Boston City Council Hearing COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, RESILIENCY, AND PARKS HEARING ON DOCKET #0588

On Friday, May 13th, 2022 Hearing for Docket #0588, a follow up to the years-long failed city led community process that resulted in two mature trees "falling" with an additional 52 Mature Trees marked for destruction in a historic Olmstead park, and a plan to include toxic turf in an environmental justice neighborhood with extreme rates of Asthma while polluting the water table, soil and air.

After 

• a tumultuous meeting at the Shelburne Center; 
• an online Zoom meeting and 
• 6 residents testifying in-person (1 of them in the morning and the other time in the afternoon) at the City Budget Hearing recently, 
• as well as two albeit brief face to face meetings with the Mayor, 

Mayor Wu agreed to come to Malcolm X Park with the Parks Department, but she did not reach out to the "Community Stewards and Friends of Malcolm X Park," as promised on two separate occasions at the Budget Hearing.  Her weekend trip to Malcolm X Park was discovered at the Mayoral Coffee Hour at McLaughlin Park in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Roxbury.

A final request for an opportunity to meet was posed there and that is when it was discovered that the Mayor (and Parks Department) had visited Malcolm X Park over the weekend.

The filing of a Freedom of Information Act request by ACE - Alternative for Community & Environment has the City extending a construction stoppage, at least until  May 19th, 2022 (a requested extended deadline for a usual 10-day FOIA process) by such time the City has promised to deliver requested documentation to ACE.

This Hearing is the first time for the Stewards and Friends of Malcolm X Park's viable solutions as a triple bottom line to address  the environmental harm, fiscal irresponsibility and social (racial) inequity and to be taken seriously as Co-Stewards for the Malcolm X Park.  Perhaps then,  Fiscal Responsibility, Social (Racial) Equity and Climate Justice can have a healthy and good outcome for the residents and neighborhood of Roxbury and its environs.

Please join us 

• NOTICE: The Boston City Council may have a quorum in attendance due to standing committees of the City Council consisting of both voting and non-voting members. However, members attending this duly posted meeting are participating and deliberating only in conjunction with the business of the standing committee. Public Testimony Members of the public are cordially invited to attend and testify in person and virtually via Zoom. 

• For in person testimony, if you have not testified at a Council hearing before, please arrive (5) minutes before the call of the hearing to sign up and become familiar with the hearing format, testimony locations, and sound system. Please bring fifteen (15) copies of any written documentation you wish to present at the hearing. 

• For virtual testimony, please contact the staff contact listed below to sign up and receive the login information. Written testimony may be sent to the Committee or staff email (below) and will be made a part of the record and available to all

• Councilors.Staff Contact: Ron CobbCommittee Email: ccc.ep@boston.gov | Staff Email: ron.cobb@boston.govStaff Telephone: 617-635-3040Broadcast on Xfinity 8/RCN 82/Fios 964 and streamed at: boston.gov/city-council-tv

May 13, 2022

• 11:00AM
• IANNELLA CHAMBERONE CITY HALL SQUAREBOSTON , MA 02201
• RON.COBB@BOSTON.GOV
• 617-635-3040

• Contact:ROB COBB
• Neighborhoods:CITYWIDE
• Posted:05/06/2022 - 4:39PM
• Resources:READ DOCKETOFFICIAL FILED AGENDA