Boston City Council Introduces Municipal ID, Liquor License Equity, and Pest Control Measures

BOSTON -- April 6, 2022, Boston City Council introduces municipal ID card, liquor license equity petition, and pest control hearing order. Council President Edward M. Flynn presided as Councilor Brian Worrell introduced a home rule petition (Docket 0465) to add on-premises liquor licenses in Dorchester, Hyde Park, and Mattapan, neighborhoods where only eight restaurants collectively hold licenses among 248 citywide. Councilor Ricardo Arroyo separately filed an ordinance (Docket 0466) to create a Boston municipal ID card modeled on programs in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. A $27,205,854 Community Preservation Act appropriation, divided among affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space, remained in committee with a full council vote expected April 13; Councilor Michael Flaherty said approval would push total CPA awards since 2018 past $119 million across more than 250 projects. Councilor Julia M. Mejia disclosed her own adolescent suicide attempt while introducing a hearing order on mental health in Boston Public Schools, citing CDC data showing a 51 percent spike in suspected suicide attempts among girls ages 12 to 17 in early 2021 compared to 2019.