Government Health & Environment

Green Ticket Bill Needs Support

GreenTicketNEWRA’s Clean Streets Committee is asking residents and merchants to send in the following letter in support of the Green Ticket Bill to our State representatives. The Green Ticket Bill is an important step in improving the trash problem in the neighborhood.

Download the Letter (also pasted below):
Text Format
, MS Word Format, PDF Format 

Here is a summary of the House Bill #3588 (Green Ticket Bill) and testimony from the City’s Inspectional Service Department (ISD) that explains why the bill is so important. House Bill #3588 is anticipated to be favorably voted out of Committee but still has a bit to go.

If you wish to support this bill, please copy the text from the letter (or write your own) and send it in with your name and address. Regular mail is preferred to State Rep. Michlewitz and Sen. Petruccelli who are both in support of the bill and will use these letters to gain further legislative support, including with Speaker Leo. Residents can also call Speaker Leo’s office at 617-722-2500. Should a bill get to his desk, it is anticipated that the Governor will sign the legislation.

Letters should be sent in as soon as possible given this could be taken up by the legislature this week. You can contact the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association Clean Streets Committee at cleanstreets@newra.org or see their website at NEWRA.org and click on the Clean Streets tab.

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Rep. (HOU) Aaron Michlewitz
State House, Room 542
Boston, Ma. 02133
 
Senator Petruccelli
State House, Room 413-B
Boston, Ma. 02133
 
Dear Representative/Senator,
 
I am writing today to urge you to support H. 3588 ‘An Act relative to unpaid municipal fines’. Trash violations are a constant problem in my neighborhood and they have numerous repercussions ranging from odor and rat infestation to germs, blight, and to the creation of an unlivable environment. This bill would better able the cities and towns that opt into this program to hold property owners responsible for infractions of city ordinances.
 
Currently, if the city wants to issue a citation to property owner for a trash violation they have no authority to collect on the fines they hand out. With the ‘Green Ticket Bill’ these unpaid citations would be added to the violator’s property tax bill at the end of the year. This provision would be an effective tool in keeping our streets clean.
 

I strongly urge you to support this legislation. If a property owner violates city ordinances and contributes to the blight of a neighborhood, they should be held accountable. This legislation will help improve the quality of life of residents. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.  

One Reply to “Green Ticket Bill Needs Support

  1. Excellent state-wide legislation.

    For us city folk, of course, real estate agents and landlords alike should be given clear and immediate notice at their own mailing addresses when the bill is passed. This way, they can properly prepare for these changes and update their leases accordingly, giving tenants prior notice; it is the landlords who will have the unpleasant task of chasing down tenants who offend the new laws.

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