LaMattina Gets Key Committee Assignments

City Councilor Sal LaMattina will continue to chair the committee on Economic Development, Planning and Labor and will serve as vice chair of Neighborhood Services & Veterans Affairs as well as Environment and Parks.

“I am honored to be able to continue my work on development not only here in East Boston but across the city,” said LaMattina. “There is huge potential to really make our harbor the crowning jewel of the city.”

LaMattina pointed to waterfront development and the future ferry that will shuttle residents from the neighborhood to points in Charlestown and the South Boston’s Innovation District as huge game changers for the neighborhood.

“I want to see good development on this side of the harbor,” said LaMattina. “I want to see good restaurants, shops and other amenities that will compliment the ferry service and draw people to our neighborhood.”

At a recent community meeting, LaMattina pointed to numerous development projects across Eastie that has been spurred by waterfront development.

“Eastie’s time in now,” he said. “Once waterfront development came on line at the end of last year we’ve seen more people looking to develop here. This has lead to an interest in adding more open spaces like a new dog park and continuing the greenway connector to Constitution Beach.”

The Committee on City and Neighborhood Services includes a Sub-Committee on Aviation and Transportation.

As vice chairman, LaMattina will oversee surface, air and water transportation policies of the city, including public transportation, operations at Logan International Airport, hackney and jitney licenses, traffic calming, highway connections, resident parking program, parking freeze, imposition of tolls, and the Central Artery/Tunnel project including surface restoration and corridor master planning, including the planning for the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

“Boston is a regional hub and, as a result, there are a multitude of transportation issues that we have to deal with,” said LaMattina. “What’s important is that we balance those with the quality of life of local residents. I think that people must be able to live here knowing that they can park near their homes, they can safely cross local bridges, they can count on the T to run on time, they can get a comfortable and safe taxi ride, and that tour buses aren’t sitting and idling on local streets. Those are some of the issues we deal with on the council’s Aviation and Transportation Committee.”

LaMattina and the committee will also work on various inspectional, regulatory, and licensing activities used to implement city transportation policies. The committee exercises oversight with respect to the Central Artery Environmental Compliance Team, Office of the Parking Clerk, Public Improvement Commission, Public Works Department, and the Transportation Department.

As vice chair of Neighborhood Services LaMattina will work on how to better deliver municipal services to the city’s residents and neighborhoods in order to promote improved service delivery and cost reductions. The committee also works with the city programs for family-based initiatives and oversees the Inspectional Services Department, Library Department, Office of Neighborhood Services, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, Parks and Recreation Department, Public Works Department, Registry Division, the Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund and the George Robert White Fund.

“There are no more basic jobs of city government than the functions I oversee on the council’s City and Neighborhood Services Committee,” said LaMattina. “We all want clean neighborhoods, working street lights, plentiful recreation opportunities, and timely snow removal. We also want to know that the city will respond quickly when there is an issue that needs attention. Those are the expectations people have of City Hall, and they are expectations we should strive to meet every day.”

As vice chair of the Committee on Environment and Parks, LaMattina and the committee will work on environmental issues of residents, including the impact of industry on quality of life. The committee oversees the natural resources of the city, issues of air, land, and water pollution, as well as recycling and other resource recovery efforts issues related to waste disposal and land reclamation.

LaMattina said the committee has made great progress over the last year with technologies and innovations regarding energy savings and efficiency.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *