City Council Committee On Labor, Workforce, And Economic Development Hearing on Dockets #0294-0295, #0400, #0405 #0454, #0526, #0529, #0531, And #0642-0643

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) in the form of a grant, from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, awarded by the United States Department of the Treasury to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund services to underserved populations in the hardest-to-reach areas, both urban and non-urban, in basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) in the form of a grant, for the Boston Tax Help Coalition Santander Bank Grant, awarded by Santander Bank, N.A. to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund the Boston Tax Help Coalition to provide pathways from poverty to financial empowerment by maximizing the impact of tax credits through free tax preparation, financial education, and economic stability opportunities.

These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu, and was referred to the Committee on January 29, 2025.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Four Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($410,000.00) in the form of a grant, for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Funding, awarded by the MA Executive Office for Administrative & Finance to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund to support the Center for Working Families’ Boston Tax Help Coalition in assisting low-income taxpayers with personal income tax filing for the 2024 tax session.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) in the form of a grant for the Friends of Youth Opportunity Boston Grant, awarded by The Baupost Group to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund opportunities for young people ages 12-24 to work and learn along with intensive staff support.

These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu, and was referred to the Committee on February 5, 2025.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Forty-Three Thousand Three Hundred Twelve Dollars and Fifty Cents ($43,312.50) in the form of a grant for the FYOB MLK Scholars Program Grant, awarded by the Boston Foundation, passed through the Philanthropic Initiative, to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund summer jobs, financial education, and professional development opportunities for Boston youth.

This matter was sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu, and was referred to the Committee on February 12, 2025.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Million One Hundred Ninety Thousand Seventy-One Dollars and Sixty-Four Cents ($1,190,071.64) in the form of a grant for the Carry-in WIOS Adult Program, awarded by the United States Department of Labor, passed through the MassHire Department of Career Services, to be administered by the Office of Workforce Department. The grant will fund services to help job seekers access employment, education, skills, training, apprenticeships and support services.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Ninety-Five Thousand Dollars ($95,000.00) in the form of a grant, for the Workforce Training Fund Grant, awarded by MassHire Department of Career Services to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund programming to help address business productivity and competitiveness by providing resources to Massachusetts businesses for training current and newly hired employees.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Forty-One Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty-Eight Dollars and Sixty Cents ($41,828.60) in the form of a grant for the Shelter Supplemental Funding Grant, awarded by MassHire Department of Career Services to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund MassHire career centers with supplemental funding to support emergency assistance (EA) shelters residents with training and employment opportunities.

These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu, and was referred to the Committee on February 26, 2025.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of Three Hundred Eighty-Two Thousand One Hundred Sixty-Three Dollars and Fifty-Nine Cents ($382,163.59) in form of a grant, for the Carry-In Wagner Peyser Program Grant, awarded by the United States Department of Labor, passed through the MassHire Department of Career Services, to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund the individual reemployment needs of Unemployment Insurance claimants, as well as prevent and detect improper benefit payments, and application assistance for, training and education resources and programs.

Message and order authorizing the City of Boston to accept and expend the amount of One Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($140,000.000) in the form of a grant, for the Uncornered Grant, awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, passed through the Economic Development & Industrial Corporation of Boston to be administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The grant will fund coaching, mentorship, and other workforce development training opportunities for at-risk, violence-involved youth and reentering citizens.

These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu, and was referred to the Committee on March 12, 2025.

NOTICE: The Boston City Council may have a quorum in attendance due to standing committees of the City Council consisting of both voting and non-voting members. However, members attending this duly posted meeting are participating and deliberating only in conjunction with the business of the standing committee.

Attendance

In accordance with Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025 modifying certain requirements of the Open Meeting Law and relieving public bodies of certain requirements, including the requirement that public bodies conduct its meetings in a public place that is open and physically accessible to the public, the City Council will be conducting this hearing remotely. This enables the City Council to carry out its responsibilities while ensuring public access to its deliberations through adequate, alternative means. The public may watch this hearing via live stream at boston.gov/city-council-tv and on Xfinity 8/RCN 82/Fios 964. This hearing will be recorded.

Public Testimony

Members of the public wishing to testify virtually via videoconference should email the staff contact for a link and instructions to do so. Written comments may be sent to the Committee or staff email (below) and will be made a part of the record and available to all Councilors. 

Staff Contact: Shane L. Pac

Mail Address:  Docket #0294-0295, 0400, 0454, 0526, 0529, 0531, 0642-0643 

City Council, City Hall, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02201

Committee Email:  ccc.labor@boston.gov  

Staff Email:  shane.pac@boston.gov | Staff Telephone:  617-635-3040

Broadcast Live on Xfinity 8/RCN 82/ Fios 964 and streamed at: boston.gov/city-council-tv