波士頓計畫發展局2022年內批准興建3247戶新住宅 36%有收入限制

BPDA approves 3,247 net units of housing in 2022, with 36 percent designated income-restricted Highest percentage of income-restricted units approved in the last decade

BOSTON - Friday, December 30, 2022 - This year, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) approved development proposals that resulted in a net increase of 9.3 million  square feet of development worth $6.4 billion. This includes a net increase of 3,247 residential units approved for development, of which 1,164 or 36 percent, will be income-restricted. This is the highest percentage of income-restricted units approved in the last decade. Development projects approved this year are estimated to generate 9,299 construction jobs and 16,683 permanent jobs. Development projects newly approved in 2022 will generate $40.7 million in Linkage fees to support affordable housing, and $7.5 million in Linkage fees to support job training programs. The BPDA held approximately 280 agency-sponsored events across every single Boston neighborhood this year, most of which were held virtually. More than 11,500 people are estimated to have participated in these public events. The event that had the highest engagement was Copley Connect which was a 10-day pilot program in partnership with BTD to open Dartmouth Street to pedestrians. BPDA staff engaged with more than 1,000 people during this pilot program over the 10-day period. For all virtual public meetings, the BPDA also included ways to participate via phone to provide accessibility for residents without internet access. This year, the BPDA also authorized the release of 7 Requests for Proposals for BPDA property disposition, representing a total of 145,406 square feet of land offered for productive community use and development. The BPDA also designated 6 of the Agency’s properties for redevelopment, totaling 250,256 square feet of land. Those designations included Parcel R-1 in Chinatown, which is envisioned to be a mixed-use site comprised of over 100 units of affordable housing and a location for the Chinatown Branch Library, and 20-22 Drydock in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, which is proposed to be a life science development with a robust lab training facility. Mayor Wu hires new Chief of Planning to direct BPDA, as well as a new Deputy Chief of Urban Design The BPDA Board of Directors approved Mayor Michelle Wu’s Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison to serve as Director of the BPDA in May of 2022. In his role as Chief of Planning and Director of the BPDA, Chief Jemison coordinates and directs all City plans, land use directives, and all related development policies and processes. Since beginning this role, Chief Jemison has focused on elevating planning-led development in an effort to create a more resilient, affordable, and equitable city. Under Chief Jemison’s leadership, the BPDA has approved 44 new development projects and 14 Notice of Project Changes, delivering transformative community benefits. The agency has also completed ongoing planning studies, and implemented rezoning to support future growth in areas like the Western Avenue Corridor in Allston. This includes the ongoing transformation of the agency to reform planning and development processes that result in more predictable and transparent public processes. In addition to Chief Jemison’s hiring, the agency also hired Diana Fernandez as the Deputy Chief of Urban Design in July. Under the leadership of Chief Jemison, Fernandez is elevating the importance of urban design, and champions the transformative power of sustainable and walkable communities for all ages and abilities. In partnership with Chief Jemison and the BPDA’s Urban Design Department, Fernandez is working to strategically transform existing BPDA urban design processes to promote predictability and quality for both the community members and the development industry. The agency has made more than 50 new hires in the past year, across planning, development review, human resources, and several other departments. Boston recognized by Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2020 Boston has been honored as a Special Mention for the 2020 World City Prize, based on the City’s holistic work on climate resilience, improving housing affordability and mobility options, and fostering civic participation. Boston’s submission was led by the BPDA, which hosted the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize nominating committee for a visit in 2019 with City of Boston agencies, non-profit organizations, institutions, business leaders, and community stakeholders. The committee called Boston a visionary city where close partnership and trust is delivering significant results. The committee noted Boston’s foresight in climate resilience, and urged other waterfront cities to take a similar, proactive approach to tackle climate change. Boston was the only U.S. city recognized in the 2020 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize awards cycle. The World City Prize was awarded to Vienna, Austria. Boston joined Antwerp, Belgium, and Lisbon, Portugal with Special Mentions. The 2020 awards cycle was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BPDA adopts decarbonization strategy for all agency property The BPDA adopted a new decarbonization strategy to achieve zero net carbon emissions at all BPDA-owned properties. Through this work, the BPDA has laid out strategies that work with the various types of real estate assets in the agency’s portfolio. The BPDA has begun initial steps to execute on this strategy, including engaging with its tenants, initiating energy audits, and exploring a solar energy generation program on BPDA-owned land. The BPDA will track results of the strategies identified and continue to work with other City departments to make adjustments to the policy as needed. City of Boston completes city-wide land audit The Public Land for Public Good: Citywide Land Audit of all city-owned property was completed in June. This report is the culmination of an effort to comprehensively inventory all City-owned property, identify vacant and underutilized properties, and set in motion accelerated efforts to best utilize this property to serve Boston’s communities, particularly through the development of affordable housing. The audit found that a significant number of vacant and underutilized parcels are already in the pipeline to be developed as affordable housing or preserved as open space, but the City’s land portfolio, as identified through the audit, does include high-opportunity sites that have not yet been initiated for community-oriented development. The BPDA and the Mayor’s Office of Housing will use both the report and the ongoing PLAN: Charlestown neighborhood planning process to accelerate community visioning for the Austin Street parking lots adjacent to Bunker Hill Community College. This process will analyze the opportunities to build transit-oriented affordable housing and meet other neighborhood needs identified by the neighborhood and stakeholders in PLAN: Charlestown. BPDA institutes new DEI in Development policy The BPDA adopted a new policy in August introducing diversity, equity and inclusion into the filing process for large projects in the City of Boston. The DEI in Development policy was approved by the BPDA Board at their August meeting. The policy calls on development proponents to disclose diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans for large projects when they are filed with the BPDA through Article 80. The agency believes this policy is the first of its kind in the country. Applicants filing large projects are now requested to submit plans to include economic participation, employment, and management roles for people of color, women, and certified Minority and Women Owned (M/WBE) Businesses within the scope of their project. The BPDA will collect these plans for informational purposes to understand disparities in the real estate market, increase M/WBE participation over time, and evaluate strategies to drive greater impact. BPDA releases Life Sciences Action Agenda The BPDA released a Life Sciences Action Agenda in November in response to ongoing life sciences development throughout the City of Boston. In an effort to support the industry’s built environment needs, while addressing concerns from the public in relation to the location and design of these developments, the Life Sciences Action Agenda provides transparency around how the BPDA will take a coordinated approach to guiding life sciences development. The BPDA is committed to continuing to leverage new investment in this industry to support equitable economic opportunities for Boston residents to encourage job creation and the growth of a resilient economy, as well as prioritizing more housing options to support this growth. Through the Life Sciences Action Agenda, the BPDA will shape life science development using new design guidelines and zoning language, and support public health and safety in partnership with our sister agencies. Draft Life Sciences Design Guidelines will be released for public review in 2023. The agency will ensure the built environment and any other aspects within agency jurisdiction do not contribute to any health and safety concerns. In addition to these commitments, the BPDA will also continue to integrate appropriate planning for life sciences developments in ongoing planning initiatives, which will then be incorporated into zoning. Mayor Wu announces strategy for inclusive growth by increasing funds for affordable housing and speeding up development approvals, as well streamlining the approval process for affordable housing In October, Mayor Wu signed an executive order aimed at speeding up the production of affordable housing by streamlining the BPDA’s approval process. The order directs the BPDA to recommend reforms to the Article 80 process of the Boston Zoning Code, and to propose changes to the Zoning Code more broadly, to establish an alternative path for the review and approval of projects that develop at least 60 percent income restricted units. The new process will continue to include a robust community engagement process and thorough agency review, and also establishes clear and accelerated timelines for the various departments and agencies involved in the Article 80 process. The BPDA has been working closely with the Mayor's Office of Housing on meeting the requirements and deadlines set out in the executive order, and has broad support across City agencies for cutting the timeline for approvals in half. Initial results of that work will be ready early in 2023, with the Article 80 and Zoning reforms due to the Mayor in February. In addition, Mayor Wu announced a set of proposals in December to make substantial changes to the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) and the commercial Linkage Policy that will enable Boston to support its growing population and ensure the city is a place where families of all income levels can afford to live. These changes will increase Boston’s supply of affordable housing while maintaining the City’s position as an attractive market for real estate development. The Mayor’s proposed changes to IDP include: lowering the threshold from ten to seven units, and, for rental projects, increasing the proportion of projects that are income-restricted from 13 percent to 20 percent, while also deepening affordability requirements. The new policy gives the option for proponents to dedicate 17 percent of the project as income restricted at an average of 60 percent of Area Median Income, and offer the remaining 3 percent at market rents reserved for people with housing vouchers. Federal Housing Vouchers usually pay a landlord Fair Market Rents at 100 percent of Area Median Income. For homeownership projects, on-site IDP requirements will be increased from 13 percent to 20 percent in IDP Zone A & B (the top third and middle third of citywide neighborhood median values), while holding affordable requirements at an average of 90 percent of Area Median Income. The Mayor is using new authority to incorporate the IDP into zoning, therefore assuring that all developments with seven or more units help to meet Boston’s affordable housing needs. The changes to the Linkage Policy include lowering the threshold and exemption from 100,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet, increasing the total linkage fee over two years to $30.78 per square foot for lab space, and to $23.09 for other commercial uses, up from $15.39. 16 percent of the fees will support job training and job preparedness programs, while the remaining 84 percent will support the creation and preservation of affordable housing. The increase in the fees will be phased in over two years. The City will launch a process to review proposed changes to Article 80 in order to make it more timely and predictable for projects that meet the City’s goals of resilience to climate change, affordability for residents, and equitable growth across neighborhoods. Under the new regulatory approach, the BPDA will develop a “scorecard” for projects. Projects that meet these goals may be eligible for streamlined review, focused community engagement, and simplified mitigation and community benefits. Projects which innovate in these three areas could possibly receive consideration for tax relief and infrastructure support. The reforms will also create new, predictable regulatory milestones for Article 80 review. These changes will be studied and canvassed with the community in the first quarter of 2023 with implementation targeted for the new fiscal year. The effective date for the new rules will be determined based on the BPDA Board, Zoning Commission, and City Council approval processes, but it will not affect any projects currently under review. Neighborhood and Transportation Planning Updates As part of its ongoing commitment to proactively planning for Boston’s future growth, the BPDA is leading an unprecedented number of planning initiatives. Neighborhood planning studies are moving forward in Mattapan, Charlestown, Downtown, Newmarket and East Boston. The BPDA launched the South Boston Transportation Action Plan (SBTAP) in November, and the Western Avenue Corridor Study and Rezoning (WACRZ) was adopted by the BPDA Board in October. Charlestown During the Summer of 2022, PLAN: Charlestown released draft land use scenarios for the future of the historically industrial areas along Rutherford Ave and Sullivan Square. The community provided feedback in response to those draft scenarios over the course of two months. A team of external urban planning consultants are currently working to update a new draft scenario that responds to and incorporates community feedback. Early next year, an updated scenario will be presented to the community, along with needs analysis findings, recommendations, and urban design guidelines for the entire community. The planning team intends to release a draft plan in late spring 2023. East Boston PLAN: East Boston recently released draft zoning recommendations for the “Neighborhood Residential'' areas of East Boston. The BPDA invites community feedback on current draft recommendations. Revised recommendations based on feedback received will be shared with the community in February 2023. Additional future engagement will focus on the neighborhood's waterfront and evolving industrial areas. The BPDA intends to conclude the planning phase of this initiative by August 2023. Mattapan PLAN: Mattapan’s vision for the neighborhood’s future is grounded in its past and present as it charts a more equitable future. The comment period for the draft of PLAN: Mattapan ended on December 4, 2022. Now, the planning team is incorporating stakeholder feedback and making final edits to the PLAN. Planners are hoping to bring PLAN: Mattapan to the BPDA Board of Directors for review in early 2023. Newmarket PLAN: Newmarket is an ongoing planning initiative working closely with community stakeholders to develop a vision for an equitable industrial neighborhood of the future. PLAN: Newmarket is focused on efficient land use and increasing employment opportunities, and the climate resilience, transportation, and public realm infrastructure needed to achieve those goals. Having completed its work on land use scenarios and public realm, the staff and consultant team are currently working with stakeholders on transportation and climate resilience guidelines. The planning process will be complete in the first half of 2023. Downtown PLAN: Downtown recently relaunched the community planning process that began in 2018 and paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The planning study focuses on developing a framework for the preservation, enhancement, and growth of Downtown and Chinatown. The PLAN: Downtown process will include engagement with local stakeholders and community members to examine the effects of the pandemic on each of these goals, and explore new development regulations, including new zoning, to help adapt and strengthen Downtown and Chinatown. Western Avenue Corridor Study and Rezoning The BPDA Board this year adopted the Western Avenue Corridor Study and Rezoning (WACRZ). WACRZ was adopted by the BPDA Board in October and approved by the Zoning Commission in November. Developed in consultation with the community over three years, the WACRZ plan provides guidance on land use, urban design and mobility issues along Western Avenue, Telford Street and Everett Street in Lower Allston. Through phasing over time, the WACRZ plan will introduce protected bike lanes and ultimately a Transitway along Western Avenue. South Boston Transportation Action Plan The BPDA and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) announced in November the launch of the South Boston Transportation Action Plan (SBTAP), which will be completed in close partnership with the Disabilities Commission (DC) and Boston Public Works Department (PWD). The BPDA is evaluating the unique transportation challenges in the core of South Boston’s residential neighborhood, and through the South Boston Transportation Action Plan planning and engagement process, will improve transportation access, efficiency, and safety. Building on the vision and goals in Imagine Boston 2030 and Go Boston 2030, the South Boston Transportation Action Plan will evaluate safety concerns in South Boston and focus the City’s resources on proven strategies and people-first improvements to eliminate serious and fatal traffic crashes in South Boston. The plan will study key transportation connections to and within the South Boston area and recommend improvements that can be implemented immediately, within the next 15 years, and beyond. The recommendations will reflect an understanding of South Boston as it exists currently, as well as the forecasted effects of new development. This Action Plan will develop community-driven mobility improvements and conceptualize future complete streets and transit network improvements to respond to this growth, and allow the neighborhood to reach its full potential. The BPDA and BTD will release a detailed analysis of the existing multi-modal network and will work to determine the necessary sequencing of improvements to safely meet future mobility needs. Following a future conditions analysis, the South Boston Transportation Action Plan will release recommendations aimed at eliminating serious and fatal traffic crashes, simplifying intersections for all users, and improving the transit network. The recommendations will build upon nearby recent existing planning initiatives including, but not limited to: PLAN: South Boston Dorchester Avenue, South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan, and the South Boston Waterfront Sustainable Transportation Plan. BPDA and BTD pilot Copley Connect initiative Over the course of a ten-day period in June, the BPDA in partnership with the Boston Transportation Department (BTD), launched Copley Connect, a pilot program to open Dartmouth Street to pedestrians. During this time, the street was closed off to non-emergency vehicles, and programmed with activities for visitors of all ages to the space between the Boston Public Library and Copley Square Park. The BPDA has committed $200,000 to public realm and wayfinding planning in Copley Square. There are a number of factors the City and BPDA examined during the pilot initiative including the impact on the surrounding street network and the use of the open street space. This data was tracked and analyzed over the course of the pilot to better inform future planning. During these ten days, staff engaged with more than 1,000 people regarding the pilot and how they think this space should be used moving forward. This pilot initiative presents the opportunity to expand and unify the public realm in Copley Square, and ultimately better connect it to nearby open spaces and transit stations. The data collected during this pilot program will be shared publicly in the beginning of 2023.

波士頓公校總監要求公校師生 1月4至13日戴口罩

(Boston Orange 波士頓報導) 波士頓市公校總監Mary Skipper今(30)日下午發信，通知所有公校，1月4日 (週三)至13日(週五)，共8天上課日，波士頓市所有公校將採行臨時的戴口罩措施，以保護學生安全，並最小化員工缺席率。

1月3日返校的公校員工，回校這天也要戴口罩。

Mary Skipper表示，這是對學生及教職員的要求和期望，並不是規定。

波士頓公校將提供可丟棄的口罩給有需要的學生及教職員。拒絕戴口罩不會被遣送回家。口罩也會提供給練習中或比賽中的運動員。

波士頓公校將繼續每兩星期為所有學生及教職員提供包括2套檢測劑的iHealth抗體檢測盒，以容許學生及教職員在寒假中及寒假後做檢測。所有的波士頓公校及行政大樓都有檢測劑，供需要檢測的學生及教職員索取。

波士頓公校要求所有學生在開學日前的1月3日的週二晚上，或者1月4日的週三早上，做iHealth抗體檢測。教職員也應在1月3日回校工作的前一天做檢測。

 POST-WINTER BREAK TEMPORARY MASKING PROTOCOL 

Wednesday, January 4th - Friday, January 13th, 2023

Click here to view the letter to the BPS Community.

In an effort to maximize our ability to keep students healthy and minimize staff absences during this high-risk period, all BPS schools will adopt temporary masking from Wednesday, January 4th, through Friday, January 13th, 2023, a total of eight school days. Employees returning to BPS on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023 are being asked and expected to begin masking on that day.  

This is our ask and expectation of students and staff, not a mandate—which will be in effect during the school day on school premises and school buses. BPS will provide disposable face masks to students or staff who need them. No one will be disciplined or sent home if they refuse to wear a mask. Masks will be available for student athletes at practices and games, but not expected.

Boston Public Schools will continue to provide all students and staff with iHealth Antigen Test Kits bi-weekly, containing two tests each, to allow for testing during and immediately after the winter break. These testing kits will be available in all BPS schools and BPS administrative office buildings for any students and staff who may need a test.  

We ask that all students take an iHealth Antigen Test on Tuesday evening, January 3rd, or Wednesday morning, January 4th, before the start of the school day and that staff take one the day before returning back to work on January 3rd.

BPS will provide disposable face masks to students or staff who need them. No one will be disciplined or sent home if they refuse to wear a mask. Masks will be available for student athletes at practices and games, but not required.

麻州新任正副州長就職典禮節目排定 起用本地人表演

             (Boston Orange編譯) Healey-Driscoll就職委員會29日宣佈，在州政府及TD Garden體育館舉行的就職典禮，將邀請多名本地人演出。

             就職委員會主任Katie Prisco-Buxbaum表示，從地方上到在州政府及TD體育館舉行的就職典禮中，讓人看見麻州各地的多元習俗，風格以及表達的愛及團結和團隊合作很重要。

            在州政府大樓舉行的正式就職儀式，將由柏克萊音樂學院校友及講師Lydia Harrell來演唱國歌。該校另一校友，受過古典及流行音樂訓練的拉丁聲樂家，作曲家，多元樂器表演者，支持殘障人士的Precious Perez也將做音樂表演。

            在配合籃球主題上，凱特爾隊傳奇的公共廣播員Eddie Palladino將擔任典禮司儀。波士頓棕熊隊的官方國歌演唱者Todd Angilly將和波士頓藝術學校，反映了波士頓鄰里多元化的這波士頓市唯一視覺及表演藝術高中的靈歌合奏團 (The Spirituals Ensemble)一起演唱國歌。

            TD Garden體育館的慶祝將由來自麻州各地的高中演出，包括來自Everett高中獲得過獎項的行軍樂隊，塞冷 (Salem)高中獲得過獎項的無伴奏合唱團”女巫腔 (Witch Pitch)。

            表演項目還包括:

            波士頓男同性戀合唱團 (Boston Gay Men’s Chorus)。這合唱團是新英格蘭地區最大，最成功，根基於社區的合唱團，創立於1982年，有200多聲音合唱，以其傑出的音樂才能、創意的節目、開創性的社區外展和創新教育計劃而聞名。

            DJ Frenchy，最近獲得”麻州現在 (Mass Now)”的”促進平等獎”，也是”麻州變性抗戰 (Trans Resistance MA)”董事的Lynn市人。

            Abilities Dance Boston，致力於用舞蹈為工具，在大波士頓及以外地區爭取各種殘障權益的舞蹈團。這舞團專注於和社區互動，以推廣其使命，並為所有年齡層的人組織各種殘障權益講座，運動。

            OOMPA，源自波士頓，在全國享有名聲的嬉合藝術家。她被選為國家公共廣播公司2020年的值得關注藝術家 (Slingshot Artists to Watch)，她的帶動人參與的互動表演風格，為她贏得3項波士頓音樂獎，包括最近在前所未有的有14人獲提名中，贏得2022年最佳現場表演獎。

            SiTech樂隊，春天科技高中這獲獎的樂隊項目，也是學生在教室中贏得權力的全國紀錄片主題。被春田市居民當作”春田的驕傲”的這科技月隊項目致力於賦權學生領袖。月隊學獲得麻州獎，這麻州給藝術家的最高榮譽。遵循他們的"尋求服務機會”座右銘，樂隊領袖們經由春田市的”經由音樂項目輔導”，主動的輔導年輕學生。

            就職典禮慶祝的主題是”帶球向前移動 (Moving the Ball Forward)。訂1月5日 (週四)在TD Garden體育館舉行的慶祝會，下午5點開始入場，門票即起可供索取，healeydriscollinaugural.com/tickets。

吳弭市長指派Robert Terrell為公平房屋及產權辦公室執行主任

MAYOR WU APPOINTS ROBERT TERRELL AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING AND EQUITY

BOSTON - Thursday, December 29, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced Robert Terrell as Executive Director of the City’s Office of Fair Housing and Equity. The existing office, which is within the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet, prevents discrimination and ensures equitable access to housing in Boston. His first day will be Tuesday, January 3, 2022. “In this moment as Boston continues to grow, ensuring every resident has a safe, healthy, affordable home is the foundation for a brighter future for everyone,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The Office of Fair Housing and Equity is crucial in tackling discrimination and ensuring every resident and family has equitable access to housing across all of our city’s neighborhoods. I’m grateful to Mr. Terrell for his leadership and commitment to centering equity in our housing work and serving our city.”  “Having Robert Terrell’s experience and passion for housing equity is essential to our mission of building a city for everyone,'' said Chief of Equity and Inclusion Mariangely Solis Cervera. “I’m excited to work beside him as we create new solutions for equitable and fair housing practices for our residents.” As Executive Director, Terrell will work to enforce local, state, and federal fair housing law in Boston to protect renters and buyers from discriminatory practices. Terrell’s work in Boston’s fair housing space has focused on the impact of gentrification and displacement in Roxbury and within transit corridors across the city. In this new role, he will build on this to play a key role in centering racial justice and housing equity in city processes and protecting the interests of Boston residents. Terrell will also work to expand the investigatory capacity of the office to better receive formal complaints when laws are violated, increase access to trainings about housing rights for residents, and ensure fair housing is embedded into city policies. “I am very excited to join the Office of Fair Housing and Equity as its new Executive Director. I look upon civil rights and fair housing work as a sacred trust. I want to assure everyone in Boston that we will do our utmost to combat housing discrimination in whatever form it takes,” said Robert Terrell.  “If you’ve ever been unjustly denied housing because of the color of your skin, the language you speak, the country you come from or whom you choose to love, our office is here to stand with you. We will enforce our fair housing laws justly, uphold the rights of our protected classes and we pledge to do so under all conditions and at all times”. Recently, Terrell served as the Fair Housing, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the Boston Housing Authority’s Office of Civil Rights. In this position, Terrell assisted in the development of the Boston Housing Authority’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative and chaired their Fair Housing working group, and supported the development of the Expanding Choice in Housing Opportunities (ECHO) Program that collectively created a framework central to how Boston removes barriers to fair housing today. This work eventually led Terrell to also play a role in creating a new Assessment of Fair Housing for the City of Boston.   Prior to joining the City of Boston, Terrell held leadership positions with many local organizations such as the Roxbury Neighborhood Council, the Madison Park Development Corporation Board of Directors, the Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association’s (CHAPA), Action for Equity’s Housing Committee, the Boston Branch of the NAACP, the Planning Committee of the Annual Fair Housing and Civil Rights Conference, and the Assessment of Fair Housing’s Community Advisory Committee and its Monitoring Committee. Terrell also lectures part-time at Tufts University’s Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning where he received his Masters in Public Policy.  Robert also holds a BA in Government and Sociology from Bowdoin College.

麻州總檢察長Maura Healey: 麻州最低時薪明年起漲為15元

圖片來自Maura Healey推特貼文。

                (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州總檢察長奚莉 (Maura Healey) 提醒民眾，麻州最低薪資從2023年1月1日起提高至15元。

               麻州總檢察長辦公室製作了英語及西班牙文、中文、越南文，海地克里奧爾語、高棉語、葡萄牙語等7種語言的時薪海報，供雇主，員工，公眾及組織免費索取、張貼。

               根據州法，麻州雇主若有5%以上員工使用某種語言時，就必須同時張貼英語，以及翻譯成該種語言的相關規定海報。

               麻州總檢察長奚莉表示，”經由執法行動、教育、外展及和我們的社區夥伴、政府機構合作，我們的公平勞力組 (Fair Labor Division)非常努力的確保工人及雇員知道自己在法律下的權利與義務”。”我們發出這份通知是要讓所有的員工及雇主都注意到麻州的最低薪資即將提高，並且讓大眾知道我的辦公室能夠協助大家處理任何問題”。

               2018年6月時，麻州啟動一條法令，每年增加最低薪資，直到2023年增至每小時15元。拿小費的僱員從2023年1月1日起，在加上小費最低薪資至少15源的情況下，最低薪資也將增加至每小時6. 75元。如果雇員的時薪加上小費達不到15元時，雇主必須彌補差價。

               總檢察長的公平勞力組執行最低時薪，及時發薪，加班費，病假時間，生產，週日及假日的額外工資，以及公共建築招標和現行工資法等相關法令，保護工人。該部門也藉由和強而有力的伙伴及社區教育來保護雇員免於被剝削。為增加工資被剝削受害者的資源，麻州總檢察長辦公室和社區夥伴，法學院，私人律師等合作，在波士頓的薩福克大學法學院每月一次的舉辦”盜竊工資門診”。

               在2022會計年度內，總檢察長的公平勞力組經由賠償和處罰，從雇主那兒為麻州內打工人群爭取回1180多萬元。

               相信自己在工作場所的權益被侵害者，可以上網到 www.mass.gov/ago/fld提出申訴，或者撥打總檢察長的公平勞力組熱線電話(617) 727-3465。

有關麻州工資和工時法的更多信息，也可向麻州總檢察官辦公室索取。

AG HEALEY ADVISES PUBLIC ABOUT 2023 MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

Minimum Wage Set to Increase to $15 on January 1, 2023; AG’s Wage and Hour Posters Available in Seven Languages 

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey is reminding employees and employers that the state’s minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

 The AG’s Office has also made available its wage and hour poster that employers are required to display in both English and any other language that is spoken by five percent or more of the employer’s workforce and for which a translated notice in that language is available from the AG’s Office. The poster is available in seven languages and in formats that employers, workers, members of the public, and organizations can easily access, free of charge.

“Through enforcement actions, education, outreach, and collaboration with our community partners and government agencies, our Fair Labor Division works hard to ensure workers and employers are aware of their rights and obligations under the law,” said AG Healey. “We are issuing this notice so that all workers and employers are aware of the upcoming minimum wage increase in Massachusetts, and to let the public know my office is able to assist with any questions.”

In June 2018, Massachusetts enacted a law that set the minimum wage to increase each year until it reaches $15.00 in 2023. Tipped employees will also get a raise on Jan.1, 2023, and must be paid a minimum of $6.75 per hour provided that their tips bring them up to at least $15 per hour. If the total hourly rate for the employee including tips does not equal $15 at the end of the shift, the employer must make up the difference.

Free copies of the AG’s Wage and Hour poster are available in English, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese on the AG’s Fair Labor Division website to download and print. To request a paper copy, please visit www.mass.gov/ago/fldposter or call (617) 727-3465. Employers in Massachusetts must post the AG’s wage and hour poster in a conspicuous location in the workplace in English and in any other language used by more than 5 percent of their workforce.

The Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division enforces laws that protect workers, including minimum wage, timely payment of wages, overtime, earned sick time, child labor, Sunday and holiday premium pay, and the public construction bid and prevailing wage laws. It also protects employees from exploitation and wage theft through strong partnerships and community education. To increase resources available to victims of wage theft, the AG’s Office works with community partners, law schools, and private bar attorneys to host free monthly wage theft clinics at Suffolk Law School in Boston. These clinics are part of an effort to address wage theft and worker exploitation among vulnerable populations, including low-wage and immigrant workers in the state. For more information and a schedule of upcoming clinics, please click here.

During the Fiscal Year 2022, the Fair Labor Division assessed more than $11.8 million in restitution and penalties against employers on behalf of working people in Massachusetts.

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in the workplace can file a complaint at www.mass.gov/ago/fld, or call the office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465. More information about the state’s wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages here.

Read this press release in Spanish here.  

Read this press release in Portuguese here.

Read this press release in Chinese here.

Read this press release in Vietnamese here.

麻州候任正副州長指派 Paige Scott Reed 擔任首席法律顧問

 Healey and Driscoll Name Paige Scott Reed as Chief Legal Counsel

Paige Scott Reed. (From Healey-Driscoll Team.)

BOSTON – Governor-elect Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor-elect Driscoll today announced that they will appoint Paige Scott Reed as Chief Legal Counsel. Scott Reed is currently a Partner at Prince Lobel Tye LLP. She will be the first Black woman appointed to the position in Massachusetts history. 

“Lieutenant Governor-elect Driscoll and I are thrilled to welcome Paige Scott Reed to the team and congratulate her on this historic, well-earned accomplishment,” said Governor-elect Healey. “She is an experienced, successful attorney who has a deep knowledge of state government and a record of forming public-private partnerships to get things done.”

“I’m deeply honored for the opportunity to join this historic administration and to serve the people of Massachusetts,” said Scott Reed. “The Governor-elect and Lieutenant Governor-elect and I share a commitment to protecting people’s rights, centering equity in all that we do and moving Massachusetts forward. I’m excited to build a team that will lead on our values and deliver results.”

Paige Scott Reed is an experienced transportation and employment attorney with more than 20 years’ experience. She previously worked as general counsel for the Mass. Department of Transportation and the MBTA and also served as Corporate Secretary and General Counsel to the Boston 2024 Partnership for the city’s Olympic bid.

Scott Reed has deep experience as a trusted advisor to public officials. She has assisted government and private organizations, CEOs and Boards of Directors with commercial contracts, development transactions and public projects. She was instrumental in procuring a new operator for the MBTA’s commuter rail, forming a public-private partnership to redevelop Back Bay Station, implementing the MBTA’s Construction Manager/General Contractor project delivery approach, and in securing $1 billion in federal funding for the Green Line Extension project. Working with the FAA, NASA, and the Volpe Transportation Center, and with leadership from the MassDOT Aeronautics Administrator, Scott Reed has helped to build one of the nation’s leading programs for the integration of next-generation aviation technologies, addressing the possibilities and challenges of far-reaching concepts like neighborhood package delivery by drone or the advent of flying cars.

Scott Reed received her A.B. from Harvard College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was an Executive Editor of the Harvard Law Review.