E CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, RESILIENCY AND PARKS. TODAY IS MAY 9TH, 2025 AND THE
EXACT TIME IS 10:13 A.M.. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED. IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED AT BOSTON DARK OF FORWARD SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND
BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FILES CHANNEL NINE SIX AND VIEAUX CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO
THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C DOT E P AT BOSTON DOT GOV 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 TO TESTIFY AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE
CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON RON MCCORD CEO BEEBE BOSS AND DOT
GOV FOR THE LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 025 TO ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS EXPANDING THE URBAN
TREE CANOPY IN DISTRICT TWO. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS ED FLYNN AND SHARON DURKIN AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 15TH, 2025. TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY
COLLEAGUE COUNSELOR ED FLYNN WITH AN ABSENCE LETTER FROM COUNCILOR WORRELL THAT I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD SHORTLY. BUT FOR NOW I'LL PASS IT TO COUNSELOR FLYNN FOR ANY OPENING
REMARKS AND GO TO OUR LOVELY PANEL. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR CLARA ZAPATA FOR CHAIRING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING INTO COUNCILOR DURKIN AS WELL
FOR CO-SPONSORING THIS HEARING WITH ME. I CALLED FOR THIS HEARING TODAY TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR EXPANDING THE URBAN TREE CANOPY IN DISTRICT TWO, WHICH INCLUDES
SOME OF THE AREAS WITH THE LEAST TREE COVERAGE IN THE CITY SUCH AS CHINATOWN LEATHER DISTRICT, SOUTH BOSTON, DOWNTOWN BOSTON, THE FORT POINT
AS WELL AS OF 2019 SOUTH BOSTON ONLY HAD 8% TREE COVERAGE AND CHINATOWN ONLY HAD 7% COMPARED
TO THE CITY AVERAGE OF 27% AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS WE CONTINUED TO LOSE OUR TREES TO MICROBURST FROM STORMS AS WELL AS CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. A HEALTHY URBAN TREE CANOPY IS IMPORTANT TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE. TREES NOT ONLY PROVIDE
BEAUTIFICATION THEY ALSO ABSORB EXCESS STORMWATER RUNOFF PROVIDE SHADE ABOUT THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT FILTER POLLUTANTS AND BRING A HOST OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC
HEALTH BENEFITS. RESIDENTS ACROSS DISTRICT TWO IN CHINATOWN IN DOWNTOWN BOSTON OF OTHER DISTRICT SOUTH BOSTON FORT POINT CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE TREE PLANTING
IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. MY FRIEND ANGELA SUE WHO IS HERE IN CHINATOWN FOR MANY YEARS RESIDENTS HAVE ADVOCATED FOR MORE TREE PLANTINGS TO COMBAT AIR POLLUTANTS, IMPROVE
QUALITY OF LIFE AND TO PROVIDE GREENERY IN A DENSE URBAN ENVIRONMENT. AND IN THE LATTER DISTRICT I THINK WE HAVE EIGHT TREES OR LESS IN SOUTH BOSTON.
I CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE SOUTH BOSTON ELECTED OFFICIALS IN OUR ATTEMPTS TO PRESERVE SYSTEM AREA VERONICA PARK IN THE FIVE MATURE TREES ON ON THAT SITE AT
THE CORNER OF F STREET IN WEST EIGHTH STREET TODAY I HOPE WE'RE ABLE TO TO DISCUSS THE PROCESS AND HOW WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, HOW WE
CAN GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN SELECTING MORE APPROPRIATE TREE LOCATIONS TO INCREASE GREENERY. I HOPE WE ALSO CAN SPEAK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT TREE MAINTENANCE, WHAT WE CAN DO
WITH TREES THAT ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF STRESS POOR HEALTH SOMETIMES DUE TO GAS LEAKS THAT ARE UNFORTUNATELY KILLING MANY OF OUR TREES. SEVERAL YEARS AGO I WOULD DO
WALKS IN THE SALTON AND ELSEWHERE WITH A GROUP CALLED MOTHERS OUT FRONT. BUT WE ALSO LOSE THEM OR HAVE ISSUES ABOUT WEATHER EVENTS OR
FROM ELECTRIC LINES PESTS, DISEASE, TREES ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR WELL-BEING AND WELL-BEING INCREASE OUR URBAN TREE CANOPY SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS.
EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT. WE ALSO NEED TO DISCUSS HOW WE CAN INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN HELP LOWER THE TEMPERATURE IN SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS GREEN
ROOFS, COOL PAVEMENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS HEARING FROM OUR PANELISTS TODAY AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR RESIDENTS ADVOCATE CITY ADMINISTRATION TEAM NONPROFITS ON MAKING SURE WE HAVE A HIGHER
TREE CANOPY COVERAGE AND THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN HAVE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE ESPECIALLY AS WE EXPERIENCE MORE DAYS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. I'LL READ COUNCILOR MORALES RECORD OR LETTER INTO THE RECORD. DEAR COUNCILOR COLLEAGUES I REGRET THAT I WILL BE UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS MORNING'S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND
RESILIENCY HEARING ON TREE COVERAGE EXPANSION TREES AND TREE COVERAGE BENEFITS PEOPLE IN MANY WAYS BUT ESPECIALLY PROTECTION FROM A HEAT ISLAND AFFECTS AS WE FACE INCREASING TEMPERATURES AND CLIMATE CHANGES WE MUST TAKE
SIGNIFICANT STEPS TO KEEP RESIDENTS SAFE AND HEALTHY AND TO SAFEGUARD THE ENVIRONMENT. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE AND TO HEARING ABOUT THE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE CITYWIDE EXPANSION FOR THESE EFFORTS. IN THE MEANTIME I WOULD LIKE TO
SUBMIT A FEW INFORMATION REQUESTS AS FOLLOWS HE HAS THREE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK ARE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL AND I'LL READ THOSE INTO THE RECORD WHEN THEY ARE AND THEY COME DOWN TO
THE FLOOR, HE SAYS. I APPRECIATE LOOK, YOU LOOK EVEN FURTHER INTO THESE MATTERS. THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS DISCUSSION AND I WILL REVIEW THE VIDEO WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. SINCERELY BRIAN WORRELL BOSTON
CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT DISTRICT FOUR FOUR FOR ME I TALK ABOUT DISTRICT ONES TREE CANOPY OFTEN IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS FROM CHARLESTOWN TO EAST BOSTON. THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AS WE
KNOW DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS BIPOC RESIDENTS AND THOSE WITHIN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC CENSUS TRACTS. BREATHING CLEAN AIR SHOULDN'T BE A LUXURY ESPECIALLY AS WE BEAR THE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN OF AN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND
REGIONAL TRAFFIC. WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO INCREASE OUR TREE COVER AND DOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO PLANT NEW HEALTHY TREES IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES NOT JUST IN
DISTRICT ONE BUT EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND I WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR WORK. WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE MORE INVESTMENTS IN EXPANDING STAFF CAPACITY WITHIN THE PARKS
DEPARTMENT TO RESTORE OUR TREE CANOPY AT A FASTER RATE, MORE INVESTMENTS IN MAINTENANCE AND CITY STAFF AND RESOURCES. BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK BILL MASTERSON AT TREE CITY WHO IS JUST AN INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUAL,
HAS DONE AMAZING WORK IN HIS BOSTON PLANTING. I THINK OVER 550 TREES AND I'LL BE THERE THIS SATURDAY WITH HIM AT CENTRAL SQUARE PLANTING MORE TREES AND SO VERY PROUD OF THE
WORK HE'S DONE. BUT I KNOW THAT THIS HEARING IS PARTICULARLY ON DISTRICT TWO AND SO I'M HERE TO SUPPORT MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR FLYNN IN THIS WORK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION.
SO WITH THAT I WILL PASS THIS NOW OVER TO OUR PANELISTS VERY QUICKLY I'LL INTRODUCE YOU DAVID MESHULAM CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPEAK FOR THE TREES.
CHRIS COOK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY, FORMER CHIEF OF ENVIRONMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND ANGELA SUE WHO COMMUNITY BUILDING ASSOCIATE AT THE ASIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
I'LL NOW PASS IT TO YOU IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE WHOEVER WANTS TO GO FIRST PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE YOUR TESTIMONY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ANGELA SIDHU AND I AM THE COMMUNITY BUILDING ASSOCIATE ASIAN COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OR AC DC LOCATED IN CHINATOWN, AC DC IS A NONPROFIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER THAT IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING STRONG
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES BY INVESTING IN THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THEY CALL HOME. WE DO THIS THROUGH PEACE KEEPING WHICH IS A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO PLANNING DESIGN AND
MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC SPACES. ONE OF THE WAYS WE PRACTICE PLACE KEEPING IS THROUGH OUR ANCHOR STRATEGY THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY AC DC AND IMPLEMENTED IN 2018.
ANCHOR STANDS FOR ACTIVATION NEEDS COMMUNITY HOUSING OPEN SPACE AND RESIDENT CENTERED THROUGH ANCHOR AC DC LOOKS TO CREATE SHAPE AND ACTIVATE OPEN
GREEN SPACES. I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT TWO OF OUR ANCHOR PROJECTS FIRST CHINATOWN BACKYARD IS ONE OF THE ONLY COMMUNITY GARDENS
WITHIN CHINATOWN STARTED ON A VACANT LOT ON HUDSON STREET. IT WAS A WAY TO OFFER THE CHINATOWN COMMUNITY A SPACE TO PLAY, GATHER AND GROW.
THE IDEA OF CHINATOWN BACKYARDS SPROUTED FROM YOUTHS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WANTED A COMMUNITY OPEN GREEN SPACE DUE TO PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORIGINAL LOT CHINATOWN BACKYARD
HAS SINCE MOVED TO A SMALL PLOT OF LAND LOCATED WITHIN THE TUFTS COMMUNITY. COMMENTS WE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE RESIDENTS AND FOUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO PLANT IN THE GARDEN.
THEY HAVE ADDED THEIR OWN PLANTERS AND UTILIZE EVERY INCH OF LAND THAT CAN BE USED TO GROW. THIS SHOWS THE DESIRE FOR GROWTH IN GREENERY. THE SECOND ANCHOR PROJECT I
WANT TO SHARE IS SUMMER PICNIC SO SUMMER PICNIC IS A FREE YEARLY EVENT THAT WE HOSTED TO OFFER THE COMMUNITY A SPACE TO COME TOGETHER, PLAY TOGETHER
AND LEARN ABOUT WAYS TO BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT. I STARTED THIS EVENT THREE YEARS AGO AFTER COMING ON BOARD WITH AC DC AS A LONG TERM CHINATOWN RESIDENT I WANTED TO
HELP THE COMMUNITY AND OFFER THEM CITY AND STATE RESOURCES ON HOW THEY CAN STAY SAFE, HEALTHY AND COOL DURING THE SUMMER HEAT RESILIENCE IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR
CHINATOWN BUSSES CHINATOWN IS ROUGHLY 2/10 OF A SQUARE MILE AND THE 2020 CENSUS REPORTS THAT OVER 7000 PEOPLE CALL CHINATOWN HOME MAKING CHINATOWN
THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY CHINATOWN, WHICH SITS IN DISTRICT TWO ONLY HAS 8% TREE CANOPY COMPARED TO 27%
CITYWIDE, MAKING IT ONE OF THE HOTTEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY AND ALSO ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE STATE I PUT
ON SUMMER PICNIC EACH YEAR BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE RESOURCES WITH THE RESIDENTS ABOUT HOW TO KEEP THEMSELVES COOL IN THE SUMMER BY SHARING HEAT HEAT EMERGENCY
RESPONSE INFORMATION THROUGH SUMMER PICNIC IS NOT ENOUGH IN THE LONG TERM THE CITY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THE ROOT
CAUSES OF THIS HEAT INCLUDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD LACK OF OPEN SPACE AND TREE CANOPY. SO I URGE CITY COUNCIL TO PRIORITIZE URBAN TREE CANOPY
WITHIN DISTRICT TWO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY ANGELA AND FOR YOUR WORK. NEXT I'LL GO TO CHRIS COOK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY.
AND FIRST I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE ENTIRE SIOUX FAMILY FOR CHINATOWN AND THEY'RE AN INSPIRATION WITH THEIR SERVICE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF BOSTON.
MY NAME IS CHRIS COOK. I HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY CONSERVANCY. I'M HERE JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE MARTHA SWAN. QUINN MARTHA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
THE GREENWAY IS A LINEAR PARK THAT STRETCHES ONE AND A HALF MILES FROM CHINATOWN TO THE WEST END AND INCLUDES A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE PARK SPACE IN DISTRICT TO THE
GREENWAY CONNECTS BOSTON TO ITS WATERFRONT AND PEOPLE TO ITS TO EACH OTHER THROUGH ORGANIC HORTICULTURE DIVERSE FREE PROGRAMING AND CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC ART. THE BENEFITS OF TREES
ESPECIALLY TREES IN THE URBAN PUBLIC REALM ARE WELL-KNOWN TO THIS BODY AND WELL ARTICULATED BY MY COLLEAGUES ESPECIALLY DAVID IN HIS EXCELLENT WORK AT SPEAK FOR THE TREES TREES
IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES BY MANAGING FINE PARTICULATE MATTER AND REDUCING THE IMPACT OF HEAT ISLAND EFFECT ON COMMUNITIES TREES MANAGE STORMWATER AND REDUCE THE STRAIN ON OUR AGING
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS MANAGED SO DILIGENTLY BY THE HARDWORKING FOLKS AT THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION. TREES ARE DOCUMENT TO INCREASE PERCEPTIONS OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN
URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS, REDUCE VEHICLE SPEEDS AND PROVIDE POSITIVE ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES. TREES PROVIDE HABITAT FOR BOTH
MIGRATORY AND LOCAL NESTING BIRDS AND DISTRICT TWO IS PART OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL FLYWAY. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT USED TO BE AN EXPRESSWAY IS NOW A REST STOP FOR BIRDS.
WE AT THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY CONSERVANCY APPLAUD THE WU ADMINISTRATION'S INVESTMENTS IN THE URBAN FORESTRY DIVISION AND EXPANDING THE TREE CANOPY FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL FOR ADVOCATING FOR AND SUPPORTING THOSE EFFORTS. I ESPECIALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARDWORKING FOLKS IN THE URBAN FORESTRY DIVISION OF THE BOSTON PARKS
DEPARTMENT 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS TWO DAYS A YEAR. THEY DO NOTHING SHORT OF PROTECT THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
I WAS VERY PROUD IN 2019 TO STAND WITH SIT WITH THEN CITY COUNCILOR MICHELLE WU AS WELL AS COUNCILOR FLYNN WHEN THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS RELEASED A REPORT THAT CHINATOWN HAS THE WORST AIR
QUALITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH, THE EXPANSION OF THE TREE CANOPY WOULD GO VERY FAR IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. THE CONSERVANCY WAS ALSO PROUD TO HOST THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON'S HEAT PLAN IN CHIN PARK WITH THE INSTALLATION OF A WATER MISTER TO PROVIDE HEAT RELIEF FOR THE RESIDENTS OF CHINATOWN. ANY EXPANSION OF TREE CANOPY IS
GOOD ANY EXPANSION OF TREE CANOPY IN THE URBAN CONTEXT IS GREAT AND IN DISTRICT TWO WHERE THERE IS SUCH A LOW TREE CANOPY IN THE AREAS OF THE LEATHER DISTRICT CHINATOWN THE WHARF
AND SOUTH BOSTON IT IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT TO DOUBLE THOSE EFFORTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE THROUGHOUT YOUR
CAREER TO EXPAND THE 25 ST DAVID WILL NOW GO TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING ME AND IT'S MY HONOR TO BE HERE. I WAS JUST REMINISCING WITH
FORMER COMMISSIONER ROB COOK THAT ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO I SAT HERE DURING A HEARING THAT THEN COUNCILOR PRESSLEY HELD ABOUT FREE EQUITY AND JUST AS
WE ARE GETTING STARTED AS AN ORGANIZATION SO IT'S BEEN A LONG RIDE AND I WANTED TO THANK COUNCILOR FLYNN WHO ALSO INVITED ME TO HIS OFFICE I THINK IT WAS SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO. WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION
ABOUT TREES IN HIS DISTRICT AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THIS HEARING IS BEING HELD TO CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND IN THE LARGER CONTEXT AND I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO BOTH
SENTIMENTS HERE FROM FROM THE OTHER PANELISTS AROUND THE HARD WORK THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES SINCE TOD MR THE OUR DIRECTOR OF URBAN FORESTRY HAS
JOINED WE ALL IN OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING BUT I THINK EVEN MORE SO IN ALL OF THE WORK THAT MAX FOR DIMOND WAS DOING BEFORE HE HAD A CREW OF 12 AND ALL THE WORK THAT HE DID WITH
WITH A BAREBONES CREW. SO IT'S AMAZING TO WATCH THE INVESTMENTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE SUPPORTED TO ENSURE THAT THE THAT THESE FOLKS HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO TO
PROTECT THE TREES AND PLANT TREES TO INCREASE THE THE RESILIENCY OF THIS CITY. I'M QUICKLY JUST GOING TO REMARK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME
OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE UNDERTAKEN IN IN DISTRICT TWO AND SHARE WITH YOU A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ON WHERE WE MIGHT BE LOOK FOR SOME SOLUTIONS. SO MY NAME IS DAVID MESHULAM.
I AM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HERE AT SPEAK FOR THE TREES BOSTON WE WERE FOUNDED IN 2018 WITH AN IDEA THAT HAS NOW BLOSSOMED INTO A NONPROFIT WITH ABOUT
NINE OR TEN EMPLOYEES AND A WATERING TRUCK AND A LOT OF REALLY WONDERFUL PROGRAMING THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR WORK IN IN DISTRICT TWO HAS INCLUDED
SOME PART SOME PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAVE COME TO FRUITION AND SOME THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AGAIN AT SUPPORTING FURTHER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE WORK
WITH THE SOUTH BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE OR THE ALLEY TO DO AN INTERGENERATIONAL TREE WALK CAMPAIGN. SO TO THINK ABOUT HOW THE YOUTH THERE COULD CONNECT WITH SOME OF THE OLDER FOLKS AND UNDERSTAND THE TREE CANOPY AND
CARING FOR THE TREES THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WAS REALLY POWERFUL AND IT SORT OF FELL OFF THE RADAR. I THINK DURING COVID WE'VE ALSO BEEN SUPPORTING THE NORTH
OF BROADWAY COALITION ON THEIR EFFORTS TO TO PRESERVE THE TREES THAT WERE SLATED FOR REMOVAL IN SOUTH BOSTON. WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH VICINITY
ENERGY TO CARE FOR SOME OF THE TREES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'VE BEEN GREAT. WE GAVE A TALK THERE AND THEY'RE CARING FOR SOME OF THE TREES ALONG THE WATERWAY THERE AND I'VE ALSO BEEN IN CONVERSATION OVER THE YEARS
WITH LYDIA LOWE FROM THE CHINATOWN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE TREES COULD GO IN CHINATOWN. JUST THIS MORNING I CHECKED IN WITH MY STAFF ARBORIST AND I
WANTED TO JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MAX AND TODD BECAUSE WE SAW A LONG SUMMER STREET A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT THERE WERE SOME DEAD AND DYING TREES AND WE THOUGHT THERE WERE PUBLIC TREES, THERE WERE BACK
OF SIDEWALK TREES AND I THINK TODD CHECKED IN WITH MAX AND ACTUALLY THEY WERE PRIVATE TREES AND AND I THINK THEY'RE ALL OAKS AND EITHER THEY'VE BEEN REMOVED OR WILL BE
REMOVED. BUT ON WEDNESDAY I WILL BE PLANTING THREE TREES RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF THE FEDEX BUILDING ON 775 SUMMER STREET.
SO COUNCILOR FLYNN, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN US ON WEDNESDAY. I CAN PROVIDE YOU MORE DETAILS ON THAT. SORRY IT'S A LITTLE LATE IN COMING. WE'VE BEEN JUGGLING A LOT THIS SEASON WITH PLANTINGS AND TREE CARE BUT THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING.
I THINK THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FIND IN DISTRICT TWO IS FINDING SPACE AND I'M EAGER TO TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND ALSO WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO FIND CREATIVE
WAYS WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE TREE CANOPY BECAUSE IT IS AS BOTH PANELISTS HERE HAVE NOTED, INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AS WE FACE
CLIMATE CHANGE. SO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK. I'LL NOW PASS IT TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR ANY QUESTIONS HE MAY HAVE FOR THIS
PANEL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE PANEL THAT IS HERE. THANK YOU TO ANGELA, THANK YOU TO DAVID AND TO AND TO CHRIS AS
WELL OVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH ALL THREE OF YOU AND YOU DO A TREMENDOUS JOB ADVOCATING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE NOT JUST IN DISTRICT TWO BUT REALLY, REALLY ACROSS
THE CITY. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU. LET ME LET ME START WITH YOU, ANGELA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
AND AS CHRIS MENTIONED, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD GREAT RESPECT FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FAMILY'S COMMITMENT TO CHINATOWN, TO THE ASIAN
COMMUNITY AND FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE. WE NOT ONLY IN CHINATOWN DO WE HAVE SO FEW TREES BUT WE ALMOST FEEL WE HAVE SO FEW PUBLIC PARKS.
I THINK THE ONLY ONE TECHNICALLY MIGHT BE THE TATE TUNG VILLAGE LITTLE PARK THERE AND THAT MIGHT BE THE SMALLEST PARK IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
CERTAINLY YOU WALK UP TOWARDS THE THE BOSTON COMMON BUT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE SO FEW TREES BUT WE ALMOST HAVE NO PARKS AS WELL.
WE IT'S A IT'S A LARGE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, A LARGE POPULATION OF SENIORS AS WELL GETS VERY HOT THERE IN THE SUMMERTIME AND SENIORS STRUGGLE
AND SO MANY OF THEM DON'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING IN THEIR APARTMENT. UM I KNOW AC DC HAS GREAT PLANS AND PROGRAMS THAT TRIES TO SUPPORT OUR SENIORS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE
PROGRAMS THAT AC DC HAS IN OUTREACH ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES AND WHAT DO YOU WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS IN TERMS OF GETTING MORE TREES INTO THE
CHINATOWN COMMUNITY? YEAH UM SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THERE ARE TWO ANCHOR PROJECTS THAT I AM CURRENTLY THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR SO THESE FUNDS I CAN SPEAK MORE
ABOUT SO THERE'S A CHINATOWN BACKYARD WHICH WE DON'T ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP AND GET A PLOT TO GROW AND SO
THE GARDENERS ARE VERY EXCITED EVERY YEAR TO COME BACK AND YOU KNOW, GROW THEIR VEGETABLES, GROW THEIR FLOWERS AND IT'S
GOTTEN SO POPULAR THAT THE TOMATO PLANTS THAT ARE GROWING PEOPLE ACTUALLY COME BEHIND AND STICK THEIR HANDS THROUGH THE FENCES TO TAKE OTHER PEOPLE'S
TOMATOES AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO SUMMER PICNIC WITH COUNCILOR FLYNN HAS SPOKEN AT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AND PLANS TO SPEAK AGAIN THIS YEAR SO THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW WE TRY TO BRING YOU KNOW, CITY AND CITY OFFICIALS IN TO SPEAK MORE ON WHAT THE
CITY AND STATE ARE DOING TO COMBAT THE HEAT THAT IS HAPPENING IN CHINATOWN. THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, YOU
KNOW, WAYS PLACES THEY CAN GO FOR COOLING CENTERS. SO YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE TWO OF THE THINGS YOU KNOW, I DID MENTION THEM EARLIER.
AC DC IS ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINATOWN MAIN STREET AND SHE COMMUNITY CONSULTING AND
ALSO I THINK ZOE DAVIS HERE IS US ALSO SITS ON A COMMITTEE THAT WAS FORMED WITH A BUNCH OF CITY DEPARTMENT AND IT'S
CALLED COOL DOWN CHINATOWN SO WE'RE BRINGING CITY AND THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO TRY TO
FORM A PLAN ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THE SUMMERS IN CHINATOWN SAFE AND COOL FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU ANGELA. AND JUST AS A FOLLOW UP AND I KNOW FIRST MENTIONED THE COOL COOLING THE MISTING STATION AND ALONG THE GREENWAY BUT ONE
OF THE CHALLENGES I'VE HAD ANGELA DURING DURING THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS THE COOLING CENTERS THAT ARE CITY SPONSORED
AT TIMES THEY ACTUALLY HAVEN'T EVEN INCLUDED ONE IN CHINATOWN WHEN THEY WHEN THEY ROLL OUT THE INITIAL PLAN AND ONCE I SEE THAT I, I IMMEDIATELY STOP
WHATEVER I'M DOING AND ADVOCATE FOR IT. BUT MY POINT MY POINT NOW IS WE KNOW THAT THE HOT TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO BE HERE SOON AND
I'M ASKING THE ADMINISTRATION TO PRIORITIZE CHINATOWN NOW SO THAT IT CAN BE ON THE INITIAL LIST BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AND IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN CHINATOWN IS
NOT ON THAT LIST BECAUSE YOU SEE ANGELA, THE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR OUR SENIORS RIGHT? YES. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS
OUR SENIORS HAVE IN CHINATOWN WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY AIR OR THEY OR THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH WITH
RESPIRATORY ISSUES? HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT FOR OUR SENIORS? SO THERE'S A RISK WHEN THE TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE ARE HIGH,
WHEN YOU LIVE INSIDE A SMALL APARTMENT THAT DOES NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, YOU KNOW THERE'S THE RISK I'M NOT A DOCTOR BUT THERE IS A RISK FOR LIKE HEAT STROKE AND OTHER
HEALTH ISSUES. SO YOU KNOW, PART OF COOL DOWN CHINATOWN IS WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO FIND OUT A GOOD SOLUTION FOR A
PERMANENT COOLING CENTER WITHIN CHINATOWN WHETHER THAT IS THE BUSY B CYF CENTER AT QUINCY SCHOOL OR IF THAT IS THE NEW
JOSIAH UPPER SCHOOL OR IF THAT IS THE YMCA PROBLEMS WE HAVE FACED IN THE PAST WITH COOLING
CENTERS WERE THAT YOU KNOW, THE WERE RELUCTANT TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE WELL AT LEAST IN MY APARTMENT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF AIR
GOING BUT IF I LEAVE THE APARTMENT THEN IT'S JUST HOT. SO THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT AND YOU KNOW PROFESSOR MISS CHU WHO
I BELIEVE IS GOING TO SPEAK LATER, YOU KNOW, SHE HAD DID A STUDY AND IT SHOWED THAT WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE OVER 90
DEGREES YOU WANT TO HAVE A FAN CIRCULATING BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST MOVING THE HOT AIR AROUND SO IT CAN MAKE THINGS SO YOU KNOW, IT
WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE COOL DOWN WORKING WITH THE CITY TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO RESIDENTS ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY AND LET THEM KNOW THE
EFFECTS OF KEY AND WHAT HE CAN DO TO YOUR BODY RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR AND KIND OF ENCOURAGING THEM TO GET OUT AND FIND AN OPEN GREEN
SPACE THAT SHADE IT WHICH IS NOT A LOT OR GOING TO A COOLING CENTER WELL THANK YOU, ANGELA. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND I KNOW PART OF THAT
PROCESS ALSO IS LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS ENSURING THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY ESPECIALLY IN CANTONESE TO OUR OLDER POPULATION.
SO THANK YOU ANGELA. CHRIS, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU . YOU DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB AS THE PARKS COMMISSIONER AND CONTINUE AS AS THE ROSE ROSE
KENNEDY GREENWAY AND AS YOU AS YOU KNOW I LOVE THE GREENWAY. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE GREENWAY AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE WITH WITH MY WIFE
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE GREENWAY MY AND I'VE SAID THIS PUBLICLY AND I'VE SAID IT PRIVATELY TO MANY PEOPLE I, I ALWAYS WANT
THE GREENWAY IN THE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND THE NORTH END AREA I WANT THE GREENWAY IN CHINATOWN TO LOOK AS BEAUTIFUL
IN CHINATOWN AS IT DOES THE ENTIRE GREENWAY AND FOR VARIOUS REASONS WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IT DOESN'T. I THINK YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS
,CHRIS, AND YOU HAVE A TREMENDOUS WORK ETHIC AND ATTITUDE SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BUT I STILL AS YOU KNOW HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR
MY CONSTITUENTS IN MY DISTRICT. BUT CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WITH THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY AND ENSURING THAT WE ARE PROVIDED
WE ARE ABLE PROVIDE SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS IN AND IN CHINATOWN IN THE LEATHER DISTRICT THAT RELY ON THE GREENWAY FOR OPEN
SPACE AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES TO BE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS. WHAT ARE WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ? CHRIS NO, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNCILOR AND I AGREE THERE'S SOME DESIGN CHALLENGES WITH THE CHINATOWN PORTION OF THE
GREENWAY WHICH I CAN GO INTO VERY QUICKLY BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TABLE SETTING. I THINK THE CONTEXT THAT YOU GAVE WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT HOW UNDERSERVED. THE CHINATOWN COMMUNITY IS BY
OPEN SPACE AND BY PARK SPACE AND SO THAT IT RELIES ON OUR INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS SUCH AS TUFTS TO WORK WITH AREA NONPROFITS TO PROVIDE THAT RECREATIONAL SPACE WHERE IT PUTS AN UNDUE BURDEN ON, YOU
KNOW, THE QUINCY UP OR THE QUINCY LAW AND OTHER RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. SO THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY CORPORATIONS IN CHINATOWN THEY'RE ALSO OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS.
THEY'RE ALL INVOLVED IN OPEN SPACE ADVOCACY. SO AS YOU LOOK AT THE DESIGN OF THE GREENWAY ESPECIALLY I WOULD GUESS THE CHINATOWN PORTION A LOT OF IT IS BUILDING ON INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISINGLY PRE BIG
DIG RIGHT BECAUSE THE CENTRAL ARTERY USED TO GO DOWN THE EXISTING BEN STACK WAS ACTUALLY THERE YOU KNOW PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BIG DIG AND SO AS THEY STARTED TO BUILD OUT
THAT SPACE WHICH IS THE TRULY THE ONLY FORMAL PARK ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN CHINATOWN OF ANY SIZE RIGHT IS YOUR POINT. TAI TUNG IS VERY SMALL.
ELLIOT NORTON IS KNOW CLOSER TO BAY VILLAGE THAN IS THE CHINATOWN. THE COMMON IS OUTSIDE OF CHINATOWN. EVEN REGGIE WONG PARK IS YOU KNOW, CLOSER TO THE OTHER DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD THAN IT
IS IN CHINATOWN AND YOU KNOW THERE'S ALL SORTS OF REASONS FOR THAT NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. SO IT DOES PUT AN EXCEEDING RESPONSIBILITY ON THE CONSERVANCY TO SERVE THE
CHINATOWN POPULATION AND A LOT OF DISTRICT FAMILIES IN A WAY THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY. HOWEVER, THE DESIGN WHICH WAS
YOU KNOW, FOCUSED HEAVILY ON PAVEMENT TO PROVIDE ACTIVITY AREAS FOR YOU KNOW, AUGUST MOON FESTIVAL AND THE OTHER COMMUNITY GATHERINGS. WHAT THAT DOES IS IT INTRODUCES
THE SURFACE THAT ACTUALLY JUST CONTRIBUTES TO THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT. SO THE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN THERE AS AGAIN WE WORKED WITH THE CITY TO INSTALL THE MISTER STATION TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF. WE DO THINK WE HAVE A LONG TERM
OPPORTUNITY POST THE MASSDOT REPOINTING PROJECT OF THE EVENTS STACK TO MOVE INTO A MARY SUE WHO PARK PHASE TWO WHICH WOULD INVOLVE A MORE GREENER SOLUTION TO BUILD ON
THE THE SMALL PLAYGROUND AREA THAT WE'VE INTRODUCED TO THAT THE CHINESE VIEWING GARDEN WE THINK THE PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT DESIGN PROCESS INTRODUCING THE PUBLIC INTO
THAT WELL VEGETATED AREA BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE A PLACE WHERE YOU GET TO SEE PLANTS. IT SHOULD BE A PLACE THAT YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE PLANTS PLANTS AND THE BENEFITS AS DO WE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THERE'S ACTUALLY
MICROCLIMATES AROUND SOME OF THESE PLANTS YOU KNOW THE WATER VAPOR IN THE ACTUALLY COOLS YOU DOWN JUST AS MUCH AS THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FROM THE SHADE. AND SO THE OTHER THING WE CAN DO IS INTRODUCE MORE POTTED
TREES INTO THE LANDSCAPE UNFORTUNATELY BETWEEN THE TUNNEL AND THE UTILITY SOUP THAT IS IS CHINATOWN IN THE OTHER DISTRICT IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT AND CERTAINLY THE TREE WARDENS WILL TALK ABOUT
THIS TO GET ADDITIONAL STREET TREES INTO THE ACTUAL PAVEMENT IN THESE AREAS. SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS GREEN IT FURTHER INTRODUCE SOME MORE POTTED TREES THAT'LL REQUIRE MORE MAINTENANCE ON OUR PART BUT IT'S WELL WORTH THE EFFORT
AND THEN THOSE OTHER COOLING ELEMENTS WHETHER IT'S SERPENTINE PATH OF THE MIST OR OTHER ELEMENTS OF WATER REALLY RAPIDLY EXPAND THOSE. SO THOSE ARE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO OVER
THE NEXT DECADE. THANK YOU CHRIS YEP IT'S TO OKAY, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE OVER MY TIME BUT THE CHAIR IS BEING GRACIOUS SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHAIR CHRIS I'M GOING TO ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND
THEN MAYBE YOU CAN RESPOND ALL TOGETHER. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THE TREES ON SURFACE BY THE PLAY AREA ARE THOSE TRANTER ARE THOSE TREES PLANTED AND MAINTAINED BY THE
GREENWAY OR DOES THE CITY MAINTAIN THEM AND ARE WE ARE WE GOING TO PLANT MORE TREES RIGHT BY CHINATOWN GATE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING WITH THE HOT POT BUFFET SIGN?
YEAH. EXCELLENT QUESTION. SO WE DO THINK LONG TERM THAT AREA IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT WE DO THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PLANTING FOR AGAIN THOSE THOSE POTTED TREES RIGHT SO WE'D HAVE
TO INTRODUCE EITHER A RAISED BED OR WE'D HAVE TO INTRODUCE MORE POTS AND YOU KNOW, I THINK I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GREEN THAT SPACE SO LONG
TERM THAT THAT AREA THE TREES THAT ARE A LONG SURFACE ROAD AND IMMEDIATELY ABUTTING SURFACE ROAD IN THE SIDEWALK THOSE ARE CITY TREES THOSE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TRENDS
TRANSFERRED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS THROUGH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION AS THE CLOSE OUT OF THE CENTRAL ARTERY TUNNEL PROJECT FROM MASSDOT BACK TO THE CITY AND THE
CONSERVANCY ESPECIALLY AND I TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO MAX FOR IT. DIAMOND WE'RE GOING TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOWARDS THAT. MAYHEW I DO THINK IT'S A PLACE WHERE THE CONSERVANCY COULD PARTNER WITH THE CITY. THE CITY HAS A LOT
OF RESPONSIBILITIES CITYWIDE THE ROSE COUNTY GREENWAY CONSERVANCY HAS HORTICULTURE CONTRACTS, HAVE ARBORIST CONTRACTS AND WE HAVE A VERY DEDICATED HORTICULTURE STAFF IN ITS OWN.
SO AS WE START TO LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES OF TAKING OF THOSE TREES TREES BECAUSE AS WE WOULD SAY YOU KNOW THE BEST WAY TO EXPAND TREE CANOPY IS TO PROTECT EXISTING TREE CANOPY. SO IF WE COULD PROVIDE SOME
SORT OF SUPPLEMENTAL CARE TO THOSE CITY TREES IN AND AROUND THE GREENWAY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL NOT ONLY TO THE CITY'S BOTTOM LINE BUT ALSO
ALSO THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES. OF COURSE THERE'S A THERE'S A FINANCIAL ISSUE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION OF BUDGET FOR THE VERY SPECIFIC PRODUCT PROPERTY THAT'S DEDICATED TO THE TO THE THROUGH
THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT TO THE ACTUAL GREENWAY ITSELF. BUT I'M SURE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK THROUGH SO YOU KNOW, WE WOULD WE WOULD GLADLY PARTICIPATE IN THE CARE AND POTENTIAL EXPANSION OF THOSE TREES THAT
ARE IN AND AROUND THE GREENWAY THAT AREN'T OURS. THANK YOU CHRIS. I ALSO WANT TO AND I KNOW ANGELA MENTIONED AND YOU DID AS WELL CHRIS AND LYDIA LOWE AND
THE INCREDIBLE WORK SHE IS DOING TRYING TO TRY TO GET AND BUILD A WONDERFUL REGGIE WANG PARK THAT IS WELCOMING TO
CHINATOWN RESIDENTS BUT WHAT THE DISTRICT RESIDENTS AS WELL WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO GO TO DO ON ON THAT BUT I DO WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE LYDIA BUT I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE OF MY NEIGHBORS FROM SOUTH BOSTON THAT ARE ALSO HERE DONNA BROWN FROM THE SOUTH BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
DONNA, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AND ALSO MY MY BROTHER SOME RESIDENTS AS WELL FROM THE FORT POINT AREA TOO. I'M READY TO COME.
IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU ALSO LET ME LET ME GO TO DAVID. DAVID, THANK YOU FOR FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND I ALWAYS
ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY BEING THERE ON WEDNESDAY ON SUMMER STREET ON SUMMER STREET
DAVID AND TOM TOM KNOWS THIS AREA AS WELL. DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS AND I SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT
POTENTIAL GAS LEAKS AT ALL AND FUMES FROM CARS TRUCKS AS IT IMPACTS TREES? WE KNOW THAT THERE'S LITERALLY
THOUSANDS OF GAS LEAKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THERE MIGHT BE SMALL BUT THERE'S EVEN A SMALL GAS LEAK IS IS A MAJOR INCIDENT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
BUT ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THESE TREES WOULD BE SUSTAINED KNOWING THAT THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES FACING THEM? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. I THINK IT'S A REALLY CRITICAL
POINT THAT AS YOU MENTIONED, MOTHERS OUT FRONT HAS REALLY ELEVATED AND AND I KNOW THAT CONTINUES TO BE A CONCERN OF THEIRS AND OF OURS AS WELL. AND I THINK EVERYONE HERE IN
THE ROOM PROBABLY NOT JUST FOR OUR HEALTH AND AND THE EXPENSE THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR GAS LEAKS BUT FOR THE TREES AND THOSE ARE SORT OF THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINES, IF YOU WILL.
I DO HAVE CONCERNS FOR THAT AS AS GAS LEAKS NOT ONLY DISPLACE OXYGEN FROM THE SOIL BUT WILL ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE BACTERIAL GROWTH THAT'S HARMFUL FOR THE
TREE SO I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO THAT WE NEED TO HOLD THE GAS COMPANY TO ACCOUNT IS TO NOT ONLY MAINTAIN THOSE GAS LEAKS BUT ALSO TO ENSURE
THAT WE'RE FINDING A WAY TO TRANSITION OFF OUR GAS INFRASTRUCTURE IN A WAY THAT ENSURES THAT NOT ONLY DO WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE A CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEM BUT WE'RE ALSO
PROTECTING THE TREES. THERE ARE TREES THAT ARE MORE SUITED TO URBAN AREAS THAT CAN TAKE THE POLLUTION AND THE SALT AND AND THE OTHER SORT OF COMPACT SOIL THOSE TYPES
OF ISSUES THAT OTHER TREES CAN'T CAN'T SURVIVE AS WELL IN URBAN AREAS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE PLANTING GINGKO TREES. I BELIEVE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO RESILIENT. THEY ARE THEY'RE THE TOUGHEST
TREES OUT THERE, ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TREES OUT THERE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE HEALTH OF OUR TREES. WE WE WILL WATER THEM FOR TWO YEARS AND WE WILL REPLACE THEM
IF AND WHEN THEY DON'T SURVIVE. BUT I WANTED TO ACTUALLY ALSO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO CHRIS'S POINT WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WHERE THERE
ISN'T NECESSARILY SPACE TO PLANT NEW TREES OR WE KNOW THAT THE TREES WE PLANT WILL TAKE 20 YEARS TO REACH MATURITY THE MOST IMPORTANT TREES WE HAVE THAT THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT
SHADE AND TREE CANOPY WE HAVE IS THE TREES THAT ARE IN THE GROUND NOW AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY TO NOT ONLY MAINTAIN THOSE TREES ON PRIVATE LAND BUT PROTECT THOSE TREES THAT ARE ON PRIVATE LAND
BECAUSE AS WE KNOW REAL ESTATE IS AT A PREMIUM IN THIS CITY AND TREES ARE OFTEN THE LAST THING THAT ARE CONSIDERED BY A DEVELOPER AS PART OF THEIR PROJECTS. SO I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE
US TO THINK HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE BIG TREES THAT HAVE THAT AREN'T ENCOUNTERING GAS LEAKS, THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY DEALING WITH SALT OR COMPACT SOIL MUCH BECAUSE THEY'RE ON
PRIVATE LAND, HOW ARE THOSE PROTECTED AND PRESERVED IN A WAY THAT INCREASES AND LIFTS THE HEALTH OF ALL RESIDENTS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, DAVID. ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION THEN I'M GOING TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MY COLLEAGUES OBVIOUSLY. SO YOU TALKED ABOUT PRESERVING
THE CURRENT TREES THAT ARE THAT ARE IN THE CITY IN DISTRICT TWO BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY REALLY SO HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THIS, DAVID? I DO SEE IN SOUTH BOSTON AND IN
THE SOUTH END I SEE A LOT OF TREES, BEAUTIFUL OLD TREES SAY ON BROADWAY IN SOUTH BOSTON, BEAUTIFUL TREES BUT THE ROOTS ARE SO POWERFUL THAT THEY
BUCKLE ON THE THE SIDEWALK AND I KNOW I'LL ASK THIS QUESTION AS WELL TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT BUT THE ROOTS ARE SO POWERFUL THAT THEY BUCKLE THE THE
SIDEWALK, PUSH IT UP, ALMOST PREVENTING ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, ELDERLY PEOPLE BUT ALSO IMPACT IN PEOPLE'S BASEMENTS AND
STRUCTURE OF THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THE ROOTS OF GOING DOWN HOW HOW WOULD YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL ADDRESS THAT SITUATION? CERTAINLY WE WANT MORE TREES
BUT WE ALSO WE ALSO HAVE TO BALANCE THAT WITH PUBLIC ACCESS BUT ALSO THE HOMES AS WELL. BUT WHAT IS WHAT IS THE
SOLUTION? SO I'VE ALWAYS LOVED TREES I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE GOT WHEN WE TALKED TO RESIDENTS ABOUT TREES IS NOT EVERYONE SHARES THOSE SAME SENTIMENTS BECAUSE THEY WORRY
EXACTLY ABOUT THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED AND BREAKING LEAVES. THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS WE HEAR BUCKLING THE SIDEWALK YOU KNOW, ENTERING MY SEWER PIPE AND NOW I HAVE TO RAKE LEAVES NOW. THANK YOU I THINK THIS CITY WAS
NEVER IN AT FIRST BUILT FOR THINKING ABOUT TREES AS YOU KNOW WASN'T BUILT FOR TREES AS YOU KNOW, VERY FEW CITIES. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT
URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CENTURIES OLD IS NOT BUILT FOR ROOT GROWTH OR YOU KNOW, BARRIERS SO THAT IT DOESN'T ENTER PEOPLE'S BASEMENTS. I, I HAD THE PLEASURE
OF HOSTING TODD LAST WEEK ON A TREE WALK WITH SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HE POINTING OUT SOME OF THE BUCKLING SIDEWALKS IN DORCHESTER AND I WAS SAYING SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE UNDERTAKING IS REPLACING THAT
PAVEMENT WITH PERMEABLE RUBBER PAVEMENT THAT WON'T BUCKLE AS MUCH AND THAT WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR ACCESSIBILITY. THAT'S A THAT'S A CONCERN. RIGHT.
I LIKE AGAIN THERE'S THERE'S COMPETING INTERESTS IN ANY OF OUR PUBLIC SPACE. SO I COMMEND THE CITY FOR LOOKING INTO THAT. I KNOW IT'S A IT'S A PROCESS. I KNOW IT'S THERE'S A THERE'S A COST FOR THAT. THERE'S A MAINTENANCE ISSUE
AROUND THAT. AND THEN SECOND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT BASEMENTS AND ALL THAT I KNOW AND I'LL DEFER AGAIN HERE TO THE FOLKS AT THE CITY WHO ARE LOOKING AT SPECS BUT WAYS
OF CREATING WHAT ARE CALLED SILVER CELLS OR ELEVATED SIDEWALKS THAT ALLOW FOR BETTER ROOT GROWTH THAT DOESN'T ENCOURAGE TREES TO GO INTO
PEOPLE'S YARDS BUT IN FACT CAUSE CREATES A BARRIER AND PROVIDES BETTER AERATED SOIL. AGAIN, THAT'S AN EXPENSIVE MUCH
MORE EXPENSIVE TYPE OF SETTING FOR A TREE BUT IN MY OPINION IT'S WORTH THE COST AND I'M I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS
LOOKING AND HOPEFULLY WILL BE PART OF THEIR FUTURE PLANTINGS AS THEY DIG OUT NEW TREE WELLS. I WOULD SAY IN CLOSING IT IS
WHAT IS WHEN YOU HAVE A BIG BEAUTIFUL TREE AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT ANY OF MY COMMENTS TO SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD REMOVE A BIG BEAUTIFUL TREE JUST BECAUSE OF AND REPLACE IT WITH A SMALL SAPLING
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. AND I AGREE WITH YOU I LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL TREES TOO AND BUT I GUESS I GUESS IT IS A BALANCE. YES.
OF ENSURING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ABLE TO USE THE SIDEWALK. BUT BUT LET ME ASK YOU ONE FINAL QUESTION. WHAT WHAT IMPACT WOULD IT HAVE
IF YOU IF YOU TOOK DOWN THOSE BEAUTIFUL TREE BECAUSE OF BECAUSE OF THOSE ISSUES AND PUT A SMALLER TREE UP? CERTAINLY IT'S NOT AS BEAUTIFUL
OR DOESN'T PROVIDE THE SAME ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT BUT IT IT'S IT'S IT'S PROGRESS OR IT'S
IT'S SOMETHING IT'S A COMPROMISE BUT IS THAT DOES THAT MAKE SENSE IN MY MIND? NO. I THINK THAT THAT'S A RAW DEAL . I THINK THERE ARE WAYS TO ENSURE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE
ACCESSIBILITY AND YOU KNOW THE TREES WE PLANT TODAY WE WILL NEVER YOU AND I AND THIS IS NOT A THIS IS NOT BIG ON OUR AGE BUT YOU AND I WILL NOT
EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS OF A BIG TREE LIKE THAT IF WE REPLACE IT WITH A SAPLING. IT JUST TAKES THAT LONG 50, 60, 100 YEARS FOR THE TREES TO REACH THAT TYPE OF MATURITY AND
WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF THAT IN MY OPINION TO TO TAKE DOWN A TREE AND THEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF REMOVING A TREE LIKE THAT OUR GRANDCHILDREN OR
GREAT GRANDCHILDREN ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES WHO RECEIVE THOSE BENEFITS. WE HAVE TO THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND HAVING NOT ONLY A DIVERSE URBAN FOREST
IN TERMS OF LOCATION AND SPECIES BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF AGE AND WE CAN'T JUST START TAKING DOWN MATURE TREES TO REPLACE THEM WITH AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT I KNOW IS VERY
INTENTIONAL ABOUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT TREES ARE PLANTING WHERE. THANK YOU DAVID THANK YOU CHRIS AND THANK ANGELA. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR FOR
GIVING ME WELL BEYOND MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLYNN AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY OF COURSE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR ERIN MURPHY. I'LL GO TO HER FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THAT SHE
MAY HAVE EXTENDED. THANK YOU. SORRY I WAS A LITTLE LATE. I WAS AT THE HUNG LOCK HOUSE SENIOR VISIT AND COUNCILOR FLYNN MAY LEE IS TURNING 105 IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND I SAID YOU'RE
COMING WITH THE BIRTHDAY CAKE. SO WE PLANNED A PARTY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK SO I'M SORRY I'M LATE BUT SOME OF MY QUESTIONS WILL BE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION BUT WHEN I WAS
PREPARING FOR THIS I KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT LIKE DIFFERENT POCKETS OF ADVOCACY AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT HERE ON THE COUNCIL BUT YOU KNOW, EQUITY AND ACCESS MAINTENANCE AND
LONGEVITY WHICH I WAS HEARING YOU SPEAK ON CLIMATE AND HEALTH IMPACTS OBVIOUSLY THE BUDGET AND RESOURCES LIKE WHAT ARE WE MAKING SURE WE'RE BUDGETING FOR HERE ON THE CITY AND THEN ALSO
WHAT POLICIES AND PROTECTIONS ARE WE PUTTING IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INVESTMENTS WE MAKE OR THE TREES THAT ARE JUST THANKFULLY ALREADY THERE ARE PROTECTED?
AND THANK YOU CHRIS. I KNOW A FEW WEEKS AGO NOW I ON A WALK ALONG THE GREENWAY AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT YOU KNOW THE ADVOCACY AND THE WORK
YOU'RE DOING ON TRYING TO ACTIVATE MORE OF THAT SPACE BUT ALSO ABOUT THE INTENTIONAL PLANTINGS THAT YOU DO ALONG THERE AND THEN ALONG THE AND YOU KNOW HANOVER STREET AT THE
NORTH END SIDE IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK TO AND I KNOW YOU JUST ENDED ONE OF YOUR COMMENTS SAYING THAT THE PARK ALSO DOES THAT INTENTIONAL PLANTING BUT IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE IMPORTANT PLANTINGS YOU DO THAT
HELP THE HEALTH AND THE CLIMATE KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW THE FUMES COMING NEAR THE ON AND OFF RAMPS THERE IN THE NORTH END? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. COUNCILOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO WE HAVE THE GREAT BENEFIT THAT THE GREENWAY WAS ACTUALLY LEGISLATIVELY ESTABLISHED AND IN THAT LEGISLATION WE ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE PARK ORGANICALLY OVER TIME WE'VE
ACTUALLY DEVELOPED THAT INTO MORE OF AN ECOLOGICAL APPROACH, RIGHT? SO OF COURSE THERE'S NO CHEMICALS, THERE'S NO PESTICIDES SO YOU KNOW TWO LEGGED FRIENDS CAN COME AND HAVE FUN THERE BUT ALSO PEOPLE
DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS. THEY'RE SAFE THERE TOO. BUT IT ALSO CREATES A FANTASTIC HABITAT EVEN BEYOND THE TREES. WE HAVE NATIVE SPECIES THAT
ENCOURAGE POLLINATORS, THAT ENCOURAGE BIRDS TO USE THE SPACE AND IT'S INTERESTING TO ME HOW LITTLE NATURE NEEDS IN ORDER TO HAVE A MASSIVE IMPACT IN THE URBAN CONTEXT.
AND SO IF WE START TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT AREAS OF DISTRICT TO EVEN MICRO INTERVENTIONS OF POCKET PARKS COULD PLAY AN OUTSIZED ROLE IN INCREASING THE
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND THE NEIGHBORS AROUND IT. SO JUST INTRODUCING NATIVE POLLINATORS, NATIVE PLANTINGS AND MANAGES STORMWATER CREATES
A CLEANER BREATHING ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. IT LITERALLY CALMS DOWN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. PEOPLE ARE CALMER AROUND NATURE AND SO WHEN YOU'RE IN A BUSY HECTIC CITY IT HAS ALL THESE
AMAZING BENEFITS. SO WE'VE REALLY LEANED INTO THAT IN THE PLANTINGS ALONG IN THE GREENWAY AND WE HAVE THE BENEFIT YOU KNOW HAVING AN INCREDIBLE PHILANTHROPIC BASE THAT SUPPORTS US.
WE ALSO HAVE A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND WE ALSO HAVE EARNED INCOME YOU KNOW OUR OUR MISSION IS REALLY TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF THE
BEST IN CLASS OF WHAT URBAN PARKS CAN BE AND IN DOING THAT WE TAKE THAT ECOLOGICAL AND ORGANIC MISSION VERY SERIOUSLY NOT SOME THANK YOU.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DISTRICT TWO WHICH HAS SOUTH BOSTON, CHINATOWN, SOUTHEND I MEAN WE THINK OF THE GREENWAY OBVIOUSLY IN SOUTH BOSTON I
THINK OF CASTLE ISLAND AND THE WATERWAY AND HOW WOULD DECISIONS BEING MADE AS THE ADVOCATES DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THE COMMUNITY AS SUCH IN CHINATOWN IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO IS THE COMMUNITY INPUT BEING
LISTENED TO TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW IF IT'S POCKET PARKS OR TREES ALONG SIDEWALKS OR DIFFERENT PLANTINGS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BEING TAKEN
CARE OF OR PLANNED OUT TO INVEST THERE. UM, FOR CHINATOWN UM I WANT TO
SAY THAT THERE'S BEEN YEARS OF ADVOCACY FOR OPEN SPACE TREE
CANOPY CHILDREN PARK IT'S TAKEN A WHILE BUT I THINK THIS IS KIND OF ONE OF THE THINGS OF ADVOCACY, RIGHT?
IT'S LIKE IT'S NOT YOU'RE ADVOCATING BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY. BUT PART OF ADVOCATING IS LETTING YOUR CONCERN AND
LETTING THE ISSUES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE CITY, TO THE STATE FOR THEM TO HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
REPEATING THEM AND REPEATING THEM AND REPEATING THEM TO THEM AND SO HOPEFULLY SOMETHING GETS DONE. BUT YES, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A
LOT OF NEW INITIATIVES GOING AROUND WITHIN CHINATOWN THAT ARE WORKING WITH STATE AND CITY
FOLKS WHO WILL HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, HEAR SOME OF THE ISSUES GOING AROUND AND YOU KNOW, BE
ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. AND AT THE RISK OF BEING PRESUMPTUOUS, I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD THE CITY'S EFFORTS AND ALSO AGAIN AC DC IS EFFORTS IN
ADVOCATING FOR PHILLIPS SQUARE AND THE REDESIGN OF THAT BY THE BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO ADD SOME
GREEN SPACE AND TO WHAT IS AN INCREDIBLE HOT, INCREDIBLY CONGESTED AREA YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW THERE'S A SMALL PARKLET INTERVENTION THERE BUT THE MORE GREENERY THAT COULD BE
INTRODUCED THERE THAT WOULD HAVE A REALLY BENEFIT AND AGAIN THAT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF AC DC'S HARD WORK OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, 1520 YEARS. AND WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS I ALREADY HEARD
YOU SPEAK OF YOU KNOW THE CHILDREN, THE SENIORS, THE MENTAL HEALTH NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL HEALTH DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH SHIFT IN PUBLIC BELIEF?
YOU MENTIONED AGE. I GREW UP IN THE SEVENTIES WHERE I'M REMEMBERING BACK THERE JUST A LOT OF CEMENT AND PLAYGROUNDS NEVER HAD, YOU KNOW, GRASS UNDER THEM. SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS
MORE OF AN UNDERSTANDING. BUT DO WE NEED TO CONTINUE WITH THIS KIND OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ABOUT THE BENEFITS BECAUSE OFTENTIMES PEOPLE MAY THINK
IT'S A WASTE TO PUT A GREEN SPACE THAT WE COULD PUT SOMETHING ELSE MAYBE MAYBE HOUSING WHICH IS NEEDED BUT MAYBE SOMETHING DIFFERENT WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL. SO I KNOW YOU KNOW, WHEN I HEAR
FROM DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS WHO MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION ON A PROJECT COMING IN LIKE YOU SAID, SOME PEOPLE LOVE IT. SOME PEOPLE DON'T. SO HOW CAN WE EDUCATE MORE BECAUSE I DO THINK THE HEALTH
AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS AND WHEN YOU SPEAK OF THE CHILDREN WHEN WE HAVE YOU KNOW YOU SEE SCHOOLCHILDREN DURING THE SCHOOL DAY USING LOCAL YOU KNOW, POCKET PARKS IN THE NORTH END OR IN DIFFERENT
NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY. IT'S A BENEFIT FOR ALL THE TAKE A COUNCILOR I THINK IT'S CRITICAL IMPORTANT I THINK DEMONSTRATION IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ME YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A HOUSING NONPROFIT THAT IS JUST
AS SERIOUS ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF OPEN SPACE AND TREE CANOPY AS THEY ARE IS PROVIDING OPEN HEART AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THEN DAVID'S WORK IN
CHANGING THE PUBLIC NARRATIVE AROUND BROWN TREES. DAVID, I WOULD DEFER TO YOU BUT I THINK THAT IS REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE PUBLIC ADVOCACY OF PARK DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. YEAH, THANK YOU CHRIS.
THERE'S SO MUCH TO UNPACK IN YOUR QUESTION AND I'LL JUST TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE. I STARTED MY CAREER AS AN EDUCATOR SO MY MY FOCUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON EDUCATION AND I
THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF OUR WORK. JUST YESTERDAY WE PLANTED NINE TREES AT A SCHOOL. NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER OUR PLANTING SO MORE TREES AT A AT
THE KING SCHOOL I THINK IN DORCHESTER. I DON'T HAVE MY ARBORIST HERE WITH ME TO REMIND ME WHERE IS WHAT BUT WE HAVE DEVELOPED A MUCH STRONGER RELATIONSHIP NOW
WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOW THAT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY SOMEONE WHO IS IN CHARGE OF OUTDOOR LEARNING. SO THAT'S BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE. WE'RE GETTING INTO THE SCHOOLS ,WE'RE TALKING TO TEACHERS,
WE'RE TALKING TO YOUTH. THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO ON THAT FRONT. WE ARE ALSO CONTINUOUSLY TRYING TO REFINE AND EXPAND OUR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SO WE HAVE NOW A TREE KEEPERS PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE TRAINING ADULTS. I KNOW SEVERAL FOLKS HERE HAVE ENGAGED WITH OUR TEENS AND OUR TEEN URBAN TREE CORPS. WE HAD OUR TEEN TREE SUMMIT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
WE'RE ALREADY THINKING AHEAD ON HOW WE WHAT THE NEXT PROJECT FOR THE TEENS IS AND I INVITE ANYONE HERE TO COME MEET OUR TEENS. THEY'RE AMAZING AND REALLY COMMITTED AND THEY DO HARD WORK
EVERY SUMMER. I KNOW MAX HAS WORKED WITH THEM IN THE PAST. I KNOW TODD HAS MET THEM SO THAT'S SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING. BUT I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE BUT ALSO TO YOUR POINT TO BE REALLY
MINDFUL THAT NOT EVERYONE SEES TREES THE SAME WAY AND THAT'S OKAY. PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCES AND HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY DESIRE AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TO START TO SAY WE DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE BATTLE WHERE WE'RE SAYING IT'S TREES OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RIGHT? WE NEED TO GET IN A CONVERSATION WHERE THOSE THINGS
CAN BE BOTH RECOGNIZED AS REALLY IMPORTANT AND HOW DO WE LOOK LIKE? I KEEP ON COMING BACK TO SPACE IN A CITY LIKE BOSTON IS AT A PREMIUM. WE ARE ONE OF THE DENSEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
WE WE NEED TO BUILD UP WE NEED TO PLANT MORE TREES. THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT? AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I PROMISED TO MENTION
EARLIER IS THIS THERE'S A LOT OF LAND IN BOSTON, 60% OF IT IS PRIVATE. SO WHAT THE CITY DOES IS ON 40% OF THE LAND OFF EVEN THAT THERE'S ALSO STATE LAND AND I
KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO TALK TO FOLKS AT DCR AND AT MASSDOT TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP ON HOW WE CAN PLANT AND STEWARD TREES ON THEIR PROPERTY BECAUSE
THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME RESOURCES AND BUDGET TO PLANT AND MAINTAIN TREES. SO WE'RE AN ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME FOLKS THERE.
IT'S A BUREAUCRACY AND BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHINATOWN AND SOME OF THE GREEN GREEN SPACE ALONG THE HIGHWAY THAT COULD
CERTAINLY BE A BENEFIT TO PLANT TREES THERE. IT'S JUST VERY, VERY CHALLENGING TO FIND THE RIGHT PERSON AND DEVELOP THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS AND ACTUALLY THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING I
WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW UP ON WITH WITH FOLKS ON THE PANELS WHAT WHAT COULD BE AN ADVOCACY APPROACH THAT WE COULD TAKE? AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M SORRY JUST TO CLARIFY SOMETHING MASSDOT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MASSDOT YES,
SORRY MASSDOT DOESN'T HAVE SOMEBODY DIRECTLY DEALING WITH THIS TO TRY TO EXPAND THEY ARE YOU ASKING ARE YOU IF YOU CAN JUST SO OH I DID TALK TO
SOMEONE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO ABOUT THE GALLIVAN BOULEVARD. YEAH BECAUSE THAT IS ACTUALLY A MASSDOT PROPERTY AND HE WAS I DON'T REMEMBER HIS EXACT TITLE BUT HE WAS THE RIGHT PERSON TO TALK TO FOR THAT.
I'M NOT SURE HE'S STATEWIDE OR FOCUS JUST ON LIKE I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT MY NOTES. THERE ARE PEOPLE TO TALK TO BUT TREES ARE USUALLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT AND IT DOES
MAKE SENSE BECAUSE IT IS A TRANSPORTATION. YES. HOWEVER THEY OWN YES, A LOT OF LAND THEY OWN THE LAND UNDERNEATH THE TOBIN BRIDGE IN MY DISTRICT AND I THINK THAT
LEADS ME TO MY FIRST QUESTION WHICH IS IF THERE'S ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH MASSPORT AND IN MY DISTRICT THEY LARGELY CONTRIBUTE TO A LOT OF THE
CARBON EMISSIONS IN MY DISTRICT AND THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO TREES ANYWHERE ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND ITS RATE MAY BE REGULATED UNDER FAA YOU CAN'T HAVE TREES AND CERTAIN FLIGHT PATHS AND ALL OF THAT BUT HAVE YOU EVER
WORKED WITH THEM? SO FUNNY STORY I'M NOT FROM MY BROTHER UNDER THE BUS FOR A MINUTE. MY BROTHER WORK FOR MASSPORT RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC AND WAS ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN SOME
OF THE PARK MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND SORT OF THE COMMUNITY WORK AND THEN COVID HAPPENED AND HE HAD TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB SO HE NO LONGER WORKS THERE BUT HE NOW WORKS ACTUALLY FOR AMTRAK
CAMPBELL'S OFFICE AND THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION, I'M SURE MY BROTHER COULD I COULD HELP GUIDE I PERSONALLY DON'T WORK WITH MASSPORT BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D BE INTERESTED IN.
I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE DONE AN IMMENSE JOB OF MAKING SOME OF THOSE PARKS ACCESSIBLE AND MAINTAINING THEM. I KNOW BUT OTHER THAN THAT I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT I HAVEN'T WORKED WITH THEM BEFORE.
THANK YOU AND I WOULD APPRECIATE A CONNECTION MAYBE. SURE. HIS NAME IS BENNY. SAME LAST NAME MESHULAM MESHULAM. YEAH. THERE'S NO OTHER MESHULAM. EASY TO FIND. YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE
QUESTIONS. I JUST OPEN QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE LARGEST BARRIERS STILL TO PLANTING MORE TREES OR, UM,
EXPANDING YOUR WORK OR EFFORTS? MAYBE THAT STARTS TO DAVID. I THINK THERE'S TWO THINGS SPACE AND MONEY. SO WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PLANT TREES AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO
PAY FOR IT? AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF THE TREE ALLIANCE IN SUPPORTING THAT TYPE OF THESE TYPES OF EFFORTS AND THE CITY'S SUPPORT OF THE TREE ALLIANCE.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A RED FLASHING LIGHT OF SOME OF THE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN TERMINATED FOR US.
SO WE LOST $750,000 IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS JUST TERMINATED GRANTS. THAT'S A BIG CONCERN AND I'M COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE
STAFF WE HAVE WE CAN SUPPORT AND THE TREES WE PLANTED WE CAN SUPPORT. BUT WE'RE SORT OF AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE HAVE TO
PAUSE OUR EXPANSION BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY. WE ARE ADVOCATING TALKING ABOUT ADVOCACY FOR A BILL AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BRING THE GREENING THE GATEWAY CITIES PROGRAM TO
CITIES LIKE BOSTON SO PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR MUNICIPALITIES AND NONPROFITS TO CONTINUE THE PLANTING OF TREES ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LAND. IT'S CALLED THE MUNICIPAL
REFORESTATION ACT. WE HAVE A COALITION AROUND THAT AND ACTUALLY I KNOW THAT CHIEF SWETT HAS SIGNED ON TO OUR LETTER OF SUPPORT ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR.
SO WE'RE IN CONVERSATION WITH WITH WITH THE MAYOR ON SUPPORTING THAT AND ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ON ENSURING NOT ONLY THAT SHE SUPPORTS THE BILL AND
LEGISLATION IN PASSING PASSES IT BUT THAT THERE'S MONEY IN IT AND HOPEFULLY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL BONNEVILLE AND WE'RE I'M HAPPY TO SIGN ON AND I'M SURE YEAH I'M SURE THEY
WILL BE AS WELL BUT ALL OF THEM. YEAH YEAH I CAN SHARE THAT. I'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. YOU SAID $750,000 IN TERMINATED GRANTS. YOU SAID THAT WAS FEDERAL GRANTS. YEAH. SO THOSE WERE FROM THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION'S INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. THEY PUT $1.5 BILLION INTO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF MONEY
BOTH THOSE CONTRACTS THE FIRST ONE WAS TERMINATED IN FEBRUARY, THE SECOND ONE WAS TERMINATED LIKE A MONTH AGO. THE FIRST REASON WHY. SORRY. WHILE NO OKAY THIS
ADMINISTRATION THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION WAS TERMINATING EVERY PGA HIRING GRANT OUT THERE WHETHER IT'S EPA, U.S. FOREST SERVICE. I WILL SAY COUNSELOR, THAT OUR
SECOND GRANT WAS TO DEVELOP A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING AND CAREER INVESTMENT FOR FELLOW ONE A YEAR FOR THREE
YEARS AND WE HAD OFFERED THE POSITION TO A LILY BOND RACE WHO WHO GREW UP IN EAST BOSTON AND AS A STAFF MEMBER ON OUR STAFF AND IT WAS HEARTBREAKING THEN TO HAVE TO RESCIND THE
OFFER TO HER. SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO FINDING ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT HER. SHE IS A WHIP SMART, HIGHLY COMMITTED YOUNG LATINA WHO IS
AMAZING AT WHAT SHE DOES, WANTS TO BE AN ARBORIST AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO FUNDRAISE TO ENSURE THAT SHE CAN HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES SHE NEEDS TO ENROLL IN CLASSES AT UMASS
AMHERST WHICH HAS AN AMAZING FORESTRY PROGRAM AND TO GIVE HER THE EXPERIENCES THAT SHE NEEDS TO DIVERSIFY THE WORKFORCE AND BE A LEADER IN HER COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE
OF SOME OF THE HEADWINDS WE'RE FACING AND IT'S IT'S A IT'S. YEAH, IT'S INFURIATING AND I'M I'M SORRY TO TELL YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT IS THAT IS REAL IMPLICATIONS YES IN MY
DISTRICT AND CITYWIDE SO IT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING UM IN YOUR MIND FOR FOR ANYBODY HERE WE AS COUNSELORS HAVE LEVERS
THAT WE CAN UTILIZE. THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS VARIOUS REGULATORY LEVERS THAT WE COULD UTILIZE TO PLANT MORE TREES THROUGH ARTICLE 80 DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS. I KNOW THAT THE PARKS
DEPARTMENT IS INTERTWINED AND EMBEDDED INTO THAT PROCESS. UM, IS THERE ANYTHING HOW CAN WE BEST UTILIZE THOSE LEVERS I GUESS IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT OF?
WELL WHY DON'T THEY JUST DO THIS THAT MAYBE HAS NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT YOU'D BE WILLING TO SAY NOW? UH, IN THIS FORM OR MAYBE LATER
IN A CONVERSATION HOW TO BEST MAKE THE CITY WORK A LITTLE BIT BETTER COUNCIL WORK I WOULDN'T BE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO COMMENT ON THE REGULATIONS FOR FOR
ARTICLE 80 DEVELOPMENT BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW AT THIS MOMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICE ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY REPRESENTING YOUR COUNCIL STAFF, REPRESENTING THE ADMINISTRATION, I'VE SEEN JUST
AN UNBELIEVABLE LEVEL OF ENERGY AND CREATIVITY AROUND GREEN THAT'S GREENING THE CITY GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SO I THINK IT'S AN EXCITING TIME TO LOOK AT HISTORICAL NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE LOOK AT IS UNDER CANOPY
UNDER GREEN AND JUST REALLY IMAGINE WHAT COULD BE THERE. THE RESOURCE ISSUE IS MOSTLY LINKED TOWARDS MAINTENANCE. YOU KNOW THE CITY DOES HAVE A ROBUST CAPITAL BUDGET.
THE STATE HAS A ROBUST CAPITAL BUDGET. THOSE BUDGETS ARE GOING TO BE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE BUT THAT IS A MICRO MOMENT IN THE LONG TERM THE CITY HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT AND WE CAN BE VERY CREATIVE IN INTRODUCING NEW ELEMENTS OF THAT ENVIRONMENT TO DEAL WITH STORMWATER, DEAL WITH HEAT ISLAND TO DEAL WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE CANOPY. I WOULD I WOULD LET THAT
CREATIVITY RUN WILD AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO THINK ABOUT MECHANISMS TO FUND THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY YOU KNOW WHEN THERE'S A SERVICE CONTRACT IN
PLACE I THINK ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL IN THE MAGNIFICENT SPACE THAT CENTRAL SQUARE HAS NOW BECOME AND THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S IN PLACE THERE. BUT IF THERE'S NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT TO MAINTAIN THAT GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE OVER TIME IT WILL NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE AND IT WILL NOT FEEL AS SAFE, IT WILL NOT LOOK AS NICE FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO THOSE SORT OF ELEMENTS COULD BE INTRODUCED INTO NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE LA, THE
DISTRICT CHINATOWN FOR POINT BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT FINDING THOSE FUNDING MECHANISMS FOR THE MAINTENANCE. SO WHETHER THAT'S YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WHETHER THAT'S YOU KNOW SOME
WAY TO OPERATIONALIZE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CAPITAL FUNDS THROUGH DEVELOPMENT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT CREATIVITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THAT IN MY DISTRICT SO I APPRECIATE YOU
BRINGING THAT UP AND THERE HAVE BEEN REALLY GREAT INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS. I THINK I'LL SAY FOR THE UM THE MAINTENANCE UH OVER THE LONG TERM WHICH IS GREAT.
SO AT SOME OF OUR COLLEGES THIS IS WHAT I'M THINKING OF NOW IF I IF I MAY THE MUNICIPAL REFORESTATION ACT IS VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT SAYING THIS IS NOT JUST FOR CAPITAL FUNDS,
IT'S VERY FLEXIBLE. SO I THINK THERE'S A GROWING RECOGNITION THAT WE CAN'T JUST GO AROUND PLANTING TREES AND HOPE THAT THEY SURVIVE THE
OTHER THING AND I MIGHT GET MYSELF IN A LITTLE HOT WATER HERE BUT THE COUNCIL ABOUT A YEAR AGO PASSED A PUBLIC TREE ORDINANCE ON ALL TREES ON PUBLIC LAND ESSENTIALLY
EXPANDING CHAPTER 87 PROTECTION WHICH IS A STATE MANDATE ON PUBLIC CHERRY TREES INTO CITY OWNED PROPERTY. THERE HAD BEEN CONVERSATIONS AROUND A PRIVATE TREE ORDINANCE
THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT COULD ALSO WOULD NOT ONLY PROTECT AND ALLOW US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON PRIVATE LAND BUT COULD ALSO SORT
OF OPERATIONALIZE IF I MAY LIKE THE MAINTENANCE THE CONTINUED MAINTENANCE OF TREES ON PRIVATE LAND THAT IS A BIG CONCERN IS WE HAVE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE AMAZING TREES IN THEIR YARDS
AND THOSE TREES HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED FOR DECADES BECAUSE IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO PROPERLY CARE FOR A TREE.
THE ARBORIST ON OUR STAFF USED TO WORK FOR PRIVATE TREE COMPANY, HE SAID THEY ONLY WORKED OUT IN THE WEST AND WELLESLEY'S BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD PAYING $5,000 A YEAR
TO HAVE SOMEONE COME MAINTAIN THE TREE. HOW DO WE BRING THOSE RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES IN BOSTON WHERE PEOPLE LOVE THEIR TREES BUT THEY HAVE BECOME LIABILITIES TREES ARE INHERENTLY A RISK,
RIGHT? WE LOVE THEM FOR ALL THEY DO BUT I WOULD NOT WANT A TREE IN MY YARD WITH A DEAD OR DYING LIMB WHILE MY CHILD IS PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK
OF HOW DO WE ALSO BRING RESOURCES INTO THOSE SPACES AND I THINK A PRIVATE CREATIVE IF I MAY BORROW CHRISTMAS TERM A
CREATIVE TREE ORDINANCE MIGHT FACILITATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT FOR ME. MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THIS PANEL. OKAY, GREAT.
WELL, I APPRECIATE AGAIN YOUR YOUR TESTIMONY ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL WANT TO SAY UH, BEFORE WE SWITCH TO THE ADMINISTRATION ? OKAY. JUST VERY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU. LIKEWISE. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR ADVOCACY. WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT. AND I KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT NOT JUST DISTRICT TWO BUT CITYWIDE ISSUES AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU AND WE'LL NOW CALL DOWN STEVE BICKERTON, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. TODD MR DIRECTOR OF URBAN FORESTRY OF THE PARKS RECREATION DEPARTMENT ZOE DAVIS
SENIOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT MANAGER FROM THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE MAX FOR DIAMOND CITY TREE WARDEN PARKS AND REC AND I'M SORRY IF I
MISSED ANYBODY AND JESS MORRIS SHE'S CHIEF OF STAFF, FORMER CITY COUNCIL STAFFER THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST AND IN YOUR TESTIMONY. OKAY, WE'LL HAVE JUST GO FIRST IF YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU SPEAK. THEY'VE ALSO PROVIDED SLIDES
FOR US IN A PRESENTATION UM, JUST AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH OR ANYBODY ELSE JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE AND WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY MOVE THE PRESENTATION ALONG.
BUT THE FLOOR IS YOURS. OKAY, PERFECT. WELL, GOOD MORNING OR GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCILORS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAFF.
THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF THIS ORDER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL TODAY ON PROMOTING THE TREE CANOPY IN DISTRICT TWO AND IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. MY NAME IS JACK MORRIS AND I'M
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE MAYOR'S CABINET OF ENVIRONMENT ENERGY AND OPEN SPACE THE CABINET AND LEADS THE CITY'S CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AGENDA FOCUSING ON DECARBONIZATION AND
ENERGY TRANSITION AND RESILIENCE. EOS OVERSEES FIVE DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENTS TESTIFYING TODAY. AND PARKS AND RECREATION
DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE. TODAY WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE URBAN FOREST PLAN AND SOME LOCALIZED AND INNOVATIVE
STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE TREE CANOPY ESPECIALLY FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED BY THE CLIMATE CRISIS. JUST BEFORE WE MOVE ON I HAD FORGOT THAT THE CLICKERS NEXT
TO YOU OR SHOULD BE OVER THERE SO YOU CAN UTILIZE IT AND THEN POINT IT TO THAT COMPUTER BEHIND YOU. OKAY, PERFECT. WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS WORK ALONE. WE APPRECIATE THE DEDICATED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY
COUNCIL ADVOCATES AND INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE TESTIFIED TODAY. TODAY YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM ZOE DAVIS SENIOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE
RESILIENCE. TODD MR DIRECTOR OF URBAN FORESTRY, BASSOON, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. AND WE HAVE MAX FOR DIAMOND TREE WARDEN AND CITY ARBORIST
FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. HE'LL BE ALSO ANSWERING QUESTIONS. AND NOW I WILL KICK IT OFF TO ZOE. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY. MY NAME IS ZOE DAVIS. I AM A SENIOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON'S OFFICE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND I SUPPORT THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HEAT
RESILIENCE WORK ACROSS THE CITY. FOR CONTEXT, THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE WHICH WAS CREATED IN 2024, FOCUSES ON IMPLEMENTING THE CITY'S INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS THE
IMPACTS OF COASTAL AND INLAND FLOODING AND THE IMPACTS OF EXTREME HEAT AND OCR IS LED BY CHRIS OSGOOD WHO SERVES AS A SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE MAYOR AS
WELL. AND JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT AROUND SOME OF THE CITY'S HEAT RESILIENCE WORK DURING THE SUMMER HEAT RESILIENCE IS A PRIORITY AREA FOR THE CITY'S
CLIMATE WORK AND SINCE THE RELEASE OF BOSTON'S HEAT PLAN IN 2022 WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO PROVIDE COOLING EACH SUMMER AND ADDRESS
EXTREME HEAT RISK LONG TERM. TREES ARE ONE SIGNIFICANT PART OF A HOLISTIC CLIMATE RESILIENT SOLUTION AND WE'RE THINKING CREATIVELY ABOUT WHAT THOSE
BURGEONING OPPORTUNITIES ARE. SO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF NEW URBAN MECHANICS, WE LAUNCHED THE POP UP MISTING TENTS PROGRAM IN 2023 AND THIS
PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED AT PUBLIC EVENTS AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS OR BE USED FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, LAST YEAR IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WE EXPANDED POP UP MISSING FEATURES TO INCLUDE A STANDING MISTER WHICH PROVIDES A MORE DURABLE OPTION AND IT CAN BE DEPLOYED FOR MULTIPLE
DAYS AT A TIME. THESE POP UP FEATURES ARE DEPLOYED CITYWIDE BY THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INCLUDING AT THE CHINATOWN GATE AND DURING SUMMER EVENTS IN CHINATOWN AND THERE ARE
CONTINUED INVESTMENTS IN THESE POP UP MISTING FEATURES FOR SUMMER PREPAREDNESS BY THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INCLUDING REFURBISHING THE EXISTING STANDING MISTERS
PURCHASING ADDITIONAL DEPLOYABLE COOLING TENTS AND EXPANDING THE PROGRAM'S REACH THROUGH PORTABLE WATER TANKS. AND I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMON
COUNCILOR FLYNN ABOUT THE COOLING CENTERS IN CHINATOWN OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND JUST TO CONFIRM WE'VE
CONFIRMED WITH OEM EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT THE CHINATOWN BCI AT BOSTON CENTER FOR COMMUNITY JUST BCI HAVE I CAN'T THINK OF WHAT THE ACTUAL NAME IS
CENTERS FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES. EXCUSE ME IS CONFIRMED TO BE OPEN AND AVAILABLE FOR COOLING THIS SUMMER AS WELL AS THE BLACKSTONE IN THE SOUTH END AND
I'LL PASS IT ON OVER TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. GOOD MORNING COUNCILORS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. MY NAME IS TODD MEESTER. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN
FORESTRY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT AND I JUST HAVE A FEW SLIDES ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE THE RELEASE OF THE URBAN FOREST PLAN WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION RELEASED IN
SEPTEMBER OF 2022. SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A 20 YEAR FRAMEWORK TO ULTIMATELY INCREASE THE TREE CANOPY ACROSS THE CITY. SO SINCE 2022 WE'RE ONLY TWO
AND A HALF YEARS INTO THIS. SO WITHIN THIS PLAN WE HAVE STRATEGIES THAT ARE SHORT TERM OR NEAR-TERM STRATEGIES AND THEN MID-TERM AND LONG TERM. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS FRAMEWORK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN BE DOING WITHIN THE
FIRST FIVE YEARS BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME STRATEGIES MAY BE MORE COMPLEX AND THEY MAY REQUIRE MORE PLANNING OR THE INVOLVEMENT OF LOTS OF OTHER ENTITIES. SO THOSE ARE IN THOSE MID AND
LONG TERM GOALS OR STRATEGIES WHICH WOULD TAKE YOU KNOW, TEN PLUS YEARS TO BEGIN TO SEE SOME OF THE FRUITS OF THOSE INITIATIVES. AND HERE I JUST HAVE SOME
STATISTICS OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. NOW I SPECIFICALLY PUT THESE STATISTICS FOR DISTRICT TWO BECAUSE THAT IS THE NATURE OF THIS HEARING. IT'S ABOUT DISTRICT TWO BUT OF COURSE WE ARE DOING WORK
ACROSS THE CITY ACROSS ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND ACROSS ALL NEIGHBORHOODS. SO JUST TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS
WITHIN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO IN 2023 WE PLANTED ALMOST 200 TREES IN 2024 IN THE CALENDAR YEAR WE PLANTED ALMOST 300 TREES AS 276 AND THEN THIS SPRING ALONE WE ARE PLANNING TO
PLANT 262 TREES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. NOW OF COURSE THAT DISTRICT VARIES WIDELY AND INCLUDES AREAS LIKE SOUTH BOSTON, THE SOUTH END AND AREAS OF DOWNTOWN SUCH AS CHINATOWN. SO WITHIN THAT THERE'S A GREAT
DIVERSITY OF THE AVAILABLE LAND FOR TREES TO BE PLANTED AND JUST THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE AREAS A PLACE LIKE DOWNTOWN AND CHINATOWN SPECIFICALLY HAS A VERY
DIFFERENT PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE AND DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR STREET TREE PLANTING WITHIN OUR STANDARD PLAN OF JUST CUTTING A HOLE IN THE SIDEWALK AND PLANTING A TREE THERE.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN CERTAIN AREAS OF THIS DISTRICT AND OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY TO BE MORE CREATIVE TO TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE CANOPY COVERAGE
IN SOME OF THESE VERY DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING URBAN SETTINGS. AND I'VE ALSO INCLUDED HERE A SCREENSHOT OF OUR TREE INVENTORY WHICH IS SINCE THE URBAN FOREST PLAN ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO BE
MORE TRANSPARENT AND MORE COMMUNICATIVE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ON THIS THERE'S YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY SIMPLE VISUAL OF EXISTING TREES IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE MANAGE THROUGH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT
BUT IT ALSO VERY CLEARLY SHOWS WHERE WE'RE PLANTING TREES IN A GIVEN PLANTING SEASON. SO WE OFTEN GET CALLS FROM RESIDENTS ASKING YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OR MY COMMUNITY. WE CAN TELL THEM DIRECTLY OR WE
CAN POINT THEM TO THIS RESOURCE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THEM TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES AND IT ALSO HELPS GUIDE ADVOCACY OF YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THE AREAS WHERE WE
MAY NOT BE ADDRESSING AT THE AT THE CURRENT MOMENT. AND THIS WORK OF COURSE REQUIRES LOTS OF PARTNERS. I PUT ON HERE A LIST OF SOME SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT WE WORK WITH WITHIN DISTRICT TWO.
A LOT OF THESE ARE RESIDENTIAL GROUPS. YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T PUT ON THIS LIST A GROUP LIKE SPEAK FOR THE TREES WHICH OF COURSE IS AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER WITH THE BOSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE URBAN FORESTRY DIVISION BECAUSE
THEY OF COURSE WORK ACROSS THE CITY AND NOT JUST EXCLUSIVELY IN DISTRICT TWO BUT MANY OF THESE ARE SOME NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND CIVIC GROUPS THAT WE TALK TO ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THEY HELP US TO DIRECT THE
RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES THAT MAY NEED TREES BUT WE CAN'T PLANT TREES IN EVERY SINGLE SPOT IMMEDIATELY THIS WILL HAPPEN
OVER TIME AND WILL BE IMPLEMENTED OVER TIME. SO HAVING THIS DIALOG WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS REALLY HELPS US DIRECT RESOURCES TO WHERE THEY'RE MOST DESIRED AND WHERE THEY'RE MOST NEEDED.
AS DAVID HAD MENTIONED, RESIDENTS EXPERIENCE OF EXPERIENCES OF TREES CAN VARY GREATLY. SO PLANTING TREES IS JUST PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO TRULY GET THE BENEFITS FROM THESE TREES.
WE NEED THEM TO GET ESTABLISHED OVER THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN REALLY THRIVE FOR DECADES TO COME. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING OUR SCARCE RESOURCES IN THE AREAS WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE
SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. SO AGAIN THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE GROUPS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ACROSS THE DISTRICT TO. AND THEN I WANT TO POINT TO ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE
DOING THE STREET TREE PLANTING AS ONE OF OUR MAIN PROGRAMS FOR INTRODUCING NEW TREES INTO THE COMMUNITY. BUT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE URBAN FOREST PLAN WE'RE LOOKING FOR A NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY EXPAND THE URBAN TREE
CANOPY. AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS WITH THE EXISTING GREENSPACE ACROSS THE CITY. AND SO WE REALLY LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES ONE WHERE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS DOING
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND ON THIS LIST PLACES LIKE O'DEA PLAYGROUND AND PETER'S PARK AND EVEN CHRISTOPHER LEE OR PLACES OF CAPITAL PROJECTS BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OTHERS IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO ADVOCATE FOR AS MANY TREES AS POSSIBLE IN THOSE DEVELOPMENTS AND ALSO TO HELP WITH THE AFTERCARE FOR THOSE
TREES AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THEY GET ESTABLISHED. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT AT ONE PARTICULAR PARK IN NEW YORK, CHRISTOPHER LEE IS THERE REDOING THE BALLFIELD THERE. THE ORIGINAL PLAN CALLED FOR
THREE NEW TREES TO BE PLANTED. BUT IN OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE PROJECT MANAGER WE LOOKED FOR WAYS TO EXPAND THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME INTEREST FROM THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS. SO WE ENDED UP PLANTING 12 NEW TREES RATHER THAN THE THREE
THAT WERE PART OF THE EXISTING PLAN. AND THEN ALSO AN INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE IS AGAIN LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE TREE CANOPY COVERAGE IN OPEN SPACE OUTSIDE OF CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO WITHIN THE URBAN FORESTRY DIVISION WE ORDER SOME FRUIT TREES EVERY YEAR THAT WE AS A AS OUR IN-HOUSE STAFF GO OUT AND PLANT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY . AND ONE OF THE SPOTS WE FOUND
IN DISTRICT TWO IS THIS AREA OF THE WHITEY MEMORIAL MEMORIAL WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT AERIAL PICTURE ONLY HAS A FEW LARGE TREES. SOME OF THE OTHER LARGE TREES HAVE BEEN REMOVED OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE THEY'VE BECOME
HAD BECOME HAZARDOUS. AND SO THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE FOUND TO UTILIZE SOME RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AGAIN THAT WEREN'T PART OF THESE THESE OTHER LARGER
PLANS OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. AND FINALLY, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO THINK CREATIVELY ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR MID-TERM AND LONG TERM GOALS. WE REALLY NEED TO PARTNER TO
RECONFIGURE PERHAPS SOME PARTS OF THE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TO TRULY MAKE SPACE FOR TREES. BUT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS WE WE DON'T WANT TO DO NOTHING. SO ACTUALLY LAST SUMMER WE WENT ON A COMMUNITY WALK THROUGH
CHINATOWN INITIATED BY COUNCILOR FUNDS OFFICE AND IT WAS WITH HIS OFFICE AND SOME COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL TO REPRESENTATIVE FROM PUBLIC WORKS. AND AFTER 2 HOURS OF WALKING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY WE FOUND
VERY FEW WHERE WE COULD JUST PLANT NEW TREES AGAIN IN OUR STANDARD PLANTING WAY OF A TREE PUT IN THE GROUND. SO WE DID TAKE CARE OF SOME PLANTING LAST FALL AFTER THAT
AFTER THAT INITIAL WALK THROUGH. BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO LOOK FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN INTRODUCE TREES IN THE IMMEDIATE IN MORE IMMEDIATELY THAN RECONFIGURING THE ENTIRE
STREETSCAPE. AND SO WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF NEW URBAN MECHANICS AND THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE TO FIND SOME FUNDING, TO GET SOME ABOVE
GROUND PLANTERS FOR TREES. AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR LOCATIONS CHINATOWN TO PLACE THOSE. AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A PILOT PROGRAM TO LOOK AT SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO DO SOMETHING IN A VERY CHALLENGING
ENVIRONMENT. SO THIS IS AGAIN THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO LOOK FOR RESOURCES AND TO BUILD A PROGRAM AND EVALUATE A
PROGRAM THAT IS NOT TYPICALLY BEEN A PART OF OUR STANDARD PLANTING PROCEDURES IN THE PAST. SO WE'RE WE'RE HOPEFUL AND OPTIMISTIC THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO FIND NEW AND CREATIVE WAYS
THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO PROVIDE COMMENTS? NO. OKAY. I'LL PASS IT TO COUNCILOR FLYNN
FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT IS HERE. THANK YOU FOR ALSO WORKING WITH ME ON ESPECIALLY CHINATOWN
BECAUSE IT IS SO FEW TREES IN THEM. AND THAT'S WHY I DO STRESS THE MISSED EXCUSE ME THE MISTAKEN
IS IMPORTANT BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THE CITY DID NOT HAVE THE CITY RAN OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR TENT THAT'S ALSO NEEDED LAST
YEAR AND I HAD A SEARCH AROUND TO TRY TO GET A TENT. BUT CAN WE ALSO ADD HAVING A TENT IN CHINATOWN AS WELL
AVAILABLE FOR THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE LAST YEAR IT WAS IT WAS CHALLENGING TO GET ONE. IS THAT IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN FOCUS ON? THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILOR.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONFIRM WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. THEY STEWARD AND RUN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE POP UP
MISTING TENTS BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AS WELL AS MANY MEMBERS OF THE CHINATOWN COMMUNITY ON COMING UP WITH A A PLAN A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. BUT ALSO THE DISTRIBUTION PLAN
FOR THE POP UP MISTING TENTS. SO WHILE OEM DOES DISTRIBUTE THE TENTS CITYWIDE CHINATOWN AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE MISTING SOLUTIONS AMONG OTHER
COOLING SOLUTIONS IN CHINATOWN IS A PRIORITY. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU TO CONFIRM. THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A PRIORITY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT THEY NEED ESPECIALLY AN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY LOW INCOME AREA.
THEY DESERVE WHATEVER WE CAN PROVIDE THEM. THERE'S ALSO MY NEIGHBOR HERE WHO'S TOO DOESN'T LIVE IN IN CHINATOWN. BUT TOM, REALLY YOU WERE
HELPFUL TO US SUPPORTING THE RESIDENTS OF CHINATOWN AS WELL . SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THANK YOU TO TOM FOR ADVOCATING
FOR FOR THE RESIDENTS ALSO MY STAFF AND I ALONG WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WORKED WITH THE FRIENDS OF NORTH THE BROADWAY RESIDENTS ALONG FIRST
RATE ACTUALLY WE WERE THERE LAST WEEK FOR A CLEANUP COUNCIL CONSUL MURPHY WITH OUR CHU WORKING WITH EVERSOURCE AS WELL SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT
TEAMS WHAT CAN WE DO ALONG THAT AREA TO INCLUDE TREE CANOPY IN THEIR PLANS? THEY REALLY LACK TREES DUE TO
THEIR NARROW SIDEWALKS. HOW CAN WE HOW CAN WE ENSURE NEIGHBORS IN AND AROUND THAT FIRST STREET AREA CAN HAVE ACCESS TO A TREE CANOPY?
WELL, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT FOR A MOMENT, COUNCILOR AND AGAIN THANK YOU FOR INITIATING THE WALK THROUGH AND WITH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP AS WELL. LAST SUMMER DID A WALK THROUGH IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND SPECIFICALLY IT WAS RELATING TO
THE EVERSOURCE SUBSTATION ALONG EAST FIRST STREET BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING SOME WORK THERE THAT HAS CAUSED THEM TO REMOVE SOME OF THE TREES THAT ARE ON THEIR OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY AND AFTER THAT WALK THROUGH AGAIN WE WENT THROUGH THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND EXPLORED EXISTING LOCATIONS AND NEEDED NEW TREES AND TO TO FIND NEW LOCATIONS AND OF COURSE THE RESIDENTS WOULD IDEALLY LIKE TREES ON EAST FIRST STREET.
AND WE DID HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP WITH EVERSOURCE AND APPARENTLY EVEN THOUGH THE SIDEWALK IS VERY WIDE AND THAT ONE SECTION IN FRONT OF THEIR SUBSTATION THEY DO HAVE A LARGE CONDUIT THAT RUNS RIGHT UNDER THAT PARTICULAR SECTION OF SIDEWALK
AND IT WOULD PREVENT US FROM PLANTING TREES IN THAT IMMEDIATE LOCATION. BUT NONETHELESS WE HAVE LOOKED WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LAST FALL WE PLANTED A NUMBER OF TREES IN THE NORTH AND
BROADWAY AREA AND THIS SPRING WE HAVE SOME ON OUR ON OUR PLANTING SCHEDULE AND I CONTINUE TO TALK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS AND THERE WERE ACTUALLY A FEW
LOCATIONS FROM THAT INITIAL WALK THROUGH THAT WE HAVE NOT MOVED FORWARD WITH IDENTIFYING OR MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANTING NEW TREES. SO THROUGH THEIR ADVOCACY
ADVOCACY AND REMINDER TO ME AGAIN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THOSE LOCATIONS AND AND WORK AS BEST AS WE CAN TO INTRODUCE NEW TREES. NOW THERE ARE COMPLICATIONS
WITH AGAIN NARROW SIDEWALKS AND EVEN THE CONFIGURATION OF MANY OF THE NEW BUILDINGS. OFTENTIMES THE BUILDINGS ARE SET BACK ON THE GROUND FLOOR TO ALLOW FOR ACCESSIBILITY ON THE SIDEWALK BUT THEN THEY BUMP OUT
WHEN YOU GET TO THE SECOND FLOOR AND THAT IS AN IMPEDIMENT TO PLANTING TREES ON SOME OF THESE SIDEWALKS. BUT AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S NO PLACES TO PLANT TREES. BUT AS WE SAID BEFORE, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE
RESIDENTS AND FIND THE BEST LOCATIONS WITH THOSE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA THAT WILL CONTINUE TO CARE FOR THE TREE AND HELP THE TREE GET ESTABLISHED. THANK YOU.
AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, I REPRESENT THE LARGEST NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING OF ANY DISTRICT CITY COUNCILOR. WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR RESIDENTS
IN MARY ELLEN MCCORMACK, VHA WEST BROADWAY AND LYNCH HOMES? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN SOME OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH
BOSTON WEST NINTH STREET AS WELL? DO WE HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR ENSURING RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA MOSTLY MOSTLY RESIDENTS
OF COLOR BUT CAN WE PRIORITIZE TREE PLANTING IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS TOO OR WHAT IS THE PLAN?
MANY OF THE STREETS ON AIRBNB ARE NOT ACTUALLY UNDER OUR JURISDICTION CURRENTLY WE HAVE IN OTHER VHA DEVELOPMENT WHERE WE DO HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE SIDEWALKS.
WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED TREE PLANTING PLANS IN THOSE AREAS. ONE OF THEM NEXT TO HARAMBEE OFF OF BLUE HILL HAVE THERE THAT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WE PLANTED OVER 50 TREES THERE
HANDFUL OF YEARS AGO BUT YES WE ARE. OUR CURRENT PLANTING PROCESS IS LIMITED TO SIDEWALKS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE AS THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. OUR FUNDING IS NOT ALLOWED TO
BE USED ON PRIVATE WAYS ACROSS THE CITY. AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT IF I COULD SPECIFICALLY WITH THE MARIAN WALSH PROPERTY WHICH AGAIN THOSE STREETS ARE NOT UNDER THOSE ARE NOT CITY STREETS ARE NOT UNDER THE
JURISDICTION OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. BUT AGAIN, IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE ANDREWS SQUARE CIVIC ASSOCIATION WHICH ARE THERE THAT'S WITHIN THEIR BOUNDARIES. WE ARE ACTUALLY PLANTING SOME
TREES THERE THIS SPRING ALONG DEVINE WAY WHICH IS AGAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET WHICH IS THAT STREET IS A CITY STREET. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE TREES EVEN IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA EVEN IF
THOSE STREETS THEMSELVES ARE NOT UNDER OUR JURISDICTION AGAIN AND THAT'S THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND CONVERSATION WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. WELL WELL, THANK YOU. THAT AREA IS CRITICAL. AS YOU MENTIONED, THE ANDREWS
SQUARE. THEY HAVE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL NEIGHBORS DOWN THERE AND THAT'S WHERE MARY ELLEN MCCORMACK IS JUST A SHORT WALK AS YOU KNOW.
BUT WORKING WITH THE RESIDENTS, WORKING WITH MY OFFICE, PRIORITIZING TREE CANOPY IN AND AROUND THAT AREA AND AS CLOSE AS WE CAN GET TO THE MARY ELLEN
MCCORMACK BEING REDEVELOPED AS YOU KNOW. BUT PART OF THE PLAN SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE TREE CANOPY. RESIDENTS DESERVE EQUAL ACCESS
TO TREE CANOPY WHETHER THEY LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING IN SOUTH BOSTON AND THEY LIVE IN A $5 MILLION CONDO SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO
ADVOCATE FOR FOR MY CONSTITUENTS AND PUBLIC HOUSING . LET ME LET ME GO BACK TO THE
QUESTION I ASKED EARLIER IN THE FIRST PANEL ABOUT THE THE BEAUTIFUL TREES ALONG BROADWAY AND I JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT WHAT THE THOUGHTS ARE FROM THE
PARKS. BEAUTIFUL TREES ON BROADWAY. SHORT TERM PLANS AND LONG TERM PLANS CERTAINLY. CERTAINLY THE SIDEWALKS ARE BACK GOING.
WE SEE IT FREQUENTLY AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE WALKING UP A HILL AND WALKING DOWN A HILL. IT'S THAT STEEP AT TIMES VERY DIFFICULT FOR PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES OUR SENIORS. BUT WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THINKING ABOUT THAT THAT TYPE OF GENERAL SCENARIO THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS DISTRICT TWO AND
WESTBURY ON EAST BROADWAY BUT ALSO PROBABLY OTHER AREAS ACROSS THE CITY? WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW WE DEAL WITH THAT? I'LL TAKE THAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND THEIR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT DIVISION AS WELL AS THE OFFICE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO CREATE STANDARDS THAT WILL HELP CREATE WALKING ENVIRONMENTS ON
SIDEWALKS USING POROUS PAVING OR FLEXIBLE PAVING LIKE PERKY PAVE OR FLEXI PAVE SO THAT WHEN THERE ARE OR SIDEWALK FULL RECONSTRUCTIONS THAT THESE PRODUCTS CAN BE PUT DOWN TO TRY
AND HUMP THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE YOU HAVE THESE RAISES IN THE SIDEWALK CONCRETE SIDEWALKS ARE EASILY PUSHED UP BY TREE ROOTS TREES NATURALLY HAVE ROOTS.
THEY'RE GOING TO GROW TO THE SURFACE BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WATER AND IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT THAT WE YOU KNOW, PLANT OUR TREES IN THERE IS NOT AS MUCH AVAILABILITY FOR WATER. SO THESE POOR SIDEWALK
MATERIALS THAT HAVE COME INTO OUR INDUSTRY IN THE LAST 10 TO 15 YEARS ARE REALLY HELPING US MANAGE THOSE ISSUES. SO WE ARE TRYING TO EXPAND OUR CURRENT PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE
INTO THE SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAMS THE USE OF THESE POROUS PAVING MATERIALS. AND WITH THAT WE HAVE ALSO DONE OUR OWN SMALL PROJECTS USING
THESE POROUS MATERIALS AND TREE PITS THEMSELVES TO PREVENT TRIPPING HAZARDS THROUGHOUT OUR PUBLIC SIDEWALKS. YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF TREE GRATES AROUND THE CITY THOSE METAL FRAMES THAT GO AROUND TREES THAT HAVE UPLIFTED
OVER TIME. AND SO WE'VE PUT OUT SOME CONTRACTS AND WORK TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND PUT IT IN PAVING IN THOSE AREAS. IDEALLY, YOU KNOW I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE SILVER SIR DAVID
MENTIONED THE SILVER CELLS EARLIER. YOU KNOW, THEY ARE A GREAT SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS BUT THEY ARE A VERY EXPENSIVE SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS. OUR AVERAGE TREE PLANTING IS
GOING TO COST US AROUND 1500 DOLLARS A TREE WITH WARRANTY AND WATERING. SILVER SELLS ABOUT $30,000 PER TREE. SO YOU KNOW TO REALLY AND IS JUST A NEW TREE IT'S NOT
SOMETHING YOU COULD YOU CAN PUT IN AFTER THE FACT. YOU KNOW, AS DAVID SAID ALSO OUR CITY WAS NOT DESIGNED IN A WAY TO ACCOMMODATE TREES OR OUR HOUSES ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE TREES AND A LOT OF YOU KNOW,
THE NEW DEVELOPMENT REALLY ENCROACHES ON THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK WHICH YOU KNOW, LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT THAT TREES WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, EXTREMELY CRUCIAL TO THEIR GROWING ENVIRONMENT. YOU KNOW, OUR PUBLIC TREES HAVE
HAVE A LOT TO DEAL WITH. THEY ARE RESILIENT. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE 100 YEAR OLD TREES ON BROADWAY. YOU HAVE ELM TREES THAT ARE 100 FEET TALL, FOUR FEET IN DIAMETER BUT THEY ARE COMPETING WITH, YOU KNOW, INTERESTS
OF NEW DEVELOPMENT. THEY'RE COMPETING WITH UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A LOT OF THINGS AGAINST THEM. BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY THEY HAVE BEEN RESILIENT OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE
ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THRIVED IN THESE ENVIRONMENTS. SO YES, WORKING WITH OGI AND WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, WE ARE COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS FOR THESE PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO LOSE AND REMOVE
LARGE MATURE TREES TO MAKE ADA COMPLIANT SIDEWALKS. WE'RE WORKING ON YOU KNOW, OTHER OTHER AVENUES TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE SIDEWALK RAISES WHAT? SO SO IN THAT SCENARIO THAN
WHEN THE TREE IS SO POWERFUL AND THE ROOTS ARE SO STRONG AND THE ROOTS ARE NOW IMPACTING THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSE AND ACTUALLY AT TIMES GETTING INTO
BASEMENTS OR PUSHING UP AGAINST THE BASEMENTS, WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE PLAN, THAT TYPE OF SCENARIO AND THE HOMEOWNER
CERTAINLY IS CONCERNED ABOUT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN, INSURANCE LIABILITY. I'M NOT ASKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC HOUSE OR A SPECIFIC TREE BUT THAT ISSUE IS NOT GOING AWAY
FOR US. DO WE HAVE A LONG OR A SHORT TERM PLAN? I KNOW I KNOW ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS BUT I'M TALKING NOW ABOUT THE THE ROOTS THAT ARE
NOW IMPACTING PEOPLE'S HOMES. THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR HOMES AND ACTUALLY LITERALLY GETTING INTO BASEMENTS. SO TREE ROOTS ARE LOOKING FOR
WATER. THAT IS THEIR MAIN GOAL IS TO LOOK FOR WATER AND NUTRIENTS UNDERGROUND AND SO THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO PENETRATE SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY BUILT
LIKE A CONCRETE FOUNDATION. BUT IF THERE IS HOLE IN THE FOUNDATION OR IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE HAS A ROCK LAYING FOUNDATION THAT IS EXTREMELY OLD LIKE YOU FIND IN MUCH OF OUR CITY, THEY WILL GO
LOOKING FOR NUDE WATER IN THAT AREA. THERE'S NOT MUCH THAT WE CAN DO ON OUR END TO PREVENT THAT FROM A MATURE MATURE TREE STANDPOINT AS YOU WOULD LITERALLY NEED TO
REMOVE THE ENTIRE SIDEWALK AND AIR EXCAVATE ALL OF THE ROOT ALL OF THE MATERIAL OUT FROM THE SIDEWALK AND THEN TRIM THE ROOTS BACK AND THEN YOU WOULD NEED TO PUT IN A PREVENTATIVE BARRIER.
YOU KNOW THE THE FOUNDATION ISSUE IN MY 16 YEARS WORKING FOR THE CITY HAS BEEN FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AND MOST OF THE CASES WHERE THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN AN ISSUE IT WAS BECAUSE
THE FOUNDATION WAS ALREADY COMPROMISED IN A WAY THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARILY BUILT TO WITHSTAND EVEN JUST THE AMOUNT OF RAINWATER THAT COMES DOWN
INTO A SIDEWALK AT TIMES. SO THE THAT THE TREE ISN'T YOU KNOW, THE DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BREAK INTO A BUILT STRUCTURE. IT DOESN'T HAVE DRILL BITS ON
ITS ROOTS ENDS BUT IT DOES, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR WATER AND AS THOSE ROOTS EXPAND THEY CAN PUT PRESSURE ON TO FOUNDATIONS BUT THE ABILITY TO PREVENT THAT ON
A LARGE MATURE TREE WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO UNLESS A BUILDING IS BEING REMOVED WE WOULD WE WOULD HAVE TO LITERALLY REMOVE ALL THE MATERIAL FROM THE SIDEWALK AND UNDER THE TREE TO BE ABLE TO DO
THAT. OKAY. IN THE OTHER DISTRICT THERE ARE NO TREES ALONG LINCOLN STREET AND BEALE STREET.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO PRIORITIZE THE THE DISTRICT AS WELL? PROBABLY SIMILAR TO CHINATOWN WE HAVE WE HAVE CHALLENGES
INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES CERTAINLY. BUT ANY GENERAL IDEAS ABOUT THE DISTRICT? WELL, WE'VE RECENTLY MET WITH ONE L.D. THE GROUP COMMUNITY GROUP AND ANOTHER DISTRICT AND
FOR ONE THING WE WANT TO AGAIN FOCUS ON THE TREES THAT DO EXIST THERE AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HEALTHY, REMAIN HEALTHY AND THEN WE NEED TO LOOK FOR AGAIN MORE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR PLANTING TREES IN THIS KIND
OF ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE AGAIN IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO CHINATOWN WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF SUBSURFACE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO JUST CUT A NEW TREE, PUT IN PLANT A TREE. SO I THINK THIS PILOT PROGRAM
WE HAVE IN CHINATOWN WITH SOME ABOVE GROUND PLANTERS MIGHT LEAD US TO A NEW PROGRAM OR MIGHT OPEN THE WAY FOR EXPLORING NEW AVENUES FOR AREAS LIKE THE OTHER DISTRICT. OKAY.
I'M GOING TO ASK ONE BRIEF QUESTION. I KNOW I WANT TO GET TO MY OTHER COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY. THE MEDIAN STRIP A LONG SUMMER
STREET FROM FORT POINT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER. IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE TREE CANOPY SHADE FOR
PEOPLE WALKING BY HELPING OR COOLING DOWN THE AREA? IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE A COMBINATION OF WORKING WITH CITY AND IN WITH THE STATE AS WELL.
BUT IT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE SOME TREE CANOPY THERE IF YOU WANT TO COME BACK TO THAT TO ME YOU
KNOW AFTER HEARING THAT'S ALSO FINE. I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE BEST APPROACH FOR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IS AND AND ANY OWNERSHIP ISSUES AROUND THAT.
YEAH, NO THAT'S PERFECT. I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO STOP AND GIVE MY OTHER COLLEAGUES AN OPPORTUNITY. BUT THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, FOR BEING MORE THAN GENEROUS WITH
YOUR TIME. NO PROBLEM. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU ARE THE LEAD CO-SPONSOR OR SPONSOR RATHER. I WILL GO TO COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR ANY QUESTION SHE HAS. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU BOTH TO
THE CHAIR AND COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR YOUR ADVOCACY ON THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. A FEW THINGS CAME UP THAT YOU MENTIONED ONE I LIKED YOUR LIST
OF YOU PUT TOGETHER FOR THE DATA ADVOCATES AND I SAW A LOT THAT LIST I THINK MAYBE FOUR POINT I'M NOT TRUMP WAS LISTED IN OFF BUT I KNOW THEY ARE
ALWAYS ACTIVELY YOU KNOW THINKING OF WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF IT'S THE WATER THAT THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE PARKS THE STREET AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE WHICH I
THINK MANY OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND ACTIVISTS THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT WHAT HAPPENS ON BROADWAY AFFECTS EVEN ALL THE WAY INTO HYDE PARK AND IS LIKE AN AT LARGE CITY COUNCILOR. I ALWAYS DO APPRECIATE THAT THE
DISTRICT COUNCILORS FIGHT HARD AND ARE PROUD OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE THEIR DISTRICT SO SPECIAL AND OBVIOUSLY THE TWO DISTRICT COUNCILORS FROM EAST BOSTON AND SOUTH BOSTON WHICH
MAKE UP MOST OF THE YOU THE WATERWAY AND A LOT OF THE CLIMATE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING NOW WE'RE HERE. SO I DO THINK THAT SAYS A LOT. BUT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE
STREETS ARE THE STREETS WHICH I NEVER KNEW THIS INSIDE OF THE HOUSING NOT CITY STREET MANY OF THEM ARE NOT ACTUALLY PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAYS. SO ARE THEY ALL PRIVATE WITHIN
THEY ARE UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND SOME OF THEM LIKE THE ONE ON WEST NINTH HAVE BEEN CHANGED. THOSE HAVE TURNED OVER TO PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND THEY
HAVE PLANTED I THINK 100 TREES OR SO IN THAT AREA. AND WHAT WAS THE PROCESS IF YOU THAT TURNED THOSE STREETS OVER TO PUBLIC BRIDLEWAYS I DO UNFORTUNATELY DO NOT KNOW THE
ANSWERS TO HOW THEY GOT TURNED OVER FROM PRIVATE TO PUBLIC BECAUSE LIKE YOU JUST MENTIONED THE ONES THAT HAVE WE'VE DONE INCREDIBLE PLANTING ON AND I'VE BEEN TO MANY OF THE IF NOT ALL
OF THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE CITY AND THEY ARE DEFINITELY LACKING TREES SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK INTO BECAUSE THEY MUST NOT HAVE THE BUDGET I KNOW
AND THEY HAVE OTHER MAYBE BIGGER CONCERNS LIKE ELEVATORS AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS BUT THAT THAT WAS JUST INTERESTING TO LEARN. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. ON THE LIKE EQUITY OF TREE PLANTING HOW WILL WE DECIDING FOR DISTRICT TWO WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH STREETS GET BOTH PLANTING BUT THEN WE ALSO
BROUGHT UP THE THE MISTING TENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND DUE TO HOW DO WE DECIDE THOSE? WELL IN TERMS OF TREE PLANTING
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO GUIDE SOME OF OUR WORK AND IN THE URBAN FOREST PLAN WE CAME UP WITH WHAT'S CALLED PRIORITY ZONES AND THAT LOOKS AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT METRICS THAT LOOKS AT THE CANOPY
COVERAGE OVERALL IT LOOKS AT THE NUMBER OF THE EXTENSION OF HEAT EVENTS OR HOW LONG OR HOW FREQUENT HEAT EVENTS ARE AND THEN IT ALSO LETS SAY MORE HISTORICAL THINGS LIKE IF THE AREA WAS HISTORICALLY REDLINED
AND THEN ALSO IF IT'S IN E.G. CENSUS TRACT NEIGHBORHOOD AND SO IF IT'S THREE OF THOSE FOUR CHARACTERISTICS IT'S YOU KNOW IT CAN BE HIGHLIGHTED AS A PRIORITY ZONE WITHIN THE URBAN FOREST PLAN BUT THEN YOU KNOW
WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT THAT ACTUALLY SOMETIMES YOU KNOW THE EMPHASIS MAY BE ON AT OUR HEAT MAP AND OUR HEAT PLAN SO WE HAVE THAT IS WITHIN THE URBAN FOREST PLAN OUR GUIDE OF THE PRIORITY ZONES.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT AS THE EXCLUSIVE LOCATIONS TO IDENTIFY FOR FOR TREE PLANTING. SO WE DO LOOK AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT METRICS DOES
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ASK PLAY INTO THAT A LOT DO YOU THINK OH ABSOLUTELY. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT TOO. OKAY, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW WE CAN HELP MOTIVATE NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT WE SEE DEFINITELY THAT WOULD NEED MORE TREE PLANTING AND MISTING. YEAH, WE VERY MUCH WANT PROPERTY OWNERS, RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY TO BE ENGAGED AND
BE PART OF THE REQUESTING PROCESS OF TREES AS OVER THE YEARS I'VE UNFORTUNATELY SEEN YOU KNOW WE'VE PLANTED TREES IN FRONT OF BUILDINGS BEFORE WHERE RESIDENTS DIDN'T WANT TREES AND
THEY WILL GO AND CUT THAT TREE DOWN. SO YOU KNOW, GETTING THE BUY IN FROM THE ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNED AND RESIDENT IS HUGE TO OUR TO ACTUALLY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PLANTING PROGRAM
WHICH KIND OF TIES INTO THE QUESTION I ASKED EARLIER TO THE ADVOCATES LIKE THE EDUCATION AND HAVE WE KIND OF GOTTEN TO A BETTER PLACE I THINK WE HAVE BUT THERE'S STILL WAYS TO GO
WHAT DATA DO WE HAVE ON THE ROLE OF TREES MITIGATING THE HEAT ISLANDS AND DATA AND IS THAT SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC TO KIND OF HELP WITH THAT BY IN
SPECIFICALLY RELATING TO THE HEAT ISLAND? AGAIN, THERE WAS WORK THAT WAS DONE AS PART OF THE URBAN FOREST PLAN BUT IN GENERAL IN TERMS OF EVALUATING THE IMPACT
OF TREE CANOPY AS THE COUNSELOR MENTIONED, THE THE STATISTICS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR CANOPY COVERAGE ARE FROM 2019 AND FOR FOR THE URBAN FOREST
PLAN WE TOOK DATA FROM 2014 AND 2019 AND LOOKED AT COMPARISON OVER TIME AND WITHIN THE URBAN FOREST DIVISION WE WERE COMMITTED TO LOOKING AT THAT DATA EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO ACTUALLY WE HAVE COLLECTED
THE DATA AGAIN IN 2014 2024 I'M SORRY AND IT'S ACTUALLY BEING ANALYZED NOW THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT DATA GEOSPATIAL LAB AND THEY ARE THE SAME GROUP THAT DID THE
ANALYSIS OF THE PREVIOUS TWO DATA COLLECTIONS. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT AS ANOTHER COMPARISON SO THEN WE CAN SEE IF WE'RE MAINTAINING THE SAME CANOPY COVERAGE OVERALL OR IF WE'VE GROWN OR IF
IT'S INCREASED OR DECREASED OVER TIME. OKAY. AND ONE LAST QUESTION ABOUT THE BUDGET KNOW WE'RE COMING IN TO BUDGET SEASON. WHAT'S THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR
TREE PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE IN DISTRICT TWO AND DO YOU FEEL THAT IT'S SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS ?
I WANT TO I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OFFHAND BUT WE DO HAVE A BUDGET HEARING COMING UP LATER THIS MONTH AND I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU. YEAH THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE
HAVE IT. YEAH DEFINITELY WE DON'T NEED IT NOW BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE BUDGET HEARING TO SEE YEAH AND TIE IT INTO THE NEEDS THAT WE KNOW AND HOW MANY MISTING STATIONS TENTS DO WE HAVE
CURRENTLY TO DEPLOY ON THOSE HOT DAYS. SO WHEN I SO WHEN I RECENTLY
SPOKE WITH O&M THIS PAST WEEK I HEAR THERE ARE 30 MISTING TENTS AND THERE ARE THREE STANDING MISTERS CURRENTLY AND JUST TO
RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT HOW DISTRIBUTION WORKS, THE POP UP MISSING KIDS ARE DISTRIBUTED FOR PUBLIC EVENTS AND SO IF THE CITY HOSTS AN EVENTS FOR
EXAMPLE LIKE AN OPEN STREETS THEY CAN BE USED DURING THOSE EVENTS. THEY CAN ALSO BE REQUESTED BY A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION THAT IS HOSTING A PUBLIC EVENT. AND SO THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A
RESOURCE FOR CBOS HOSTING PUBLIC EVENTS OUTDOORS. AND SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THERE IS MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO SOCIALIZE THE POP UP MISTING TENTS PROGRAM BECAUSE I'VE
DEFINITELY SEEN THEM AT EVENTS THAT IS SPONSORED BY THE CITY OR ALSO LIKE THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION BRINGS THEIR WATER TRUCK TO ALL OF LIKE THE COFFEE HOURS AND STUFF SO THERE IS A WAY FOR
THEM TO BE THERE ON NON EVENT TYPE DAYS OR COMMUNITY EVENTS LIKE NEIGHBORHOODS COULD REQUEST THEM. YES NEIGHBORHOODS CAN ALSO REQUEST THEM AS WELL.
I WOULD ALSO I WOULD JUST MENTION THAT WILLIAM IS IN THE PROCESS OF CONFIRMING WHAT THEIR PROCESS IS FOR THE REQUEST FOR DISTRIBUTION.
BUT YES THE SHORT ANSWER TO THINKING ABOUT IT. AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHEF. THANK YOU COUNCILOR. MURPHY HOW HAS THIS IS FOR PARKS AND REC? HOW IS YOUR DEPARTMENT INCREASED SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE URBAN FORESTRY PLAN IN
TERMS OF STAFF CAPACITY, HOW MANY FOLKS HAVE WE HIRED AND RETAINED WELL, IT'S INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AND AS MAX CAN ATTEST IN HIS YEARS HERE IT'S
ONLY BEEN A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE MAYBE THREE PEOPLE THAT HAD TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE TREE CONCERNS ACROSS THE CITY. BUT NOW WE HAVE 15 PEOPLE WITHIN THE DIVISION INCLUDING MYSELF AS A DIRECTOR WE HAVE AN ADMIN ASSISTANT.
WE HAVE SOME WE'VE INCREASED OUR FIELD STAFF THAT OUT THAT IS OUT RESPONDING TO STORM CALLS IS THEIR THEIR PRIMARY CONCERN AND THEN BEYOND THAT THEY'RE ALSO ENGAGING IN WORKS IN OUR WORK IN OUR PARKS.
WE NOW HAVE FOUR ARBORISTS ON STAFF WHICH HAS BEEN A HUGE HELP TO INSPECTING RESIDENT CONCERNS AROUND TREES CONCERNS AROUND TREES AND ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER WORK FOR OUR
CONTRACTORS TO COMPLETE. AND THIS HAS ALLOWED US TO MOVE FROM AN A JUST A REACTIONARY APPROACH TO ANY TIME THERE'S A311 REQUEST WE GO IN AND LOOK AT AN INDIVIDUAL TREE TO NOW BEING MORE PROACTIVE AND
ESPECIALLY IN OUR TREE MAINTENANCE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CALL BLOCK PRUNING WHERE RATHER THAN GOING TO ADDRESS JUST A SINGULAR TREE THAT SOMEONE'S CONCERNED ABOUT, OUR ARBORIST WILL GO OUT AND INSPECT ALL THE
TREES IN THAT PARTICULAR BLOCK AND WE WILL HAVE OUR CONTRACTOR WORK IN THAT IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA AT ONE TIME AND THAT IS JUST INCREASED OUR OUTPUT TREMENDOUSLY. AGAIN, JUST THE LOGISTICS OF IT
ARE, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLE THAT WE CAN WE CAN PUT UP NO PARKING SIGNS, WE CAN HAVE OCCUPANCY PERMITS AND ALL OF THIS EVERYTHING THAT'S NEEDED FOR THIS ONE AREA AND WE CAN ACCOMPLISH RATHER THAN JUST,
YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING ONE CONCERN WE CAN ADDRESS MAYBE A DOZEN OR MORE OF, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE OF OUR ASSETS. THANK YOU. AND I YOU CAN SEE IT.
WHEN I STARTED IN CITY HALL IN 2018, I WOULD GET A LOT OF CALLS ASKING WHY IT'S TAKING SO LONG FOR TREE AND AGAIN JUST DUE TO CAPACITY NOT DUE TO ANYBODY'S LACK OF OF EFFORT BUT
YOU CAN REALLY TELL AND IT HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. HOW IS THE PROCESS WITH PUBLIC WORKS GOTTEN FOR DIGGING INTO
THE INTO THE SIDEWALK LIKE THE APPROVAL OF THE INTERNAL PROCESSES? MAYBE IF YOU CAN JUST PROVIDE A BROAD OVERVIEW OF OF WHAT HAPPENS FROM START TO FINISH. WHEN A RESIDENT PUTS INTO THREE
ONE LINE OR THERE'S A REQUEST THAT COMES IN EVEN FROM TREE EAST FROM BILL TO PLANT A TREE AND DESIGNATING IT WITH THE
SPRAY PAINT THAT HE DOES HE PUTS A STICKER ON THERE BUT THEN THE PROCESS OF DIGGING THAT UP HAS GOTTEN EASIER. I HAD HEARD THAT THERE WERE SOME MAYBE BARRIERS OR BOTTLENECKS IN THAT APPROVAL PROCESS EVEN WITH PUBLIC WORKS
AND INTERNALLY. SO WE THE PARKS AND PRIMARY URBAN FORESTRY DIVISION HANDLES ALL OF THE CUTTING OF THE NEW PITS AND EXCAVATION OF THE NEW PITS. PUBLIC WORKS PROVIDES THE PERMITS FOR US TO DO SO IN THAT
PROCESS THANK GOODNESS TO THE ONLINE PERMITTING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A LOT EASIER IN MY EARLY DAYS I WOULD COME TO CITY HALL AND SIT ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR FOR HOURS WAITING FOR PERMITS AND NOW I CAN DO IT IN ABOUT 3
TO 5 MINUTES I CAN GET A PERMIT FOR US TO OCCUPY AN AREA AND DO OUR WORK TO PLAN NEW TREES. YOU KNOW, IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF LEGWORK OF COURSE FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, PUT UP NO PARKING SIGNS AND THEN HOPE THAT A CAR
MOVES IN THAT AREA SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO OUR WORK. BUT IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY CUTTING, YOU KNOW, A NEW TREE PIT OR EXPANDING A TREE PIT, THOSE TASKS ARE FAR EASIER THESE DAYS THAN THEY EVER USED
TO BE BEFORE. THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE RUN INTO IS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS. IT'S ACTUALLY UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. OKAY. YOU KNOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO US PLANTING NEW TREES NO MATTER THE
NEIGHBORHOOD IS UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIFICATION ABOUT THEIR DEPTH, HOW FAR THEY HAVE TO BE FROM ANOTHER UTILITY LIKE WATER AND SEWER DOESN'T WANT THEIR
WASTEWATER SEWER TO BE CLOSE TO THEIR WATERLINE FOR OBVIOUS REASONS YOU DON'T YOU KNOW YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO CONTAMINATE EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW. SO THAT IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST HINDRANCES IN ACTUALLY INSTALLING NEW TREES IS THE
INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER THE GROUND WHETHER IT'S A GAS, WHETHER IT'S EVERSOURCE WITH POWER, WHETHER IT'S BOSTON WATER AND SEWER OR WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, STREET LIGHTING, YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE THERE'S A
CURB CUT, WHERE THERE'S AN ENTRY WAY TO SOMEONE'S HOME. YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY LIMITED WITH YOU KNOW, WE'VE COME UP WITH A SPECIFICATION OF WHERE EXACTLY A TREE WOULD WORK OVER THE YEARS WE FOUND YOU KNOW,
YOU DON'T WANT TO PLANT A TREE NEXT TO SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY, RIGHT? THEY'RE MORE THAN LIKELY TO ACCIDENTALLY KNOCK INTO IT OR RUN OVER IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO PLANT A TREE AT A TOO CLOSE TO AN INTERSECTION BECAUSE IT
BLOCKS THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO SEE PEDESTRIANS IN THE CROSSWALK. YOU KNOW, SO WE'VE REALLY NARROWED DOWN WHERE WE FEEL COMFORTABLE PLANTING TREES FOR THE LONG TERM AND I THINK WE'VE, YOU KNOW, GOTTEN MUCH
BETTER AT THAT. OUR TREES ARE YOUNG TREES. SURVIVABILITY HAS REALLY INCREASED WITH OUR NEW STAFFING AND WITH OUR OVERSIGHT THAT WE'VE HAD AS WELL AS OUR ENGAGEMENT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO INSTALLING NEW TREES EVEN IN FRONT OF A NEW DEVELOPMENT YOU COULD HAVE A NEW BUILDING LIKE ON ON WEST FIRST A NEW DEVELOPMENT HAS NO TREES PLANTED IN FRONT OF IT. WE GO OUT THERE TO CHECK TO SEE
WHY. WELL THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S A GAS LINE AN ELECTRICAL LINE THAT RUN DIRECTLY UNDER THE SIDEWALK. WE'RE NOT GOING TO PLANT A TREE DIRECTLY ON TOP OF A GAS LINE BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THAT IS GOING TO DO TO THE TREE IF THE GAS LINE WERE TO EVER BREAK.
YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE REALLY LIMITED IN THAT REGARD UNFORTUNATELY. AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. I MAYBE HAD SOME OUTDATED INTELLIGENCE ABOUT WHAT IS CAUSING THE THE OLD BARRIERS THAT THAT I WAS HEARING ABOUT.
BUT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS WAS IT THE PERMITTING SYSTEM THAT YOU SAID THAT WENT FROM A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO A COUPLE OF DAYS? YEAH. THE ONLINE PERMITTING SYSTEM YES. IT HAS GREATLY HELPED US IN
TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, INCREASING OUR EFFICIENCY AND BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET PERMITS TO OCCUPY SIDEWALKS AND TO YOU KNOW, TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DIG HOLES AND REPLACE OUR TREES. EXCELLENT.
AND I'VE SEEN WATER TRUCKS GO OUT. IS THAT WHO OWNS US? IS THAT THE CITY? SO WE HAVE ONE WATER WELL THERE'S NUMEROUS THE PARKS PRIVATE OWNS A BUNCH OF WATER TRUCKS BUT YOU KNOW THE HORTICULTURE DIVISION FOR THE
PARKS PROVISIONS THEIR OWN WATER TRUCKS AND THEY WATER ALL THE FLOWER BEDS AND PLANTERS IN THE CITY BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE NEW TREES THAT'S ACTUALLY UNDER CONTRACT BY THE CONTRACTOR WHO PLANTED THE TREE. SO THE CONTRACTOR THEMSELVES
OWNS YOU KNOW IN OUR GENERAL PLANT PLANTING CONTRACT THEY HAVE TO OWN FOUR WATERING TRUCKS WHEN THEY'RE PLANTING 1800 TREES IN OUR CITY A YEAR AND SO THEY'RE THE ONES PROVIDING THAT WATER.
AND THEN AS TODD MENTIONED EARLIER THAT ANY TREE THAT WE PLANT WE WATER OURSELVES. WE HAVE ONE WATERING TRUCK IN THERE AND FORESTRY DIVISION THAT WE SEND OUT, YOU KNOW, NOT THIS WEEK BECAUSE WE GOT PLENTY OF RAIN, THANK GOODNESS. BUT YES, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO
WATER TREES THAT WE HAVE PLANTED IN THE HOUSE OURSELVES. ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT WITH JUST ONE ONE TRUCK? YES. YEAH. WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO GET AROUND THANKFULLY. BUT YEAH, IF WE WERE TO EXPAND OUR IN-HOUSE PLANTING YEAH THAT
WOULD OF COURSE BE SUFFICIENT FOR FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO IT IS DEFINITELY A LIMITING FACTOR AND OF COURSE THAT ALSO TAKES A STAFF PERSON YOU KNOW DO THAT INSTEAD OF YOU KNOW PRUNING TREES OR DOING RENEWABLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I HAVE SEEN IN EAGLE HILL JUST BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN THE BULK OF WHERE THE PLANTINGS HAVE BEEN FROM TREE WE SEE THAT SOME OF THE NEW SAPLINGS HAVE UNFORTUNATELY DIED AND A LACK OF WATER IS WHAT IT ANECDOTALLY
HEARD. SO IF IF THAT WAS PLANTED BY TREE EAST FOR EXAMPLE THAT'S A SEPARATE CONTRACT THAT LIKE WHO OVERSEES THAT CONTRACT TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING IF THE TREE WAS
SPECIFICALLY PLANTED BY BILLY HE GETS LIKE YOU KNOW HOPEFULLY THE HOMEOWNER TO HELP WITH THAT. BILL ALSO OWNS HIS OWN TRUCK AND WATERING AND HE SUBCONTRACT IT OUT TO ANOTHER CONTRACTOR TO HELP WATER THOSE TREES OAK
TREES PLANTED BY US ARE UNDER WARRANTY BY OUR CONTRACTOR FOR TWO YEARS AFTER PLANTING. SO IF THE TREE YOU KNOW, FOR SOME REASON DOESN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THAT THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR OF PLANTING WE ANNUALLY GO
AND REVIEW EVERY TREE WE'VE PLANTED FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS SO WE GO AND LOOK AT 3630 200 TO 3600 TREES A YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALIVE AND HEALTHY AND IF THEY'RE NOT THEN WE ARE ABLE TO REPLACE THEM.
YOU KNOW A LOT OF IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT WATER, IT'S ABOUT THE NURSERY STOCK ITSELF UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, TREES ARE LIVING THINGS AND WE UNFORTUNATELY AS MUCH HELP AS
WE GIVE THEM SOMETIMES YOU GIVE THEM TOO MUCH HELP OR SOMETIMES THERE'S SOMETHING UNDERGROUND THAT MIGHT LEACH INTO THE SOIL OF THE TREE AND CAUSES THE TREE TO DIE OR YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S TOO MUCH ROAD SALT PUT
DOWN OR THERE'S TOO MUCH SALT IN THE SIDEWALK PUT DOWN YOU KNOW, THERE'S TOO MUCH FOOT COMPACTION OF THE SOIL ITSELF. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DEFINITELY A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS FOR PEOPLE SAYING
THEIR TREES ARE DEAD BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T LEAFED OUT YET. TREES HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF TIMES WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY PUSH OUT BUD AND LEAF OUT. YOU KNOW, OUR MAPLE TREES IN
OUR IN OUR LINDEN TREES HAVE ALREADY PUSHED OUT LEAF BUT OUR OAK TREES FOR INSTANCE HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING. THEY'RE JUST IN BAD FORM RIGHT NOW AND BARELY STARTING TO PUSH. SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON SPECIES
AS WELL. FASCINATING I MIGHT SAY JUST EDITORIALIZE THAT YOU MAY HAVE ONE OF THE BEST JOBS IN THE CITY. I WOULD AGREE BEING AN IRIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST TREES
MY LAST QUESTION JUST HAVE WE HEARD FROM DAVID ABOUT FUNDS THAT WE'VE LOST FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? A CURIOUS YOU KNOW, FROM FOR FOR THE CHIEF WHAT FUNDS HAVE WE SUSTAINED OR LOST FROM THE
FEDS AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT IF WE'VE LOST ANY? YEAH. SO THERE YOU GO.
AS YOU MAY REMEMBER FROM LAST MONTH WHEN WE HAD A HEARING ON A POWER COURT GRANT THAT WE HAD ONLY RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THAT
GRANT WAS WAS PULLED BACK AND CLAWED BACK AS WE HEARD EARLIER TODAY THROUGH DAVID'S TESTIMONY . THERE'S A LOT OF VOLATILITY
WHEN IT COMES TO THE FEDERAL FUNDING WE ARE ALTHOUGH LIKE VERY EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE SUSTAINED THAT WE DO HAVE IN HAND. SO THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S
SUPPORT AND THANK YOU FOR FOR THE COUNCIL FOR SHEPHERDING THAT LAST YEAR THE CITY RECEIVED A $11.4 MILLION IRA GRANT THROUGH THE URBAN AND
COMMUNITY FORESTRY GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND THREE DISTINCT PROJECTS INCLUDING TREE CARE AND MAINTENANCE FOR ACCESSIBILITY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND THE BOSTON TREE ALLIANCE.
SO THANKFULLY WE DO HAVE THAT RECOVERED AND IT'S THROUGH A LOT OF DEDICATED WORK FOR FOLKS ON THIS TEAM ON THIS PANEL AND ACROSS THE CABINET AND SO DO
YOU WANT TO MENTION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BOSTON TREE ALLIANCE JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PROGRAM AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO A SHORT SO THE BOSTON TREE ALLIANCE PROGRAM IS ESSENTIALLY IT PROVIDES GRANTS
TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PLANT TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. ADDITIONALLY, THIS GRANT IS FOCUSED ON EDUCATION. SO WHAT THE NEW IRA GRANT
ACTUALLY ALLOWS US TO DO IS BUILD OUT A PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THE WORK THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ALREADY DOES RUN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND TREES. SO ALREADY WE'VE DISTRIBUTED
ABOUT SIX GRANTS SO FAR WE HAD WE JUST FINISHED UP OUR FIRST GRANT YEAR SO WE'LL BE ADMINISTERING OUR SECOND SOON
AFTER THE SUMMER AND SO FAR WE'VE PLANTED I BELIEVE OVER 160 TREES SO WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO COME. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S IT FOR
FOR MY QUESTIONS. GO TO MY COLLEAGUES IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE COUNCILOR, FINE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. REALLY TRULY. IT'S BEEN GREAT BEING IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU ALL AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT WORK AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SET UP FOR SUCCESS WHICH ULTIMATELY ALLOWS FOR A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY
YOU KNOW AND I KNOW THIS IS ABOUT HISTORY TOO BUT IN EAST BOSTON I LIVE UNDERNEATH THE FLIGHT PATH AND I BREATHE IN THOSE ULTRAFINE PARTICULATES EVERY SINGLE DAY TO BRING US UP AD NAUSEUM IN THE COUNCIL. BUT EXPANDING OUR TREE CANOPY
IS JUST ONE STRATEGY AND ENSURING RESILIENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. WE WILL GO TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY NOW OF FOLKS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP IN PERSON IF YOU FOLKS WANT
TO STAY MAYBE ONE OR MULTIPLE OF YOU CAN STAY JUST TO LISTEN IN. WE'LL START WITH RICK WINTERSON. OH OH, HE JUST LEFT. OKAY.
I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. DONNA BROWN FROM THE SOUTH BOSTON AND DC AND THEN TOM READY IF YOU WANT TO APPROACH
EITHER MICROPHONE AND JUST SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR AFFILIATION, WE'LL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO JUST SPEAK. HI, MY NAME IS DONNA BROWN. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF SOUTH BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY SOUTH BOSTON, AS WE'VE HEARD, IS THE SECOND LOWEST TREE CANOPY IN THE CITY AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS
IMPACTED BY HEAT ISLAND EFFECT INCLUDING HIGH NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES IN THE SUMMER AND THE LACK OF TREE CANOPY AFFECTS THE HEALTH OF OUR RESIDENTS. FOR THESE REASONS I'M PLEASED
TO OFFER SUPPORT FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE DISTRICT TO TREE CANOPY AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL FOR HAVING THIS THIS HEARING TODAY SOUTH BOSTON AND D.C. LIKE ASIAN CDC
IS A NEIGHBORHOOD BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. OUR MISSION INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL AS IMPROVING THE LIFE, THE QUALITY OF LIFE
OF NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS. FOR OVER 15 YEARS THAT WORK HAS INCLUDED TREE PLANTING AND TREE PRESERVATION, EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES AND ADVOCATING FOR THE
PLANTING OF ADDITIONAL TREES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE FOUND THAT A MULTIFACETED APPROACH IS THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE THE TREE CANOPY IN OUR COMMUNITY FROM
2010 TO 2013 WORKING WITH INTERNS AND COBBLING TOGETHER GRANTS, WE PLANTED TREES AT LOCAL CHURCHES, HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AND NONPROFITS
WHEREVER WE COULD FIND ENOUGH ROOM TO PLANT A TREE. MORE RECENTLY IN 2024 WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE A TREE ALLIANCE GRANT AND PLANTED
15 TREES AT SOUTH BOSTON IN DC IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS SO THOSE TREES ARE REALLY HELPING THE THE MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AS IMPORTANT AS
IT IS TO PLANT NEW TREES, PRESERVING THE ONES WE HAVE IS CRITICAL. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU BROUGHT UP THE TREES ON EAST BROADWAY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART I LIVE THERE. I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL ELM TREE RIGHT NEAR MY HOUSE.
THOSE LARGE TREES AS WE ALL KNOW, HAD THE GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT IN 2016 SOUTH BOSTON AND D.C. RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION TO PAY AN ARBORIST
TO FERTILIZE THOSE 150 YEAR OLD ELM TREES MAX YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE WE WORKED TOGETHER ON THAT SO THAT THOSE TREES WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO SURVIVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND THEY
REMAIN AT RISK. UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE LOST TWO OF THEM IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS EDUCATING THE PUBLIC IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART OF IMPROVING THE TREE CANOPY. IT'S IMPERATIVE TO GAIN THE
SUPPORT OF NEIGHBORS FOR TREE PLANTING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY. I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW PEOPLE WILL SAY I DON'T WANT A TREE. IT'S GOING TO BE MESSY. AND SO WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD
TO CREATE FACT SHEETS AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO RESIDENTS AT OUR FARMERS MARKET AND BY GOING DOOR TO DOOR WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ALL THESE YEARS TO SUGGEST SITES
FOR NEW STREET TREES AND THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE WHENEVER WE'VE MADE REQUESTS I HOPE THAT THE CITY WILL CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO PLANT MORE TREES WHEREVER THERE IS ROOM FOR STREET TREES AS
WELL AS IN OUR LOCAL PARKS. THERE ARE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO PLANT ADDITIONAL TREES AT OTHER CITY OWNED PROPERTIES SUCH AS SCHOOLS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC. WE WERE ABLE TO PLANT TREES IN SOUTH BOSTON CATHOLIC ACADEMY
15 YEARS AGO AND THOSE TREES ARE STILL THERE. BUT ALSO AT OUR LOCAL FIRE STATIONS THERE'S ROOM THERE FOR MORE TREES AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS AND ALSO AT BOSTON
HOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTIES IN OUR DENSELY BUILT NEIGHBORHOOD. WE NEED TO BE CREATIVE AND RESOURCEFUL AS WE IDENTIFY SITES FOR TREES AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO PLANT MORE
TREES IN SOUTH BOSTON. THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING AND FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND YOUR WORK.
NEXT WE GO TO TOM REDDY FROM SOUTH BOSTON. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR TOM REDDY, RESIDENT OF SOUTH BOSTON, A MEMBER OF THE FORT POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. THANK YOU COUNCILORS, FOR HAVING THIS HEARING.
THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR AS BEING THE SPONSOR WE'VE HAD VERY GOOD COOPERATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE CITY SINCE THE INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE WITH THE TREE TEAM. I CALL YOU GUYS THE TREE TEAM I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO CALL
YOU IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE AND AND THAT IS ALLOWED THE STREETS THE CITY OWNED STREETS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FRANKLY TO BECOME A LITTLE MORE DENSE WITH TREE CANOPY THAT CHALLENGE THAT WE
HAVE NOT JUST IN FORT POINT ITSELF BUT ACROSS SOUTH BOSTON WATERFRONT IS A IS THAT PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF THAT LAND IS OWNED BY BY FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCIES?
I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I WOULD JUST RAISE THAT AS A CONCERN AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE. THERE WAS OVER 50 ACRES BETWEEN FIRST STREET AND SUMMER STREET
THAT IS OWNED HERE BY MASSPORT MASSDOT THE CONVENTION CENTER OR THE POST OFFICE AND ALL OF THESE EFFORTS THAT WE UNDERTAKE IN TERMS OF ADVOCACY FRANKLY FELL ON DEAF EARS AT
TIMES WITH THOSE AGENCIES AND WE HAVE TO USE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES EITHER AT THE STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL TO TRY TO GET ANYTHING FRANKLY ACHIEVED THERE.
I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES. WORMWOOD PARK, WHICH WAS A SMALL POCKET PARK THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE ON THE CORNER OF A AND WORMWOOD STREETS OWNED BY THE POST OFFICE.
WE'VE HAD SIX TREES SIX MATURE TREES DIE OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED. THE POST OFFICE HAS NO INTEREST IN DOING SO. MASSPORT RECENTLY COMPLETED A
PROJECT DOWN SOPHIA STREET TO E STREET NORTH UP TO SUMMER STREET. WE WERE ONLY SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING A PORTION OF THAT WITH STREET TREES. MASSPORT WASN'T INTERESTED IN
PUTTING STREET TREES ALONG THE REST OF THAT THAT THOSE ROADS THAT WERE IMPROVED. WE'VE HAD REALLY GOOD COOPERATION OF LATE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER PRIMARILY THROUGH THE ADVOCACY OF SENATOR
COLLINS TO TRY TO GET A BEAUTIFICATION EFFORT AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF. BUT BUT FRANKLY THAT'S ONLY THROUGH HIS EFFORT. IT'S NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE
EAGER TO INVEST IN THOSE FUNDS AND I GUESS I'D DESCRIBE IT AS TRYING TO GET A HORSE TO DRINK. IT REALLY WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR US. SO OBVIOUSLY ANY EFFORTS IN THAT PARTICULAR PART
OF DISTRICT TWO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY OF OF HAVING STRONGER COLLABORATION WITH CITY AND STATE AGENCIES. I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ALSO PUT OUT SOME OF THE DISCREPANCY THAT EXISTS WITHIN THE CITY
ITSELF. FORT POINT IS DOES HAVE A HISTORIC LANDMARK. IT IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT WITHIN THE ACTUAL WRITE UP FOR THE DISTRICT ITSELF.
FOR ME THE WORDS ACTUALLY SAY NO VEGETATION AS A DISTINCTIVE FEATURE AND TREES ARE ONLY APPROVED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS SO THAT REQUIRES AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK ON OUR PART TO
ADVOCATE FOR THAT. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT TREES DON'T GO IN SUMMER STREETS CUT TREES THROUGH THE ADVOCACY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE CONGRESS STREET SLEEPER STREET DAY STREET WHEN THOSE GET
REDONE THAT'LL BE THROUGH ADVOCACY BUT THE CITY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FRANKLY CONVINCE ITSELF TO PUT STREET TREES IN AND THAT KIND OF FEELS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. RIGHT. SO YOU KNOW, THE TREE TEAM HAS TO GO WITH IN FRONT OF PC AND
THEN GO IN FRONT OF THE LANDMARKS MISSION TO KIND OF CONVINCE EVERYBODY THAT YEAH, TREES ARE A GOOD IDEA. SO SO CLEARLY THOSE KIND OF CHALLENGES NEED TO BE OVERCOME. SOME ARE EASY, SOME ARE HARD.
THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO BROADEN THE TREE CANOPY WITHIN DISTRICT TWO AND WE CLEARLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HELP IN DOING SO. THANK YOU, COUNSELORS. THANK YOU, TOM.
AND NEXT UP WE HAVE KATHY HANLEY. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND STEWARDSHIP WITH ALL THE
GREAT TREES IN THE CITY. I'M JUST A RESIDENT AND FROM SOUTH BOSTON I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT A FEW ISSUES. I'M SORRY. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE MICROPHONE? SURE, SURE, SURE.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT A FEW ISSUES THAT I'VE NOTICED IS MOST OF MY NEIGHBORS DON'T KNOW HOW TO REQUEST A TREE. THEY THEY THEY'VE ASKED ME HOW I GOT MY TREE SO I DON'T KNOW
IF THERE'S AN EASIER OR A BETTER WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT THE BLOCK MAINTENANCE PROGRAM THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER I THINK WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD
DEALING WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT I'VE NOTICED AND THAT IS IF I NEED THE TREE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE TRIMMED SOMEBODY COMES OUT WITH A PICK OF THE LIFT AND CUTS DOWN THE TRUTH
THE LIMBS THAT ARE HITTING THE HOUSE BUT WHEN I WALK DOWN LIKE SIXTH STREET, SEVENTH STREET I CONSISTENTLY SEE TREES THAT ARE
SURVIVING AMAZINGLY GIVEN ALL THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE HAD THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. OBVIOUSLY NOT THIS YEAR BUT I'VE NOTICED THAT A LOT OF THE TREES HAVE NOT HAD THE THE
STEAKS AND THE STRAPPING THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THEM JUST STABILIZE THEM WHEN THEY WERE FIRST PLANTED AND THAT THEY'RE NOW ACTUALLY GIRDLING THE TREES . I'VE ATTEMPTED TO TIE SOME OF THAT TRAPPING OFF BUT IT'S
ON THERE PRETTY WELL AND YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE WHERE IT'S NECK DOWN THE TREE. ANOTHER THING IS THAT LAST SPRING IN PARTICULAR I NOTICED
THAT A LOT OF THE LIMBS GROWING DOWN INTO THE SIDEWALK SPACE AS OPPOSED TO THE TREE GROWING UP. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO JUST HAVE A GENERAL LIVING UP PLAN THAT YOU JUST GO
BLOCK BY BLOCK AND START CUTTING CUTTING FROM THE BOTTOM UP INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE WHOLE SIDEWALK TO BE SOME OF THEM YOU CAN BARELY GET BY THE TREE AND IT'S NOT FOR THE GROWTH OF THE TREE.
IT'S THE LIMB IS COMING DOWN. BUT LIKE YOU SAID THAT BLOCK MAINTENANCE I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU ATTACK THAT ON STREET CLEANING DAY AND I KNOW IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE BUT THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THOSE TOW
TRUCKS TO GET ALL THE CARS OUT OF THE WAY AND AND GIVES YOU THE BEST FIELD TO WORK IN THE BIG ISSUE FOR ME IS THE AREA
ALONG COLUMBIA ROAD, PARTICULARLY FROM G STREET ARE ACTUALLY DOWN AS FAR AS SAINT MONICA'S ALL THE WAY DOWN FARRAGUT ROAD THERE'S THAT
STRETCH OF GREEN GRASS THAT ABUTS IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE BEACH OVER THE PAST 3540 YEARS I'VE SEEN IT STARTED
WHEN I FIRST MOVED THERE BEAUTIFUL TREE LINED PROMENADE THAT THE PEOPLE FROM THE HOUSING PROJECT THE PEOPLE FROM THE ELDERLY APARTMENTS WOULD COME OVER AND JUST WALK ACROSS
THE STREET PLANK THEY'RE CHEERED ON AT THE TEETH THE TREE AND ENJOY THE BREEZE OFF THE WATER. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OVER TO THE BEACH JUST TO GET A NICE BREATH OF FRESH AIR.
OVER TIME THOSE TREES HAVE EITHER BEEN CUT DOWN FROM IF LIMBS CAME DOWN OR JUST THE AGE OF THE TREE BUT ALSO UTILITY
WORK THAT'S GONE ON AND THERE ARE AND NONE OF THEM ARE EVER REPLACED. IT'S THE MOST CURIOUS THING THESE ARE YOU GET THESE MASSIVE TREES COME DOWN AND NOT A
SINGLE TREE IS PUT BACK UP. THE UTILITY COMPANIES ARE IN THERE QUITE OFTEN DIGGING UP. I THINK EVERSOURCE DOES QUITE A BIT OF WORK BUILDING HUGE
STRUCTURES UNDERNEATH THE LAWN BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE ISSUE IS THAT THE NORTH CURB IS IS MONITORED BY THE CITY PARKING
REGULATIONS AND I THINK THE SOUTH HADLEY CURB IS MONITORED BY THE STATE SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NO MAN'S LAND IN TERMS OF WHO OWNS THAT PATCH OF DIRT
BUT IT'S A HUGE SWATH OF LAND THAT YOU COULD PUT SOMEBODY SHOULD REPLACE THE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE ASSET. THE BEACHES ARE VERY CROWDED
NOW IN THE SUMMERTIME PEOPLE CAN JUST PARK ACROSS THE STREET AND SIT UNDERNEATH A TREE RATHER THAN FIGHTING TO GET A PARKING SPOT ALONG THE BEACH. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE BEACH.
THEY JUST WANT TO BE WHERE THE AIR IS. COOL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NOW WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY ONLINE. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT
HAVE SIGNED UP I WILL GO IN ORDER OF HOW THIS IS LISTED FOR ME. UM THANKS THIS OTHER STAFF SO IF WE HAVE AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISS PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME PLEASE
CORRECT ME MY ZONG CHOO AS SHE WAS ON WITH US. HI.
GOOD AFTERNOON. WE CAN SEE YOU BUT WE CANNOT
HEAR YOU SO THAT'S FINE AND WE CAN WE STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU. UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE JUST DOUBLE
CHECKING ON OUR END OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH US.
GIVE US ONE MOMENT. MAYBE WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT PERSON JUST TO TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS AN ISSUE ON OUR END. WE HAVE MORE AND MORE
MARTINELLI AND THEN I PROMISE THAT WE'LL FOLLOW FOLLOW BACK UP. WE'LL GO TO YOU NEXT. BUT IF MORE MARTINELLI IS ON
STILL WE'LL GO TO HER IN JUST OH OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IT'S IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS ON ON YOUR END MY TONGUE. BUT WE'LL GO TO THEM TOMORROW
FIRST FOR OUR TESTIMONY AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO YOU TO SEE IF IT'S WORKING MORE. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. OH, YOU ARE.
YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AS WELL.
OH, TECHNOLOGY FOR I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BRIEF RECESS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT ON OUR END.
UM I'LL WE'LL BE BACK IN ABOUT
2 MINUTES.
I APOLOGIZE EVERYONE
. HELLO.
GO RIGHT TO YOU. IS THAT OKAY? SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M PERFECT.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE BACK IN SESSION RIGHT? MORE. OH, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO MY JACKET. YES.
THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN FOR HOLDING THIS MEETING. I DO REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I'VE BEEN LIVING IN SOUTH BOSTON SINCE 2014. I HAVE TWO KIDS EIGHT AND TEN THERE AT THE JOSIAH QUINCY
ELEMENTARY IN CHINATOWN. I LIVE ON FIRST STREET IN SOUTH BOSTON SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THESE ISSUES. I HAVE BEEN STRUCK SINCE I MOVED HERE ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION THAT SOUTH BOSTON
SPECIFICALLY IS KIND OF REQUIRED TO ENDURE FROM SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OF MASSPORT BOTH THE AIRPORT WHICH OBVIOUSLY NUMEROUS PLANES FLY OVER EVERY DAY PRODUCING A LOT
OF NOISE POLLUTION AS WELL AS AIR POLLUTION AND THEN THE CONNOLLY TERMINAL YOU CAN SEE HUGE PLUMES OF BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE SHIPS THERE
YOU KNOW, FREQUENTLY AND HOW QUITE HONESTLY VERY LITTLE IT APPEARS THAT MASSPORT DOES TO OFFSET THE POLLUTION. I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, SOUTH BOSTON I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S AN
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY. I DO THINK IT SHOULD BE DEEMED AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY. THERE'S ONLY 8% TREE COVER SOMEBODY REFERRED TO EARLIER AND ON FIRST STREET
THERE'S LIKE AN ENTIRE SWATH OF THE STREET THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO TREES WHATSOEVER IN THAT AREA BETWEEN FORT POINT AND THE CONVENTION CENTER ALSO
HAS NO TREES CREATING A YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A HEAT ISLAND. SO I DO THINK THAT THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN LIKE THE RESIDENTS, THE CITY AND MASSPORT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
AND I NEVER REALLY HEAR FROM MASSPORT ON WHAT THEY DO TO OFFSET THE CARBON POLLUTION AND THE CARBON, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PRODUCTION AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY ASK THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE TO ENDURE.
I JUST DON'T EVER HEAR FROM THEM ON WHAT THEY DO TO HELP. SO IN ANY EVENT I THINK THAT THE ALL THE ISSUES RAISED TODAY ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I
JUST HOPE THAT WE KIND OF CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD FOR PRODUCTION OF TREES WHICH OFFSET ALL OF ALL OF THE POLLUTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'LL GO BACK TO MY REGION AGAIN. I'M SORRY IF I IF I KEEP SAYING YOUR NAME WRONG, PLEASE CORRECT ME. YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES.
I HAVE GO. THANK GOOD AFTERNOON I GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. WONDERFUL. SO GOOD AFTERNOON. DO YOUR CITY COUNCILORS FIRST?
THANK YOU LYNN AND DURKIN FOR SPONSORING THIS IMPORTANT INITIATIVE IN DISTRICT TWO. MY NAME IS MISE EN CHU. I'M AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER AND TUFTS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
SINCE 2021 I HAVE COLLABORATED WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS ANGELA SU WHO AT THE ASIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CHRIS COOK AT THE GREEN WAY INCLUDING OTHER COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS IN CHINATOWN TO EVALUATE EXTREME HEAT AND AIR POLLUTION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES, IMPROVE OPEN AND GREEN SPACES AS WELL AS RESIDENT EDUCATION AND
ENGAGEMENT AROUND THESE ISSUES IN 2023 AS PART OF OUR CHINATOWN EQUITY AND RESILIENCE AND OPEN SPACES STUDY OR HEROES, WE COLLECTED DATA ON THESE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
ACROSS 12 OPEN SPACE SITES SITES THAT WERE BOTH PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY OWNED INCLUDING THREE OWNED BY THE CITY STUDY FOUND THAT AFTER ADJUSTING FOR FACTORS LIKE TIME OF DAY AND WEATHER CONDITIONS, THERE WERE
NOTABLE VARIATIONS IN THE HEAT LEVELS IN POLLUTION AS WELL AS THE TREE AND VEGETATION CHARACTERISTIC ACROSS THESE 12 SITES. DESPITE A VERY SMALL GEOGRAPHIC AREA, THE TWO SITES WITH THE
HIGHEST PEAK LEVELS ARE SPECIFICALLY WHAT BOTH LOW TEMPERATURES. ONE HAD A DECENT AMOUNT OF TREES WHILE THE OTHER ONE DID NOT AND SOME OF THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS I THINK INCLUDED THE SITES BEING
DENSELY SURROUNDED BY MAJOR RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WHICH BLOCKED A LOT OF THE WIND AND AIRFLOW THAT COULD HELP COOL THE SITE AS WELL AS THE BUILDINGS CONTRIBUTING THEIR OWN HEAT LEVELS IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
THESE TWO SITES ALSO HAD A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF CONCRETE PAVEMENTS WHERE SOME OF THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES REACHING ABOVE 110 FAHRENHEIT BERKELEY COMMUNITY COMMONS WHICH IS AN OPEN SPACE SITES WITH A LOT
OF TREES AND VEGETATION AND GRASS AREAS ACTUALLY HAD THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES ACROSS ALL OF THE SITES. AND REGARDING AIR POLLUTION, THE TWO SITES WITH THE HIGHEST FINE MATTER CONCENTRATIONS WERE
EITHER NEXT THE MAJOR ROADWAYS LIKE INTERSTATE 93 OR NEAR INTERSECTIONS WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND BOTH OF THESE SITES HAD A DECENT AMOUNT OF TREES BUT THEY WERE SMALLER TREES AND LOW SHRUBS
AND THEY WERE NOT CONSTRUCTED IN A WAY ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO REALLY SERVE AS AIR POLLUTION BARRIERS FOR THE MAJOR ROADWAYS . IN ADDITION WITHIN THE THREE SQUARE BLOCKS CENTRAL TO CHINATOWN THERE WAS NOT A
PUBLIC PARK WITH GRASSY AREAS OR ADEQUATE TREE COVERAGE. FOR EXAMPLE LIKE ED FLYNN MENTIONED TAI TONG IS A SMALL CITY OWNED PARK CENTRAL TO CHINATOWN BUT IT ACTUALLY TURF GRASS AND RUBBER PLAY SPACES
WHICH ARE SOURCES OF MICROPLASTIC IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. IT'S ALSO ADJACENT TO HIGHWAY 93 REGGIE WONG WHICH IS OWNED BY MAZZOTTI 100% OF IT IS ASPHALT WHICH WE FOUND GOT AS
HIGH AS 136 FAHRENHEIT DURING THE SUMMER. TUFTS COMMUNITY COMMON IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ONLY GRASSY AREAS WITH A LOT OF TREE COVERAGE. IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED BUT LUCKILY TUFTS HAS OFFERED IT AS
A PUBLIC SITE FOR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AS SUCH BASED ON THESE FINDINGS I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY EXPAND THE TREE CANOPIES IN DISTRICT TWO AND IN PARTICULAR I WANT TO REITERATE
THE IMPORTANCE OF REMOVING FUNDING ARE JUST FICTIONAL BARRIERS TO PLANTING TREES ON PRIVATELY OWNED OR STATE OWNED SITES AND PROVIDING INCENTIVES FOR THESE MULTI-SECTOR ENGAGEMENT. I APPLAUD ALL THE WORK THAT
COUNCILOR FLYNN AND THE CITY EQUITY PARTNERS ARE DOING ON THE GROUND TO REALLY PROMOTE ADVANCES IN COMMUNITY ENGAGE EFFORT. BUT IN ADDITION TO THIS I THINK WE NEED TO DO MORE PLANTING TREES ALONE WILL NOT ADDRESS
THE SYSTEMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURAL ISSUES THAT CHINATOWN AND OTHER COMMUNITIES FACE AS SUCH I URGE THE CITY TO REALLY ADOPT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO MAKE DISTRICT TWO MORE CLIMATE
RESILIENT. SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THEY'RE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND MULTISECTOR ENGAGEMENT INCLUDES INVESTING IN COOL SURFACES SO WE NEED COOL ROOFS WITH
REFLECTIVE MATERIAL A GARDEN BED TO MINIMIZE HEAT ABSORPTION USE LIGHTER COLORED IMPERVIOUS PAVEMENTS LATER COLORED BUILDING MATERIALS AND GREEN WALLS. THINK ABOUT PAVING STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING THE AMOUNT
OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACES THAT WE'RE USING PURCHASING OR REPURPOSING OLD BUILDINGS OR SITES OR PARKING LOTS TO BECOME COMMUNITY SPACES AND GREEN SPACES INCREASING IN ROADSIDE
BARRIERS NOT JUST TREES BUT ALSO WALL WALL AND SCREEN BEARERS TO REDUCE BOTH AIR POLLUTION AND NOISE AND ALSO INVESTING IN BUILDINGS AND MAKING THEM MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT RETROFITTING A LOT
OF THE OLD BUILDINGS IN CHINATOWN TO MAKE IT MORE A BETTER INSULATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES THAT REDUCE THE HEAT GENERATED THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT MUCH OF THE WORK IN MUCH OF THE LAND DISTRICT TOO IS NOT OWNED BY THE CITY AS THE PREVIOUS PANELISTS HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED AND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT YOU ARE ALREADY DOING IS ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND OTHER SECTORS WHO
REALLY BRING FORTH AND INCENTIVIZE THIS WORK WORK AS SUCH. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT MORE STRATEGIES AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY
PARTNERS LIKE AC DC THE GREENWAY SPEAK FOR THE TREES AND INCLUDE COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THE DECISION MAKING AS WELL AS THE BUDGETING FOR THE CITY FOR ALL THE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY MENTIONED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ACTUALLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT UP WE HAVE AN SANDERS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO PATRICK AND
THEN CATHERINE AFTER THAT JUST GOOD MORNING EVERYONE CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY SPEAK TODAY AND THANK YOU COUNSELOR FLYNN. AS HAS BEEN STATED AND DOCUMENT
TREES MAKE A VITAL CONTRIBUTION TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. THEY CLEAN OUR AIR AND WATER. THEY HELP WITH CLIMATE MITIGATION STORING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE WHICH HELPS WITH
CLIMATE CHANGE. THEIR ROOT SYSTEM HELPS PREVENT SOIL EROSION AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT SINCE WE LIVE SO CLOSE TO THE OCEAN
TREES AND ON THE SAME SAME ALONG THE SAME LINE. TREES HELP SLOW DOWN WATER RUNOFF. THEREFORE REDUCING THE RISK OF FLOODING. THEY HELP US STAY COOLER IN THE
SUMMER AND WARMER IN THE WINTER AND THEY INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES. SO ALL IN ALL A PRETTY IMPORTANT COMPONENT AND FOR A LOT OF US TREES JUST MAKE US
FEEL BETTER. ON STREET WHERE I LIVE WHICH IS WEST FIRST STREET IN SOUTH BOSTON THERE ARE ALMOST NO TREES. I'VE ASKED THE CITY OVER THE
TEN YEARS I'VE LIVED HERE THE PLANTS AND TREES BUT WHETHER IT THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDINGS, THE WIDTH OF THE SIDEWALKS OR TIME CONSTRAINTS NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. IT'S VERY DISCOURAGING.
ALMOST A YEAR AGO WE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD INCLUDING WORLD KNOW WHO JUST TESTIFIED HAD A WALK THROUGH A TODD MR WHO IS DIRECTOR
OF URBAN FORESTRY IN THE CITY'S PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT . WE IDENTIFIED WHERE TREES COULD BE PLANTED TODAY. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO NEW TREES HAVE BEEN PLANTED. AND AGAIN, THIS IS A YEAR NOW.
SO WE NEED YOUR HELP. COMPOUNDING THE ISSUE EXISTING MATURE HEALTHY TREES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN DESPITE PROTESTS FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.
THIS WAS DONE BY COMPANIES WHOSE BUSINESSES OCCUPY THAT LIST. ONE COMPANY REMOVED A LOT OF TREES SO THEY COULD BUILD A WALL. THE OTHER COMPANY CHOPPED DOWN THEIR TREES TO INCREASE
VISIBILITY FOR THEIR BUSINESS. COMPANY BUILDING THE WALL THEY PROMISED TO REPLANT APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE DOWNED TREES AS WELL AS MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY'S TREE
FUND THOSE NEW TREES WHENEVER THEY GET PLANTED WILL TAKE YEARS TO MATURE AND AS I SAID BEFORE, WHATEVER CONTRIBUTION THAT COULD BE MADE TO THE
CITY'S TREE FUND HAS YET TO MATERIALIZE AT LEAST I HAVEN'T SEEN IT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT MAKES ME WONDER IF THE CITY HAS ANY POLICY OR LEVERAGE WHEN IT COMES TO TREES BEING REMOVED
ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE SO BECAUSE OTHERWISE ANYBODY CAN CUT DOWN. RECOVERY CAN CUT DOWN AS MANY TREES AS THEY WANT TO.
SO I'LL END BY THANKING YOU FOR HAVING THIS HEARING AND ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. IT'S SOMETHING THAT IN MY OPINION IS DESPERATELY NEEDED
BECAUSE I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO THE WATER. MORE TREES AND SHRUBS WOULD HELP AS THE OCEAN CONTINUES TO RISE. SOUTH BOSTON HAS A AS A WHOLE HAS A VERY SMALL TREE CANOPY
AND WHERE I LIVE ON WEST FIRST STREET. LIKE I SAID THERE ALMOST NO TREES AT ALL AND CERTAINLY NO GREENSPACE. MORE TREES OR GREENSPACE WOULD IMPROVE PEOPLE'S MENTAL AND
PHYSICAL HEALTH. IT JUST MAKES ME FEEL A LOT BETTER TO LOOK OUT MY WINDOW AND SEE TREES. I TRULY HOPE ONE DAY THAT WILL HAPPEN AND I HOPE THAT DAY
COMES BEFORE TOO LONG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
AND NEXT I WILL GO TO PATRICK
AND THEN CATHERINE FRIEDMAN.
DO WE NOT HAVE PATRICK? NO. I SEE CATHERINE ON SCREEN. WE'LL GO TO HER FIRST. CATHERINE, WE CAN SEE YOU. CAN YOU HEAR US? YES. I'M CATHERINE FRIEDMAN WITH THE LEATHER DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSOCIATION. THANK YOU, COUNCILORS, FOR HOLDING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING . I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE LEATHER DISTRICT, ONE OF THE MOST URBANIZED INFRASTRUCTURE HEAVY NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY
AND ONE OF THE MOST CHEAPER. THE LEATHER DISTRICT HAS A TOTAL OF 36 TREES. THAT'S COUNTING TRUNKS, NOT CANOPIES SINCE MOST OF THESE TREES HAVE FEW OR NO LEAVES.
50% OF OUR STREETS LINCOLN NAYLAND, TUFTS AND EAST HAVE ZERO TREES ON SOUTH STREET. SIX OF THE EIGHT TREES ARE LITTLE MORE THAN STUNTED POLES WITH BARE BRANCHES ON ATLANTIC
AVENUE. NEARLY HALF THE TREES ARE GNARLED AND SIT IN TALL MAKESHIFT PLANTER BOXES. THEY CAN BE REMOVED TOMORROW AND FEW WOULD NOTICE. IT'S TIME TO TREAT THE LACK OF TREES IN THE LEATHER
DISTRICT NOT JUST AS A NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE BUT AS A CITYWIDE CONCERN. THE LEATHER DISTRICT SITS BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE FORT POINT CHANNEL AND BOSTON HARBOR. WE ARE ON THE FRONT LINE OF FLOOD RISK FROM RISING SEA
LEVELS. WE ARE A CRITICAL PIECE OF BOSTON'S INFRASTRUCTURE PUZZLE HOME TO MAJOR TRANSIT COMMERCE AND CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC. AND YET WE LACK ONE OF THE MOST BASIC FORMS OF URBAN RESILIENCE. TREES.
TREES ARE ESSENTIAL TO MEETING BOSTON'S CLIMATE GOALS REDUCING SURFACE RUNOFF AND FLOOD FLOOD PRONE ZONES LIKE OURS. FILTERING POLLUTION AND IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH IN HIGH
TRAFFIC CORRIDORS. MITIGATING THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT. HARMING TRAFFIC OR CAR SPEED ON AND OFF HIGHWAYS. AND GIVING RESIDENTS AND VISITORS THE UNMISTAKABLE FEELING OF BEING IN A TRUE
NEIGHBORHOOD. THE LEATHER DISTRICT IS READY AND EAGER TO BE PART OF A GREENER, HEALTHIER BOSTON. BUT THE CHALLENGES FACE ARE SYSTEMIC. OUR SIDEWALKS ARE OVERBURDENED BY INFRASTRUCTURE.
POLLUTION IS CONSTANT. TREE PITS ARE COMPACTED NEGLECTED AND UNPROTECTED VEHICLES BOTH OVERSIZE TRUCKS AND DAILY PASSENGER CARS BREAK BRANCHES AND SCRAPE BARK.
WE LACK TREE GUARDS. WE LACK IRRIGATION. WE ALSO STEAM PIPES THAT MAKE SOME SIDEWALKS TOO HOT OR UNSTABLE FOR ROOFS. WE NEED CITYWIDE COORDINATION AND INVESTMENT TO OVERCOME
THESE OBSTACLES. THE LEATHER DISTRICT IS A SMALL PLACE BUT IT PLAYS AN OUTSIZED ROLE IN BOSTON'S ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE. IT IS NOT A PERIPHERAL NEIGHBORHOOD. IT IS A LITMUS TEST.
IF WE CAN PLANT AND MAINTAIN HEALTHY TREES HERE WE CAN DO IT ANYWHERE. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO TREAT THE LEATHER DISTRICT AS A PROVING GROUND FOR THE URBAN FOREST NOT AN EXCEPTION BUT A PRIORITY.
LET'S MAKE OUR TREES PART OF THE CITY'S FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE. NOT ITS LAST THOUGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CATHERINE NEXT UP WE HAVE ANITA AND THEN
TIM AND. BUT IF ANITA IS ON, WE'LL GO TO YOU NEXT.
ALL RIGHT. YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN. GOOD TO SEE YOU, ANITA. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ANITA YAP AND I'M A
RESIDENT AND ARTIST IN CHINATOWN. THIS YEAR I CREATED A PUBLIC ART PROJECT CALLED HIDDEN NATURE WHICH EXPLORES NATURE BASED HEALING AND. AND WHILE THE PROJECT GOAL IS TO CELEBRATE THE NATURE AND GREEN SPACES THAT DO EXIST IN
CHINATOWN, IT ALSO REVEALS A PAINFUL TRUTH NAMELY HOW LITTLE NATURE THERE REALLY IS AND HOW UNEQUALLY DISTRIBUTED. TREE CANOPY COVERAGE IS ONLY 5% IN CHINATOWN COMPARED TO ALMOST
30% IN BOSTON OVERALL. GREEN SPACE PER CAPITA IN CHINATOWN IS THE LOWEST IN THE CITY. THAT DIFFERENCE IS VISIBLE AND IT'S FELT IN THE SUMMER. IT'S HOTTER HERE.
IF THE STREETS RADIATE HEAT THE AIR IS THICK WITH TRAFFIC FUMES FROM THE BUSY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS THAT BOXES IN THERE'S LITTLE SHADE AND EVEN LESS SPACE TO BREATHE. THIS IS WHAT TREE INEQUITY LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE.
AND WHILE IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE IT'S ALSO SOMETHING DEEPER. TREES REDUCE HEAT, FILTER AIR AND SUPPORT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN. THE ABSENCE OF TREES IN
CHINATOWN IS NOT AN OVERSIGHT. IT'S A SIGN OF NEGLECT. IT REFLECTS DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT IN WORKING CLASS IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS. THIS ISN'T JUST AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH TRAGEDY.
ASIAN-AMERICAN YOUTH IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE ASTHMA RATES 1.3 TIMES HIGHER THAN THEIR WHITE PEERS. FAMILIES ARE STAYING INDOORS NOT BY CHOICE BUT BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE GREEN SAFE OR
COOL TO GO TO. SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS IN CHINATOWN WHO JUST STARTED FAMILY HAVE ALREADY STARTED LOOKING TO MOVE OUT OF THE CITY SAYING THIS ISN'T WHERE I WANT TO RAISE MY FAMILY. THIS ISN'T WHERE I WANT TO RAISE MY CHILDREN.
THAT REALITY DEMANDS OUR ATTENTION AND OUR ACTION TO EXPAND TREE CANOPY IN DISTRICT TWO AND MORE. ISN'T JUST ABOUT TREES. IT'S ABOUT WHO GETS TO GROW UP SAFE, HEALTHY AND SEEN IN THE
CITY. THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN CLEAR WE NEED MORE TREES, MORE ACCESSIBLE GREENSPACE AND LONG TERM INVESTMENT IN A LIVABLE JUST ENVIRONMENT THAT'S CLIMATE RESILIENT. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LEAVE
THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD JUSTIFYING CLEAN AIR OR SHADE. THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO PLANT MORE TREES AND PLANT THE FUTURE THAT WE WANT TO LIVE IN. STARTING WITH TREES THAT YOU CAN SORT OF WIN FOR THIS HEARING AND FOR THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. THANK YOU, ANITA. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE. WE'LL GO TO TIM THEN KATE DE DE
BOER. I'M SORRY IF I SAID THAT WRONG. SO TIM AND THEN KATE T-BALL ON DECK.
OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? WE CAN. OH, GREAT. I THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN, FOR
HOLDING IT. I LIKE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR A PROJECT PUT TOGETHER BY THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE CORNER OF COLUMBUS, CHANDLER
AND DARTMOUTH STREET. OH, BY THE WAY, I'M FROM THE FROM THE SOUTH END AND THIS IS IN THE SOUTH END. I UNDERSTAND IT'S UPPER FOR POSSIBLE FUNDING IN MY SUPPORT.
I THINK THIS IS A TERRIFIC PROJECT. IT'S A LARGE PIECE OF CEMENT SLAB THAT WAS BUILT IN 1967 AS PART OF THE REDEVELOPMENT IN
THE SOUTH END. THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE REMOVAL OF THE SLAB AND THE PLANTING OF TREES AND SHRUBS
PARTICULARLY INDIGENOUS POLLINATORS. IT IS A VERY HOT CORNER. IT'S A VERY NOISY CORNER AND I
THINK IT WOULD DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE HEAT THAT'S GENERATED BY THAT LARGE SLAB IF IT'S REMOVED. I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PRICING
OF IT BUT I'M HOPING THAT IT'S WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT LARGE COST IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COSTS BECAUSE NO INFRASTRUCTURE'S BEEN REMOVED, NO INFRASTRUCTURE
IS BEING BROUGHT IN. IT'S SUPPORTED BY THE NEIGHBORS WHO WANT WHO ARE WILLING TO WATER AND HELP CARE FOR THAT SPACE AND IT'S CONSISTENT WITH
EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD TODAY BOTH FROM THE CITY AND ALL THE SPEAKERS. SO I'M HOPING THAT THIS PROJECT WILL COME TO FRUITION AND WE
CAN GREEN A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AT THE SAME TIME REMOVE A PIECE OF CEMENT SLAB WHICH IS ABOUT 1200 SQUARE FEET.
THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW WATER TO GO INTO THE SOIL WHICH IS GREATLY NEEDED IN THE SOUTH AND IS IN BACK BAY FOR THE HOUSES
HOUSES FOR THE PYLONS ETC.. SO THANK YOU. SORRY THAT'S NOT PARTICULARLY WELL STATED BUT THE BEST I CAN DO. AGAIN THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THE HEARING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY
AND IT WILL GO NEXT WE'LL GO TO KATE D AND THEN GO TO KATE C
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN. HI EVERYONE. HI COUNCIL PLANNING. THANK FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING. I AM ON THE CHINATOWN RESIDENT
ASSOCIATION BOARD BUT I'M JUST HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AS A LONGTIME CHINATOWN RESIDENT. I KNOW OTHER RESIDENTS DEFINITELY SHARE SOME OF MY
THOUGHTS BUT YEAH, THESE ARE MY OWN. SO I JUST WANTED TO START BY SAYING HOW IT FEEL AS A CHINATOWN RESIDENT TO HAVE
COUNCILOR FLYNN AND TODD MUSTER THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN FORESTRY AS WELL AS CHRIS COOK REALLY ADVOCATE FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND PAY ATTENTION TO CHINATOWN.
WE OFTEN FEEL NEGLECT OR WHEN THINGS SEEM TO BE TOO DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR WHATEVER REASON IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE'RE GIVING UP ON.
SO IT JUST FEELS REALLY GOOD TO HAVE THEIR SUPPORT AND THEY'VE COME BACK FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS TO AGAIN PUSH AND ASK FOR
MORE TO BE DONE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN THESE. I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON AND EVERYONE ELSE HAS SO I WON'T GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL BUT
OBVIOUSLY THE TREE CANOPY AND OTHER GREEN ESCAPING WILL SERVE MULTIPLE PURPOSES FROM LAYING DOWN OUR EXTREMELY HOT NEIGHBORHOOD ADDING TO HELPING
WITH AIR POLLUTION FROM NEAR BY HIGHWAYS AND COMBATING FLOODING. WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF THOSE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I CAN SEE AN ALLEYWAY OUTSIDE MY APARTMENT RIGHT NOW WITH
LOTS OF FLOODING AND I KNOW MY ASTHMA UNFORTUNATELY GOT WORSE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF LIVING HERE. MY REQUEST IS COUNCILOR PLAN
DIRECTOR MR CHRIS KIRK AND ANY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT WHO WANTS TO BE INVOLVED THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO PUT IN THE HARD AND DIFFICULT WORK OF CHANGE. THAT'S SOMETHING I NOTICED WHEN
I MOVED TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THINGS ARE HARD AND WHEN CHANGE IS PUSHED SOMETIMES THE CITY CAN BACK DOWN. IT'S ON EASY TO ADD PLANTS
TREES TO OLD MANUFACTURING AND TEXTILE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HOLLOW SIDEWALKS AND LOTS OF TRUCKS PARKING ON THE SIDEWALKS FOR THEIR DELIVERIES AND GRUBHUB DELIVERIES.
AGAIN DIRECTOR MR POINTED OUT THAT WE'VE HAD SEVERAL TREES LOST ON EDINBURGH STREET WHICH I LOVE BECAUSE LARGE TRUCKS TRIED TO MAKE THE TURN AND THEY JUST RUN OVER OUR TREES.
THIS WORK REQUIRES THERE TO BE CHANGE AND PRIORITIES WHICH IS THAT OUR STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND OUTDOOR SPACE ARE FOR PEOPLE AND PEOPLE TO ENJOY AND NOT
JUST MOTOR VEHICLES PARKING AND DELIVERIES. CHINATOWN I BELIEVE OVER ACCOMMODATES CARS AND TRUCKS. EACH STREET HAS NARROW
SIDEWALKS AND THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY FOUR LANES OF CAR TRAVEL AT ANY ONE POINT WHETHER IT'S DOUBLE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES AND CARS GOING THROUGH THE MIDDLE, CARS PARKING IN THE
CROSSWALKS AGAIN WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR PRIORITIES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR SUCH A PEDESTRIAN HEAVY PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS IS LITERALLY OUR MAIN STREET AND IT'S FULL
OF GRIDLOCK ALL DAY LONG AND DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS AS WE'VE SEEN WITH MULTIPLE TRUCK CRASHES AND CAR CRASHES ON THE ILLINOIS STREET.
THE CITY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING A MORE EQUITABLE OF OUR STREETS WHERE A MAIN STREET LIKE B STREET IS MORE FAVORABLE TO PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE TRAFFIC AND WE REDUCE OUR CAR SPACE TO TWO
LANES ONE FOR PARKED CARS AND ONE FOR DRIVING. THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR PLANTERS TO BE ADDED LIKE DISCUSSED BECAUSE WE HAVE A HARD TIME WITH OUR WITH OUR HOLLOW SIDEWALKS. THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE
PLANTERS AND WIDER SIDEWALKS FOR PEOPLE IN A BIKE LANE AND SLOWER STREETS. AGAIN IT'S A FULL RANGE OF POSITIVES WHEN WE ADD MORE
TREES AND LANDSCAPING OUR COMMUNITY. THIS PLAN COULD ALSO BE IMPLEMENTED ON OTHER STREETS LIKE HARRISON AB OR PHILLIPS SQUARE IS BEING REDESIGNED AND NEW INDUSTRY.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR MY THOUGHTS. IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KATE. I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE KATE COLLINS ON ANYMORE AND LAST
PERSON FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY IS
LUANN IS IS LUANNE STILL ON?
THERE WE GO. LUANN, WELCOME. HE'S CONFIRM THAT YOU CAN SEE
OR HEAR US. LUANN, WOULD YOU STILL LIKE TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY? I YES. CAN YOU NOW? YES, WE CAN. WELCOME. OH, THANKS BE TO JESUS.
THANK YOU. SO MY NAME IS LUANN O'CONNOR. I'M A SOUTH BOSTON RESIDENT. I AM ALSO HEAD OF THE CITY POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILOR FLYNN AND THE CHAIR
FOR HAVING THIS MEETING. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING AND AT ONE POINT I THINK I REMEMBER SOUTH BOSTON ACTUALLY BEING NUMBER ONE FOR THE LEAST
AMOUNT OF TREES AND I CAN UNDERSTAND CHINATOWN NOW THAT SPOT UNFORTUNATELY. BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I BELIEVE THEIR TREE PLANTING
SEASON STARTS AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL AND GOES TO THE END OF JUNE. SO IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD. THEY'RE ALSO TO PROVIDE IT'S A
NEW CITYWIDE TREE DATA BY THE END OF THE SUMMER TO FURTHER THE URBAN FOREST PLAN AND THE 20 YEAR AFTER TO INCREASE THE TREE CANOPY.
SO IF WE COULD STAY ON TOP OF THOSE NUMBERS AND HAVE THAT INFORMATION DISPERSED TO COMMUNITY WITHIN DISTRICT TWO THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
THEY REPORTED THE FIRST PLANT $750,000 OF LOSS FEDERAL GRANTS AND THAT'S REALLY HORRIFIC. WE NEED THAT MONEY AND I'M WONDERING SINCE IT IS IN FACT
BUDGET SEASON, CAN WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND SEE WHERE MONEYS CAN BE ALLOCATED TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE? AND THEN I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPEN SPACE AND GREEN SPACE. SO THE ADMINISTRATION IN ITSELF HAS DEFINED OPEN SPACE AND GREEN SPACE.
UNFORTUNATELY WHEN IT COMES TO BPA AND ZEBRA, THE TWO ARE CONFUSED. SO I THINK A LOT OF OUR TREE
LOSS THROUGHOUT DUE TO DOES IN FACT GO BACK TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BPA AND THEIR PLANNING DEPARTMENT. A LOT OF DESIGN HAS OVERHANGS
AND OVERHANGS AND TREE GROWTH ARE NOT COMPATIBLE. SO IT HAS TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER. SO UNDER THE ARTICLE 80 THAT'S A PLACE WHERE IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AS WELL AS THE
NEW POLICY THAT THE MAYOR IS PUTTING FORTH WHERE PEOPLE CAN BUILD IN THEIR BACKYARDS UP TO THREE STORIES AND THAT WOULD INVOLVE TAKING DOWN TREES.
SO AGAIN IT WAS SAID, YOU KNOW, THE BALANCE BETWEEN HOUSING AND TREE CANOPY BUT THERE REALLY DOES HAVE TO BE A BALANCE. IT CAN'T BE ONE OR THE OTHER BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO AFFECT
OUR HEALTH. AS AND SANDERS SO ELOQUENTLY STATED. SO THANK YOU FOR STATING THAT IN CITY AND STATE WORKING TOGETHER.
I JUST WANT TO PUT OUT THERE THAT I HAVE IN FACT REACHED OUT AND ENGAGED WITH OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES GAVE A BILL REGARDING THE GREENING WHICH IS
THE STRIP OF GREEN THAT KATHY WAS TALKING ABOUT FROM THE ROAD ACTUALLY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CIRCLE THE GREEN. IT'S ALSO THE G POD AREA AND
THAT HAS BEEN UTTERLY DESTROYED WITH UTILITIES, WITH BUILDING OF THE AMAZON CHARMS, THE EXPANSION AND I EXPECT THE SAME
FOR MARY ELLEN MCCORMICK. SO IF THE DIFFERENT PARTNERS COULD ACTUALLY COME TOGETHER AND WORK ON THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE MORE RESOURCES THAN JUST WANT
THE CITY DOING IT AND OR DCR SO COULD FOLLOW UP WITH THAT THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. THREE $30,000 VERSUS 1500 FOR THE TREES.
I'M WONDERING ANYBODY OR IF IT'S ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE ARBOR FOUNDATION? I KNOW THAT THEY GIVE INDIVIDUALS UP TO TEN FREE TREES. SO THAT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE COULD LOOK AT.
AND IN SUMMATION IT'S DEFINITELY ABOUT EDUCATION. I'VE LEARNED QUITE A LOT FROM BOTH PANELS TODAY AND THANK YOU
FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT'S GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE TO PASS ALONG TO OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS. BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME SORT OF EDUCATION PROGRAM BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE
AGAINST TREES FOR THE VARIOUS REASONS THAT WERE STATED IN TODAY'S HEARING. AND THEN YOU HAVE OTHER PEOPLE THAT REALLY WANT TREES. SO WE'RE KIND OF DIVIDED AND I THINK THAT EDUCATION IS THE WAY
TO BRIDGE THAT DIVIDE AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. SO THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THE HEARING AND I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND YOUR ADVOCACY. WITH THAT I'LL GO TO MY
COLLEAGUES FOR ANY FINAL REMARKS. I THINK I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE THE LEAD SPONSOR FOR FINAL FOUR THE LAST WORD AND GO TO COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE FIRST AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL WRAP
COUNCIL. LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND I WAS REALLY GLAD TO HEAR SOME OF THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND ALL OF THE ADVOCACY FOR MORE TREES. I WAS LISTENING TO MUCH OF THIS
HEARING WHEN ON MY WAY HERE AND JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT DISTRICT TWO IN COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE IN CHINATOWN ESPECIALLY HAVE ACCESS TO TO A STRONG TREE CANOPY. AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE DEVASTATION OF OF PAST HIGHWAYS
THAT HAVE REALLY CAUSED HARM IN A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITIES INCLUDING CHINATOWN REALLY DIVIDING THE COMMUNITY, TAKING AWAY A LOT OF THE GREEN SPACE. THERE'S BEEN ACTIVE WORK I KNOW FORMER CHIEF MORIYAMA LED HIM INTO SOME THAT SHE WORKED ON
AND I KNOW THAT THE CABINET CONTINUES TO WORK ON THIS SO JUST WANTED TO AMPLIFY ALL THAT THAT'S HAPPENING TO REALLY REVERSE SOME OF THE HARM FROM FROM HIGHWAY DESTRUCTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY
FOR COMING OUT FOR THEIR STRONG ADVOCACY. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU OF COURSE, MADAM CHAIR, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARD HERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY SENDING THE NEEDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING AND WORKING TO PROVIDE A JUST SURROUNDINGS IN
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS FOR NOT JUST FOR YOUR DISTRICT BUT FOR THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WELL. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT IS HERE FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK
THAT YOU YOU WERE DOING THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO IN TREE CANOPY AS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED IS IS CRITICAL. IT'S ALSO ABOUT ENSURING
RESIDENTS HAVE NOT NOT JUST A SAFE AND HEALTHY PLACE TO LIVE . IT'S ALSO ABOUT PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT'S BEEN REFERENCED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT CHINATOWN HAVING THE HIGHEST ASTHMA RATE OF ANY PLACE REALLY IN IN
MASSACHUSETTS AND I WAS WITH THEN CITY COUNCILOR VO AND A THE UNITED SCIENTIST ASSOCIATION GROUP THAT CAME OUT WITH THAT FAMOUS STUDY.
WE WERE THERE FOR THAT FOR THAT EVENT WHERE JOSIAH QUINCY HIGH HIGH SCHOOL NOW SITS AND WE ALSO SEE HOW CLOSE TO THAT HOW
CLOSE NOT ONLY THE LEATHER DISTRICT CHINATOWN, THE SALT AND SALT BOSTON IS TO THESE HIGHWAY SYSTEMS WHETHER IT'S 9395 HERE IN THE BACKYARD OF SOUTH STATION WHAT THE TRAIN
SYSTEM WHAT THE BUSSES THAT CONSTANTLY KEEP THEIR ENGINES ON WHERE THEY WERE THE SMOG GOES RIGHT INTO THE POLLUTION GOES RIGHT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IT'S A IT'S A MAJOR TRUCK ROUTE ALSO GOING
FROM MAINE, MAINE TO FLORIDA. SO RESIDENTS ARE BREATHING IN THAT AIR CONSTANTLY CONSULATE CODE AMENDMENTS THE RIGHTFULLY SO THE LOGAN AIRPORT IMPACT ON
THE ENVIRONMENT YOU KNOW AND HEALTH CONDITIONS. BUT WHAT WE CAME TO DO TODAY IS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE TO TRY TO
COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS, TO TRY TO PROVIDE EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A HEALTHY PLACE TO LIVE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING TODAY IS CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER
ACKNOWLEDGING WE HAVE CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US BUT ARE WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS NOT JUST OF DISTRICT TWO BUT REALLY THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. SO AGAIN WANT TO SAY THANK YOU
TO THE CHAIR FOR THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT TESTIFIED. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY PANEL AND THE
OUTSTANDING TESTIMONY WE RECEIVED IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL TESTIMONY FROM SO MANY RESIDENTS. JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND JUST GRATITUDE ALL AROUND
TO EVERYBODY AND ESPECIALLY THE BAKER FOR HIS WORK AND CREATING SPACE AND THIS REALLY WAS A GREAT HEARING, ROBUST HEARING. WE HAD AWESOME TESTIMONY FROM THE ADVOCATE PANEL, FROM THE
ADMINISTRATION PANEL AND FROM THE PUBLIC. THERE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE PROGRESS HERE IN THAT WE'VE GONE FROM THREE EMPLOYEES TO 15 IS EXCELLENT AND WHILE THERE MAY BE CHALLENGES AHEAD DIRECTLY RELATED TO FUNDING, I
KNOW THAT THIS COUNCIL WITH MY COLLEAGUES WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CONTINUE THIS THIS WORK BECAUSE IT IS NECESSARY AND I INVITE ALL TO TO CREATING
A HEALTHY COMMUNITY. SO WITH THAT I JUST WANT TO AGAIN THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AND WILL FORMALLY SAY THAT THIS DOCKET 0 TO 5 TWO WILL REMAIN IN COMMITTEE AND THIS
HEARING IS ADJOURNED. THANKS EVERYONE