CSHCA Meeting Minutes, May 2022

General Membership Meeting, May 2, 2022 • 7:00pm
on Zoom and in person at Boston Collegiate Charter School, 215 Sydney St

Meeting Minutes

  • Police Report (7:00-7:20)
  • We’ll be joined by representatives from the BPD 3 minor incidents Last 28 days • April 12/13 – suspect broke into a car – 27 Sagamore Street
    • April 16 – suspect spray painted graffiti on Colleen’s flower shop “It’s hard to catch people” • 2 nights ago – arrested a 13 and 12 year old for spray painting the new tot lot at the park
    • Another incident: Man driving with suspended license
  • Special Guest: Presentation on the Fair Share Amendment, a proposed legislative amendment which will be on the ballot in November (7:20-7:35) Lew Finfer, Dot resident X50 years, Lower Mills. Fair Share Amendment – A chance of a generation. A chance to raise 2 billion dollars toward education and transportation. Tax is only on millionaires. Right now = 5% income tax. Anything above 1 million = 9%
    Raise Up MA coalition – made up of community groups, labor unions, religious based groups, etc. Campaigns for paid FMLA, etc.

Question:

My only reservation… now houses are worth over 1 million $$? Does that include people who own property worth over 1 million dollars?

Answer:

It is your income. But if you sold your house your income would include that. That would be capital gains tax. The same is for small businesses and farms. “This would not hit homeowners like yourself” This is only for people earning more than 1 million $$ through their income.

Question:

What about small businesses in MA? They are worried this will impact them… how might it affect small businesses?

Answer:

There are S-Corps. They would have to be more than $1,000,000 in earnings. Not sales… but earnings. One of these businesses is Fidelity Investments. This would not hurt small businesses and farms.
The opponents of this are the 5 biggest companies in the state

They are trying to insinuate this is going to hurt small business owners – to try to get people to vote “no”.

Question:

Can the other side present at the next meeting?

Question: Can they raise the threshold – from 1 million to 2 or 5 million

Answer: Not on this. But it may go up as it relates to inflation. Will the millionaires leave due to this increase tax. “No”

  • Committees Part 1 (7:35-8:00)
  • Elections Committee
    • Candidates were presented
    • Mike offered the Google voting form in the chat
    • All of the positions are uncontested
  • Votes will be taken on all candidates nominated for offices Votes were taken on all candidates nominated for offices
  • Events Committee
    Michelle Miller – Event co-chair, Alix, is here at this meeting
    Alix Gianetti – one of the co-chairs for this new committee.
    Meeting tomorrow – May 3 – Let them know and invitation will be sent. Ask to be involved. Recent Events: Savin Hill Park Clean Up, Easter Egg Hunt, History of Savin Hill Park (Foliage)… next date = May 15 at 3 PM. Noah McKenna will talk about history and the native plants to the area.
    Other events in the works during 2022 and 2023.
  • Engagement Committee
    Outreach and Engagement – Starting to flyer for new members, including Cristo Rey as volunteers, pick a date for that… streets to focus on. Looking at local merchant members and making a list, and reach out to see if they will become members of the CSHCA. Donation/membership levels. Ideas: Designing a postcard, some buttons, etc.
  • Planning Committee
    Kristine – this committee is very busy.
    We heard from 4 presenters. Tonight there will be a vote. A group presenting next week – The Beat – on their liquor license and additional wing. But for tonight we have the following:
  • Vote on proposed retail license at So Sabe Catering, 996 Dot Ave
    Looking to add take out. Business basically weekends. Planning = Vote was unanimous to support the take out service.
  • Vote on proposed liquor license at Dorchester Market redux, 951-959 Dot Ave Also asking for bakery use as well.
    (Seeking) Liquor – off premise only How big will the store be?

• The store is bigger than the original store. 200 cubic feet of shelving added. • Beer and wines section is small – sales = 1 cooler and 6’ beer / wine case
• How much is the liquor license?
• No nips

• Eagle liquors… how will this impact them?
Talks upon putting a restaurant on the first floor. Tom English liquor license cannot be used for the market – that would be a beer and wine to-go license. They already have a n on premise license.

• Vote on proposed project at 841 Columbia Rd Parking – provided this for the area.

Question: How much space in between?

Answer: About 10 feet.

This is a pair of lots close in proximity.
Question: Question of roof decks.
Answer: You can’t see a roof deck from your house

Question: Will a fire truck be able to access this?
Answer: Yes

We are losing many parking spaces
Parking spaces owned by the DOT. They will have a curb cut to have the fire trucks get in….. Request that group vote against this.

57 Grampian way – basement apartment
18 Midland – change to 3 family
10 Carson Street – looking to add a driveway
The Beat – life science space, parking spaces
1156 Dorchester Ave – 20 unit parcel -originally 5 stories, then 6 stories, now 5 stories (now 20 units) = no parking spaces. They will have a developer supported abutter meeting on site. There was a special vote before going to the BPDA board.

Special guest: a representative of the Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust (8:00-8:15); for an introduction to the concept, please check out their website

Cole Huang – Dot, Rox, Mattapan. 10 properties, 30 units of housing. Over the past couple of years, double portfolio. Base of future members of organization. Reaching out if folks are interested in getting involved and learning more.

Back in 2008 with foreclosure crisis, community orgs came together, created COHIF. In 2014, became a non-profit and homes were acquired. The residents are living in those homes – restricted housing and remain as affordable housing and cannot be bought and resold at market value. Predatory real estate – keeping an eye on this

  • Committees Part 2 (8:15-8:30)
  • Safety Committee
    Still working with Nick Collins and Dan Hunt – Morrisey Blvd, greater police presence for speeding. Next meeting to plan out issues re; the summer.
    This coming meeting on May 17 – a more robust agenda. • McGonnell park – beautiful park and horrible fence that is a real safety issue
    This is owned by the state – it is a state fence
    Trash is horrible too
    Dot yacht club – massive flood light – shining down/ ask them to place another flood light so it shines down on the rest of the DCR parking. Little scooter motor bikes – this is now on the agenda, working with C-11
  • Community Benefits Committee
    Keep people aware
    76 million dollars
    The community should have some input with how it is allocated.
    Community advisory committee…. There has been zero input re; the allocation of those dollars – how to use this $$ to mitigate the impact on our community
  • Beautification Committee
    Elizabeth Doyle – Trying to pull together a meeting. Also approached by whether or not we want to have a plant sale. End of May/early June. Plant swap. We will try to get a meeting together in a couple of weeks.