On the message and order, referred on April 14, 2021 Docket 0547, authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend reimbursements in the amount of up to Six Million Dollars($6,000,000.00), from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for expenses related to the COVID-19 event, the committee submitted a report recommending the order ought to pass.
The grant funded planning and operating a safe and secure election administration in the city of Boston for the 2020 election. And docket number 0547 message in order authorizes the city of Boston to accept and expand reimbursements in the amount of up to $6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for expenses related to the COVID 19 event. Thank you. The chair recognizes Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, chair of the Committee and Public Health Council. Arroyo, the floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chair. These matters were sponsored by the administration, referred to the committee on January 27, 2021, for Docket 0192 and April 14th, 2021 for Docket 0547. The committee held a public hearing on these dockets on December seven, 2021. And I want to thank Councilors Flynn, Councilor, Bach, Councilor, in any sense IP, George and Councilor Murphy for participating in that hearing. These dockets, both of them go towards reimbursements. So this is money already spent. The committee public hearing was attended by James Williamson or Jim Williamson, Deputy Director of Budget of the Officer Budget Management and Anita Tavares was the commissioner of the Boston Elections Department who provided testimony on behalf of the administration. Commissioner Tavares stated that the City of Boston's Elections Department implemented many temporary measures in response to the COVID 19 epidemic. Measures such as expanding voter access and providing a safe voting process. The city was awarded this grant to provide funding for the cost of emergency personnel due to the expansion of mail in voting operations, which includes overtime costs and the costs of printing signage and informational fliers to spread awareness of early voting. The Commission stated that these funds have already been expended. Mr. Williamson stated that the city of Boston received a reimbursement of 6 million to cover the cost of the city of Boston's measures in response to the COVID 19 epidemic. This reimbursement is from FEMA or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and it's administered through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This reimbursement will help support additional emergency food access, personal protective equipment, professional cleaning assistance, emergency sheltering, and administrative costs for emergency COVID 19 operations. In total, FEMA has reimbursed the city nine city of Boston 9.5 million, in addition to this 6 million reimbursement for COVID 19 related costs. The committee also discussed the possibility of continuing current mail in voting operations permanently and the prospects of receiving more grants and reimbursements from FEMA to cover emergency response costs in the future. As Chair of Committee on Public Health, I recommend moving the listed dockets from the Committee to the full Council for discussion and formal action. My recommendation to the full Council will be that the matters ought to pass. Thank you, Councilor Roy. The Chair recognizes the district councilor from Beacon Hill, Councilor Kenzie Bourque. The floor is yours. Thank you so much. Mr. President, I just wanted to add as an addendum, thank you to Councilor for chairing the hearing. I was pleased to be there. I, when I heard the numbers, was a little bit concerned that the the total of the ten that we had gotten before and the six that was coming in now from FEMA seemed low based on what's eligible and 100% numbers. So I did do some follow up, and I'm gratified to be able to share with the council that the Boston Public Health Commission, separately under the same FEMA program, has been authorized for $28.5 million of reimbursement. So when you put those two together, you're up more about 44, 45 million, which checks out better with kind of my sense of what we should be getting through this program. And it's worth the council knowing that now that it's been extended to April ten with the next wave of COVID challenges that we're dealing with, there likely will be further things that will be eligible for reimbursement. But I just because I did that homework, because I was I had some questions about it. I wanted to share with the whole council that the number of plus hours is more in the $4,445 million. Great. No, appreciate that. That's great context. Thank you, Councilor Buck. Any further discussion on dockets 0192 or 0547? Saying none. We are going to vote on these separately. So for docket 0192. All those that which is the $69,000 110 grant. All those in favor please indicate by saying I. I posed nine. The ayes have it. The docket is passed. And for docket zero 547, which is the $6 million grant. All those in favor please indicate by saying I oppose name. The ayes have it. The dockets have passed. Madam Clerk, would you now please read docket 0861. Docket 0861 order for a hearing to discuss predatory lending programs in the city of Boston.