What Boston City Council Approved on Oct. 28: Grants, Orders and Hearings

The Boston City Council approved two grants worth $947,000, sent four others totaling about $4.72 million to committee and opened 10 new hearing requests at its Oct. 28, 2026 meeting, according to the official minutes released by the City Clerk. The session, the last regular meeting before the Nov. 3 state election, ran from 12:10 p.m. to 2:01 p.m. in the Iannella Chamber.

$947,000 in grants approved · $4.72M sent to committee · 10 new hearing orders · 2 roll-call votes at 13-0

Ahead of the meeting, The Boston Report published a preview of the Oct. 28 agenda. This article reports what the council actually did, based on the minutes.

Grants the council approved

Councilors suspended the rules to pass two of the six grant orders filed by Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration on the same day:

• $760,000 for the Boston Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team. The money is an FY27 state earmark from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, under line item 8000-0600 of the state budget. It passed on a motion by Councilor Henry Santana.
• $187,000 for the East Boston Senior Center. The grant comes from the Massachusetts Port Authority’s East Boston Foundation Fund II and pays for the Age Strong Commission’s operation of the center. It passed 12-0 on a motion by Councilor Erin Murphy, with Councilor Enrique Pepén not present for the vote.

Grants sent to committee

The four other grants were referred to the Committee on Labor and Economic Development, which means they cannot be spent until the committee reports them back and the full council votes:

• $2,409,496.20 in federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth money, passed through the state’s MassHire Department of Career Services, for a youth employment program serving ages 14 to 24.
• $1,822,840.20 in WIOA adult money for job seekers’ training, apprenticeships and support services.
• $300,000 from Harvard University for a Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Fellow in the Law Department.
• $190,105.22 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America program for pre-apprenticeship pathways in hospitality, construction, health care and life sciences.

By the numbers

The six grant orders added up to $5.67 million. By The Boston Report’s calculation from the minutes, the two approved grants were 16.7% of that total, and the four referred grants were 83.3%. The two federal WIOA grants alone, at $4.23 million, made up nearly three-quarters (74.7%) of all the grant money before the council, and both went to committee.

Two roll-call votes passed 13-0: a home rule petition to waive the maximum age requirement for police officer candidate Marcus Alexis, filed by Councilor Miniard Culpepper, and a Section 17F information request on youth jobs from Councilor Julia Mejia. A 17F order requires the administration to answer the council’s questions in writing. The council also confirmed Mercy Robinson as an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeal through May 1, 2029, and confirmed a slate of new constables, each 12-0.

New hearing orders

Ten hearing orders were referred to committees, where hearings are scheduled later:

• Elected School Committee (Docket #2044, Mejia, Councilor Brian Worrell and others): a hearing on how to “best implement” an elected Boston School Committee. Referred to the Committee on Education.
• 311 system (#2045, Murphy): a review of the city’s updated 311 system and service-request accountability. Referred to City Services.
• 2030 Census (#2046, Council President Liz Breadon, with Councilors Ruthzee Louijeune and Benjamin Weber): proposed federal changes affecting the 2030 Census. Referred to Census, Redistricting, and Elections.
• South Boston (#2047 to #2050, Councilor Ed Flynn): the permitting of a South Boston block party, the O’Connor Way bike lane, public safety and quality of life in South Boston, and lithium-ion battery storage in e-bikes and scooters.
• Opportunity gap (#2043, Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata): a hearing on the opportunity gap for young women and women of color.

A Flynn resolution backing a waiver of the 10-year residency requirement for Boston Police civilian employees who become sworn officers was referred to the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee after Councilor Sharon Durkan objected to a same-day vote. Durkan also objected to adding two late-filed matters to the agenda. Two earlier hearing orders, on resources for the Boston Police Crime Laboratory and on in-custody deaths at the Suffolk County House of Correction, remain in that committee.

Earlier coverage: the O’Connor Way bike lane hearing request and the block party grant still in committee. Every recorded vote is listed on the Boston City Hall Tracker.

What comes next

The council adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, at noon, the day after the state election. The Boston School Committee also meets Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m., according to the city’s Legistar calendar.

Sources

• Boston City Council meeting minutes, Oct. 28, 2026 (City Clerk, Legistar)
• Boston City Council meeting calendar (Legistar)
• City of Boston: Committee on Education hearing notice, Docket #2044
• City of Boston: City Council roll call votes

Additional sources

• Docket #0162, home rule petition on reorganizing the Boston School Committee (PDF)
• Analyze Boston: City Council roll call votes dataset