'M KNOWING LIEUTENANT BRACKEN LIKE I DO, I KNOW THAT HIS HIS PLAN WAS TO
RETIRE AT PROBABLY AGE 65, YOU KNOW, SUPERANNUATION, YOU KNOW, AND THEN GO AND AND DO YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT ELECTRICAL WORK HERE AND THERE JUST TO KIND
OF ENHANCE HIS PENSION BUT SO WHAT HAPPENS IS IS YOU FILE YOU FILE FOR ACCIDENT DISABILITY AND AT THAT POINT IT'S IT'S AT
72% YOU KNOW PEOPLE WHO RETIRE IT'S AS ON AN ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY AS 72% AFTER THE FIRST YEAR THEY CAN EARN THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PENSION THEIR PENSION THEY'RE RECEIVING THE POSITION IN WHICH THEY LEFT WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY PAYING PLUS 15,000.
SO WHAT IT BASICALLY EQUATES TO IS IS A PART TIME JOB. SO EVEN A DISABLED FIREFIGHTER FIREFIGHTER OR POLICE OFFICER
OFF ON A 72% THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BASICALLY WORK THE EQUIVALENT OF A PART TIME JOB UP TO 1200 HOURS OR LIKE I SAID THE THE FORMULA WITH IN WHICH
THE OR THE MONEY THE INCOME THAT THAT THEY CAN EARN AND SO THE PURPOSE OF NOW SEEKING TO
ENHANCE THE BENEFIT TO 100% IS IS THAT THAT ABILITY TO WORK THAT SAY PART TIME JOB HAS BEEN ELIMINATED FOR LIEUTENANT
BRACKEN AND YOU KNOW ALL FOR WHAT I CALL A NEEDLESS ACCIDENT THIS IS AND I HAD FORWARDED TO COUNCILOR FLYNN'S OFFICE AND I
CAN CERTAINLY FORWARD THEM TO YOU THE ALL THE FORM FIVES THAT I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK IN AND AND RECOVER YOU KNOW FROM WHICH
WERE THE FORMS TO REQUEST THE ROOF BEING FIXED. YEAH. SO LET'S JUST LET'S JUST THIS I AND I DON'T I DON'T THINK YOU EVEN NEED TO GIVE A GO ANY
FURTHER ON THAT. LET'S JUST ASSUME THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT THE CITY IS AT FAULT THAT HE WOULD BE WORKING AS AN ELECTRICIAN OR YOU KNOW,
ANYTHING ELSE AFTER HE RETIRED. YOU KNOW, EVEN ON DISABILITY IS THE NORMAL PROCESS TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL OR DO YOU GO TO
THE YOU KNOW THAT IS HAVE YOU DID YOU TRY TO GET THIS ADDITIONAL BENEFIT THROUGH THE RETIREMENT BOARD? I JUST AND YOU EXPLAIN IT TO LIKE A THIRD ON A THIRD GRADE
LEVEL LIKE I WANT TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS. SO MY QUESTION NO NO SO WHAT HAPPENS COUNCILORS WHEN WHEN WHEN YOU RETIRE ARE THAT 72% ANYTHING THAT'S ABOVE AND
BEYOND THAT HAS TO COME TO WHAT WE CALL A SPECIAL ACT. I THINK CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THERE'S SOMEWHERE ON 2223 DIFFERENT SPECIAL ACTS AND
THOSE THINGS THAT SPECIAL ACT HAS TO COME THROUGH A HOME RULE PETITION THROUGH THE CITY. THE CITY LIKE YOU KNOW, HAS TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND AND
AND THEN SEND IT TO THE LEGISLATURE AND THEN THE LEGISLATURE THEN HAS TO TAKE THIS HOME RULE THE SPECIAL ACT AND RUN IT THROUGH THEIR THEIR
PROCESS. SO THERE IS NO AVENUE THERE'S NO THERE'S NO WAY FOR SOMEBODY TO PETITION THE RETIREMENT WARD FOR 100%. THAT'S JUST NOT HOW IT WORKS.
IT HAS TO BE THROUGH A SPECIAL ACT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN SO DO WE HAVE TO MAKE LIKE A FACTUAL DETERMINATION ABOUT THE THE THE
NATURE OF THE YOU KNOW, THE CAUSE OF THE INJURY AND THE EXTENT OF THE DISABILITY. LIKE WHAT WHAT WHAT IS THE STATE LEGISLATURE NEED TO SEE FROM US?
SO BASICALLY IT WOULD BE THE HOME RULE PETITION STATING THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON APPROVES THE
THE ENHANCED PENSION OF LEO BRACKEN AND AND AGAIN THE REASON THEY DO IT THIS WAY IS BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY WHAT I CALL IT'S A ONE OFF SO THIS ISN'T CHANGING THE LAW OR DOING
ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY ELSE EXCEPT FOR THE NAMED PERSON. AND SO WHAT THAT LEGISLATURE GETS IS BASICALLY THE HOME RULE WHICH WOULD BE WHICH WOULD BE THE LANGUAGE FOR THE
LEGISLATION BASICALLY JUST A WILL WOULD BE AWARDING LIEUTENANT BRACKEN A 100% PENSION DUE TO HIS YOU KNOW, THE NATURE OF THE INJURIES AND
AND THE THE EXTENT OF THE INJURIES. SO OKAY. AND THEN SO LET LET LET'S SAY ALL THIS PASSES CAN YOU SO THEN
THE RETIREMENT BENEFIT BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE HOME RULES AGAIN OR GETTING CONFUSED WOULD IT BE WHAT IT WOULD BE 100% OF THE SALARY OR IF YOU WOULD
HAVE EARNED OR IS IT 80%? JUST EXPLAIN WHAT THE WHAT THE BENEFIT IS IF THIS PASSES THIS? YES. SO IT WOULD BE 100% OF THE
SALARY THAT HE WOULD HAVE EARNED HAD HE CONTINUED IN SERVICE. SO SO AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT THAT THE PART TIME WORK THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE
AFTER RETIRING IS THAT THE IDEA? SO IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR IT BUT THE REASON IN ASKING YOU KNOW COMING TO THE TO TO THE
CITY AND ASKING TO ENHANCE IT YOU KNOW TO THE HOME OR TO INCREASE IT ON A PERCENT IS BECAUSE THAT THAT OPPORTUNITY WAS TAKEN AWAY.
HE CAN NO LONGER EARN, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING AND SO THAT'S WHY AND I THINK YOU KNOW IF
THIS IF HE WAS TO SAY WELL AND SOME YOU KNOW YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW FELL DOWN THE STAIRS IN A FIRE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY THE REASON WE'RE HERE IS DUE WHAT I
WOULD CALL THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN YOU KNOW, THE THE THE LENGTH OF TIME AND YOU KNOW BECAUSE I'M STILL ACTIVE FIREFIGHTER YOU KNOW I STILL HAVE A YOU
KNOW I WAS JUST ACTUALLY TALKING TO A GUY THE OTHER DAY AT THAT FIREHOUSE AND IT ACTUALLY WASN'T TOO LONG AGO THAT THEY HAD ROOFIES OUT THERE AGAIN.
SO YOU KNOW, THIS HAPPENED IN 19 AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL PROBLEMS THERE'S PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S IT AND NOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO POINT A FINGER
AND SAY YOU KNOW, IT'S A CITY'S FAULT BUT IT IT IS WHAT IT IS. RIGHT. AND SO HAD YOU KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY YOU KNOW REPLACED A RULE FOR DID MORE
LIKE I SAID IT IT WAS A CONSTANT PROBLEM I WAS IN THAT FIREHOUSE AND I KNOW THE FLOODING SITUATION THAT HAPPENS I'M TALKING YOU'RE NOT TALKING JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WET WATER
ON THE FLOOR. YOU'RE TALKING 4 TO 6 INCHES ON THE SECOND FLOOR BY THE PORTHOLE AND YOU KNOW, CREATED THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SO THAT'S THE REASON LIKE I
SAID, IT'S IT'S IT'S KIND OF TO NOT INCLUDED IN THE SIDE YOU KNOW ANY OTHER INCOME BUT TO KIND OF IT'S KIND OF A WAY OF COMPENSATING HIM A LITTLE
BIT BECAUSE HE IS UNABLE TO EARN THAT'S WHY THAT WE ARE SEEKING THE 100% AND LIKE I SAID THERE IS NO THERE'S NO AVENUE TO PETITION THE RETIREMENT BOARD FOR THIS. IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE CITY
LIKE THIS HAS TO GO THROUGH AS A SPECIAL ACT HOME PETITION AND THEN OBVIOUSLY FORWARD UP TO THE STATE HOUSE AND YOU KNOW FOR THAT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR TO LAW AND ENOUGH WHEN THAT HAPPENS THEN HIS PENSION WILL GO FROM A 72% TO 100%. OKAY. OKAY.
THAT'S I MEAN DON'T DON'T READ ANYTHING INTO MY QUESTION. I'M JUST I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND HOW THIS WORKS AND I HAVEN'T DEALT WITH THIS
BEFORE AS A KID BEING RELATIVELY NEW TO THE COUNCIL. OKAY. I THINK THAT I THINK THAT'S I HAVE SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THAT THAT TO YOU HERE YOU'RE
WELCOME COUNCILOR WEBER AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING US TO TESTIFY TODAY. THANK YOU COUNCILOR WEBER AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR EXTREMELY THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS. SO THIS SPECIAL ACT AND I DO
HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND WOULD LOVE TO REVIEW SOME OF THE LANGUAGE CHANGES BASED ON THOSE THE CHANGES TO THE SPECIAL ACTS THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS DONE IN THE PAST. A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU, MR O'REILLY.
SO THIS ACT IS INTENDED TO OFFSET THE FACT THAT LIEUTENANT BRACKEN CAN'T EARN ANYTHING POST-RETIREMENT AS PART OF SECTION SEVEN UNDER THE
ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY AND SUPERANNUATION YOU WERE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT AFTER ONE YEAR A RETIREE CAN EARN UP TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE EARNED AND THE
POSITION PLUS $15,000. IS THERE ANYTHING IN STATE LAW STATUTE THAT SAYS THAT ONCE HE
GETS HIS 100% HE CANNOT WORK OR IS LIMITED IN ANY PART TIME WORK?
I DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S REALLY ANYTHING IN THE STATUTE BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A BY THE FACT THAT HE IS TOTALLY
INCAPACITATED. I'M SURE IF IF IF HE DID IT WOULD BE REPORTED TO THE IRS TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM JUST LIKE
ANYBODY WHO WORKS ANYBODY WHO'S OFFERED A DISABILITY THEY WOULD SUBMIT TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM THEIR W-2S EVERY YEAR. SO YOU KNOW, HE WOULD HAVE TO
SUBMIT THAT AND I BELIEVE THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY RAISE A RED FLAG. THE WHOLE IDEA HERE IS IS AND YOU KNOW IS THAT HE CAN'T HE
JUST PHYSICALLY CAN'T. SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE PREMISE. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ACTUALLY LANGUAGE I'M PRETTY
EXPERIENCED IN CHAPTER 32 BUT YOU KNOW, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT IT IS THE LARGEST AND PROBABLY ONE OF MOST COMPLICATED STATUTES IN THE MASS GENERAL LAW.
SO BUT SO NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF BUT BUT I THINK LIKE I SAID, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOUR YOUR RECEIVE 100% PENSION YOU'RE TOTALLY
INCAPACITATED YOU KNOW FROM ANY ANY OUTSIDE EARNINGS THEN AND YOU KNOW THAT'S YOU KNOW IT IS WHAT IT IS I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING
SPECIFICALLY SAYS HE CANNOT EARN AT ALL. BUT I CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND AND GET THAT ANSWER BACK WITHIN
I DON'T KNOW A DAY AND BUT YEAH I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING SPECIFIC SPECIFIC THAT SAYS THAT THANK YOU AND THAT IS HELPFUL AND SO I AM JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MYSELF BECAUSE
THIS IS NOT NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS BUT THERE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST REQUESTS FOR 100% AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT THE
FACTS HERE WHICH IS THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUPERANNUATION AND ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY. SO THE SUPERANNUATION IS NORMAL RETIREMENT WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS 80% PENSION AND UNRESTRICTED
OUTSIDE WORK AND THEN THE ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT IS THAT FIXED 72 OF REGULAR COMPENSATION BUT
THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS AND SO BUT IF WE'RE PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL EXEMPTION THAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN BE ALLOWED TO RECEIVE 100% OF REGULAR COMPENSATION, DOES THAT STILL
MEAN AND THE PREMISE OF ALL OF THAT IS THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, INCAPACITY AGED THEY CANNOT WORK WHICH IS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE 100% DOES THE THE EXEMPTION FOR THE
ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT AFTER ONE YEAR THEY CAN EARN UP TO THE DIFFERENCE PLUS 15 I THINK THERE IS POTENTIALLY SOME RISK BASED ON
SOME OF MY STAFF'S WORK HERE THAT ALLOWS FOR LIMITED PART TIME WORK. AND SO IF WE CAN JUST GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT, WE DO WANT TO JUST DO OUR DUE
DILIGENCE HERE AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS. SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT JUST TO SEND IT OVER AND YEAH,
YES I WILL DO THAT AND AND I'M I'M SURE AS WELL IF YOU WANTED TO INCLUDED BECAUSE WHATEVER YOU SEND UP TO WHAT WE KNOW
WHATEVER YOU'VE SIGNED OFF ON AND SENT A LEGISLATURE IS IS YOU KNOW WHAT THE LAW WILL BE BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'D BE NO OBJECTIONS FROM LIEUTENANT BRACK AND IF YOU INCLUDE IN
THERE THAT HE COULDN'T BECAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT HE CAN'T. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE TENOR BRACKEN AND I KNOW THE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING.
HE GOES THROUGH EVERY DAY. SOMETIMES IT'S IT'S TO WATCH HIM TRY TO WALK IS IS A FEAT IN ITSELF BUT SO IF YOU WANTED TO YOU KNOW IF YOU WERE TO INCLUDE THAT LANGUAGE JUST JUST TO BE
SURE LIKE ON YOUR END I GET IT YOU KNOW IN THE SEASON LIKE YOU LOOK IT YEAH I GET IT. I DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO GET 100% PENSION AND BE ABLE TO GO OFF AND YOU KNOW AND WORK IN SOME CAPACITY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW THAT WOULD BE I THINK
DISINGENUOUS. RIGHT. YOU KNOW SO BUT YOU KNOW IF IF IF LIKE I SAID IF YOU SO YOU KNOW SO INCLINED TO ADD THAT
LANGUAGE YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW I DON'T THINK YOU GET ANY OBJECTION FROM LIEUTENANT BRACKEN I MEAN HE HE'S YOU KNOW DUE TO IT LIKE I SAID SO BUT
BUT I WILL TRY TO FIND OUT ANY IF THERE IS ANY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AND SEND THAT TO YOU THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE DIFFICULT SENSITIVE CONVERSATIONS.
LIEUTENANT BRACKEN AND I RECOGNIZE I THINK WE AS A COUNCIL RECOGNIZE THE PROFOUND HUMAN IMPACT INVOLVED AT THE SAME TIME AS STEWARDS OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
IT'S OUR DUTY TO APPLY CONSISTENT STANDARDS AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT SPECIAL LEGISLATION IS SUSTAINABLE AND JUSTIFIED AND AND THAT IT DECISIONS ARE FISCALLY SOUND
AND EQUITABLE WITHIN THE BROADER RETIREMENT SYSTEM. SO THAT'S AGAIN THAT THAT'S THE FRAMING FOR FROM MY REMARKS I SEE THAT UNMUTED IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO TO
ADD? NO I APPRECIATE MADAM CHAIR WOMAN I JUST I CAN'T WORK ANYWAY SO I WOULDN'T CARE WHAT KIND OF LANGUAGE YOU ADDED TO
IT. THE BILL VERY WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I WILL NOW ASK MY STAFF MEMBER ELLIE TO SHARE THE SCREEN JUST GIVEN SOME OF THE THE CHANGES THAT THE STATE
LEGISLATURE HAS DONE IN THE PAST TO THESE SORT OF SPECIAL LAWS. AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME AS I GET
MY OLD NOTES TOGETHER. OKAY, GREAT. SO THESE ARE WHAT'S IN RED ARE
THE CHANGES THE STATE HOUSE HAS AMENDED ALL HER PETITIONS LIKE THIS IN 2022 AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE WAS ONLY THREE
THAT HAVE COME FORTH AND THEY ALL CAME WITHIN THE YEAR OF 2022 AND HAD TO OR WERE RELATED TO BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT THIS LANGUAGE THAT WE SEE BEFORE IS STANDARD IN THE FORMAT OF ALL OF THE DIRECTIVES IN THE LAST THREE SENTENCE HERE
PLUS THEY ADD OR THEY INCLUDE THREE ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS THE FIRST SECTION TALKING ABOUT
FUNDS NOT BEING TAXABLE THE SECOND ALLOWING THE PETITIONER TO EARN WITHOUT REFUND PENALTY AND THREE CLARIFYING THAT THE BENEFITS PROVIDED FOR IN THE
HOME OR PETITION SHALL BE COVERED BY THE BOSTON RETIREMENT BOARD.
ALTOONA SCROLL DOWN AS WELL. I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR US TO SORRY JUST STAY RIGHT THERE. YEAH. SO IN SECTION ONE DISCUSSING
WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED HERE WHICH IS THE THE BOLDED UNDERLINED 80% SO INITIALLY IN MY
UNDERSTANDING MR RILEY IS THAT AND LIEUTENANT BRACKEN THAT YOUR REQUEST WAS TO GO TO 100% HOWEVER THE ORIGINAL FILE
OF THIS PETITION DIDN'T SAY THAT IT DID SAY THAT LEO J. BRACKEN SHALL RECEIVE A YEARLY AMOUNT OF PENSION EQUAL TO THE REGULAR RATE OF COMPENSATION WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID TO
HIM HAD HE CONTINUED IN HIS SERVICE AS A BOSTON FIREFIGHTER AT THE GRADE HELD BY HIM AT THE TIME OF REQUIREMENT AND SO THIS CHANGE IS REFLECTIVE OF THE
EXISTING SUPER ANNUITY. I'M SORRY I'M JUST GOING TO MY
NOTES HERE AND SO YET IN EXIST DOING NGL IT'S LIMITING US TO 80% BUT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK ABOUT THE INTENTIONS HERE JUST
FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES? I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW IT VERY
HARD TO SEE ON THE SCREEN IT'S VERY, VERY SMALL TYPE THE END AND THE INITIAL IN WHICH WE HAD
SENT UP THE LANGUAGE PAGE THAT SAYS REFERS TO, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT THAT HE WOULD RECEIVE HAD HE CONTINUED THAT'S BASICALLY THE LANGUAGE IMPLYING
100% YOU KNOW, INCREASE IT TO 100% BECAUSE THAT'S HE HE YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WHAT HE WAS MAKING AT THE TIME OF THE INJURY. SO THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THE
OF THE INITIAL PETITION IN WHICH WE SENT I'M NOT SURE I'M FOLLOWING OKAY.
INDEMNIFY THE THE HOSPITAL SO THE THIS 80% REFER YOU KNOW REFERS BACK TO A BLUE PENSION
WITH 80% SHOWS SO WHEN HE REACHES THE MAXIMUM RETIREMENT AGE OF 65 SO IS THIS THE CITY'S
LANGUAGE OR IS THIS WHAT THE STATE HOUSE THE LEGISLATURE IS IS SAYING? I UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE'S SOME
CONFUSION IN WHERE THERE'S AN 80% CAP BUT THAT 80% CAP IS ALL FOR LIKE I WOULD SAY REGULAR PETITIONERS LIKE FOR RETIREMENT
WHETHER SUPERANNUATION OR DISABILITY RETIREMENT IS THERE'S THIS CAP OF 80%. HOWEVER WITH THE WITH THIS SPECIAL LAW YOU KNOW THIS IS A
SPECIAL LAW IS IS TO ALLOW THE THE AMOUNT TO IN YOU KNOW TO TO 2 TO 100% SO I KNOW LIKE I SAID
,I AND I CAN SEND THIS INFORMATION TO YOU AS WELL ALL THE OTHER SPECIAL ACTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING PAID OUT TO THE CITY OF THE CITY BOSTON RETIREMENT SYSTEM ALL YOU KNOW
IS RELATIVE RELATIVELY SAME LANGUAGE IN WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO YOU KNOW, TO RECEIVE 100%
BEYOND THE THE MAXIMUM RETIREMENT AGE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION OR IT'S JUST LIKE I SAID, I'M STILL TRYING TO
READ IT. IT'S VERY, VERY TINY PRINT. BUT THE INTENTION IS IS FOR 100% UNTIL THAT'S A LITTLE BIT
YOU KNOW TO YOU KNOW TILL HE YOU KNOW UNTIL HE DIES I HATE TO SAY THAT BUT BUT SO YEAH I'M
NOT SURE LIKE I SAID IS THIS BECAUSE I'VE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED THROUGH BEING THE LEGISLATIVE AGENT FOR THE FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS AND MAC PRESS AS
WELL AND JUST SOME OTHER THINGS. YOU KNOW I'VE KIND OF BEEN INVOLVED IN OTHER GUYS FROM OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS WHO HAVE
PETITIONED FOR 100% AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NEVER THIS LANGUAGE SENT BACK FOR THE 80%. SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT EXACTLY WHERE THAT CAME FROM
BUT THE INTENT WAS 100% AND THEN AND THEN WHEN HE HE WAS PREDECEASED IS HIS HIS SPOUSE THEN SHE WILL RECEIVE A THREE FOURTHS OR 75% OF WHAT HE WAS
RECEIVING YOU KNOW FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE BASICALLY. RIGHT, ELLIE, CAN YOU GO UP AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO MY MY QUESTION I'M SORRY I PROBABLY DID NOT IT THAT WELL BUT WAS JUST TO TALK THROUGH
THE INTENT ONLY BECAUSE YOU CAN HIGHLIGHT THE OR YOU EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT THE STRIKETHROUGH SO AND I BELIEVE THIS LANGUAGE WAS SENT TO TO COUNCILOR FLYNN BUT WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU AS WELL
THIS IS WHAT THE STATE HOUSE AMENDED ALL HOME RULE PETITIONS TO LOOK LIKE. IT WAS BASICALLY STANDARD SIZING THE FORMAT FOR ALL OF THE DIRECTIVES IN THE LAST
THREE SENTENCES THAT ARE THAT ARE STRUCK THROUGH HERE. AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THE STANDARDIZED LANGUAGE
THAT FOLLOWING REVIEW AND AND THE PROCESS OF THE STATE HOUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN
EDITED TO TO REFLECT AND SO WE ALSO HAD TO CHANGE I THINK IT IT SAID THAT THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER SO WE HAD TO CHANGE THE FIREFIGHTER AND IF YOU WANT TO SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT AS
WELL, THE I THINK THE 80% TO THIS ALLOWED FOR THEM IN THE STATE HOUSE TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE
JUST BECAUSE PRE 2022 THE PETITIONS THAT WERE FILED HAD SIMILARLY VAGUE LANGUAGE AND SO IN RESPONSE THE LEGISLATURE
ADDED LANGUAGE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE ANNUAL AMOUNT OF PENSION THE PETITIONER WOULD RECEIVE PRE AND POST ATTAINING
THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE AND SO IT'S HELPFUL TO JUST REITERATE AND GOOD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PERCENTAGE
YOU'RE ASKING FOR UPON MR BRACKEN REACHING THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE. COUNCILOR FINE. I SEE YOUR HAND IS UP.
IT YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MADAM CHAIR WHEN I WHEN I FILED THIS MY INTENT WAS ALWAYS TO
HAVE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN FOR THAT PERCENTAGE TO BE 100% AND IN THE DOCUMENT THAT I FILED IN
THE HOME RULE PETITION I FILED I HIGHLIGHTED A CERTAIN SECTION WELL, IN SECTION ONE HALFWAY DOWN LEO BRACKEN SHALL RECEIVE A YEARLY AMOUNT OF PENSION
EQUAL TO THE REGULAR RATE OF COMPENSATION WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID TO HIM HAD HE CONTINUED IN SERVICE AS A BOSTON FIREFIGHTER
GOT THE GRADE HELD BY HIM AT THE TIME OF HIS RETIREMENT UPON THE RETIREMENT OF LEO BRACKEN AND THE RETIREMENT OF THE CITY SHALL FORTHWITH PAY TO HIM ALL
AMOUNTS CREDITED TO HIM IN THE ANNUITY SAVINGS FUND OF THE RETIREMENT BOARD OF THE CITY OF THE CITY.
SO MY MY INTENT AND ALSO I KNOW MICHAEL O'REILLY'S INTENT WAS ALWAYS THAT THEY'VE DECIDED THE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE INCREASED
FROM 72 TO 100% AND THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THE CLARIFICATION I THINK BECAUSE IT WAS NOT EXPLICITLY LISTED IN SECTION
ONE WE WERE BASED ON WHAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS DONE WITH THE 2022 HOME RULE PETITIONS THEY HAVE STANDARDIZED THIS NOW TO REFLECT WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT
OF YOU AND THAT INCLUDES THAT INCLUDES THAT THE PERCENTAGE AND I THINK I WANT TO ZERO IN ON THE PERCENTAGE BECAUSE WE ARE THERE WE ARE LIMITED THERE
IS A MAX ALLOWABLE PERCENTAGE IT TECHNICALLY APPLIES TO SUPER EDUCATION RETIREMENTS BUT YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME PAST
PRECEDENT THAT HAS BEEN USED TO BENCHMARK THIS BUT IT ALLOWS UP TO 80% OF A MEMBER'S HIGHEST THREE YEAR AVERAGE. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S JUST A FACT.
I WANT TO GET OUT THERE FOR DISCUSSION AND CONVERSATION AND ANY FEEDBACK OR THOUGHTS ON IT . BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS
WE ARE CAPPED AT MEDICAL. WHEN IS YOUR HAND UP? YEAH. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. MAY I RESPOND BRIEFLY?
MADAM CHAIR, THIS SO EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE CASES THAT HAVE INCREASED THE CIVIL
SERVANTS PERCENTAGE FROM 72 TO 100% SO NOW THERE IS RECENTLY I SHOULD SAY NOW RECENTLY THERE
IS STATE LEGISLATION TO CAP IT BASICALLY AT 80% IN NOT ALLOW 100% IS THAT IS THAT THE NEWEST
LEGISLATION MADAM CHAIR SO IT'S NOT NEW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN 80% ALTHOUGH THIS COUNCIL 2022 I WAS NOT THE CHAIR AT THIS POINT IT I BELIEVE THE PRECEDENT IS THAT IT WAS 400% AND THEN I'M
TRYING TO GET FLAHERTY RIGHT NOW JUST LOOKING THROUGH IF THE STATE HOUSE HAD CHANGED BASED ON THEIR REVIEW THEIR PROCESSES
AT THE STATE HOUSE HAD JUST KEPT IT AT 80% WHICH WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD DONE BUT POTENTIALLY THAT THE LEGISLATURE DID. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN ANSWER TO THAT NOW 80% WAS
ALWAYS THERE JUST THIS COUNCIL PUSHED FORWARD 100%. MR RILEY YES. YEAH. AS YOU.
MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. AS YOU POINTED OUT THE 80% CAP THAT PERTAINS ONLY TO SUPERANNUATION IS CHAPTER 32 SECTION FIVE OF THE MASS
GENERAL LAWS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SECTION AND I BELIEVE TO COUNCILOR FLYNN'S POINT AS FAR AS LEGISLATION OR CHANGE TO THE
LAW THAT SECTION 100 THIS IS THIS THIS SPECIAL ACT THIS SPECIAL LAW IS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKING THIS INDIVIDUAL
OUT OF THAT YOU 72% OR 80% THRESHOLD AND PUTTING PUTTING THEM IN THAT SECTION 100 THRESHOLD OLD.
IT'S ACTUALLY I FORGET THE DATE BUT AFTER A CERTAIN DATE IT ACTUALLY THE RATE FOR
SUPERANNUATION HAS CHANGED TO TO 75% FOR EXAMPLE MYSELF IF IF IF I RETIRE YOU KNOW IF I GO TO 65 OR RETIRE I CAN RETIRE TODAY
I'VE GOT MY 32 YEARS BUT I WOULD RETIRE NIGHTCAP INCLUDING MY ANNUITY WOULD BE 75%. I BELIEVE SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN ON THE JOB AS LONG AS SAY
LIEUTENANT BRACKEN WOULD BE ON A SUPERANNUATION IN RETIREMENT WOULD BE AT THAT 80%.
SO TO ME IT KIND OF I KIND OF NULLIFIES YOU KNOW RECOGNIZE IN YOU KNOW THE SERVICE AND THE THE THE THE AVENUE OR THE
MECHANISM OF WHICH CREATED OR CAUSED LIEUTENANT BRACKEN'S INJURY IS IT'S IT'S KIND OF VOID BECAUSE I BELIEVE LIEUTENANT BRACKEN IS 63 NOW 64
NOW SO SO BY THE TIME THIS WENT THROUGH HE WOULD PROBABLY BE AT MAXIMUM RETIREMENT AGE AND THEREFORE THIS WOULD BE SAYING, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD ONLY RECEIVE 80% WHICH IS BASICALLY NOTHING
MORE AND I SHOULDN'T SAY NOTHING MORE BUT IT'S BASICALLY A SUPERANNUATION PENSION WHICH AGAIN, YOU KNOW YEAH GRANTED IF
IT WAS A SUPERANNUATION PENSION THERE'D BE NO CAP AND ANY MONEY HE COULD HE COULD EARN AS AN ELECTRICIAN AND SAY IN THIS CASE OR IF YOU'RE YOU KNOW IF IF A MEMBER WAS A PLUMBER OR
YOU KNOW WHATEVER YOU KNOW WHATEVER THEY DID YOU KNOW WAS WOULD BE UNLIMITED. SO NOW LIKE I SAID IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S CAP AND I MEAN
AT 80% WITH NO ABILITY TO EARN ANYTHING BECAUSE HE PHYSICALLY CAN'T EARN ANYTHING SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND. LIKE I SAID I THINK I THINK WHEN AND DID DIFFERENT PENSION
REFORMS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WHEN WHEN THE 80% TO 75% AND YOU KNOW THESE CAPS THEY'RE ALL THEY'RE ALL YOU KNOW WITHIN
LIKE I SAID THE 80% CAP IS WITHIN CHAPTER 32 SECTION FIVE THE 72% IS CHAPTER 32, SECTION SEVEN YOU KNOW SO LIKE I SAID
THIS SECTION 100 IS IS JUST THAT IT'S IT'S A TOTALLY SEPARATE SECTION WHICH IT WOULD THEN ALLOW YOU KNOW SOMEBODY TO
A MEMBER PENSIONER TO TO REQUEST THE HUNDRED PERCENT JUST LIKE YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S NOT QUITE AS DRASTIC OBVIOUSLY
BUT JUST NO DIFFERENT FROM A LINE OF DUTY DEATH YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE A POLICE OFFICER FIREFIGHTER AND YOU DIE IN MY DUTY YOU GET 100%, YOU KNOW,
FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND THEN YOUR WIFE RECEIVES, YOU KNOW, 75% OR THREE FOURTHS OF THAT PENSION BUT THEY DON'T
THEY DON'T SAY, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE CASES THEY DON'T SAY AND IF YOU READ SECTION 100 IT TALKS ABOUT LINE OF DUTY DEATH BUT IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT BEING COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY
INCAPACITATED AS AS A RESULT OF INJURY SUSTAINED RESPONDING TO WORKING OUT OR RETURNING FROM A444 FIREFIGHT. I KNOW FOR POLICE OFFICER IT'S
IT'S IT'S IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT FOR JUST A FIREFIGHTER YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S IT'S DIRECTING SO YOU KNOW, IN
THE CASE OF ANY LIKE I SAID, LINE OF DUTY DEATHS THEY DON'T YOU KNOW WHEN THAT PERSON WHO DIED IN LINE OF DUTY IF THEY YOU KNOW THEY RECEIVING A
SECTION 100 ORDER THEY ARE THE SURVIVING SPOUSE. YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T SAY WELL YOU RECEIVE THIS UNTIL UNTIL YOU KNOW, THE MEMBER WHO'S KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY REACHES
WHAT WOULD HAVE REACHED A MAXIMUM RETIREMENT AGE. IT'S IT'S IT'S THEIR FAULT. IT'S THEIR FOR LIFE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES AND THAT'S THE INTENT HERE, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SHORT OF THE DYING POT. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S DUE TO THESE INJURIES. IT'S A TOTAL YOU KNOW, TOTAL
INCAPACITY. AND SO LIKE I SAID, I THINK THEY JUST AND I WENT THROUGH THIS BEFORE WITH VANESSA I
BELIEVE IN COUNCILOR FLYNN'S OFFICE AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WE WILL HAVE TO LOOK BACK IN MY EMAILS. BUT THIS LIKE I SAID THIS PEOPLE LIKE I SAID I THINK THEY
CAN GET CONFUSED. I'M NOT SURE 100% IF IF THEY'LL LEGISLATURE I THINK IN SOMEWHERE IN IN COMMUNICATION
IT GOT CONFUSED AS THIS I BELIEVE MY OPINION BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IS IF IF WE COULD
SEND IT UP REMOVING THAT 80% AND JUST SEND IT UP AS AND YOU KNOW AS A SECTION 100 WHICH IS WHAT IT IS YOU KNOW THAT WOULD
OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS ALWAYS OUR INTENT. I KNOW WHEN WE YOU KNOW WHEN LIEUTENANT BRACKEN AND I MET WITH COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE INTENT.
AND AS COUNCILOR FLYNN HAS SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ALWAYS HIS INTENT. SO SO YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT IT IS LIKE TO SEND IT UP, BRING BACK
GO STRAIGHT STRAIGHT THROUGH AS PREVIOUS ELIMINATE THAT SECTION D AND THEN SEND IT UP AS WITH THE INTENT OF THE SECTION 100 AND YOU KNOW, I GUESS AT THAT
POINT IF THE LEGISLATURE SO CHOOSES TO SEND IT BACK OBVIOUSLY AS A WHOLE PETITION I KNOW THE LEGISLATURE ALL THEY CAN DO IS CORRECT. YOU KNOW GRANDMA COL MISTAKES
AND WHATNOT I THINK THEN WE DEAL WITH IT AT YOU KNOW THAT WAY AT THAT POINT IF IF THE LEGISLATURE DOES YOU KNOW
DECIDE TO TO SEND IT BACK. BUT LIKE I SAID IT KIND OF DEFEATS THE PURPOSE BY THE TIME THIS GOES THROUGH. TURNER BRACKEN WILL BE AMENDED
WITH A MANDATORY TIME IN AGE SO IT WOULD BE KIND OF AWFUL FOR NOT IN MY OPINION BUT SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE I THINK MY MIND I
REQUEST IS THAT YOU KNOW WE WE SEND IT UP THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN. MADAM CHAIR, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE AND THEN LET THE LEGISLATURE TAKE IT BACK IF THEY IF THEY
DECIDE THAT IT'S YOU KNOW IT'S WRONG BUT LIKE I SAID IN YOU KNOW MY SINCE 2010 YOU KNOW
I'VE BEEN UP THE STATE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, AS A LEGISLATIVE AGENT AND LOBBYIST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE A SET OF STANDARD BOILERPLATE
LANGUAGE AND WHAT COUNCIL FUNDED FAILED. I CAN ACTUALLY FORWARD TO YOU IF YOU LIKE ALL THE OTHER ALL THE OTHER SPECIAL ACTS IN WHICH WERE APPROVED BY THE CITY
OF BOSTON AND IN THE LEGISLATURE. THANK YOU DON'T GET IT. SO I DO I UNDERSTAND THAT. SO WHAT YOU WHAT YOU'RE SEEING
IN FRONT OF YOU IS AND THE RED LINES IS WHAT THE STATE HOUSE HAS AMENDED WHAT THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS SENT FORWARD. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE
TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF OF THAT AND SAYING THAT THE STATE HOUSE, THE LEGISLATURE HAS GONE THROUGH THIS THERE IS THIS THIS PRECEDENT AND SO WE'RE GETTING AHEAD OF ANY OF THOSE ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES AND
REFLECTING THAT HERE IN THIS PROCESS OF WHAT THEY HAVE SET THE FRAMEWORK OR STANDARDIZE THE FORMAT TO BE WHICH IS THIS IN THE RED HERE. AND SO I THINK JUST TO CLARIFY
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU WANT THE CITY COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE 100%
REGARDLESS OF THE THE THE 80% BEING THE MAX AND SEE IF THE LEGISLATURE SENDS IT BACK. THAT'S CORRECT. MADAM CHAIR, IF THE IF THE CITY
WOULD SEE FIT TO DO THAT THAT THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE TURNER BRACKEN BUT I'M SURE IT BE HIS REQUEST AS WELL, YOU KNOW, TO SEND THAT UP THAT WAY
AND AGAIN LET THE YOU KNOW, LET THE LEGISLATURE LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A IN IN A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS FOR OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU LEARN A LOT LEARN A NEW TRADE IT CAN YOU KNOW BUT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR FOLKS FOR OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS AND WHATNOT I
DON'T ACTUALLY THINK THAT THIS IS IF THEY UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY THE LEGISLATURE THAT THERE'S A CAP BECAUSE THAT'S WHY IT'S A SPECIAL LAW.
THAT'S WHY IT'S A SPECIAL ACT. IT'S IT'S IT'S TAKEN YOU IT'S TAKEN YOU OUTSIDE OF THAT CAP. YOU KNOW IT IF YOU WILL AND SO
YEAH, IF THE CITY WOULD SEE FIT TO SEND IT UP THAT WAY IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE MUCH APPRECIATED AND LIKE I SAID THAT ALWAYS ALWAYS OUR LEGISLATIVE INTENT
WAS FOR LIEUTENANT BRACKEN TO RECEIVE 100% OF THE COMPENSATION WHICH HE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED AS HE CONTINUED AS A FIRE LIEUTENANT, THANK YOU
. AND JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION BEFORE I GO TO WEBER BECAUSE HIS HAND HAS BEEN UP QUITE A BIT YOU SAID THAT YOU DO THIS IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES HAS THIS HAPPENED ELSEWHERE AND
THEN ACTUALLY I'LL JUST KEEP IT AT THAT AND THEN GO TO COUNCIL WHETHER NO, THEY'VE NEVER SENT IT BACK WITH ANY KIND OF CAP BECAUSE LIKE I SAID
THIS IS THIS IS TAKEN AT THIS SPECIAL ACT HAS TAKEN IT OUT OF TAKEN HIS PENSION OUT OF 32 FIVE OR 32 SEVEN IN HIS CASE
BECAUSE HE'S HE'S IT'S A DISABILITY PENSION SO NO I HAVE NEVER AND LIKE I SAID I HAVE 20 TO 23 DIFFERENT SPECIAL ACTS TO
THE CITY OF BOSTON. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN APPROVED THAT WAY DIFFERENT VARIOUS POLICE OFFICERS FIREFIGHTERS AND WHATNOT SO YEAH I HAVE
NEVER AND LIKE I SAID THIS CAME UP EARLIER IN THE CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL FUNDS OFFICE AND OUT THERE EXPLAIN IT TO IT TO THEM I BELIEVE AND THAT'S THE
WENT THROUGH THE YOUR YOUR COUNCIL THE CITY COUNCILS COUNCIL AND YOU KNOW I THINK THEY KIND OF GOT THE
DETERMINATION THAT IT WOULD BE 100% TO YOU KNOW IF IT CAME UP THAT WAY THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATURE WOULD DEAL WITH. YEAH I'VE NEVER I'VE NEVER SEEN
AND I DON'T MY OTHER THING I GUESS IS YOU KNOW, UNTIL THE CITY APPROVES THIS SPECIAL ACT
YOU KNOW I THINK AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M CONFUSED BUT LIKE SO IT IS SPECIAL ACT THE LANGUAGE IN THE SPECIAL ACT USE
THIS SPECIFIC SPECIAL ACT IT WAS SENT TO THE LEGISLATURE AND THE LEGISLATURE LOOKED AT IT AND SENT IT BACK THIS WAY BECAUSE I'VE NEVER I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT PROCESS EITHER
YOU YOU KNOW IT'S NORMALLY NEVER DOESN'T GET SEEN BY THE LEGISLATURE UNTIL IT ACTUALLY GOES UP AS A BILL. YOU KNOW I HAVE SPOKE TO
COUNCIL CONSALVO WHO WAS WAITING IF THE CITY SO CHOOSES TO APPROVE THIS AND SEND IT TO THE LEGISLATURE COUNCIL AT CONSALVO AND I SPOKE TO HIM AND
HIS OFFICE AND THEY ARE PREPARED AND WILL FILE THIS AS 100%. I DIDN'T GET ANY THERE WAS NO INDICATION TO HIS OFFICE THAT THIS WOULD BE A YOU KNOW, THIS
WOULD BE CAPPED AT 80% BECAUSE LIKE I SAID IT'S IT'S NOT A SUPERANNUATION AND IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A IT'S OUT IT WOULD GO OUTSIDE OF SECTION SEVEN AND
BASICALLY PUT THEM IN SECTION 100 SO SO AND JUST TO CLARIFY THIS IS THIS IS THROUGH PREVIOUSLY FILED A PETITION SO THIS IS THIS LANGUAGE IS COMING
DIRECTLY FROM THE STATE HOUSE COUNCILOR WEBER THANKS. SO I GUESS JUST TRYING TO
FINISH THIS KIND OF QUESTIONS SO IN TERMS OF HOW THIS WORKS SECTION 100 I THINK IT'S CALLED
BASICALLY IF SOMEONE DIES IN THE LINE OF DUTY, YOU KNOW, THEY THEIR FAMILY GETS 100%. THEY DON'T GET THAT 72% DISABILITY AND 80% THEY GET
100% OF THEIR SALARY INSTEAD OF THEIR PENSION BENEFITS. SO WHAT'S OUR 200% AND I DON'T THINK IT TALKS ABOUT OR IF
THEY'RE INCAPACITATED BUT FROM WHAT I SEE THAT DEALS WITH LIKE IF THERE'S A CHILD WHO'S GETTING THE BENEFIT IT
CONTINUES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHILD WHO'S OVER THE AGE OF 18 AND PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY INCAPACITATED. BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THROUGH
THE SPECIAL LAW YOU ARE I MEAN YOU CAN YOU'RE POINTING TO 100 BUT THERE'S NO MECHANISM UNDER 100 UNDER SECTION 100 THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO DO THIS.
BUT WE'RE JUST WE'RE SAYING LIKE IN THESE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN INJURED AND CAN'T EARN IT.
AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT OR IS THERE HAS THE STATE LEGISLATURE CREATED SO THAT IT ISN'T FOR THIS OR ARE WE REALLY JUST KIND OF TRYING TO ASK THEM TO SORT
OF CHANGE THE YOU KNOW, HOW THEY USUALLY DO THINGS IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE FOR LIEUTENANT BRETT I JUST I WANT TO MAKE SURE I I'M EXPLAINING THIS CORRECTLY, MICHAEL, FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING BUT IF YOU SAY IT'S UNDER SECTION 106 MY MY FIVE SECOND READING OF SECTION 100 WHILE YOU'RE TALKING MAKES ME THINK THAT IS
IT'S SORT OF LIKE A WE'RE TRYING TO USE THE SPECIAL LAW HERE TO APPLY IT BUT IT'S A ONE OFF CASE IT'S IT'S NOT UNDER
IT'S NOT ACTUALLY CONTEMPLATED IN THE LAW OR MAYBE NOT YEAH
I'M I'M READING IT MYSELF THE SO I THINK YEAH YEAH WE IT'S LIKE I SAID IT'S IT'S JUST IT'S JUST THAT IT'S IT'S A SPECIAL
ACT IT'S A SPECIAL LAW IT'S IT'S IT'S TO YOU KNOW IT'S TO INCREASE THAT DISABILITY PENSION FROM THE 72% TO 100%
WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE I SAID YOU WOULD RECEIVE BECAUSE IT WAS HE IS TOTALLY INCAPACITATED THROUGH YOU KNOW THE KEY IS
RESPONDING TO RETURNING FROM A WORKING AT AN INCIDENT SO BUT YEAH IT'S IT'S IT'S TO YEAH I
HEAR YOU I JUST SO SECTION 100 THE TITLE OF IT IS PENSIONS TO SURVIVING SPOUSES OF FIREFIGHTERS POLICE OFFICERS OR CORRECTION OFFICERS KILLED IN PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES
SO I, I, I JUST I THINK THE BETTER ARGUMENT IS LIKE LOOK YOU KNOW WE WE HAVE A SITUATION HERE THAT'S NOT CONTEMPLATED BY
THE LAW AND SOMEBODY THAT I JUST I DON'T WANT TO POINT TO SECTION 100 WHERE IT'S LIKE YOU YOU KNOW THANKFULLY FOR LIEUTENANT KNOW RICK AND HIS
FAMILY IS THAT KILLED IN A PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES I DON'T KNOW IF THAT BUT HE HAS SO HAS ANYBODY LITIGATED THIS ISSUE IN THE PAST OR JUST GETS
APPROVED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND YOUR EXPERIENCE DON'T MAKE IT HAVE BEEN LITIGATED. IT'S JUST A LIKE I SAID, IT'S
JUST BEEN A PROCEDURE OVER TIME . YOU KNOW THAT DUE TO SPECIFIC OR CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES OUTSIDE OF, YOU KNOW, YOUR
ORDINARY ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE CITY'S APPROVING TO INCREASE THAT PENSION FROM 70 TO 100% I
DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN LITIGATED. I THINK IT'S EVER REALLY EVER HAD TO LIKE I SAID, I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH ALL THE
SPECIAL ACTS CURRENTLY THAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE PAYING OUT TO DIFFERENT VARIOUS POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS GOING BACK TO PROBABLY SEVENTIES AND
EIGHTIES, YOU KNOW? YEAH, I DO THINK THAT YEAH I REMEMBER WHEN AN ATTORNEY OR I WITH SAID THAT LIKE JUDGES LIKE TO DO WHAT OTHER JUDGES HAVE DONE KNOW IT'S LIKE I THINK IT
HELPS TO JUST KNOW YOU KNOW HOW COMMON A PRACTICE IT IS AS A GUIDE YOU KNOW WHAT THE NORM IS AND OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW I THINK
REP CONSALVO I YOU KNOW SUPPORTS THIS LAW ALSO HAS A LOT OF WEIGHT I THINK FOR ME AT LEAST YOU KNOW GIVEN HIS EXPERIENCE AND EVERYTHING SO
YOU I THINK SO I JUST AGAIN TRYING TO JUST CONNECT THE DOTS AND BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND BECAUSE I'M COMING TO THIS BRAND NEW NOW
I'VE BEEN THERE 2022 AND I APPRECIATE THE ANSWERS. THANKS CHAIR YEAH, LIKE I SAID ,I WILL SEND THEM OVER TO YOU COUNCILOR WEBER I'LL SEND THEM TO ANYBODY EVERYBODY ON THE
COMMITTEE AS WELL. YOU KNOW IT GIVES YOU AT LEAST SOME REFERENCE SOMETHING YOU CAN REFER REFER TO AS FAR AS YOU KNOW THE THE PAST PRACTICE
IF YOU WILL OF AND THESE WOULD BE JUST TO THE CITY OF BOSTON NUMBERS THERE'S OBVIOUSLY NUMEROUS OTHER ONES THROUGHOUT
THE 104 105 INCLUDING STATE STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE YEAH THANKS A LOT I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY I'M GOING TO HAVE TO
DROP OFF THE MEETING BUT I I'M HAPPY TO LOOK AT THIS STUFF WANTS TO DECIDE ON THE FINAL LANGUAGE, PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. AND I THINK IT IS CLEAR THAT WE
WE NEED TO WORKSHOP THIS A LITTLE BIT. I THINK THAT WE ALL CAN AGREE THAT WE WANT TO HELP LIEUTENANT BRACKEN AS BEST AS WE CAN.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT WE ARE AGAIN JUST DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS AS A COUNCIL AND WITHIN THIS COMMITTEE COUNCIL FINE.
I SEE THAT YOUR HAND IS UP. WE'D LOVE TO GO TO YOU AND I THINK FOR THE PURPOSES OF SEEING THAT THERE ARE TWO DOCKETS ON THE AGENDA AND WE HAVE MR SULLIVAN WAITING WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT YOU
KNOW, PUTTING A PIN IN THIS, WORKSHOPPING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALL OPERATING FROM THE SAME LANGUAGE THAT THAT WAS MY ASSUMPTION. SO I APOLOGIZE BUT WE COULD GO TO YOU FOR ANY COMMENTS THAT
YOU MAY HAVE. LET'S WORK TOGETHER ON THIS AND THEN WE CAN SWITCH TO DOCKET 055 AND ZERO. YES, YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I WAS LISTENING CLOSELY TO THE CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTAND THE THE ISSUE WELL I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE ONE FINAL POINT,
MADAM CHAIR ON THE HOME RULE PETITION THAT I FILED I, I HIGHLIGHTED SECTION ONE BUT I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SECTION TWO OF MY WRITTEN DOCUMENT FOR
THE HOME RULE PETITION. AND MY POINT IS I AGREE WITH MICHAEL RILEY THIS WAS ALWAYS INTENDED TO BE FOR 100% AND IN
SECTION TWO OF THE HOME RULE PETITION THAT I THAT I WROTE I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE SENTENCE LEO BRACKEN SHALL BE
ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THE MGM MGM OF INDEMNIFICATION FOR ALL HOSPITAL MEDICAL AND RELATED EXPENSES THAT HAVE BEEN OR MAY HAVE OR MAY BE INCURRED AFTER
THE DATE OF HIS RETIREMENT AS A RESULT OF THE INJURY SUSTAINED BY HIM WHILE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES UNDER SECTION 100 OF CHAPTER 41 OF THE GENERAL
OF THE GENERAL LAWS THAT WAS ALWAYS MY INTENT. I KNOW THAT WAS ALWAYS MICHAEL O'REILLY INTENT AND I WOULD I
WOULD WANT TO SEE US SEND IT TO THE STATE HOUSE WITH 100% LANGUAGE IN THERE AND THEN YOU KNOW, THEN GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR REPRESENTATIVE CONSALVO TO MAKE THE CASE ALSO TO HIS COLLEAGUES IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
BUT I AND ONE THING I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, MADAM CHAIR, IS I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO SEE SOMEONE DEDICATED CITY
EMPLOYEE THAT HAS BASICALLY LOST HIS CAREER DUE TO NEGLIGENCE OF THE CITY
OF BOSTON IN MY OPINION HAVE TO FINANCIALLY STRUGGLE AND IN NOT HAVE DIGNITY IN RETIREMENT DUE
TO DUE TO A TRAGIC FALL NOT NOT BECAUSE OF ANY WRONGDOING BY LIEUTENANT BRACKEN BUT BY CONDITIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED PREVIOUSLY.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THESE CONDITIONS ARE STILL STILL TAKING PLACE BUT WE SHOULD NOT PENALIZE SOMEONE IN MY OPINION
WE SHOULD NOT PENALIZE SOMEONE WHO OR THEIR FAMILY OR FOR OR GOING OUT ON RETIREMENT BASICALLY FORCED MEDICAL RETIREMENT.
THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THE JOB . AND NOT ONLY THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING OUT AND FORCED RETIREMENT, YOUR FAMILY IS GOING TO FINANCIALLY SUFFER AS
WELL. I CAN'T I CAN'T SUPPORT THAT TERRIBLE INJUSTICE AND I THINK I THINK WE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEND THIS PAPERWORK UP TO
THE STATE HOUSE WHAT THE 100% WORDING AND I'LL ALSO WORK AND WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO WORK WITH WHAT THE REPRESENTATIVE CAN SOLVE ON OTHERS. BUT I THINK I THINK THE BRACKEN
FAMILY DESERVES DESERVES THAT LEVEL OF RESPECT. THANKS, BILL FLYNN. AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WANT TO HONOR AND SUPPORT THOSE
WHO HAVE MADE EXTRAORDINARY SACRIFICES AND WE MUST ALSO APPROACH EVERY DECISION. THIS DECISION WITH CARE AND
BALANCING THAT AND COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE THE IMPLICATIONS TO THE BROADER RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND AND JUST
UNDERSTANDING WHAT BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST THREE YEARS CHANGES THAT WE ARE IN LINE WITH THOSE CHANGES THAT THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR IS SOUND AND THAT WE
ARE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND SO JUST COSIGN ALL OF THAT AND WANTED TO SUPPLEMENT THAT AS WELL. I COMMIT TO WORKING ON THIS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT YOU KNOW I
WOULD LIKE TO SEE MR BRACKEN RECEIVE THE THE THE FULLEST BENEFITS THAT HE POSSIBLY CAN AND WILL COMMIT TO WORKING WITH
RECONCILABLE AS WELL TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE'RE STANDING UP THERE IS SOMETHING THAT HE COULD CERTAINLY COSIGN IN HIS NAME TO AND MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SUCCESSFUL IN HIS ADVOCACY
EFFORTS. SO I THINK FOR THIS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS DISCUSSION WE CAN SAY THAT WE WILL WORKSHOP THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE. WE'RE WORK TOGETHER. WE'LL PARTNER WITH COUNSELOR
EXCUSE ME RECONCILABLE WHO USED TO BE COUNSELOR AND THEN SWITCH THE CONVERSATION TO DOCKET 0550
. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LIEUTENANT BRACKEN, FOR BEING HERE. MR O'REILLY, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND WE WILL CERTAINLY BE IN TOUCH AND BE IN COMMUNICATION ABOUT NEXT STEPS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT.
OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION TO DOCKET 0550.
THIS IS A PETITION FOR A SPECIAL LAW REGARDING AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE PENSION OF MICHAEL SULLIVAN SPONSORED BY COUNSELOR FLYNN. I BELIEVE WE HAVE MR SULLIVAN
ON THE ZOOM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, MR SULLIVAN. THE THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PETITION IS TO AUTHORIZE THE BOSTON RETIREMENT BOARD TO
TREAT SULLIVAN'S PREVIOUS SERVICE WITH THE WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT BETWEEN DECEMBER 2000 AND OCTOBER 2025.
AS CREDIBLE SERVICE FOR CALCULATING HIS MASSACHUSETTS PENSION. THIS WOULD BE AN EXCEPTION TO
STANDARD MASS RETIREMENT LAWS WHICH TYPICALLY DO NOT CREDIT OUT OF STATE SERVICE UNLESS EXPLICITLY PERMITTED BY STATUTE. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO BECAUSE
YOU'RE HERE, MR SULLIVAN PROVIDE YOUR YOUR TESTIMONY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU AS WELL FOR YOUR SERVICE. YEAH. YEAH. MADAM CHAIR, COUNCILOR FLYNN, THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING THIS
BILL. DO YOU WANT ME PRESENT MY STATEMENT? MADAM CHAIR? YES, PLEASE. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MICHAEL SULLIVAN. I SERVE AS A BOSTON POLICE OFFICER FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS.
I'M CURRENTLY A CHARGE DETECTIVE WITH CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN UNIT. I AM SUBMITTING THE STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF A FORMAL PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE CITY BOSTON RECOGNIZE MY FIVE YEARS
OF PRIOR SERVICE THAT I COMPLETED AS A AS A POLICE OFFICER WITH THE CITY OF WORK RHODE ISLAND IN RHODE ISLAND. BEFORE I JOINED THE BOSTON POLICE I BEGAN MY LAW
ENFORCEMENT CAREER IN WALDWICK DURING THAT TIME I WAS A FIRST RESPONDER AT THE STATION STATION NIGHTCLUB FIRE IN 2003 ONE OF THE DEADLIEST FIRES IN U.S. HISTORY.
MY VERY FIRST CALL AFTER COMPLETING MY FIELD TRAINING WAS THE SUICIDE OF A 15 YEAR OLD CHILD THAT HANGED HERSELF. RESPOND TO THESE TRAGEDIES CREATE DEFINING EXPERIENCES IN
MY LIFE AND INSTILLED IN ME A DEEPER COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN. SINCE BECOMING A BOSTON POLICE OFFICER I HAVE CONTINUED TO SERVE WITH INTEGRITY AND
COMPASSION. I CURRENTLY WORK IN THE CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN UNIT WHERE I INVESTIGATE AND OVERSEE COMPLEX CASES INVOLVING THE ONLINE EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN.
THIS ROLE DEMANDS NOT ONLY INVESTIGATIVE SKILL AND EMOTIONAL STRENGTH BUT ALSO AN UNWAVERING FOCUS ON PROTECTING THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY. OVER THE COURSE OF MY BOSTON
POLICE CAREER I HAVE BEEN HONORED TO RECEIVE TWO MEN MEDALS OF HONOR AND THE WILLIAM J. TAYLOR AWARD. THESE HONORED A REFLECTION OF MY SERIOUSNESS WHAT ARE THE
SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES I HAVE UNDERTAKEN AND THAT I REMAIN DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THE CITY OF BOSTON SERVED WITH DISTINCTION. THIS WHOLE REPUTATION RIGHTLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE COURT PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
AFTER ME CONSISTENT ACROSS STATE LINES AND THAT RECOGNIZED PRIOR SERVICE ENHANCES RECRUITMENT, FAIRNESS AND WORKFORCE CONTINUITY.
FIRST RESPONDERS CARRY OUT CRITICAL WORK UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS AND TRAINING REGARDLESS OF THE STATE IN WHICH THEY SERVE. THE FIVE YEARS I SERVED IN WORK
WERE MARKED BY STATE THE SAME RISKS RESPONSIBILITIES AND PUBLIC TRUST. AT 2020 YEARS I SPENT SERVING BOSTON MY REQUESTED OF SPECIAL TREATMENT BUT FOR EQUITABLE
RECOGNITION RECOGNITION OF A FULL LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER THAT HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO SERVICE OF OTHERS. THIS PETITION DOES NOT SEEK NOT DOES NOT SEEK TO ALTER STATE RETIREMENT LIBERALLY.
IT SEEKS LOCAL DISCRETION TO ACKNOWLEDGE CREDIBLE OUT OF STATE SERVICE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. I BELIEVE THIS APPROACH ALIGNS WITH BOSTON'S VALUES OF FAIRNESS, PROFESSIONALISM, RESPECT FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION OF THIS REQUEST IN YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT OF THOSE WHO SERVE THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND I'LL BE HONORED YOUR ANSWER
YOUR QUESTION AS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND FOR MY COLLEAGUES THERE ARE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN THE FOLDER INCLUDING A PERSONAL STATEMENT, A RESUME AND A LETTER FROM THE WARD POLICE
DEPARTMENT. I WILL GO TO COUNCILOR FLYNN AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT OR SO ON BUT I DO JUST WANT TO FLAG A COUPLE OF THINGS BUT WE'LL GO
TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR HIS QUESTIONS. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR FOR SHARING THIS IMPORTANT MEETING. THANK YOU, SERGEANT DETECTIVE
MICHAEL SULLIVAN AS WELL. THIS IS A HOME RULE PETITION FOR SERGEANT DETECTIVE MICHAEL SULLIVAN. AS HE MENTIONED, IT WAS SEEKING TO TRANSFER HIS HONORABLE
CREDIBLE SERVICE TO THE CITY OF WALDWICK RHODE ISLAND TO THE CITY OF BOSTON RETIREMENT SYSTEM BEFORE SERVING AT THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT'S
SERGEANT DETECTIVE AS AS HE MENTIONED SERVED AS A POLICE OFFICER WITH THE CITY OF WALDWICK FROM DECEMBER 2000 TO OCTOBER TO OCTOBER 20 ZERO
FIVE DURING WHICH TIME HE PAID INTO THE CITY OF MORELAND RHODE ISLAND RETIREMENT SYSTEM ON OCTOBER 20 ZERO FIVE. MICHAEL SULLIVAN TRANSFERRED TO
THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, SERVED HONORABLY FOR 20 YEARS. OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS HE HAS SERVED IN CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN UNIT PROTECTING RESIDENTS AND CHILDREN OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON AND IN GREATER BOSTON AS WELL. IN THE TIME HE HAS SERVED AT THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, HE EARNED TWO MEDALS OF ART, TWO MEDALS OF HONOR IN THE
PRESTIGIOUS WILLIAM J. TAYLOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD. CURRENTLY WHILE IN STATE OFFICES FROM OTHER CITIES CAN LATERALLY TRANSFER THE FEDERAL POLICE SERVICE TO THE BOSTON
RETIREMENT SYSTEM. THERE IS NO SUCH WAY AT THIS TIME FOR QUALIFIED OUT OF STATE POLICE OFFICERS TO TRANSFER THE
FIRST OF CREDIBLE SERVICE. I UNDERSTAND THAT MR SULLIVAN HIS PETITION LOOKS TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM
TO TRANSFER A CREDIBLE SERVICE INTO INTO THE MASS INTO THE BOSTON RETIREMENT SYSTEM. THERE IS A WAY FOR OUT OF STATE
TEACHERS THAT HAVE A PATH TOWARD RETIREMENT AND IT'S A GOOD PATH AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A PATH FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AS WELL.
BOSTON AS WE ALL KNOW AND SOMETHING I'VE ADVOCATED FOR EIGHT YEARS IN THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS WORKING IN THE
CITY OF BOSTON. WE ARE RECRUITING ALL THE TIME FROM VARIOUS CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND TO COME TO BOSTON.
I BELIEVE IT'S THE BEST POLICE DEPARTMENT THE COUNTRY. BUT I ALSO THINK WHEN WHEN A POLICE OFFICER COMES HERE WE SHOULD WE SHOULD BE THAT POLICE
OFFICER A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT IN TERMS OF RECOGNIZING THEIR PREVIOUS SERVICE AS A POLICE OFFICER IN RECOGNIZING THEIR TIME. THAT COULD COUNT TOWARDS
RETIREMENT. I AM I UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE VERY WELL BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE ADVOCATED FOR IS GETTING MORE POLICE OFFICERS
INTO BOSTON AND COULD BE ONE WAY TO TO HELP HELP DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GIVING DETECTIVE SERGEANT DETECTIVE
SULLIVAN ANYTHING. I THINK HE'S JUST ASKING FOR SWIFT FAIRNESS OR FOR A FAIR A FAIR HEARING. I THINK THINK HE SHOULD RECEIVE
THIS BASED ON HIS EXPERIENCE AND THE OPPORTUNITY AND I'LL BE UPFRONT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HIM ON ISSUES IMPACTING SOME OF THE MOST EXPLOITED RESIDENTS OF THE CITY
AND I KNOW HE'S AN OUTSTANDING, DEDICATED POLICE OFFICER. POLICE DETECTIVE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS.
IT'S REALLY RESIDENTS OF THE. THE WORK HE DOES IT'S RESIDENTS OF MASSACHUSETTS CERTAINLY IT'S THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON. BUT AS WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
IN CHELSEA OR WHAT HAPPENS IN BROOKLINE OR QUINCY HAS AN IMPACT ON ON BOSTON. SO IT'S REALLY HIS COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, THE
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. I'M JUST ASKING MADAM CHAIR FOR FAIR CONSIDERATION FOR THIS OUTSTANDING POLICE OFFICER THAT HAS BEEN HERE FOR A LONG PERIOD
OF TIME AND AND IS JUST ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A LITTLE BIT OF RESPECT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN FLYNN. AND WE CERTAINLY DO RESPECT
MR SULLIVAN SERVICE. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT THE FACTS. WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT WHAT IS CURRENTLY THE LANDSCAPE THAT WE
HAVE TO TO NAVIGATE AND SO AND IT'LL HELP FRAME THE CONVERSATION AND IT MAY HELP AS WE BOTH COUNCILOR OF WHEN YOU ARE THE ORIGINAL SPONSOR
OF THIS IT MAY HELP OUR CONVERSATION AND TRYING TO STRATEGIZE HOW WE NOW MOVE THIS FORWARD. I DO WANT TO I'M GOING TO ZERO
IN ON THE WHAT'S IT CALLED THE CREDIBLE SERVICE PROVISION. SO THIS IS UNDER CHAPTER 32, SECTION FOUR.
SO WE DID TALK ABOUT SUPERANNUATION QUITE A BIT TODAY. IT'S BASED ON TWO FACTORS SO IT'S CREDIBLE YEARS OF SERVICE ANNUAL AVERAGE ANNUAL COMPENSATION.
IT GENERALLY EXCLUDES OUT OF STATE SERVICE UNLESS SPECIFICALLY ALLOWED BY STATUTE OR SPECIAL ACT WHICH WHICH THIS IS A LED.
YOU HAVE THESE SECTION FOUR OF THAT THERE WE GO OF OF CREDIBLE CREDIBLE SERVICE. AND SO I CAN I CAN SUMMARIZE BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT AND WE ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THIS AROUND FOR FOLKS FOR THEIR EDIFICATION
BUT THIS IS THE SECTION THAT GOVERNS WHAT COUNTS AS SERVICE TOWARD A MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC PENSION. AND SO THE TYPES THAT ARE
RECOGNIZED ARE ONE ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SERVICE WITHIN MASSACHUSETTS PRIOR MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC SERVICE BEFORE JOINING A RETIREMENT
SYSTEM A PAID AN UNPAID LEAVES SOME MILITARY AND FEDERAL SERVICE IT NARROWS CATEGORIES
FOR TEACHERS AS YOU CORRECTLY STATED COUNSELOR FLYNN IT NARROWS CATEGORIES FOR TEACHERS SUCH AS OUT OF STATE TEACHING UNDER SPECIFIC SECTIONS CERTAIN FEDERAL AND VOCATIONAL SERVICE
PEACE CORPS MATERNITY LEAVES ALL OF THAT. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THOUGH IS UNFORTUNATELY BASED ON WHAT IS HERE. SULLIVAN IS MR SULLIVAN'S RHODE
ISLAND POLICE SERVICE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THESE EXISTING PROVISIONS. AND SO THAT LEAVES US NOW WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE
SPECIAL LAW ALTHOUGH IN TERMS OF ONE PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG THERE HAS BEEN NO PRECEDENT FOR SOMEBODY WITHIN A POLICE DEPARTMENT. THERE'S ONLY A WAY TO DO THIS FOR FOR TEACHERS.
IS THAT CORRECT OR THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY I MEAN LET ME REPHRASE THAT QUESTION. THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY POLICE OFFICERS OR FIREMEN OR WHOEVER IS IS UNDER THE SAME
DESIGNATION THAT HAS DONE THIS PARTICULAR SPECIAL LAW YET. MADAM MADAM CHAIR, I THINK THAT I THINK THAT IS ACCURATE AN
ACCURATE PORTRAYAL. I ALSO WILL JUST RESPOND VERY BRIEFLY THAT THESE ARE TRYING AND CHALLENGING TIMES IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT.
AS WE ALL KNOW FOR POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME RECRUITING MEN AND WOMAN TO BECOME POLICE OFFICERS UNION BOSTON OTHER CITIES ARE FACING THE SIMILAR
SIMILAR CHALLENGES AS WELL. BUT THIS MIGHT BE A WAY TO HELP AS WE RECRUIT POLICE OFFICERS INTO BOSTON THAT ARE ALREADY POLICE OFFICERS IS
ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR PAST SERVICE TO THEIR CITY OR TOWN EVEN STATE AND COME UP WITH A SYSTEM THAT RECOGNIZES THEIR PAST EXPERIENCE.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK TO THAT POINT THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH THAT WE COULD REFRAME THAT WE COULD AMEND POTENTIALLY THE CREDIBLE SERVICE WHERE IT IS VERY
SPECIFIC FOR FOR TEACHERS AND THEN OF SOME OTHER NARROWLY TAILORED ROLES WE HAD THE PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS ALL OF THAT INTERVENE FIREFIGHTING AND
POLICE WORK ALTHOUGH THIS IS THE WAY IN WHICH THE SPECIAL LAW IS WRITTEN IT DOESN'T QUALIFY UNDER UNDER THIS PARTICULAR SECTION BUT I AGREE WITH YOU I THINK THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST TO
RECRUIT AND RETAIN DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS AND THAT INCLUDES THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT . AND THIS IS A WAY IN WHICH WE
COULD DO THAT. I THINK NOW I I WANT TO DO BASICALLY TWO CONCURRENT SO IT'S A YES AND IT'S NOT AN EITHER OR SO PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS YOU KNOW, ME SAYING THAT I DON'T WANT TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I THINK WE TRY OUR BEST TO TAILOR THIS IN A WAY THAT IT WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE STATE HOUSE WHILE ALSO TRYING TO SOLVE THE BROADER SYSTEMIC
ISSUE OF NOT HAVING POLICE OR FIREFIGHTERS BE ABLE TO GO INTO A THERE'S NO WAY THERE'S THERE'S NO AVENUE THERE'S NO PATHWAY FOR THEM RIGHT NOW TO TO DO THAT. AND I THINK THAT WE ALSO NEED
TO SOLVE FOR THAT AS AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BOTH HAPPEN AND I THINK FOR FOR THIS
PARTICULAR DOCKET IT'S A UNIQUE EXCEPTION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO CONFIRM THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT I'M DOING
TO ENSURE THAT DUE DILIGENCE, TRANSPARENCY AND LEGAL SOUNDNESS AND IT'S IT'S A COUPLE OF THINGS. IT'S JUST CONFIRMING LEGAL AUTHORITY AND SO WE'LL CONFER
WITH OUR AND CONVENE WITH OUR LEGAL COUNCILOR. I ALSO WANT TO BRING IN CORPORATION COUNCILOR JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PETITION IS
LEGALLY SOUND AND STRUCTURED CORRECTLY. I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THAT THE CITY HAS THE
AUTHORITY TO SEEK SPECIAL LEGISLATION FOR OUT OF STATE SERVICE UNDER CHAPTER 32. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL
OF US TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT TEACHERS ARE ABLE TO DO THIS. BUT THE PRECEDENT OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS LIKE HAS THIS EVER BEEN GRANTED BEFORE ELSEWHERE NOT JUST IN
MASSACHUSETTS BUT ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK TO AND POINT TO. I ALSO WANT TO BRING IN AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SPOKEN TO ANYBODY COUNCILOR FLYNN, BUT SOMEBODY FROM THE BOSTON
RETIREMENT AND RETIREMENT BOARD THEY TYPICALLY DON'T LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS ONE OFF CASES. BUT BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH AN EXCEPTION, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE
FISCAL IMPACT. BUT IF THEY SUPPORT THIS AND WHETHER HE MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR OR A BUYBACK. SO THOSE ARE JUST THINGS THAT
ARE COMING UP AT THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND BEFORE I MOVE THIS FORWARD, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS I WANT TO STOP I JUST SPOKE A LOT AND PROVIDE SPACE FOR ANYBODY THAT
WANTS TO PROVIDE COMMENTER QUESTIONS. IT IS. MADAM CHAIR, MAY I SPEAK BRIEFLY PLEASE? THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. SO WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT I
HAVE PARTICIPATED IN BUYBACK THE BUYBACK PROGRAM BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY A BIT OF A BUYBACK TIME DUE TO MY SERVICE IN THE
MILITARY SO I GOT CREDITED WITH WHAT SERVICE. SO I'M FAMILIAR I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE BUT BUT WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS
MICHAEL SULLIVAN PAID MONEY INTO THE WAR WORK RHODE ISLAND RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND HE HAS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE
WALLWORK WALLACH SYSTEM RETIREMENT SYSTEM. SO BASICALLY IF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, MADAM SHERIFF, IF THOSE YEARS DID TRANSFER OVER INTO
THE BOSTON RETIREMENT SYSTEM, I ALSO THINK THAT HE HE MAY OR MAY NOT BASED ON BUYING BACK
THAT THAT THOSE YEARS OF SERVICE IT MIGHT BE A FINANCIAL COST TO HIM TO TO
BASICALLY BUY BACK THE THE THE YEARS OF SERVICE SO THAT THEY ARE TRANSFERRED INTO INTO BOSTON BECAUSE THE THE MONEY THAT HE HAS HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT
AND PLACED IN THE WALL WHAT RHODE ISLAND RETIRE MID SYSTEM WOULD NOT NEED TO BE THERE BASICALLY IT WOULD NEED TO EVENTUALLY BE IN THE BOSTON
RETIREMENT SYSTEM BUT THAT WOULD BE UP TO MICHAEL SULLIVAN DETECTIVE MICHAEL SULLIVAN TO ENSURE THAT HE IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ALL THE RULES AND
REGULATIONS AS IT RELATES TO HOW YOU PURCHASE YEARS OF SERVICE IN A BUYBACK SENSE. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT
THAT AND I THINK MICHAEL, DETECTIVE SULLIVAN DOES HAVE HAVE HIS HAND UP BUT I WANT TO STOP THERE, MADAM CHAIR AND I HOPE THAT INFORMATION THIS IS SOMEWHAT HELPFUL.
IT IS AND I DO SEE AND IS IT DETECTIVE SULLIVAN IS THAT YOU'RE CORRECT. I APOLOGIZE THAT I'VE BEEN CALLING MIKE. I AM FINE. OKAY, FINE. I'M NOT I'M NOT ALL THAT FORMAL
SO HE EITHER CEASE FROM WHAT FROM MY LIMITED RESEARCH AT FLORIDA DOES ACCEPT OUT OF STATE PUBLIC SAFETY PRINCIPLES SERVICE FOR RETIREMENT PURPOSES.
NUMBER TWO IS I AGREE WITH COUNCILOR FLYNN I'D BE PAYING MONEY I'D PAY THAT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS INTO THE BOSS RETIREMENT SYSTEM THAT WOULD ACCRUE INTEREST OVER THE NEXT 8 TO 10
YEARS OR WHATEVER I RETIRE AND I DON'T SEE MUCH OF A FINANCIAL LIABILITY FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON BECAUSE MY CONTRIBUTION BE SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PLUS THE
INTEREST YOU WOULD WE WOULD PENSION FUND WOULD EARN OVER THOSE 8 TO 10 YEARS WOULD BE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BUT THERE ARE THERE ARE OTHER THERE ARE OTHER STATES THAT DO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN IN IT WILL BE BELIEVE
ME I AM WELL AWARE OF THE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES WE FACE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON RIGHT NOW AND AND THROUGHOUT POLICING AND I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OTHER POLICE OFFICERS WHO WOULD
LOVE TO COME TO BOSTON AND MASSACHUSETTS IF THEY COULD TRANSFER THEIR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M SO SORRY I WAS MY
COMPUTER MIGHT BE GOING IN AND OUT. CAN YOU JUST REPEAT WHAT YOU HAD SAID? SO I HAD HEARD THAT YOU SAID FLORIDA DOES THIS WHICH IS GREAT. WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND THEN WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY CONTRIBUTED HOW MANY X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS YOU
DON'T HAVE TO GET SPECIFIC BUT GENERALLY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IF YOU WANT I REPEAT IT RIGHT I WOULD TAKE TAKE THEM I WOULD TAKE WHATEVER WERE TIME AND I WOULD HAVE PAID INTO THE CITY OF BOSTON OR WHETHER OR THOSE
COURSE OF FIVE YEARS AND I WOULD ESSENTIALLY GIVE A CHECK TO THE BOSTON RETIREMENT SYSTEM TO BUY BACK THOSE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OF TIME AND THEN THAT WOULD BE IT WOULD STAY IN THE
BOSTON RETIREMENT SYSTEM EARNING EARNINGS INTEREST UNTIL RETIRED. SO I WOULD I DON'T GET IT I DON'T GET AWAY WITH FREE I HAVE TO PAY INTO IT AS IF I WERE HERE.
YEAH YEAH THAT'S THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT IN, MADAM CHAIR. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE WHEN WHEN I
BOUGHT BACK MY RETIREMENT YEARS I THINK IT COSTS ME AND I MAY HAVE COST ME CLOSE TO 5015 A $20,000 BUDGET WHICH IS A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY BUT I DO THINK DETECTIVE SULLIVAN KNOWS THAT SERGEANT DETECTIVE SULLIVAN KNOWS THAT THAT THAT
IT IS A SIGNIFICANT COST TO HIM . BUT BUT I THINK IT WHAT IT DOES IT RECOGNIZES HIS COMMITMENT, HIS LONG TIME COMMITMENT NOW TO THE TO THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON.
I THINK YOU'VE BEEN ON NOW FOR 20, 20 YEARS OR SO BUT IT'S IT'S IT'S SHOWING SHOWING HIM RESPECT. BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY AS YOU MENTIONED,
MADAM CHAIR, TO HAVE A FURTHER CONVERSATION AND AS AS DETECTIVE SULLIVAN MENTIONED, HAVE A FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT IS CAN WE HAVE A CAN WE
HAVE A MORE STRUCTURED ROLE WHERE WE ARE ENCOURAGING POLICE OFFICERS TO AT LEAST APPLY TO BOSTON FROM OUT OF STATE KNOWING THAT THEIR SERVICE BE
RECOGNIZED HERE AT THE BOSTON RETIREMENT BOARD? IT WILL IT WOULD GIVE THEM MORE OF AN INCENTIVE TO COME TO BOSTON AS WELL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR OUTSIDE
CONSTRUCTION NOISE. YEAH, I MEAN WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL LAWS IS THE GOAL. WE JUST MAKE IT THE LAW. I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING
WE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE LOOKING . I WILL COMMIT TO DOING THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA IF WE ARE SEEING THE STAFFING SHORTAGES ACROSS THE DISTRICT
AND ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH SO I THINK THAT I DO NOT WANT TO TO HOLD THIS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AGAIN THAT WE ARE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE SCHEDULE OF WHEN CAN I COMMIT TO TO WORKING WITH YOU
IN YOUR OFFICE TO I DON'T KNOW I WOULD LOVE LIKE I SAID TO JUST LOOP IN THE BOSTON RETIREMENT BOARD MEET WITH THEM AND UNDERSTAND FROM GENERAL
COUNCILOR AND THAT AS AS WELL AS CORPORATION COUNCIL ON HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THIS WILL BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND PASSAGE AND THE STATE HOUSE YET THANK
YOU MADAM CHAIR. YES I'D WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU AND THE BOSTON RETIREMENT BOARD AND GENERAL COUNCILOR TO TO MEET AND TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER COLLEAGUES ON DETECTIVE SULLIVAN. I APOLOGIZE. I DID NOT PROVIDE THIS TO PASS
PANELS BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD NOW I JUST APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND COUNCILOR FINISH TIME IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S TIME IN REVIEWING THIS AND GIVEN SOME
CONSIDERATION I SINCERELY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. IT'S THE LEAST WE CAN DO FOR YOUR SERVICE. WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR CITY OF BOSTON AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PATIENCE WITH BOTH DOCKETS BEING SCHEDULED YOU CAN COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU DO FEEL COMFORTABLE TOO TO WRAP UP UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DO HAVE
SOME HOMEWORK TO DO AND WE HAVE OUR MARCHING ORDERS? I APOLOGIZE. I DON'T HAVE A LIST OF I DON'T HAVE A LIST OF ACTION STEPS BUT I THINK I DID ARTICULATE THEM
EARLIER. WE CAN JUST CIRCLE BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMMUNICATION SO WE CAN MOVE BOTH DOCKETS EXPEDITIOUSLY. YES, I AM COMFORTABLE WITH
THAT, MADAM CHAIR, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THE RETIREMENT BOARD AND IN THE LEGAL COUNCILOR TEAM AS WELL SO I'LL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE WHATEVER WHATEVER
WORKS FOR EVERYBODY AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M JUST CONFIRMING BECAUSE THIS IS A HEARING DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC TESTIMONY FOR
CENTRAL STAFF? NO, NO PUBLIC TESTIMONY. OKAY. AND I WANT TO SHOUT OUT MEGAN, BOTH MY CLIENT AND COUNCILOR FLYNN AND MY STAFF FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS.
SO WITH THAT THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 0549 AND FIVE ZERO IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE. THANK YOU EVERYBO Part: 2
THINGS IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL. COUNCILOR FLYNN AND COUNCILOR MURPHY AGAIN THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR YOUR PERFECT ATTENDANCE RECORD IN THIS COMMITTEE. I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR PANEL
WHICH IS KIM FULTZ, DIRECTOR OF BOSTON BLUE BIKES THE STREETS CABINET AND LYDIA HOUSLEY, CAPITAL PROJECTS DESIGN DIRECTOR AND STS CABINET FOR THE STREETS CABINET BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO DOCKETS AND WE HAVE
TWO FOLKS THAT ARE HERE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. WE'RE GOING TO HEAR BOTH DOCKETS AT THE SAME TIME AND WE'LL HAVE UP TO TWO ROUNDS OF QUESTIONS AND BECAUSE OF THE
ATTENDANCE TODAY I AM GOING TO ALLOW FOR FOLKS TO GO AS LONG AS THEY WANT AND GET THEIR ANSWERED. SO I AM GOING TO WAIVE OPENING
STATEMENTS BECAUSE THESE ARE TWO TWO DOCKETS THAT ARE UNRELATED BUT YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO DO AN OPENING STATEMENT AND THEN BEGIN YOUR QUESTIONING.
SO TODAY WE ARE REVIEWING TWO DOCKETS THAT REPRESENT STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN THE SAFETY, ACCESSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AUSTIN'S TRANSPORTATION NETWORK. AS WE CONSIDER THESE ITEMS WE SEEK TO CONTINUE UNDERWRITING OUR COMMITMENT TO EVERY
RESIDENT ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY WITH RESOURCES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE THROUGH OUR STREETS WITH SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY. THE FIRST DOCKET 0648 SUPPORTS BOSTON'S INVESTMENT AND RENEWED COMMITMENT TO OUR PUBLIC BIKE
SYSTEM BLUE BIKES. IT ASKS THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO A TEN YEAR AGREEMENT FOR THE SERVICES OF AN OPERATOR FOR BLUE BIKES IN 2016 THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED A SIMILAR
AGREEMENT AND THE LENGTH AND CERTAINTY OF THE LASTING AGREEMENT HELPS FOR THE SUCCESS OF BLUE BIKES IN TODAY IN A WAY THAT WE ALL ENJOY AS DISTRICT CITY COUNCILOR I CAN DIRECTLY SPEAK TO THE IMPACT OF THE
PROGRAM HAS HAD ON MY DISTRICT AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT OF THE TOP TEN BLUE BIKE STATIONS IN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, ALL OF THE BOSTON LOCATED ONES TOUCHED DISTRICT EIGHT. MY CONSTITUENTS AND RESIDENTS
OF BOSTON RELY ON RELIABLE EXPANSIVE BLUE BIKE SYSTEM FOR THEIR DAILY NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WE CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD A MORE EQUITABLE AND CLIMATE RESILIENT TRANSPORTATION FUTURE. EXPANDING ACCESS TO BIKE
INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL. BLUE BIKES OFFER RESIDENTS AND VISITORS A SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE WAY TO GET AROUND WHILE ALSO REDUCING CONGESTION THAT PRE AUTOMOBILE PLAN CITIES
SUCH AS BOSTON SUFFER FROM USUALLY THE SECOND DOCKET OH 7 TO 0 AUTHORIZES THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPAND 9 MILLION FROM THE U.S. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT FOR THE SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR
ALL GRANT PROGRAM. THESE FUNDS WILL ALLOW BTD TO IMPLEMENT A LOW COST HIGH IMPACT IMPROVEMENTS AT KEY INTERSECTIONS TARGETING ISSUES SUCH AS SPEEDING VISIBILITY AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY THROUGH OUR
COMPLETE STREETS INITIATIVE. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE IT'S ABOUT LIVES. WHETHER YOU'RE A CHILD WALKING TO SCHOOL OR A SENIOR CROSSING THE STREET, THESE IMPROVEMENTS CAN AND WILL MAKE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE.
TOGETHER THESE DOCKETS MOVE US CLOSER TO A CITY THAT WHERE YOU CAN MOVE SAFELY YOUR TRANSPORTATION IS MORE EFFICIENT AND WHERE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE GREAT
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS OF BOSTON LOOK FORWARD TO THIS HEARING WITH THE STREETS CABINET TODAY AND GATHERING ADDITIONAL DETAILS AROUND THE GOALS FOR THESE TWO DOCKETS.
SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO LET THE TWO PANELISTS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND THEN WE'LL GO STRAIGHT INTO QUESTIONING. SO KIM BOLTS AND THEN LYDIA HOUSLEY. HI, MY NAME IS KIM FULTZ.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF BOSTON BIKES. WE'RE IN THE POLICY AND PLANNING DIVISION IN THE STREETS CABINET AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE THE FIRST DOCKET 0648 WHICH IS THE
LONG TERM CONTRACT FOR OUR BIKE SHARE SYSTEM BLUE BIKES. AND JUST I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT THIS ORDER.
THAT AS COUNCILOR DURKIN DESCRIBED THE ORDER IS REQUIRED OR YOUR APPROVAL IS REQUIRED FOR A CONTRACT OF THIS TYPE AS LONGER THAN THREE YEARS.
WE GOT SIMILAR APPROVAL IN 2017 WHEN WE LAST EXECUTED OUR BIKE SHARE OPERATIONS CONTRACT. AND IT'S REALLY CRITICAL FOR US
TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE LONG TERM STABILITY OF THE SYSTEM AND ENSURE THAT THEY PROVIDE THE ASSURANCE TO OUR OPERATOR WHOEVER WINS THE BID THAT THEY
WILL HAVE THE THE STABILITY TO REALLY INVEST IN THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS OF THE SYSTEM. IT ALSO ALLOWED US TO ATTRACT THE PRIVATE CAPITAL THE SUPPORT
FROM BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MASSACHUSETTS WHICH IS OUR TITLE SPONSOR. THEY PROVIDED A TOTAL SPONSORSHIP OF $18 MILLION IN
2018. THEY RENEWED THAT TITLE SPONSORSHIP IN 2023 FOR $28 MILLION. SO AGAIN, HAVING THIS KIND OF LONG TERM STABILITY OF THE
SYSTEM REALLY ALLOWS IT TO FLOURISH. THE CONTRACT WOULD BE STRUCTURED VERY SIMILAR TO OUR CURRENT CONTRACT. IT'S A REVENUE SHARING MODEL.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE USER REVENUES AND THE TITLE SPONSORSHIP REVENUES ARE SPLIT BETWEEN OUR OPERATOR AND THE MUNICIPAL OWNERS OF THE SYSTEM. THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD
TO RELY ON STATE AND MUNICIPAL FUNDING TO PAY FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF . IT ALSO REALLY INCENTIVIZES OUR OPERATOR TO DO A GOOD JOB WHEN
OUR USERS ARE HAPPY THEY TAKE MORE TRIPS, THEY BUY MORE MEMBERSHIPS, MORE PASSES THEN THAT GENERATES MORE REVENUE FOR THEM. SO IT REALLY ALIGNS THE INCENTIVES IN A WAY THAT IT
WASN'T WASN'T THE CASE PRIOR TO 2017. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERING THIS ORDER AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT IT TO
ENSURE THIS LONG TERM STABILITY OF OUR BIKE SHARE SYSTEM. THANK YOU, LYDIA. THANKS SO MUCH, COUNCILOR. MY NAME IS LYDIA HOUSLEY. I'M THE CAPITAL PROJECT DESIGN DIRECTOR FOR THE STREETS CABINET.
I SIT IN PUBLIC WORKS. I'M HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY FOR DOCKET NUMBER 0720. LOOKING TO AUTHORIZE AND EXPEND A GRANT THAT WE WERE APPROVED
FOR THROUGH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN 2022 WE APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A GRANT THROUGH A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT APPROPRIATES
FUNDS TO SUPPORT SAFETY INVESTMENTS AT HIGH CRASH HIGH RISK LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WE WERE GRANTED AN AWARD FOR
$11 MILLION 9 MILLION OF THOSE ARE BEING FEDERAL AND A TO A $2 MILLION I'M SORRY $2.25 MILLION MET LOCAL MATCH AND THE WITH
THE WITH THE GRANT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DESIGN GO THROUGH PLANNING PROCESS AND ENGAGEMENT AND ULTIMATELY CONSTRUCT SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT NINE DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THESE INTERSECTIONS WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH RIGOROUS
ANALYSIS AND THROUGH COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. SOME OF THEM ARE OUTFLOWS FROM PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED AND THIS WILL ALLOW US TO IMPLEMENT THOSE. AND SO WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE
EAGER TO GET GOING WITH THAT WITH THIS INVESTMENT. THE APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED IN 2022. IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR ALL OF THE I'S TO BE DOTTED AND TO
BE CROSSED BUT WE DID RECEIVE A SIGNED AGREEMENT BOTH BETWEEN BOTH THE CITY AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN 2020 FOR AND IN A TIME WHEN THERE'S CERTAIN UNCERTAINTY TO HAVING THE
SIGNED GRANT AGREEMENT AS A AS A REALLY BIG WIN FOR US AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO MOVE IT ALONG AND ACTUALLY GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AN RFP TO PUT OUT FOR COMPETITIVE BID TO BRING ON
A DESIGN TEAM AND AN ENGAGEMENT TEAM AND WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO ,YOU KNOW, ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AND ULTIMATELY WORKING WITH YOU ALL TO BRING THESE PROJECTS TO FRUITION. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND JUST TO
START OUT WITH YOU, LYDIA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD IF YOU COULD I KNOW I HAVE A LIST OF THE NINE LOCATIONS. COULD YOU JUST READ THOSE OUT
TO FOR THE AWARENESS OF MY COLLEAGUES? YES, I'M HAPPY TO. AND SOME OF THEM ARE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT VERY RECENTLY. AND SO WE'RE REALLY EAGER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO I THINK BRING MORE RESOURCES AND TIME
AND INVESTMENT TO SOME OF THESE INTERSECTIONS. SO COUNCILOR FLYNN, I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT ANDREW SQUARE. ANDREW SQUARE IS ONE OF THE INTERSECTIONS INCLUDED IN THIS AND IT WOULD ALLOW FOR A MORE SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN THE
SAFETY CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE ALL SEEN TAKE PLACE IN UNFORTUNATELY THAT HAVE CLAIMED LIVES. SARATOGA AND BENNINGTON STREET IN EAST BOSTON IS ONE OF THE INTERSECTIONS INCLUDED TWO
INTERSECTIONS ALONG BLUE HILL AV ONE AT AMERICAN LEGION HIGHWAY AND ONE AT COLUMBIA ROAD, TWO IN THE KIND OF DOWNTOWN BOSTON PROPER AREA WASHINGTON NEWLAND AND STEWART
INTERSECTION. AND THEN JUST NEXT DOOR THE TREMONT STEWART INTERSECTION AND THEN FURTHER SOUTH KIND OF ON THE JAMAICA PLAIN ROXBURY
LINE SEAVER STREET AND WALNUT STREET WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RECENT INVESTMENTS BUT THERE WERE PORTIONS OF THE SHERMAN COLUMBUS PHASE ONE PROJECT THAT DID NOT ADDRESS KIND OF THE THE CORNERS WHERE
THERE HAVE BEEN PEDESTRIAN AND SIGHTLINE ISSUES THAT PERSIST. AND THEN FINALLY AN INTERSECTION DOWN BY LOESCH PARK IN DORCHESTER AT THE INTERSECTION OF BRANT AND WAINWRIGHT. PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ANY QUESTIONS JUST NOW THAT WE HAVE THE LOCATIONS AND I THINK YOU BOTH HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB EXPLAINING THE PURPOSE OF THE GRANT. SO COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOUR FIRST
AND THERE'S NO TIME LIMIT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT IS HERE. I'M GOING TO ASK SEVERAL QUESTIONS. IS THE PLAN TO RUN A BLUE IS
THE PLAN TO RUN A BIKE LANE TO EVERY BLUE BIKE STATION? IS THERE A PLAN TO RUN ON BLUE BIKES A BIKE LANE TO EVERY LIKE STATION?
WE WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR COLLEAGUES WHO ARE DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING OUR OUR BIKE ON STREET INFRASTRUCTURE. WE DON'T HAVE A CURRENT PLAN TO
INSTALL BIKE LANES TO EVERY BIKE SHARE STATION. HOW DOES A CITY ACCOUNT FOR BLUE BIKES THAT DEVELOPERS ARE FORCED TO PAY FOR US TO BUY AS
PART OF THE MITIGATION PACKAGES ? SORRY, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION THE HOW WE ARE REQUIRING DEVELOPER
MITIGATION PACKAGES. SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED BIKE PARKING GUIDELINES WHICH INCLUDE OBLIGATIONS FOR OUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND FINANCIAL
CONTRIBUTIONS AND SET ASIDE OF SPACE FROM DEVELOPERS TO EXPAND THE BIKE SHARE NETWORK. THE THERE IT'S THERE'S A FORMULA THAT'S ESTABLISHED
BASED ON THE LAND USE TYPE AND EITHER THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OR THE NUMBER OF BEDS DEPENDING ON
THE THE LAND USE TYPE AND THEN AND WE HAVE SOME MINIMUM CONTRIBUTIONS AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT AS WE INCREASE THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE LIVING OR WORKING IN AN AREA WE ARE AT THE SAME TIME EXPANDING THE BIKE SHARE NETWORK TO ALLOW FOR THAT INCREASE IN IN PEOPLE THERE WHO
WOULD BE UTILIZING THE BIKE SHARE SYSTEM. IS THAT OPTIONAL OR REQUIRED FOR THE DEVELOPER TO PAY INTO THAT? THEY ARE GUIDELINES SO THEY
AREN'T CODIFIED AS REQUIREMENTS BUT THEY ARE YOU KNOW SOMETHING THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT PLANNING COLLEAGUES WORK WITH THE
DEVELOPERS ON THAT THEY COULD OPT OUT OF THAT THAT ULTIMATELY THEY COME UP WITH YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPORTATION ACTIONS ACTION
PLANS, AGREEMENTS. AND THEN WHAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S WRITTEN INTO THOSE AGREEMENTS IS THEN WHAT'S BINDING. OKAY. DOES THE CITY DIRECTLY ON THE
BIKE NETWORK IN BOSTON OR IS IT OR IS THE OWNERSHIP FOR A THIRD PARTY? WE OWN ALL OF THE STATIONS AND THE BIKES THAT ARE IN BOSTON OR RATHER WE OWN ALL OF THE
STATIONS ALL OF THE BIKES THAT ORIGINATED WITH THOSE STATIONS . ONCE THEY'RE RELEASED INTO THE WORLD THEY TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE NETWORK. BUT YES, THE EQUIPMENT IS OURS.
OKAY. WHERE DOES WHERE DO THE PURCHASES SHOW UP ON THE CITY'S BALANCE SHEET IN TERMS OF PULL
BIKES IN THE IN THE FEES THAT ARE COLLECTED OR THE WERE THE MONEY THAT COMES INTO THE CITY WHERE IT WHERE DOES IT SHOW UP IN THE BUDGET OR IN THE BALANCE SHEET?
SO WE HAVE A AN EXTERNAL FUND ACCOUNT. 11054I BELIEVE IT IS THAT ALLOWS US TO DEPOSIT THE
SPONSORSHIPS AND USER REVENUES FROM OUR SHARE OF THOSE THINGS AS WELL AS THE SPONSORSHIPS FROM AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THEN THAT'S ALL UTILIZED FOR THE BIKE SHARE SYSTEM ITSELF.
SO THE BLUE BIKE EMPLOYEES OUT THERE WHO ARE THEY WHO THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT CITY EMPLOYEES OBVIOUSLY. NO. SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING THE SYSTEM BASICALLY YEAH.
SO OUR CURRENT CONTRACT IS WITH LYFT BIKES AND SCOOTERS. THEY'RE A DIVISION OF LYFT. THE RIDE HAIL COMPANY. SO THEN THEY HAVE A SUBCONTRACTOR CALLED MOTIVATE.
THEY ARE A FULLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF LYFT SO THEY EMPLOY ALL OF THE MOTIVATE DOES ALL OF THE OPERATIONS WORK SO THE PEOPLE YOU'LL SEE OUT ON THE STREET ARE MOVING THE BIKES
AROUND MAINE DOING THE BIKE MAINTENANCE, DOING THE STATION MAINTENANCE. MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES ARE WHO ARE WORKING FOR BLUE BIKES ARE ALL UNIONIZED.
THE SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STAFFING THE LIFT SIDE OF THINGS I DON'T BELIEVE ARE UNIONIZED. OKAY. DOES THE CITY MONITOR AND SET
WORKING CONDITIONS AT ALL? I KNOW I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE UNIONIZED BUT DOES THE CITY MONITOR THE BENEFITS THAT THESE WORKERS GET?
SO WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY AS A AS A VENDOR YOU KNOW, EXECUTING A CONTRACT WITH THEM. WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS OUR STANDARD REQUIREMENTS OF OF ANY
VENDOR THAT THEY ABIDE BY. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR WAGE ORDINANCE IS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE DO TRY TO WRITE INTO OUR CONTRACTS, YOU KNOW, PROVISIONS
AROUND FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES AND AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE'D CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WORK WITH YOU OR TAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THINGS THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT IN
OUR UPCOMING CONTRACT. OKAY. THE SO DID YOU MENTION THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THAT THE CITY PUT OUT IN CHOOSING AN OPERATOR?
WAS THAT YES. SO WE HAVE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THAT IS OUT RIGHT NOW. IT WAS ISSUED BY AN APC, THE METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING
COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN BLUE BIKES OR THAT WOULD PARTICIPATE IN BLUE BIKES BECAUSE IT'S A REGIONAL SYSTEM. THE RFP ISN'T ISSUED
INDIVIDUALLY BY THE CITIES. IT'S DONE COLLECT TIVELY AND SO THE PROPOSALS ARE DUE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, JUNE 30TH AND WHO CHOOSES THE OPERATOR?
IS IT THE CITY OR IS IT THE MUNICIPAL GROUP? THERE'S A COMMITTEE OF MADE UP OF SEVERAL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES SO CITY
OF BOSTON I'M ON THAT COMMITTEE AND THEN THE CITIES OF CAMBRIDGE, SOMERVILLE, BROOKLINE I BELIEVE EVERETT AND
ONE OF THE NEWER MUNICIPALITIES ARLINGTON MAYBE OAKLAND IS ON THAT COMMITTEE AS WELL AS MAY B.C.. OKAY. MY FINAL QUESTION AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, MAYBE YOU CAN GET IT TO ME LATER THIS
WEEK. COULD YOU GET ME A FIGURE OR DO YOU KNOW OF WHAT THE FIGURE WOULD BE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH MONEY DEVELOP IS PAID FOR TO SUPPORT THE BLUE BULL BIKES
PROGRAM THROUGH MITIGATION? DO YOU HAVE THAT FIGURE? I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BUT I'M HAPPY TO PULL THAT TOGETHER. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A
PARTICULAR TIME PERIOD? HOW LONG IS HOW LONG IS IT BEEN HERE IN BOSTON SINCE 2011 2011
? MAYBE MAYBE THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SIX YEARS. OKAY. JUST SO I CAN GET A GET AN IDEA. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DEVELOPERS
HAVE TO HAVE TOLD ME THAT THAT THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE AT ALL THAT'S THAT IT'S REALLY NOT OPTIONAL TO PAY INTO THE
SYSTEM OR DECLINE TO PAYING INTO THE SYSTEM. SO I JUST WANTED TO BE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON THAT BUT IT IS VOLUNTARY. THEY DON'T THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY INTO THAT SYSTEM I GUESS.
RIGHT? YEAH. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ARE GUIDELINES WHICH DO TRY TO OUR PLANNERS DO TRY TO IMPLEMENT THEM EVENLY SO THAT
IT'S NOT SORT OF A YOU KNOW DEPENDING ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP YOU GET A BETTER OR A WORSE DEAL. IT'S IT'S SOMETHING FOR SORT OF EQUITY AND FAIRNESS AMONG ALL DEVELOPERS.
OKAY THEN MADAM CHAIRMAN. SO MAY I REQUEST THAT INFORMATION MAYBE OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS? ABSOLUTELY I CAN SEND AS PART OF THE FOLLOW UP FROM THIS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO MEET US HERE. THANKS, COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR MURPHY AND I LOVE THAT GREEN. YOU LOOK REALLY GOOD AND GREAT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS YOU'VE TOUCHED ON BUT I'LL JUST ASK THE QUESTIONS TO GET MORE OF A DEEPER INSIGHT. SO IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WITH THE
CONTRACT DURATION IN OVERSIGHT FOR OUR BLUE BIKES THAT A TEN YEAR OPERATOR CONTRACT FELT FALLS WELL BEYOND THE TYPICAL THREE YEAR PROCUREMENT CYCLE. SO HOW WILL THE CITY ENSURE
ROBUST PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND OPPORTUNITIES TO REEVALUATE AND TERMINATE IF NECESSARY ANY VENDORS THAT MAY BE UNDERPERFORMING?
UM YEAH, A GREAT QUESTION. SO OUR CURRENT CONTRACT WHICH ALSO WAS A SIMILAR TERM IT'S A IT WAS A FIVE YEAR INITIAL CONTRACT WITH TWO TWO YEAR
OPTIONS TO EXTEND. AND WE BUILT IN EVALUATION CRITERIA AND A PROCESS INTO OUR
SORT OF OPERATING PROCEDURES WITH OUR PARTNER MUNICIPALITIES . SO WE WENT THROUGH A PRETTY ROBUST PROCESS AT AS WE WERE APPROACHING THE END OF THAT
INITIAL FIVE YEAR TERM TO EVALUATE THEM AND SO WE WILL PRESUMABLY DO THE SAME THING. WE HAVE A VERY STRONG REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP PARTICULARLY AMONG
THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF BIKE SHARE SINCE IT LAUNCHED IN 2011. WE'VE BEEN WORKING AT THIS TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME. AND SO BETWEEN CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE AND BOSTON AND THEN
TO A LESSER EXTENT BROOKLYN WE REALLY YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AND WE REALLY WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE STRONG
PROCESSES LIKE THAT. WE ALSO WILL INCLUDE A LOT OF PERFORMANCE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN THE CONTRACT. WE'D LIKE TO STRENGTHEN THAT IN OUR OUR NEW CONTRACT RELATIVE
TO OUR EXISTING CONTRACT FOR THINGS TO REQUIRE SOME LIQUIDATED DAMAGES FROM THE OPERATOR WHEN THEY'RE NOT PERFORMING. WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN
OUR CURRENT CONTRACT BUT QUITE FRANKLY IT'S NOT NEARLY STRONG ENOUGH AND WHEN WE LOOK AROUND IT A SIMILAR SYSTEM AS ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY SOME OF THOSE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES ARE
APPLIED AUTOMATICALLY IF THEY'RE FAILING TO MEET MEET THE REBALANCING REQUIREMENTS FOR EXAMPLE KEEPING BIKES AND DOCKS AVAILABLE THERE JUST AUTOMATICALLY FIND EVERY MONTH
THAT THAT HAPPENS. AND SO THAT YOU KNOW WHEN WHEN YOU'VE GOT THOSE SORT OF AUTOMATED STICKS FOR THE OPERATOR IT CAN MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. YEAH THAT WAS GOING TO BE NOT
JUST MY LOGISTICS QUESTIONS. THERE'S A STATION RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MINE. OFTENTIMES THERE'S NO BIKES THERE. LIKE WHAT IS THAT PROCESS AND WHO SHOULD YOU CALL WHEN THE
BIKES ARE BEING USED BUT THEN NEVER RETURNING TO CERTAIN STATIONS OR IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE ALWAYS OUT AT CERTAIN SPOTS. YEAH. SO YOU CAN CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO US.
WE HAVE WEEKLY MY TEAM HAS WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH OUR OPERATOR AND THEY'VE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER AT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AT BEING RESPONSIVE WHEN WE POINT OUT A PARTICULAR
PAIN POINT WE DO HAVE THE THEY CALL IT RIGHT ABILITY THAT'S THE METRIC THAT'S IN THE CONTRACT THEY HAVE RIGHT ABILITY REQUIREMENTS BUT
THEY'RE VERY THEY'RE APPLIED AT THE CITY SCALE WHERE IN OUR NEW CONTRACT WE'RE LOOKING TO APPLY THOSE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE AND ALSO HAVE SOME SORT
OF BACKSTOP SO THAT NO STATION IS ALLOWED TO BE EMPTY OR FULL. BOTH SITUATIONS ARE A PROBLEM SO MAKE SURE THAT NO STATION
CAN BE EMPTY OR FULL LONGER THAN YOU KNOW, A STATED PERIOD OF TIME. I THINK IN THE RFP WE SAID IT'S 24 HOURS. IT MIGHT EVEN BE SHORTER THAN THAT.
OKAY. THE RFP REFERENCED IS EXPANDED SERVICES INCLUDING E-BIKES AND 240 PLUS NEW STATIONS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WHAT CRITERIA WILL THE STREETS
CABINET AND YOU MENTIONED THAT STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH M APEC USE TO EVALUATE PROSPECTIVE OPERATOR'S ABILITY TO SCALE AND MAINTAIN YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON
THAT ALREADY WITH YEAH YEAH AND JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT RFP IS FOR THE SYSTEM WIDE BLUE BIKES SO THE THE NUMBER OF STATIONS
THAT WE ANTICIPATED GROWING BY THAT IS NOT PRIMARILY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. WE HAVE BEEN IN A MAJOR PERIOD OF EXPANSION. WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.
WE EXPECT TO FINISH THAT UP IN LARGE PART BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADD STATIONS IN BOSTON BUT IT WILL BE PRIMARILY AS NEW DEVELOPMENTS COME ONLINE AND
THE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION AND SPACE OBLIGATIONS FOR BIKE SHARE ARE SORT OF WHO YOU COME TO BE.
SO I'M SORRY THEN YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION. NO, NO, THAT WAS GOOD NEWS. OKAY. AND I HAVE JUST A COUPLE ABOUT THE NINE INTERSECTIONS YOU MENTIONED WHERE THEY ARE AND I DO KNOW LIKE SARATOGA SPEEDWAY
HOW IT'S REFERENCE. SO I THINK THE SPOTS YOU MENTIONED I THINK I KNOW ALL OF THEM AND THEY'RE GOOD PLACES TO TARGET. WHAT IF IT'S AN INTERSECTION YOU MENTIONED LIKE TWO ON BLUE HILL.
I DON'T THINK THE ONE UP NEAR COLUMBIA IS PART OF THE BLUE HILL LAB THAT'S TOO FAR UP. BUT IF THEY'RE HAVING OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS AND INVESTMENTS HAPPENING ALSO. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THANKS SO MUCH. SO SEVERAL OF THE INTERSECTIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE GRAND DO HAVE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE EITHER ONGOING OR PLANNED OR EXPECTED. THE BLUE HILL LAB AT AMERICAN
LEGION AND BLUE HILL HAVE AT COLUMBIA ARE BOTH CURRENTLY ALSO INTERSECTIONS THAT WOULD BE TOUCHED BY OTHER PROJECTS. THE BLUE HILL HAVE KIND OF MULTIMODAL PROJECT WHICH IS
ALSO THE SUBJECT OF A FEDERAL GRANT AND WE HAD A HEARING ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK AND COLUMBIA WHICH IS PART OF THE COLUMBIA OF REDESIGN PROJECT IN THOSE CASES WHERE THERE HAVE
EITHER BEEN RECENT INVESTMENTS OR THERE IS AN ONGOING PROJECT, WE WOULD LIKELY BE TAKING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH WITH THOSE INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE'D BE LOOKING FOR EITHER EARLY ACTION IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE COULD DO SEND SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS EITHER HAVE
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE OR THEIR TIMELINE FOR DELIVERY IS JUST YOU KNOW, QUITE A WAYS OFF AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IN THE NEAR TERM USING QUICK BUILD TOOLS, USING SIGNALS, USING YOU KNOW, OUR OUR TOOLKIT
THAT WE COULD DEPLOY QUITE RAPIDLY. SO WE WOULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR THOSE VERSUS OTHER INTERSECTIONS WHERE THERE ARE NO OTHER WISE PLANNED INVESTMENTS WHERE WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT A KIND OF FULL
REBOOT YOU KNOW, SOUP TO NUTS. OKAY. NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THAT THOUGH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR MURPHY.
COUNCILOR WEBER, WE DON'T HAVE A TIME LIMIT SO ASK YOUR HEART'S DESIRE. THANK YOU. I MEAN, I'M REALLY JUST HERE TO LEARN, BUT I GUESS FOR ME.
DID YOU DISCUSS THIS WHAT IMPACT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO HAVE ON OUR EFFORTS TO HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS SOMETHING THAT SO THAT BOTH OF US I GUESS YOU KNOW.
YES. EXCELLENT QUESTION. I THINK I KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET. CERTAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT TARIFFS.
WITH RESPECT TO BIKE SHARE AND BECAUSE OUR BIKES AND STATIONS ARE MANUFACTURED OVERSEAS, THEY ARE CURRENT OPERATOR WHO IS
LIKELY TO BE OUR FUTURE OPERATOR DID MOVE THEIR MANUFACTURING OUT OF CHINA IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POTENTIAL TARIFFS.
LITTLE DID THEY KNOW IT WOULD BE AS BROAD BASED AS THEY HAVE BEEN SO. SO THERE'S THAT.
BESIDES THAT I THINK WE DO GET FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING THROUGH THE MPO OR THROUGH THE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS GRANT PROGRAM.
THAT'S THE EARMARKED $2 MILLION A YEAR FOR OUR BIKE SHARE SYSTEM OUR STATE OF GOOD REPAIR AND THAT'S FORMULA FUNDED SO
HOPEFULLY THAT DOESN'T BECOME YOU KNOW ISN'T AT RISK IN THE FUTURE BUT IT FEELS LIKE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.
SO FOR THE TIME BEING WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A PRETTY RELIABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR ENSURING THE STATE OF GOOD REPAIR OF OUR EQUIPMENT. OUR EQUIPMENT IS AGING.
WE HAVE INVESTED FOR THE CITY CAPITAL AND THEN ALSO GRANT THIS GRANT FUNDING INTO REPLACING THE EQUIPMENT AND THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A CONCERN.
SO WE'LL SEE. OKAY. DO YOU I MEAN JAZZ? YEAH, I A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SITUATION SINCE MINE IS THIS THE PROJECT THAT I'M HERE TALKING ABOUT IS A GRANT FUNDED PROJECT THROUGH A U.S.
DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAM. UNLIKE SOME GRANTS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF SCRAMBLING GOING ON BUT THIS GRANT DOES HAVE AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE THAT'S FULLY EXECUTED ON BOTH SIDES. SO WE FEEL QUITE CONFIDENT THAT
THIS IS GOING MOVE FORWARD. WE ARE TAKING STEPS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HEARING TO SCHEDULE REQUIREMENTS SO THIS GRANT DOES REQUIRE THAT WE COMPLETE ALL OF THE WORK INCLUDED IN THE GRANT BY KIND OF THE SUMMER
OF 2029. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING TO GET OUR RFP OUT. DEVELOP PLANS TO ENGAGEMENT AND THEN ULTIMATELY GET CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED BY THAT DATE.
OKAY. AND SO JUST IN TERMS OF THE BASIC STRUCTURES, THERE'S ONE OPERATOR LIKE THIS FOR CONTRACT THING WITH WHO'S THE OPERATOR?
IT'S LIFT BIKES AND SCOOTERS. SO THERE ARE DIVISION OF LIFT. L Y FTA L Y FTA CORRECT. IT OUR CONTRACT IN 2017 WAS
EXECUTED WITH MOTIVATE WHICH WAS A LARGE PLAYER IN THE BIKE SHARE SPACE. THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY ACQUIRED BY LYFT.
SO THEY AND THEY NOW ARE THE SUBCONTRACT WITH LYFT THEY PROVIDE THE OPERATIONS SIDE OF OUR CONTRACT SO THEY ARE A SUBSIDIARY OF OF LYFT BIKES AND SCOOTERS.
LYFT IS THE DOMINANT PLAYER IN THE BIKE SHARE SPACE IN NORTH AMERICA. THERE'S REALLY ONE OTHER MAJOR COMPANY IN THERE THAT PROVIDES
SIMILAR SERVICES IN OTHER CITIES BUT IT'S NOT IN NEARLY AS MANY. IT'S BEEN PRETTY DIFFICULT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE ANOTHER VENDOR OTHER THAN LYFT.
OKAY. AND IN TERMS OF TO THE DATA OF THE STATE OF REPAIR OF THE YOU KNOW, BLESS YOU THE YOU
KNOW HOW MANY BIKES ARE FUNCTIONAL ON A GIVEN DAY DO YOU HAVE STATS ON THAT? YEAH. YEAH, WE HAVE. WHAT LIKE WHAT IS WHAT'S WHAT ARE WE SHOOTING FOR?
WHERE ARE WE AT? SO IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF BIKES LIKE ON THE ROAD IN A GIVEN A GIVEN DAY YOU KNOW. YEAH. YEAH ROUGHLY 85% TO 85 TO 90%
OF THE FLEET IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. WE DON'T HAVE. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A IN OUR CURRENT CONTRACT WE DON'T HAVE A PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SORT OF A
REQUIRED CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION ON THE VENDOR AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT IN PLACE IN OUR NEXT CONTRACT. OKAY.
BUT STATE OF GOOD REPAIR IS MORE THE THE INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY IS MORE SUBSTANTIAL WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAIN AND
MAINTAIN BUT SORT OF REPLACING WHOLESALE THE STATIONS THEMSELVES AS THEY REACH THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE THE MAINTENANCE OF THE THE SORT
OF DAY TO DAY MAINTENANCE IS A FINANCIAL OBLIGATION ON OUR OPERATOR AND WE EXPECT THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE SO. OKAY.
LET ME SEE. SO IN TERMS OF E-BIKES, WHAT'S HOW MANY E-BIKES DO WE HAVE AND WHAT ARE THE GOALS THERE?
AND SO MY QUESTION I WANT TO GO ONTO YOUR LAST SORRY SORRY I'M SORRY YOU CAN HOLD THE HOLD ON THAT YOU CAN ANSWER THAT BUT IT'S COMING FROM THE CHAIR. YOU CAN RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, MADAM CHAIR. EXCELLENT QUESTION. SO WE THOUGHT WE CURRENTLY HAVE
A LITTLE OVER 700 E-BIKES THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON OWNS AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 50 OR SO NOW MAYBE MORE LIKE CLOSER TO 100 THAT ARE OWNED BY OTHER
MUNICIPALITIES. I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT HE REPRESENTS THE BACK OF MISSION HILL AND I REPRESENT MISSION HILL AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BOTH ADVOCATE FOR MORE ELECTRIC BIKES ON MISSION BECAUSE WE CAN'T.
WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT ESSENTIALLY PEOPLE ARE THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NOT YEAH THEY'RE NEVER BROUGHT BACK UP BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BIKE UP THAT HILL AGAIN SO SO ANYWAY SORRY I
LET YOU FINISH BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YES, WE TOGETHER AS MISSION HILLS REPRESENTATIVES I USUALLY CLAIM THE ENTIRETY OF MISSION HILL BUT HE HAS THE BACK OF THE HILL
AND WE REALLY DO NEED THERE ARE CERTAIN PLACES THAT ELECTRIC NEEDS TO BE PRIORITIZED. YES, UNDERSTOOD. AND I THINK PERHAPS WE COULD IT'S DIFFICULT TO PRIORITIZE
WHERE THE BIKES ARE BECAUSE THEY CAN GO ANYWHERE AND THEY TEND TO FOLLOW THE SAME PATTERNS AS THE REST OF THE BIKES THE YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, IF WE ARE EVER ABLE TO SUCCEED IN ELECTRIFYING SOME STATIONS AND IF WE BUILT IN SORT OF INCENTIVES FOR USERS TO DOCK E-BIKES AT STATIONS THAT
WERE ELECTRIFIED THAT MIGHT GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A LEVER TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SAY GET MORE E-BIKES IN MISSION HILL THE AS A SHARE OF OUR
FLEET IT'S SYSTEM WIDE IT'S ABOUT 15% OR SO IT'S PRETTY LOW WE'VE BEEN CAUTIOUS IN THE ADDITION OF E-BIKES IN PART
THAT'S WELL ALMOST ENTIRELY THAT'S BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE E-BIKES ARE AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE AND SO WE
DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE KIND OF THIS TWO TIER TRANSPORTATION WHERE PEOPLE WITH LOTS OF DISCRETIONARY INCOME COULD USE THIS THE E-BIKES WHENEVER THEY WANTED AND THEN THE REST OF US WOULD JUST HAVE TO USE IT
AS A KIND OF LUXURY THING. WELL AND, I HAVE A BIT OF A SUSPICION THE MAYOR WAS RIDING AN ELECTRIC BIKE ON BIKE TO WORK DAY. DID SOMEONE HAVE TO GET HER AN
ELECTRIC BIKE ON BIKE TO WORK? BECAUSE I WAS LIKE THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU KNOW, I'M UNABLE TO FIND AN ELECTRIC BIKE ON ANY GIVEN DAY SO I'M BIKE TO WORK
DAY FINDING THE ELECTRIC BIKE SEEMS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A HARD GOES. BIKES WERE THERE WAITING FOR HER AT I THINK JACKSON SQUARE IS WHERE SHE STARTED A ROXBURY
CROSSING SOME EARLY IN THE MORNING YES THE HARD HILL WAS A HARD HARD HITTING QUESTION. YES. BUT SO WE THE MUNICIPALITIES
SUBSIDIZE THE COSTS OF E-BIKES FOR USERS LYFT WOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGING $0.17 A MINUTE RATHER THAN $0.10 A MINUTE FOR MEMBERS
AND WE REALLY FELT LIKE FOR A TYPICAL TRIP OF, YOU KNOW, 15, 20 MINUTES IT JUST WAS GETTING TO IT WOULD BE TOO HIGH FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO USE IT ON
A REGULAR BASIS. INCOME ELIGIBLE MEMBERS PAY $0.07 A MINUTE RATHER THAN THE TEN THAT LYFT WOULD CHARGE. AND SO WE'VE BEEN CAUTIOUS ABOUT NOT INTRODUCING TOO MANY
E-BIKES TO NOT SORT OF OVERBURDENED OUR MUNICIPAL SUBSIDY AND WE WANTED TO KIND OF SEE HOW IT WENT AND YOU KNOW, THEN MAYBE GROW THE FLEET
MORE GRADUALLY. THE OTHER THING IS THE E-BIKES THEMSELVES ARE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. THEY YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST REQUIRE AN INCREMENTAL COST
EVERY MINUTE IN A WAY THAT THE PEDAL BIKES DON'T AND THE PEDAL BIKES ARE GREAT. THEY'VE BEEN THESE WORKHORSES THAT GET, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE MILLIONS OF TRIPS AROUND OUR CITY.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO JUST ABANDON THEM AND YOU KNOW, THROW TOO MUCH CAPITAL AT THE E-BIKES AND WE JUST WANT TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT AND MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT SORT
OF GETTING OUT OVER OUR SKIS. AND SINCE I INTERRUPTED COUNCILOR COUNCILOR ROBERT, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST TWO TWO QUICK ONES ON TERMS OF SAFETY, DO WE HAVE
NUMBERS ON INJURIES OR YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY HEAD INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE THE BIKESHARE PROGRAM? MY SENSE IS IT'S JUST YOU CAN'T
GO FAST ENOUGH. BUT I YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO'S BAKED A LOT AND RELIED ON A HELMET, I GET NERVOUS WATCHING PEOPLE WITHOUT A HELMET BUT WE ONLY HAVE THE SO
OUR OPERATOR IS REQUIRED TO REPORT TO US ANY TIME THERE'S AN INCIDENT A CRASH THEY'RE MADE AWARE OF. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ONLY ABLE TO REPORT THINGS OR GET THE DATA
ON THINGS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT. THE DATA IS OFTEN PRETTY LIMITED IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, THE NATURE OF THE CRASH. SO WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT YOU KNOW, SAY
PERCENTAGE OF OF THE CRASHES THAT RESULT IN HEAD INJURIES. ON BALANCE THEY ARE VERY SAFE. THERE ARE NOT VERY MANY REALLY
NOT VERY MANY INCIDENTS ON BIKE SHARE AND IT IS REALLY FOR THE REASON THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU CAN'T GO VERY FAST. THEY'RE BIG HEAVY BIKES.
ANECDOTALLY WE ARE SEEING MORE CRASHES ON E-BIKES. I WOULDN'T EVEN SAY ANECDOTALLY WE SEE MORE CRASHES ON E-BIKES
PROPORTIONAL TO THEIR SHARE OF THE FLEET AS A WHOLE SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON AND YOU KNOW, CONSIDER
MAYBE REDUCING THE SPEED THAT THE E-BIKES ARE CAPPED AT SO PEOPLE CAN'T GET UP TO AS HIGH SPEEDS AS THEY CAN CURRENTLY. OKAY.
YOUR LAST QUESTION ON PLACEMENT OF THE STATIONS WHO HAS INPUT INTO THAT? AND THEN YOU KNOW, I I FEEL LIKE I WHERE PEOPLE WANT DAYLIGHTING I FEEL LIKE THAT
WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THOSE BUT UM HOW DO THOSE DECISIONS GET MADE ON WHERE THE STATIONS GO AND CAN WE USE THEM FOR DAYLIGHTING ABSOLUTELY. I LOVE THEM FOR DAYLIGHTING PURPOSES BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE
YOU'RE ACCOMPLISHING MULTIPLE GOALS AT ONE TIME AND THAT REALLY IS SORRY FLEX POSTS BUT IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN FLEX POSTS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM PARKING IN A PLACE WHERE YOU
REALLY DON'T WANT THEM TO AND WE CAN REMOVE THE VERTICAL ELEMENTS FROM A STATION. ABSOLUTELY ADD PANEL CAN CAN BE REMOVED IF IT'S GOING TO BE IN
THE SIGHTLINE. AND NOW OUR NEWEST STATION TYPE DOES ALLOW US TO HAVE A STATION WITHOUT A KIOSK SO THAT'S THE PART OF THE STATION THAT YOU WOULD WALK UP TO AND PAY.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO RECALL TO INCLUDE THAT ELEMENT. THE DECISION ON WHERE STATIONS GO IS ALL DONE BY BY MY TEAM AND AND THE STREETS GOVERNMENT
LEADERSHIP SO AND IT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT WE'VE REALLY CONTINUED TO INSIST THAT WE OWN THE EQUIPMENT OR ENSURE THAT WE OWN THE EQUIPMENT IN OUR CONTRACT STRUCTURE SO THAT IT'S
NOT OUR VENDOR THAT'S MAKING THE DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THESE THINGS GO FOR A WHOLE LOT OF REASONS IT'S FELT REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO MAKE SURE
THAT THAT'S A MUNICIPAL DECISION SO WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD AS I MENTIONED BEFORE TO EXPAND THE NETWORK BY 100
STATIONS AND WE'RE ABOUT 40% OF THE WAY THROUGH THAT IN IN TERMS OF STATIONS ON THE GROUND THAT WE'VE ADDED SINCE ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND WE HOPE TO
COMPLETE THAT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR OR EARLY FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR SORRY FOR STEALING YOUR QUESTION.
OH, THAT'S OKAY COUNCILOR. AND ALSO I MEAN YOU DID ASK ONE QUESTION THAT HAD BEEN ANSWERED EARLIER BUT NOT ALL OF US CAN BE ON TIME. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A STRUGGLE
TO SORT OF COUNT AS DISTRICT COUNCILORS ARE ALWAYS RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO I MUST ADMIT THAT MANY OF THE FOLKS ON MY STAFF BENEFIT FROM BLUE BIKES. SO THEY WERE VERY EXCITED TO
HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE HEADED AND SO WHILE WE HAVE TO CUT SOME OF THAT BACK BUT I JUST I THINK FIRST WHAT IS THE CURRENT
ANNUAL REVENUE I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT ACCOUNT. WHAT IS THE CURRENT ANNUAL REVENUE AND I KNOW YOU SAY THAT GOES BACK INTO MAINTENANCE BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE ANNUAL REVENUE SO THAT COMES TO THE CITY OR JUST REVENUES
THAT'S BROUGHT IN BY THE SYSTEM RIGHT BROUGHT IN BY THE SYSTEM IT'S ROUGHLY $8 MILLION OR SO
THE OPERATOR HAS TO SHARE. IT'S A LITTLE COMPLICATED BUT SHARE 10% OF THAT WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES. THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL
PERCENTAGE THAT THEY TO SHARE ON E-BIKES REVENUES IF THEY MEET A CERTAIN THRESHOLD. AND DO YOU FORESEE ANY OF THE SPLIT CHANGING IN THE NEW PARAMETERS?
PROBABLY SO AND SORRY 10% AFTER THE FIRST 3 MILLION SO SAY $5 MILLION OR SO IS SUBJECT TO THE REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT. 10% OF THAT COMES TO THE
MUNICIPALITIES AND THEN WE SPLIT IT UP AMONG OURSELVES AMONG THE FOUR ORIGINAL MUNICIPALITIES. SO BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE, SOMERVILLE AND BROOKLINE WE
SPLIT THAT 10% OF 500,000 OF 5 MILLION. SO 500,000 AMONG OURSELVES ACCORDING TO OUR RESPECTIVE SHARES OF THE SYSTEM.
SO DO WE EXPECT IT TO CHANGE? PROBABLY SO. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE VENDORS WILL PUT INTO THEIR PRICE PROPOSALS IS YOU
KNOW, WE SAID WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON A REVENUE SHARING MODEL SO YOU TELL US WHAT YOU THINK THE SPLIT SHOULD BE.
I BELIEVE I HIGHLY SUSPECT IT'LL GO UP I'M SORRY THE SHARE THAT GOES TO THE VENDOR WILL GO UP IN PART BECAUSE IT WAS A
HIGH PRIORITY OF SOME OF OUR MUNICIPAL COLLEAGUES TO OH YOU MEAN THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU WERE DESCRIBING ON. YES OKAY SO TO SO THERE HAVE
BEEN A LOT OF NEW MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE JOINED SINCE OUR LAST CONTRACT WAS EXECUTED. THEY ALL ARE PAYING ON A PER DOCK PER MONTH BASIS AND THERE TEND TO BE SMALL MUNICIPAL GTIS
SO YOU KNOW, THINK OF CHELSEA OR EVERETT OR REVERE AND SO THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR BIKESHARE OPERATIONS EVERY MONTH AND FOR THEM THAT'S A REAL DISINCENTIVE
TO ADD NEW STATIONS. SO AS SOON AS THEY ADD A NEW 15 DOCK STATION THEIR MONTHLY BILL JUST WENT UP. AND SO IT'S BEEN A STRONG
PRIORITY TO TRY TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELDS BASICALLY MAKE SIMILAR THE SAME TERMS AND THE SAME MODEL APPLY TO ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND YOU SAID CHELSEA AND EVERETT ARE PART
OF THIS GROUP, CORRECT? SO I MEAN IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE IDEAL IF FOLKS FROM CHELSEA AND EVERETT WERE BIKING HERE AND BIKING BACK. YES, AND THEY DO. BUT IT'S MUCH MORE LIMITED IN THEIR MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE
THEY THEY THIS DISINCENTIVE TO THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE A DISINCENTIVE TO ADD MORE STATIONS SO IT'S JUST NOT AS USEFUL OF A NETWORK TO GET AROUND IT TENDS TO NOT BE THAT
YEAH UNLESS YOU LIVE RIGHT BY ONE AND YOU CAN PREDICTABLY KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THERE, CORRECT. WHICH IS HARD TO DO WITHOUT THERE BEING ANY LEVEL OF RIGHT AND THEN A LOT OF THE GRANT
FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THE MPO DOESN'T COVER OPERATIONS AND SO YOU KNOW THEY CAN GET THE CAPITAL MONEY TO ADD STATIONS BUT THEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO
GO WITH IT. SO GOT IT AND I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE GOALS OF GO BOSTON 2030 WAS TO HAVE A BIKE SHARE WITHIN A TEN MINUTE WALK OF EVERY BOSTON RESIDENT HOW FAR ARE WE
FROM THAT GOAL AND MY I AGREE OKAY SO MY QUESTION IS I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION IN DISTRICT EIGHT AROUND ADDITIONAL BIKESHARE STATIONS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IS THERE GOING TO BE MOVEMENT ON I KNOW SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN PLACE BUT JUST CURIOUS WHERE THAT YOU KNOW HOW THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING. YEAH, AND I KNOW I WANT TO
THANK THE FOR THE WESTON RESIDENTS THEY WANTED A BIKE SHARE STATION MOVED ACROSS THE STREET AND I KNOW YOU WERE ABLE TO DELIVER ON THAT I DO A LITTLE THINGS REALLY DO MATTER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO I
APPRECIATE CAN PARTICULARLY WORKING WITH YOU YOU'RE A GREAT PARTNER WITH THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE HAVE AN ISSUE AND AS SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO ENGAGE IN BIKE SHARE MORE I
FINALLY HAVE MY CITY OF BOSTON MEMBERSHIP. IT'S IT'S MAKING MY OWN BIKE COLLECT A LOT OF DUST SO SO I APPRECIATE I REALLY REALLY
APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP. SO I GUESS HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO THE GOAL OF A TEN MINUTE TEN MINUTE TRIP TO WHICH I ACTUALLY THINK IS KIND OF FAR IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT. YEAH, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'RE
ALMOST THERE AND THEN WITH THESE NEW BIKE SHARE STATIONS WHEN ARE THEY GOING? YEAH. SO I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY WE'RE VERY WE'RE PRETTY DARN CLOSE. WE'RE ABOUT 90% OF HOUSEHOLDS
WITHIN A TEN MINUTE WALK AND IT'S PRETTY AMAZING IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP OF BOSTON WHEN GO BOSTON WAS PUBLISHED IN 2017, IT'S LIKE YOU COULD HAVE DRAWN A LINE ACROSS THE CITY AT WILL
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JP AND THERE WAS NOT BIKE SHARE SOUTH OF THAT LINE AND SO THAT WE'VE COME SO FAR IN THIS PERIOD OF TIME IT REALLY IS BECAUSE
OF VERY INTENTIONAL PLANNING WHEN WE STARTED SAYING THIS IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION BY BIKE WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REALLY REACH ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. THAT'S WHEN THAT STARTED TO
CHANGE AS FAR AS THE EXPANSION AND SO ANY MINUTE NOW LOUIS AGAG ON MY TEAM IS GOING TO HIT SEND ON AN EMAIL TO YOU AND OTHER BIG SHOUT OUT TO LEWIS.
SHE'S AMAZING. ABSOLUTELY FOR HER WORK. YES. AND SHE REALLY GETS SO MUCH OF THE CREDIT HERE IN THE YOU KNOW, SOLVING THOSE ISSUES AND BEING INCREDIBLY RESPONSIVE AND
ALSO REALLY MOVING THIS EXPANSION PROJECT ALONG. IT'S REALLY A BEAR OF A PROJECT AND SHE'S DOING PHENOMENAL WORK.
SO WE ARE VERY, VERY CLOSE TO PROVIDING YOU AND OTHERS IN THE LAST ROUND OF EXPANSION THE OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE LAST ROUND OF EXPANSION.
AN UPDATE ON KIND OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED, THE PLANS FOR THE STATIONS IN IN YOUR DISTRICT. SO WE EXPECT TO BE DOING THOSE
VERY, VERY, VERY SOON IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A NEGOTIATION WITH THE COMMUNITY BUT ONE THING I'VE NOTICED IS PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIKE
CITY LAND AND STATE LAND AND HOW EASY IT MIGHT BE FOR US TO PUT SOMETHING IN ONE PLACE AND THEN THEY REALLY ARE LIKE WE SEE ALL THIS OPEN SPACE, YOU
KNOW, OF WHERE ON YOU KNOW ON FEDERAL BUILDINGS. SO I JUST YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS ENCOURAGING US TO THINK ABOUT LIKE HOW WE CAN GET THOSE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS BECAUSE
OFTENTIMES IT'S LIKE OUR SIDEWALK WE HAVE VERY LITTLE SPACE AND THEN YOU LOOK ACROSS THE STREET AND THERE'S TONS OF ROOM FOR THERE TO BE, YOU
KNOW, THERE TO BE SPACE FOR A BLUE BIKES RIDESHARE STATION. SO YEAH, WE DID HAVE A NUMBER OF STATIONS APPROVED BY
LANDMARKS IN IN THE FENWAY AND ON OTHER PARTIES PROPERTY SO THAT THAT IS COMING AWESOME AND HAVE HAS BEEN A GOOD PARTNER IN
MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE BLUE BIKE STATIONS AVAILABLE TO BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS HOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM ON A HANDFUL OF STATIONS
TWO IN THE SOUTH END THAT I CAN THINK OF AND THERE'S A THIRD ONE IN THE FENWAY AT BAY AND YEAH, ALL THREE OF THOSE WERE APPROVED I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY
OF THEM WERE ACTUALLY ON ON BP'S PROPERTY. THEY ARE A LITTLE MORE RELUCTANT ESPECIALLY IN THE YOUNGER GRADES TO BRING STATIONS, YOU KNOW, INTO A
SCHOOLYARD AND A SCHOOL PROPERTY REALLY UNLESS IT'S REALLY JUST ALONG THE YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SIDEWALK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO BE BRINGING PEOPLE INTO, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL
ENVIRONMENT. SO THAT MAKES SENSE. AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME PUSHBACK IN THE BACK BAY FANS AT HAVING BIKE STATIONS IN THE PARK. I JUST WANT TO SAY MY PUBLIC
POSITION IS NOT THAT IT'S REALLY THAT WHAT WE WHAT WE DON'T WANT AS PEOPLE RIDING THROUGH THE BACK BAY FENCE OR WHATEVER CAN GET THEM TO DOCK THEIR BIKE PRIOR TO THEM BEING
YOU KNOW AND AND AGAIN I DON'T I PERSONALLY I DON'T THINK BIKE SHARE A STATION NECESSARILY TELLS PEOPLE TO DO A SPECIFIC THING IT'S JUST IF WANT PEOPLE
TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS OUR PARKS WE DO NEED TO HAVE STATIONS THAT SO AND I KNOW THAT WAS SAID IN A MEETING AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT MY POSITION ON THAT WAS KNOWN SO THERE ARE
SOME WONKY QUESTIONS THAT MY STAFF WANTED ME TO ASK BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE ON SO I THINK WE'LL I JUST WANT US TO STATE MY SUPPORT FOR THE STREET SAFE STREETS FOR ALL.
GRANT THANK YOU SO MUCH LYDIA FOR CHAMPIONING THIS ONE. I DO THINK I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING WHEN WE HAVE FEDERAL MONEY THAT IS REALLY
WE'RE ENTITLED TO BECAUSE WE PAY SO MUCH IN TAXES YOU KIND OF MASSACHUSETTS IT'S FUNNY IT'S IN THE WHOLE CALICO CALIFORNIA CONVERSATION THEY CLEARLY ARE DOING THEIR PART. WE CLEARLY DO OUR PART AND
DESERVE TRANSPORTATION FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND I'LL GIVE THE 2022 ADMINISTRATION ALL THE CREDIT FOR FOR THIS GRANT AND I HOPE I
HOPE I DO HOPE THAT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO FEEL THEIR OBLIGATION TO GIVE BOSTON ITS FAIR SHARE OF RESOURCES GIVEN THE AMOUNT
OF PEOPLE AND AND AND TAX DOLLARS THAT WE GIVE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OBVIOUSLY HIGH CRASH ZONES ARE CORE PRIORITY OF THE CITY AND OF OF ME AS THE CHAIR EVEN
THOUGH NONE OF THESE ARE IN MY DISTRICT I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SAFETY ON OUR STREETS GOES BEYOND DISTRICT LINES AND SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS IS THE
CORE PRIORITY OF OF THE CITY. IT'S A CORE PRIORITY OF MY COLLEAGUES AND I THINK SEEING WE HAD AN EMERGENCY HEARING ORDER ON OUR PARTICULAR AREA
THAT WILL BE SOLVED BY THIS GRANT AND SO I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS MOVE FORWARD AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
JUST ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU. CAN GIVEN THAT THIS IS YOU KNOW THERE'S AN I FORGET WHAT YOU CALL BUT THERE'S A CONSORTIUM OF OTHER CITIES INVOLVED WITH
THIS AND THE METROPOLITAN AREA COUNCIL IS INVOLVED WITH THIS WHEN WOULD WE HAVE TO EXECUTE AS A CITY COUNCIL ON THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE YOU KNOW,
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP BOSTON COME TO THE TABLE WITH THE SAME AGREEMENT AS EVERYONE ELSE? WELL, THE OUR CURRENT CONTRACT DOESN'T EXPIRE UNTIL APRIL
OF NEXT. WE ARE THE BIDS ARE DUE THE END OF THIS MONTH SO WE GAVE OURSELVES A PRETTY BIG PRETTY LONG TIMELINE ALTHOUGH QUITE
HONESTLY NOT AS LONG AS WE WERE HOPING FOR SO THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT. IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC TO HAVE
THE APPROVAL BEFORE WE GO INTO CONTRACT NEGOTIATION SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING. SO YOU KNOW WE EXPECT TO AWARD THE BID IN MID JULY OR SO.
WELL, AND GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE A WE DON'T HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING THIS WEEK THAT'S WE'RE IN WHAT WOULD BE THE COUNCIL MEETING RIGHT NOW NEXT WEEK WE HAVE A
COUNCIL MEETING AND THAT'S THE LAST ONE BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH I WILL MOVE TO GET THIS DONE NEXT WEEK SO THAT YOU'RE GOING INTO THE RFP PROCESS WITH THE OTHER MUNICIPAL PARTIES
WITH THE CITY COUNCIL'S BACKING TO ENGAGE IN THE AGREEMENT. SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT. WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILOR WEBER I DON'T THINK
YOU OKAY SO WITH THAT I WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY. KIM LADY, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK. THANK YOU TO THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IN PUBLIC WORKS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO
EVERY DAY MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER WITH THAT YOU BOTH ARE DISMISSED. BUT IF YOU WANT TO SAY FOR THE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
GABRIELLE LEE WILLIAMS YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES AND YOU CAN COME UP TO THIS PODIUM RIGHT HERE. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
MA'AM REQUESTS MORE TIME FROM THIS YEAR SINCE MY LOCAL OFFICIALS GOT TO HAVE THEIR TIME. WAIT, WAIT UP 2 MINUTES. CAN I JUST REQUEST MORE TIME TO SPEAK? IT'S A STANDARD BUT I WILL LET
YOU FINISH YOUR THOUGHT SO FEEL FREE TO GO ON FOR YOU KNOW, JUST BUT JUST TRY TO KEEP IT AROUND 2 MINUTES IF YOU CAN OF COURSE HAVE TO USE A BATHROOM SO I'LL BE REALLY FAST. OH, YEAH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. A LOT OF YOU KNOW ME BY FACE.
A LOT OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW ME. SOME PEOPLE KNOW ME BY NAME. YOU GUYS ARE ABOUT TO KNOW ME MORE OFTEN NOW I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS IF YOU GUYS DON'T ASK NOT MUCH OF A TESTIMONY BUT AS ONE OF THEM CLARIFICATIONS
FIRST I THINK WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IS GREAT MAKING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION IN GENERATIONS TO COME IS THE END GOAL OF EVERYBODY. THAT'S REALLY GOOD.
THANK YOU. AND THEN AS FAR AS WHEN IT GOES TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY THANK YOU FOR FINDING AND DOING THESE
INVESTIGATIONS. IT'S JUST REALLY AN HONOR TO BE UP HERE SPEAKING KNOWING THAT MASSACHUSETTS IS EIGHT YEARS OLDER THAN THE ACTUAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WE KNOW OUR
CONSTITUTION FIRST EIGHT YEARS BEFORE THEY WROTE THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION. AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY GREAT TO BE UP HERE AND CONTINUE TO SET THE EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD AND MY
HOME CITY OF US AND I GUESS WE'LL START WITH THE FIRST QUESTION IF IT GOES ON MINE, WHAT'S THE END GOAL OF WHAT'S YOUR MISSION STATEMENT I SHOULD
SAY FOR THAT AND I'M SORRY GABRIEL, BUT THE WAY THAT THIS WORKS IS YOU PUBLICLY TESTIFY AND WE HEAR YOU AND THEN WE END THE HEARING. SO YEAH, GENERALLY AND I KNOW
THIS IS A HEARING THAT THERE AREN'T A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE BUT WE JUST TRY TO KEEP THE NORMS OF THE YOU KNOW, OF THE BODY WHERE THE LIKE ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE RELIEVED. THEY'RE JUST LISTENING TO YOU TESTIFY.
NO, THAT'S FINE. THEY DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER. OKAY. OKAY. PERFECT THEN MICHAEL YEAH, GO AHEAD. MY QUESTION WOULD BE TO THE CITY COUNCIL THEN IF THAT'S FINE BUT DO YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MISSION STATEMENT IS FOR AND SORRY.
YEAH, I'M SORRY. WE DON'T WE DON'T RESPOND TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY. YOU JUST GIVE YOUR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND THEN WE ADJOURN. OKAY, THEN I'LL JUST STATE MY QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD. SO OKAY, PERFECT. YEAH. YEAH. AND I'M SORRY I I, I JUST IT'S
FUNNY BECAUSE IT'S IT'S WEIRD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE BUT USUALLY THERE'S LIKE A LINE OF PEOPLE TO TESTIFY SO THE NORMS ARE SET FOR THAT. I'M HAPPY TO CHAT WITH YOU AS SOON AS WE ADJOURN. IT'S OKAY WE'RE ALL CITIZENS
FIRST AND WE'RE ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH FIRST. SO I MEAN I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WE ALL HAVE TO RESPECT THAT. SO EVEN IF THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE HERE THAT WOULD BE
REALLY GREAT TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T TAKE AN ELECTION TO HAVE AN IDEA AND WE ALL HAVE A VOICE. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING ABLE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS LATER BUT I STILL LIKE TO ASK THESE
QUESTIONS WAS THE PEOPLE AT HOME WATCHING MIGHT HAVE THE SAME AND IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO OUT THERE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC. CAN I CONTINUE?
OH, ABSOLUTELY YES. THANK YOU SO FOR I SAID MY FIRST QUESTION ON THE RECORD WOULD IT BE FOR A CITY
COUNCIL TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR MISSION STATEMENT IS AND FURTHER WOULD BE MY REQUEST FOR A CITY COUNCIL IF YOU GUYS CAN GET BACK TO ME WOULD BE TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE END GOAL . ARE WE MOVING AWAY FROM THE METER SO WE CAN SUSTAIN ON THIS? THAT'D BE A REALLY GREAT GOAL IF WE CAN JUST HAVE GREEN RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTEAD
OF GIANT BUSSES CONGESTION ON STREETS IF WE CAN ESTABLISH SMALL GRENOBLE BIKE THAT'D BE A REALLY GOOD GOAL AND THEN WHO'S THE TARGET AUDIENCE LIKE WHAT ABOUT DISABLED PEOPLE, THE
ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE ASTHMA, PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES, THINGS LIKE THAT? YEAH, THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD HAVE FOR YOU GUYS TO ASK BEFORE YOU GUYS GO
THROUGH ALL THIS IS TO IRON OUT THOSE KINKS FOR THE PUBLIC. THEN THE OTHER QUESTIONS WOULD BE THESE ARE MORE GEARED TOWARDS THEM BUT I'M STILL OUT OF CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN ACCESS QUESTIONS TO THEM PRIVATELY BUT LIKE WHEN
WE DO DEVELOP THIS LIKE WHAT WOULD BE THE IDEA OF THE COMPANY STATING OKAY WE'VE MET OUR GOAL AS FAR AS I KNOW THEY SAID 80% BUT THEN WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN NUMBERS TWO
LIKE EVERYBODY WHAT IS THAT LIKE THE RATIO OF LIKE BIKES TO PERSON? IS IT LIKE YOU GUYS EXPECT A ONE BIKE PER FAMILY HOUSEHOLD LIKE HOW DID HOW DOES THAT LOOK? YOU GUYS ANSWER THE QUESTION
ABOUT WHO MAINTAINS THEM WHICH A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE AND YOU'RE YOU'RE AT AROUND 3 MINUTES. THANK YOU.
AND THEN AS FAR AS WHAT THESE BIKES BEING MADE AND EVERYTHING AND THE JOBS THAT WOULD BE COMING FROM THIS, ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING TO HIRE INTERNALLY OR ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING TO HIRE MY
FELLOW CONSTITUENT OF BOSTON? THEY'RE OUT THERE WATCHING RIGHT NOW THAT THAT'D BE REALLY GREAT IF YOU GUYS DO HIRE PEOPLE THE CITY I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOLERS WHO JUST GRADUATED AND A LOT
OF PEOPLE WHO JUST GRADUATED ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS AND THAT'D BE REALLY GOOD. THAT WOULD BE ONE WAY FOR YOU TO FOR YOUR COMPANY TO BOOST PUBLIC SUPPORT EVEN THOUGH YOU
GUYS ALREADY HAVE IT. YOU KNOW THAT AND THEN LAST THING LIKE WOULD SEE INCENTIVE LIKE WHAT'S THE LIKE YES IT'S MORE CONVENIENT FOR ME TO USE MY BIKE BUT THAT'S ONLY ON GOOD
WEATHER SO THEN LIKE WHAT'S THE INCENTIVE THAT'S GOING TO LIKE MAKE THIS SUSTAINABLE AND MAKE ME WANT TO USE THIS YEAR ROUND INSTEAD OF USING THE BUS? I KNOW WHAT THE BIKE I CAN GO
PLACES DIRECTLY WITHOUT HAVING TO WALK ONCE I GET OFF THE BUS BUT THEN IT'S NOT THE SAME. IT'S LIKE A SNOWING OUTSIDE I KNOW THAT CAN PLOW THE STREETS AND PUT IT DOWN. WHAT ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS AND
THEN WHO'S GOING TO BE RESPOND TO BOTH AND MAKING SURE THAT THESE BIKE PATHS ARE ACTUALLY PAVED SO THAT WE CAN USE THEM. IS THAT GOING TO BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY PAYING THAT OR IS IT GOING TO
BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMPANY TO MAINTAIN THEIR BIKE PATHS THAT JUST YOU GUYS ANSWERED LIKE YOU GUYS MAINTAIN THEM? BUT I JUST WANTED THAT SPECIFIC FLAHERTY BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO PAY ANY MORE TAXES OUT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GABRIEL WE'RE IT ALMOST 5 MINUTES SO I WANT TO BECAUSE THAT'S WE USUALLY GIVE PEOPLE MINUTES SO THANK YOU SO MUCH THANK YOU FOR COMING AND LOOK FORWARD TO CHATTING WITH YOU AFTER OH OKAY WELL THANK
EVERYBODY FOR WATCHING THANK YOU FOR THE 5 MINUTES AND YEAH THAT'S JUST EXCELLENT. SO SPEND MY TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I WANT TO
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE AND SEEING NO OTHER PUBLIC TESTIMONY. THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 0648 AND
OH 7 TO 0 IS ADJOURNED