Hey, there! Log in / Register

Michael Flaherty

By adamg - 1/25/17 - 1:01 pm

But who will enforce it? The council today voted unanimously to approve amendments to the city's existing construction policy to up the number of Boston residents large developers should hire from 50% to 51%, the number of people of color from 25% to 40% and the number of women from 10% to 12%. Read more.

By adamg - 10/1/16 - 10:42 am

The Herald quotes City Councilor Michael Flaherty (at large) as saying officials are looking at fulfilling our sacred promise to General Electric for a helipad by building one that floats on the water. But not just some "rinky-dink" crappy little floating thing - something grand and majestic that would be the envy of all of New England, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Hartford.

By adamg - 6/20/16 - 6:37 pm
Helipad atop Motor Mart garage in Park Square, Boston

The Motor Mart garage roof in Park Square served as a helipad in 1947. Photo by Leslie Jones.

The city won't build GE a helipad without scrutiny from the City Council. On Wednesday, the council formally votes to approve at-large Councilor Michael Flaherty's proposal for a hearing on the city's proposal for a public helipad somewhere closer to GE's impending Fort Point headquarters. Read more.

By adamg - 2/24/16 - 2:03 pm

The City Council almost voted today on a zoning change that would prohibit both medical marijuana dispensaries and potential recreational pot shops from being closer than a mile to each other. Read more.

By adamg - 2/10/16 - 3:19 pm

City Councilors Andrea Campbell (Roxbury) and Michael Flaherty (at large), say that for an average of about $23 per resident a year, Boston would be able to build more housing for people being priced out of the city - and help upgrade city parks and historic sites. Councilor Bill Linehan, however, is not sure he buys it. Read more.

By adamg - 2/9/16 - 6:00 pm

City Councilors Michael Flaherty (at large) and Andrea Campbell (Dorchester) want to ask voters to approve an increase in local property taxes to help pay for construction of affordable housing and buy and maintain open space. Read more.

By adamg - 2/9/16 - 5:45 pm

At-large City Councilor Michael Flaherty wants to ensure no neighborhood get too many pot dispensaries should voters approve recreational marijuana use on top of the medical marijuana use they approved in 2012.

The council tomorrow considers his request for a hearing on a proposal to amend city zoning codes to keep marijuana dispensaries at least a mile apart should legal weed happen - or, as he puts it, "no closer than 1 mile, or 5,280 feet."

By adamg - 2/3/16 - 2:19 pm

The Boston City Council today approved a request from at-large Councilor Michael Flaherty for a hearing to try to get Massport, the BRA and the city Economic Development and Industrial Corp. on the same page when it comes to re-use of the city-owned land on Boston Harbor.

Flaherty made his request after news broked that Massport has put land out to bid in the Boston Marine Industrial Park in South Boston and that one bid calls for relocating businesses from Widett Circle, including meatpacking plants, even though the industrial park is supposed to be limited to businesses having some relation to the seas. Read more.

By adamg - 10/28/15 - 1:00 pm

The City Council today approved Mayor Walsh's proposal to increase members' pay almost 14%, to $99,500, starting Jan. 1.

Councilors Ayanna Pressley (at large) Michelle Wu (at large), Charles Yancey (Dorchester) and Josh Zakim (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Mission Hill, Fenway) voted against. Read more.

By adamg - 10/15/15 - 7:51 am

Two key councilors in the struggle for higher council pay say they have come to terms with the mayor's proposal to increase their salaries 13.7%, to $99,500, come January. Read more.

By adamg - 10/14/15 - 9:38 pm

At-large city councilor Steve Murphy called for restrictions on development in Boston at a candidate forum in Roslindale tonight. Fellow at-large councilor Ayanna Pressley, meanwhile, wants to look at restricting the numbers of certain types of franchise operations in particular neighborhoods. Read more.

By adamg - 10/7/15 - 1:17 pm

Several city councilors today signed onto an effort to figure out how to keep what appear to be increasingly inevitable pot shops from taking over residential commercial districts, should voters approve a referendum next year to legalize recreational marijuana use. Read more.

By adamg - 9/3/15 - 10:29 am

The City Council yesterday approved an ordinance banning the use of smokeless tobacco at all professional and amateur sports venues in the city. The measure needs the signature of Mayor Walsh, but since he originally proposed it, he'll probably sign it.

At-large City Councilor Michael Flaherty said the measure is a step towards helping young people avoid oral cancer and other problems the stuff can cause.

By adamg - 8/6/15 - 10:32 am
Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty with Blaise Wu

Just not his baby. At-large Councilor Michael Flaherty checked out some paperwork before a hearing yesterday afternoon while holding at-large Councilor Michele Wu's son, Blaise. Flaherty walked him around the council chambers, introduced him to Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief William Gross.

By adamg - 6/16/15 - 7:40 am

If Portland, OR and even nearby Lexington can require permits for sandwich-board signs, why not Boston? The City Council tomorrow considers the issue, in the form of a request by at-large Councilor Michael Flaherty for new regulations that would require store owners to get permission from the city to put the free-standing ads in front of their shops. Read more.

By adamg - 10/1/14 - 5:36 pm

City councilors said today they're not going to stand for being disrespected by the Zoning Board of Appeals. So they're calling a hearing.

Councilors Steve Murphy (at large) and Councilor Josh Zakim (Fenway, Mission Hill, Back Bay, Beacon Hill) say they were infuriated and aghast at a Sept. 23 zoning hearing on a project on Hereford Street. The two councilors and Mayor Walsh asked the board to defer any action on the proposal, in part because not all nearby residents had been notified of the hearing. Murphy said the board acknowledged the requests and yet still voted 5-2 to approve the work.

By adamg - 8/6/14 - 5:46 pm

May take a moment or two to appear (it's for the fight against ALS):

By adamg - 7/28/14 - 7:49 pm

At-large Councilor Michael Flaherty will ask his fellow councilors to back a change in state law that would let Boston offer detail work on road projects and at concerts and arenas to retired BPD officers, easing a shortage of detail officers and filling city coffers with extra money.

By adamg - 7/8/14 - 4:51 pm

At-large Councilor Michael Flaherty says Boston Police should start posting the information on Boston's 630 Level 2 and 3 sex offenders on the city cable station for residents who might not know they can look people up on a state Web site.

Flaherty will ask the council tomorrow to approve calling a hearing to ask police why they shouldn't be required to resume the sex-offender broadcasts they stopped in 2008. His request also says police should broadcast the names and photos not just of resident sex offenders but of sex offenders who work in Boston.

By adamg - 5/7/14 - 2:57 pm

City councilors today overwhelmingly supported the idea of bringing back the Boston Police mounted unit, disbanded as a cost-saving measure in 2009.

Councilors, including at-large Councilor Steve Murphy, who made the proposal, said cops on horses are just better at patrolling certain types of large gatherings and that they are excellent at public relations and as ice breakers between police and citizens - who doesn't love horses?

Subscribe to Michael Flaherty