Mike Ross

Mike Ross to stay in Boston, not run for Congress

adamg — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:55:09 +0000

The Boston city councilor today announced he won't be moving to Newton to run for the congressional seat being given up by Barney Frank.

In a statement, Ross explained why he felt he would make a good representative, but doesn't really say why he decided not to run, except that "the difficult decision that a run for this congressional seat is not the best decision for me at this time."

His complete statement:

Mike Ross gets closer to moving out of Boston

adamg — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:53:04 +0000

Sets up exploratory committee for possible run for Congress in the 4th District. Legally, he doesn't have to move to Newton, or wherever, but in practical terms, if he runs, he's outta here.

Mike Ross thinking of moving out of Boston to run for Congress

adamg — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:57:33 +0000

The Jamaica Plain Gazette reports the Boston city councilor is considering moving back to Newton, where he grew up, to run for Barney Frank's seat.

School Committee approves school moves; Mike Ross decries blow to democracy

adamg — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:12:22 +0000

The Globe reports the School Committee gave its pro-forma approval last night to Superintendent Carol Johnson's school musical chairs.

Ross angrily denounced the plan to move the Mission Hill K-8 School in his district to the closed Agassiz in Jamaica Plain; according to the Globe, he uttered the ultimate Boston political insult: That moves like that mean "Boston will never be considered a world-class city."

Trash talking at the City Council: Proposals would limit hours, numbers of commercial trash haulers in Boston

adamg — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:59:22 +0000

Two city councilors are working on proposals that could prohibit 3 a.m. commercial trash pickups in neighborhoods like the North End and limit the number of companies allowed to pick up trash there at all.

Mike Ross: If City Hall won't build a school for Back Bay/Beacon Hill, use empty space in City Hall

adamg — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:36:29 +0000

City Councilor Mike Ross, who represents the two neighborhoods, says parents there have the lowest odds of winning the school assignment lottery of any in the city and that he's getting tired of being repeatedly put off by school and BRA officials - eight years after they rejected a proposal by parents to buy a private building and just give it to the city for a school.

The effort to site a school that serves downtown families should be prioritized. Parents have not soon forgot when in 2003 the city walked away from an opportunity to purchase a school on Brimmer Street from Emerson College. The total cost of purchase and renovation would have been approximately 14 million dollars, a fraction of what a school would cost today. Today the Brimmer Street location is home to a private school. Eight years later the school department and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) say that they are "working on a solution." Their meetings need to be transparent and open to the public. Their solutions need to be more imaginative. ... If the Boston team cannot find a location for a downtown school they need to get more creative. Somewhere within the monolith of City Hall there must be space for a school. Perhaps the pitter-patter of tiny shoes will get the BRA motivated to try harder. Even the Parkman House on Beacon Street could be put to use.

Check out the racial, geographic and gender makeup of workforces at large Boston construction sites

adamg — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:13:31 +0000

As promised by city councilors Mike Ross and Ayanna Pressley, a city Web site now lets you see how construction projects in the city match up with the city's construction job policy, which asks developers to ensure at least half their workers are Boston residents, 25% are people of color and 10% are women.

City councilors want to unleash a squadron of food trucks

adamg — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:04:42 +0000

Councilors Mike Ross and Sal Lamattina propose up to 25 new licenses for food trucks to roam the city, bringing fresh, hot, inexpensive meals to the masses.

Ross: Turner must go, like, on Friday

adamg — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:32:59 +0000

City Council President Mike Ross says he is reluctantly urging his colleagues to expel Roxbury Councilor Chuck Turner at a meeting on Wednesday.

In a letter to councilors, Ross said he appreciates the long years of hard work Turner has put in, but said the council has little choice but to expel him immediately now that he's a convicted felon, rather than waiting to see if a judge lets him out on probation in January, as Turner had requested, in the hopes he could finish out his term:

We have but one judicial system in this country, and whether we personally agree with the verdict or not, a jury of his peers found Councilor Turner guilty of very serious crimes. As public officials, we are sworn to uphold the laws of this city, state and nation. We are not above the law and none of us is above the rules we have established as a body. If we act as if we are this body loses its credibility, its integrity and the trust of the people we serve. Many are cynical of government as it is, we cannot add to their distrust.

Ross said if the council agrees, he would also move to continue paying Turner's staff members to continue their constituent work and to hold elections in Turner's District 7 as soon as possible.

The council meeting begins at 3 p.m. in the council's fifth-floor chambers in City Hall.

Ross's letter and background material (1.5M PDF file).

What if students living off campus had to sign leases that included a ban on loud parties?

adamg — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:21:58 +0000

NorthEndWaterfront.com reports city councilors Mike Ross (of course) and Sal LaMattina are working on an idea to "have students sign leases where certain loud party' terms are included." The idea is to then enforce those terms with fines or outright eviction.

Why is NorthEndWaterfront.com reporting on this? Seems the North End might soon have to rename itself East Allston, based on a rising number of complaints about out-of-control parties run by college students (the more enterprising of whom charge admission).

City Council to consider whether to expel Chuck Turner on Dec. 1

adamg — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:29:57 +0000

The City Council won't wait until after Chuck Turner is sentenced on extortion and perjury charges to consider whether to strip him of his seat on the council.

In a letter to Turner today, Council President Mike Ross said he's called a hearing of the council after its regular meeting on Dec. 1 - a date chosen to let whoever wins the vacant District 6 (West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain) have a say. That district's next councilor will be selected in a special election on Nov. 16.

Turner will be sentenced in federal district court on Jan. 25. Yesterday, he announced he would not appeal the verdict but would instead seek to have his supporters convince the judge to give him only probation - and to appeal to Ross to delay any expulsion hearing until after his sentencing.

Licensing board to hold 30 to 40 individual hearings on restaurants that want to serve liquor earlier on Sunday

adamg — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:48:45 +0000

The Boston Licensing Board currently has close to 40 applications from liquor-serving restaurants that want to serve booze with brunch as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays, board attorney Jean Lorizio told the City Council today.

At a hearing on a new state law that allows earlier liquor sales on Sundays, Council Chairman Mike Ross wondered why the earlier time couldn't simply be made the norm and automatically let all restaurants with liquor licenses offer drinks at 10 a.m., rather than require each one to appear before the licensing board for a separate hearing.

Lorizio said the board wants to treat each case differently, because a neighborhood pub might be different than, say, Joe's on the North End waterfront.

Ross, however, said small restaurant owners, often "barely keeping it together," shouldn't be forced to take time out of their busy days for something like this.

Legislature agrees to let city rent out two old buildings on Common, in Fens for restaurants

adamg — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:47:09 +0000

After some renovations, natch. City Council President Mike Ross reports the legislature took some time today from figuring out whether to allow a casino at Suffolk Downs to approve a home-rule petition to let the city parks department rent out the "Pink Palace" men's room on the Common and the "Duck House" shelter in the Back Bay Fens to restaurant operators.

"“We have seen restaurants transform neighborhoods from the South End to Dorchester, and I believe bringing a quality restaurant or business to the Boston Common and Fens will play a major role in revitalizing those parks," Ross said.

The measure still needs the approval of Gov. Patrick.

Possible breakthrough in firefighter contract talks: Union proposes one-year freeze on drug-testing pay increase

adamg — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:41:37 +0000

UPDATE: Administration to City Council: Just say no to firefighters; that would create a tidal wave of other unions demanding similar drug-testing deals. City council to administration: With all due respect, you suck. Councilor Ayanna Pressley: "There's some sort of conflicting shell game going on here."

Local firefighters union President Ed Kelly this morning offered to freeze for one year a 2.5% raise awarded by an arbitration panel in exchange for drug testing.

City councilors Mike Ross and Steve Murphy immediately congratulated Kelly for making the "significant concession."

"I think, frankly, it's extraordinary," Murphy said.

Mission Hill residents, city councilor fed up with Northeastern

adamg — Fri, 21 May 2010 14:55:09 +0000

The Huntington News reports four suits from Northeastern couldn't even finish a presentation to a Mission Hill gathering before being interrupted by Mission Hill residents, who accused them of breaking a variety of promises to the community. City Council President Mike Ross - a Mission Hill resident - and state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez sided with the residents.