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From YouTube: Committee on Government Operations on December 10, 2019
Description
Docket #0549 - An ordinance amending Chapter IX of the City of Boston Code, Ordinances, regarding landlords providing voter registration to tenants
A
Code,
ordinances
regarding
landlords
providing
voter
registration
forms
to
tenants
today
is
Tuesday
December.
The
10th,
and
this
proposed
ordinance
proposes
to
amend
chapter
9
by
adding
a
new
section
after
the
city
of
Boston
Code
9-13
that
seeks
to
implement
a
proactive
program
requiring
landlords
in
the
city
of
Boston
to
provide
voter
registration
documents
to
their
tenants.
The
Department
of
Neighborhood
Development
will
have
the
authority
to
enforce
the
provision
of
the
ordinance.
A
The
ordinance
also
outlines
the
type
of
units
that
the
provision
does
not
apply
to,
as
well
as
potential
penalties
and
enforcement
for
non-compliance
for
clerical
purposes.
I'd
like
to
note
that
there's
already
a
section
after
City
of
Boston
9,
13.9
14,
that
references
short
term
rental
sought,
structure
and
residential
rentals
and
the
proposed
legislation
will
need
to
be
amended
to
accurately
reflect
which
section
this
ordinance
is
seeking
to
amend.
This
hearing
is
being
streamlined
on
Boston
City
Council
TV
online
is
being
recorded
and
broadcast
on
Comcast
channel
8,
RC,
n
channel
82
and
Verizon
1964.
A
Anyone
here
wishing
to
provide
public
testimony
may
do
so
by
signing
the
sheet
right.
As
you
come
into
the
chamber
entrance
and
before
we
introduce
our
guests
from
the
administration,
I'd
like
to
offer
my
colleagues
an
opportunity
to
give
an
opening
statement,
city
councilor,
josh,
taking
lead
sponsor
Thank.
B
You
mr.
chairman
I
want
to
thank
you
and
my
co-sponsor
councillor
Wu,
for
for
coming
together
and
in
holding
this
hearing.
I
think
it's
an
important
discussion
to
have
and
something
we've
been
talking
about,
adding
in
the
abstract
for
quite
some
time
and
now
requiring
landlords
to
provide
voter
registration
to
tenants
is
is
not
a
new
idea.
It's
something
that
other
you
know
if
our
pure
cities
have
done
in
some
cases
for
decades
and
I
think
it's
just
another
minimally
invasive,
but
effective
tool
in
the
toolbox
to
improve
voter
participation.
B
We
are
a
city
of
renter's
about
two-thirds
of
the
city
rents
of
that
two-thirds,
a
huge
number
move
every
year
every
other
year,
and
often
in
the
fall
on
September
1st,
which
is
the
biggest
moving
day
in
the
city,
which
often
Falls
right
around
the
deadline
for
registration
in
preliminary
municipal
elections
or
state
or
in
federal
primary
elections.
I
think
it's
really
important
that
we
are
providing
this
information.
B
I
know
there
are
many
landlords
who
do
this
already,
who
think
it's
part
of
their
civic
duty,
who
think
is
pretty
unburden,
non,
not
much
of
a
burden
to
do
so,
whether
they're
doing
that
in
concert
with
the
elections
department
or
just
coming
by
and
picking
up
the
voter
registration
forms.
It's
really
important.
B
We
need
do
everything
we
can
to
make
sure
people
are
participating
in
our
elections,
I
think,
as
the
data
we
regularly
show,
it's
folks
who
are
voter
participation
tends
to
skew
towards
older
folks
towards
homeowners
until
people
who
are
not
moving
as
frequently
and
that's
for
a
host
of
reasons.
There
are
host
of
systemic
obstacles
to
people
participating
our
elections.
A
C
You,
mr.
chairman,
for
making
time
and
this
very
very
busy
sort
of
time-
and
you
have
a
lot
in
the
committee
docket
right
now-
I
know
so
I'm
grateful
to
the
lead
sponsor
for
his
partnership
and
for
his
leadership
on
civic
engagement,
access
to
the
ballot
box
in
general
over
his
career
here.
Looking
forward
to
doing
what
I
can
to
help
support
this
initiative,
it
is
a
no-brainer
to
make
sure
that
we
are
doing
all
we
can
to
take
down
barriers
to
registration,
voting
and
political
and
civic
engagement.
Thank
you.
Thank.
A
D
Great
thank
you
so
much
for
having
me
I'm,
the
director
of
operations
at
Neighborhood,
Development
and
I'd
like
to
commend
councilors
a
command
whoo
for
thinking
about
innovative
ways
to
expand
Boston's
civic
engagement
I
also
like
to
thank
councillor
clarity
for
holding
this
hearing
and
providing
us
an
opportunity
to
share
our
thoughts
about
this
proposed
ordinance.
I
think
we
all
recognize
that
renters
generally
are
less
likely
to
register
and
to
vote
than
homeowners,
which
leads
to
renters
voices
being
unrepresented
underrepresented
in
Boston
and
America's
political
system.
D
According
to
one
recent
study
using
census
data,
just
forty-nine
percent
of
renter's
cast
a
ballot
in
2016
compared
to
67
percent
of
homeowners.
While
we
support
this
goal
of
expanding
voter
registration,
especially
the
registration
of
tenants,
we
have
some
concerns
about
the
ordinance
proposed.
How
proposes
to
implement
this?
This
is
a
huge
undertaking.
According
to
2018
ACS,
there
are
over
180
thousand
renter
occupied
housing
units
in
Boston.
D
After
a
review
of
the
exemptions
and
requirements,
we
do
not
fiat
believe
we
have
sufficient
data
to
be
able
to
accurately
determine
which
units
and
landlords
are
covered
by
the
ordinance
and
which
are
exempt.
For
example
would
be
difficult
for
us
to
accurately
determine
which
landlords
owned
three
or
fewer
units
in
Boston
or
live
in
Massachusetts,
but
do
not
claim
a
real
estate,
property
tax
exemption
or
other
residential
real
property
in
Massachusetts.
In
addition,
DMV
is
not
set
up
to
Levy
and
collect
fines.
D
Well,
we
work
closely
with
landlords
and
tenants
through
our
office
of
housing
stability.
The
work
is
of
a
different
nature.
We
do
not
currently
have
any
authority
or
infrastructure
to
levy
or
collect
fines.
Also,
we
have
no
way
to
know
when
a
lease
is
signed
or
renewed,
or
a
verbal
rental
agreement,
as
agreed
to
in
the
case
of
tenants
at
will.
We
would
have
to
rely
on
tenants
filing
a
complaint
and
then
investigating
the
complaint.
D
You
should
be
aware
also
that
the
Minnesota
voters,
alliance
of
voting
integrity
watchdog
organization,
recently
filed
a
lawsuit
against
the
st.
Paul
st.
Paul's,
similar
ordinance.
A
court
hearing
is
scheduled
for
December
12th
on
that
one.
So
we
do
support
this
idea.
We
absolutely
think
access
to
the
ballot
box
is
essential
and
that
adding
more
renter's
getting
more
renters
to
vote
is
a
great
and
worthy
goal.
We're
just
concerned
about
being
able
to
administer
this.
Thank.
D
D
A
D
Don't
have
any
requirements,
we
do
have
materials
available
and
we
work
hard
to
distribute
those
to
make
sure
everyone's
aware
of
their
rights
as
tenants
and
that's
landlords.
We
have
that
on
our
website
and
maybe
there
is
something
there
to
add
to
information
about
voting,
but
it's
not
a
requirement
and
we
don't
have
any
fines
or
collect
any
fees.
So.
A
A
You
guys
don't
have
the
ability,
I
guess
to
Levy
and
collect
fines,
but
through
and
I
think
we
need
to
not
say
digress,
but
office
of
naval
officer
of
housing
stability
was
sort
of
created
in
a
very
similar
manner
where
they
don't
have
that
it
hasn't
been
codified.
So
maybe
of
a
discussion
at
some
point
with
you
and
chief
Dillon
about
how
we
can
codify
OHS
office
of
housing
stability
to
give
them
the
ability
to
to
do
what
they
need
to
do
pursuant
to
the
Charter.
So
absolutely.
B
B
Obviously,
currently
ISD
enforces
quite
a
bit
of
of
landlord-tenant
interaction
registry
requirements.
So
to
speak,
so
perhaps
that's
a
change
that
could
occur.
Obviously,
I
think
we
would
want
ISD
in
the
room
for
that.
I
am
heartened
to
hear
that
your
department
is
supportive
of
this
idea.
I
think,
while
making
voter
registration
available
through
the
materials
that
D&D
provides,
two
Tenon's
to
landlords
to
homeowners
is
an
important
concept.
I
think
requiring
it
gonna
be
more
proactive.
B
It
is
necessary
to
really
get
the
achieve
the
goals
we
want
and
some
of
the
other
cities
through
our
research
that
we've
seen
that
you
know
they
do.
They
are
largely
complaint
driven
and
that
can
often
happen
through
organized
efforts.
You
know,
through
tenant
activist
groups
through
voting
rights
groups,
to
find
out
if
people
are
getting
information
and
filing
a
complaint.
B
I
certainly
would
not
intend
or
expect
that,
in
addition
to
its
other
duties,
whether
its
DND
or
ISD,
that
there
is
a
proactive
audit
of
every
single
lease
that
is
signed
or
every
single
interaction
like
this,
so
I
think
those
concerns
can
certainly
be
addressed
through
through
redrafting
and
to
amendments
to
this
I.
Do
think,
though,
that
if
we're
gonna
reach
these
these
shared
goals,
it
has
to
be
a
mandate.
B
You
know,
like
many
other
things,
if,
given
the
option,
people
will
maybe
take
the
easier
way
out,
they
won't
do
it,
but,
as
you
mentioned,
and
you
had
the
statistics
there
of
the
get
the
disparity
between
land,
excuse-me,
homeowners
and
renters
voting
participation,
we
need
to
do
that.
Is
there
anything
aside
from
the
enforcement
issue
that
you
see
as
a
big
obstacle
to
putting
an
ordinance
like
this
in
place.
D
B
I
guess
is
there,
there
is
currently
no
requirement
that
you
know
lead
paint
information
be
disclosed.
Now
that
may
it's
a
state
law
requirement,
but
landlords
are
handing
over
a
packet
of
information.
I
remember
from
when
I
was
moving
every
year.
Also,
like
many
of
the
folks
are
talking
about,
you
know,
you
get
the
packet
more
often
than
not
didn't
go
through
it,
but
it
was
there.
You
know,
what's
in
the
top
of
my
refrigerator,
often
for
you
know,
half
of
the
lease
term
until
I
started.
B
Think
about
oh,
you
know
lease
is
gonna
turn
over,
but
let
me
check
these
documents,
but
there
is
there.
I
mean
there
are
requirements.
Certain
disclosures
that
landlords
have
to
give
is
you
know
from
a
practical
perspective,
adding
one
more
sheet
of
paper
doesn't
seem
overly
burdensome,
especially
when
people
walk
down
the
second
floor
here
and
there
is
an
infinite
supply
of
voter
registration
forms,
but
it
is
correctly
they
are.
There
are
current
requirements
for
landlords
to
to
make
disclosures
I,
don't.
D
A
C
So
I'd
want
to
go
back
to
something
you
mentioned
in
your
statements,
about
the
way
that
the
city
keeps
track
of
data,
not
lining
up
with
the
exemptions
as
well.
Is
it
that
so
right
now
we
track
is
for
the
number
of
units
up
to
cutoff,
where
it's
four
and
under
or
six
and
I.
Can
you
remind
me
what
would
make
it
mom.
D
I,
just
I,
don't
think
that
we
have
the
data
be
able
to
pull
exactly
who
the
exemptions
were,
and
that
was
coming
from
our
head
of
policy,
research
and
development
team,
and
so
he
was
saying
that
we
I
don't
have
the
exact
data
on
how
many
landlords
owned
three
or
fewer.
There
are
fewer
residential
units,
while
also
living
in
Boston
and
having
a
an
exemption
and
I
think
those
were
the
do.
We
know
how
many
or
three
or
fewer
we
can
try
to
see.
C
D
C
I
think
it's
also,
if
you
could
just
maybe
I'm
thinking
of
this,
the
wrong
way,
but
rather
than
the
city
needing
to
know
what
is
the
sort
of
overlap,
the
number
of
or
which,
in
this
overlap
of
the
Venn
diagram,
it's
more
that
we
would
be
able
to
track
whether
someone
is
exempt
by
checking
if
we
started
with
an
address.
For
example,
you
could
look
up
each
of
these
categories
from
there.
D
C
So
I
mean
I
think
this
is
a
familiar
conversation
we
always
have
at
this
stage
of
we
support
the
idea
of
it,
but
is
there
anything
that
is
sort
of
a
deal
breaker
within
this?
So
let's
say
we
clean
up
the
exemption
language
so
that
it's
clear,
maybe
we
remove
some
of
the
exemptions
about
you,
know
property
tax
exemption
or
this
or
that
easier
to
track,
also
figure
out
where
the
enforcement
lies,
although
I
remain
fine
with
it
being
mostly
complaint
driven
anyway
and
I.
C
D
A
E
C
D
A
B
You
Thank
You
Marcy
for
being
here
and
I.
Thank
the
administration
for
this
discussion.
I
would
do
want
to
reiterate,
though,
when
it
comes
to
to
workload
when
it
comes
to
implementation
of
something
like
this
I.
Certainly,
don't
think
that
myself
or
counsel
was
the
co-sponsor
intend
this
to
be
a
proactive
investigatory
tool.
I
think
in
the
way
that
you
know
short-term
rentals
came
up
that
that
is.
This
is
something
that
is
gonna,
be
a
tool
I
think
for
tenants
for
folks
in
the
community
to
say
you
know.
B
They'll,
be
noticed,
two
landlords
and
I
think
DN
DS
role
in
that
capacity,
perhaps,
and
probably
in
conjunction
with
ISD-
is
to
provide
that
information
and
to
make
sure
that
people
know
about
this
as
one
of
the
tools
and
the
toolkit,
but
I
certainly
don't
envision.
You
know
investigators,
so
to
speak
from
DND
reviewing
every
lease
packet
or
that
sort
of
thing,
I,
don't
think.
That's
realistic,
nor
do
I
think
it's
necessary
to
achieve
the
goal
of
this
ordinance.
I.
B
Think
making
sure
that
folks-
and
you
know,
as
I
said
from
some
of
the
research
my
staff
did
on
this
and
the
other
cities-
it's
a
largely
complaint
driven.
You
know
Joe
or
Jane
Smith
they
move
in.
They
don't
receive
the
voter
registration
form
they're
aware
of
this.
Maybe
they
caught
the
City
Council
hearing
on
cable
TV
and
then
they
filed
their
complaint
with
that,
but
obviously
to
avoid
that
landlords
are
providing.
What
is
it
very
minimally
burdensome
piece
of
paper
with
those
registration
forms
and
I?
B
Think
it's
in
our
interest,
certainly
for
issue
of
civic
participation
for
socio-economic
justice
to
make
sure
that
we
are
lowering
already
some
fairly
high
systemic
barriers
to
participation
by
people
who,
for
whatever
reason,
are
moving
more
frequently,
as
you
mentioned,
renting
a
renters
voting
at
a
much
lower
rate
than
homeowners,
so
I
think
we
need
to
move
forward
and
have
this
conversation
and
the
enforcement
agency
can
easily
be
be
worked
out,
I
think
in
this
room.
So
thank
you
very
much
for
your
participation.
Thank
you.
Both
thank.