Lydia Edwards, City Councilor for District One (North End, Charlestown and East Boston) has released a report summarizing the issues she worked on at the Council as well as her community engagement from this past year.
One issue directly related to the North End is the ordinance to regulate short-term rentals (AirBnB, etc). Although Governor Baker sent back the state bill to Mass. legislature, the City of Boston passed its own ordinance this summer that will go into effect January 1, 2019 with strong measures to limit commercial AirBnB investors.
This November, Edwards presented a North End Clean Streets Initiative as a possible solution to the trash problems the neighborhood continues to face. The initiative would use a non-profit structure to complement the city’s services, allowing for additional cleaning of streets and sidewalks in the North End.
Edwards has also worked on helping residents repay back taxes; ensuring construction jobs for Boston residents, people of color and women; developing a PILOT program to make sure tax-exempt institutions contribute to public amenities; and creating the Snow Angel Program to help neighbors with snow shoveling.
See the full report posted below.
Great that a ‘walk through’ was done in the summer and you want clean streets but when are the actual improvements going to be made? Take a walk down Commercial st and look at the broken and lopsided bricks, or the dangerous unpainted crosswalk on Lewis St. Someone is going to get hit there. The new bricks on North Square are perfect, but wait those are for the tourists who spend money here. What about the people who actually live here? I am so tired of opening up reports on Boston 311 and calling your office and having absolutely nothing done.
Lydia disclosed information that demonstrates the efforts made. Give credit to her for this. No doubt she has walked down Commercial and Lewis Streets. She seems to be acutely aware of our problems.