[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6253690,"mediaKeyId","3178305-f9ef6ae8108dadf7ccdd5b3c0846952d","parentId",3178305,"title","Policy group calls out omission of Landmarks Commission and Office of Historic Preservation from budget hearing","audioSeconds",154,"startMs",2736000,"endMs",2890000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3178305-f9ef6ae8108dadf7ccdd5b3c0846952d&start=2736&end=2890","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3178305-f9ef6ae8108dadf7ccdd5b3c0846952d/thumbnail_2736000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6253690/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Policy-group-calls-out-omission-of-Landmarks-Commission-and-Office-of-Historic-Preservation-from-budget-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253690-27fd587adae32ca1014a3e8600dd18dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775238006&Signature=SIri-B0B57sjlSkH~ghiurJ3St8tD35-P3HXoBjZX3XkVduW1f~Em49syOBGGLSM2EgzoG~9CsDYPip1-dDIaVYS4LzI3G47XTKiWcbp9VBoRCrb4QmVnhorEKKKnPQHIwhJJZLApRguQ6UZn1aKM9ScmnDszm9gstbFy3uFzzIhtE~bXigjBKLm5vCVRZRICtQKYZELdKZw2pUVco6TUdT9e9n5AmHRAkICWPrqn3a0v98MVmlCpphZl6LuPdVNguQ0Id54Qhs0fijcYaScB02Sj434PHOaWWzJCKr2kECjdlS~SehlR8mKWJHw7EJBeXJ0GEc~zTiUSDeX1CqCZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boston City, MA","date","2025-05-01T20:45:27Z","article","The Boston Policy Institute urged the City Council May 1 to question the absence of the Landmarks Commission and the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) from the ways-and-means budget hearing schedule and to use the budget process to examine unresolved leadership and oversight concerns at both bodies.

\"My testimony today focuses on an issue that has been missing from budget hearings and Boston City Council agendas for some time, the Landmarks Commission and the Office of Historic Preservation,\" Gregory Maynard, executive director of the Boston Policy Institute, told the committee during in‑person testimony. He said a 16‑member Landmarks Commission letter to the mayor last April alleged interference by mayoral staff in commission procedures and cited six specific projects as examples, including the Hotel Buckminster and White Stadium renovations.

Maynard recounted subsequent leadership turnover at OHP and the commission's executive director position, and said he was concerned that the commission and its office had not been included in the budget hearing schedule. \"The absence of OHP and the Landmarks Commission from this year's budget hearing schedule, combined with the lack of a public hearing about the issues revealed in the commissioner's letter last year, means the council is unable to perform that role in this case,\" Maynard said.

Committee members did not take action during the session. The public comment raised the question of whether the committee will schedule a dedicated hearing or require follow‑up materials to allow councilors to review leadership changes, the commission's oversight role and how the city addressed the allegations referenced by the commission's letter.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ways & Means FY26 Budget: Environment, Office of Food Justice, Environment Revolving Funds","oneSentenceSummary","A policy nonprofit told the committee that leadership changes and unresolved allegations at the Landmarks Commission and the Office of Historic Preservation warrant council oversight; the commission and office were not scheduled for a budget hearing, the speaker said.","taxTitle","Boston City, Suffolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",3381,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6253695,"Office of Food Justice asks to maintain funding for farmers‑market coupons, Double Up Food Bucks and food recovery hub",1828,1876000,3704000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3178305-f9ef6ae8108dadf7ccdd5b3c0846952d&start=1876&end=3704","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3178305-f9ef6ae8108dadf7ccdd5b3c0846952d/thumbnail_1876000.jpg","/articles/6253695/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Office-of-Food-Justice-asks-to-maintain-funding-for-farmersmarket-coupons-Double-Up-Food-Bucks-and-food-recovery-hub","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253695-387ade8fd6e7f9597f3566d9662efd1c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775238006&Signature=YE~4G0f3EtSrV4U7U1JI1izALkoP0Ug0TEm3W7~HfeSiIXj2TwYD5Fk2-TQrj0a6kTb1SqR5fBDnG4cxheVxO0DT~scSzMHR83~f7eHVT-u32iqFoXDj81mnJD7-aO0ZdGn~v8sr3UYnsDIDLw6YhCwlJPYM08Pr0FrZDGHKQBAFhJWgaOy0FapU55JMbiLgVMLaI-PA8wwFfRHc~APuUtCuAqUxFPZlFVLFsrJ5rouF9HjAFRhZsWWQgJHIwJYE3f8bJX5F8WqygrY58mxP1nv3gVvT82t-gqRFtQzgYIThyRruZC6jOFxi94Y5-DKkkQ2mhIYdBxxjDVXXKPdnQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Boston Office of Food Justice (OFJ) presented its FY26 operating request May 1 to the City Council committee and highlighted a level-funded budget with personnel cost-of-living adjustments alongside continued contract funding for community partners that run food-access programs.

\"Our mission at the Office of Food Justice is to build a food system that is equitable, resilient, sustainable, and just,\" Director Aliza Wasserman told the committee. She said OFJ currently has seven permanent staff and fellows and that most of the office's budget supports contracted services to community organizations that operate the city's food-access programs.

Wasserman reviewed several ongoing programs and recent investments: a farmers‑market coupon program that provided $420,000 in assistance last summer through 20 farmers markets and 33 community distributors; expansion of the Double Up Food Bucks incentive to eight stores in Roxbury, Dorchester and East Boston with more than $800,000 in fresh produce redeemed since 2018; and a community outreach leaders pilot that funded five organizations to train peer outreach workers in eight neighborhoods. The office also described a $2.5 million ARPA‑seeded Greater Boston Collaborative Food Access Hub, a partnership with the YMCA of Greater Boston and multiple nonprofits to provide cold storage, distribution capacity and a retail pilot to increase recovered-food distribution.

Community speakers urged continued funding. Michael Zayas of Eastie Farm and the Boston Food Access Council told the committee the incentives and coupons \"directly increase the purchasing power of low-income residents using SNAP while also supporting local farms and small food businesses across the city.\" Residents who run neighborhood popups likewise testified that local distribution programs rely on OFJ support to serve hundreds of families each week.

On measurement and sustainability, staff said OFJ is developing dashboards and evaluation approaches and will complete assessments of Double Up and the farmers‑market coupon programs in partnership with Boston Public Health Commission and market operators. Wasserman said BPS Food and Nutrition Services is rolling out a five‑year plan to serve fresh, scratch‑cooked meals to roughly 49,000 students daily, with targets to increase Northeast sourcing to 30% and procurement from Black, Indigenous and people-of-color vendors to 5%.

The committee did not take a vote at the session; councilors pressed staff on funding paths once federal nutrition-incentive grants expire and on operational details of the collaborative food hub. OFJ staff said they would return follow‑up information and that several program continuations are contingent on future federal or philanthropic funding.","City officials and community groups urged the Ways and Means committee to preserve funding for farmers‑market coupons, Double Up Food Bucks and a newly opened Greater Boston Collaborative Food Access Hub seeded with ARPA funds.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6253699,"Boston council hears details of Environment Department budget, launches Boston Energy Saver and climate resilience investments",4378,1116000,5494000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3178305-f9ef6ae8108dadf7ccdd5b3c0846952d&start=1116&end=5494","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3178305-f9ef6ae8108dadf7ccdd5b3c0846952d/thumbnail_1116000.jpg","/articles/6253699/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Boston-council-hears-details-of-Environment-Department-budget-launches-Boston-Energy-Saver-and-climate-resilience-investments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253699-c391e8730dbcd4b2dc80d7bbfc5e53a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775238006&Signature=WkTVGPPl1SbsExVj-6Np1NMPH16z155dy81r7DIZfN7SAHGN6Wdc58fuJEQiOcR5nkXtEiFSjWCqUIfTp6LnaBk-EujZfmh9VgDEUi2S0uD4W9gQ0NVUlAxi8280fNu9PflnDpxnR~JLfJr88NCmsVnMdV0Ot3dzj9oPPJmKa0uh0BVHp5cs0gOOWWTZXjCVk7kK5045qSQk9zmArp-Lq53AfJqwJNb9cwhycZGqqGFoThbe9OMrifI3Sl-E4BQ9oIVYa5eQIHG2S6Em4oLWdwsNNXFbqO6I7pXJBE-e7jsdLtdQlldxLKW2NJf2XNmg7r5nkUfKZhJFeMVUvoH1gA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means Chair Brian Worrell heard a presentation May 1 on the Environment Department's FY26 budget that keeps most operating lines level while adding a single new program, the Boston Energy Saver, and sustaining the city's largest-ever set of capital investments in climate resilience.

The presentation laid out why the department is asking for mostly steady operating funding and a package of capital projects and program investments city leaders say are needed to protect neighborhoods from extreme heat, flooding and other climate risks. \"The mission of the Environment Department is to enhance quality of life by protecting air, water, and natural resources, and by addressing the causes and impacts of climate change,\" Environment Commissioner Oliver Sellers Garcia said during his presentation.

The Boston Energy Saver program, described by department staff as the only new operating investment in the package, is intended as a single point of contact to help residents and small businesses access energy-efficiency and decarbonization resources, including available state incentives. \"The Boston Energy Saver is the only new investment in the budget and that is, all, contract services to stand up a program ... staffed with people to answer all sorts of questions for residents and small businesses about how to lower their energy costs,\" Sellers Garcia said. The administration estimated roughly $150 million in direct incentives could be accessed by residents and small businesses from 2025–2027, and said total benefits could exceed $300 million when downstream savings are included.

Officials also described a newly codified Office of Climate Resilience that centralizes responsibility for programs addressing extreme heat, coastal flooding and intense precipitation. \"We are doing those projects that protect our constituents, protect their property, protect our communities so that we can make sure that Boston remains a place that every family can call home for generations to come,\" said Chris Osgood, who leads the new office. Staff told the committee the OCR personnel budget is stable but the city expects to expand the office by one position this year thanks to outside funding.

On capital projects, officials summarized a roughly $91.3 million package listed in the budget book linked to resilience. That total includes a $75 million Coastal Resilience Reserve, plus design funding for specific projects: Border Street design ($1.5 million), the federal US Army Corps study listed in the book as the \"Coastal Resilient Boston Harbor\" study ($5.7 million), Climate Ready Boston phase work and smaller implementation items. Staff said completion of prior Renew Boston Trust projects is also reflected in the five-year plan, which is why some future-year totals decline as completed projects fall off the plan.

Councilors pressed staff about where the Office of Climate Resilience coordinates with state and regional partners on coastal and watershed work, and about deliverables and timelines for projects that rely on federal grants. \"We joined with many of you for what was the city's, and similarly, we believe the nation's first, deployables day,\" Osgood said, describing a one-day training exercise for deployable flood walls and interim protections. Public testimony also flagged a long-delayed FEMA application for the Ford Point Channel infrastructure project and urged urgency on capital spending for waterfront protection.

The department also highlighted administrative changes and program launches: a city MOU with utilities to set heat‑pump, insulation and weatherization targets; awards from the Equitable Emissions Investment Fund for affordable‑housing decarbonization projects; the city's first geothermal project in partnership with Boston Public Schools; and a new Circular Economy program to reduce construction and demolition waste. Staff said they will complete a Boston wetlands ordinance revision that will incorporate climate change and environmental-justice considerations and that an updated Climate Action Plan process is underway.

Councilors asked about battery energy storage siting, and staff said the city is awaiting state guidance while preparing outreach and technical materials to help communities evaluate proposed storage facilities. On recycling and materials policy, staff described pilots and a new dashboard to track Green New Deal and department performance metrics.

No formal votes or budget decisions were taken at the hearing; the presentation session closed after public testimony and council questions.","City officials described a largely level-funded FY26 operating request for the Environment Department with a single new program—the Boston Energy Saver—alongside major capital investments for resilience, wetlands revisions and a new Office of Climate Resilience.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Policy group calls out omission of Landmarks Commission and Office of Historic Preservation from budget hearing

Office of Food Justice asks to maintain funding for farmers‑market coupons, Double Up Food Bucks and food recovery hub

Boston council hears details of Environment Department budget, launches Boston Energy Saver and climate resilience investments