►
Description
Docket #0290 - re: Opportunities and challenges facing small businesses in the City of Boston (Off-sIte: Bruce C. Bolling Building 6th Flr Community Room 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury)
A
A
This
is
a
hearing
on
small
business.
Looking
at
the
opportunities
and
challenges
facing
small
businesses
in
the
city
of
Boston,
it's
docket
zero
to
nine
zero
I.
Ask
everyone
here
to
please
silence
your
cell
phones,
your
tablet's,
your
laptop's
other
devices
that
make
noise.
We
will
hear
from
a
couple
of
panels
this
evening
as
well
as
public
testimony.
If
you
would
like
to
testify,
we
have
a
sign-up
sheet
and
you
can
offer
a
testimony
when
you
do
please
state
your
name
and
your
affiliation
and
where
you
live.
A
If
you
own
a
business
that
would
be
helpful
again,
this
is
the
hearing
is
on
zero
to
nine
zero
docket
number.
It's
a
hearing
regarding
the
opportunities
and
challenges
facing
small
business
in
the
city
of
Boston
and
we're
going
to
structure
tonight's
evening
with
a
couple
of
panels.
I
just
want
to
say
a
few
opening
remarks.
A
This
was
very
important
to
me
to
hold
this
hearing
right
here
in
district
seven
in
Roxbury,
which
is
the
heart
of
the
city
of
Boston,
and
in
this
building
in
particular.
This
building
as
people
know,
is
the
for
it
right
now
it's
the
bowling
building,
which
is
a
Municipal
Building
and
the
of
Boston,
but
there's
a
long
history
here.
This
is
the
Ferdinand
building
the
Ferdinand
building
was
a
centerpiece
in
this
particular
commercial
district
people
know
that
Dudley
Square
was
the
second
largest
commercial
district
in
the
city
of
Boston.
A
So
there's
a
long
history
and
tradition
here,
and
one
of
the
things
that
I'm
hoping
to
do
as
chair
of
the
Small
Business
Committee
is
to
really
help
support
businesses
and
help
to
revitalize
and
strengthen
our
commercial
districts.
I
really
appreciate
everyone
who
is
in
attendance
tonight.
We
have
a
lot
of
people
in
the
audience
people
who
own
businesses
in
the
community
I
am
joined
tonight
by
my
colleagues
on
the
council
in
order
of
appearance,
councillor
Mike
Flaherty,
who
serves
citywide.
A
He's
the
14
city
councillor
and
councillor,
who
also
serves
city
wide
by
holding
this
hearing
here
in
the
district.
You
know
there
was
a
trade
off
I
thought
it
was
important
to
do
it
in
the
evening
when
business
owners
could
really
come
out
and
support,
do
it
in
a
district
that
is
in
transition.
You
know
we.
A
We
have
some
challenges
here,
we
all
know,
but
for
me
there
are
also
opportunities
and
I
wanted
to
do
it
here
in
the
evening,
but
I
appreciate
there
are
trade
offs
and
that
some
of
my
colleagues
are
not
able
to
join
us.
They
I'm
sure
all
wanted
to
be
here
and
some
have
communicated
and
I'm
going
to
read
for
the
record
a
letter
from
councilor
Pressley,
which
says
dear
chairwoman,
Janie
I
regret
due
to
a
long-standing
scheduling,
commitment.
I
am
unable
to
participate
in
today's
Committee
on
small
business
and
consumer
affairs.
A
Hearing
order
regarding
opportunity
and
challenges
facing
small
businesses
in
the
city
of
Boston
I
want
to
thank
the
chair
and
author
of
this
order
for
elevating
this
critical
conversation.
Small
businesses
are
critical
to
the
economic,
cultural
and
social
vibrancy
of
our
hoods,
and
they
deserve
our
intentional
advocacy.
Thank
you
to
the
Walsh
administration
and
dr.
Carolyn
Crockett,
in
particular,
for
their
partnership
and
breaking
down
barriers
for
new
and
existing
businesses.
I
will
have
staff
present
at
the
hearing,
and
I
will
review
the
notes.
A
B
D
D
The
last
thing
you
need
is
the
city
to
continue
to
you
know
to
fee
and
to
permit
you
to
death,
and
so
we
reducing
some
of
those
barriers
is
important.
I
know
the
council
has
done
a
lot
of
work
on
salut
has
led
an
effort
on
the
council
and
the
past
on
this,
as
well,
so
here
to
support
the
maker
of
this
try
to
work
with
our
city
officials
and
try
to
work
with
our
small
local
businesses,
small
local
businesses,
that
a
lifeline
of
our
neighborhoods
a
lot
like
our
community
health
centers.
D
So
lots
of
great
things,
your
some
of
our
largest
employers
and
folks
that
that
work
in
you
have
businesses
are
folks
that
are
from
the
neighborhoods
and
they
spend
those
hauteur
and
checks
back
in
the
neighborhoods.
So
we
have
a
selfish
interest
here
of
trying
to
make
our
small
local
businesses
grow
and
and
the
best
we
can
do
to
reduce
those
barriers
and
to
make
things
easier
for
you
with
all
the
other
issues
and
struggles
that
you
have,
including
rising
rents.
D
E
F
Good
evening
my
name
is
buddy
Christopher
I'm,
the
Commissioner
of
inspectional
services
and
I
just
want
to
say
that
mayor
Walsh
recognized
the
need
in
in
the
trouble
it
took
to
get
a
small
business
going
when
he
was
first
elected
as
mayor,
we
have
worked
very
hard
to
try
to
deal
with
a
lot
of
the
regulatory
processes
that
are
in
place.
We've
tried
to
change
the
whole
idea
of
how
someone
is
successful
in
opening
a
new
business.
F
I've
worked
with
councilor
wool
on
a
number
of
initiatives,
as
well
as
council
of
clarity
and
I
look
forward
to
working
with
councillors
janie
on
some
of
the
future
things.
But
you
have
to
know
that
the
mayor
is
committed
to
small
businesses.
He
wants
us
to
do
everything
we
can
to
make.
The
process
is
fair
and
equitable
to
everyone.
G
And
to
follow
up
on
that
just
to
show
the
dedication
of
the
mayor
and
his
commitment
to
small
business
on
our
office,
the
office
of
small
business
development
was
created
in
2016.
It
was
brand
new
under
the
office
of
economic
development
cabinet
which
had
not
previously
existed
within
the
City
of
Austin.
So
the
creation
of
the
office
of
small
business
development
was
a
strategic
move
in
order
to
make
sure
that
again,
businesses
had
a
way
to
get
resources
and
services
that
were
being
provided
by
the
city
of
Boston.
G
G
Equity
and
inclusion
focuses
on
monitoring
workforce
compliance
for
over
two
hundred
and
forty
private
and
public
development
projects
across
the
city,
specifically
the
Boston
residents,
jobs,
policy,
contracting
and
procurement
within
the
city
departments,
subcontractor
participation
on
small
city,
owned
city
projects,
as
well
as
certification
of
minority
women
and
business
entrepreneurs.
The
small
business
unit
they
focus
more
directly
on
providing
direct
services
to
small
businesses
such
as
the
restore
program
such
as
also
the
20
Main,
Street
districts,
business
assistance,
energy
efficiency
program
and
the
launch
of
the
Small
Business
Center.
G
H
Good
evening,
I'm
Steve
Gilman
I'm
the
program
director
for
the
Boston
Main
streets
program
and
Cherise
mentioned.
Obviously,
this
is
one
of
the
larger
programs
that
we
have
running
out
of
the
small
business
unit
and
the
Main
Street
program
obviously
has
been
around
for
approximately
twenty
three
years.
So
we
were
obviously
very
happy
when
the
Walsh
administration
decided
they
wanted
to
continue
with
the
Main
Street
program.
H
They
saw
the
value
of
it
and
we
were
able
to
show
you
know
the
through
statistics
and
through
the
community
who
has
worked
for
years
with
the
Main
Street
program.
You
know
how
it
does
what
it
does
do
to
bring
people
together
so
that
it's
a
public-private
partnership,
it's
not
just
a
city
trying
to
get
different
communities
to
to
look
at
what
the
city
wants
to
do.
H
It's
bringing
people
together
to
make
sure
that
the
the
decisions
that
are
made
are
made
you
know
from
the
lens
of
the
community
and
that
they
are
assisted
through
the
programs
that
the
City
of
Boston
has
the
office
of
small
business
development
and
I'm
happy
to
go
into
some
of
those
services.
If
you'd
like
to
hear
some
of
those
as
we
continue
to
speak.
A
I
want
to
make
sure
that
my
colleagues
here
have
the
opportunity
to
ask
questions
and
I
know
that
we
have
another
panel
and
we're
gonna
hear
some
great
testimony.
So
I
just
want
to
keep
things
moving.
So
I
would
start
interested
in
hearing
what
you
would
describe
as
the
hallmarks
of
success
in
terms
of
Main
Street
district.
What
how
do
you
measure
success
so.
H
They
should
have
four
working
committees
and
all
of
those
you
know
components
you
know
get
together
to
make
it
a
successful
operating
nonprofit
organization,
but
then
I
think
the
way
we
measure
the
success
of
the
organization
itself
is
not
only
the
statistics
that
we
do
collect
from
each
Main
Street
district
on
a
monthly
basis,
which
includes
things
like
new
businesses.
Opening
jobs
created
how
many
businesses
were
assisted.
How
many
promotional
events
happen
throughout
the
year?
How
many
volunteer
hours
did
the
community
devote
to
help
the
community
and
the
Main
streets?
H
So
we
collect
all
that
information,
but
I.
Think
the
bigger
story,
which
is
sometimes
a
little
bit
harder
to
tell,
is
how
they,
how
the
Main
streets
actually
involve
the
community
in
their
promotions
and
what
they
do
to
actually
promote
the
Main
Street
district
itself,
because
one
of
the
things
that
we
found
over
time
is
as
the
neighborhoods
continue
to
improve.
H
People
have
wanted
to
come
back
to
the
city
and
we
know
what's
happening,
and
so
we
want
to
bring
people
back
and
just
show
them
what
they've
done
so
I
think
if
you
speak
to
the
community
around
it,
a
lot
of
the
community
will
talk
to
you
about
what
the
Main
Street
has
done.
You
know
sometimes
it's
a
it's
a
farmers
market,
sometimes
it's
a
holiday
promotion
that
they
do
so
sometimes
it's
little
things
that
the
community.
You
know
that
touches
a
community
and
that's
I,
think
the
other.
A
A
Then
so
I
see
new
businesses,
for
example,
new
jobs
created
since
1995
8,000
176
since
2015
565
I'm,
wondering,
though,
if
you
could
speak
to
how
many
businesses
last
over
time,
how
many
businesses
grow,
how
many
of
the
jobs
are
still
in
place
are
those
things
that
you
measure
and
are
we?
How
are
we
keeping
track
of
that
information
because
I
think
that's
an
important
I.
H
Guess
that
is
information
we
we
certainly
could
be
looking
at
I.
Don't
have
that
right
now
and
I
think
I
would
probably
have
to
tap
into
the
Main
Street
programs
themselves.
You
know,
because
with
with
20
of
them,
we
do
require
them
to
give
us
business
inventories,
but
we
don't
normally
compare
those
business
inventories
from
year
to
year,
but
it
is
something
we
could
do
to.
You
know
to
take
a
look
at
what
what
types
of
businesses
they
have
in
the
district
and
and
how
those
are
changing
over
time.
No.
A
And
that's
great
because
that's
my
next
question
and
the
reason
I
asked
that
earlier
question
is
because
you
could
have
a
storefront
at
one
to
three
Main
Street
and
in
a
two-year
period
you
could
see
five
different
businesses
come
through
that
same
location,
and
so
is
that
that
high
turnover
is
not
really
a
measure
of
success.
Right.
H
A
A
In
the
community,
in
terms
of
the
types
of
businesses,
could
you
speak
to
whether
or
not
the
Main
streets
and
different
the
20
different
districts,
whether
or
not,
and
we're
going
to
hear
from
someone
a
director
later
so
I?
Don't
want
to
just
put
put
you
on
the
spot.
But
could
you
speak
to
what
that
that
process
is
that
community
visioning
process?
That
kind
of
looks
at
here's?
A
What
we
want
to
see
in
our
neighborhood
to
ensure
that
there
aren't
some
communities
that
are
overrun
by
certain
types
of
businesses,
and
then
there
are
just
kind
of
you
know
this
gap
in
terms
of
other
businesses
and
then,
if
you
could
just
speak
to
the
issue
of
equity
overall,
in
terms
of
you
know,
I
know
that
Main
streets,
as
you
said,
has
been
around
for
for
20
years
23
years
and
some
are
much
older
than
others.
Some
are
brand
new,
depending
on
what
kind
of
board
that
they
have.
A
You
know
there
could
just
be
different
levels
of
engagement.
Different
levels
of
support
is:
is
the
city
playing
some
type
of
role
in
ensuring
that
there's
kind
of
equity
throughout
and
that
a
certain
district
that
may
need
you
know
a
different
type
of
technical
assistance
or
support
from
the
city
is
getting
that
or
our
people,
just
kind
of
you
know:
they're
independent
entities,
and
so
there
they
kind
of
figure
things
out
on
their
own.
Well,.
H
I
think
the
equity
piece
I
mean
you
know
they.
One
of
the
things
is,
they
all
do
get
the
same,
the
same
amount
of
funding
from
the
city
every
year.
So
we
don't.
We
don't
pick
and
choose
who
gets
more
or
less,
and
you
know
the
services
that
we
do
have
available,
which
include
like
the
restore
program
and
on-site
technical
assistance
and
the
zoning
and
licensing
and
permitting
that
we
do
assistance
that
we
do
provide.
H
You
know,
I
I
would
say
it's
provided
based
on
what
their
need
is.
So
we
do
have
certainly
years
where
we
may
not
have
as
many
storefronts
changing
or
as
many
new
signs
going
up
in
a
particular
district,
because
they've
done
some
work
on
that,
and
so
they
may
be
looking
at
something
different
like
they
want
to
become
more
of
an
arts
district
or
something
like
that.
So
they
have
a
very
different
strategy
in
place
that
they're
working
on
and
then
we
do
have
areas
where
we
as
the
city
sometimes
think.
H
Okay,
we
we
really
feel
like.
We
could
go
out
there
and
sort
of
pound
the
pavement
and
find
some
particular
property
owners
or
business
owners
who
might
want
to
improve,
and
but
it
takes
us
to
actually
go
out
and
sometimes
knock
on
those
doors
and
make
sure
that
they
understand
that
those
services
are
available.
So
we've
sort
of
come
up
with
these
areas
that
we
sort
of
feel
like
we're
going
to
target
them
to
see.
H
If
we
can
get,
you
know,
say
a
number
of
storefronts
improved,
because
we
also
know
that
once
business
owners
see
one
store
getting
a
new
awning,
they
often
see
the
one
next
door
and
they
want
something
like
that
and
they
find
out
how
they
were
able
to
access
that
assistance
through
the
city.
And
so
that's
one
way
that
we
we
work
with
them.
So
again,
I
think
we
have
a
each
Main.
H
Street
has
a
neighborhood
business
manager,
that
is
a
city
employee
through
the
Office
of
Economic
Development,
and
they
work
directly
with
that
neighborhood
business
manager
so
that
the
neighborhood
business
manager
and
the
executive
director
gets
to
really
know
each
other
and
have
a
relationship.
And
so,
if
they're
struggling
with
certain
things,
then
the
neighborhood
business
manager
will
bring
that
back
to
us.
H
You
know
at
downtown
and
you
know
we'll
sit
and
discuss
what
we
need
to
what
we
need
to
do
to
assist
them,
and
we
also
help
them
try
to
strategize
with
what
their
goals
are
for
the
beginning
of
every
year.
So
if
we
see
gaps
and
things
will
try
to
point
the
board
towards
those
gaps
to
see
if
we
can
get
them
to
focus
on
something
that
we
think
would
be,
you
know
ultimately
a
benefit
to
them
as
a
as
an
organization
and
a
district
I'm.
A
Just
gonna
ask
a
couple
more
questions.
I
want
to
be
mindful
of
my
colleagues
who
were
here
may
have
to
leave
early
as
they
as
they
already
stated.
So
when
you
say
that
you
target
certain
areas,
I
wonder:
are
you
considering
as
a
city
looking
at
maybe
the
funding
for
Main
streets
districts?
Earlier
you
said
that
everyone
gets
the
same
amount
and
equal
is
not
always
equity.
That's
not
equity,
so
I
wonder
if
there
are
certain
areas
that
need
to
be
targeted
with
additional
support.
Are
we
thinking
about
revamping
the
way
Main
streets
are
funded?
D
H
I
guess
I
would
say
that
we
we
are
always
we
are
open
for
certainly
for
those
discussions,
because
we,
you
know
over
the
course
of
this
number
of
years.
This
is
not
the
first
time
that
it's
come
up.
You
know,
should
we
continue
just
to
fund
every
Main
Street,
you
know
the
same
amount.
Are
there
Main
streets
who
actually
are
pretty
self-sufficient
right
now,
and
maybe
they
maybe
they
they
don't
need
all
the
funding
and
if
there
ever
were
any
kind
of
restrictions
on
funding.
H
As
we
know
there
are
there's
some
obviously
some
some
concern
about
what's
happening
with
CDBG
funds
in
in
Washington,
and
that
has
led
us
to
sort
of
pause
about
thinking
about
whether
we
want
to
grow
their
Main
Street
program,
because
we
you
know,
we
want
to
make
sure
that
we
have
the
funds
to
continue
with
the
ones
that
we
currently
have
before.
We
even
grow
it
so,
but
but
I
think
we
may
be
at
a
place
where
we
we
need
to
be
discussing
more.
H
Does
somebody
else
need
need
something
I
mean
one
of
the
things
we
do
offer.
You
know
is
through
these
on
these
consultants
that
we
have
through
the
on-site
technical
assistance.
We
have
a
number
of
them.
The
number
of
the
organizations
that
have
taken
advantage
of
having
the
consultant
work
with
and
their
Board
of
Directors
to
to
really
strategize
about
what
their
issues
are
as
a
board
and
not
all
of
them
take
advantage
of
it
because
some
of
them
feel
like
we've
got
a
pretty
good
board.
H
We've
got
a
pretty
good
organization,
but
the
ones
that
are
struggling.
We
have
really
tried
to
push
them
to
say
you
know
you
really
need
just
sit
down
with
this.
This
consultant.
You
know
the
city
provides
the
funding
for
that,
so
it's
free
of
charge
to
them,
but
they
have
to
be
able
to
devote
the
time
and
the
energy
to
to
go
to
these
meetings
participate
and
then
hopefully,
strategize
around
how
they're
going
to
make
the
changes
they
need
to.
Thank.
A
G
Like
I
mentioned,
some
of
the
equity
inclusion
work
that
we're
doing
is
under
the
Boston
resident
shops
policy,
ordinance
that
ordinance
states
that
within
Boston
we
have
to
monitor
construction
projects
that
are
under
development
for
percentage
goals,
so
we're
looking
at
Boston
resident
participation,
minority
participation
and
women
participation
and
all
construction
projects
within
the
city
of
Boston.
So
we
are
also
looking
at
contracting
and
procurement
within
city
departments.
That's
how
the
city
spending
their
money
and
who
they're
spending
their
money
with
we're.
Also
you
subcontracting
participation
on
city
city
of
Boston
projects.
A
And
then
final
question
and
I
will
direct
this
to
you,
commissioner,
if
you
could
answer
this,
so
I've
been
doing
business
tours
throughout
district
7
and
and
in
other
communities.
In
fact,
just
to
kind
of
hear
from
you
know,
aren't
renewals
business
owners
to
hear
what
challenges
they
may
have,
what
kind
of
support
that
they
think
the
city
could
offer,
and
one
thing
that
came
up
was
the
permitting
process
and
how
difficult
it
is
to
kind
of
open
a
business,
because
there
are
all
these
hoops
and
hurdles
that
you
have
to
go
through
and
I.
F
Those
are
very
real
challenges
and
we
have
addressed
some
some
of
those
in
the
past
few
years.
Things
like
takeout
license
entertainment
licenses.
You
know
acoustic
on
main.
These
are
things
that
we
look
at
and
we
try
to
streamline
as
much
as
we
can.
We
have
the
responsibility
of
also
providing
you
know
for
a
healthy,
safe
environment,
particularly
what
food
is
involved,
so
it
sometimes
seems
very
arduous.
For
someone
to
get
through
the
process
is,
tea
has
really
changed
its
whole
attitude
about
how
we
approach
business.
F
We
used
to
be
known
as
the
business
of
no,
and
that
has
changed
tremendously
that
you
know
our
commitment
is
to
work
with
the
staffs.
We
are
multilingual
now
so
that
anyone
who
comes
into
ISDN
it
can
be
very
comfortable
and
expressing
their
ideas
and
goals.
Our
commitment
is
that
when
you
come
to
eyes,
Dee
you're
gonna
leave
with
one
or
two
things:
either
the
permit
to
proceed
or
a
clear
understanding
of
what
you've
got
to
do
to
get
to
that
point.
F
In
addition
to
opening
businesses,
we
also
get
very
involved
in
maintaining
businesses,
and
you
can
you
know
there
are.
There
are
so
many
horror
stories
about
a
landlord
taking
advantage
of
a
tenant
not
providing
a
safe
building
or
a
safe
environment.
We
do
what
we
can
to
provide
that
environment
so
that
the
tenant
knows
what
their
rights
are.
We
act
on
those
rights
as
much
as
you
know.
Our
authority
allows
us
to
to
hold
landlords
responsible
again.
F
The
mayor
has
made
it
very
clear
that
he
wants
people
to
come
to
ball
to
own
buildings,
to
have
businesses
to
make
money,
but
with
that
comes
the
responsibility
of
providing
the
right
environment
to
be
fair
about
what
the
expectations
are
of
tenants.
So
as
we,
you
know
develop,
and
we
have
a
lot
of
work
to
do
when
we
know
that
we
are
very
open
to
the
discussion
of
any
businesses
that
are
coming.
A
I
appreciate
that
you
brought
up
the
piece
around
language,
because
that's
another
issue
that
I've
heard
as
being
a
challenge
for
some
business
owners
and
how
they
either
interface
with
the
city
or
through
Main
streets.
Or
what
have
you
that
there
is
this
language
barrier
and
I'd
love
for
us
to
be
thinking
of
ways
to
ensure
that
we
are
able
to
accommodate
and
support
everyone
and
I'd
love
to
kind
of
come
back
to
that.
But
I.
D
You
counsel,
Janey
and
I
know
the
Commissioner
can
relate
to
this
because
I've
done
it
too
often
to
him
as
well
as
our
fire
commissioner,
and
in
maybe
people
out
here
can
relate
the
the
ribbon-cutting
has
been
scheduled.
Balloons
have
been
ordered,
cake
is
on
its
way
and
I
get
the
phone
call
at
ten
minutes
of
five
saying
we
didn't
know
we
needed
this.
No
one
told
us
about
that
waiting
for
an
inspector
to
show
up
on
this.
D
We
have
the
wrong
tile
wrong
piece
of
furniture
so
and
because
there's
lots
of
moving
parts,
many
different
agencies,
many
different
departments,
some
of
them
city
inspectors,
some
of
them
state
inspectors,
I.
Guess
who
is
that,
like
that
one
person
that
brings
it
all
together
from
inspectional
services
to
Main
streets,
to
equity
and
inclusions
the
fire
department
to
the
transportation
apartment,
because
all
too
often
it
it's
someone's
on
vacation
someone's
on
maternity
leave
someone's
out
sick,
someone
hasn't
returned
the
phone
call
someone's
kind
of
doing
the
slow
dance
cuz.
D
They
want
to
do
the
inspection
and
get
the
overtime
and
not
on
straight
time.
It
runs.
The
gamut
I've
been
in
the
middle
of
it
citywide
from
my
tenure
in
the
City
Council
and
I'd
love
to
have
that
one
person
that
kind
of
stitches
it
all
together
in
that
new
business
gets
that
checklist
and
there's
a
defined
start
in
a
defined
finish
to
the
checklist
that
that
inspection
has
to
be
done
by
a
date.
D
Certain
war,
that's
on
us,
that's
our
bad
and
we
got
to
either
refund
them
back
their
permit
fee
into
a
you
know:
let
them
open
on
a
temporary
basis
until
we
really
get
out
there.
So
I
don't
know
with
that.
Happy
mixes,
but
there's
clearly
a
disconnect
in
some
instances.
It's
not
on
all
the
time
and
then,
when
you
peel
back
the
onion,
you
say
all
right:
why
did
this
happen?
How
did
they?
How
did
either
they
not
know
about
it,
or
how
did
we
not
sort
of
solve
this
problem
for
them?
D
And
sometimes
it's
not
even
us?
Sometimes
it's
the
state,
the
plumbing
inspector,
the
electrical
inspector,
it's
so
we
something
and
as
a
result
of
the
multiple
agencies,
multiple
departments
need
for
multiple
permits.
Inevitably,
something
falls
through
the
cracks.
Someone
doesn't
get
back
to
someone
and
yet
they've
got
a
they've
got
an
opening
plan.
They've
got
customers
waiting,
they're
trying
to
get
going,
they've
got
financing
all
lined
up,
and
then
it's
that
one
thing
and
often.
D
F
We
deal
with
those
differently,
but
on
general
projects,
we've
never
missed
a
ribbon-cutting
in
a
lot
of
times.
Yes,
it
is
the
11th
hour.
We've
got
to
get
every
department
together
to
make
this
completed,
make
it
happen
and
I
would
say
that
the
responsibility
is
across
the
board.
There
is
not
one
single
person
that
masterminds
all
of
this.
You
know
you
and
I
have
experienced
as
I
do
with
all
councillors
that
we
get
that
phone
call
and
I've
got
to
say
interdepartmental
II.
We
all
support
those
programs
to
make
things
happen.
F
Whether
we've
got
to
get
that
inspector
out
there
or
we've
got
to
get
the
fire
inspection
done.
Sometimes
it's,
it
is
our
fault.
There's
a
backlog
or
sometimes
there
are
pieces
that
are
missing
from
the
puzzle
that
people
don't
know
until
we
get
out
there,
because
every
condition
is
so
different.
It's
not
like
all
brand-new
buildings
that
have
all
their
controls
and
everything
in
place.
We
will
belong
to
a
building,
sometimes
and
there's
been
some
omission
in
the
submission
of
the
drawings
to
us.
F
We
try
to
convey
that
as
quickly
as
we
can,
but
the
one
thing
that
I
can
offer
is,
you
know
we
have
constituent
services
at
ist
that
deals
with
these
issues.
I,
usually
Johnson
is
with
me
here
today,
she's
a
key
person
and
on
my
staff
that
will
take
those
phone
calls
and
will
literally
run
around
the
department
or
the
city
to
get
this
to
happen.
F
So
it's
something
that
we're
all
working
on,
but
I
do
think
as
much
as
I
hate
that
the
11th
hour
reaction
I
think
we
do
react
well
to
it,
and
we
would
hope
that
by
more
education
and
more
transparency
about
the
process,
one
of
our
goals
is
always
about
expectations.
This
is
what
we
expect.
You
know
the
applicant
to
do
in
order
for
us
to
be
able
to
keep
them
on
queue.
I'll.
D
Concur,
we
haven't
missed
the
ribbon-cutting
game.
You
show
you
that,
but
it's
the
panic
and
the
anxiety
and
absolutely
I
know
that
Isha
does
a
great
job
of
running
out
that
ground
ball
at
the
11th
hour.
So
anytime.
We
can
avoid
that
and
I
think
somebody
some
of
the
financing,
particularly
on
a
closing
I'm
dependent.
F
F
Things
that
I
recommend
to
businesses-
and
there
are
a
number
of
business
people
a
year
that
I've
worked
with,
is
as
soon
as
you
have
a
concept
as
soon
as
you're.
Thinking
about
where
you
want
to
go.
Come
in
to
us
talk
to
us,
you
don't
have
to
have
a
formal
application
in
with
us
to
get
the
understanding
of
what
the
expectations
are
for
the
overall
project.
That's.
D
C
Thank
you
good
evening.
I
want
to
thank
you
all
for
all
of
your
work.
I've
worked
with
with
you,
I've
worked
with
you
on
a
lot
of
different
things
and
and
have
seen,
even
in
the
last
you
now
my
fifth
year
on
the
council.
The
openness
to
addressing
these
issues
is
is
so
important
and
the
commitment
to
progress.
So
a
couple
I
guess,
starting
with
a
big-picture
question,
what
do
you,
what
are
the
biggest
stressors
that
you're
hearing
from
your
business
small
business
constituents?
Is
it
rent
crisis,
commercial,
rent
prices?
C
H
Know
one
of
the
things
we
we
hear,
which
is
I
mean
it's
not
surprising,
but
it's
not
something
we
can
so
easily
address.
Is
people
just
say
we
just
need
more
customers.
We
just
need
more
foot
traffic.
So
it's
more
about
what
can
in
the
Main
Street
history
it's
more
about.
What
can
the
Main
Street
program?
Do
that's
going
to
drive
more
foot
traffic,
so
you
know
I
I
think
that
the
the
rent
pieces
do
come
up
periodically,
but
I,
don't
think
it
has
happened
as
much
as
we
thought
it
was
going
to.
H
We
do
have
we've
had
some
leasing
issues
coming
up
where
they're
you
know,
they're,
not
they're,
not
even
sure
about
what
they
did
sign
even
several
years
ago,
and
now
some
somebody
is
telling
them
that
you
know
they
have
to
move
out
or
there's.
You
know
issues
like
that.
So
we've
been
doing
a
number
of
leasing
workshops
in
some
of
the
Main
Street
districts.
We
did
it
in
four
corners.
H
C
H
Not
familiar
with
them,
I
was
out
at
a
Main
Street
conference
recently,
and
you
know,
I
was
talking
to
some
of
the
the
other
places
like
DC
and
stuff
like
that
and
and
I.
Don't
think
I
wasn't
aware
of
anybody
that
has
something
in
place
yet
I
think
it's
definitely
something
that's
being
spoken
about
more
and,
and
so
maybe
that's
something
we
can
work
on
to.
You
know,
look
at
what
else
is
happening
across
the
country
and
see
if
there's
something
we
could
potentially
replicate
so.
C
J
H
J
I'm
Joyce
Stanley
from
Dudley
square
Main,
streets
and
I
was
on
the
empowerment
zone
board
when
we
did
flour
and
the
way
that
flour
was
done.
It
was
part
of
an
overall
project
for
the
south
and
health
center,
and
the
south
and
health
center
was
selling
their
old
building
and
they
were
part
and
they
were
building
a
new
building,
but
part
of
the
new
building
was
selling
condos
and
also
some
market-rate
townhouses,
in
addition
to
that,
they
were
bringing
in
CVS
and
they
had
no
local
businesses.
J
So
in
order
to
get
the
subsidy
because,
even
though
they
had
all
this
market
rate
money
and
everything,
none
of
the
banks
will
do
these
deals
unless
there's
some
government
money
in
there.
So
that
was
our
leverage,
the
empowerment.
So
money
was
our
leverage.
So
what
we
told
them
was
that
we
wanted
one
local
business
in
there
if
they're
going
to
have
CVS
and
what
they
did.
J
Flour
was
an
unknown
then,
and
she
had
just
written
a
book
or
was
on
television
or
something,
and
they
said
she
was
a
high
risk,
and
so
nobody
wanted
to
give
her
a
chance.
So
they
we
got
them
to
subsidize
her
income
for
five
years
until
she
got
in
and
she
got
and
she
was
able
to
get
going,
get
her
business
going.
And
since
then
you
see
how
many
other
flowers
she's
done
and
she's
done,
Myers
and
Chang
in
several
books.
J
There
was
supposed
to
be
money,
some
other
money
in
the
empowerment
zone,
for
that
like
in
foot
Dudley
and
some
of
the
other
areas,
so
that
if
there
was
a
business
that
if
there
was
a
business
or
an
organ
or
a
facility
like
a
health
center
or
something
that
people
wanted-
and
there
wasn't
money
to
get
it
there,
that
this
money.
There
was
one
point.
J
Nine
million
dollars
put
aside
for
those
kind
of
projects,
but
in
the
end
they
pushed
all
the
developers
to
do
their
things
on
their
own
and
the
money
got
recycled
back
into
the
hotel.
And
so
what
we
want
to
know
what
I've
always
wanted
to
know
the
hotel,
the
fish,
the
the
fish
place
in
South
Boston.
All
of
the
projects
done
with
the
empowerment
zone
were
paying
money
back
to
the
city,
so
they
had
direct
payments
back
to
the
city.
What
happened
to
that
money
and
could
that
money
be
like
linkage,
does
to
housing?
J
Could
that
money
be
put
back
into
small
business
and
nobody's
been
able
to
be
Ras
and
control
of
that
money
and
nobody's
been
able
to
tell
us
where
the
money
went
and
people
are
still
paying
the
money
back?
It
was
the
C
place
down
on
on
on
the
waterfront.
There's
the
Rope
company
Harry
Miller,
there's
a
whole
bunch
of
projects,
something
else
that
all
of
them
were
paying
money
back
and
I.
Don't
know
what
happened
to
that
money.
E
J
Name
is
joy,
Stanley
and
I
run
the
Dudley
square,
Main
streets
program
and
and
I
I
guess
I'm,
the
old
lady
in
the
group,
because
I've
been
here
since
before
there
was
a
mate.
The
main
streets
I've
been
here
since
1993
with
the
empowerment
zone,
I'm
working
with
ma'am-
and
you
know,
bring
that
here
and
since
1996
is
the
main
streets.
J
But
what
happened
was
when
all
the
construction
on
the
police
station
the
bowling
building
a
lot
of
buildings
happened
all
at
once,
then
we
started
losing
long
term
businesses.
So
a
lot
of
them
that
customers
couldn't
get
here,
there's
no
place
to
park,
and
so
they
they
started
to
leave.
And
so
now
we
have
a
9%
vacancy
rate
instead
of
three
and
I.
A
I
think
that,
as
I
mentioned
earlier,
the
retention
rate
vacancy
rates,
all
of
those
I
think
are
important
measures
and
I
think
across
the
board.
It
would
be
important
to
have
the
Main
Street
districts
keeping
track
of
that
data,
in
addition
to
the
jobs
that
are
created,
and
that
would
be.
That
would
be
helpful.
Several
issues
I
just
want
to
kind
of
follow
up
on
before
we
we
transition
I,
really
appreciate
the
line
of
questioning.
This
came
up
several
times.
A
For
me,
you
know
before
I
was
an
elected
official,
certainly
since
I've
been
elected
official,
and
that
really
is
the
rents
and
that
it
is
more
and
more
difficult
for
businesses
to
say
and
I
would
love
to
see
us
be
really
creative.
Around
structuring
lease
agreements
that
allow
additional
people
additional
flour,
bakeries
throughout
our
city,
that
should
not
be
the
exception.
That
should
be
how
we
do
business
in
terms
of
really
making
sure
whether
it's
a
city
owned
piece
of
land
and
property
that
we're
developing
or
whether
it's
a
community
benefit
through
a
private
development.
A
Particularly,
as
you
know,
luxury
condos
are
coming
up
market
rate
rent
that
can
help
ven
subsidize.
You
know
the
commercial
space
for
whether
a
nonprofit,
whether
businesses
so
I,
think
that's
really
important
and
I'd
love
to
for
us
to
be
thinking
about
ways
to
really
move
forward
on
those
types
of
things.
The
last
thing,
I
would
say
is
yes,.
A
That
you
brought
up
is
is
parking,
and
that
is
a
huge
challenge,
not
just
here
but
across
our
city
and
how
we
ensure
that
there
is
parking
for
the
business
owners
that
it's
there's
parking
for
consumers
who
want
to
shop.
You
know
I
spoke
with
during
one
of
my
business
tours
a
business
owner
who
was
getting
tickets.
He
has
no
place
to
park
his
car
and
literally
he
has
to
either
move
his
car.
A
C
A
J
Zoning
for
there's
only
now
is
0.7
parking
spaces
per
unit
for
housing,
and
most
of
the
developments
that
are
proposed
have
no
parking
for
commercial,
so
not
even
for
the
employees
and
I
think
when,
when
this
building
was
opening,
people
wanted
to
take
the
police
station
because
there
was
so
much
construction
going
on
in
the
area.
They
wanted
the
old
police
station
building
for
employee
parking
for
Dudley
and
instead
they
gave
it
to
new
employees
from
this
business
and
and
older
employees
couldn't
park,
and
that's
why
two
businesses
I
know
one
of
the
reasons.
J
Anubian
Ocean
and
Roy
shop
who've
been
here
since
1958
why
they
left
because
their
customers
could
not
park
and
their
employees
had
no
place
to
park.
So
it's
an
issue.
I
know
we
have
all
the
environmental
issues
and
they
keep
telling
me
that
people
are
take
gonna,
take
uber
and
they're
gonna
ride
their
bicycle,
but
I
don't
ride
a
bicycle
when
I
go
shopping.
So
it's
an
issue
that
we
really
really
need
to
work
on
all.
C
Right
so
I
just
have
one
last
question,
which
was:
if
anyone
had
an
update
on
the
nexus
study
that
the
city
had
been
talking
about
thing
about
in
terms
of
reestablishing
a
supplier
diversity
program
with
goals
for
MWBE
participation.
I
know
that
last
time
we
had
checked
in
on
it,
there
was
an
RFP
that
had
gone
out
just
wondering
if
it
had
to
come
back
and
what
the
next
steps
are.
So.
G
C
Thank
you.
Sorry.
The
last
thing
I'm
going
to
say,
following
up
on
councillor
Flaherty's
point
about
permitting
I'm
gonna,
keep
pushing
for
a
sort
of
rmv
like
approach.
I
know
that
we
need
to
get
faster
on
responding
to
every
type
of
permitting
and
I
love
the
idea
of
guaranteeing
something
or
your
money
back,
but
even
as
a
first
step
showing
people
what
the
average
return
around
time
is
for
bear
permits,
and
you
know
certainly
they're
outliers
are
wasted.
C
F
And
as
a
right
project,
a
project
that
is
not
in
come
with
a
lot
of
problems
is
the
30-day
turnaround
time
you
have
to
factor
into
that,
though,
that
you
know
a
project
is
submitted,
there's
a
piece
missing
and
it
the
applicant
has
to
go.
Get
that
piece
missing
and
a
lot
of
times.
When
you
look
at
the
analysis
of
the
dates,
it
looks
like
it's
been
sitting
there
for
four
months,
but
the
reality
of
it
is.
It's
only
been
in
our
control.
F
You
know
for
for
a
month,
so
there
there
is
a
lot
of
work
with
that.
That's
why
it's
so
important
to
us.
We,
when
you
come
into
the
city,
now,
there's
actually
a
checklist
that
you
have
so
that
you
can
see
exactly
what
pieces
you're
going
to
need
to
move
forward.
So
we
are
working
on
that
counselor.
Thank
you.
A
So
unless
there
are
closing
comments,
I
want
to
say
thank
you
again
extend
my
appreciation,
not
only
for
you
being
here,
but
for
the
work
that
you
were
doing
on
behalf
of
the
mayor
every
day,
I
appreciate
you
coming
out
in
the
evening.
I
know
you
know
this
is
not
easy
for
everyone,
but
I
thought
it
was
again
really
important
to
do
something
in
the
evening
that
could
accommodate
business
owners
and
to
do
it
in
in
the
community
at
a
time
that
was
convenient.
So
I
appreciate
you
being
here.
A
A
A
B
No
Michael,
my
comments
are
quite
quick,
all
right
hi,
my
name
is
Malia
LA,
Zoo
and,
as
was,
and
as
was
said,
I
am
the
founder
of
the
urban
labs
and
the
strategic
director
of
the
transformative
culture
project.
I'm.
Here,
though,
talking
on
behalf
of
my
work
for
the
past
six
years,
running,
accelerate
Boston,
which
is
as
far
as
numbers
goes,
one
of
the
most
successful
minority
accelerate,
accelerate
programs
in
the
country
we
were
founded.
Six
years
ago
we
have
graduated
a
hundred
minority
business
owners.
So
far,
we've
gotten
20
businesses
to
market.
B
We
raise
a
couple
hundred
grand
a
year
for
our
businesses.
We
have
helped
open
five
brick-and-mortar
businesses.
Three
pop-ups,
six
of
our
businesses
have
been
less
listed
in
best
of
Boston
and
the
first
black
person
to
win
any
money
from
a
challenge
when
our
accelerator
first
three
years
ago
and
I
list
all
of
that
out,
because
not
only
does
it
prove
that
New
America
is
ready
to
build
a
new
economy.
B
Over
96%
of
our
businesses
are
under
the
age
of
40.
Over
57%
of
them
are
women
and
over
86%
of
are
people
of
color
I
joke
around
and
I
say
we
always
have
one
token
white,
guy
or
gal
in
our
classes,
but
for
the
most
part,
we're
able
to
fill
our
classes
with
minority
businesses
from
Dorchester
Roxbury
in
Mattapan.
B
Over
the
last
six
years,
we
have
identified
three
gaps
that
we
must
address
and
I'll
go
through
them
quickly
as
I
think
it's
useful
in
thinking
about
how
can
the
city
also
help
us
address
these
gaps
and
I
do
have
some
thoughts
about
that.
The
first
is
the
emotional
and
risk
gap,
and
this
is
a
gap
that
our
entrepreneurs
have
people
of
color
women,
people
who
aren't
naturally
entrepreneurs.
They
don't
come
from
a
culture
of
entrepreneurship.
They
don't
have
families
who
are
like
yeah.
You
should
give
up
everything
and
chase
something,
that's
unknown.
B
B
It's
an
outcome
of
Boston's
long
time,
segregated
past,
but
the
fact
of
the
matter
is
is
that
Boston
can
do
many
events
in
the
city
and
not
mind
that
they're
all
white
when
it
comes
to
businesses
and
startups,
and
you
see
that
quite
frequently,
I'm
and
I
think
that
that's
something
that
the
city
could
definitely
take
on.
I
was
very
happy
that
the
Boston
Globe
wrote
about
Seaport
I.
Think
if
we
can
spend
hundreds
of
millions
of
dollars
to
build
an
all-white
town,
then
we
can
figure
out
how
to
support
minority
businesses.
B
The
last
gap
is
always
the
first
gap
to
come
up,
but
actually
we
don't
see
this
as
the
biggest
gap.
We
see
this
as
a
problem
with
American
capitalism
and
that's
the
capital
gap.
If
you
don't
have
money,
you
don't
have
access
to
money
and
it's
not
necessarily
because
you're
black
or
because
you're,
a
woman
or
because
you're
an
immigrant
or
because
you're
Latino,
it's
because
wealth
begets
wealth,
and
so
that
gap
is
there
and
that
gap
absolutely
needs
to
be
addressed.
B
Some
recent
shifts
in
the
city
that
have
that
have
hurt
the
work
that
we've
done
and
have
hurt
our
partnerships,
and
the
first
is
the
small
business.
The
small
business
department
run
under
John
that
Main
Street
sits
under
they've
since
tightened
up
their
regulations
on
who
they
accept
for
free
business
consulting
hours,
and
so
they
no
longer
take
startups.
They
don't
take.
You
have
to
have
a
brick
and
mortar
in
order
to
be
accepted,
and
so
for
a
majority
of
our
businesses
and
a
majority
of
businesses
in
new
America
they're,
not
brick
and
mortar.
B
They
don't
look
like
Donna
Reed's
businesses,
and
so
that
criteria
has
actually
really
reduced.
Our
we've
gone
from.
We
had
almost
13
businesses
applying
every
year
in
the
city,
it's
reduced
to
two,
so
those
changes
have
been
very
noticeable
in
to
us
being
able
to
access
and-
and
you
know
we
sat
down
with
the
city
and
have
that
conversation.
So
we
understand
this
is
just
the
tracking
that
they
have
to
do,
but
it
was
something
that
that
was
very.
That
definitely
did
not
help
us.
B
The
last
thing
that
I
will
say
is
we
find
it
easier
to
work
with
private
developers
and
private
banks
than
we
do
working
with
coming
community
development
places
and
ways
to
access
what's
considered
more
accessible
capital.
Most
recently,
we
we
helped
one
of
our
businesses
sign
a
lease
in
Mission
Hill
and
the
private
developer
came
up
up
off
of
$100,000
to
help
our
business
build
out
her
studio,
and
so
she
only
had
to
come
up
with
50,000,
which
we
were
able
to
get
a
wonderful
loan
from
Eastern
bank.
B
But
again
it
shows
how
we
actually
find
that
we
have
much
more
success
as
far
as
tangible
outcomes
and
impacts
working
with
private
industry
than
we
do
working
with
the
city.
And
you
know
we
can
talk
more
about
that.
I
don't
want
to
take
any
more
time,
but
I
think
those
are
two
buckets
that
at
least
for
our
work
would
really
help
us
continue
to
get
our
businesses
to
market
wonderful.
A
I
So,
first
off
Thank
You
councillor
Jenny
for
having
us
session
very
important.
My
name
is
Glenn
Lloyd
I'm,
a
local
resident
I've,
undone
Ruth
Street,
not
too
far
from
here
I,
actually
I'm
gonna
be
kind
of
talking
about
three
different
kind
of
hats:
I
wear
the
first
hat
I
wanted
to
acknowledge
that
I'm,
an
entrepreneur
I'm
a
I
started
a
company
called
City
fresh
foods
she's
about
twenty-two
years
ago
and
I
just
from
I
can
say
from
personal
experience.
I
run
a
business
here
in
the
city.
I
It's
just
not
an
easy
process,
so
I
think
there's
there's
lots
of
ways
to
making
easier
for
companies
to
grow
from
through
their
stages
and
I'm,
going
to
talk
about
some
of
the
things
I'm
doing
currently
in
my
role
to
help
facilitate
them.
The
first
is
Malia
mentioned
each
turn
back.
Eastern
bank
has,
as
from
the
private
side,
committed
a
substantial
amount
of
money
to
help
scale
up
minority
businesses
and
we've
actually
have
come
on
and
focused
on
black
and
Latino
business.
So
these
are
the
folks
that
live
in
our
community.
I
How
do
we
really
grow
and
scale
these
businesses
and
we've
approached
it
from
a
kind
of
ecosystem
play
in
a
network
playing,
and
the
first
is
capacity
so
just
very
quickly.
Is
we've
invested
resources
and
strategic
advisors
to
embed
themselves
into
these
companies
and
really
spend
quality
time
and
strengthening
relationships,
building
trust
and
really
opening
up
their
networks
so
that
these
companies
can
effectively
grow
and
we've
also
taken
a
chunk
of
money
to
help
with
some
of
the
infrastructure
costs.
I
When
these
companies
need
to
really
invest
in
their
growth,
we
can
help
subsidize
that
that's
philanthropic
dollars
directly
into
the
growth
of
private
companies,
which
is
you
don't
find
that
too
often,
but
if
we're
really
going
to
grow
our
businesses,
this
is
the
type
of
investment
we
have
to
make
into
these
companies.
The
other
thing
that
we're
doing
at
the
the
business
equity
initiative
is
we're
saying
we
also
need
to
have
the
market
right.
I
You
need
to
have
contracts
and
and
potential
for
growth
there,
and
so
we've
partnered
and
worked
with
what
is
now
called
the
pacesetters
right.
So
this
is
the
procurement
side,
where
we've
private
corporation,
stepping
up
saying
we're
going
to
spend
more
money
with
the
with
these
minority
businesses
and
I
think
there's
also
opportunity
clearly
at
the
city
at
the
public
level,
which
I
think
you
know
I
just
want
to.
You
know
kind
of
put
that
on
the
record.
I
We
applaud
the
council
will
is
not
here
anymore
and
councilor
Pressley,
who
came
out
with
their
new
ordinance
and
frankly,
that's
the
gets
a
good
start
right.
How
do
we
measure
it
right?
So
what
is
the
current
spend
happening
at
the
city
level
in
in
the
categories?
Not
just
women
in
minority
businesses,
but
like
break
it
down
to
ethnicity,
which
is
something
we
had
a
kind
of
uncover?
How
are
we
doing
on
the
black
side?
How
we
doing
on
the
Latino
side
once
you
measure
it,
then
you
set
goals
right.
So
what
are
those
goals?
I
And
then
how
do
we
monitor
it?
So
so
again-
and
this
is
not
maybe
all
within
the
city-
but
we
also
work
collectively
as
a
community
to
make
sure
that
we're
measuring
progress.
So
what
we've
done
on
the
market
side?
On
the
private
side,
we're
saying
to
the
corporate
world
measure
it
and
set
goals,
and
let's
see
if
we
can
come
back
with
some
success
because
that's
where
a
lot
of
money
is
being
spent
and
then
finally,
what
was
mentioned
earlier
is
the
capital
side.
I
How
do
we
create
more
flexible,
creative
capital
to
these
businesses,
and
so
what
we've
done
is
we've
actually
currently
partnering
with
a
Boston
foundation
to
house
what
we're
calling
the
business
equity
fund,
which
is
fairly
kind
of
new
on
the
scene
and
I,
should
I
should
say,
cut
we've
set
this
up
so
that
it's
we're
approaching
it
differently,
and
one
of
the
differences
is.
We've
made
sure
that
the
decision
making
at
this
phone
is
folks
of
color.
I
I
These
companies
and
I
would
say
we
because
I'm
working
for
a
bank
we've
had
to
start
on
the
more
established
side,
but
that
same
approach
can
work
towards
what
we
call
the
more
the
emerging
businesses
or
the
early-stage
businesses
and
I
would
say
that
there's
an
opportunity
here
in
Boston,
because
we
have
a
lot
of
different
folks
doing
different
things.
How
do
we
in
terms
of
on
the
accelerator
piece
in
our
community?
How
do
we
really
bring
some
of
those
programs
together?
I
So
there's
more
efficiencies
and
we're
having
more
impact
and
I
think
there's
an
opportunity
where
the
city
can
play
a
role
not
only
in
space
potential
but
also
as
a
convener
and
I'll
finally
end
with
my
kind
of
my
last
hat
and
that's
the
advocacy
side.
So
there's
a
new
organization
fill
it
relatively
new
called
the
black
I'm.
A
council
of
Massachusetts
I
want
to
I,
want
acknowledge
believers
on
the
board
and
should
go
in
here.
I
Who's
been
playing
an
important
role
on
our
day
to
day
leadership
and
just
very
quickly,
I
think
we
have
a
model
here
in
the
state
in
terms
of
procurement.
If
we
don't
know
it's
not
the
sexiest
kind
of
conversation,
but
what
Massport
has
done
with
their
rfp
process,
it's
kind
of
when
you
looked
at
the
globe
series
that
was
the
only
one
that
was
kind
of
one
of
the
highlights
in
terms
of
solutions.
I
What
they've
done
is
they
said
in
the
selection
criteria.
That
means
before
it's
selected,
we're
saying
one
of
the
four
categories.
This
25%
of
the
decision-making
is
going
to
be
on
inclusionary
in
terms
of
like
who
is
owning
the
businesses
on
the
minority
side,
and
that's
really
what
you
get
when
you
get
real
change,
so
I
think
there's
a
model
in
that
language.
I
Beckman
has
that
language
and
we
would
encourage
the
city
to
adopt
that
language,
along
with
whoever
else
is
listening
and
then
the
final
piece
around
the
Beckman
side
and
I
think
this
covers
tonight
and
that's
the
job
opportunities
page.
We'll
talk
about
economic
development
for
our
folks
and
Beckman
is
going
to
be
coming
out
and
very
soon
talking
about
our
focus
around
a
job
opportunity
campaign
to
really
encourage
the
top
employers
by
sector
in
our
city,
in
our
in
our
great
state.
I
To
one
measure:
they're
black
Latino
employment
numbers,
because
again,
if
we
recall
what
happened
with
the
grill
the
globe
series
of
folks,
don't
know,
they
put
a
call
out
to
300
companies
to
try
to
get
their
employment
data
and
only
three
responded
and
of
the
three
one
was
the
Boston
Globe.
So
if
you,
if
you
don't
measure
it,
it
doesn't
change.
We
know
that
right.
So,
let's
first
measure
it
metric
it
and
then
let's,
let's
work
together
of
how
we
increase
employment
happening
at
every
stage.
I'm
sorry,
every
level
rank
and
file
management.
I
A
Thank
you
so
much
and
and
so
critically
important.
You
know.
People
know
I'm
a
broken
record
on
this.
There's
this
where
we
are
in
in
our
community.
We
often
talk
about
the
housing
crisis,
but
we
can't
stay.
If
we
can't
afford
to
stay,
we
can't
afford
to
stay
if
we
don't
have
the
economic
opportunities
in
terms
of
jobs,
and
we
know
that
business
owners
create
jobs,
and
we
know
that
business
owners
of
color
immigrants,
women
hire
other
people
like
that,
and
so
just
so
critically
important-
and
this
is
an
important
piece
of
that
puzzle.
A
K
You
councillor,
Jenny
I,
feel
honored
to
be
here
and
to
be
speak
with
my
esteemed
colleagues
who
are
superstars
in
the
community,
especially
on
the
area
of
business
development.
I'll,
make
three
comments
basically
and
they're
all
things
that
I
believe
that
it
was
within
the
city's
ability
to
make
some
changes.
K
Basically,
I
don't
believe
that
the
non-english
speaking
businesses
are
getting
the
same
type
of
services,
so
in
some
cases
our
districts
are
major.
Maybe
the
executive
director
doesn't
speaking.
This
does
only
speaks.
English
doesn't
speak
Spanish
than
the
other
languages
and
for
a
lot
of
our
communities,
particularly
there's
a
strong
growth
in
a
Dominican
community
in
particular.
So
if
our
director
doesn't
speak,
Spanish
the
neighborhood
business
manager
does
a
speak.
Spanish
those
cities
website
for
Main
Street,
it's
all
in
English
the
Boston
foundation.
K
Let
me
say
the
Boston
Main
Street
Foundation
websites
only
in
English,
so
that's
that's
something
that
could
be
addressed,
but
right
now,
I
think
that's
a
that's
a
barrier.
One
of
the
most
popular
offerings,
though,
is
we
always
do
stuff
like
access
to
capital,
marketing
and
social
media,
but
one
of
the
most
popular
offerings
I've
had
was
English
for
entrepreneurs,
basically
from
people
who
are
from
immigrant
communities
who
want
to
be
more
effective
in
integrating
the
other
one
is
knowledge
of
the
services.
K
A
number
of
the
city's
services
in
terms
of
the
different
departments
offers
some
type
of
services
that
are
specifically
for
business
owners,
but
you
have
no
way
of
knowing
them,
because
they're
not
listed
anyplace
I've
tried
to
get
the
information
in
different
ways
from
less
like
asking
the
mayor's
office.
Whatever
say
like
can't,
you
just
ask
all
the
commissioners
to
submit
a
list
of
what
services
they
provide
businesses,
but
there
is
no
such
list,
so,
for
instance,
you
might
not
know
that
the
police
department
has
special
services
are
just
for
business.
K
It's
not
on
their
website
you
unless
you,
unless
you
knew
to
ask
somebody.
You
would
never
know
that
that
business,
that
that
service
existed
so
the
city
of
Boston's,
actually
the
largest
technical
assistance
provider
to
business
in
the
city
but
you'd
never
know
it,
because
you
would
never
know
all
the
services
that
they
provide.
You
would
have
to
go
department
by
department
and
the
same
thing
when
they
did
the
small
business
study.
K
They
found
over
300
service
providers
from
the
schools
and
universities
and
other
kinds
of
groups
that
provide
technical
assistance,
counseling
advisory
services
for
businesses,
but
again
that
list
isn't
accessible,
but
we
could
make
the
list
it's
easily.
It's
just
publishing
it
on
the
cities
of
the
city's
website
and
then
finally,
I
would
just
talk
about
the
issue
of
advanced
manufacturing.
K
So
even
though,
like
Main
streets
is
primarily
retail
focused
and
retail
storefronts,
and
you
heard
my
colleague
talk
about
having
to
have
a
brick-and-mortar
you're
only
going
to
get
so
far
working
at
retail
wages
and
particularly
in
the
city
of
Boston.
When
you
have
an
issue
of
justification,
and
so
I
have
been
very
interested
in
the
area
of
advanced
manufacturing
in
particular,
where
you
know
the
jobs
may
start
a
little
bit
above
minimum
wage,
but
they
go
to
between
60
75
thousand
a
year,
maybe
a
hundred
thousand
with
performance
bonuses
and
overtime.
K
But
for
whatever
reason,
the
city
of
Boston
has
chosen
not
to
pursue
that
as
an
avenue
of
employment
in
terms
of
Workforce
Development.
If
you
talk
to
the
director
there,
the
city
has
made
the
the
priority.
Culinary
arts
hospitality,
healthcare
and
a
little
bit
of
IT,
and
so
here's
a
particular
field
where
there's
more
jobs
than
our
people
and
have
people
who
are
looking
for
jobs.
So
it
seemed
like
an
be
a
no-brainer
to
get
the
two
together.
K
But
if
you
look
at
the
the
nine
places
that
they
have,
the
certification
programs
in
the
city
or
in
the
state,
the
city
of
Boston
is
one
of
them.
It
doesn't
offer
it
and
it's
unusual,
because
the
state
of
Massachusetts
has
committed
to
advanced
manufacturing
they've
committed
over
a
hundred
million
dollars
to
it,
they're
constantly
making
grants
from
their
economic
department
the
Education
Department
their
Labor
Department.
K
But
if
you
look
at
all
the
press
releases,
what
you'll
see
is
that
the
city
of
Boston
has
decided
not
to
basically
pursue
any
of
the
funding
that
is
available.
So
I
just
think.
That's
a
gross
oversight
that
could
easily
be
addressed
if
there
was
somebody
who's
actually
focused
on
it.
I
really
think
that
the
opportunity
is
that
we're
known
for
being
part
of
the
innovation
economy.
We
have
the
Kendall
Square
in
the
Seaport
downtown
Boston,
and
so
it
only
makes
sense
to
me
to
link
the
innovation
economy
with
the
manufacturing
kind
of.
K
A
Wonderful,
so
thank
you
so
much
I
I
know
some
of
you
have
to
leave,
but
if
you
can
stay,
it
would
be
great.
May
have
some
questions
later.
I
really
appreciate
you
taking
time
and
for
coming
here.
I
want
to
invite
someone
who
wants
to
deliver
public
testimony
before
we
go
to
the
third
panel.
So
if
Priya
Lane
could
come
up,
please
I.
L
Good
evening
my
name
is
Priya
Lane.
Thank
you
so
much
for
seeing
me
out
of
order
I'm
the
economic
justice
project
director
at
the
lawyers
Committee
for
civil
rights
and
economic
justice
at
the
lawyers
Committee.
We
provide
minority,
immigrant
and
low-income
entrepreneurs
and
small
business
owners
with
free
legal
assistance,
business
support
and
education.
In
2017
alone,
we
serve
nearly
400
small
business
owners,
90%,
whom
were
people
of
color
and
60%
woman,
Thank
You
councillor
Janey,
for
calling
us
this
hearing
on
the
critical
issue
of
the
state
of
small
businesses.
L
L
L
It's
around
500
dollars
per
year.
The
average
in
the
other
49
states
are
200
something,
so
it's
a
big
difference
through
our
interactions
with
small
business
owners.
We
know
that
this
high
cost
of
forming
an
LLC
disproportionately
affects
small
businesses
in
our
most
underserved
and
underrepresented
communities.
This
regressive
policy
disproportionately
burdens
the
lower-income
businesses
and
entrepreneurs
who
view
entrepreneurship
as
an
avenue
to
a
better
way
of
life
becoming
an
LLC
is
generally
the
best
corporate
structure
for
a
variety
of
legal
reasons.
For
small
businesses
use
small
businesses.
L
It
provides
the
legal
protections
with
a
lot
less
corporate
formalities
that
you
don't
want
me
necessarily
going
into
right
now.
It
really
creates
the
perfect
mixture
of
protection
and
flexibility.
We
know
that
this
is
a
you
at
its
heart,
a
state
issue,
but
we
really
believe
that
the
city
of
Boston
can
and
should
help
lead
the
charge
to
change
this
practice
of
overly
burdensome
fees
and
were
happy
to
work
with
the
city
on
that
issue.
Another
issue
that
we
are
concerned
with
is
a
high
cost
of
obtaining
a
liquor
license
in
the
city
of
Boston.
L
That's
an
issue
that
we
know
that
city
councilors,
especially
councilor
Pressley,
has
worked
on
before.
But
you
know,
as
we
all
know,
holding
your
liquor
license,
lends
a
tremendous
advantage
to
business
owners
bringing
in
more
diverse
clientele
and
allows
them
to
stay
busy
longer.
This
extra
revenue
help
that
holding
a
liquor
license
provides,
makes
a
substantial
difference
in
the
health
of
the
businesses
that
we
work
with.
However,
the
cost
is
prohibitive.
L
It
virtually
ensures
that
new
small
businesses
and
our
growing
neighborhoods
like
this
one,
do
not
have
access
to
this
as
a
source
of
revenue.
We
recognize
that
this
is
a
very
complicated
issue
with
a
lot
going
on
in
each
sides,
but
we
continue
to
advocate
and
push
for
concrete
changes
to
help
all
of
our
small
businesses
thrive.
And
finally,
the
current
climate
at
the
federal
level
raises
a
number
of
critical
issues
and
concerns
for
immigrant
owned
businesses,
which
we
believe
that
the
city
should
help
alleviate.
L
At
the
lawyers
Committee
we've
been
conducting
workshops
for
immigrant
business
owners
about
what
their
immigration
status
may
mean
for
their
business
and
ensuring
that
their
business
continues
to
be
a
source
of
support.
For
their
family,
if
the
worst
were
to
happen,
we
know
this
is
an
issue
that
the
city
cares
about
as
well,
and
we
would
like
to
encourage
a
city
to
continue
to
work
cooperatively
with
those
of
us
who
serve
the
immigrant
businesses
in
our
community
and
to
ensure
that
they
feel
safe
and
secure
to
own
and
operate
businesses
in
Boston.
A
M
Good
evening
everybody
I'd
like
to
introduce
myself
I've
had
the
honor
and
the
pleasure
of
being
part
of
Boston,
Public,
Schools
and
I'm,
currently
retired,
but
my
field
of
forty-nine
years
in
education
is
that
of
English
language,
learners
and
immigrant
families,
and
in
that
capacity,
I
continue
to
work
in
a
consulting
basis
with
some
school
systems,
mostly
recently
in
Walden
and
I
am
a
proud
member
of
Washington
gateway.
Main
streets,
I
have
been
for
12
years
and
also
part
of
Chester
Square
association
and
in
viewing
I
can
see
everybody
down
here.
M
When
I
look
out,
the
window,
I
became
involved
with
the
whole
process
of
seeking
to
start
a
small
business,
because
I
took
on
the
task
of
helping
two
young
men
who
are
from
families
who
immigrated
here
and
they're
also
with
the
school
as
English
language
learners,
so
I
through
Washington
gateway,
I
encouraged
him
to
attend
the
seminars
for
small
business,
startups,
etc.
That
Boston
offered,
and
we
did
that
for
a
year
and
I
have
to
say
that
Boston
offers
a
lot
of
support
systems
for
small
businesses.
M
I'd
like,
however,
to
talk
about
what
we
encountered
here
in
what
I
encountered,
especially
in
the
process
and
what
we
found
was
there
are
fewer
opportunities
to
start
a
business
in
Boston.
Basically,
because
we
have
a
situation
where,
if
you
are
a
traditional
immigrant
family
who
comes
here,
you
want
to
fall
back
on
your
practices
and
your
expertise
that
you
have
from
your
culture
and
your
family
businesses,
but
the
biggest
obstacle
that
we
have
found
so
far
is
there
are
two
major
ones
number
one
you
have
to
have
money
or
a
brick
and
mortar.
M
In
order
to
start
a
business,
and
these
young
men
want
to
start
a
food
truck
business
that
it's
Portuguese
food
based
so
that
they
were
following
the
traditions
of
their
family
but
ran
into
the
situation
which
we
constantly
run
into,
which
is
that
we
needed
to
have
sardick
money.
But
startup
money
is
not
available.
It
is
much
easier
to
obtain
money
if
you
already
have
a
business
or
if
you
have
money
that
you
have
initially
invested
into
a
business.
M
So
we
have
gone
through
a
process
of
trying
to
identify
resources
for
start-up
businesses,
and,
as
we
have
heard
before,
that
is
the
most
difficult
area
is
if,
as
one
person
said
in
this
country,
money
begets
money.
But
if
you
don't
have
it,
you
get
nothing.
So
that
is
a
very
large
obstacle
for
people
of
color
and
who
are
immigrants
of
within
Boston
and
within
Boston
area.
M
So
when
the
when
people
like
this
want
to
start
a
business
they're
coming
from
low
resources
economically
and
without
major
backing,
because
they're
working
for
restaurants
that
are
self-protective
and
are
also
trying
to
expand
their
businesses
and
protect
the
businesses
by
reaching
out
and
starting
their
own
food
trucks
or
starting
another
business
or
aligning
themselves
such
as
you've
got
Restaurant
Group
set
own
seven
or
eight
different
businesses,
and
they
are
mutually
supportive
of
their
own
businesses,
but
well
are
afraid
of
competition
from
others
who
are
starting.
So
there
are
a
lot
of
challenges.
M
I
have
helped
I've
seen
in
the
past
year,
one
of
which
is
in
the
food
business.
The
food
truck
business
is
that
you
need
a
minimum
of
a
hundred
and
fifty
thousand
dollars.
Basically,
to
start
your
business
and
even
if
you
start
the
angle
through
the
PERT
and
the
next
challenges,
as
you've
heard
before
all
the
permitting
process
that
you
have
to
go
through,
there's
so
much
in
involved
with
that
in
so
many
details
that
if
you
miss
one
of
them,
you
follow
up
your
whole
process.
The
other
thing
is
in
the
food
truck
business.
M
There
are
83
designated
spots
in
Boston
and
at
the
present
time
there
are
124
food
trucks.
This
is
rotated
in
a
lot
in
form
every
three
months
and
there
are
three
tiers
of
allotments.
So
the
better
is
the
best
spots,
the
intermediate
spots
and
the
ones
that
are
okay,
so
that
you
have
a
66%
shot
every
three
months
of
getting
a
spot,
and
if
you
don't
get
one
especially
to
two
quarters
in
a
row,
where
do
you
go?
What
is
your?
What
is
your
income
source
I'll?
M
Give
you
an
example,
because
we
investigated
food
trucks
around
the
state,
but
we
even
went
to
Rhode
Island
to
look
at
food
trucks
and
in
Rhode
Island
after
interviewing
food
people
who
own
food
trucks
there
yeah
there
are
designated
spots.
They
they
don't
have
to
use
a
commissary
to
prepare
their
foods.
They
don't
have
the
one
half
the
permits
that
they
need
to
have.
They
can
choose
a
spot
at
Brown,
University,
campus
and
feed
the
meter
and
and
are
not
bothered
by
officials
there.
M
M
Well,
our
in
this
city,
given
the
fact
that
Boston,
especially
when
the
fact
that
Boston
was
designated
as
the
most
difficult
city
in
the
United
States
to
start
a
food
truck
and
operate
a
food
truck,
and
is
it
because
that
have
we
started
to
build
such
a
bureaucracy
that
the
the
fees
that
come
in
from
the
permits
start
to
become
almost
like
sation?
It
becomes
a
revenue.
Is
it
because
that
it
is
protectionism
for
the
existing
businesses
that
are
already
there?
M
Those
are
two
major
questions
that
that
people
have
asked
me
along
the
way
when
I'm
trying
to
assist
them
in
and
is
it
in.
Is
it
a
situation
where
we
are
limiting
the
equal
access
for
people
of
color
and
people
of
different
languages
to
have
have
the
opportunity
to
live
and
work
and
have
their
own
businesses
within
Boston?.
M
As
far
as
the
the
permitting
through
something
I
learned
through
two
or
two
businesses
within
Washington
gateway,
when
Cathedral
Station
was
opening
their
business,
I
tried
to
have
a
little
contact
with
him
in
helping
them
through
the
permitting
process
they
were
delayed.
This
is
a
business
that
had
money
to
start
with
it.
M
Other
people
poured
a
lot
of
money
into,
but
they
lost
opening
time
opening
by
10
days,
because
someone
came
through
and
said,
you
don't
have
the
necessary
video
permits
for
the
number
of
screens
you
have
on
the
walls
and
because
of
that,
their
opening
was
delayed
by
10
days.
That's
10,
business
days
that
they
lost
that's
an
issue.
How.
M
M
The
issue
is
what
well
I
have
a
suggestion:
I
never
do
that
without
making
I
always
have
a
suggestion
to
this
for
to
a
an
issue
such
as
this
I
suggest
that
as
we
look
at
the
large
businesses
are
moving
into
Boston
and
I
applaud
that
such
as
GE
etc,
and
as
they
open
up
in
the
Seaport
area.
Grant
we
established
some
type
of
escrow
fund
that
they
would
have
to
contribute
to.
M
That
would
then
support
small
minority
in
English
land
immigrant
businesses
to
open
up
for
those,
especially
who
do
not
have
the
capital
and
can't
raise
the
capital.
I
think
this
would
be
a
somehow
any
something
to
address
this
issue
and
I
applaud
the
efforts
of
everyone
who
has
spoken
so
far,
especially
those
who
spoke
to
the
permitting
process,
because
in
the
last
year,
I
have
learned
that,
despite
the
support
systems,
that
Boston
has
the
permitting
process
is
really
a
major
hurdle
for
people
to
start
a
business
in
Boston.
Thanks
for
the
time.
Thank.
A
You
so
much
and
now
we're
gonna
call
our
third
panel.
We
have
Luther
pickney
here
we
have
her
isse,
Hardaway
and
Cheryl
strata.
Thank
you
so
much
if
you
could
come
here
to
the
table
and
as
a
reminder,
if
you
would
like
to
offer
public
testimony,
we
do
have
sign-in
sheets
and
we
will
be
taking
additional
testimony
for
anyone
who
wants
to
testify.
Thank
you
so
much.
N
So
there
are
several
programs
at
the
city
that
have
helped
me
in
my
first
business
Keith
place
and
also
the
one
coming
up
moving
into
the
area.
Some
people
have
asked.
Well,
why
would
you
select
deadly?
You
know
I've
actually
had
someone
say
if
you
could
just
hold
on
for
five
years.
It's
gonna
be
great.
You
know,
I
didn't
move
here
to
hold
on
I
moved
here
to
make
a
difference.
N
Some
of
the
things
that
I've
noticed
in
the
last
couple
of
months
as
I've,
been
going
through,
the
transition
of
renovation
is
some
of
the
lack
of
city
services
as
it
relates
to
trash
pickup.
There
is
a
receptacle
right
in
front
of
my
restaurant
and
trash
set
on
the
outside
of
that
receptacle
for
three
days
so
I
reached
out
to
the
city
and
asked
that
you
know
they
take
a
look
at
that.
That's
a
challenge
for
me
also.
N
There
is
a
large
influx
of
I'm,
transparent
loitering,
so
you
know,
as
we
look
at
businesses
coming
to
the
area,
we
have
to
look
at
why
some
businesses
wouldn't
come
to
the
area
and
I'm
asking
that
there
is
some
focus
we
be
given
to
our
citizens,
who
have
had
or
having
challenges
whether
it
is
addiction
related
mental
health
related.
We
have
to
address
the
collection
of
folks
in
and
around
Dudley
for
me
as
a
business
owner.
That's
a
visual
that
I
would
like
to
see
addressed
relatively
soon.
O
O
You
know
my
struggle,
not
none.
The
city
has
been
with
ISD
or
the
city
in
all
in
general,
just
kind
of
general
concept
that
Dudley
is
waiting
on
someone
to
come,
save
us
that
it's,
we
can't
get
a
crosswalk.
That's
at
the
corner
of
this
hundred
million
dollar
building
the
curb
is
cut
it's
a
ramp,
but
there's
no
cross
Y
goes
to
nowhere.
I've
been
asking
several
departments
for
over
two
years.
Why
can't
we
have
a
crosswalk
I
literally
got
a
comment
from
a
city
official
one
point:
well,
it's
coming
and
I
said
well
win.
P
Q
O
You
know
that's
my
problem,
it's.
Why
are
we
waiting
on
Dudley?
You
know
we
have
vacancies
in
the
building.
I,
don't
I,
don't
find
talking
to
be
a
huge
problem.
I
didn't
find
my
experience
of
1010.
There
is
d
to
be
cumbersome.
I
do
find
just
some
of
the
neighborhood
issues
not
being
addressed
when
we
talk
about
it
in
public
meetings
and
private
meetings
over
and
over
again.
What
are
we
waiting
on
and
that's
kind
of
my
issues
why
we
wait?
Why
is
Dudley
waiting
to
make
it
happen?
O
Because
it's
a
it's
always
been
an
important
part
of
this
city
and
it
you
know
as
gentleman
says
you
sit
here
and
you
have
a
view
of
the
south
in
and
lo
of
Roxbury,
which
is
a
new
part
of
Oxford
for
me,
but
you
have
East
Boston
and
you
go
it's
a
beautiful
part
of
town.
Why
aren't
we
highlighting
it
more?
Why
aren't
there
more
events
in
this
building?
Why
is
this
build?
This
particular
space
here
been
so
guarded?
O
You
know
I
wanted
to
get
married
here
in
the
view
of
my
city,
III
got
an
O
two
months
later,
someone
got
a
yes.
That
type
of
stuff
has
to
stop.
That's
my
aggravation
is
these
people
who
have
the
power
to
put
the
button
pushes
or
whatever
playing
favorites.
That's
that
racism
is
still
very
much
alive
in
Boston
I
felt
like
on
your
West
right
now,
but
I'm
making
a
statement
it's
very
much
alive.
O
It
is
very
much
apparent
in
how
business
is
held
in
this
particular
part
of
town,
which
is
regarded
across
the
world
as
a
prime
market.
Why
don't
we
recognize
that?
And
and
why
don't
we
more
of
us
recognize
it?
That's
pretty
much
where
my
issue
is.
Why?
Where
can
we
get
that
connected?
Why
that
disconnect
is
happening?
Thank.
R
Good
evening
my
name
is
Therese
Hardaway
I'm,
one
of
the
owners
of
final
touch,
boutique
and
I'm.
Also
a
recent
entrepreneur
and
a
different
setting.
I
am
a
consultant
for
local
nonprofits
and
businesses
and
elder
care,
so
I
have
had
good
experiences
with
the
city
and
some
of
their
institutions,
as
you
might
say,
because
they're
not
just
departments,
there
have
been
around
so
long.
It's
an
institution.
R
However,
there
have
been
some
opportunities
lost
and
our
ability
to
communicate
and
for
entrepreneurs
and
business
owners
to
really
advance
themselves
through
Boston.
So
they
can
really
be
successful
and
I
think
that
one
of
the
councillors
points
councillor
Flaherty
about
having
time
frame
set
for
folks
to
get
information
back
from
different
city
departments,
not
just
ISD
but
all
of
them,
and
then
to
also
have
time
frames
for
the
people
applying
and
to
know
what
are
the
recourse
of
action
and
that
just
allows
us
to
have
more
transparency.
R
I
can
say
that
I
have
seen
folks
from
ISD
Police
Department
worked
very
hard
to
fix
kinks
in
the
system
and
sometimes
it's
out
of
their
power,
and
the
power
is
further
on
down
the
line.
And
so
we've
got
to
streamline
that
process,
to
empower
the
staff
and
the
departments
and
institutions
to
do
their
jobs,
because
sometimes
they
they
have
solutions,
but
they
are
unable
to
enact
those
solutions
and
I
think
everybody's
a
specialist
in
their
own
field.
So
we
should
listen
more
to
each
other
and
allow
those
employees
to
do
things
as
an
entrepreneur.
R
I've
heard
people
just
tonight
talk
about
access
to
to
funding
one
of
the
things
that
people
always
going
after
are
the
big
funding
Solutions,
where
it's,
whether
it's
grants
from
economic
development
agencies
or
from
the
federal
government,
but
one
of
the
biggest
or
the
greatest
things
about
being
an
American
is
that
people
have
more
money
than
other
places
and
not
saying
that
they
have
grand
pots
of
money.
But
they
have
a
little
bit
of
money
here
and
there.
R
There
are
a
lot
of
people
in
the
city
who
are
looking
to
invest
right,
but
they
don't
have
$10,000
to
throw
it
on
the
market,
but
there
are
local
businesses
that
need
money.
Why
can't
recreate
a
solution
whereby
either
it's
the
city
or
some
other
actor
brings
those
neighborhood
people
together?
If
I've
got
twenty
five
hundred
dollars
saved
and
I
get
ten
or
fifteen
more
people
that
have
twenty-five
hundred
fifteen
hundred
twenty
five
hundred
dollars
save?
We
can
then
invest
that
into
a
restaurant.
R
That's
trying
to
start
up
or
someone
that
needs
to
buy
a
particular
truck
to
do
their
food
or
someone
that
needs
to
find
investors
for
another
retail
shop,
or
things
like
that,
and
maybe
the
city
can
also
do
micro
investments.
They
invest
a
thousand
dollars
and
at
the
end
of
every
quarter,
they're
paying
it
back
in
dividends,
those
people
that
got
it
so
we're
kind
of
having
some
type
of
public-private
investment
on
a
micro
level
that
makes
sense
to
everybody
I.
R
Also
here
in
Dudley
square
I
walk
every
week
with
people,
businesses,
neighbors
city
officials,
I,
have
to
say
that
walking
with
the
BPD
from
Dudley
square
ISD
neighborhood
services,
especially
Joshua
McFadden.
It's
been
really
eye-opening
and
I
can
say
that
it
has
allowed
us
to
have
a
better
communication,
but
some
of
the
things
that
we
still
need
help
with
our
security
or
having
consistency
from
the
departments
in
the
city
to
provide
basic
services
to
Dudley
Square,
and
some
of
those
things
are
just
outside
the
reach
of
the
employees
of
these
departments.
R
Having
a
regular
Hokie
person
year-round,
not
just
for
the
season
having
street
cleaning
year-round
I,
remember
calling
having
someone
else,
call
down
to
the
mayor's
office
that
hotline
and
learn
that
the
Southend
in
downtown
Boston
have
year-round
street
cleaning,
no
matter
if
it
snows
or
not,
and
they
have
hokey
people
and
they
have
all
services
because
they're
downtown
there
are
40,000
people
that
get
off
the
train.
I
mean
get
off
the
bus.
There
used
to
be
a
train.
Excuse
me
get
off
the
bus
here
in
Dudley
square.
R
Why
are
we
not
investing
in
Dudley
square
so
that
it
can
be
the
real
economic
engine
that
downtown
Roxbury,
Dudley
square
is,
and
so
as
an
entrepreneur
and
someone
who
owns
a
business
if
I
want
to
open
a
business,
I'm
gonna
look
for
the
investment
by
the
city
and
the
other
way
that
they
can
do
that
is
to
market
this
area.
The
way
they've
marketed
the
Seaport
and
downtown
Boston.
There
is
no
strategy
to
marketing
Dudley
square.
We
shouldn't
have
to
wait
five
years.
R
If
we
want
all
these
businesses
to
come
here,
we
have
to
change
the
image
and
the
stigma
that
comes
along
with
Dudley
Square
and
we've
all
been
witness
to
it
or
heard
it
that
people
have
an
older
view
of
what
Dudley
square
is
and
it
discourages
the
young
folk
or
those
interested
in
revitalizing
the
area
to
do
so.
So
as
a
boutique
in
this
building
downstairs,
I
don't
get
business
on
Saturdays.
A
R
Touch
boutique:
we
don't
get
business
on
Saturday
after
5:00
5:30.
This
place
is
a
ghost
town,
and
why
would
we
want
that
to
happen
if
this
is
the
geographic
center,
the
biggest
bus
transit
depot
in
New
England-
and
we
have
so
many
people
coming
here?
Where
is
the
investment
to
make
sure
that
those
people
stay
and
they
stay
past
five
o'clock?
How
can
a
retail
shop
stay
open
if
they
don't
have
business
on
the
weekends
we
closed
on
Sundays,
we
were
open
seven
days
a
week.
R
A
A
I
have
a
few
questions
and
then
I
will
certainly
allow
you
the
opportunity,
and
then
we
have
a
few
more
folks
who
want
to
offer
public
testimony
and
I
want
to
make
sure
that
we
get
to
them
at
a
decent
time.
So
first
I
just
want
to
say.
Thank
you.
Thank
you
not
only
for
appearing
here.
You
know
accepting
my
invitation
to
to
be
on
this
panel,
but
really
for
your
investment
in
the
community,
that
I
love
and
your
community,
and
just
thinking
about
you
know
what
you
said.
A
Luther
and
I've
said
this
several
times
that
no
one
is
coming
to
save
us.
We
are
our
own
saviors,
we're
the
ones
that
we
are
waiting
for,
and
it's
really
frustrating.
You
know
as
I
speak
with
businesses
that
are
here,
who
kind
of
do
things
the
way
that
they
want
to
do
and
not
really
upgrade,
because
they
think
it's
good
enough.
A
For
now,
when
I
see
the
empty
storefronts,
because
perhaps
the
landlords
are
just
waiting
around
to
sell
it,
you
know
down
the
road
to
the
highest
bidder
or
that
maybe
they
will
open
up
something
and
rent
it
out
Lisa.
You
know
in
some
other
time
in
the
future,
when
things
get
better
and
for
someone
like
myself,
who
grew
up
here
and
for
others,
we've
invested
in
our
community
and
we
shouldn't
have
to
wait
for
some
big
payday.
We
that
this
is
an
economic
justice
issue.
A
This
is
an
issue
that
certainly,
as
you
guys
as
entrepreneurs,
is
affecting
your
bottom
line,
your
ability
to
eat
your
ability
to
feed
your
children
to
make
your
living,
and
we
should
not
be
waiting
for
some.
You
know,
day
glory
day
in
the
future
when
we
have
the
talent
and
the
skills,
the
passion,
the
perseverance
to
to
act
now-
and
so
you
know,
I
certainly
am
committed
to
doing
all
that
I
can,
in
my
capacity,
not
just
as
a
resident
here.
A
Someone
who
you
know
shops
in
your
boutique,
someone
who
could
not
get
enough
of
Dudley
dough
and
I
am
so
looking
forward
to
the
grand
opening
of
Solei
I'd
love
to
Keith's
place
and
I
can't
wait
to
to
visit
your
establishment.
But
you
know
it
isn't
enough.
Just
with
me
and
a
few
others,
you
know.
One
question
I
have
is
about
the
foot
traffic.
It
is
about
how
thing
shuts
down
at
five
o'clock
that
you
that
so
many
businesses
have
to
close
on
Sunday.
How
do
we
get
the
foot
traffic?
A
A
You
know,
buy
my
pretty
dress
at
your
shop
and
then
come
and
sit
down
and
enjoy
some
food
and
then
maybe
take
care
of
some
of
my
other
errands
all
in
one
fell
swoop,
and
we
can't
do
that
if
we're
kind
of
doing
this
piecemeal
Cheryl.
You
mentioned
the
issue
of
loitering,
and
that
is
something
that
has
come
up.
You
know
as
I've
done
business
tours
and
it's
a
it's
a
very
challenging
issue.
A
You
know
we
don't
want
to,
then
you
know,
implement
kind
of
the
stop
and
frisk
mentality,
but
we
do
understand-
and
you
know
I
understand
as
I'm
talking
with
business
owners-
that
this
again
is
affecting
the
bottom
line.
So
how
do
we
ensure
that
people
are
getting
the
services
that
they
need
that
they're
getting
to
where
they
need
to
be
and
and
not
you
know,
becoming
a
barrier
for
folks
who
may
want
to
shop
and
the
stores
here
in
Dudley?
A
So
these
are,
you
know
all
very
important
questions,
important
questions
around
access
to
capital,
making
sure
that
we
have
the
liquor
licenses
that
we
need
to
open
up.
Restaurants
and
full
liquor
licenses
to
open
up
restaurants,
beer
and
wine
is
great,
but
we
also
need
full
liquor
licenses.
You
know,
I
did
the
business
tour
with
you
last
week,
harissa
and
one
of
the
establishments
that
we
went
to.
You
know
right
in
the
middle
of
the
afternoon.
Like
is
always
the
case.
A
A
Well,
we
have
equity
in
terms
of
who
wants
to
have
that
license
and
open
up
those
types
of
businesses
for
folks,
so
that
people
are
not
out
in
the
street
blocking
the
doors
to
different
establishments,
so
I'm,
very
much
interested
in
hearing
more
in
terms
of
solutions
and
how
the
city
can
be
helpful
as
I
mentioned.
This
is
an
ongoing
conversation
that
I
hope
to
have
with
you,
and
you
know,
I
think
this
is
the
first
of
many
and
I
invite
you
to
kind
of
stay
engaged
in
that
process.
A
S
You
thank
you
for
the
opportunity.
Thank
you
all
for
coming
here
tonight.
I
again,
apologize
for
being
late,
I
was
just
back
to
back
to
back
and
then
trying
to
get
through
traffic
to
get
here
I.
You
know
when
I
think
about
this
hearing
and
I
think
about
your
leadership.
Councillor
Janie
I'm,
just
very
much
grateful
for
this
conversation
and
that
you
did
intentionally
have
it
here,
learning
about
what
we
have
in
terms
of
a
potential
for
an
economic
center
and
how
that
will
spring
forward.
S
So
many
different
gentlemen,
for
so
many
different
generations,
especially
here,
is
something
that
I
think
the
city
needs
to
make
a
concerted
effort
and
that
that,
in
that
effort,
it's
actually
led
by
the
local
businesses,
one
of
the
biggest
concerns
or
one
of
the
worst
things
that
the
city
can
do
is
say.
Yes,
we
heard
your
problem.
Don't
worry,
we'll
take
care
of
it
because
oftentimes
they
missed
the
boat.
S
They
miss
that
the
it's
the
Devils
in
the
details
and
how
they're
really
supporting
you
and
whether
they're
really
supporting
you
or
seen
as
just
supporting
generally
you
know
a
business
model
that
might
work
over
in
East
Boston,
where
I
am
or
in
Charlestown,
but
may
not
work
here.
So
I
apprec--
your
leadership
and
I
hope
you
will
stay
as
leaders
in
this
conversation
and
really
hold
us
accountable
when
we're
not
doing
what
we
need
to
do
for
you.
S
I
personally
have
seen
if
the
and
believe
firmly
in
local,
community
and
economies,
thriving
and
I
know
that
we
can,
when
we
invest
in
our
businesses,
they
thrive,
I
mean
when
we
move
and
we
provide
resources
and
products
for
our
community.
We
we
succeed
and
the
question
that
I
think
a
lot
of
us
have
is
then,
why
aren't
we
succeeding
more
when
we
should,
because
you're
offering
wonderful
products
you're
offering
wonderful
food,
and
yet
somehow
the
city
is
not
offering
that
pathway
to
flourish
for
your
business
as
a
flourish
at
the
level
that
they
should.
A
N
R
Last
thing
before
I
wasn't
sure
if
you
wanted
us
to
stay
here,
while
they
were
gonna
testify,
but
one
thing
we
need
in
Dudley
square
is
signage
to
let
people
know
where
the
businesses
are
like
Soleil
like
mine,
because,
especially
when
you're
in
the
bowling
building
or
you
are
along
the
main
corridor
streets,
it's
hard
to
see
if
you're,
just
driving
by
so
if
we
could
work
on
signage
for
overall
and
I
think
we
have
some
other
things
we
can
provide
you
with
later,
but
not
to
tell
you
tie
up
all
your
time.
Thank
you.
O
The
one
thing
that
I
do
want
to
add
speaking
to
which
you
were
mentioning
earlier
is
this
seems
to
be
a
lot
of
different
planning
organizations
and
groups
and
tying
them
all
in
together.
You
know
this
playing
box,
baby
playing
Dudley,
Roxbury,
cultural
district,
there's
a
lot
of
people
planning
things
for
Dudley
and
a
lot
of
good
things,
but
linking
them
together,
I
think,
is
a
key.
So
we
could
have
one
unified
vision
and
then
you
know
moving
making
moves.
O
A
Yes-
and
there
was
a
hearing
order
introduced
last
week
to
that
very
point-
around
vacancy
in
the
city
of
Boston,
not
just
in
terms
of
commercial
space
but
in
terms
of
housing,
and
that
is
an
important
issue
that
I
look
forward
to
and
I
know.
Councillor
Edwards
looks
forward
to
addressing
and
would
certainly
welcome
you
to
attend
that
hearing,
because
that's
that's
a
huge
issue.
I'm
double
checking
to
see.
If
and
when
is
here.
T
T
So
businesses
that
were
30
years
older
and
there
was
also
a
blight
ordinance
in
San
Francisco
that
that
penalized
property
owners
who
were
land
banking,
who
weren't
renting
their
properties
and
so
there's
there's
that
blight
ordinance
and
there
would
be
high
penalties
for
that
and
there's
a
few
other
things
and
strategies
that
that
was
done.
That
I,
could
you
know,
tell
you
in
detail
on
some
other
occasion,
but
to
give
you
a
macro,
but
to
give
you
an
idea
of
what's
happening
about
in
Geneva
on
a
macro
level.
T
The
market
forces
are
putting
pressure
on
our
neighborhood,
which
is
ninety-three
percent
non-white,
and
it's
a
black
immigrant
population
really
black
and
brown
immigrant
population.
And
what
is
happening
is
that
the
because
random
black
people
don't
have
job
opportunities
outside
of
small
businesses.
As
you
know,
they're
backed
into
a
corner,
and
so
it's
a
it
creates
an
opportunistic
environment
for
akyuu
leaders
or
for
people
who
don't
want
real
in
the
community.
T
So
we
I've
sent
a
few
examples
of
that,
but
the
one
hundred
percent
of
our
business
owners
are
immigrant
and
what
I'm
trying
to
prepare
them
for
is
gentrification,
because
people
are
going
to
come
to
Massachusetts
for
the
opportunities
in
tech,
finance,
education,
tourism,
health
care,
which
is
Boston's
top
five,
and
that
isn't
where
brown
and
white
people
are.
Obviously.
So
they
are
going
to
move
into
our
neighborhoods
and
and
displace
the.
T
And
that
is
going
to
cause
what
for
our
neighborhood
it's
it's
particularly
important.
We
have
15
barbershops
and
hair
salons
who
specialize
in
black
hair.
Our
our
immediate
population
is
93
percent
non-white
predominately
they
shop
at
our
ethnic
restaurant.
So
we
have
a
ethnic
Enclave.
So
when
the
larger
community
moves
into
community
into
the
neighborhood,
will
they
consume
these
black
businesses
or
ethnic
businesses?
Will
they
come
to
the
shop
so
I'm
preparing
our
businesses,
their.
T
T
T
T
The
main
problem
for
our
neighborhood
is
that
not
only
is
that
a
30%
poverty
rate
and
a
20%
unemployment
rate,
because
over
65%
of
our
households
with
children
are
headed
by
single
moms
and
that
creates
a
you
know,
a
problem
in
terms
of
getting
employment
and
circulating
dollars
in
the
small
businesses
and
the
community.
It's
it's
that
our
built
environment
isn't
conducive
to
the
kind
of
economic
opportunities
that
is
needed.
We
for
a
bank
to
come
into
our
neighborhood.
T
We
need
about
50
million
dollars
in
transactions,
our
neighborhood,
and
what
could
really
do
that
is
restaurants,
but
our,
but
our
physical
spaces
of
our
of
our
of
our
commercial
spaces
are
are
under
a
thousand
square
feet,
so
the
the
kind
of
investments
that
need
to
be
made
into
these
old
buildings
or
into
increase
the
the
you
know
the
best
neighborhoods,
the
best
neighborhoods
are
filled
with
restaurants
and
that's
I
think
that's
us.
The
fastest
growing
restaurant
category,
immigrant
owned
restaurant-
and
we
should
capitalize
on
that.
But
again
at
the
built
environment
in
our
neighborhood.
T
You
I'm
finding
that
immigrants,
people
color
pay
higher
cost
per
square
foot
than
non
VOCs.
So
it's
it
again.
It's
the
when,
then,
when
the
community
is
squeezed
and
back
into
a
corner,
it
creates
an
opportunistic
kind
of
predatory
environment,
and
you
know
you'll
prey
on
the
most
modern
populations
which
are
people
of
color
and.
A
Thank
you.
Can
you
stay
for
a
couple
of
questions?
Sorry,
so
I
really
appreciate
your
testimony.
I
look
forward
to
following
up
with
you,
I'm
I've
been
going
around
trying
to
meet
with
all
of
them,
Main
Street
directors.
One
thing
that
struck
me
again
around
and
this
came
up
earlier-
was
just
kind
of
with
the
blight
and
the
vacancy
in
different
areas
and
I.
Remember
just
the
other
day.
A
I
was
talking
with
someone
who
mentioned
that
I
think
this
person
has
a
lot
that
has
just
sat
vacant
forever
and
the
person
said
well
I
just
rather
pay
the
fine,
whatever
fine
I'm
gonna
get
from
the
city.
I'll
just
pay,
because
it's
cheaper
to
pay
that
fine
than
to
actual
hire
folks
to
then
care
and
maintain
and
take
care
of
the
lot,
and
that
cannot
continue,
but.
T
You
know
somehow,
so
how
I
try
to
help
them
with
that
cultural
competency
piece
in
terms
of
connecting
to
the
larger
American
community.
So
what
do
you
need
to
do
put
in
Edison
lights,
but
in
like
distressed
wood
like
like
it
terms
of
beautifying,
you
know
what
would
attract
what
would
attract
like
people,
young
40,
40,
40
and
younger?
T
How
do
they
consume
they
like
to
use
square
they
like
to
get
on
GrubHub
and
stuff
like
that?
But
again
we
only
have
10
restaurants,
something
a
PUD
and
GrubHub
and
all
them
take
about
20%.
That's
a
huge
chunk
and
it's
not
attractive
and
I've
created
a
marketplace
in
San
Francisco,
where
I
used
a
startup
that
took
only
5%
and
it
was
a
different.
T
It
was
a
different
model
and
we
have
an
opportunity
to
create
a
marketplace
here
with
the
city's
help
in
terms
of
trying
to
get
fidelity
to
order
to
order
catering-
or
you
know,
catering
could
be
the
largest
percentage
of
revenue
for
a
restaurants.
But
again
our
built
environment
isn't
made
for
that.
What
we
have
now
is
like
four
largely
four
hundred
five
hundred
square
foot:
businesses
with
barber
shops
and
stuff.
So
how
can
we
attract?
T
T
A
T
A
J
A
bad
example
because
one
in
almost
every
commercial
district,
black
of
white
you
have
like
at
least
ten
he
addresses,
and
secondly,
here
is
sort
of
a
very
personal
thing.
So
you
don't
have
a
lot
a
lot
of
crossover
and
most
commercial
districts.
Neighborhood
commercial
districts,
don't
have
one
full-service.
J
Here
here
place
like
kind
of
like
the
spa
kind
of
thing,
like
you
see
in
the
suburbs,
but
I
think
in
terms
of
restaurants,
I
would
say
almost
down
the
middle.
The
older
restaurants
do
cash
only
and
the
newer
restaurants
do
the
machines
like,
and
only
a
few
of
them
are
on
GrubHub
I.
Think
you
I,
don't
know
whether
your
own
grub,
Bob
but
I,
know
like
sue
you.
J
Joint,
P
and
I
are
just
a
couple
of
them,
but
most
of
the
others
and
I
have
seven
seven
sort
of
pizza
places
and
then
I
have
about
ten
other
restaurants,
and
only
a
few
of
them
use
that
so
yeah.
We
need
to
teach
them.
That's
one
of
the
things
that
our
technical
assistance
does
there
couple
of
restaurants.
J
J
I'm
dying
here,
it's
so
tired,
but
we
did
new
signage
for
their
pricing
and
and
then
Christine
was
able
to
look
at
her
staff
and
how
she
was
running,
because
most
hairdressers
look
at
sort
of
the
they
work
as
independent
consultants,
and
that
has
a
whole
lot
of
other
kinds
of
things,
and
so
she
revamped
that
whole
thing
and
Christine
what
she
worked
for.
Another
industry
Steve.
Where
did
she
work
before
she
came
from?
J
She
was
from
corporate
she's
from
I'm
a
consultant
that
used
to
be
in
a
corporate
retail
setting,
and
so
now
we
can
use
her.
We
also
used
her
at
Simon
Sea
food,
new
menus
to
revamp
their
store
and
they
have
a
longer
term
plan,
but
they
haven't
implemented
yet
because
they
actually
want
to.
They
have
mostly
fried
seafood,
and
then
they
have
they
sell
fish,
but
they
eventually
want
to
have
royal
fish.
So
I
could
actually
eat
that
because
I'm
allergic
to
shellfish,
like
anything,
fried
anything
fried
because
they
use
the
same
grease.
J
J
Another
thing
I
just
wanted
to
say
about
their
different
ways
of
working
with
businesses,
so
like
the
women
on
business
breakfast
that
we
have,
that
is
open
to
everybody,
not
just
brick-and-mortar
businesses,
it's
open
to
everybody,
and
we
have
people
that
come
to
that
from
all
over
the
city
and
even
a
couple
who
come
from
the
suburbs
every
year
to
that
and
they
get
the
same
technical
assistance.
And
so
there
are
a
lot
of
pieces
to
it.
A
lot
of
pieces
with
the
next
one
we're
doing
is
what
to
finance
in
your
business.
J
That
I
won't
be
able
to
be
at
because,
at
the
same
time
as
my
board
meeting
this
they're
looking
to
do
a
citywide
social
media
campaign
for
Main
streets,
so
they're
they're
doing
a
grant
application
right
now
to
the
main
streets
foundation
and
it
will
be
a
citywide
social
media
campaign
that
has
all
of
the
different
things
Twitter
and
in
Joyce's.
The
wrong
person
asked
what
they
are,
because
I'm
a
70,
almost
a
70
year
old
and
I,
don't
know
all
of
them.
J
But
but
it's
a
citywide
social
media
campaign
for
every
Main
streets
and
and
they
want
to.
They
want
to
revamp
the
whole
way
that
we
market
our
neighborhoods.
So
thank.
A
P
Name
is
bill
RI,
I'm,
co-founder
and
managing
partner
for
Dudley
cafe,
and
thank
you
for
doing
this.
This
great
couple
things
one
pertaining
to
the
building
and
one
pertaining
to
the
Main
Street
so
having
a
building
here
is
great,
but
there
are
a
lot
of
restriction
as
far
as
small
businesses
go
small
things
matter,
I'll
give
you
an
example
and
I
know
Luther
and
the
other
council.
Here
we
talked
about
you
guys
mentioned
about
it.
We
have
zero
dumpster
in
this
building.
P
All
the
trash
from
the
building
are
picked
up
every
morning
on
the
sidewalk,
so
there
are
probably
15
to
20
small
trash
cans
from
the
Boston
Public
Schools
and
then
6
to
8
small
trash
bins
from
the
local
businesses.
Dudley
caffee
uses
2
small
trash
cans
and
2
recycling
bins.
We
are
supposed
to
take
it
down
before
8
o'clock
and
bring
it
up
after
5
o'clock.
P
During
the
whole
day
we
are
supposed
to
be
taking
our
trash
downstairs
and
I'll.
Tell
you
how
it
goes
we
get
out
of
our
cafe.
There
are
two
doors
that
we
have
to
pass
through
with
the
door
pass.
Take
it
through
the
elevator
go
down
since
to
the
basement
and
there's
a
small
room
all
the
way
in
the
corner.
We
store
all
our
garbage
cans
there
in
the
entire
day,
I
use
at
least
two
employees
to
go
down
sirs
and
that's
time
and
money
that
small
businesses
don't
have
it's
been
three
years.
P
Thirdly,
cafes
on
Warren,
Street
dirty
door
used
to
be
on
the
other
side
of
the
street.
If
you
walk
on
this
side
of
the
street,
you
will
not
find
out.
There
are
other
businesses
on
the
other
side
of
the
building.
You
walk
on
the
other
side
of
the
building.
You
do
not
know
that
there's
another,
but
businesses
on
this
side
of
the
building.
There's
zero
sign
is
in
this
entire
building,
as
you
walk
in
the
main
door.
Once
again,
we've
been
in
business
for
three
years,
every
Tuesday,
the
third
Tuesday
of
every
month.
P
P
Like
Luther
mentioned
it's
very
defensive
on
things
that
community
needs
this
space
was
opened
up
for
community
and
I
know
personally,
a
lot
of
people
that
have
gone
through
the
building
to
get
space
for
community
events,
and
it's
it
there's
too
many
hurdles
and
I'm,
not
the
only
person
that
has
experienced
this.
The
second
part
of
my
testimony
is
towards
Main
Street.
P
What
steps
is
city
of
Boston
and
Main
Street
taking
for
businesses
like
Nubian
notion
that
has
been
in
the
community
for
a
long
time
and
has
been
a
heart
of
the
community
to
be
shut
down
and
taken
over
by
predatory
lenders
like
Western
Union
right?
What
are
we
doing?
Is
Dudley
carefully
going
to
be
new
binos
and
in
ten
years,
so
we
can
be
taken
over
by
Starbucks?
P
Are
we
talking
about
this
right
now
or
are
we
going
to
be
talking?
After
the
fact
we
have
predatory
lenders
like
rental
Center
has
been
in
the
heart
of
this
community
running,
predatory
lending
practices
and
I
can
argue
with
anyone.
If
it's
not
a
predatory
lending
practices,
what
are
they
doing
to
invest
back
in
the
community?
P
What
is
Main,
Street
and
City
of
Boston
doing
with
and
iĆve
lived
in
Roxy
for
two
years
and
Dorchester
and
Grove
out
for
the
last
year
by
the
time
I
walk
from
here
or
take
a
car
drive
my
car
or
ride
my
bicycle
way,
all
the
way
to
Grove
off
the
amount
of
litter.
That's
on
the
street
is
craziness.
You
do
not
see
this
in
Cambridge.
You
do
not
see
this
in
Somerville,
so
someone
somewhere
is
not
doing
their
job.
Someone
somewhere
is
taking
the
money
and
not
investing
back
in
the
community.
P
Why
is
this
happening?
I
walked
down
the
street.
Your
streetlights
are
not
on.
This
happens
more
often
than
not,
and
these
are
little
things
that
actually
matters,
and
these
are
the
same
issues
that
has
been
brought
up
again
and
again
in
all
the
community
meetings
and
I,
don't
think
there's
any
kind
of
like
real
solution.
That's
been
brought
up
by
the
city,
and
these
are
not
hard
questions.
P
My
another
thing
is
I
know:
we've
talked
about
Dudley
station
being
the
biggest
bus
depot
and
all
that-
and
that
was
one
of
the
factors
that
a
lot
of
businesses
came
in,
including
us
and
from
my
experience,
only
ten
percent
or
less
than
10
percent
of
the
passengers
actually
use
the
businesses
in
the
community,
and
here
is
the
reason
number
one
reason
why
they
all
use
bus
apps.
Nobody
is
going
to
spend
their
ten
minutes
of
their
time
because,
in
all
honesty,
most
people
that
use
the
bus
are
from
southern
certain
level
of
income
Brad.
P
If
you're,
making
a
hundred
thousand-plus
you're,
not
using
the
bus,
I'll
tell
you
that
the
people
that
uses
the
bus
are
going
from
one
job
to
another.
These
families
are
not
putting
money
in
the
square.
Why?
Why
would
they
what's
there
in
the
square
for
them
to
stop
over,
get
a
coffee
and
do
something
else?
What
are
we
offering
them?
Nothing?
P
We
need
to
change
our
mindset
from
saying
that
this
is
the
biggest
Depot
and
we're
this
is
bringing
in
money.
This
is
not
it's
not
bringing
any
money.
Zero
I
interact
with
customer
on
daily
basis.
Less
than
10
percent
of
our
businesses
come
from
the
bus
station.
Less
than
10
percent
and
I
won't
be
surprising,
is
less
than
5.
P
Dudley
square
I
mean
what
are
we
doing
once
again
to
the
city
of
Boston
and
Main
Street?
What
steps
are
we
taking
I'm
talking
about
like
concrete
steps
in
bringing
ecosystem
of
businesses
that
feed
of
each
other
Dudley's
Cafe
is
not
going
to
survive
if
we
are
just
doing
business
just
by
ourselves,
we
need
people
coming
in
this
square,
stopping
in
using
other
stores,
so
they
can
do
businesses
other
stores.
We
don't
have
dry
cleaners,
we
don't
have
hardware
stores,
we
need
book
stores,
not
a
book
store.
P
We
need
flower
shops.
We
need
things
that
actually
the
people
in
the
community
would
use
I've
seen
the
jewelry
store
out
there
across
from
us
for
the
longest
time,
nothing
against
them.
What
are
they
doing?
Are
they
investing
back
in
the
community?
I
see
zero
customers
walking
in
I,
see
boarded
houses
everywhere.
What
are
we
talking,
but
we
need
to
see
concrete
steps
and
actions.
A
You
so
much
for
that.
I
think
your
abs
guess
absolutely
right
and
what
we
can't
do
is
have
this
one
off
and
I.
Think
that
has
been
the
challenge
you
have.
We
had
a
flower
shop
a
few
years
back.
It
was
just
one
little
flower
shop.
Well,
maybe
two
they
didn't
make
it.
You
know
we've
got
the
one
bookstore
we
need
to
have.
A
What
we
cannot
allow
to
happen
is
that,
after
all
of
this
investment,
all
of
the
work
that
you've
put
in
in
the
last
three
years
at
Dudley
cafe
the
work
that
you've
done
at
Dudley
doe
the
work
that
you've
done
and
will
do
at
Soleil.
You
know
have
that
be
for
naught,
and
so
I
really
appreciate
your
challenge.
Your
passion,
your
investment,
and
these
are
the
questions
that
we
need
to
answer,
and
for
some
of
them
they
seem
quite
simple,
and
so
you
know
I'm
here
committed
to
work
in
partnership
with
you
on
addressing
those.
A
These
are
not
things
that
we
are
all
going
to
solve
tonight.
Obviously,
and
as
I
said
earlier,
this
is
an
ongoing
conversation
and
I
look
forward
to
continuing
to
work
with
you,
I,
don't
know
if
you
wanted
to
say
anything
else,
we
do
have
more
public
testimony
and
so
I'd
like
to
now
call
up
Brandon
ransom.
Please
thank
you.
If
you
could
state
your
name
for
the
record
when
you
get
to
the
mic
in
your
affiliation
or
neighborhood,.
Q
Hello,
everybody,
my
name
is
Brandon
ransom
and
I
am
a
Roxbury
resident
and
I
am
representing
include
innovation.
We
are
business
located
out
of
lovely
uptown,
Grove
Hall.
We
actually
are
being
incubated
by
growth,
Hall,
Neighborhood,
Development
Corporation,
we're
a
software
and
web
development
firm
that
works
primarily
with
social
enterprise
companies
and
nonprofit
organizations.
We've
built
over
72
websites
over
the
past
year
and
we're
looking
to
go
ahead
and
partner
with
more
people
to
help
increase
their
revenue
and
get
them
online
in
this
21st
century.
Q
So
as
a
resident,
this
that's
here
I
see
an
opportunity.
I
guess:
we've
been
between
Fairmont
Innovation
Lab.
We
were
in
the
future,
Boston
Business
Alliance
incubation
space
and
we
were
in
smarter
in
the
city,
so
we've
been
across
the
gambit
when
it
comes
to
startup
and
startups
patience.
I
was
also
part
of
managing
this
particular
space.
As
the
interim
executive
director
of
Skylab
as
a
small
business,
we
really
don't
have
places
of
co-working
in
this
particular
area.
Q
Future
Boston
Alliance
used
to
have
a
bit
of
building
across
the
street
that
is
no
longer
being
used
for
that
particular
purpose.
I
guess:
they're
a
different
company
now
I
see
we're
waiting
for
on
the
first
floor
of
this
building,
we're
waiting
for
a
restaurant
to
be
an
anchor
tenant
here
in
that
interim
time.
I
think
that
there's
a
tremendous
opportunity
to
use
this
as
a
24
hour
co-working
space
for
small
businesses
and
startups
in
the
area,
something
that's
low,
cost
and
affordable
and
can
serve
as
a
catalyst
for
activating
this
particular
space.
Q
We
have
government
workers
that
work
in
this
building
primarily
right
there,
so
that
means
that
closes
at
5:00
or
6:00.
All
right
people
leave
leave
the
environment.
How
can
we
essentially
artificially
inseminate
this
community
by
having
having
people
that
are
going
to
be
here
for
longer
hours
or
extended
hours,
they're
going
to
need
food
in
the
afternoon
or
food
in
the
evenings?
Where
you
know
those
meals
are
essentially
can
be
supported
by
our
local
businesses.
Q
That's
one
thing
that
I
think
that
we
have
the
opportunity
to
do
also
I
know
the
the
gentleman
who
was
over
at
the
Main
Street.
Someone
I
wasn't
sure
earlier
mentioned
that
there
weren't
programs
that
were
kind
of
subsidizing,
refacing
I,
know
there's
a
program
in
DC
called
great
streets
which,
actually,
if
your
business
that's
in
the
emerging
business
zone
and
in
Washington
DC,
they
will
give
you
$50,000
or
50
our
grant
for
either
acquiring
the
space
in
the
area.
Q
And/Or
renovating
a
space
in
that
area,
that's
a
something
that
could
be
started
within
within
our
local
city.
Government
I.
Think
that's
a
tremendous
opportunity
to
where
we
have
a
set-aside
fund.
That's
peeling
off
X
amount
of
dollars
per
year,
so
that
local
businesses
that
have
been
here
and
established
can
acquire
funds
at
a
discounted
rate
and,
as
a
final
thought,
you
know.
Q
Trash
and
litter
is
a
huge
issue
like
we
own,
a
multi-family
home
in
Roxbury,
right
down
the
street
on
Edgewood
Street,
so
trash,
whether
it's
from
construction
and
or
is
from
just
people
tossing
stuff
on
the
ground
is
outrageous.
It
really.
It
doesn't
have
to
be
like
this,
so
I
would
love
to
see.
If
maybe
we
can
figure
our
way
to,
maybe
even
in
the
morning
for
two
hours
subsidize.
Some
of
our
community
members
to
go
out
and
pick
up
trash
right
like
this.
Q
That
seems
like
a
low
bar,
a
low
hurdle
as
to
where
you
can
say
you
know
what
we're
gonna
hire
part-time,
a
crew
of
two
or
three,
that
hit
X
area
on
a
daily
basis,
because
trash
extends
beyond
the
street
right
we're
a
lot
of
times.
We're
talking
about
street
cleaning
right
street
cleaning
only
cleans
the
street
up
on
buildings.
There's
trash
that
ends
up
locating
there.
It
gets
caught
up
against
all
the
buildings.
There's
a
tremendous
opportunity
to
just
have
a
little
man
with
the
pan.
Q
A
A
S
Thank
you
for
your
testimony.
If,
at
anything,
I've
learned
a
great
deal,
even
in
the
few
folks
that
I've
got
to
hear
from
today,
I
would
love
to
to
actually
further
on
your
comment
that
we
call
them
Hokies
like
the
Hokies,
who
fought
yeah
a
little.
That's
a
yeah
yeah.
So
and
then
that's
been
a
movement
actually
in
the
North
End
and
East
Boston
to
bring
out
and
bring
about
more
Hokies
to
follow
behind
on
cleanup
date
because
they
could
go
behind
the
trucks
would
be
more
be
more
thorough,
so
that
that's
that's
a
conversation.
S
That's
happening,
citywide.
Another
conversation
piece
that
we've
come
up
with
this
path.
You
know
we
talk
about
pathways
to
ownership,
a
stabilization
of
tenants
of
housing,
tenants,
but
also
there's
a
real
question
of.
Are
we
coming
up
with
pathways
to
ownership
for
businesses
and
how
they
can
own
their
spaces?
And
looking
at
that
I
think
you're
talking
about
there
was
an
opportunity
zone
grant.
S
It
was
a
federal
grant
that
no
one
from
Boston
Boston
didn't
apply
to
be
part
of
these
zones,
and
you
had
to
be
in
a
certain
area
where
there's
a
certain
level
of
income
and
concentrated
and
the
federal
government
have
pumped
in
a
lot
of
money
and
Boston
didn't
apply
for
any
of
it,
but
doesn't
doesn't
mean
we
can't,
but
also
when
we
do
get
that
money
making
sure
it's
use
the
most
as
efficient
as
possible.
So
if
you
have
a
30
year,
anchor
business,
that's
done
more
than
just
be
in
existence.
S
Hired
people
mentored
people,
it's
part
of
the
community.
Why
why
we
aren't
helping
those
businesses
to
be
on
pathways
to
ownership
or
a
long
term
lease
and
providing
that
financial
capital
from
the
city
if
the
banks
won't?
Is
something
I'd
also
like
to
explore
with
local
businesses?
Of
course,
with
you
at
the
table,
saying
if
that
makes
sense,
but
again
I
wanted
to
say
thank
you
for
coming
out.
I'm
learning
a
great
deal,
I
look
forward
to
future
conversations.
Thank
you.
E
A
You
so
much
so
in
closing.
I
again,
you
know
want
to
say
why
it
was
really
important
to
have
this
hearing
at
this
time
in
this
location.
So
the
ferdinand
building
people
who
know
the
history
here
you
know
when
Dudley
was
in
its
heyday
and
the
second
most
vibrant
commercial
district.
Second
only
to
downtown
was
really
anchored
by
Ferdinand
furniture
store,
and
you
know,
since
it
was
vacant
for
so
many
years.
A
Again.
This
is
an
issue
of
economic
justice
and
I'm,
so
deeply
grateful
for
all
of
you
for
giving
up
an
evening
that
you
could
have
spent
anywhere
with
your
families
out
having
a
nice
drink
or
eating
somewhere
in
a
nice
restaurant.
Doing
whatever
giving
up
yoga
I
know,
some
people
gave
up
yoga
to
be
here.
I
really
appreciate
you
taking
the
time.
A
A
It
is
not
easy
to
do
a
City,
Council
hearing
away
from
City,
Hall
and
so
I
want
to
really
acknowledge
and
show
my
appreciate
to
central
staff
for
being
here
for
setting
up
the
equipment
to
making
sure
that
we
could
have
this
hearing
at
a
time
and
in
a
location
that
worked
for
entrepreneurs
and
certainly
big
shout
out
to
my
own
staff.
My
team,
who
everyday
do
great
work
to
serve
the
residents
of
Roxbury,
Southend,
Dorchester
and
Fenway
I'm
deeply
grateful,
and
so
yes,
you
can
cliff
so
again.
This
is
part
of
an
ongoing
conversation.