Government Operations on October 28, 2026

0:52 THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION.

0:53 UM.

0:53 UH, I'M I'M HAPPY TO DO.

0:56 I'VE BEEN GRATEFUL FOR THE, UH.

1:00 UM, ONE OF THE SERVICES FOR

1:03 YOUR HERE.

1:04 THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO STAYED

1:06 IN THAT, UM.

1:23 OKAY.

1:23 UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET

1:24 STARTED SOON.

1:25 AS I SAID, MY NAME IS.

1:26 THE COUNSELOR AND I'M THE CHAIR

1:28 OF BOTH CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE

1:29 ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.

1:30 TODAY IS OCTOBER 8TH, 2026 AND

1:33 THE EXACT TIME IS 1001 AND

1:35 ACCORDINGLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH

1:37 CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025

1:39 MODIFYING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS

1:40 OF THE OPEN MEETING LAWS AND

1:42 RELIEVING PUBLIC BODIES

1:42 OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS

1:44 INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT

1:45 PUBLIC BODIES CONDUCT ITS

1:46 MEETING IN A PUBLIC PLACE THAT

1:47 IS OPEN AND PHYSICALLY

1:48 ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

1:50 THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE

1:51 CONDUCTING THIS HEARING

1:52 VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.

1:53 THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED

1:55 .

1:55 IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE

1:57 STREAMED@BOSTON.GOV.

1:58 FORWARD SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH

2:01 TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY

2:03 CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82

2:05 AND FIVE CHANNEL 964.

2:08 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO

2:10 THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT SIX

2:14 GEO@BOSTON.GOV AND WILL BE MADE

2:16 PART OF THE RECORD AND

2:17 AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS.

2:19 PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN

2:21 AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.

2:23 INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON

2:24 IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY

2:25 SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE TWO

2:26 MINUTES TO TESTIFY.

2:27 IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP FOR

2:29 PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND HAVE NOT

2:30 DONE SO, PLEASE EMAIL OUR

2:31 CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGAN AT

2:35 NEA N DOT C O R U GETO M A R T

2:44 I N AT BOSTON GOV.

2:45 FOR THE ZOOM LINK IN YOUR NAME

2:47 WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST.

2:49 TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET

2:52 1099 AN ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE

2:54 QUARTERLY REVENUE REPORTS TO BE

2:55 PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

2:57 THE MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY

2:58 COUNCILORS EARL CULPEPER AND

3:00 MEJIA AND WAS REFERRED TO THE

3:01 COMMITTEE ON MAY 29TH 2026.

3:04 TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY

3:05 COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ORDER

3:07 OF ARRIVAL.

3:08 WORRELL LOUIJEUNE FLYNN IN

3:11 CULPEPER.

3:12 I WILL PASS UM THE MIC OVER TO

3:15 COUNCIL ORAL AND MY COLLEAGUES

3:16 IF THEY CHOOSE TO FOR ANY

3:18 OPENING REMARKS AND THEN WE'LL

3:19 GET INTO UM TODAY'S PANEL WE

3:21 HAVE UH UM ADMINISTRATION PANEL

3:25 AND THEN UH ADVOCATES ALTHOUGH

3:27 COUNCIL OR I MAY JUST DEFER TO

3:29 YOU TO HAVE EVERYBODY GO ALL AT

3:31 ONCE SO JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT

3:32 YOU'RE THINKING.

3:33 IF NOT, THAT'S FINE.

3:33 WE CAN JUST HAVE, UM, BUDGET

3:35 DIRECT TO GO FIRST BUT FOR NOW

3:37 PASS IT OVER TO YOU FOR YOUR

3:38 OPENING REMARKS AND JUST LET

3:39 ME KNOW ON ON THAT POINT.

3:40 BUT THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

3:41 THANK YOU.

3:43 UH THANK YOU CHAIR AND I'M OKAY

3:44 WITH EVERYONE GOING ALL AT ONCE

3:46 .

3:47 UM, WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR

3:49 BEING HERE.

3:50 THE PANELISTS UH, FROM THE

3:52 ADMINISTRATION AND UH, THE

3:54 EXPERTS UM, AROUND UM, YOU

3:57 KNOW, LOOKING AT CITIES, UM,

3:59 REVENUES, UM AND EXPENDITURES

4:02 UM, AND CURRENTLY THE CITY

4:04 CHARTER CALLS FOR THIS

4:06 COUNCIL TO RECEIVE QUARTERLY

4:08 EXPENDITURE REPORT.

4:09 UM, WHEN I WAS WAIT I MEAN

4:12 SHARE WE WOULD ASK FOR ALSO

4:13 QUARTERLY REVENUE REPORTS AND

4:16 THAT'S A PRACTICE THAT I WOULD

4:17 LIKE TO SEE UH, CODIFIED UH

4:19 THAT'S WHY I FILED THIS

4:21 ORDINANCE WHICH IS A BASIC

4:22 EFFORT TO ACQUIRE TRANSPARENCY

4:24 AND PROVIDE THE COUNCIL AND THE

4:27 PUBLIC UH, WITH INFORMATION

4:29 AROUND REVENUE ON A QUARTERLY

4:32 UM, AND MAYBE YOU KNOW, I WAS

4:34 THINKING MAYBE THIS SHOULD ALSO

4:36 BE MONTHLY, RIGHT?

4:36 INSTEAD OF QUARTERLY.

4:38 UH, THIS WILL ALLOW THE

4:39 COUNCIL TO SEE THE CITY'S

4:40 REVENUE TRENDS, UH, QUARTER

4:42 OVER QUARTER IN ORDER TO GET A

4:44 BETTER SENSE OF REVENUE

4:46 PROJECTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING

4:47 FISCAL YEAR.

4:48 UM, AND ALSO JUST TO SEE THE

4:50 TREND IS WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH

4:52 WHERE THERE IS HOTEL SALES TAX

4:54 AND ALL THE OTHER REVENUE THAT

4:57 WE DO COLLECT.

4:59 UM, AS OF NOW, THE WAY THAT IT

5:01 IS STRUCTURED, THE PROCESS HAS

5:02 BEEN AT THE PLEASURE OF WHOEVER

5:05 IS A WAYS AND MEANS CHAIR BUT I

5:06 WANT TO PROTECT AGAINST THAT

5:08 AND ANY ADMINISTRATION CHANGES

5:10 IN THE FUTURE TO CODIFY THIS

5:12 PRACTICE MORE FORMALLY I LOOK

5:15 AT HOW THE STATE REVENUE

5:16 COMMISSION WORKS AND HAVE THEIR

5:17 MONTHLY REVENUE REPORTS THAT

5:20 INFORM NOT ONLY OUR BUDGET

5:21 PROJECTIONS FOR CURRENT

5:22 UPCOMING FISCAL YEARS, BUT

5:24 AGAIN IT CAN ALLOW US FOR A

5:26 REACTION TO AN ON THE GROUND

5:27 TREND IN REVENUE CHANGES.

5:29 OUR PERMIT FEES DOWN IS THE

5:30 MILL TAX DROP IS UM IN WHAT

5:34 NEIGHBORHOOD?

5:34 AND WHEN WE SEE THOSE TRENDS UH

5:36 THE COUNCIL THE CITY CAN TAKE

5:39 ACTIONS UM TO TRY TO CORRECT

5:41 THE SO THANK YOU UH EVERYONE

5:44 FOR JOINING IN ON THIS

5:46 CONVERSATION.

5:47 I DO THINK THIS IS A BASIC WIN

5:48 WIN WITH TRANSPARENCY AND THE

5:50 POWER OF DATA, AND I'M HOPING

5:52 WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS

5:53 ORDINANCE BY THE END OF THE

5:54 YEAR.

5:56 THANK YOU COUNCILOR WORRELL.

5:59 I HAD TO SNEEZE.

6:00 SORRY.

6:01 UM, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE, YOU

6:03 HAVE THE FLOOR.

6:05 GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

6:07 UM, HAPPY TO BE WITH ALL

6:09 OF YOU.

6:09 UH THANK YOU.

6:10 COUNCILOR OUT FOR THE FILING.

6:11 LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING

6:14 FROM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION

6:15 AND FROM EVERYONE, UM, AND HOW

6:17 WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

6:18 THANK YOU.

6:19 THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN.

6:25 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

6:26 I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE

6:29 COUNCILOR WORRELL.

6:30 COUNCIL CULPEPER

6:31 COUNCILOR MEJIA FOR BRINGING

6:33 THIS FORWARD.

6:34 I BELIEVE THIS IS THE COMMON

6:36 SENSE, UM, EXCEPTIONAL

6:39 RECOMMENDATION ON HOW WE CAN.

6:43 BETTER BE BE PREPARED UH, FOR

6:46 THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS BUT

6:48 ALSO BE PREPARED FOR, UM,

6:51 CHANGES IN REVENUE THAT WILL

6:53 IMPACT UM BASIC CITY SERVICES

6:56 IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL.

6:58 THIS THIS SHOWS RESIDENTS THAT

7:00 WE'RE UH, FOCUSED ON THE FISCAL

7:04 STABILITY OF BOSTON.

7:06 IT ALSO ENSURES THAT WE'RE

7:07 PROVIDING FINANCIAL UM

7:10 OVERSIGHT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING

7:12 TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY

7:14 AND THE POSITIVE LEADERSHIP TO

7:16 BOSTON RESIDENTS.

7:17 UH, SO AGAIN, WANT TO SAY THANK

7:19 YOU TO THE UM MY

7:21 COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE

7:21 BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

7:22 THIS IS A COMMON SENSE APPROACH

7:25 AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE IT UM,

7:27 QUARTERLY CERTAINLY MONTHLY BUT

7:30 BUT BUT AT THE LEAST QUARTERLY.

7:32 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

7:35 THANK YOU.

7:36 COUNCIL CULPEPER.

7:37 GOOD MORNING.

7:38 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR FOR

7:40 HOLDING THIS HEARING AND I

7:42 THANK COUNCIL FOR WELL WELL

7:43 WELL FOR FILING THIS UH

7:46 ORDINANCE AMENDMENT IT'S TAKE

7:49 IT'S CRITICAL UM DURING THIS

7:52 PAST BUDGET CYCLE, ONE OF THE

7:54 QUESTIONS EVERYONE KEPT ASKING

7:57 WAS WHAT IS THE REVENUE OUTLOOK

8:00 LOOK LIKE?

8:01 WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

8:03 UM, IN TERMS OF REVENUE WHILE

8:05 WE WERE TRYING TO PREPARE A

8:07 BUDGET, I THINK IT'S JUST

8:09 COMMON SENSE TO BE ABLE TO KNOW

8:11 WHAT THE REVENUE OUTLOOK LOOKS

8:13 LIKE, WHAT THE REVENUE COMING

8:16 IN LOOKS LIKE AS WE TRY AND

8:18 PREPARE A BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.

8:21 SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS

8:23 UH, CLARIFIED QUICKLY SO THAT

8:27 WHEN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE

8:29 COMES WE'LL HAVE REVENUE AT

8:32 LEAST QUARTERLY TO LOOK AT AS

8:34 WE TRY AND PUT TOGETHER A

8:37 BUDGET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.

8:39 SO THANK YOU.

8:39 I THINK IT'S FITTING I THINK

8:41 IT'S APPROPRIATE I THINK IT'S

8:43 TIMELY AND I REALLY THINK IT'S

8:45 NECESSARY IF WE'RE GOING TO BE

8:47 BETTER ABOUT HOW WE PUT

8:49 TOGETHER A BUDGET.

8:50 IF YOU REMEMBER THE LAST BUDGET

8:52 CYCLE WE WERE ALL OVER THE

8:53 PLACE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AND

8:55 YOU KNOW, WE FIFA WAS COMING IN

8:57 AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT

8:59 WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE AND

9:02 FINANCIALLY SO THIS WILL AT

9:03 LEAST GIVE US SOME INFORMATION

9:05 AS WE PLOT AND PLAN TO PUT

9:07 TOGETHER A BUDGET.

9:08 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

9:10 THANK YOU.

9:11 UM, COUNSELOR CULPEPER JUST

9:13 DOUBLE CHECKING TO MAKE SURE I

9:14 DIDN'T MISS ANYBODY.

9:22 OKAY, UH, WE CAN GO TO OUR

9:24 PANELISTS.

9:25 UM, UH, WE'LL GO TO OUR BUDGET

9:27 DIRECTOR FIRST.

9:27 JIM WILLIAMSON UM, FOR ANY

9:29 OPENING REMARKS YOU HAVE AND

9:30 THEN WE'LL GO TO STEVE AND THEN

9:32 WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY, UM, WHO

9:33 WE ALL KNOW AND THEN WE'VE ALSO

9:35 BEEN JOINED BY.

9:38 UH, DAVID.

9:39 UM, AND I APOLOGIZE I'M GONNA

9:40 SAY LAST NAME WRONG IF YOU'D

9:42 LIKE TO CORRECT ME, PLEASE DO.

9:43 UH, COULIER FROM THE BRENNER

9:45 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PROJECT

9:46 DIRECTOR.

9:47 UM, OUT.

9:48 OF YOU OUT OF FLORIDA.

9:50 UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO JUST

9:51 REITERATE YOUR, UH, AFFILIATION

9:53 ,UM, WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN,

9:54 PLEASE DO.

9:55 BUT FOR NOW WE'LL GO TO JAMES

9:56 WILLIAMSON WHO'S THE BUDGET

9:58 DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.

9:59 UM, JIM, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

10:01 GREAT.

10:01 THANK YOU.

10:02 CHAIR.

10:03 EXCELLENT.

10:03 IT'S ABOUT UH AND UH UM UH,

10:05 SPONSOR, UH, COUNCIL ORAL AND

10:07 OTHER COUNCILORS ON THE CALL.

10:09 WE REALLY APPRECIATE UH, THIS

10:11 OPPORTUNITY TO TO TALK ABOUT,

10:13 UM, THE BUDGET AND AND HOW WE

10:16 COMMUNICATE THE BUDGET UH, IN

10:18 INTERACT WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

10:19 SO, UH, JUST A QUICK RECAP.

10:21 UH, MY NAME IS JIM WILLIAMS AND

10:22 I'M THE BUDGET DIRECTOR OF THE

10:24 CITY BOSTON AND SORT OF THE THE

10:26 FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC

10:27 BUDGETING ARE UH, WE WANT TO

10:29 ENSURE FISCAL BALANCE

10:31 OF SUSTAINABILITY.

10:32 THE ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET IS

10:33 SUPPORTED BY THE GENERAL FUND

10:34 AND IT MUST REMAIN BALANCED AND

10:36 FULLY SUPPORTED BY PREDICTABLE

10:38 RECURRING REVENUE SOURCES.

10:41 WE LIKE UH UM MOST GOVERNMENT

10:44 UM BUDGETS UH, HAVE A PUBLIC

10:46 PURPOSE DOCTRINE.

10:47 THE OPERATING EXPENDITURES

10:48 FUNDED THROUGH PUBLIC TAXATION

10:50 MUST BE STRICTLY SERVE THE A

10:52 DEMONSTRABLE PUBLIC PURPOSE AND

10:54 THEN UH, SORT OF KEYING ON UM

10:56 THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING IS

10:58 UH, TRANSPARENCY AND GOVERNANCE

11:01 SO PROACTIVE ONGOING PUBLIC

11:03 COMMUNICATION OF MUNICIPAL

11:03 BUDGET INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL

11:06 TO FOSTERING FISCAL

11:07 TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC

11:08 ACCOUNTABILITY.

11:09 AND UM, UH, WE TAKE PRIDE IN

11:11 THE FACT THAT WE HAVE UH MANY

11:14 EXAMPLES OF UH WE HAVE A FULL

11:16 VOLUME UH THOUSAND PAGE UH

11:19 DOCUMENT UM ONLINE UH NOW UH

11:23 THAT UM IS VALIDATED BY A THIRD

11:26 PARTY SORT OF UH ORGANIZATION

11:28 UH AS UH AS UM SORT

11:31 OF EXCELLENCE IN BUDGET, UH,

11:33 COMMUNICATION.

11:34 UH WE HAVE AN INTERACTIVE

11:35 WEBSITE UH WITH THE FULL

11:36 SUPPORT OF OUR IT DEPARTMENT.

11:39 WE ALSO UH, STAGE OPEN DATA ON

11:41 AN ENLARGED BOSTON UH, FOR

11:43 PEOPLE TO TO, UM, MANIPULATE

11:45 THAT DATA ON THEIR OWN.

11:47 UH UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE

11:49 REGULAR, UH,

11:51 COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS BOTH

11:51 THROUGH PUBLIC HEARINGS LIKE

11:52 THIS ONE AND UM, UH THERE ARE

11:56 UH INSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE

11:57 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION OR

11:58 REPORTS FILED UH, WITH THE CITY

12:00 CLERK TO UH DELIVER UM IN UP IN

12:03 THE BUDGET OFFICE AS PART

12:04 OF THE LARGER UH FINANCE

12:07 CABINET.

12:07 UH, WE PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL UH

12:10 INFORMATION STATEMENTS THAT

12:11 ACCOMPANY UM, UH, BOND

12:14 ISSUANCES.

12:15 UH UH UM WHILE THE AUDITING

12:17 DEPARTMENT IS THE LEAD ON THIS

12:19 WILL BE UM DOES PARTICIPATE IN

12:21 THE IN ANNUAL AUDITED FINANCIAL

12:23 STATEMENTS UH AND UM THROUGH UH

12:27 RATING AGENCY COMMUNICATIONS UH

12:29 ,WHICH ARE OFTEN UH THE RATING

12:31 AGENCIES UH AN ASSESSMENT

12:33 OF THE CITY'S UH FISCAL UH

12:35 STEWARDSHIP OF THEIR ANNUAL

12:37 OPERATING BUDGET AND ITS

12:38 MANAGEMENT OF ITS FIVE YEAR

12:39 CAPITAL PLAN.

12:40 SO WITH THAT, UH, HAPPY TO TO

12:43 ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR AND

12:45 WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

12:49 THANK YOU JIM.

12:50 UH, NEXT WE'LL GO TO STEVE POFF

12:51 DECK FROM THE BOSS.

12:53 UH, HE'S THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

12:55 OFFICER OF THE BOSTON MUNICIPAL

12:56 RESEARCH BUREAU.

12:57 AHEAD.

12:57 STEVE.

12:59 THANK YOU.

12:59 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

13:01 UM, ALSO, UH, IN ADDITION TO

13:03 BEING THE PRESIDENT OF.

13:05 THE BOSTON MUNICIPAL

13:06 RESEARCH BUREAU, I'M A, UH,

13:08 RESIDENT OF ROSLINDALE.

13:10 UH DISTRICT FIVE.

13:11 UH, AND YOU CAN CATCH ME ON THE

13:13 35 BUS IN THE ORANGE LINE UH,

13:14 MOST MORNINGS AND AFTERNOONS IF

13:17 ,UH IF FOLKS HAVE ANY

13:18 QUESTIONS, IT'S, UH IT'S MY

13:20 PLEASURE AND THANK YOU.

13:22 UH, THANK YOU TO, UH TO THE

13:24 PANEL FOR THE INVITATION.

13:25 IT'S MY PLEASURE TO OFFER THE

13:27 RESEARCH BUREAU'S QUALIFIED

13:28 SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED

13:29 ORDINANCE.

13:30 UH, WE TOOK A LOOK AT A COUPLE.

13:32 YOU KNOW, OUR SUPPORT RESTS ON

13:35 THREE, UH, CENTRAL TENANTS.

13:36 ONE IS, UH, A BIAS FOR

13:39 TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSURE

13:41 EVIDENCE THAT THIS IS BEST

13:44 PRACTICE AND AS WELL AS THE

13:46 IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING UPDATED

13:47 DATA TO THE COUNCIL,

13:49 PARTICULARLY DURING LOW GROWTH

13:51 PERIODS.

13:51 UM, I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL WE

13:53 ARE SUPPORTIVE OF ADDITIONAL

13:55 TRANSPARENCY AND THIS IS

13:56 CLEARLY PART OF THAT.

13:57 OBVIOUSLY IF TRANSPARENCY

13:59 EXPOSES ANY PROPRIETARY OR

14:01 PROTECTED INFORMATION THAT'S

14:02 GONE TOO FAR IN THIS CASE WE

14:05 THINK IT'S REASONABLE WHAT IS

14:06 BEING REQUESTED.

14:07 THIS IS SOMETHING THAT UM MANY

14:11 PUBLIC ENTITIES ALREADY DO THIS

14:13 UH, WE BELIEVE IT'S FEASIBLE

14:15 UH, AND I BELIEVE THE OFFICE

14:17 OF BUDGET AND BUDGET MANAGEMENT

14:18 IS ALREADY DOING THIS ON A

14:19 MONTHLY BASIS FOR THEIR OWN

14:21 INTERNAL PURPOSES.

14:21 SO WE'RE NOT ASKING THEM TO DO

14:23 SOMETHING THAT THEY THEY ARE

14:25 INCAPABLE OF DOING.

14:26 IN FACT, THEY'RE QUITE CAPABLE

14:27 AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A

14:29 SECOND AND THERE'S NOTHING

14:30 PROPRIETARY OR PROTECTED I

14:31 BELIEVE AND IF THERE WAS I

14:33 THINK IT WOULD BE ON A VERY UH

14:35 MINUTER CASE BY CASE BASIS AND

14:36 COULD COULD BE DEALT WITH.

14:38 UM, I JUST HAD THE PLEASURE OF,

14:39 UH, MODERATING A PANEL WITH THE

14:42 UH, RATING WITH THE PRIMARY

14:44 ANALYSTS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON

14:45 FOR MOODY'S AND MOODY'S

14:47 ACTUALLY COMMENDS THE OFFICE

14:48 OF BUDGET MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR

14:50 FAVORABLE TRANSPARENCY AND

14:52 DISCLOSURE.

14:53 UH, IT'S ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL

14:54 ELEMENTS THAT UH THAT THAT

14:56 UNDERPINS OUR TRIPLE-A BOND

14:58 RATING AND UM, YOU KNOW, I

15:01 THINK THIS.

15:02 THIS MOVE ONLY STRENGTHENS THAT

15:05 IT ADDS TO THAT STRONG

15:07 FOUNDATION THAT I GIVE CREDIT

15:09 TO JIM WILLIAMSON AND THE WHOLE

15:11 TEAM, UH, FOR BUILDING IT.

15:13 ALSO I THINK UM IT'S IMPORTANT

15:16 THAT WE MOVE TO FORMALIZING

15:18 THIS AS OPPOSED TO HAVING IT

15:19 BEING AN INFORMAL PRACTICE.

15:22 UM, THERE'S A REAL ASYMMETRY IN

15:23 HOW WE DEAL WITH EXPENDITURES

15:25 AND REVENUES RIGHT NOW AND IT'S

15:26 NOT JUST THE CITY OF BOSTON.

15:27 THE STATE STILL HAS SOME OF THE

15:28 SAME ASPECTS WHERE ONE IS

15:32 REQUIRED EITHER UNDER CHARTER

15:34 OR STATUTORY AND THE OTHER IS

15:35 AN INFORMAL PRACTICE.

15:37 I BELIEVE THE OFFICE OF BUDGET

15:38 MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE

15:40 UH, TO REQUESTS IN THE PAST.

15:42 SO I THINK YOU KNOW I WANT TO

15:44 RECOGNIZE THAT BUT I ALSO THINK

15:46 ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT FEEL LIKE

15:47 THIS EVERY DAY JIM UM YOU MAY

15:48 NOT BE BUDGET DIRECTOR FOREVER

15:50 AND WE CAN'T DEPEND ON YOUR

15:52 COMPETENCE AND GOODWILL IN THIS

15:54 POSITION.

15:55 UM, ALWAYS EXISTING.

15:58 I THINK IT MAKES MORE SENSE

15:59 THAT WE FORMALIZE THE PRACTICE

16:01 AND RESOLVE THIS ASYMMETRY

16:02 BETWEEN HOW WE TREAT

16:03 EXPENDITURES AND HOW WE TREAT

16:05 REVENUES.

16:06 I ALSO UM, YOU KNOW, I ALSO

16:08 NOTE THAT THE DIVISION OF LOCAL

16:10 SERVICES CALLS REVENUE

16:11 MONITORING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

16:14 UM, I'LL SUBMIT MY TESTIMONY

16:15 IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS.

16:16 UM, MANY OF OUR PEER CITIES I

16:19 ONLY TOOK A LOOK AT SIX UH UM,

16:22 ALL SIX OF THE PEER CITIES THAT

16:24 I LOOKED AT IN NEW YORK PHILLY,

16:25 DC, ATLANTA, CHICAGO, LA THEY

16:27 ALL DISCLOSE AT LEAST ON A

16:29 QUARTERLY BASIS.

16:31 I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY

16:32 OF THEM DISCLOSE ON A MONTHLY

16:34 BASIS.

16:34 I'VE INCLUDED LINK IN MY

16:36 TESTIMONY IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A

16:37 LOOK AT THEIR DOCUMENTS TO GET

16:39 A SENSE OF WHAT THEY DO.

16:40 UM, THIS STRIKES ME AS BEST

16:42 PRACTICE.

16:42 LASTLY, UH, IN A PERIOD

16:44 OF UNCERTAIN REVENUE GROWTH

16:45 WHERE THE COUNCIL IS BEING

16:47 ASKED UH POTENTIALLY TO PASS

16:49 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS, WE

16:51 THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT

16:52 THEY GET UP TO DATE REVENUE

16:54 INFORMATION AS WELL.

16:55 THREE QUICK QUALIFICATIONS AND

16:57 THEN I'LL CLOSE UM, THE DOCKET

17:00 RESTATES THAT IT IS THE

17:01 ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSIBILITY

17:03 TO PROJECT REVENUES.

17:04 UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT THAT

17:06 SHOULD REMAIN UM WE BELIEVE

17:08 THAT THE OFFICE OF BUDGET

17:10 MANAGEMENT'S CONSERVATIVE

17:11 APPROACH TO PROJECTING REVENUES

17:12 IS A STRENGTH, NOT A

17:14 SHORTCOMING.

17:15 UM, AND WE ENCOURAGE THE

17:17 CONTINUATION OF THAT PRACTICE.

17:18 WE ALSO THINK WHILE MONITORING

17:21 IN YEAR TRENDS IS IMPORTANT,

17:23 UM, WE SHOULD NOTE THAT CERTAIN

17:25 TRENDS UH, ARE IMPACTED BY

17:27 SEASONALITY AND ARE SUBJECT TO

17:29 CHANGE.

17:30 SO THIS SHOULDN'T BE A FORUM TO

17:32 IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SURPLUSES IN

17:34 YEAR.

17:34 IT REALLY SHOULD BE AN EXERCISE

17:36 IN UNDERSTANDING WHERE REVENUE

17:37 IS GOING.

17:38 SO I CLOSE BY AGAIN OFFERING MY

17:41 THANKS FOR THE ABILITY TO

17:42 CONTRIBUTE TO THIS DISCUSSION

17:44 AND TO RESTATE THE RESEARCH

17:46 BUREAU'S QUALIFIED SUPPORT FOR

17:47 THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.

17:48 THANK YOU.

17:50 THANK YOU STEVE.

17:52 UM, DAVID BEFORE YOURS.

17:55 YEAH.

17:56 THANKS FOR.

17:56 HAVING ME.

17:57 I'M DAVE COULIER.

17:58 UM, DIRECTOR OF THE DIRECTOR

17:59 FOR THE INFORMATION PROJECT AT

18:00 THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.

18:02 UM, I'VE CONDUCTED RESEARCH

18:04 NATIONALLY ON TRANSPARENCY,

18:06 PARTICULARLY AT THE STATE AND

18:07 LOCAL LEVEL FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS

18:09 AND THE BRICKNER CENTER HAS

18:10 BEEN AROUND ALMOST 50 YEARS,

18:12 UH, DOING RESEARCH AND

18:14 EDUCATION.

18:15 UM, I'M NOT HERE REALLY TO

18:17 SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR

18:19 ORDINANCE PROPOSAL, UH, BUT

18:21 PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT NATIONAL

18:24 CONTEXT THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO

18:25 CONSIDER.

18:26 UM, FIRST KIND OF BIG PICTURE I

18:29 THINK WHAT MR X SAID IS

18:31 ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

18:33 UH, THERE'S RESEARCH THAT SHOWS

18:34 THAT WHEN MUNICIPALITIES ARE

18:37 TRANSPARENT, PARTICULARLY WITH

18:38 THEIR FINANCES, IT ACTUALLY

18:40 LOWERS THEIR THEIR BOND, UM,

18:43 YOU KNOW, AMOUNTS THEY ACTUALLY

18:44 SAVE MONEY.

18:46 UH, AND UH, TAXPAYERS SAVE

18:48 MONEY.

18:48 UH, WE FIND THAT, UH,

18:50 TRANSPARENCY PRACTICES CAN

18:52 REDUCE CORRUPTION, MAKE MAKE

18:55 AGENCIES MORE EFFICIENT AND

18:57 MAKE SENSE.

18:58 UH, ONE STUDY SHOWED THAT FOR

19:00 EVERY DOLLAR SPENT ON PUBLIC

19:02 RECORDS TRANSPARENCY UM SOCIETY

19:06 BENEFITS $287 THAT'S MORE

19:09 EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT SAVED

19:10 LIVES ALL SORTS OF BENEFITS TO

19:12 SOCIETY.

19:13 UM WE KNOW THAT TRANSPARENCY

19:16 PRACTICES INCREASES THE TRUST

19:18 OF THE PUBLIC AND INSTITUTIONS.

19:20 SO SO THIS IS ABOUT BOSTONIANS

19:24 TRUSTING THE CITY MORE UH, WE

19:26 ALSO KNOW THAT UM, UH, WHEN

19:30 FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS POSTED

19:32 BY MUNICIPALITIES, SERVICES

19:34 TEND TO IMPROVE AND INCREASE

19:37 UM, BECAUSE UH, AGENCIES FEEL

19:40 THAT PRESSURE UH, AND UH I

19:43 MIGHT ADD THERE'S ONE STUDY

19:45 THAT SAYS MUNICIPALITIES LED BY

19:48 FEMALE MAYORS ARE THE MOST

19:49 TRANSPARENT.

19:50 SO, UH, THAT MIGHT BE

19:52 OF INTEREST IN BOSTON AND UM,

19:55 AND AND OTHER RESEARCH THAT

19:57 I'VE INCLUDED IN UH IN SOME UH

19:59 ,WRITTEN TESTIMONY, UH,

20:02 REGARDING CONTEXT WITH BOSTON

20:07 UM, UH, KUDOS TO THE BOSTON

20:10 CITY COUNCIL FOR LAST YEAR, UH

20:13 ,PASSING A RESOLUTION AND

20:15 SUPPORTING SUNSHINE WEEK

20:16 TRANSPARENCY, GOVERNMENT

20:17 TRANSPARENCY.

20:18 SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S AN

20:20 INTEREST IN BOSTON IN SERVING

20:21 THE PUBLIC UH, OPENLY AND

20:24 THAT'S GREAT.

20:26 UH, I DO HAVE TO SAY AGAIN,

20:28 THIS IS NOT TO BRAG ON BOSTON

20:33 OR MASSACHUSETTS, BUT OUR

20:34 RESEARCH SHOWS THAT IT IS BEEN

20:37 TRICKIER IN THAT IN

20:39 MASSACHUSETTS AND BOSTON THE

20:41 DATA INDICATE THAT COMPLIANCE

20:43 WITH PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS IS

20:45 ACTUALLY FAIRLY LOW IN BOSTON

20:48 AND MASSACHUSETTS.

20:49 UH, MASSACHUSETTS RANKS 31ST IN

20:51 THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO

20:53 GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY OVER A

20:55 NUMBER OF STUDIES 16.

20:56 STUDIES DONE OVER THE PAST

20:58 SEVERAL DECADES.

20:59 AND I INCLUDED THAT IN THE

21:00 HANDOUT AS WELL.

21:01 IT'S JUST CONTEXT AND NOT PUT

21:04 ME IN DOUBT.

21:05 UM, FLORIDA'S JUST AS BAD JUST

21:08 UH JUST TO UH JUST TO BE FAIR,

21:11 UM, UH, FLORIDA RANKS 31ST SO

21:16 UM SO THERE'S A LOT THAT CAN BE

21:18 DONE TO IMPROVE THINGS.

21:19 UM, IN FACT I ALSO INCLUDED

21:23 OTHER STUDIES THAT COMPARE

21:24 LARGE CITIES IN THEIR FINANCIAL

21:27 TRANSPARENCY PRACTICES.

21:29 UH, BOSTON DOES NOT RATE HIGH

21:31 UM, THOSE RATES AT THE VERY

21:33 BOTTOM AND UH, SO THERE'S ROOM

21:36 FOR IMPROVEMENT AND IN FACT I

21:39 QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS TO

21:42 THE CITY COUNCIL IS NOT ENOUGH.

21:44 I MEAN, UH, MOST LARGE CITIES

21:48 DO FAR MORE THAN THAT AND THAT

21:49 MEANS PROVIDING PUBLIC THE

21:51 INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE

21:53 PROACTIVELY.

21:54 UH, EASY TO SEE, EASY TO SORT

21:56 THROUGH.

21:57 MANY, MANY CITIES ARE DOING

21:58 THAT AND HAVE FOR FOR A LONG

22:00 TIME AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE

22:02 CITY TO CONSIDER UH, DOING EVEN

22:06 MORE THAN UH, JUST QUARTERLY

22:08 REVENUE REPORTS BUT PROACTIVE

22:10 POSTING OF ALL EXPENSE AND

22:13 REVENUE DATA THAT THAT YOU HAVE

22:14 APPARENTLY UH, GENERATED

22:16 MONTHLY AND SO IT MAY NOT CAUSE

22:18 ANY EXTRA EXPENSE MIGHT AS WELL

22:20 SHINE A LIGHT, LET PUBLIC SEE

22:22 AND NOT JUST EVEN THE CITY

22:24 COUNCIL AND UM, UH, IT'S UH,

22:27 STANDARD PRACTICE I THINK CAN

22:28 BEST PRACTICE UH, OF CITIES AND

22:31 SO I, UH I HOPE YOU HAVE A

22:33 CHANCE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH

22:34 SOME OF THAT AND HAPPY TO

22:36 ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE

22:39 ANY UH, BUT UH, I'M ENCOURAGED

22:41 THAT UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

22:43 THIS SO KUDOS.

22:45 THANK YOU.

22:47 THANK YOU DAVE UM I'LL NOW PASS

22:49 IT TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR

22:51 QUESTIONS.

22:52 UH COUNCILOR WORRELL AND THEN

22:53 UM I'LL START WITH THE LEAD

22:54 SPONSORS AND THEN GO TO

22:58 COUNCILOR CULPEPPER AND JUST

22:59 ACKNOWLEDGING WE'VE BEEN JOINED

23:00 BY COUNCILOR BEN WEBER.

23:01 UM, COUNCIL.

23:01 WELL, YOU HAVE BEFORE.

23:03 AND THANK YOU, CHAIR.

23:05 YOU KNOW WE ARE ASKING

23:06 QUESTIONS TO THE WHOLE PANEL OR

23:08 THE WHOLE PANEL.

23:09 OKAY.

23:10 UH, YEAH.

23:10 GOOD.

23:10 AWESOME.

23:11 UM, YEAH, DEFINITELY WANT TO

23:14 THANK, UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMSON

23:15 AND THE WHOLE TEAM OVER THERE

23:17 UM, WITH THEIR WORK ON, UH,

23:20 CREATING A MORE TRANSPARENT

23:22 PROCESS AND WHEN I, UM AND THEN

23:24 JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY GIVE

23:25 US ALL THE INFORMATION AS A

23:27 COUNCIL AS WE ASKED AND AGAIN,

23:28 THIS IS JUST MORE SO JUST

23:30 FORMALIZING UH, THESE EFFORTS

23:32 UM, INSIDE OF LAW KNOWING THAT

23:35 ,YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIONS CAN

23:36 UM CAN CHANGE MY QUESTION.

23:39 JIM IS CURRENTLY AND I THINK

23:43 I'VE HEARD THIS A COUPLE

23:44 OF TIMES ALREADY ARE YOU

23:45 REVIEWING PROJECTIONS ON A

23:48 MONTHLY BASIS?

23:48 REVENUE.

23:51 UH, WE DO WE DO UM UH, TAKE A

23:56 SNAPSHOT ON A MONTH TO MONTH

23:58 BASIS ON FOR REVENUES AND

23:59 EXPENSES UH, MORE IN IN

24:02 DEPARTMENTS.

24:03 ALSO GET.

24:04 UM UH THROUGH THE FINANCIAL

24:06 SYSTEM AN AUTOMATED STATUS

24:08 REPORT OF THEIR OF THEIR BUDGET

24:10 STATUS.

24:10 UH I THINK THE CITY

24:11 COUNCIL EVEN GETS THAT POWER

24:13 THAT SAME REPORT WHERE IT GIVES

24:15 THEM SORT OF LIKE HOW UM UH

24:17 BUDGET TO ACTUAL INFORMATION,

24:20 UH, YOU KNOW, PURCHASE ORDERS

24:21 THAT ARE OPEN REQUISITIONS THAT

24:24 ARE IN PROCESS THE STATUS

24:26 OF PAYROLLS THAT HAVE BEEN

24:27 POSTED.

24:28 UH, AND IF THE DEPARTMENT

24:30 ACTUALLY IS INVOLVED IN IN THE

24:32 COLLECTION OF CERTAIN UH

24:33 REVENUE ITEMS THAT'S ALSO

24:35 INCLUDED AND WE DO THAT AND IN

24:37 UH IN CONCERT WITH

24:39 COMMUNICATION WITH DEPARTMENTS

24:41 ,UH, MOSTLY WITH THE EYE

24:43 TOWARDS MANAGING IT UH UH

24:46 TOWARDS SO THROUGH THE THROUGH

24:48 THE ONGOING BUSINESS PROCESSES

24:51 OF OF OF UH EXECUTING ON A

24:53 BUDGET UH DEPARTMENTS ARE UM

24:55 REQUESTING TO FILL VACANT

24:58 POSITIONS OR UM UH WE WE'RE

25:02 REVIEWING UH, PURCHASES AND UH

25:06 ,RFPS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED

25:08 THROUGHOUT THE UM THE FISCAL

25:10 YEAR AND THAT THIS DATA IS USED

25:14 TO INFORM LIKE HOW ARE WE DOING

25:15 FOR US TO VALIDATE UH, IS IS

25:18 THIS ACTIVITY, UH, INITIALLY

25:21 CONTEMPLATED WITHIN THIS

25:22 BUDGET, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT

25:24 IF IT WASN'T UH, THERE IS YOU

25:25 KNOW, THERE IS SOME FLEXIBILITY

25:27 TO DO THINGS THAT UH WHERE

25:29 WE'RE IN THE BUDGET THAT HAVE

25:30 TO HAPPEN.

25:31 YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE

25:32 EMERGENCIES WHERE SOMETHING HAS

25:33 TO BE REPAIRED OR OR SOMETHING

25:34 LIKE THAT BUT UH UM BUT

25:37 GENERALLY THE LARGER, YOU KNOW,

25:40 CONSISTENT THINGS ARE ARE

25:42 THINGS THAT SHOULD BE

25:43 CONTEMPLATED IN THE BUDGET AND

25:44 WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF SO THAT

25:45 THAT'S THAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP

25:47 THAT WE'RE WE HAVE WE'RE

25:49 LOOKING AT THE BUDGET UH WE'RE

25:51 WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT UM

25:53 ACTIVITY FITS WITHIN THAT

25:54 BUDGET AND FITS WITHIN WHERE WE

25:56 THINK THE BUDGET WILL END.

25:58 SO WE'RE SORT OF THINKING ABOUT

25:59 HOW IT'LL FIT WITHIN THE

26:01 BUDGET.

26:01 UH.

26:02 RECASTING WHERE THERE MIGHT

26:03 BE A JUNE 30TH EVERY YEAR.

26:04 UH, AND IT IT IT EBBS AND FLOWS

26:06 AND AND UM I THINK UH, UM MR.

26:10 THAT REFERRED TO SEASONALITY

26:11 OF THINGS THOSE ARE ALL THINGS

26:13 THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER LIKE

26:14 IS IT AN ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENS

26:16 FALL WINTER TIME?

26:18 UH, AND AND WE ALL EXPERIENCED

26:21 UM THE WEATHER THAT WE ENDURED

26:23 LAST WINTER AND AND THE NEED TO

26:25 THEN GO GET UH, A BUDGET

26:27 SUPPLEMENTAL TO UM TO TO TO

26:30 DEAL WITH THAT.

26:31 I THINK WE WERE NOT UNCOMMON A

26:32 LOT OF UH YES CHOOSES MISS

26:35 PALS.

26:35 WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT.

26:36 UH, IN FACT THE STATE UH, TOOK

26:38 A TOOK A UM, STEP TO YOU KNOW,

26:41 EVEN TRY TO LIKE MITIGATE THAT

26:43 UH, THROUGH SOME OF THE FAIR

26:44 SHARE MONEY THAT THEY HAD TO TO

26:47 MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE COSTS.

26:48 UM, SO, UH, SO THOSE ARE UH

26:51 THAT THAT'S WE DO THAT UM, IN

26:53 TERMS OF UH, REPORTING THE

26:55 DATA, WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH OUR

26:57 ORDERING DEPARTMENT TO ACTUALLY

26:58 GET THE OFFICIAL DATA EXTRACT.

27:00 SO UH, I WOULD DEFER TO THEM.

27:02 IT IS IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A

27:04 PROCESS.

27:04 UM, IT DOES REQUIRE SOME UM,

27:09 UH, YOU KNOW, UH SOME

27:11 OPERATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND

27:13 AT LEAST A MANAGERIAL REVIEW TO

27:14 MAKE SURE IT'S ACCURATE NOT

27:16 MISSING SOMETHING.

27:17 SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT LIKE A,

27:18 UH, INSTANTANEOUS TURNAROUND.

27:20 YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME LEVEL

27:22 OF OF OF UH UH QA QC BEFORE WE

27:24 WOULD LIKE TURN IT OVER BUT UH

27:26 BUT BUT GENERALLY IT'S YOU KNOW

27:29 IT'S DATA UH THAT THAT CAN BE

27:31 MADE AVAILABLE.

27:33 AND THEN IN TERMS OF TURNING

27:35 THAT DATA OVER TO THE

27:36 COUNCIL UM WOULD THERE BE ANY

27:39 ADDITIONAL WRITING OR ANYTHING

27:42 THAT YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR SIDE

27:44 THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, SLOW OR

27:49 MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO TURN

27:51 INFORMATION?

27:51 OH.

27:52 IT'S JUST UM, BUILDING IN A

27:54 TIME UH, FOR THAT TO MAKING

27:56 SURE WE'RE RECONCILING IT TO

27:57 MAKE SURE IT'S AN ACCURATE UM,

27:59 BECAUSE THE DATA BETTER EXISTS

28:01 .

28:01 BUT SOMETIMES HOW YOU QUERY IT,

28:03 UH, CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

28:05 IN THE WORLD LIKE THE

28:05 PARAMETERS FOR THE QUERY AND IF

28:07 IT EXCLUDES SOMETHING OR UH, OR

28:10 SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, UM, WE

28:12 WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CAUGHT

28:14 IN UM AND RUN APPROPRIATELY AND

28:16 THEN UM, AND THEN JUST YOU

28:18 KNOW, HAVING THE THE STAFF TIME

28:20 TO BE ABLE TO TO DO THAT UH,

28:22 MANAGERIAL REVIEW AND SORT

28:23 OF SIGN OFF ON IT.

28:25 YEAH.

28:25 UH AND THEN THE IDEAL CADENCE

28:28 UH, I KNOW THAT THE ORDINANCE

28:29 CALLS FOR QUARTERLY UM, WE

28:32 HEARD FROM, UH, MR PATEK THAT

28:34 MAJORITY OF OUR CITIES THEY DO

28:37 IT MONTHLY.

28:38 UM, WHAT WOULD BE A CADENCE

28:41 THAT YOU WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE

28:42 WITH?

28:43 YOU KNOW, IT'S UM PARTICULARLY

28:45 AS YOU START THE FISCAL YEAR

28:46 UH, SOME OF OUR EVEN OUR

28:49 PROJECTION MODELS ARE BUILT OFF

28:50 OF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RUN

28:52 RATE.

28:52 SO THE FIRST QUARTER IS VERY

28:55 LIKE A THERE ISN'T TOO MUCH

28:59 VALUE SOMETIMES IN THE EARLY

29:01 QUARTERS.

29:02 SO I THINK THE CADENCE OF A

29:04 QUARTER IS IS COMPLETELY

29:05 APPROPRIATE AND GIVES IT ENOUGH

29:08 UH TIME UM TO TO UM TO REACT

29:12 AND UH INTRODUCE UH HAVE

29:15 AWARENESS.

29:16 OF ALSO TO.

29:18 TO INFORM THE UPCOMING BUDGET

29:19 AS WELL SO.

29:22 UH SOME AND THEN STEVE UH MY

29:24 QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW ARE WE

29:27 MAKING THIS INFORMATION UH,

29:30 MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE HELP YOU

29:32 IN THE WORK THAT THE, UM BOSTON

29:35 MUNICIPAL RESEARCH GROUP DOES

29:38 UM, TO TO HELP INFORM CITY AND

29:41 POLICYMAKERS.

29:42 YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING

29:44 ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO HOW

29:46 REVENUE REVENUE IS COMING IN UM

29:49 ,AND I YOU KNOW, I FULLY

29:50 ACCEPT UM, YOU KNOW, I FULLY

29:52 ACCEPT JIM'S CAVEATS.

29:54 ABOUT.

29:55 YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY SOME

29:56 OF THE YOU KNOW, THE EARLY

29:56 MONTHS MAY NOT BE YOU KNOW,

29:57 DON'T PULL THE FIRE ALARM

29:59 BECAUSE THE UH BECAUSE YOU

30:00 KNOW, THE FIRST MONTH'S

30:01 REVENUES AREN'T AREN'T LOOKING

30:03 RIGHT.

30:03 UM, BUT I DO THINK IN GENERAL

30:05 HAVING MORE INSIGHT TO BEING

30:07 ABLE TO IDENTIFY TRENDS THAT WE

30:09 LIGHT IN CERTAIN AREAS ARE WE

30:11 YOU KNOW, WE OVER COLLECTING IN

30:13 OTHER AREAS ALLOWS US TO A

30:16 IDENTIFY IN IN SOME CASES AND

30:18 YOU KNOW THE BUDGET MANAGEMENT

30:19 OFFICE DOES A DOES A FINE JOB

30:21 OF THIS BUT IN SOME CASES YOU

30:23 IDENTIFY HEY THERE MIGHT

30:24 ACTUALLY BE A PROBLEM WITH

30:25 SOMETHING OPERATIONALLY RIGHT

30:27 IS NOT HAPPENING UM BUT ALSO

30:30 LOOKING AT TRENDS RIGHT IF OUR

30:31 YOU KNOW IF OUR BUILDING PERMIT

30:33 INCOME IS BELOW WHAT OUR

30:35 PROJECTIONS ARE THAT'S AN

30:36 INTERESTING SET OF QUESTIONS TO

30:37 ASK.

30:38 UM OR PERHAPS IF THEY'RE ABOVE

30:40 I YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE

30:41 THE VOICE OF DOOM AND GLOOM

30:42 HERE IF THEY'RE ABOVE UM YOU

30:44 KNOW, THOSE ARE ALSO A SET

30:46 OF INTERESTING QUESTIONS NOW.

30:47 SO I THINK THE ADDITIONAL

30:48 TRANSPARENCY UM, WOULD

30:50 OBVIOUSLY BE HELPFUL TO TO OUR

30:52 WORK.

30:53 RIGHT?

30:53 NO.

30:54 AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH UM,

30:56 BOTH WHAT YOU AND JIM IS SAYING

30:57 AROUND THE SEASONALITY BUT I

30:59 THINK AS WE.

31:00 COLLECT UM, MORE YEARS UH, WE

31:03 COULD START TO UNDERSTAND THOSE

31:04 TRENDS AND THOSE SEASONALITY

31:06 TRENDS SO THAT WE'RE NOT RIGHT

31:08 OVERREACTING TO YOU KNOW, UM,

31:11 THE SEASONALITY CYCLE

31:13 OF REVENUE COMING IN.

31:14 UH, DAVID, MY QUESTION TO YOU

31:17 IS WE SPOKE ABOUT UH, THE CITY

31:20 COULD BE DOING MORE THAN JUST

31:22 UH, DOING THIS QUARTERLY RIGHT

31:24 REPORT REVENUE QUARTERLY.

31:26 UH DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER

31:28 EXAMPLES THAT YOU COULD SHARE

31:31 ON OTHER CITIES, OTHER CITIES,

31:33 UM, ON HOW THEY'RE UM BEING

31:35 MORE TRANSPARENT AROUND REVENUE

31:38 OR WHAT THEY'RE DOING?

31:40 WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

31:42 UM, AND I THINK UH I THINK

31:45 MR PATRICK UH, OFFERED UP SOME

31:47 CITIES THAT HE'S LOOKED AT

31:48 CLOSELY MAYBE UH, SIMILAR ONES

31:51 THAT ALWAYS POP UP SEATTLE UM,

31:53 SAN FRANCISCO, HOUSTON, OTHERS

31:56 THAT UH HAVE TAKEN A LEAD ON

31:59 THIS OVER THE YEARS.

32:02 UM, SO I THINK THEY'RE YOU

32:03 KNOW, NO NEED TO REINVENT THE

32:05 WHEEL.

32:05 RIGHT.

32:06 AND UH, I THINK UH I THINK

32:08 THERE'S UH AND I'M SURE

32:10 MR WILLIAMSON IS AWARE OF A LOT

32:12 OF THIS AS WELL AND.

32:13 YOU KNOW, AND.

32:14 AND MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE

32:16 LOOKED THERE THERE'S ALREADY

32:18 BEEN VARIOUS PROACTIVE POSTING

32:21 OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION, WHICH

32:22 IS GREAT.

32:23 UH, SO SO YEAH, UH, I.

32:27 YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T HURT TO TAKE

32:28 A LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S FEASIBLE

32:30 AND POSSIBLE FOR PROACTIVE

32:32 POSTING FOR EVERYBODY.

32:33 UM, AT LEAST MONTHLY I THINK

32:36 MAKES SENSE AND IT COULD HELP

32:39 THE CITY COUNCIL.

32:40 BUT ALSO WHAT WE FIND IN THE

32:42 RESEARCH IS JUST HAVING THAT

32:45 INFORMATION OUT THERE FOR

32:46 ANYBODY.

32:46 SEE UH, CAUSES US GOVERNMENT

32:50 EMPLOYEES UM, WANT AS WELL TO

32:52 BE A LITTLE MORE ON TOP

32:54 OF THINGS WITH OUR FINANCES,

32:55 OUR SPENDING AND OUR REVENUE.

32:57 WE WORK HARDER BECAUSE WE KNOW

32:58 WE'RE BEING WATCHED SO IT IT

33:01 WILL LIKELY HAVE THAT SPIN OFF

33:03 EFFECT FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON

33:06 LONG TERM.

33:06 AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING

33:07 FOR EVERYONE.

33:10 SO THANK YOU.

33:11 UM CHAIR I HAVE NO FURTHER

33:13 QUESTIONS.

33:16 OKAY.

33:16 THANK YOU.

33:17 UM, COUNCILOR CULPEPER, I JUST

33:18 WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE

33:20 BEEN JOINED BY

33:20 COUNCILOR FITZGERALD AND

33:21 COUNCILOR MEJIA.

33:22 GO AHEAD, COUNCIL COPPER.

33:23 THANK YOU.

33:24 I HAD.

33:25 A COUPLE.

33:25 OF QUESTIONS FOR DAVID.

33:27 UM.

33:28 DAVID, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE

33:29 RECORD.

33:30 REQUESTS AND HOW, UM, WE WERE

33:34 AT THE BOTTOM.

33:35 I THINK YOU SAID 32ND UH, IN

33:38 TERMS OF THE COUNTRY WITH

33:40 REGARD TO TRANSPARENCY, WHAT

33:44 RECOMMENDATIONS DO YOU HAVE TO

33:46 HELP US BE BETTER AT UH,

33:51 RETRIEVING AND RECEIVING RECORD

33:53 REQUESTS AND I'M ASSUMING

33:55 YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR YOU.

34:01 THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION,

34:03 COUNCILOR.

34:03 UM, YEAH, WE WE STUDY KIND

34:07 OF THE ELEMENTS THAT LEAD

34:09 GOVERNMENTS TO BE A LITTLE MORE

34:10 TRANSPARENT WITH THEIR

34:12 CONSTITUENCY.

34:13 UM, ONE THING IS INDEPENDENT

34:15 ENFORCEMENT AND SO CONNECTICUT

34:17 IS THE NEXT NATION'S MODEL ON

34:19 THAT.

34:20 THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AN

34:21 INDEPENDENT COMMISSION THAT CAN

34:24 MEDIATE DISPUTES BETWEEN THE

34:25 PUBLIC AND THE GOVERNMENT AND

34:28 INCLUDING DEALING WITH

34:29 VEXATIOUS REQUESTS, WHICH IS A

34:30 BIG CONCERN TODAY WITH

34:32 GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

34:33 SO UM, SO THERE ARE THERE ARE

34:36 UH STRUCTURES IN PLACE IN PARTS

34:38 OF THE COUNTRY THAT WORK VERY

34:39 WELL.

34:40 IN FACT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

34:41 MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES THEY

34:42 HAVE SUCH SYSTEMS.

34:43 UH, OHIO HAS A PRETTY NEAT

34:45 SYSTEM THAT HANDLES THESE

34:47 THINGS AND THAT MATTERS A LOT

34:49 AND I THINK MASSACHUSETTS IN

34:51 PARTICULAR COULD BENEFIT FROM

34:53 LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE.

34:55 WE DO FIND THAT STATES THAT ARE

34:57 HEAVILY BLUE OR HEAVILY RED

35:00 TEND TO HAVE LOWER TRANSPARENCY

35:03 .

35:03 YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN THERE'S MORE

35:05 PURPLE ISH FRICTION BETWEEN

35:07 PARTIES.

35:08 UH, THEN WE HEAR THEN WE SEE

35:11 MORE UM, EFFORTS TO BE

35:13 TRANSPARENT.

35:14 UM, SO IT DOESN'T SURPRISE

35:16 ME THAT MASSACHUSETTS AS A

35:18 WHOLE, UM, TENDS TO RANK LOW ON

35:21 THESE TRANSPARENCY STUDIES UH,

35:23 BECAUSE OF THAT MAKE UP.

35:25 BUT UM BUT THERE ARE A LOT

35:26 OF THINGS THAT Y'ALL COULD DO

35:28 AND AT THE CITY LEVEL TO TO

35:30 MAKE THINGS BETTER AND I THINK

35:31 THE PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY

35:32 APPRECIATE THAT AND THE

35:34 GOVERNMENT WILL BE BETTER OFF

35:35 FOR IT.

35:36 HEY DAVID, CAN YOU AT SOME

35:39 POINT WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE GET

35:40 US SOME OF THAT INFORMATION

35:42 WE'RE GOING.

35:42 TO LOOK AT CONNECTICUT'S

35:44 COMMISSION, THE INDEPENDENT

35:45 COMMISSION, THE MOVIES.

35:47 I THINK THAT'S A GREAT APPROACH

35:49 TO HAVE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION

35:51 MEDIATING.

35:51 THOSE REQUESTS.

35:52 BECAUSE WHEN IT.

35:54 THE CONVERSATION BECOMES REAL.

35:56 TOUGH WITH REGARD.

35:58 TO THOSE FOR YOU, MANY TIMES

35:59 THEY END UP IN COURT.

36:01 AND YOU DON'T.

36:02 GET TOO FAR ONCE.

36:04 THEY GET TO THE COURT.

36:06 SO YEAH WE.

36:07 COULD LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE

36:08 CLOSER.

36:09 IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.

36:11 ABSOLUTELY.

36:12 OH AND I MIGHT ADD

36:14 SORRY COUNSELOR.

36:14 NO BRIAN.

36:15 UM I ACTUALLY HAVE A PROJECT A

36:17 GRANT FUNDED PROJECT TO SEND

36:19 THE CONNECTICUT FOIA COMMISSION

36:20 PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY TO DO

36:23 TALKS AND EXPLAIN WHAT THEY DO

36:25 IF YOU'D LIKE THAT IN BOSTON

36:26 HAPPY TO TO DO THAT.

36:28 AND, UH, BUT THE DOCUMENT I

36:30 FORWARDED FOR THE RECORD

36:31 INCLUDES LINKS TO A LOT OF THAT

36:33 UH, SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.

36:35 SO HAPPY HAPPY TO DO THAT ONE

36:37 STUDY I JUST FINISHED UH UH

36:40 LAST WEEK SHOWED THAT THESE

36:42 COMMISSIONS ON AVERAGE ONLY

36:44 COST $0.31 PER PERSON PER YEAR

36:47 PER CAPITA.

36:48 UH, THEY'RE A GREAT DEAL.

36:50 UH, THEY HANDLE APPEALS AT A

36:52 COST OF ABOUT $2,300 PER

36:55 APPEAL, WHICH YOU'D THINK WOW,

36:56 THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, BUT

36:58 THAT'S A LOT CHEAPER THAN A

37:00 LAWSUIT.

37:01 SO.

37:01 UH, WE CAN AVOID A LOT OF.

37:04 UH.

37:05 WASTEFUL LITIGATION BY THESE

37:08 ALTERNATIVE METHODS THAT, UH,

37:09 WORK VERY WELL.

37:11 AND SO DOES THE, UH,

37:14 INDEPENDENT COMMISSION.

37:15 THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

37:17 NOW THEY THEY GET IT BEFORE IT

37:19 GOES TO COURT AND EVERYTHING

37:21 AND THEN.

37:22 YEAH, IF.

37:23 THEY CAN'T RESOLVE IT.

37:24 THEN THE PARTIZAN

37:26 OF LITIGATING.

37:26 RIGHT AND THEY CAN EDUCATE SO

37:29 IT UH THAT SOLVES A LOT

37:31 OF PROBLEMS RIGHT.

37:32 THEY'RE EDUCATING REQUESTERS

37:33 EDUCATING GOVERNMENT CUSTODIANS

37:36 UH THEY DO A LOT TO MAKE THE

37:37 SYSTEM STREAMLINE WORK A LOT

37:39 MORE EFFICIENTLY.

37:40 UH, SAVES EVERYBODY MONEY THE

37:42 REQUESTER AND THE GOVERNMENT.

37:44 AND YOU MENTIONED THAT IT

37:45 REDUCES CORRUPTION UH SERVICES

37:50 IMPROVE AND INCREASE.

37:52 UM.

37:53 THE TRUST OF GOVERNMENT

37:54 INCREASES.

37:56 IS THAT THE MATERIAL THAT YOU

37:58 SUBMITTED?

38:00 IT IS I INCLUDED LINKS TO THOSE

38:02 STUDIES.

38:03 OKAY.

38:03 AND I JUST PROVIDED A

38:05 SNAPSHOT OF SOME EXAMPLE

38:08 OF STUDIES.

38:08 THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS

38:09 OF HUNDREDS OF THESE STUDIES

38:10 DONE OVER THE DECADES AND UH,

38:12 THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ONES I

38:13 LIKE BEST.

38:16 THANK YOU STEVE.

38:19 STEVE GOOD SEEING YOU AGAIN.

38:20 GOOD HEARING FROM YOU.

38:24 THANK YOU COUNCILOR.

38:25 PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

38:26 UH, I.

38:27 SEE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

38:30 HOW CAN.

38:30 YOU BE.

38:31 MORE HELPFUL IN TERMS OF,

38:32 UH, MOVING THIS FORWARD, THIS

38:36 ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FORWARD?

38:37 WELL, I HAVE UM I'VE OFFERED MY

38:41 YOU KNOW, I'VE OFFERED MY

38:42 SUPPORT WITH SOME SOME SOME

38:43 THOUGHTS ATTACHED TO THEM.

38:45 UM, HAPPY TO BE A RESOURCE IN

38:47 TERMS OF HOW YOU KNOW, HOW

38:49 OTHER PLACES ARE HANDLING THIS

38:51 AND ALSO INTERPRETING UM, ANY

38:55 INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW

38:56 THE STATE HANDLES THIS AS WELL.

38:58 SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, PLEASE

38:59 VIEW ME AS A AS A AS A RESOURCE

39:02 UH, GOING FORWARD IF YOU HAVE

39:04 ANY QUESTIONS I'VE SUBMITTED MY

39:05 TESTIMONY WHICH HAS LINKS TO

39:07 THOSE OKAY.

39:08 I DID A.

39:09 SUPER VERY UNSCIENTIFIC

39:11 SELECTION OF KIND OF MAJOR

39:11 CITIES AND JUST TOOK A LOOK AT

39:13 WHAT THEY DID BUT AGAIN HAPPY

39:15 TO TALK YOU THROUGH THOSE AS

39:16 NEEDED.

39:17 DID YOU LOOK AT THE INDEPENDENT

39:19 COMMISSION IN CONNECTICUT?

39:21 I DID NOT MY MAJOR.

39:23 WAS TALKING ABOUT.

39:24 YEAH THIS ISN'T THIS ISN'T THIS

39:26 IS A BIT OF LEARNING FOR ME.

39:29 UM I DIDN'T REALLY APPROACH

39:30 FROM AN OPEN RECORDS POINT

39:32 OF VIEW.

39:32 UH I APPROACHED IT MORE FROM A

39:34 REVENUE REPORTING.

39:34 OKAY, GREAT.

39:36 THANK YOU.

39:36 STEVE AND.

39:37 I HAD A FINAL QUESTION.

39:38 FOR JIM.

39:44 JIM, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

39:45 GOOD TO SEE YOU, COUNSELOR.

39:47 HEY JIM YOU MENTIONED THAT THE

39:49 COUNCIL GETS IS.

39:50 MONTH TO MONTH REPORT THAT ALL

39:53 DEPARTMENT GETS.

39:58 UM THE UH THE AS A.

40:00 DEPARTMENT CITY COUNCIL AS A.

40:01 DEPARTMENT PROBABLY GETS TO BE

40:03 HONEST WITH YOU EVERY

40:04 DEPARTMENT GETS THEIR OWN

40:05 INDIVIDUAL REPORTS GET.

40:06 THEIR OWN RIGHT.

40:07 IT'S A.

40:07 SYSTEM GENERATED REPORT THAT,

40:09 UH, GIVES A SNAPSHOT OF UH,

40:11 BUDGET TO ACTUAL SO.

40:13 UH BUT I WAS.

40:14 GOING TO TO UH SURE ENOUGH

40:18 STAFF.

40:18 FOR THE COUNCIL.

40:19 BUT WE DON'T GET A REPORT WE

40:21 DON'T GET THE OTHER REPORTS, WE

40:22 ONLY GET THE COUNCIL REPORT.

40:24 WE DON'T GET ALL THE OTHER

40:25 REPORTS.

40:26 RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT.

40:26 YEAH IT'S IT'S MOSTLY FOR

40:29 DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES

40:31 LIKE TO KNOW LIKE WHAT

40:32 REQUISITIONS YOU HAVE

40:34 OUTSTANDING ARCHES ORDERS

40:35 THINGS LIKE THAT.

40:36 UH HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE,

40:38 JIM, FOR.

40:40 THE COUNCIL TO GET.

40:41 THE REPORTS.

40:42 THAT ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS

40:44 COULD.

40:45 I YOU KNOW IT THAT'S SORT

40:47 OF IT'S COMES FROM AUDITING.

40:49 I WOULD HAVE TO, UH, CONNECT

40:50 WITH THEM ON THAT.

40:51 CAN YOU CHECK WITH THEM AND GET

40:53 BACK TO US?

40:53 SURE, SURE.

40:54 AND ON THE REPORT THAT.

40:57 UH.

40:58 COUNCILOR WORRELL.

40:59 IS A SECOND ON A QUARTERLY

41:01 BASIS.

41:02 HOW CHALLENGING.

41:03 OR HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT KIND

41:04 OF BE?

41:05 UH, TO PROVIDE TO THE

41:07 COUNCIL ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.

41:09 AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT

41:10 REVENUE, RIGHT?

41:11 YEAH.

41:12 I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN WE'VE

41:13 BEEN DOING A COUNCILOR.

41:14 UM REQUEST SO.

41:16 THAT'S UH WE WILL CONTINUE TO

41:18 DO THAT.

41:20 UM SO IT'S IT TAKES A LITTLE

41:21 ALL THE TIME JUST YOU KNOW,

41:23 STAFF TIME TO SORT OF CHECK AND

41:26 MAKE SURE THAT IT'S UH UH,

41:28 ACCURATE.

41:28 BUT OTHER THAN THAT.

41:29 UM.

41:30 YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO

41:31 PROVIDE THAT.

41:32 AND SO IF WE HAVEN'T BEEN

41:33 REQUESTING.

41:34 IT AND.

41:34 YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PROVIDING IT.

41:36 UH, CORRECT.

41:38 I THINK YOU'VE BEEN PRETTY

41:39 CONSISTENTLY REQUESTING IT.

41:40 YEAH.

41:41 SO ON.

41:41 A ON A QUARTERLY BASIS OR ON

41:43 A MONTH TO.

41:44 MONTH BASIS.

41:45 UH, I THINK ON A QUARTERLY

41:47 BASIS.

41:47 YEP.

41:47 OKAY.

41:48 AND SO THIS IS JUST REALLY.

41:51 UH INSTITUTING THIS

41:53 INSTITUTIONALLY AND.

41:54 LEGALLY SO.

41:55 THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO.

41:56 REQUESTED THAT IT COMES

41:58 AUTOMATICALLY.

42:00 YEAH I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S WHAT

42:02 THE INTENT IS.

42:02 YEAH OKAY.

42:03 AND SINCE YOU SAID YOU'RE DOING

42:05 IT ANYWAY REALLY SHOULDN'T BE

42:07 ANY EXTRA WORK IF.

42:09 YOU'RE DOING IT AS.

42:11 WE REQUESTED.

42:11 OTHER THAN.

42:12 THIS WILL BE.

42:13 ON.

42:14 A SCHEDULED BASIS.

42:15 RIGHT OKAY OKAY JIM THANK YOU

42:20 SO MUCH.

42:20 GOOD CHANGE.

42:24 THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CULPEPPER.

42:26 UM, WE'LL GO TO

42:26 COUNCILOR FLYNN.

42:30 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

42:31 AND THANK YOU TO, UM, DAVID AND

42:33 TO JIM AND TO STEVE FOR UM,

42:36 INFORMATIVE TESTIMONY.

42:38 UM.

42:41 SO LET ME START WITH LET

42:42 ME START WITH JIM.

42:43 JIM JIM, THE UM THE REPORTS

42:47 THAT COULD BE GIVEN TO THE CITY

42:50 COUNCIL UM ON ON A QUARTERLY

42:52 BASIS WOULD THAT INCLUDE

42:54 PURCHASING UM.

42:57 ISSUES.

42:58 UH CONTRACTS THAT WOULD WERE

43:00 SIGNED OR WENT OUT OR PAID UM

43:03 GENERAL INFORMATION SUCH AS

43:05 THAT?

43:07 UM.

43:08 NO, IT WOULD BE STRICTLY

43:10 BUDGETARY UH INFORMATION BUT I

43:12 BELIEVE THERE ARE ON THE CITY'S

43:15 UM OPEN DATA PORTAL UH UH,

43:18 THINGS THAT ARE LIKE OPEN

43:19 CHECKBOOK THAT SHOW UM THAT

43:23 KIND OF TRANSACTIONAL ACTIVITY

43:25 .

43:26 SO YEAH, I'M JUST THINKING OUT

43:28 LOUD, JIM WHEN WE WHEN WE SAW

43:30 THAT INSPECTOR GENERAL WITH THE

43:34 INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT FROM

43:36 THE STATE ON $900,000

43:40 MISAPPROPRIATION FUNDS THAT THE

43:42 PUBLIC SCHOOL DEPARTMENT UM

43:44 COULD THAT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON

43:48 ON A MONTHLY BASIS, A QUARTERLY

43:50 BASIS KNOWING THAT THERE'S SOME

43:53 FINANCIAL MISAPPROPRIATION

43:54 OF MONEY?

43:55 BUT COULD ANY REPORT HAVE

43:57 CAUGHT THAT IF SOMEONE LOOKED

44:00 AT IT ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND

44:02 SAID THIS DOESN'T LOOK ALL THAT

44:05 RIGHT, THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD,

44:06 UM, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS

44:08 THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG HERE

44:10 INSTEAD OF HAVING IT UM,

44:12 INCREASE OVER AN EXTENDED

44:14 PERIOD OF TIME.

44:15 YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT

44:18 BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THAT

44:19 AND THAT UM, UM UH, INTERACTION

44:22 WITH THE AG'S OFFICE BUT UH UM

44:26 POTENTIALLY UH, REPORTS COULD

44:28 COULD FLY THINGS BUT UM, THAT

44:30 MAY BE NO, I'M NOT I'M NOT

44:32 CLOSE ENOUGH TO IT TO GIVE YOU

44:34 AN INFORMED RESPONSE.

44:35 UH, LET ME UH STEVE, BASICALLY

44:38 THAT SAME QUESTION COULD COULD

44:40 THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION AT

44:41 CITY COUNCILS KNOW ABOUT IT OR

44:44 THE MAYOR'S OFFICE KNOW ABOUT

44:45 IT ON A MONTHLY BASIS A

44:46 QUARTERLY BASIS, NOT JUST

44:48 SOMEONE AT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL

44:49 DEPARTMENT BUT COULD THAT HAVE

44:51 PREVENTED MISAPPROPRIATION

44:54 OF MONEY?

44:55 UH YEAH.

44:56 AND I I'M NOT NOT HAVING SORT

44:59 OF DONE THE LEGWORK MYSELF.

45:00 I, I HESITATE TO GIVE YOU AN

45:02 ABSOLUTE RESPONSE.

45:03 I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE OPEN

45:06 CHECKBOOK HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY

45:07 AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IF YOU

45:09 KNOW WHAT TO ASK IT.

45:11 HOWEVER IT DOESN'T YOU KNOW IT

45:13 CONTAINS TRANSACTIONS NOT THE

45:16 SUBSTANCE OF THE CONTRACT THAT

45:18 UNDERPINS THAT TRANSACTION.

45:20 AND I THINK THE CRUX OF THE

45:22 IG'S DISCUSSION IN THAT IN

45:25 THEIR REPORT IS THAT THE

45:28 CONTRACT WAS SOLE SOURCE AND

45:31 THAT THE SHIPPING THE SHIPPING

45:33 FEES WERE KIND OF THE THE THE

45:36 ISSUE IN QUESTION HERE THOSE

45:38 ARE NOT DEALT WITH OPEN

45:39 CHECKBOOK IS A IS A GIGANTIC

45:41 SPREADSHEET OF DATA.

45:43 SO YOU SEE THE TRANSACTION THAT

45:45 A VENDOR WAS PAID AND YOU COULD

45:47 THEN YOU COULD THEN YOU COULD

45:49 THEN TOTAL UP HOW MUCH THE

45:50 VENDOR WAS PAID.

45:51 BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN

45:53 UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTRACT

45:56 UH, AS WELL WHICH AGAIN IS NOT

45:57 THERE.

45:58 SO I'M I'M GIVING YOU KIND OF A

46:00 HAND-WAVING ANSWER AND I

46:02 APOLOGIZE FOR THAT BUT IT'S NOT

46:05 THERE.

46:05 YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE WOULD

46:07 BE SOME EVIDENCE THERE AND

46:10 CLEARLY THE TRANSACTIONS WOULD

46:11 BE CAPTURED THERE.

46:12 BUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THE

46:15 IG HAS POINTED TO, UM, ARE

46:17 SEPARATE FROM WHAT WOULD BE AN

46:19 OPEN CHECKBOOK AND THAT'S NOT

46:21 OPEN CHECKBOOKS.

46:21 OPEN CHECKBOOK IS A YOU KNOW, I

46:23 THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL DEBT

46:25 OF TRANSPARENCY FROM THE

46:26 ADMINISTRATION.

46:27 UM, BUT THERE'S SEPARATE ISSUES

46:28 THERE.

46:29 YEAH.

46:30 OKAY.

46:30 MY MY MAIN POINT TO JIM AND TO

46:32 STEVE IS HOW COULD WE HAVE

46:35 PREVENTED THIS?

46:36 UM, YOU KNOW, ALMOST

46:38 IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE SAW

46:39 SOMETHING INITIALLY THAT DIDN'T

46:41 LOOK RIGHT.

46:43 UM, I'M THAT'S THAT'S MY MAIN

46:44 POINT.

46:45 LET ME GO ON TO DAVID.

46:46 UM, DAVID FREEDOM

46:49 OF INFORMATION UM FROM FROM

46:51 RESIDENTS IS THE CRITICAL PART

46:53 OF TRANSPARENCY.

46:54 WE HAVE SOMETHING ON THE CITY

46:56 COUNCIL CALLED IT SIMILAR TO

46:58 THAT.

46:59 IT'S BASICALLY CALLED A 17 F.

47:01 IT'S A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

47:03 FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO THE

47:04 MAYOR'S OFFICE OR THE CITY

47:06 ADMINISTRATION TO REQUEST

47:08 CERTAIN INFORMATION.

47:10 OFTENTIMES THAT'S JUST IGNORED.

47:11 BUT DOES DO OTHER CITIES HAVE

47:15 THE ABILITY WE HAVE A WE HAVE A

47:17 STRONG MAYORAL SYSTEM HERE AND

47:19 WEAK CITY COUNCIL.

47:20 SO THE MAYOR CAN JUST IGNORE

47:22 THE CITY COUNCIL.

47:23 UM, BUT ARE THERE OTHER CITIES

47:26 THAT HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO

47:29 A 17 F REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

47:31 FROM CITY COUNCIL TO THE MAYOR?

47:34 UM AND THAT IS RESPECTED THAT

47:37 THE MAYOR TURNS THAT

47:38 INFORMATION OVER TO THE CITY

47:41 COUNCIL COULD BECAUSE IT DOES

47:41 HELP THEM PREPARE FOR BUDGET

47:44 MEETINGS OR FOR UPCOMING

47:45 HEARINGS.

47:47 OH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION

47:49 MR FLYNN.

47:49 UM, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW.

47:52 I HAVEN'T STUDIED THAT SO UH

47:54 UH, IT WOULD BE A GREAT STUDY

47:56 TO LOOK AT THE DYNAMIC

47:58 DYNAMICS.

47:58 IT SOUNDS LIKE UH, YOU MAYOR

48:00 OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT A

48:02 LITTLE BIT UH, WITH CONGRESS

48:04 TRYING TO GET INFORMATION OUT

48:06 OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.

48:08 UH, SO, UH, BUT I, UH I'M

48:11 SORRY I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO

48:12 THAT, BUT THAT'S UH UH,

48:13 SOMETHING REALLY TO LOOK AT

48:15 CLOSELY BECAUSE IT SOUNDS UH

48:17 ARE WE DYSFUNCTIONAL?

48:19 IF YOU ASK ME, UH, INFORMATION

48:20 SHOULD FLOW FREELY TO THE

48:22 PUBLIC AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

48:26 REGARDLESS IF IT'S

48:29 CONTROVERSIAL OR REGARDLESS IF

48:31 IT SUPPORTS THE ADMINISTRATION

48:33 OR OPPOSES THE ADMINISTRATION,

48:35 THE THE DATA SHOULDN'T MATTER.

48:39 IS THAT ACCURATE, DAVID?

48:41 NO, ABSOLUTELY.

48:42 I THINK UH ANY INFORMATION THAT

48:45 IS PUBLICLY DISCLOSED BY THE

48:46 CITY COUNCIL IS ENTITLED TO AND

48:49 UNLESS THERE'S SOME EXEMPTION

48:50 IN THE STATE LAW THAT UH MIGHT

48:52 ALLOW SOME REDACTIONS, UH, AND

48:55 OF COURSE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

48:57 SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO JUST AS

48:58 EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD BE.

49:01 WE TAKE THE POSITION THAT IF

49:03 IT'S IF IT'S UM IF IT'S GOING

49:08 TO PUT THE ADMINISTRATION IN A

49:10 BAD LIGHT THAT YOU KNOW, THE

49:12 CITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT GET

49:14 THAT INFORMATION OR SHOULD NOT

49:16 REQUEST IT EVEN UM HMM.

49:20 WELL WHEN.

49:21 WE'RE.

49:21 TALKING ABOUT UM, ANNUAL

49:22 REVENUE REPORTS OR SORRY,

49:24 QUARTERLY REVENUE REPORTS BY

49:25 THE WAY.

49:26 I UNDERSTAND, MADAM CHAIR.

49:28 OKAY.

49:29 I WAS JUST I THAT'S A

49:30 SUBJECT MATTER AT HAND RIGHT

49:31 NOW.

49:32 MADAM CHAIR, I UNDERSTAND.

49:34 OKAY.

49:35 JUST MAKING SURE.

49:36 THANK YOU.

49:37 YEAH.

49:37 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR FOR

49:40 HIGHLIGHTING THAT.

49:41 BUT.

49:41 .

49:41 UM.

49:42 DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP MY

49:44 QUESTIONING, MADAM CHAIR?

49:45 IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME?

49:46 OH, NO.

49:46 I MEAN WE'RE ON TO WE'RE

49:48 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN

49:49 ORDINANCE ENSURING QUARTERLY

49:52 REVENUE REPORTS AND SO IT'S

49:54 SEPARATE FROM A 17TH.

49:57 MADAM CHAIR, I UNDERSTAND THAT

49:59 I I'M JUST SOMEWHAT SURPRISED

50:01 THAT I WAS CUT OFF BUT, UM I'M

50:04 GOING TO I'LL STOP ASKING

50:06 QUESTIONS IF THAT'S WHAT YOU

50:07 WANT.

50:07 MADAM CHAIR, YOU.

50:08 ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASK 1

50:09 OR 2 MORE QUESTIONS.

50:10 EVERYONE'S GOT AT LEAST EIGHT

50:12 EIGHT MINUTES AND SO YOU'RE

50:13 ALMOST AT THAT TIME TO LIKE

50:14 ANOTHER QUESTION TO ASK ANOTHER

50:15 QUESTION PLEASE GO AHEAD.

50:16 NOW MADAM CHAIR.

50:18 I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS UM

50:19 CUT OFF SO I'M JUST GOING TO

50:21 STOP THERE.

50:23 OKAY?

50:24 THAT IS YOUR PREROGATIVE.

50:25 UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

50:26 WE'LL BE GOING TO

50:28 COUNCILOR WEBER NEXT.

50:31 UH, HELLO?

50:32 CAN YOU HEAR ME?

50:36 MAYBE WE CAN HEAR YOU.

50:37 YEP.

50:38 RIGHT.

50:39 UH, OKAY.

50:40 UH, SO I GUESS FOR FOR JIM, UM,

50:45 AGAIN LIKE SO.

50:46 HOW HOW LONG AFTER THE END

50:48 OF THE QUARTER WOULD IT TAKE TO

50:51 TO GENERATE THE REPORT?

50:52 UH, YOU MADE SAID THE SEMESTER

50:54 OF OPENING COMMENTS.

50:55 I APOLOGIZE, BUT.

50:56 YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, UH THE

50:59 ORDINANCE CALLS FOR 30 DAYS AND

51:01 I THINK THAT'S A GENEROUS

51:02 AMOUNT OF TIME FOR US TO BE

51:03 ABLE TO DO IT.

51:04 HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO IT BEFORE

51:05 THAT.

51:06 SO OKAY.

51:07 AND THEN UH, I GUESS WHAT'S

51:09 YOUR OPINION ON YOU MEAN JUST

51:12 POSTING LIKE THE REPORT IN A

51:14 PUBLIC LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW,

51:17 INSTEAD OF JUST SENDING IT OVER

51:18 TO THE CITY COUNCIL?

51:19 I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT'S

51:21 CONTEMPLATED, BUT UM, YOU KNOW

51:23 WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON

51:26 PRODUCING A REPORT OR JUST

51:27 POSTING IT?

51:28 YEAH.

51:29 I MEAN UM I'M SORT

51:32 OF DELVING INTO THE WORLD OF UH

51:34 IT A LITTLE BIT UH, SO THERE'S

51:35 SORT OF THE UH THE CUSTODIAN UH

51:38 ,MANAGER OF THE OPEN DATA

51:41 PORTAL WE DEFINITELY STAGED

51:42 DATA THERE, BUT IT IT TAKES A

51:44 LOT OF WORK COORDINATING WITH

51:45 THEM ON LIKE THE PROTOCOLS AND

51:48 TO HAVE A PROCESS.

51:49 SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR

51:50 THEM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S

51:52 DOABLE.

51:53 UM, THEY'D PROBABLY BE LIKE, UH

51:55 ,YOU KNOW, A CASE UM, UH, SORT

51:58 OF SORT OF, UH, USE CASE

52:01 SUBSTANTIATION THEY MIGHT WANT

52:02 TO GO THROUGH BEFORE THEY LIKE

52:03 PRIORITIZE WITH THE TO DO THAT.

52:05 BUT I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY

52:06 FEASIBLE.

52:06 UH, I BUT I DON'T THINK THE

52:09 BUDGET OFFICE COULD YOU

52:10 LITERALLY DO IT?

52:11 YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO WORK

52:12 WITH OUR IT FOLKS TO STAGE

52:14 PUBLICLY, UH, DISPLAY DATA.

52:16 SO SAME THING WE DO WITH BUDGET

52:18 INFORMATION SO WE DO IT WE HAVE

52:19 THAT RELATIONSHIP UH, NOW WITH

52:22 WE HAVE INTERACTIVE BUDGET

52:23 DATA, YOU KNOW, LIVES UM UH,

52:27 BOSTON BUDGET DATA.

52:29 UH, IT'S JUST IT'S BEEN THAT'S

52:31 BEEN A LOT A LOT OF WORK OVER

52:32 MANY YEARS TO GET THAT UM,

52:34 PROTOCOL WORKED OUT.

52:37 OKAY.

52:38 UH, AND THEN UM, I'M JUST,

52:40 UH, IN THE SUGGESTED LANGUAGE

52:43 SAYS, UH, REPORTS DETAILING ALL

52:46 REVENUE COLLECTED TO DATE BY

52:50 ITEM.

52:51 IT IS THAT.

52:55 UH GEE I IT IS DO YOU NEED ANY

52:59 MORE DIRECTION THAN THAT OR I

53:01 THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE

53:03 WANT DO YOU THINK YES YES YES.

53:05 ALL RIGHT SO.

53:06 CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WITH THAT

53:08 THAT WOULD BE.

53:10 UH SO IT'S UH SOMETHING THAT'S

53:12 PRODUCED REGULARLY NOW SO IT'S

53:15 UH IT'S REVENUE.

53:18 SO UM REVENUE IS A LITTLE

53:20 DIFFERENT AND IT'S THE WAY WE

53:21 REFER TO IT IT'S IT'S REVENUE

53:23 ESTIMATES.

53:24 UH IT'S NOT.

53:25 IT'S IT'S IT'S UH ESTIMATE

53:29 OF UM REVENUE THAT WE WILL

53:30 COLLECT THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO

53:33 SUPPORT UH, EXPENDITURE BUDGET

53:35 .

53:36 UH, WE DON'T CHANGE IT TOO

53:39 FREQUENTLY.

53:41 WE ESTABLISH IT AND THE ONLY

53:44 OPPORTUNITY WE WE TYPICALLY

53:46 HAVE TO REVISE IT IS THROUGH

53:48 WHEN, UM, WE WORK WITH THE

53:50 DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO UM,

53:53 VALIDATE UH, UM, THEY THEY SORT

53:56 OF DO THIS 351 CITIES AND TOWNS

53:58 THEY SAY, UM, WE WANT TO MAKE

54:02 SURE WE'RE DOING THE DUE

54:03 DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THIS

54:04 MUNICIPALITY IS FOLLOWING ALL

54:06 OF THE STATE GUIDELINES IN

54:08 TERMS OF REVENUE REPORTING AND

54:09 WE HAVE TO, UH, TAKE A LITTLE

54:11 BIT OF A STEP BACK AND AND

54:13 REALIZE THAT 73% OF OUR UH,

54:15 REVENUE COMES FROM PROPERTY TAX

54:17 AND IT'S IT'S VERY FORMULAIC

54:21 AND HITS CALCULATION.

54:23 UH, SO IT IS AND NOT TO YOU

54:26 DISCOUNT THERE'S AN ENORMOUS

54:27 AMOUNT OF WORK IN REPORTING

54:29 THAT THAT HAPPENS IN THE LEAD

54:32 UP TO ACTUALLY AND WITH CITY

54:35 COUNCILS PARTICIPATION IN UM

54:37 PLUS THE CLASSIFICATION AND UH

54:40 UM YOU KNOW SO UH BUT I THINK

54:43 WHAT THE UM SO THAT THAT'S AN

54:46 IS THE UH PAUSE POINT WHERE WE

54:48 CAN SAY HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS

54:49 REVENUE WAS NOT ACHIEVING IT'S

54:51 YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S LEVEL WE'LL

54:53 REVISE IT DOWN OR NEW GROWTH

54:55 DID BETTER THAN WE WE HAD

54:56 ORIGINALLY.

54:57 THAT'S I THINK CAPTURE.

54:58 THAT YEAH.

54:59 YEAH JOIN IN MY QUESTION A

55:00 LITTLE MORE UH BASIC YEAH IS IS

55:02 THAT IT JUST IN TERMS OF SO IF

55:04 YOU'RE MISSING THEM BY ITEM

55:06 LIKE WHAT IS YOUR READING

55:08 OF THE WORD ITEM AND IS THAT

55:10 YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE

55:11 WE'RE GOING TO GET WHAT WE'RE

55:13 HOPING FOR.

55:14 YEP.

55:15 UH IT'S IT'S IT'S THE WAY WE

55:18 RECORDED IT'S KIND OF A REVENUE

55:19 ACCOUNT.

55:21 UM SO IT'S WE WE TEND TO BUCKET

55:24 IT IN OUR BUDGET SUMMARY SO WE

55:26 SAY THESE THIS IS PROPERTY.

55:28 TAX THESE ARE EXCISE TAX THESE

55:32 ARE FINES THESE ARE PERMITS UH

55:36 AND UM AND THEN WE HAVE OUR

55:39 STATE AID ACCOUNTS UH SO YOU

55:42 KNOW UM IN IN YOU GUYS HAVE UH

55:45 THE COUNCIL HAS SEEN THIS

55:46 PRESENTATION BEFORE, YOU KNOW,

55:48 73% OF OUR REVENUE IS PROPERTY

55:49 TAX.

55:50 ALL OF THOSE COMPONENT PIECES

55:52 ARE SMALLER SLICES OF THE

55:54 OF THE PIE.

55:55 AND SO THAT COVERS THE WORD

55:57 JUST THE WORD ITEM AND WE'LL

55:59 COVER WE'LL COVER IT.

56:01 UM YOUR DIRECTIONS ARE CLEAR

56:03 IF.

56:04 YOU'RE YES I THINK SO YEAH I

56:05 THINK I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE

56:06 SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT, UH WHAT

56:08 IT SHOULD BE.

56:09 OKAY.

56:09 UH, AND THEN I GUESS STEVE,

56:11 I, UH AND THIS IS GOING TO COME

56:13 BACK TO YOU, JIM.

56:13 BUT STEVE AND I WERE TALKING

56:15 THIS MORNING ABOUT REVENUE

56:18 PROJECTIONS AND I THINK OTHER

56:20 MUNICIPALITIES HAVE LONGER YOU

56:22 KNOW, WE GET WE THEY HAVE MORE

56:23 DATA IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY THE

56:25 PEOPLE ARE PROVIDED WITH LONGER

56:27 REVENUE PROJECTIONS OR I SEE DO

56:30 YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT

56:32 THAT AND SOMETHING THAT CAN

56:33 IMPROVE IMPROVE GOING.

56:35 YEAH BUT.

56:36 YEAH I YOU KNOW I THINK THE

56:38 CONVERSATION YOU KNOW SOME

56:39 PEOPLE NOTED OTHER COMMUNITIES

56:42 UM HAVE A PRACTICE OF DOING

56:44 LONGER TERM BOTH REVENUE AND

56:47 EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS AND

56:48 THAT'S A VIRTUOUS EXERCISE.

56:52 UM I WOULD DIRECT THIS ONE

56:53 PROBABLY BACK TO JIM.

56:54 I KNOW I KNOW I BELIEVE THE

56:57 CITY DOES SOME FORM OF THIS.

57:00 UM, I JUST HAVE OFF THE TOP

57:02 OF MY HEAD I CAN'T FIGURE OUT

57:03 WHAT VESSEL SORT OF WHAT IS THE

57:06 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL FOR IT?

57:08 UM, BUT I KNOW THAT IS

57:10 SOMETHING THAT THE OFFICE

57:11 THINKS ABOUT.

57:12 I JUST I DON'T KNOW THE LEVEL

57:14 OF DISCLOSURE.

57:15 UM, SO I MIGHT I MIGHT SORT

57:17 OF PUNT ON THAT ONE A BIT.

57:18 YEAH.

57:18 NO, I GUESS JIM'S THAT JIM

57:19 LIKE CAN WE GET LONGER TERM

57:21 PROJECTIONS?

57:22 WHY DON'T WE DO DO YOU HAVE

57:24 INTERNALLY UH WHY YOU KNOW WHY

57:26 ARE WE PROVIDERS AND WITH THAT

57:29 OR YOU KNOW AND THERE MAY BE

57:30 GOOD REASONS FOR THIS AND, UH,

57:32 I'M JUST INTERESTED IN YOUR

57:33 THOUGHTS.

57:34 WE DO WE DO.

57:35 UM, SO, UH, IF YOU, UM, GO TO

57:39 THE, UH, BUDGET OFFICE FOR

57:41 BUDGET.

57:41 TALK BOSTON.GOV.

57:43 AND THEN YOU GO TO UM PDFS UH

57:47 UH GET THE PDF SECTION.

57:49 THERE IS A MULTI-YEAR BUDGET

57:50 DISPLAY.

57:51 SO YOU KNOW, OUR MOST CURRENT

57:54 PUBLICATION WE DO HAVE UH UH A

57:57 FORECAST FOR THE FOR 28 AND 29

58:01 UM AND IT IS IT UH TO UH

58:05 STATEMENTS MADE EARLIER UH THAT

58:07 IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL

58:09 QUESTIONS WE GET FROM UM RATING

58:12 AGENCIES IS IT'S NOT REALLY

58:15 NECESSARILY UH AND THAT THAT

58:17 SPEAKS TO THE WHOLE

58:19 SUSTAINABILITY.

58:20 UH ARE YOU.

58:21 PREPARING UH.

58:23 ARE THE DECISIONS YOU MAKING

58:24 TODAY PREPARING YOURSELF TO WAS

58:26 YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH

58:28 THINGS IN THE FUTURE.

58:29 JIM I THINK SO I THINK THE

58:31 ISSUE FROM THE RATING AGENCIES

58:33 IS ALSO PARTIALLY THE ONLY

58:35 PROJECT TWO YEARS WHEREAS IN

58:36 OTHER PLACES THEY PROJECT

58:38 LONGER AND I JUST DON'T KNOW IF

58:39 THOSE PROJECTIONS ARE JUST NOT

58:41 RELIABLE.

58:42 UH, HAVE WE HAVE YOU HAD A

58:44 CONVERSATION ABOUT DOING LONGER

58:46 PROJECTIONS?

58:47 YEAH.

58:48 YOU KNOW THE FURTHER YOU GET

58:50 OUT THE MORE IT BECOMES UH UM

58:53 UH THERE'S LESS ACCURACY THERE

58:55 .

58:56 UM PROBABLY PROBABLY.

58:58 UH BUT UM WE UH ACTUALLY IT'S

59:02 WE ARE FOLLOWING THE CRITERION

59:03 SET BY UM, UH, THE GOVERNMENT

59:06 FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

59:08 THAT UH UH SUGGESTS AT LEAST A

59:11 TWO YEAR FORECAST.

59:12 SO THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOR

59:15 DOING.

59:16 OKAY.

59:16 UH, AND IT JUST LIKE MY.

59:18 LAST QUESTION I GUESS IT IS

59:19 THIS ISSUE OF THE REVENUE.

59:22 SO THE QUARTERLY REPORTS, UH,

59:25 YOU KNOW, SO LIKE LET'S SAY

59:27 WE'RE IN IT'S MAY 2026 AND OR

59:30 WE'VE GOTTEN QUARTERLY REPORTS

59:32 ,YOU KNOW, MAYBE THREE

59:32 QUARTERLY REPORTS TO FOR THAT

59:35 SLIDE 26.

59:37 UH, AND WE'RE SORT OF USING

59:39 THOSE PROJECTIONS TO SEE WHERE

59:40 WE'RE GOING TO END UP AT THE

59:42 END OF FISCAL YEAR 26, BUT WE

59:43 DON'T HAVE THE FULL PICTURE

59:44 LIKE SO I MEAN IN YOUR

59:47 EXPERIENCE LIKE HOW MUCH DOES

59:49 THAT LAST QUARTERLY REPORT YOU

59:53 KNOW, LIKE SORT OF.

59:56 TO FOLLOW UH IS THIS A STRAIGHT

59:57 YOU KNOW WE'RE SEEING LIKE A

59:59 STRAIGHT LINE OR DOES IT LOOK

1:00:00 LIKE YOU KNOW, THE THE ALPS I

1:00:03 HAVE NO IDEA.

1:00:04 UH, LIKE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S

1:00:06 AN ISSUE THAT WE DEAL WITH EACH

1:00:08 YEAR IS LIKE WELL WHAT'S GOING

1:00:11 TO BE HAPPENING IN MAY AND JUNE

1:00:13 AND THEN APRIL WE JUST DON'T

1:00:15 HAVE THAT DATA.

1:00:16 I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT IMPACTS I

1:00:18 GUESS.

1:00:18 WHAT'S YOUR.

1:00:19 YEAH I THINK THERE'S SOME

1:00:21 UNIQUENESS ACROSS THE REVENUE

1:00:23 SOURCES.

1:00:23 UH ON THE TIMING OF WHEN

1:00:25 THEY'RE WHEN THEY'RE

1:00:27 RECOGNIZED.

1:00:28 SO UH SOME OF IT IS LIKE FIGURE

1:00:30 LIKE LICENSING THINGS THERE'S

1:00:32 LIKE A CERTAIN CADENCE TO WHEN

1:00:34 THAT WOULD COME IN.

1:00:36 WE ALSO OUR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM

1:00:37 THE COMMONWEALTH FOR EXERCISES

1:00:39 ARE ON A CERTAIN CADENCE.

1:00:41 UM SO THE THE THERE ARE SOME

1:00:43 DIFFERENCES.

1:00:44 AND THEN JUST I GUESS THE

1:00:46 FOLLOW UP IS SO BUT THE CADENCE

1:00:47 IS ARE SIMILAR EACH YEAR WILL

1:00:50 BE PREDICTABLE ON SOME OF THESE

1:00:52 LIKE LICENSING THEY'LL SAY.

1:00:53 YEAH WELL USUALLY EVEN THOUGH

1:00:55 WE'RE ONLY 75% OF THE WAY

1:00:56 THROUGH THE YEAR WE'RE WE'RE

1:00:58 PROBABLY ONLY SEEING 25% OF THE

1:01:01 REVENUE FROM THIS AND THEN GET

1:01:03 THAT FROM YEAR TO YEAR LIKE UM

1:01:05 AND HOW UNEVEN IT'S GOING TO

1:01:07 GET.

1:01:08 TO YEAH IT'S UM IN THERE ARE

1:01:10 SOME SIGNALING OF CERTAIN

1:01:12 THINGS SO UH UH UH STATE THE

1:01:17 STATE WILL PUBLISH WHAT THEY

1:01:18 CALL BLUE BOOK DATA ON EXCISE

1:01:21 UM COLLECTIONS.

1:01:23 UH AND WE WE CAN SO IT'S NOT

1:01:26 DISTRIBUTED TO US ON THAT ON

1:01:27 THAT FREQUENCY I THINK IT'S

1:01:29 DISTRIBUTED TO US ON A

1:01:30 QUARTERLY BASIS BUT IT WE AT

1:01:32 LEAST WE COULD LIKE DO SOME

1:01:34 ANALYSIS TO SAY HISTORICALLY

1:01:37 THE CITY OF BOSTON WOULD

1:01:38 CAPTURE X PERCENTAGE OF THAT

1:01:40 BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS DOESN'T

1:01:42 ALWAYS UH UH MANIFEST ITSELF

1:01:46 BASED ON A HISTORICAL UH

1:01:47 PATTERN EVERY SINGLE TIME IT'S

1:01:50 THERE IS SOME UH VARIABILITY

1:01:52 THERE.

1:01:53 SO IN THE DO YOU HAVE THAT LIKE

1:01:56 YOU COULD YOU ACTUALLY COULD GO

1:01:58 THROUGH AND YOU I MEAN DO YOU

1:02:01 HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THAT IS

1:02:03 AND SURE.

1:02:03 THANK YOU CHAIR.

1:02:05 UM OKAY.

1:02:08 THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER UM

1:02:09 COUNCILMEMBER HERE.

1:02:16 SORRY.

1:02:16 AND UM, YOU.

1:02:17 UM GOOD MORNING.

1:02:18 I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE

1:02:20 COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, BUT I'M

1:02:21 HAPPY TO BE HERE AND I WANT TO

1:02:24 THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS UM, SO

1:02:26 NOT TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE

1:02:27 THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO

1:02:28 DIFFERENTLY SO THAT WE CAN HOLD

1:02:30 OURSELVES MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO

1:02:31 THOSE THAT WE SERVE.

1:02:33 SO THANK YOU COUNCIL AROUND FOR

1:02:34 YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE SPACE.

1:02:36 UM AND THE CHAIR FOR UM

1:02:38 FACILITATING UH JUST A FEW

1:02:41 QUESTIONS FOR ME, JIM AND I'M

1:02:43 SURE YOU KNOW AND STEVE DAVE

1:02:46 I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE MET UH UM

1:02:48 BUT UH I KNOW THAT STEVE AND

1:02:50 JIM UH, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN

1:02:53 FOLLOWING BOSTON POLITICS KNOW

1:02:54 THAT I.

1:02:55 WORKED ON.

1:02:57 ESTABLISHING AT LEAST UM

1:02:58 INITIALLY WAS MUNICIPAL

1:03:01 INSPECTOR GENERAL HERE IN THE

1:03:02 CITY OF BOSTON JUST SO THAT WE

1:03:03 CAN HAVE SOME MORE FISCAL

1:03:05 OVERSIGHT.

1:03:06 UM, IT DID NOT TURN OUT TO BE

1:03:09 SUCH NOW IT WAS JUST

1:03:11 STRENGTHENING THE, UM BECOMES

1:03:15 ABILITY TO HAVE SOME MORE

1:03:17 POWERS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE

1:03:18 COULD BE SOME OF THAT WORK AND

1:03:21 I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.

1:03:22 YOU KNOW, HAVING.

1:03:24 AN EXTRA LAYER

1:03:26 OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND MORE

1:03:27 OVERSIGHT AS IT RELATES TO OUR

1:03:28 BUDGET.

1:03:29 BUT MY QUESTION IS TO FOLLOW UP

1:03:32 ON COUNCILOR CULPEPER.

1:03:32 UM, JIM, HE HAD MENTIONED THAT

1:03:35 YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO SHARE WITH

1:03:38 THE DEPARTMENTS BUDGETS I GUESS

1:03:40 OR JUST KIND OF LIKE GIVING

1:03:42 THEM UPDATES REGULARLY SO IF

1:03:44 YOU CAN GET IT TO THEM, WHAT

1:03:46 WOULD BE THE BARRIER OF GETTING

1:03:47 IT TO US IF YOU IF IT'S ALREADY

1:03:49 CREATED IT'S JUST A MATTER

1:03:50 OF JUST SENDING IT SENDING IT

1:03:53 TO 13 OTHER INDIVIDUALS.

1:03:54 WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE PROBLEM

1:03:56 WITH GETTING IT TO US IF YOU

1:03:57 ALREADY GET IT TO THE

1:03:58 DEPARTMENTS?

1:04:00 UH I DON'T THINK THEY'LL

1:04:02 THERE'LL BE A PROBLEM

1:04:03 RESPONDING TO THE THE THE UM

1:04:06 WHAT'S PUT PUT FORTH A NEW

1:04:07 ORDINANCE THAT'S UH, SHOULDN'T

1:04:09 BE A PROBLEM.

1:04:10 UH UM MONTHLY IT'S JUST A

1:04:12 DIFFERENT CADENCE.

1:04:14 UH, A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS

1:04:16 WITH THE, UM THE DEPARTMENT IS

1:04:18 SORT OF LIKE A WORKING

1:04:21 CONVERSATION SO IT'S NOT UM

1:04:22 IT'S IT'S TO IDENTIFY ISSUES

1:04:26 THAT MAY HAVE AROSE LIKE

1:04:28 OPERATIONALLY LIKE, UM,

1:04:29 PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW,

1:04:30 CONNECTED TO REVENUE.

1:04:32 UM, THERE ARE BOTH EXTERNAL

1:04:34 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE REVENUE

1:04:36 BUT INTERNAL OPERATIONAL

1:04:37 THINGS.

1:04:38 SO UH, PARKING TICKETS ARE

1:04:40 ISSUED BY CITY EMPLOYEES.

1:04:41 SO UM STAFFING LEVELS ARE

1:04:43 CONNECTED TO THAT.

1:04:44 UM SO THOSE ARE ALL IN IT'S

1:04:47 SORT OF A WORKING COMMUNICATION

1:04:49 .

1:04:49 UM, SO WE TEND TO UH UH AGONIZE

1:04:55 LESS ON SORT OF THE PRECISION

1:04:57 OF THAT OF THAT.

1:04:58 YEAH.

1:04:59 THAT WAS JUST THE TO ACTUALLY

1:05:00 TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND IT'S

1:05:03 A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM LIKE

1:05:04 TRYING TO PROVIDE A FINANCIAL

1:05:05 IMPACT.

1:05:06 I GET IT EVEN IF EVEN IF YOU

1:05:07 MANAGE OUR EXPECTATIONS AND SAY

1:05:09 HEY, THIS IS JUST UH YOU KNOW,

1:05:12 DON'T HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE TO

1:05:13 EVERY SINGLE CENT THAT'S HERE.

1:05:15 BUT THIS IS KIND OF WHAT THE

1:05:16 PROJECTIONS ARE LOOKING LIKE

1:05:17 JUST OUT OF JUST UH, MORE FOR

1:05:20 COMMUNICATIONS PURPOSES.

1:05:20 BUT I'M GOING TO MOVE ON SOME

1:05:22 SOME VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

1:05:23 NOW THE ADOPTED A 526 BUDGET

1:05:26 INCLUDED BOARD UM 4.7 9A3

1:05:32 BILLION AND REOCCURRING I DON'T

1:05:34 EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY THAT

1:05:34 NUMBER.

1:05:35 THAT'S HOW UH HOW I GREW UP UM

1:05:39 40 I THINK IT'S FOUR.

1:05:41 UM IT'S A LOT IT'S A BILLION.

1:05:43 OKAY.

1:05:43 AND REOCCURRING UH, REVENUE

1:05:45 DIVIDED INTO 13 CATEGORIES.

1:05:47 WHAT WAS THE ACTUAL TOTAL

1:05:49 AMOUNT OF REOCCURRING REVENUE

1:05:50 FOR FY 26 AND WHAT ARE THE

1:05:52 ACTUAL TOTALS IN EACH OF THOSE

1:05:54 CATEGORIES?

1:05:54 SO IF YOU CAN JUST I'M GOING TO

1:05:55 GIVE YOU ALL MY QUESTIONS AND

1:05:56 THEN YOU CAN JUST ANSWER THEM.

1:05:58 UM WHAT UH WHAT WAS THE THE

1:06:00 TOTAL ACTUAL REVENUE IN THE

1:06:02 FIRST QUARTER FOR FY 27 AND

1:06:04 WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT

1:06:07 REVENUE BY CATEGORY?

1:06:08 THE FY 27 ADOPTED BUDGET

1:06:12 INCLUDED UM 4.9024 BILLION AND

1:06:17 REOCCURRING REVENUE.

1:06:20 UM WERE THOSE PROJECTS WERE

1:06:22 THOSE WERE THEIR PROJECTIONS

1:06:24 OF HOW MUCH UH TOTAL REVENUE UH

1:06:27 BY REVENUE AND BY CATEGORY WILL

1:06:29 COME IN EACH MONTH OR QUARTER.

1:06:31 SO JUST TRYING TO GET A HANDLE

1:06:34 ON THAT AND HOW DO THEY COMPARE

1:06:36 WITH THE ACTUAL REVENUE AND

1:06:38 THEN WHAT IS THE DATA ABOUT HOW

1:06:39 THE WORLD CUP IMPACTED REVENUE

1:06:41 COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL

1:06:43 PROJECTIONS BECAUSE WE WERE

1:06:44 TOLD OH THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE

1:06:46 A UH YOU KNOW, WE DON'T OH WE

1:06:47 DON'T WANT TO COUNT ON THAT.

1:06:48 THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO CUT

1:06:49 YOUTH JOBS.

1:06:50 BUT ANYWAYS I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT

1:06:53 UH WHAT WHAT WHAT IT LOOK LIKE

1:06:55 NOW THAT WE WE HAVE THOSE

1:06:56 DOLLARS IN UM AND WHEN UM, MORE

1:07:00 REVENUE COMES IN THAN EXPECTED

1:07:03 ,WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT MONEY

1:07:04 THAT THEY GO INTO THE GENERAL

1:07:06 FUND AND RESERVES CAN THE MAYOR

1:07:08 AND THE CITY COUNCIL PASSES

1:07:09 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET WITH

1:07:10 ADDITIONAL FUNDS JUST TO HELP

1:07:12 US UNDERSTAND KIND OF LIKE WHAT

1:07:13 WE DO WITH THE OVERFLOW.

1:07:15 AND LAST YEAR THE

1:07:17 ADMINISTRATION CLAIMED THAT ANY

1:07:18 RESUBMITTED BUDGET MIGHT HAVE

1:07:20 LESS REVENUE THAN THE BUDGET

1:07:22 SUBMITTED IN APRIL.

1:07:23 AND HAS THAT REVENUE ACTUALLY

1:07:24 BEEN BELOW UM, WHAT WAS

1:07:27 INCLUDED IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET?

1:07:28 AND NOW I UNDERSTAND BEFORE THE

1:07:30 CHAIR SAYS THIS IS THE THIS IS

1:07:32 THE UH, HEARING ON THE UM ON

1:07:35 THE UH THE ORDINANCE BUT I DO

1:07:38 BELIEVE THESE QUESTIONS HELP,

1:07:40 UH, US GAIN SOME INSIGHT TO

1:07:42 YOUR ABILITY TO TRACK AND

1:07:44 REPORT AND, UH, SHARE

1:07:46 INFORMATION WITH THE COUNCIL.

1:07:48 SO THIS IS A GOOD FIRST TRY.

1:07:50 SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT.

1:07:54 AND THOSE ARE ALL FOR YOU, JIM

1:07:55 UNFORTUNATELY, DAVID.

1:07:56 AND SO I'LL COME TO YOU IF

1:07:58 THERE'S A SECOND ROUND.

1:07:59 NO PROBLEM COUNSELOR I WILL DO

1:08:02 MY BEST TO SORT OF UH I THINK

1:08:03 YOU YOU FIRST STARTED TALKING

1:08:05 ABOUT UM THE 526 UH WHICH UH UM

1:08:12 WE UM, HAD SOME UH, BUDGETARY

1:08:16 CHALLENGES IN THAT 426 AND WE

1:08:18 WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE

1:08:19 COUNCIL I THINK IT WAS UH UM A

1:08:21 GREAT I WAS A GOOD SORT

1:08:24 OF TESTAMENT TO THE

1:08:25 COLLABORATIVE WORKING

1:08:26 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE

1:08:28 ADMINISTRATION AND THE

1:08:28 COUNCIL THAT WAS UH MANY

1:08:31 COMMUNICATIONS UH, FROM THE

1:08:33 MAYOR AND THE CFO TO THE CITY

1:08:35 COUNCIL ON THE STATUS TRYING TO

1:08:37 KEEP THE COUNCIL ABREAST OF THE

1:08:40 SITUATION.

1:08:40 UH, WE WERE DEALING WITH IT AT

1:08:42 426.

1:08:43 UM, WE UH WE ACTUALLY

1:08:47 SUCCESSFULLY WORKED UH, WITH

1:08:49 THE COUNCIL TO DO SUPPLEMENTAL

1:08:52 BUDGETS FOR BOTH THE BOSTON

1:08:53 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UH, AND THE

1:08:55 CITY UM UH UH THE CITY LARGELY

1:08:59 DRIVEN UH BY SOME SOME SOME

1:09:02 SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL THAT

1:09:04 RESULTED IN SHORTFALLS IN THAT

1:09:06 BUDGET.

1:09:07 UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE NOT

1:09:08 UNLIKE A LOT OF BUT IN TERMS

1:09:10 OF GIVING YOU THIS, UH,

1:09:11 SPECIFICITY ON THE THE UM THE

1:09:14 FINALIZATION OF FY UH 26 BUDGET

1:09:17 THIS IS A POINT WHERE IT THEN

1:09:19 SWITCHES FROM UH, THE BUDGET

1:09:21 OFFICE TO THE AUDITING

1:09:23 DEPARTMENT AND UH UH, GIVING

1:09:26 THE AUDIT AUDITING DEPARTMENT

1:09:27 ITS ITS SPACE TO DO ITS ANNUAL

1:09:29 ITS STANDARD ANNUAL AUDIT

1:09:31 PROCESS AND THIS THIS THIS

1:09:33 AUDIT PROCESS INVOLVES SORT

1:09:35 OF THOSE ROUTINE, UH, CLOSEOUT

1:09:37 ADJUSTMENTS, YOU KNOW,

1:09:39 ADJUSTING REVENUE ACCRUALS,

1:09:40 GRANT RECONCILIATIONS AND SO UH

1:09:44 ,THERE IN THE AT THE HEART

1:09:46 OF THAT SO IT'D BE PREMATURE

1:09:48 FOR ME TO LIKE GIVE YOU ANY

1:09:50 DEFINITIVE BUT THE ONLY

1:09:51 DIRECTIONAL UH, THING I CAN SAY

1:09:53 IS WE CERTAINLY DO APPRECIATE

1:09:54 THE SUPPLEMENTAL THAT WAS, UM,

1:09:56 APPROVED BY SUPPLEMENTALS THAT

1:09:58 WERE APPROVED BY CITY

1:09:59 COUNCIL AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT

1:10:01 WE FINISHED UM, UH, FY 26

1:10:05 WITHOUT A UH, BOTTOM LINE

1:10:07 DEFICIT, UH, BASED ON THAT.

1:10:09 SO WE APPRECIATE THAT UH, IN

1:10:11 TERMS OF UM UH THE FIRST

1:10:13 QUARTER OF THAT 427 UH, IT'S

1:10:16 YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE IT

1:10:18 LITERALLY JUST CLOSED LAST WEEK

1:10:20 SO IT'S UH WE'RE WE'RE UH WE'RE

1:10:23 STILL SORT OF WORKING THROUGH

1:10:24 IT.

1:10:24 UM, WE WE I THINK YOU ARE NOT

1:10:27 UNLIKE THE REST OF OTHER FOLKS

1:10:29 TO WANT TO SEE, UH, WHAT WE

1:10:31 CONTINUE TO REFER TO AS SORT

1:10:32 OF THE WORLD CUP BUMP IS IT IS

1:10:34 IS IT UH ARE WE SEEING UH,

1:10:37 EXTRAORDINARY REVENUES AND AND

1:10:39 THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE

1:10:40 WE'RE SEEING LIKE UM SOME

1:10:43 OF THE DATA THAT SORT

1:10:45 OF DOESN'T EXACTLY AND WE AND

1:10:46 WE HAVE UH PARTNERS UH WITH

1:10:49 THIS THE PLANNING RESEARCH

1:10:51 DEPARTMENT HAS DONE SOME

1:10:53 ANALYSIS ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT

1:10:56 OF OF OF MAJOR EVENTS LIKE

1:10:58 WORLD CUP.

1:10:59 UH, BUT THERE ARE SO SO MANY UM

1:11:02 COMPONENTS TO IT TO BEFORE SO

1:11:04 I'M NOT I DON'T THINK WE'RE

1:11:06 READY TO GIVE YOU SORT OF A

1:11:07 DEFINITIVE I THINK I THINK WE

1:11:09 CAN SAY GENERALLY BUT THE

1:11:10 QUARTER UM WHERE UH WORLD CUP

1:11:14 HAPPENED UH IN THE RUN UP TO

1:11:16 THE 4TH OF JULY AND THEN INTO

1:11:17 THE SALE BOSTON EVENT UH, HAD

1:11:19 BETTER REVENUE IN HOTEL

1:11:22 EXERCISES AND MEALS BUT UM, IF

1:11:25 IT IS I, I DON'T I THINK IT

1:11:27 WOULD BE PREMATURE FOR ME TO

1:11:28 SAY THAT IT'S SORT OF AN

1:11:30 OUTSIZED UH, BECAUSE AS AS WE

1:11:33 ALL KNOW, BOSTON IS A VERY, UH,

1:11:36 DESIRABLE PLACE TO TO TO COME

1:11:38 TO IN THE SPRING ANYWAY,

1:11:40 THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT

1:11:42 OF PREDICTABLE, UH, THINGS WITH

1:11:44 COLLEGE GRADUATIONS AND THE

1:11:46 THINGS THAT ARE, UH, FILLING

1:11:48 THOSE UM, HOTEL ROOMS AND

1:11:51 RESTAURANTS ANYWAY, SO WE DON'T

1:11:54 WANT TO ASCRIBE TOO MUCH TO

1:11:56 SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE KIND

1:11:58 OF OCCURRED ANYWAY.

1:12:00 SO, UH, IT'S A LONG WAY TO SAY

1:12:02 THAT WE'RE SORT OF THE WE'RE

1:12:04 STILL ANALYZING THAT DATA.

1:12:05 UM, AND AND UH, THE 26 DATA IS

1:12:08 STILL SORT OF UNDER UH UH AN

1:12:12 AUDIT PROCESS AT THE MOMENT.

1:12:16 YOU KNOW WHAT, JIM?

1:12:17 I FEEL.

1:12:19 I DON'T KNOW.

1:12:20 THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.

1:12:22 WHEN I I GUESS WE.

1:12:24 WERE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH

1:12:25 TIME I HAVE LEFT, BUT THIS IS

1:12:27 WHERE I FEEL LIKE.

1:12:29 UM I DON'T I DON'T THINK THAT

1:12:30 YOU UNDERSTAND.

1:12:31 I DON'T KNOW IF.

1:12:33 IT SEEMS LIKE IF IF THEY SAY

1:12:35 THAT YOU CAN GET THE QUARTERLY

1:12:36 REPORTS THEN I JUST I'M TRYING

1:12:39 TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU SAY YOU

1:12:40 CAN'T GET THE DATA FROM FROM

1:12:43 LAST YEAR THAT YOU'RE WAITING

1:12:45 FOR.

1:12:45 THE AUDITING DEPARTMENT IS KIND

1:12:46 OF LIKE I'M JUST TRYING TO.

1:12:47 IT JUST THERE SEEMS TO BE.

1:12:49 A DISCONNECT WITH WHAT I'M

1:12:50 HEARING AND WHAT YOU ARE

1:12:53 SAYING.

1:12:53 IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THESE

1:12:54 QUARTERLY REPORTS THEN WHY

1:12:55 DON'T YOU HAVE DATA FROM 2026?

1:13:00 IT'S AT THIS POINT IT WOULD IT

1:13:02 LEND ITSELF TO CONFUSION IF

1:13:04 THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

1:13:05 SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE.

1:13:06 THAT WE USE THE FINAL AUDITED

1:13:08 FINANCIAL NUMBERS AT THIS

1:13:10 POINT.

1:13:13 UH OKAY.

1:13:14 UM AND DAVID YOU KNOW I KNOW

1:13:15 THAT COUNCIL CULPEPPER IS GOING

1:13:17 TO PROBABLY WANT TO UH, REACH

1:13:19 OUT TO YOU AND GET SOME

1:13:20 INFORMATION REGARDING.

1:13:21 THE CONNECTICUT UH.

1:13:23 COMMISSION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED

1:13:24 .

1:13:24 UH, WE'D.

1:13:25 LOVE TO.

1:13:26 PARTNER WITH CULPEPPER.

1:13:28 IF.

1:13:28 HE DOES DECIDE TO GO THAT ROUTE

1:13:30 AND SOME MORE INSIGHT I'M

1:13:32 ALWAYS YOU KNOW.

1:13:33 I AM ALWAYS ON.

1:13:35 THE SIDE OF BEING AS.

1:13:37 TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT

1:13:38 COMES.

1:13:39 TO CITY DOLLARS IN

1:13:40 PARTICULAR BECAUSE.

1:13:40 THESE ARE THE TAXES OF THE.

1:13:43 PEOPLE AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN

1:13:45 DO TO CREATE PATHWAYS AND UH,

1:13:48 THAT ALLOW FOR THAT IS

1:13:50 SOMETHING THAT I'M ALWAYS GOING

1:13:51 TO RAISE MY HAND UP AND SAY I

1:13:52 WANT TO BE A PART OF.

1:13:54 SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

1:13:55 CONNECTING WITH YOU ON THAT.

1:13:55 AND UM, STEVE AS WELL AS WITH

1:13:58 YOU TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU

1:14:00 HAVE GATHERED FROM OTHER CITIES

1:14:01 AND TO PARTNER ALONGSIDE YOU

1:14:03 ALL TO TO BE UH, PARTNERS IN

1:14:06 THIS GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU

1:14:07 CHAIR.

1:14:07 I SEE THAT MY TIME IS

1:14:08 DEFINITELY UP.

1:14:09 I APPRECIATE.

1:14:10 THE TIME.

1:14:10 THANK YOU.

1:14:12 UM, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD.

1:14:15 THANK YOU CHAIR.

1:14:16 UH.

1:14:16 AND THANK YOU JIM.

1:14:17 STEVE.

1:14:18 DAVID, UH, FOR BEING ON WITH US

1:14:20 TODAY.

1:14:20 UM, I DON'T HAVE MANY QUESTIONS

1:14:23 IS MORE JUST I SUPPORT THIS,

1:14:25 UH, THAT THERE'S GOING TO, UH,

1:14:26 QUARTERLY REPORTS.

1:14:27 UH, I THINK IT WILL HELP.

1:14:29 I THINK ALL OF US KNOW THAT

1:14:30 LAST, UH, THE LAST BUDGET

1:14:31 CYCLE, UH, WAS A ROUGH ONE FOR

1:14:33 US AND WE ANTICIPATE, UH, NEXT

1:14:36 UP COMING NEXT SPRING'S TO BE,

1:14:37 UH, EQUALLY IF NOT MORE

1:14:39 DIFFICULT.

1:14:40 UM.

1:14:40 WITH SOME OF THE DECISIONS

1:14:42 WE HAVE TO MAKE.

1:14:43 SO I THINK THE TRANSPARENCY ON

1:14:44 THE REVENUE COMING.

1:14:45 IN.

1:14:45 WILL BE HELPFUL IN TERMS

1:14:47 OF EXPLAINING TO OUR

1:14:48 CONSTITUENTS WHERE THEIR

1:14:49 MONEY'S GOING AND YOU KNOW WHY

1:14:51 THINGS ARE BEING CUT, WHAT

1:14:52 MONEY IS NOT BEEN COMING IN OR

1:14:54 IS COMING IN OR NOT COMING IN

1:14:55 THAT WE USED TO HAVE COME IN

1:14:56 ETC. UM AND SO UH YOU KNOW AND

1:15:00 I THINK TWO QUARTERLY MONTHS WE

1:15:02 COULD PICK UP A TREND EVEN

1:15:03 QUICKER.

1:15:04 UH AND I DO AGREE WITH THAT,

1:15:05 DAVID BUT I THINK WE PUT MONTHS

1:15:07 THAT BE SORT OF TRENDS THAT WE

1:15:09 CAN BEGIN TO TO SEE AND FOLLOW

1:15:11 UH, MORE THAN AN ANNUAL REPORT

1:15:13 AND AGAIN, JUST UM AS THINGS AS

1:15:16 AS THE BELT GETS A LITTLE BIT

1:15:17 TIGHTER, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE

1:15:18 IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT

1:15:20 TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

1:15:21 UH, ABOUT UM WHY THINGS ARE

1:15:24 BEING MAYBE BEING SPENT THE WAY

1:15:25 THEY ARE, UH, WHERE THE MONEY'S

1:15:27 GOING AND LETTING FOLKS KNOW SO

1:15:29 THAT THEY CAN, UM, ADD THEIR

1:15:30 VOICE TO WHETHER THEIR THEIR

1:15:32 EITHER UM SUPPORT OR

1:15:33 DISPLEASURE OF HOWEVER IT MAY

1:15:34 BE BEING SPENT.

1:15:36 UM BUT REALLY HERE AT THE END

1:15:38 OF THE DAY JUST TO SAY SUPPORT

1:15:39 THIS CHANGE I THANK UH THE

1:15:40 MAKER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD

1:15:42 AND UH, I HOPE WE CAN SEE IT

1:15:44 SOON.

1:15:44 AND UH, JIM, I DID HEAR YOU SAY

1:15:45 LIKE YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT

1:15:46 MORE OF A.

1:15:47 LIFT FOR FOR SOME OF THE.

1:15:48 STAFF BUT.

1:15:49 UM.

1:15:50 YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THIS.

1:15:51 IS JUST A COUPLE OF FORMULAS

1:15:52 IN A SPREADSHEET.

1:15:52 WE JUST SWITCH AROUND AND CAN

1:15:54 HAVE DONE UM AND AND SO I'M

1:15:56 HAPPY TO HEAR THAT STAFF CAN

1:15:57 CAN DOES HAVE THE CAPACITY TO

1:16:00 DO THIS.

1:16:01 UM BUT YEAH THAT'S UH REALLY

1:16:02 ALL WE'RE GOING TO UH, SAY

1:16:04 TODAY BUT UH, JUST SUPPORT THIS

1:16:05 AND I THINK IT WILL BE HELPFUL

1:16:07 IN TRANSPARENCY GOING FORWARD

1:16:09 UH, NOT ONLY FOR THE

1:16:10 CONSTITUENTS BUT ALSO FOR US AS

1:16:12 COUNCIL IS UH, WHO GET TO AMEND

1:16:14 THIS BUDGET.

1:16:14 SO THANK YOU, CHAIR.

1:16:15 UH, THANK YOU TO THE PANEL.

1:16:16 THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD

1:16:18 .

1:16:18 UM I APOLOGIZE EVERYBODY.

1:16:20 MY INTERNET IS SPOTTY.

1:16:20 SO I KEEP GOING IN AND OUT.

1:16:22 UM BUT I WILL PASS IT OVER TO

1:16:23 COUNCIL HAPPEN AND.

1:16:24 APOLOGIES IF UM IF YOU DON'T

1:16:26 HEAR FROM ME I'M TRYING TO GET

1:16:27 ON TO MY PHONE.

1:16:27 SO JUST FLAGGING TO CENTRAL

1:16:28 STAFF AND I'M GOING TO UM GET

1:16:30 ON I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE

1:16:31 IPHONE.

1:16:32 CONCEPT COMING.

1:16:33 UP WITH.

1:16:39 HEY EVERYONE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

1:16:41 WELL PERFECT.

1:16:43 UH GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

1:16:44 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING

1:16:46 THIS HEARING.

1:16:47 MADAM CHAIR.

1:16:48 UM, THIS IS A TOPIC THAT IS

1:16:50 OF GREAT INTEREST TO ME BUT

1:16:51 ALSO MY RESIDENTS UM, VERY

1:16:53 GRATEFUL TO THE MAKERS AS WELL.

1:16:55 I I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS

1:16:56 JUST BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF WE

1:16:58 ARE ABLE TO REVIEW THE REVENUES

1:17:00 COMING INTO THE CITY, IT'S

1:17:02 GOING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND

1:17:04 WHERE WE ARE FISCALLY.

1:17:05 HOW ARE WE DOING IN TERMS OF UH

1:17:07 ,BUDGET WISE FOR THE NEXT

1:17:09 FISCAL YEAR?

1:17:10 I THINK THAT PERSONALLY

1:17:12 SPEAKING, UM, EVEN JUST BEING

1:17:13 ABLE TO LOOK AT WHERE THE

1:17:14 MONEY'S COMING FROM, UM, BE

1:17:18 SETTING US EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT

1:17:19 THE NEXT QUARTER MAY LOOK LIKE.

1:17:20 UM, HELPS ME UNDERSTAND ALSO

1:17:23 WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE BRINGING

1:17:24 IN WHICH REVENUE, UM, WHAT WHAT

1:17:27 TYPE OF WORK ARE THEY DOING?

1:17:28 UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS YEAR WAS

1:17:30 VARIED I THINK BUT PREVIOUS

1:17:32 COUNCIL AS I MENTIONED IT THIS

1:17:33 YEAR WAS VERY DIFFERENT.

1:17:34 WE HAD MAJOR EVENTS IN THE

1:17:36 SUMMERTIME AND UH THAT BROUGHT

1:17:38 IN AN EXTRA SET OF RESOURCES

1:17:40 BUT UM I JUST THINK THAT MOVING

1:17:43 FORWARD THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO

1:17:45 BE DOING.

1:17:45 I KIND OF SUBMITTED.

1:17:47 A SIMILAR HEARING.

1:17:48 ORDER BUT IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT

1:17:49 TYPE OF TOPIC IN TERMS

1:17:51 OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

1:17:52 SO UM, I THINK THAT WHEN WE

1:17:54 TALK ABOUT QUARTERLY REVIEWS OR

1:17:56 ANNUAL REVIEWS OF A SPECIFIC

1:17:58 ITEM, IT'S JUST HELPFUL NOT

1:18:00 JUST FOR US AS COUNCILORS BUT

1:18:01 EVEN TO EXPLAIN TO OUR

1:18:03 RESIDENTS WHAT'S GOING ON IF

1:18:04 THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.

1:18:06 SO THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTIVE

1:18:07 OF THIS AND I JUST HAVE I DON'T

1:18:10 KNOW IF STEVE OR JIM IF IT'S

1:18:12 THE CITY OR THE OUTSIDE PARTNER

1:18:14 ,BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU ALL IS

1:18:17 WITH A REPORT LIKE THIS ON A

1:18:19 QUARTERLY REVIEW, UM, TYPE

1:18:22 OF TYPE OF FORMAT, DOES IT ALSO

1:18:24 HELP US OR DAVID, I THINK YOU I

1:18:26 THINK YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING

1:18:27 ABOUT THE MORE THAT WE WE

1:18:29 PROVIDE UM UPDATES ON OUR ON

1:18:32 OUR REVENUES, THE BETTER IT IS

1:18:34 FOR US TO HOLD.

1:18:35 THE CITY.

1:18:35 ACCOUNTABLE TO TO UNDERSTAND

1:18:37 HOW IS IT LOOKING UM, DOES IT

1:18:40 HELP US ALSO SEE PATTERNS

1:18:43 OF WHERE WE COULD ALSO BE

1:18:44 POTENTIALLY GENERATING MORE

1:18:46 REVENUE OR OR THINKING MORE

1:18:49 IDEAS OF HOW DO WE BE MORE

1:18:51 CREATIVE IN THE CITY?

1:18:52 UM, DEPENDING ON PATTERNS AND

1:18:55 AND THE SEASONS IN THE CITY.

1:19:00 I WANTED TO GIVE JIM PRIDE

1:19:02 OF PLACE IN ANSWERING THAT SOME

1:19:04 I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS BUT I

1:19:05 THINK I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM JIM

1:19:07 FIRST.

1:19:08 GOOD.

1:19:08 SO SO UH I.

1:19:09 THINK UM THAT'S AN EXCELLENT UH

1:19:12 ,COMMENT UH, AND UH SUMMARY

1:19:16 OF UH REVENUE UH THE UM THE

1:19:20 IT'S AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY

1:19:21 TO FIND UH SITUATIONS WHERE YOU

1:19:23 COULD UM, INCREASE REVENUE, UH

1:19:26 ,TRENDS.

1:19:26 UH, THERE THERE UH UH, GOVERNOR

1:19:29 HEALY ACTUALLY HAS HAS OFFERED

1:19:31 THROUGH UH MUNICIPAL

1:19:32 EMPOWERMENT ACT UH, THAT HAS

1:19:34 NOT BEEN TAKEN UP UH,

1:19:36 AGGRESSIVELY AT THE LEGISLATURE

1:19:38 OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE UM

1:19:39 SOME OF THE TAXES THAT WE UH,

1:19:42 YOU KNOW, WITH THE STOCK USE

1:19:43 FOR BOSTON IT'S FOR ALL UH,

1:19:45 COMMUNITIES TO OPT INTO FOR

1:19:47 HOTELS AND MEALS.

1:19:49 UH, BUT ALL OF THE MANY OF THE

1:19:51 FEES AND FINES THAT ARE

1:19:53 GENERATED IN THE BUDGET, UH,

1:19:56 ARE SET IN ORDINANCE WHERE THE

1:19:57 CITY COUNCIL, UH, YOU KNOW,

1:19:59 PLAYS UH, INSTRUMENTAL UM, IN

1:20:03 THAT EFFORT TO SORT OF CODIFY

1:20:06 CHANGES AND RATES UH, WE'RE WE

1:20:09 ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO SEE UM UH

1:20:12 YOU KNOW HOW HOW WE STAND

1:20:15 AGAINST OTHER COMMUNITIES UH,

1:20:17 BUT ALSO IT'S THE IMPACTS ON

1:20:19 THE RESIDENTS.

1:20:20 SO IT IS THIS WILL WILL THIS,

1:20:21 UH, POSE AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THE

1:20:23 RESIDENTS?

1:20:24 UM, AND THERE IS THIS THIS THIS

1:20:27 ECONOMIC CONCEPT OF, YOU KNOW,

1:20:29 IN THE LAST CITY THAT.

1:20:31 LIKE.

1:20:31 YOU LIKE VILLAGE YOU KNOW WHAT

1:20:33 WILL WHAT WILL THE CONSEQUENCES

1:20:35 BE OF CHANGING CERTAIN CERTAIN

1:20:37 UH, RATES AND THEN UM, YOU

1:20:40 KNOW, IN YOU KNOW SO THOSE ARE

1:20:43 UH PROBABLY A SMALLER PORTION

1:20:45 OF OUR BUDGET BUT IT STILL

1:20:46 CONTINUES TO BE SOMETHING WE.

1:20:48 PAY ATTENTION TO.

1:20:49 UH UH, WHAT WE'VE SORT OF BEEN

1:20:51 THE BENEFICIARY OF IT'S A VERY

1:20:54 ,UM, ROBUST DEVELOPMENT MARKET

1:20:56 THAT OCCURRED IN THE CITY OVER

1:20:59 SEVERAL YEARS WHERE OUR NEW

1:21:01 GROWTH WAS UH, VERY STRONG.

1:21:03 AND YOU KNOW, WE ALL, UH, SEE

1:21:05 THAT THE THE DEVELOPMENT

1:21:07 PIPELINE HAS SORT OF UM, UH,

1:21:10 SLOWED DOWN A BIT AND UH, YOU

1:21:12 KNOW, THAT THAT COULD BE BLAMED

1:21:14 THAT COULD BE CONNECTED TO MANY

1:21:15 DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW,

1:21:17 INTEREST RATES UH, ARE HARD ON

1:21:19 CERTAIN SECTOR UM, YOU KNOW,

1:21:21 UNCERTAINTY SORT OF GLOBAL

1:21:22 UNCERTAINTY, LOTS OF MARKET

1:21:24 UNCERTAINTY, TARIFF

1:21:25 UNCERTAINTIES, ALL OF THESE

1:21:26 THINGS FOR GOING TO UM PEOPLE'S

1:21:30 DECISIONS ON UH AND ALSO JUST

1:21:32 THE UNCERTAINTY OF UNCERTAINTY

1:21:34 .

1:21:34 UM, EVERY DAY YOU READ A STORY

1:21:36 ABOUT.

1:21:37 LIKE OH, WE THOUGHT THIS

1:21:39 COMPANY WAS GOING TO LIKE START

1:21:41 UP A UNIT HERE IN THE CITY AND

1:21:43 THEY CHOSE TO DECIDED TO PUT IT

1:21:46 IN ANOTHER CITY OR SOMETHING

1:21:47 LIKE THAT.

1:21:47 SO THERE.

1:21:48 YOU WE WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY

1:21:50 LIKE EMBED OURSELVES IN ALL

1:21:52 OF THE DECISION MAKING KNOW

1:21:53 AROUND THE CITY.

1:21:55 UH BUT AGAIN ALL OF THESE ALL

1:21:58 OF THESE REVENUE SO I THINK WE

1:22:00 WE IT'S GOOD TO KNOW IT TO KNOW

1:22:02 IT I THINK ONE OF THE MOST

1:22:03 IMPORTANT THINGS TO MAKE SURE

1:22:04 THAT WE'RE UM PROTECTING THE

1:22:09 SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES

1:22:10 BY ENSURING THAT WE HAVE

1:22:12 SUFFICIENT REVENUE TO

1:22:13 COVER THOSE EXPENSES.

1:22:15 UM, AND AND YOU KNOW, UH, I

1:22:17 THINK EVERYBODY ON THE

1:22:18 COUNCIL IS VERY FAMILIAR

1:22:19 OF SOME UH, STATUTORY STATUTORY

1:22:23 PLACES WERE OUT.

1:22:24 WERE.

1:22:24 ALLOWED TO OVER RESPOND THAT

1:22:25 THEY CONTINUE TO UH TO HAVE UM

1:22:29 PUT BUDGETARY PRESSURE ON THERE

1:22:31 THINGS LIKE UH PUBLIC SAFETY

1:22:34 SPENDING, UM CHARGING

1:22:36 SETTLEMENTS.

1:22:37 UM, UH AND YOU KNOW, THE NEW

1:22:40 ENGLAND UH, SNOW AND ICE

1:22:41 ACCOUNT THAT IMPACT SO MANY

1:22:43 COMMUNITIES.

1:22:43 SO SO UH, I THINK THAT THIS

1:22:46 INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL BE

1:22:47 GETTING IS IS PART OF YOUR

1:22:49 STUART YOUR EFFORT TO

1:22:51 STEWARDSHIP TO SAY DO WE HAVE

1:22:52 ENOUGH RESOURCES TO PROTECT

1:22:54 THOSE KEY FUNDAMENTAL SERVICES

1:22:57 THAT EVERY RESIDENT COUNTS ON?

1:23:00 SO OKAY.

1:23:01 THANK YOU JIM STEVE.

1:23:05 YEAH I'M NOT MUCH TO ADD THERE

1:23:07 I DO THINK YOU KNOW I THINK

1:23:08 JIM'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

1:23:09 I WOULD SAY WITH SOME OF THE

1:23:10 MORE MATERIAL ACCOUNTS UM IT

1:23:12 GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO

1:23:13 HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING.

1:23:14 HEY WHAT'S AFFECTING KIND

1:23:15 OF THE MACRO ENVIRONMENT AROUND

1:23:18 PROPERTY VALUES AROUND NEW

1:23:20 CONSTRUCTION, AROUND PERMITTING

1:23:22 AND THEN I WOULD SAY ON THE

1:23:23 SMALLER LESS MATERIAL ACCOUNTS

1:23:25 FROM TIME TO TIME YOU'LL BE

1:23:27 ABLE TO IDENTIFY OR AT LEAST

1:23:28 YOU KNOW, BRING TO THE

1:23:30 ATTENTION IF THERE'S A POSSIBLE

1:23:32 OPERATIONAL ISSUES AND YOU

1:23:33 KNOW, SOME OF THESE SMALL

1:23:34 DOLLAR ACCOUNTS IT MAY BE YOU

1:23:36 KNOW, MAYBE THAT THEY DIDN'T

1:23:38 YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HOLDING ALL

1:23:39 THE TRACKS UNTIL THE SECOND

1:23:40 QUARTER OR SOMETHING SMALLER.

1:23:42 I MEAN I OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

1:23:44 OF BOSTON I MEAN I'VE HAD THE

1:23:45 EXPERIENCE WITH A LARGE

1:23:47 ORGANIZATION SOMETIMES YOU KNOW

1:23:49 OH THAT GUY RETIRED LIKE WHO

1:23:51 WAS COLLECTING ALL THE RENTS ON

1:23:53 UH ON ON PARTICULAR PROPERTIES

1:23:55 AND ONCE YOU IDENTIFIED HEY,

1:23:56 WHY IS THAT ACCOUNT USED TO

1:23:58 HAVE A STEADY INCOME?

1:23:59 WHY IS IT ZERO?

1:24:00 YOU CAN SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS.

1:24:01 SO YOU KNOW I THINK AGAIN WE'RE

1:24:04 NOT GOING TO CLOSE UM, YOU

1:24:06 KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE

1:24:07 THE BUDGET GAP WITH UH WITH I

1:24:09 THINK WITH OPERATIONAL UH,

1:24:11 IMPROVEMENTS BUT IT'S MONEY

1:24:13 THAT UH IT'S MONEY THAT THE

1:24:14 CITY IS OWED AND UM, YOU KNOW,

1:24:16 WE SHOULD BE SURE WHERE WE'RE,

1:24:17 UH, APPROPRIATELY COLLECTING IT

1:24:19 .

1:24:20 I APPRECIATE THAT, UM, BECAUSE

1:24:22 I ALWAYS I MEAN, WE COULD

1:24:23 ALWAYS LOOK AT IT FROM OUR

1:24:24 PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE IF I TRY

1:24:25 TO LOOK AT MY OWN PERSONAL BANK

1:24:27 STATEMENTS.

1:24:27 UH, EVERY MONTH.

1:24:29 TO UNDERSTAND WHERE ARE THOSE

1:24:30 WE ARE CURRENT PAYMENTS

1:24:31 HAPPENING?

1:24:32 UH, WHAT SUBSCRIPTIONS DO I

1:24:34 HAVE THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY

1:24:35 TAKING MONEY THAT I MAY NOT BE

1:24:36 AWARE OF?

1:24:37 UM, AS A PERSON IF YOU'RE NOT

1:24:39 DOING THAT ON A EVEN LIKE

1:24:42 MONTHLY BASIS OR EVEN ON A TWO

1:24:43 WEEK ON A BI WEEKLY BASIS,

1:24:45 YOU'RE GOING TO PROBABLY BE

1:24:46 SPENDING MONEY ON THINGS YOU'RE

1:24:47 NOT EVEN AWARE OF.

1:24:48 AND THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT

1:24:50 FROM A BIGGER PICTURE WITH THE

1:24:52 CITY'S BUDGET WHICH IS WHY I'M

1:24:53 VERY FOR THIS UM AND I'M VERY

1:24:55 THANKFUL I THINK WAS

1:24:56 COUNCILOR WORRELL UM THAT PUT

1:24:58 THIS FORWARD SO I JUST I'M VERY

1:25:00 SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.

1:25:01 I THINK THAT WE CAN DO SOME

1:25:02 GOOD JUST ANALYSIS OF OUR

1:25:05 CITY'S BUDGET AND REVENUE

1:25:06 MOVING FORWARD.

1:25:07 SO THAT'S IT FOR ME GUYS.

1:25:08 THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO.

1:25:09 THANK YOU FOR THE MAKERS AND

1:25:10 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR FOR

1:25:11 HOSTING THIS HEARING.

1:25:12 THANK YOU COUNCIL PATTON.

1:25:14 UM ALL RIGHT I'LL GO INTO MY

1:25:16 UH QUESTIONS.

1:25:16 AND I APOLOGIZE IF.

1:25:17 THERE'S AN ECHO BECAUSE OF MY

1:25:19 PHONE.

1:25:19 THAT'S NOT TRUE.

1:25:20 SPEAK LOUDLY.

1:25:22 UM.

1:25:23 SO THE.

1:25:23 THE LANGUAGE.

1:25:24 IN.

1:25:24 THIS IS.

1:25:24 PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

1:25:25 IT JUST.

1:25:25 SAYS THE.

1:25:26 SUPERVISOR OF BUDGET SHALL BE

1:25:27 REQUIRED TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY

1:25:28 REVENUE REPORTS DETAILING ALL

1:25:29 REVENUE COLLECTED BY COLLECTED

1:25:31 TO DATE BY ITEM NO LATER THAN

1:25:34 30 DAYS.

1:25:35 I HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC SERVANT

1:25:36 SERVANT MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I'M

1:25:38 COMING FROM A WORLD OF FINANCE

1:25:39 .

1:25:40 I UM IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I

1:25:42 HAVE EXPERIENCE IN SO MY MY

1:25:44 QUESTIONS ARE MORE ABOUT

1:25:46 OPERATIONALLY HOW THIS WOULD

1:25:47 WORK IN PRACTICE AND HOW WE CAN

1:25:51 SHORE UP THE LANGUAGE TO I

1:25:53 THINK GET SPECIFIC.

1:25:55 I MEAN I'M UM I THINK WE CAN

1:25:57 ALL HAVE A BASELINE

1:25:59 UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A REVENUE

1:26:01 REPORT.

1:26:02 INCLUDES BUT TO COUNCIL POINT

1:26:05 WE ALWAYS HAVE TO ASSUME UM,

1:26:08 YOU KNOW, A STANDARD BECAUSE

1:26:11 EACH EXECUTIVE IS.

1:26:12 DIFFERENT AND UM, WHO KNOWS IF

1:26:15 THIS.

1:26:16 EXECUTIVE'S DEFINITION OF A

1:26:17 REVENUE REPORT IS DIFFERENT

1:26:18 FROM THE NEXT ONE OR THE NEXT

1:26:19 ONE.

1:26:20 SO I THINK LIKE WHAT

1:26:22 CONSTITUTES SUFFICIENT DETAIL

1:26:25 SINCE IT SAYS REVENUE REPORTS

1:26:26 DETAILING ALL REVENUE COLLECTED

1:26:28 TO DATE BY ITEM LIKE IS THAT

1:26:30 GETTING INTO DETAIL AND SHOULD

1:26:31 WE GET PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT IT.

1:26:33 THIS IS MORE OF LIKE A

1:26:34 COLLECTIVE CONVERSATION KIND

1:26:35 OF WADING INTO WATER THAT I

1:26:36 HAVE A WORKING SESSION.

1:26:38 BUT SHOULD WE DEFINE REVENUE

1:26:41 REPORTS AS HAVING LIKE PROPERTY

1:26:43 TAX REVENUE OR STATE AID, LOCAL

1:26:44 RECEIPTS, FEDERAL REVENUE,

1:26:46 DEPARTMENTAL REVENUE,

1:26:47 INVESTMENT INCOME,

1:26:49 NON-RECURRING REVENUE WHILE

1:26:50 ALSO INCLUDING REVENUE

1:26:53 FORECASTS AND UM I IT SEEMS

1:26:54 LIKE THERE'S A DESIRE TO GET

1:26:56 THE UM MONTHLY REPORTS FROM UM

1:27:01 THAT'S GIVEN TO EVERY

1:27:02 DEPARTMENT.

1:27:03 JIM, CAN YOU JUST DESCRIBE UM

1:27:07 CAN YOU JUST ADD TO WHATEVER I

1:27:09 MISSED LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO

1:27:11 DEFINE REVENUE REPORTS, WHAT

1:27:14 ELSE SHOULD BE IN THERE IN

1:27:15 ADDITION TO WHAT I MENTIONED

1:27:17 AND THEN ALSO WHAT'S THE.

1:27:18 FEASIBILITY OF INCLUDING THAT

1:27:20 AT LEAST I'M STILL INTERESTED

1:27:21 IN DOING QUARTERLY.

1:27:23 UM, BUT WHAT IT MAY MEAN TO TRY

1:27:25 TO GET EVERY DEPARTMENT'S UH,

1:27:27 REPORT SENT TO THE CITY

1:27:29 COUNCIL ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

1:27:32 YEAH.

1:27:32 UM.

1:27:33 UH, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER

1:27:37 TO BECAUSE IT SAYS AUTOMATED

1:27:38 SYSTEM, UH, SYSTEM GENERATED

1:27:40 REPORT, UM, TO OUR IT AND

1:27:43 AUDITING DEPARTMENT.

1:27:44 I THINK IT'S THE BUSINESS

1:27:45 PROCESS OWNER BUT UM, I THINK

1:27:47 IN TERMS OF THE LANGUAGE THAT

1:27:48 YOU HAVE CHOSEN THAT IT SEEMS

1:27:51 TO BE COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH.

1:27:54 UM.

1:27:55 BY SAYING REVENUE BY ITEM

1:27:58 UH, BECAUSE IT IT DOES THERE IS

1:28:00 A SORT OF COMMON UM WAY WE

1:28:05 CAPTURE UH, REVENUE.

1:28:07 UH, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT CALL AN

1:28:08 ACCOUNT BUT ITEM IS BASICALLY

1:28:10 THE SAME THING I THINK THAT

1:28:11 SORT OF STRONG UM EVERGREEN

1:28:15 LANGUAGE I THINK THAT YOU KNOW

1:28:16 ,PARTICULARLY WITH THE CITY

1:28:18 CODE, I THINK WE'VE ALL

1:28:19 ENCOUNTERED THINGS THAT WE'RE

1:28:21 PROBABLY NOT EVERGREEN ENOUGH

1:28:22 TO DO LIKE IT WAS VERY SPECIFIC

1:28:24 TO A TIME WHEN, YOU KNOW, UH,

1:28:27 ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS AND PROCESS

1:28:30 WAS PROBABLY DIFFERENT.

1:28:31 UH, SO UM, YOU KNOW, THERE THIS

1:28:35 OFFICE PROBABLY AT ONE POINT

1:28:37 PROCESS TRANSFERS WAS YOU KNOW

1:28:40 ,ON PAPER YOU KNOW, AT SOME

1:28:43 POINT.

1:28:44 SO UH SO I THINK I THINK IT'S

1:28:46 SUFFICIENT IF SUFFICIENT TO

1:28:47 COVER THE INTENT AND LEAVES

1:28:49 ROOM TO TO HAVE UM, YOU KNOW,

1:28:52 UH, ACHIEVE THE INTENDED RESULT

1:28:54 .

1:28:55 UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK

1:28:57 QUARTERLY UH, MEETS THE MEETS

1:28:59 THE MEETS THE NEED UM UH BUT I

1:29:02 THINK I THINK SOMETIMES WE CAN

1:29:04 GET OVERLOAD LOADED WITH WITH

1:29:07 CONTENT AND THEN YOU LOSE SORT

1:29:09 OF THE THE HEART LEVEL

1:29:11 NARRATIVE.

1:29:12 SO I MEAN THE THERE'S ENORMOUS

1:29:14 DATA ON OPEN DATA THAT LIKE

1:29:16 WHETHER IT BE BUT SOMETIMES

1:29:18 WHEN IT'S RAW DATA IT DOESN'T

1:29:20 TELL YOU ENOUGH.

1:29:21 UM SO WE HAVE PAYROLL, YOU

1:29:23 KNOW, INFORMATION THAT'S POSTED

1:29:24 UP THERE AT THE OPEN FOR VERY,

1:29:27 VERY.

1:29:27 GRANULAR UH, DATA AND THERE'S

1:29:31 ALWAYS SOME UNIQUENESS OF THAT,

1:29:33 YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU KNOW ON THE

1:29:35 PAYROLL DO SOME YOU KNOW,

1:29:37 POTENTIAL BUYER OR A SETTLEMENT

1:29:39 OR SOMETHING THAT'S SKEWING THE

1:29:40 DATA SO YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO

1:29:42 CONTROL FOR THAT.

1:29:43 UH UM, THERE'S CERTAIN

1:29:45 ACTIVITIES IT EVEN EVEN IN

1:29:47 SOMETIMES HOW UH EXPENSES ARE

1:29:50 YOU KNOW, REFLECTED AGAINST A

1:29:51 CERTAIN DEPARTMENT BUDGET.

1:29:53 UM, WE'VE OFTEN OFTEN

1:29:55 ENCOUNTERED THAT LIKE WITH THE

1:29:57 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES UH, THE

1:29:59 HOST DEPARTMENT UM IT'S

1:30:01 SOMETIMES THE EXPENSES ARE

1:30:02 ATTRACT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT

1:30:03 DEPARTMENT BUT THEN THE ACTUAL

1:30:05 PERSON MANAGING THE EXPENSES

1:30:06 ARE THE PUBLIC FACILITIES

1:30:07 DEPARTMENT.

1:30:08 SO SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE WHO DO

1:30:09 YOU ASK A QUESTION ABOUT?

1:30:11 THE OPERATING DEPARTMENT

1:30:12 DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE AS

1:30:13 MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE

1:30:15 CONTRACTS.

1:30:16 SO YOU HAVE TO YOU KNOW KNOW

1:30:17 THAT IT'S THE RIGHT TIME.

1:30:18 SO UM SO I THINK I THINK WITH

1:30:21 UH ANNUAL OPERATING REVENUES I

1:30:23 THINK I THINK THE LANGUAGE UH

1:30:25 PROBABLY IS COMPREHENSIVE

1:30:26 ENOUGH.

1:30:27 I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO

1:30:28 PUT ANY MORE BELTS AND

1:30:29 SUSPENDERS ON IT, UH, TO MAKE

1:30:31 IT MORE.

1:30:32 CUMBERSOME THAN FROM THEN WHAT

1:30:34 WE'VE SORT OF BEEN, UH, USED TO

1:30:37 PROVIDING ALREADY, SO.

1:30:38 OKAY.

1:30:39 THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S A POINT

1:30:40 WELL TAKEN I THINK IF YOU'RE

1:30:41 RIGHT, IF WE GET PRESCRIPTIVE

1:30:42 WE MAY MISS SOMETHING AND.

1:30:44 IT DOESN'T UM.

1:30:45 LEND ITSELF FOR FOR FUTURE

1:30:48 ITERATIONS OF WHOEVER THE

1:30:49 EXECUTIVE IS OR OR THE CITY

1:30:51 COUNCIL SO OKAY THAT MAKES

1:30:52 SENSE.

1:30:54 UM AND THEN I GUESS LIKE THE

1:30:55 THE LATTER PART OF MY QUESTION,

1:30:57 IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LITTLE

1:30:59 BIT OF CONFUSION WHAT YOUR

1:31:00 OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP IS

1:31:01 WITH THE AUDITING DEPARTMENT.

1:31:03 CAN YOU.

1:31:04 JUST GET INTO UM, WHAT THAT

1:31:07 LOOKS LIKE I MEAN ON A

1:31:08 QUARTERLY BASIS MAYBE FOR THE

1:31:09 PURPOSES OF THIS DISCUSSION

1:31:10 LIKE WHY WHY WE CANNOT HAVE

1:31:13 THESE UH OR DESCRIBE THESE

1:31:15 NUMBERS BECAUSE IT HAS TO GO

1:31:17 THROUGH AUDITING WHAT AND MAYBE

1:31:18 WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AUDITING IN

1:31:19 THIS CONVERSATION BUT ANY UM,

1:31:21 EXPENDITURES CAN PROVIDE ON

1:31:22 THAT.

1:31:22 YEAH.

1:31:23 IT'S UM IT'S SO UH UM THE

1:31:28 THE AUDITOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

1:31:32 UM, SORT OF THE ACTUALS AND

1:31:34 EXECUTION OF UH THE BUDGET.

1:31:36 SO THE BUDGET OFFICE IS SORT

1:31:38 OF UH UH, WORKS WITH

1:31:40 DEPARTMENTS UH OPERATIONALLY TO

1:31:42 TO TO TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE

1:31:44 SUFFICIENTLY RESOURCE TO TO

1:31:45 DELIVER THE SERVICES WHEREAS

1:31:47 AUDITING IS GOING THROUGH THE

1:31:50 VERY PRECISE SORT OF UM

1:31:53 ACCOUNTING OF IS IT IN THE

1:31:55 RIGHT SPOT, IS IT IN THE RIGHT

1:31:57 TIME FRAME?

1:31:59 UH IN THEY WORK WITH THE THIRD

1:32:00 PARTY AUDITOR TO TO MAKE SURE

1:32:01 THAT SO IS IT IS THIS REFLECTED

1:32:04 ACCORDING TO ACCOUNTING

1:32:06 PRINCIPLES IN THE RIGHT PLACE

1:32:08 AT THE RIGHT AMOUNT.

1:32:10 UM AND THAT IT'S IT'S SO

1:32:12 AUDITING I THINK IT'S A TERM IN

1:32:15 IN A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS IT'S

1:32:16 CALLED CONTROLLER UH SO THAT SO

1:32:20 UH YOU KNOW BUDGET OFFICES IT'S

1:32:21 MORE OF A SORT OF UM MORE

1:32:24 CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH DEPARTMENT

1:32:25 OPERATIONS AND AND SORT

1:32:27 OF SETTING BUT UM BUT THE.

1:32:30 COMPTROLLER IS THE.

1:32:31 ONE WHO SORT OF LIKE MANAGES

1:32:32 THE THE SORT OF DETAILS

1:32:35 ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

1:32:37 SO UH, IT IT'S JUST THAT THAT

1:32:38 THAT IS A.

1:32:39 PROCESS THAT.

1:32:40 WE WE DO AUDITED FINANCIAL

1:32:41 STATEMENTS AND UH YEAH.

1:32:44 IT'S YOU TEND TO NOT WANT TO UH

1:32:48 TO RELEASE THOSE UNTIL THEY'RE

1:32:50 FINAL AND AND THAT'S THAT'S

1:32:52 SORT OF BEST PRACTICE TO NOT UH

1:32:56 ,ISSUE PRELIMINARY ONES ON ALL

1:32:57 OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S IT'S SORT

1:32:59 OF UM UH IT YOU KNOW, THEN THEN

1:33:02 YOU GET DIFFERENT SOURCES

1:33:03 OF DATA AND THAT'S AND THAT'S

1:33:06 ANOTHER UM, CONCERN IS THAT YOU

1:33:09 HAVE IF YOU HAVE DUELING

1:33:10 COMPETING PIECES OF INFORMATION

1:33:12 THAT'S NOT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T

1:33:13 RECONCILE.

1:33:14 YEAH.

1:33:14 AND THAT.

1:33:15 THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

1:33:16 AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

1:33:17 GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY

1:33:18 TRANSPARENCY WHEN THERE'S.

1:33:19 DIFFERING PIECES OF INFORMATION

1:33:22 IT'S HARD FOR US TO HAVE A

1:33:23 BASELINE AS TO UM COMPARE.

1:33:26 UM SO THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

1:33:27 I HAVE THREE.

1:33:28 QUESTIONS THAT I THINK A LITTLE

1:33:29 BIT MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD AND

1:33:30 THEN UM WE CAN GO TO ADDITIONAL

1:33:32 ROUND OF FOLKS WANT BUT UM AND

1:33:34 AGAIN GETTING MAYBE INTO A

1:33:35 LANGUAGE BUT DOES IT MATTER

1:33:37 WHERE IT'S SUBMITTED LIKE WHERE

1:33:38 DO YOU SUBMIT THE EXPENDITURE

1:33:40 REPORTS NOW DO YOU SUBMIT IT TO

1:33:42 THE CITY CLERK AND THEN A COPY

1:33:44 THEREOF TRANSMITTED TO THE CITY

1:33:46 COUNCIL LIKE IT I KNOW IT'S

1:33:47 PUBLISHED ONLINE BUT IS THAT

1:33:48 SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ALSO

1:33:50 INCLUDE IN THIS ORDINANCE?

1:33:53 YEAH.

1:33:54 UM IT I THINK WE'VE BEEN UH,

1:33:58 SUBMITTING IT TO THE CHAIR WAYS

1:33:59 AND MEANS BECAUSE THAT'S

1:34:00 USUALLY THE PLACE WHERE IT'S

1:34:02 REQUESTED FROM BUT UM UM, YOU

1:34:04 KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH CENTRAL

1:34:05 STAFF BUT UH, YOU KNOW, UH BUT

1:34:09 YOU KNOW, UM I GUESS THERE ARE

1:34:13 OPPORTUNITIES TO BE MORE

1:34:14 SPECIFIC BUT I.

1:34:15 DEFER TO YOU.

1:34:16 GUYS ON ON THAT.

1:34:17 SO I THINK I'M JUST LOOKING AT

1:34:19 THE CHAIR.

1:34:19 I THINK IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO

1:34:20 JUST HAVE A COPY.

1:34:22 SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CLERK'S

1:34:23 OFFICE THAT WAY IT'S ON THE THE

1:34:25 AGENDA AND THEN A, UM A COPY

1:34:27 SUBMITTED TO THE CHAIR WAYS AND

1:34:28 MEANS OR I MEAN IF.

1:34:30 IT JUST.

1:34:31 GOES TO CITY CLERK AND WE

1:34:31 SEE IT THAT'S FINE.

1:34:33 UM AND THEN I ALSO THINK IT

1:34:34 SHOULD BE PUBLISHED ONLINE AS

1:34:36 WELL.

1:34:40 JUST THOUGHTS ON THAT COMMENTS

1:34:44 CONCERNS.

1:34:46 YEAH IT'S UM I THERE'S LOTS

1:34:49 OF OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THAT

1:34:50 SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK YOU

1:34:51 KNOW DO A LATERAL FLOW FOR THIS

1:34:54 ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE UH YOU

1:34:55 KNOW IT INVOLVES BOTH UH, OTHER

1:34:57 AGENCIES AND YOU KNOW, PUTTING

1:35:00 IT ONLINE.

1:35:01 SO OKAY.

1:35:02 WELL I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST

1:35:03 IT COULD UM AND WE CAN TALK

1:35:04 ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE

1:35:06 BUT IT SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO

1:35:07 THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.

1:35:10 UM, WHAT.

1:35:11 IS THE SO REVENUE COLLECTED AND

1:35:14 SHARED AND UM INTERNALLY HAS

1:35:16 ALREADY BEEN ASKED OH SOMETHING

1:35:17 WAS BROUGHT UP BUT IS THERE ANY

1:35:19 INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE

1:35:20 PROTECTED LIKE LEGALLY THAT'S

1:35:24 BEEN TALKED ABOUT THAT WE.

1:35:26 NEED TO.

1:35:26 JUST BE CONCERNED WITH?

1:35:31 UM I'D PROBABLY DEFER TO THE

1:35:33 THE LAW DEPARTMENT BUT WE TEND

1:35:35 TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE

1:35:36 IS NO UM.

1:35:40 UH, DATA THAT'S THE SUBJECT UM

1:35:44 ,PRIVACY.

1:35:45 UH, SO IT'S YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY

1:35:47 THE MORE BASIC THINGS LIKE

1:35:49 SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS IF UH,

1:35:51 YOU KNOW, UH, OF EMPLOYEES OR

1:35:55 VENDORS UM, BUT UH, WE WE TEND

1:35:59 TO GET A LOT OF PRIVACY ISSUES

1:36:00 THAT CENTER AROUND UM,

1:36:04 PERSONNEL ENTRY INFORMATION.

1:36:07 SO UH.

1:36:09 BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT

1:36:10 WOULD BE USUALLY.

1:36:11 WELL, USUALLY OKAY TO REPORT IT

1:36:14 SUMMARIZED WE JUST CAN'T

1:36:16 PROVIDED AT THE EMPLOYEE LEVEL

1:36:17 .

1:36:18 SO I.

1:36:19 I MAYBE UM I THINK I WAS THE

1:36:21 ONE WHO BROUGHT IT UP.

1:36:21 UM, THE EDGE CASE I, I HAD IN

1:36:24 MIND WAS UH IF THERE WAS A VERY

1:36:27 SPECIFIC BUCKET OF REVENUE

1:36:28 WHERE WE ONLY HAD A SINGLE

1:36:30 TAXPAYER WHERE DISCLOSING A

1:36:33 QUARTERLY FIGURE IS ESSENTIALLY

1:36:35 SAYING ENTITY Y HAS PAID THIS

1:36:37 MUCH IN TAXES WHICH MAY OR MAY

1:36:39 NOT HAVE UM MEAN IT MAY OR MAY

1:36:42 NOT HAVE PRIVACY IMPLICATIONS.

1:36:43 BUT THAT WAS SORT OF THE EDGE

1:36:44 CASE THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT

1:36:47 AND UM, I FEAR UH BEGGING THE

1:36:49 INDULGENCE OF THE CHAIR.

1:36:50 .

1:36:50 UM.

1:36:51 I HAVE TO HOST A RECEPTION FOR

1:36:53 CITY OF BOSTON EMPLOYEES AT

1:36:54 NOONTIME SO IF I COULD, UH IF I

1:36:57 COULD TAKE YOUR LEAVE AND, UM,

1:36:59 THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE

1:37:00 OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY.

1:37:01 AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY FOLLOW UP

1:37:02 QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T

1:37:03 HESITATE EITHER TO REACH OUT

1:37:05 OR, UH, YOU ALL KNOW WHERE TO

1:37:07 FIND ME ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

1:37:08 SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER FURTHER

1:37:10 QUESTIONS.

1:37:11 THANK YOU STEVE I APPRECIATE

1:37:12 IT.

1:37:12 ALL RIGHT THANK YOU.

1:37:15 OKAY JUST.

1:37:16 FOLLOWING UP ON.

1:37:16 THAT JIM THERE'S NO LIKE ONE

1:37:18 ENTITY.

1:37:18 THAT.

1:37:19 OR IS.

1:37:20 THAT THAT.

1:37:21 UM THAT WOULD BE JUST A UM

1:37:23 INTERESTING CASE BUT.

1:37:24 YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT

1:37:27 UM, UM, STEVE PATRICK BROUGHT

1:37:29 UP THE UM, PRIVACY THAT IS

1:37:31 SOMETHING THAT'S ROUTINELY UM,

1:37:34 ARTICULATED BY THE STATE

1:37:35 DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE WHEN WE

1:37:36 ASK FOR MORE GRANULAR UM, TAXES

1:37:41 AND MEALS, THEY TEND TO CITE

1:37:44 TAXPAYER PRIVACY, UH, ISSUES,

1:37:48 UH, FOR WHY THEY WON'T PROVIDE

1:37:51 THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.

1:37:53 UM, SO UH, THERE'S THERE MAY BE

1:37:57 THINGS THAT I'M NOT THINKING

1:37:58 OF.

1:37:58 OKAY.

1:37:59 UM, JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

1:38:01 IT PROBABLY IN IT PROBABLY HAS.

1:38:03 GONE THROUGH SOME DUE DILIGENCE

1:38:05 ON THE OPEN CHECKBOOK.

1:38:06 PHENOMENON ALREADY.

1:38:07 LIKE WE CAN PUT THIS BECAUSE

1:38:11 IT'S A PRIVACY ISSUE SO OKAY.

1:38:14 YEAH.

1:38:15 JUST AGAIN SOMETHING TO

1:38:16 CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

1:38:16 I KNOW IT'D BE UM AN ANOMALY

1:38:19 BUT RIGHT UM WOULD.

1:38:21 THERE AND MY LAST QUESTION

1:38:22 IS.

1:38:22 THIS IS.

1:38:23 SUPPOSED TO TAKE EFFECT

1:38:24 IMMEDIATELY UPON PASSAGE.

1:38:26 ARE YOU PREPARED TO COMPLY

1:38:27 IMMEDIATELY OR IS A TRANSITION

1:38:29 PERIOD NECESSARY?

1:38:32 UM UH I THINK I THINK IT YOU

1:38:34 KNOW, I THINK WE STAND READY TO

1:38:37 COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE.

1:38:38 YOU KNOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY IF

1:38:40 THERE'S SOME TECHNICAL ISSUE

1:38:41 THAT ARISES, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL

1:38:42 HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION WITH

1:38:44 IT.

1:38:44 OKAY.

1:38:46 ALL RIGHT.

1:38:46 UM THAT'S IT FOR MY QUESTION.

1:38:48 THANK YOU AGAIN.

1:38:49 UM, TO THE TO THE LEAD SPONSORS

1:38:52 FOR PUSHING FORWARD AND THANK

1:38:53 YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR, UH,

1:38:55 CONTRIBUTIONS.

1:38:55 SHE'S LOOKING AT THE CHAIR.

1:38:57 WE HAVE COUNCILOR, EARL I'M

1:38:59 SORRY.

1:38:59 YOU NEED THE CO-SPONSOR

1:39:00 COUNCILOR WEBER STILL ON?

1:39:01 DO YOU FOLKS HAVE ADDITIONAL

1:39:03 QUESTIONS?

1:39:04 YES.

1:39:05 BUT.

1:39:06 UH.

1:39:07 THANK YOU.

1:39:09 UH, CHAIR.

1:39:11 UH, JIM.

1:39:12 AND I GET THIS.

1:39:13 QUESTION AND ALSO FOR.

1:39:13 DAVID TOO IS.

1:39:16 ARE WE.

1:39:17 ABLE, UM, TO.

1:39:22 I GUESS WHAT.

1:39:24 DAVID TO YOU THAT WHAT YOU'VE

1:39:26 SEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY AND

1:39:28 WHAT IS INCLUDED IN SOME

1:39:29 OF THESE REVENUE REPORTS AND

1:39:30 THEN JIM.

1:39:32 IS WHAT.

1:39:34 WHAT ELSE COULD WE INCLUDE IN

1:39:36 THESE REVENUE REPORTS?

1:39:37 I'M THINKING AROUND.

1:39:38 UM.

1:39:41 UNCOLLECTED WHAT WE BUILD

1:39:42 DELINQUENCY RATE.

1:39:44 ,UM.

1:39:45 ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT

1:39:47 CAN BE USEFUL UH, TO THE

1:39:50 COUNCIL AND TO THE PUBLIC.

1:39:52 THAT COULD BE INCLUDED.

1:39:57 THAT'S A DIFFERENT SET OF UM UH

1:40:01 I THINK I THINK WITHIN THE

1:40:02 TREASURY DEPARTMENT IS THAT

1:40:03 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SECTION

1:40:05 THAT.

1:40:05 UH AND.

1:40:06 YOU KNOW, IT'S A DISTRIBUTED

1:40:07 RESPONSIBILITY SO DEPARTMENTS

1:40:09 HAVE THEIR OWN RELATIONSHIPS,

1:40:13 SO MANY UM, CITY TRANSACTIONS.

1:40:16 ARE SORT OF UP FRONT, YOU KNOW,

1:40:19 POINT OF SALE TRANSACTIONS

1:40:20 THOSE ARE ACTUALLY THE EASIEST,

1:40:22 UH, TRANSACTIONS TO.

1:40:23 MANAGE BECAUSE YOU.

1:40:24 SORT OF SOMEONE PAYS I GUESS

1:40:26 THERE IS SOME RECONCILIATION TO

1:40:29 TO UM.

1:40:30 RETURN SOMETHING IF IT DIDN'T

1:40:31 MOVE FORWARD.

1:40:32 BUT UM IN THAT BUT THE

1:40:34 INSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE UH UH

1:40:36 LIKE BILLING RELATIONSHIPS UM

1:40:38 IT'S THE IT'S THE DEPARTMENT

1:40:40 WHO'S INTERFACING WITH WHAT

1:40:42 THEY CALL A CUSTOMER, UM.

1:40:44 THAT MANAGES THAT, YOU KNOW, SO

1:40:47 BUT JUST LIKE ANY.

1:40:48 ANY RELATIONSHIP.

1:40:50 UH, BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

1:40:50 YOU HAVE PEOPLE.

1:40:52 THAT MAY BE.

1:40:52 BEHIND ON PAYING AND THINGS

1:40:54 LIKE THAT BUT THAT THAT MIGHT

1:40:55 BE A VERY, VERY COMPREHENSIVE

1:40:58 WIDE RANGING THING AND I WOULD

1:41:01 UH I WOULDN'T SORT OF INTRODUCE

1:41:04 THAT INTO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A

1:41:05 WHOLE SET OF OTHERS, YOU KNOW,

1:41:08 UH, VARIABLES.

1:41:09 UH, SO.

1:41:12 YEAH.

1:41:13 AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT.

1:41:14 SPECIFICS OF OTHER CITIES AND

1:41:16 WHAT THEY REPORT, BUT.

1:41:18 I THINK THAT'S A.

1:41:19 GREAT CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH

1:41:21 MR WILLIAMSON AND AND OTHERS

1:41:23 AND FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT

1:41:24 MAKES SENSE WITH.

1:41:26 UM, THE MIDST.

1:41:28 OF REVENUE SOURCES, YOU KNOW,

1:41:30 HOW FAR ARE YOU ON DRILL DOWNS

1:41:32 UP TO YOU.

1:41:32 BUT UM UH I'M SURE YOU ALL

1:41:35 COULD WORK THAT OUT AND COME UP

1:41:36 WITH SOMETHING THAT MAKES

1:41:37 SENSE.

1:41:38 AND WHAT ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD

1:41:42 BREAKDOWN?

1:41:42 UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMSON, IS IT

1:41:45 POSSIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME

1:41:49 OF THESE REVENUE STREAMS CAN

1:41:50 BE, YOU KNOW.

1:41:51 WHETHER IT'S TAXES?

1:41:54 UM, MAYBE, UM, PROPERTY TAXES,

1:41:58 THE MILL TAX.

1:42:00 IS IT POSSIBLE, UM, FOR US TO

1:42:03 SEE NEIGHBORHOOD BREAKDOWN ON

1:42:05 ON SOME OF THESE REVENUE

1:42:06 STREAMS?

1:42:08 YOU KNOW.

1:42:10 THAT I'M I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER

1:42:13 TO OTHERS.

1:42:13 I SIMPLY DON'T KNOW HOW

1:42:15 COMPLICATED THAT WOULD BE.

1:42:16 SO OKAY.

1:42:17 AND THEN.

1:42:19 I GUESS.

1:42:20 MY MY.

1:42:21 OTHER THINKING IS AND MAYBE

1:42:23 WE CAN PUT THIS IN THE LANGUAGE

1:42:24 EVEN THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTING

1:42:27 UM HOPEFULLY WE CAN BREAK IT

1:42:28 OUT BY MONTH BY MONTH.

1:42:30 RIGHT.

1:42:31 SO YOU KNOW WE STILL SEE.

1:42:33 EACH MONTH.

1:42:35 BREAKDOWN OF THE REVENUE.

1:42:37 UM, BUT IT'S QUARTERLY RIGHT

1:42:39 THAT WE SEE UM THOSE THOSE

1:42:43 MONTHS.

1:42:45 JUST GO DISAGGREGATED THE MONTH

1:42:49 WITHIN THAT QUARTER UH SO WE

1:42:50 CAN SEE THE REVENUE FOR EACH

1:42:53 MONTH.

1:42:56 UM, THAT THAT THAT IS SOMETHING

1:42:57 THAT I WOULD WANT TO WORK INTO

1:42:59 THAT INTO THE LANGUAGE AND.

1:43:01 I GUESS MY.

1:43:02 UM COUNCILOR WORRELL I.

1:43:03 GUESS JIM LIKE WHAT.

1:43:05 CAN WE DO THAT.

1:43:06 YEAH.

1:43:07 WELL YOU KNOW, AGAIN I WOULD

1:43:08 HAVE TO.

1:43:09 DEFER TO THE FOLKS WHO ARE LIKE

1:43:10 WRITING THIS REPORT TO.

1:43:12 LIKE THE.

1:43:13 COMPLEXITY OF OF DOING THAT SO

1:43:14 .

1:43:15 BUT JIM YOU ARE REPORTING IT

1:43:17 MONTHLY ARE LIKE YOU ALREADY

1:43:18 YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE REVENUE

1:43:19 MONTHLY ALREADY.

1:43:20 YES.

1:43:21 IT'S JUST THIS THE REPORT

1:43:22 THAT'S GENERATED THAT IS SHARED

1:43:24 WITH THE COUNCIL AS A UH WE'RE

1:43:27 WE'RE LOOKING.

1:43:28 AT IT LIKE IN A DIFFERENT UH

1:43:31 WAY.

1:43:32 YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A IT'S

1:43:33 WE'RE FEEDING IT INTO LIKE

1:43:35 SOMETHING THAT WE'RE USING FOR

1:43:36 ANALYTICAL PURPOSES NOT

1:43:38 NECESSARILY FOR FINANCIAL

1:43:39 REPORTING PURPOSES.

1:43:41 I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S

1:43:42 CONFUSING BUT THAT'S IT'S A

1:43:44 WE'RE USING IT DIFFERENTLY

1:43:45 THAN.

1:43:45 HOW UM.

1:43:47 LIKE.

1:43:47 AUDITING WOULD REPORT IT.

1:43:50 AND IT BECAUSE THERE ARE

1:43:52 CERTAIN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

1:43:53 ON HOW THEY YOU KNOW UM.

1:43:57 THAT THAT THIS IS EXAMPLES

1:43:59 OF WHERE WE WAY.

1:44:00 PAST THE ACTUAL CLOSING PERIOD

1:44:03 OF THE MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT

1:44:05 WE'RE CAPTURING A CERTAIN

1:44:06 PAYROLL BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE.

1:44:08 DATA BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE

1:44:09 SURE THAT WE HAVE A CERTAIN SET

1:44:11 OF PAYROLLS INCLUDED.

1:44:12 SO IT'S A IT'S A IT'S JUST

1:44:14 DIFFERENT UM, PIECES IS THE WAY

1:44:17 WE CONSUME THE DATA IS

1:44:18 DIFFERENTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE

1:44:19 WAY ALL OF THE USE IT.

1:44:20 RIGHT I.

1:44:22 WOULD SAY.

1:44:22 BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.

1:44:23 REVENUE PAYROLLS AND

1:44:24 EXPENDITURE.

1:44:25 YEAH YEAH REVENUE WOULD HAVE A

1:44:28 DIFFERENT DYNAMIC.

1:44:29 TO IT.

1:44:30 YEAH BUT.

1:44:30 AGAIN THERE'S THAT SEASONALITY

1:44:32 OF.

1:44:32 IT YOU KNOW LIKE.

1:44:33 WHEN CERTAIN REVENUES ARE

1:44:36 RECOGNIZED SO.

1:44:37 OKAY AND I'M STILL SEEING

1:44:38 REPORTED QUARTERLY RIGHT STILL

1:44:39 SUBMIT THE REPORT QUARTERLY.

1:44:41 YEP YEP AND IN IN IN PROPERTY.

1:44:45 TAXES ARE ALSO.

1:44:46 HANDLED UH SO A.

1:44:47 DIFFERENT WAYS THAT.

1:44:48 ARE ASSESSED ONCE THE BILLS GO

1:44:51 OUT THE REVENUE IS RECOGNIZED

1:44:52 AND WE ALL KNOW THAT LIKE YOU

1:44:54 KNOW PEOPLE HAVE TIME TO PAY

1:44:56 THEIR BILLS.

1:44:56 SO IT'S SORT OF AN ACCOUNTING

1:44:58 WAY OF REFLECTING THAT THE

1:45:00 PROPERTY TAXES ARE ARE BEING

1:45:02 ASSESSED AND SENT OUT.

1:45:03 UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'VE

1:45:05 GOT.

1:45:05 EVERYBODY'S INDIVIDUAL, YOU

1:45:07 KNOW, TAX BILLS PAID IN JUST

1:45:09 YET.

1:45:10 SO.

1:45:14 UM DAVID WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR

1:45:16 THOUGHTS ON BEST PRACTICES

1:45:18 ACROSS THE COUNTRY AROUND HOW

1:45:22 THE REPORTING IS DONE MONTHLY

1:45:25 VERSUS QUARTERLY.

1:45:27 WELL, IF IT'S FEASIBLE TO DO A

1:45:29 MONTHLY I WOULD DO IT MONTHLY.

1:45:32 UH UH BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I

1:45:33 HAVE TO WORK OUT WITH THEM TO

1:45:35 SEE IF THAT'S DOABLE.

1:45:36 IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE UM

1:45:39 YOU KNOW LIKE UH I FORGET WHICH

1:45:42 COUNSELOR SAID WE ALL REVIEW

1:45:45 OUR FINANCES PROBABLY MONTHLY

1:45:47 AND, UM, DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT

1:45:49 WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH OR

1:45:52 MAYBE TO TAKE THAT VACATION OR

1:45:54 RETIRE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO

1:45:55 START NUMBERING.

1:45:57 SO, UM, TO TO ME THAT, UH THAT

1:45:59 MAKES SENSE.

1:46:02 AND DAVID, IN YOUR.

1:46:06 RESEARCH, UM, IS THERE.

1:46:10 ANY CORRELATION BETWEEN REVENUE

1:46:14 REPORTING AND I GUESS

1:46:19 IDENTIFYING AREAS WHERE UM

1:46:23 GOVERNMENT HAS.

1:46:25 NOW IDENTIFIED LIKE UH THE

1:46:27 COLLECTION ISSUE AS OPPOSED TO

1:46:30 LIKE A.

1:46:31 FORECASTING PROBLEM.

1:46:32 SO WE MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN

1:46:35 AREA WHERE WE NEED TO FOCUS ON

1:46:37 COLLECTING, UM, THAT HAS BEEN

1:46:41 KIND OF SOLVED.

1:46:42 THROUGH.

1:46:43 YOU KNOW, THE MORE

1:46:45 TRANSPARENCY AROUND REVENUE

1:46:47 REPORTING.

1:46:48 BUT I HAVEN'T STUDIED THAT

1:46:50 SPECIFICALLY BUT I'M GUESSING

1:46:52 THAT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT I THINK

1:46:55 CHECKING WITH SOME OF THE

1:46:56 NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT UH,

1:46:58 NATIONAL LEAGUE CITIES AND

1:47:00 PROBABLY MR WILLIAMSON'S

1:47:01 ASSOCIATIONS HE BELONGS TO

1:47:03 PERHAPS SOME OF THOSE HAVE

1:47:04 LOOKED AT THAT CLOSELY AND SO

1:47:07 UH, THERE'S SOME GREAT PUBLIC

1:47:08 ADMINISTRATION SCHOLARS OUT

1:47:10 THERE THAT ARE SUZANNE PETROSKI

1:47:12 AT RUTGERS AND OTHERS THAT ARE

1:47:14 PROBABLY LOOKED AT THAT.

1:47:16 ALL RIGHT.

1:47:18 UM ALL RIGHT.

1:47:19 YEAH.

1:47:20 AND UM, JUST.

1:47:21 WANTED TO ALSO CHIME IN I DO

1:47:24 BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE FILED

1:47:25 UH, WITH THE CITY CLERK.

1:47:27 YEAH.

1:47:28 I THINK THE IN MY UNDERSTANDING

1:47:30 THE EXPENDITURE ONE IS ABOUT

1:47:32 THE AUDITOR AND THE CITY CLERK

1:47:36 UM, BASED OFF IT BASED OFF WHAT

1:47:38 I BELIEVE SAYS IN THE CHARTER.

1:47:40 UH, SO I.

1:47:41 WOULD WANT.

1:47:42 THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN

1:47:43 WITH UM, UM, UH, THE REVENUE.

1:47:46 REPORTS AND AND UM HOPEFULLY UM

1:47:52 I KNOW LIKE WITH BDP WE DO AND

1:47:56 WE DON'T HAVE TO ADD THIS INTO

1:47:57 THE IN THE ORDINANCE BUT WOULD

1:47:59 BE OJP WE'RE LIKE.

1:48:00 HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.

1:48:02 UM WELL WE'RE.

1:48:03 FORCED TO.

1:48:04 BY LAW.

1:48:05 WE'RE SUPPOSED.

1:48:06 TO HAVE TWO.

1:48:06 HEARINGS A YEAR ON THE BJP

1:48:09 MEMBERS.

1:48:10 UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S

1:48:11 SOMETHING THAT THE

1:48:12 COUNCIL WANTS TO EXPLORE AROUND

1:48:13 REVENUE PROJECTIONS BECAUSE WE

1:48:16 KIND OF ENCOURAGE US ENCOURAGES

1:48:18 US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION

1:48:20 INSTEAD OF JUST RECEIVING THESE

1:48:22 REPORTS AS FILED.

1:48:23 UM, ON.

1:48:24 OUR AGENDA.

1:48:26 SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN

1:48:27 THINKING ABOUT DURING THIS

1:48:28 CONVERSATION AS WELL.

1:48:29 AS.

1:48:30 THE BODY UM.

1:48:32 WANT TO UH.

1:48:33 YOU KNOW, MAKE IT SIMILAR TO

1:48:36 BJP.

1:48:37 WHERE WE'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW,

1:48:40 2.

1:48:40 OR 4M A YEAR ON REVENUE.

1:48:42 I THINK.

1:48:43 THAT IS YOU LOOK BACK TO MY

1:48:45 NOTES.

1:48:47 UM, ALL OF MY.

1:48:50 ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.

1:48:53 OKAY.

1:48:53 GREAT.

1:48:54 AND THANK YOU FOR UM FOR

1:48:55 CLARIFYING THAT IT DOES SAY IN

1:48:57 THE CHARTER.

1:48:58 IT RIGHT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE

1:49:00 IT IN FRONT OF ME.

1:49:00 I'M SORRY BUT IT DOES SAY THAT

1:49:01 IT HAS TO GO TO THE CITY CLERK

1:49:03 AND THE AUDITOR ALREADY SO WE

1:49:05 WOULDN'T HAVE TO ADD THAT IN

1:49:06 THAT'S ALREADY THERE.

1:49:08 WELL THAT'S WHERE EXPENDITURES

1:49:11 OKAY.

1:49:12 YEAH.

1:49:13 SO MAYBE WE UM WE PUT

1:49:15 SOMETHING IN THERE THAT JUST

1:49:17 SAYS WHERE IT GOES AND THEN FOR

1:49:19 THIS IS MAYBE A QUESTION FOR

1:49:21 THE MEGS UM.

1:49:25 IF WE WANT TO PUT IN SOMETHING

1:49:26 LIKE THE BJP, IS THAT.

1:49:28 SOMETHING THAT WOULD.

1:49:29 IS NECESSARY TO.

1:49:30 GO.

1:49:30 INTO THE CITY CHARTER OR.

1:49:33 CAN.

1:49:33 IT BE DONE.

1:49:34 BY ORDINANCE?

1:49:35 I DON'T KNOW UM.

1:49:37 I THINK I THINK IT SHOULD BE

1:49:38 FINE.

1:49:38 BUT UM I'M OPEN TO ALL OF IT.

1:49:41 I THINK THIS IS THIS IS GREAT.

1:49:42 UM, YOU FOLKS DO IT ALREADY AND

1:49:44 I THINK IT'S JUST THE FINER

1:49:46 POINT OF OKAY, WE KNOW IT'S

1:49:47 GONNA BE QUARTERLY, BUT CAN WE

1:49:48 PLEASE INCLUDE THE THE MONTHLY

1:49:50 ?

1:49:50 UM.

1:49:52 LIKE.

1:49:53 UH.

1:49:55 I'M SORRY I'M BLANKING ON

1:49:56 THE WORD HERE.

1:49:57 SLEEP DEPRIVED WITH.

1:49:58 ENVIRONMENTAL BUT.

1:49:59 UM, JUST FOR THE MONTHLY REPORT

1:50:01 AS WELL.

1:50:02 UM, AND I'M SORRY.

1:50:03 I I REALIZE THAT WE HAVE

1:50:04 COUNCILOR WEBER HERE AS WELL.

1:50:05 COUNCILOR WEBER, DO YOU HAVE

1:50:06 ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

1:50:07 ?

1:50:08 UH, YEAH.

1:50:09 I WAS JUST GOING TO.

1:50:09 HIGHLIGHT FOR.

1:50:10 UH.

1:50:11 COUNCILOR RAIL.

1:50:12 AND THE CHAIR.

1:50:12 I THOUGHT THE THE LANGUAGE IS

1:50:15 PROVIDE.

1:50:16 REQUIRED TO THE SUPERVISOR

1:50:19 REQUIRED TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY

1:50:21 REVENUE REPORTS THAT MAYBE TO

1:50:23 CLARIFY TO WHO TO WHO OR TO

1:50:25 WHERE BUT UM LEAVE THAT UP FOR.

1:50:29 UP TO THE FILER UM I THINK IT'S

1:50:32 OF THE CITY COUNCIL UH MAYBE

1:50:34 IT'S JUST CLEAR FROM THE

1:50:35 RESIDENTS BUT UM, I THINK

1:50:37 GETTING TO YOUR POINT YOU COULD

1:50:41 ADD SOME MORE DETAIL MAYBE.

1:50:43 YEAH, DEFINITELY.

1:50:44 I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING

1:50:45 THAT UM THAT SHOULD BE IN THERE

1:50:47 AND THEN I WAS EVEN SAYING

1:50:48 GETTING MORE PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT

1:50:49 WHAT THE ITEMS ARE, BUT IT

1:50:50 SOUNDS LIKE.

1:50:51 IT'S IT'S UM.

1:50:53 IT'S ALL ENCOMPASSING AND THAT

1:50:56 WAY WE'RE NOT MISSING.

1:50:56 ANYTHING WHICH I.

1:50:57 UM WOULD I AGREE WITH.

1:50:59 YEAH.

1:51:00 MAYBE SOMETHING YEAH I GUESS

1:51:02 LIKE DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS

1:51:04 MIGHT FEEL DIFFERENTLY.

1:51:06 UH.

1:51:07 IS THERE A NATIONAL STANDARD I

1:51:09 MAYBE FOR DAVID LIKE THAT WE

1:51:10 CAN REFER TO.

1:51:14 FOR REVENUE REPORTS IS I DON'T

1:51:16 KNOW, I JUST I WANT TO MAKE

1:51:17 SURE THAT IT'S CONSISTENT.

1:51:19 IT'S A GOOD QUESTION I DON'T

1:51:21 KNOW, BUT UM.

1:51:23 UH.

1:51:24 I THINK THAT IT WOULDN'T

1:51:25 TAKE LONG TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

1:51:27 FIND THAT.

1:51:29 OKAY.

1:51:32 YEAH.

1:51:33 OKAY.

1:51:33 THANK YOU.

1:51:34 CHAIR IT FOR ME.

1:51:35 THANK YOU.

1:51:37 I THINK.

1:51:38 UM, WE ARE IF.

1:51:40 SEEING AND HEARING.

1:51:41 NO OTHER CALL, UH, QUESTIONS.

1:51:42 COMMENTS OR CONCERNS WE CAN GO

1:51:44 TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

1:51:45 I WANT.

1:51:46 TO.

1:51:46 THANK DAVID AND JIM AS WELL FOR

1:51:47 YOUR WORK AND STEVE AS ALWAYS,

1:51:50 UM.

1:51:50 FOR HIS.

1:51:51 GREAT INSIGHTS AND NONPARTISAN

1:51:53 UM, FEEDBACK.

1:51:55 WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP

1:51:57 FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AT THIS

1:51:58 POINT.

1:51:59 WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION.

1:52:01 TO THAT SECTION OF THE HEARING.

1:52:03 WE HAVE GEORGE LEE THAT.

1:52:05 HAS.

1:52:05 SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

1:52:07 UM, CENTRAL STAFF IF YOU WANT

1:52:09 TO GO AHEAD AND ELEVATE HIM TO

1:52:10 PANELISTS.

1:52:11 GEORGE, WE ALL KNOW YOU BUT

1:52:12 PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INTRODUCE

1:52:14 YOURSELF.

1:52:15 AND YOUR AFFILIATION.

1:52:16 YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

1:52:18 WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE.

1:52:19 SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY

1:52:20 TWO.

1:52:20 OKAY THANK YOU I APOLOGIZE SORT

1:52:22 OF GEORGE AND THEN I'LL LOOK TO

1:52:23 THE UM TO THE SHEET HERE AND

1:52:26 GREGORY MAYNARD OKAY.

1:52:28 UM.

1:52:29 GEORGE ARCH.

1:52:29 YEP.

1:52:30 GEORGE, YOU'RE UP FIRST.

1:52:32 UH GOOD MORNING.

1:52:33 MY NAME.

1:52:34 IS GEORGE LEE.

1:52:34 I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH JUSTICE

1:52:36 IN OUR.

1:52:36 UNION AND PART.

1:52:37 OF THE.

1:52:38 BETTER BUNCH OF LIVES.

1:52:38 AND I'M.

1:52:39 SPEAKING IN.

1:52:40 FULL SUPPORT.

1:52:41 OF THIS ORDINANCE.

1:52:42 UM.

1:52:44 BASICALLY THE.

1:52:45 CITY COUNCIL MAYOR MAKE A LOT

1:52:47 OF DECISIONS THAT ARE IMPACTING

1:52:49 HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

1:52:50 OF RESIDENTS IN BOSTON.

1:52:51 AND, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE

1:52:54 THOSE DECISIONS BASED ON THE

1:52:55 REALITY OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE

1:52:56 GOING THROUGH AND TO HAVE

1:52:57 COMPLETE INFORMATION, UM, WHICH

1:53:01 UNFORTUNATELY OFTEN GETS

1:53:01 HIDDEN.

1:53:02 I FORGET WHICH PANELIST WAS

1:53:03 SPEAKING UP BEFORE ABOUT

1:53:05 FEELING A LITTLE BIT LIKE

1:53:06 CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT AND

1:53:07 SOME OF THE DYSFUNCTIONALITY

1:53:08 WHEN INFORMATION IS HIDDEN FROM

1:53:10 THE CITY COUNCIL OR FROM THE

1:53:11 PUBLIC AND IT HAS REAL LIFE

1:53:13 IMPACTS.

1:53:14 SO RIGHT NOW UM DESPITE UM

1:53:17 ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT UM COVER UP

1:53:21 THIS REALITY, THERE'S 1400

1:53:23 YOUTH JOBS THAT ARE BEING CUT

1:53:25 AT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS

1:53:27 BECAUSE CITY FUNDING HAS BEEN

1:53:28 CUT AND THAT COMES DIRECTLY

1:53:29 FROM THE BUDGET DECISIONS LAST

1:53:31 YEAR WHERE THERE WERE A LOT

1:53:32 OF CLAIMS THAT THERE WASN'T

1:53:33 GOING TO BE ENOUGH REVENUE.

1:53:35 UM, AND UH THERE'S JUST A BIG

1:53:38 POWER IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE

1:53:39 INFORMATION THE MAYOR HAD ABOUT

1:53:41 REVENUE AND WHAT THEY COULD

1:53:41 DECIDE VERSUS WHAT THE CITY

1:53:43 COUNCIL KNEW, WHAT THE PUBLIC

1:53:44 IN THE COMMUNITY KNEW.

1:53:46 AND JUST TO TAKE YOU JOBS AN

1:53:47 EXAMPLE THAT'S IT WAS A $5.25

1:53:50 MILLION CUT.

1:53:51 THAT'S ONLY 0.1% OF THE

1:53:53 PROJECTED REVENUE THAT THE

1:53:55 MAYOR PUT FORWARD.

1:53:56 AND SO HAVING TRANSPARENCY JUST

1:53:58 TO KNOW LIKE HEY, COULD REVENUE

1:54:00 BE LIKE 1% BIGGER MAYBE THAN

1:54:02 WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING HAS AN

1:54:04 IMPACT ON THOUSANDS OF YOUNG

1:54:06 PEOPLE AND FAMILIES AND

1:54:07 COMMUNITIES AND THE COMMUNITY

1:54:09 DESERVES THE TRUTH.

1:54:10 THE CITY COUNCIL DESERVES THE

1:54:12 TRUTH ABOUT THE REALITY

1:54:13 OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THINGS

1:54:14 LIKE LIKE LIKE THESE CUTS UM,

1:54:16 THAT ARE GETTING COVERED UP AND

1:54:18 GLOSSED OVER BY MISLEADING

1:54:19 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ABOUT UM, THE

1:54:22 TRUTH ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING

1:54:24 FINANCIALLY SO THAT DECISIONS

1:54:25 CAN BE MADE.

1:54:26 UM, AND I GUESS I'LL JUST END

1:54:28 BY SAYING THAT THIS QUESTION

1:54:30 OF REVENUE IS REALLY

1:54:31 FUNDAMENTAL TO BEING ABLE TO

1:54:33 CREATE RESPONSIBLE BUDGETS.

1:54:35 I BELIEVE THE STATE HOUSE, THE

1:54:36 LEGISLATURE HAS LIKE A LOT MORE

1:54:39 CAPACITY AND RESEARCH AND

1:54:40 ABILITY TO LOOK AT REVENUE THAN

1:54:42 THE CITY COUNCIL DOES.

1:54:43 UM, WHEN THERE'S CLAIMS THAT

1:54:45 THERE'S NOT ENOUGH REVENUE OR

1:54:46 WE NEED TO MAKE CUTS BUT

1:54:47 THERE'S NOT INFORMATION ABOUT

1:54:48 HOW MUCH REVENUE THERE ACTUALLY

1:54:49 WILL BE OR THERE POWERS TO

1:54:51 DETERMINE REVENUE.

1:54:52 UM, THOSE ARE LIFE OR DEATH

1:54:54 DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE

1:54:55 AND AND FIXING HOW MUCH POWER

1:54:58 THE COMMUNITY AND CITY

1:55:00 COUNCIL HAS OVER LOOKING AT

1:55:01 REVENUE AND DECIDING REVENUE

1:55:02 ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO MAKING SURE

1:55:03 THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE FULLY

1:55:04 INVESTED IN INSTEAD OF BEING

1:55:05 CUT FOR.

1:55:07 THE.

1:55:07 SAKE OF SOME PRETEND SCARE

1:55:10 AUSTERITY THAT MAY NOT ACTUALLY

1:55:11 BE REAL ACCURATE.

1:55:13 THANK YOU GEORGE.

1:55:15 UH, NEXT.

1:55:16 UP WE HAVE GREG.

1:55:19 HELLO.

1:55:20 UH, MY NAME IS GREGORY

1:55:21 MAYNARD AND I AM THE CO-FOUNDER

1:55:23 AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE

1:55:24 BOSTON POLICY INSTITUTE.

1:55:25 THIS ORDINANCE SEEKS TO GET

1:55:27 REVENUE DATA BUT IT AVOIDS A

1:55:29 DIFFERENT ISSUE.

1:55:30 THE COUNCIL HASN'T SHOWN MUCH

1:55:32 INTEREST IN REVENUE DATA DURING

1:55:34 BUDGET PROCESSES.

1:55:35 THIS IS WORRYING BECAUSE UNDER

1:55:37 MAYOR WU THE CITY'S REVENUE

1:55:39 FORECASTS HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS

1:55:41 ACCURATE THAN THEY WERE UNDER

1:55:42 MAYOR WALSH OVER THE COURSE

1:55:44 OF WALSH'S WHOLE TENURE.

1:55:46 SO 515 TO FY 20 THE WALSH

1:55:48 ADMINISTRATION WAS ABOUT 1.1%

1:55:50 OVER ITS REVENUE FORECASTS IN

1:55:52 ITS FIRST THREE YEARS, FY 23 TO

1:55:56 25 THE ADMINISTRATION WAS ABOUT

1:55:58 4.4% OVER LAST SPRING DURING

1:56:00 THE FY 27 BUDGET PROCESS.

1:56:02 I URGE THE COUNCIL TO MAKE

1:56:04 REVENUE FORECASTS A PRIORITY.

1:56:05 HOWEVER, THIS COUNCIL DID NOT

1:56:07 DO THAT AND CHAIR WEBER AND THE

1:56:09 WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE FAILED

1:56:11 TO HOLD A STANDALONE HEARING ON

1:56:13 REVENUE DURING THE FY 27 BUDGET

1:56:15 PROCESS.

1:56:16 HOPEFULLY THIS ORDINANCE IS AN

1:56:18 INDICATION THE COUNCIL INTENDS

1:56:20 TO START GRAPPLING WITH REVENUE

1:56:21 .

1:56:21 THE BODY SHOULD DO THAT BECAUSE

1:56:24 THE ADMINISTRATION'S INACCURATE

1:56:26 REVENUE FORECASTS APPEAR TO BE

1:56:28 A GROWING ISSUE.

1:56:29 INACCURATE REVENUE FORECASTS

1:56:31 WERE IN MALIBU'S FAVOR DURING

1:56:32 HER FIRST TERM, ALLOWING THE

1:56:34 MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL TO SPEND

1:56:36 TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN

1:56:37 SURPLUS REVENUE ON PROJECTS

1:56:39 LIKE THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR

1:56:40 FUND.

1:56:41 BUT IN FY 26 THE WORM TURNED IN

1:56:44 .

1:56:44 THE FY 26 DEFICIT WAS DRIVEN IN

1:56:47 PART BY INACCURATE REVENUE

1:56:50 FORECASTS.

1:56:50 CFO GRIFFIN BERGER REPORTED

1:56:52 BACK IN MARCH THAT $7 MILLION

1:56:54 OF THE FY 26 DEFICIT WAS DUE TO

1:56:56 PERMITS AND LICENSING MISSING

1:56:58 ITS REVENUE FORECAST.

1:57:00 HERE IS ONE REALLY WORRYING

1:57:01 EXAMPLE AND FY 26 APPEARS TO BE

1:57:04 THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW THAT

1:57:05 THE CITY HAS MISSED ITS

1:57:07 BUILDING PERMIT REVENUE

1:57:08 FORECAST.

1:57:09 GIVEN HOW IMPORTANT NEW

1:57:10 CONSTRUCTION IS TO BOSTON'S

1:57:12 PROPERTY TAX DEPENDENT BUDGET,

1:57:14 CONSISTENT MISSES LIKE THAT

1:57:15 DESERVE SCRUTINY.

1:57:18 BOSTON IS IN THE MIDST OF A

1:57:19 FISCAL CRISIS THANKS TO FALLING

1:57:20 OFFICE VALUES AND THE COLLAPSE

1:57:22 OF NEW GROWTH IN FY 26, THE

1:57:25 CITY EXPERIENCED ITS FIRST

1:57:27 DEFICIT IN YEARS.

1:57:28 IN FY 27, THE CITY WAS FORCED

1:57:30 TO LAY OFF HUNDREDS

1:57:32 OF EMPLOYEES AGAIN FOR THE

1:57:33 FIRST TIME IN YEARS.

1:57:35 SOLVING THESE PROBLEMS REQUIRES

1:57:37 ACCURATE INFORMATION.

1:57:38 THIS ORDINANCE COULD HELP BUT

1:57:40 THE REALITY IS THAT IT ONLY

1:57:43 WILL IF THE CITY COUNCIL AND

1:57:44 MAYOR WU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT

1:57:47 FOCUSING ON THIS ISSUE AND

1:57:49 TALKING ABOUT IT IN PUBLIC.

1:57:51 THANK YOU SO MUCH.

1:57:54 OKAY, UM, CAN WE HAVE ANY MORE

1:57:57 FOLKS?

1:57:59 ALL SET?

1:58:01 OKAY.

1:58:02 I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY

1:58:03 FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS

1:58:04 UM GREAT CONVERSATION.

1:58:05 UH.

1:58:06 I THINK WE HAVE SMALL.

1:58:08 DETAILS TO FIGURE OUT.

1:58:09 I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WARRANTS

1:58:10 OR WORKING SESSION.

1:58:11 UM, BUT UM, I WORK WITH THE

1:58:13 CHAIR ON THAT, BUT I JUST

1:58:14 REALLY IT'S GOING TO STAY IN

1:58:15 COMMITTEE FOR NOW.

1:58:16 UM, BUT PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

1:58:17 SO, UM, I THINK UH, WE HAVE

1:58:22 BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE I'LL JUST

1:58:23 SAY, UH, THANK YOU.

1:58:24 AND THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 1099

1:58:27 IS ADJOURNED.

1:58:28 THANKS, EVERYBODY.

1:58:29 THANK YOU.