#operationsmanual

[inawemedia]

#blackpooltower #reflection #water #sea #blackpool #tower #pretty #light #night #drone #dronephotographer #dronephotography #dji #djiglobal #phantom #phantom4 #canon #canon700d #inawe #inawemedia #media #content #vaynernation #hustle #sidehustle #7to1 #2018isMine #PfCo #CAA #OperationsManual #GoFundMe #GameOfDrones (at The Blackpool Tower)

[inawemedia]

Booked ground school. See you in Feb @aerialmotionpictures @flyicarusintl #drone #dronephotographer #dronephotography #dji #djiglobal #phantom #phantom4 #canon #canon700d #inawe #inawemedia #media #content #vaynernation #hustle #sidehustle #7to1 #2018isMine #PfCo #CAA #OperationsManual #GoFundMe #GameOfDrones (at Chorley)

[inawemedia]

Lemme see ya work work work work work #drone #dronephotographer #dronephotography #dji #djiglobal #phantom #phantom4 #canon #canon700d #inawe #inawemedia #media #content #vaynernation #hustle #sidehustle #7to1 #2018isMine #PfCo #CAA #OperationsManual #GoFundMe #GameOfDrones (at Blackpool)

[neither-nor-zine-distro]

kind words are always sweeter when they come from people you truly respect and admire!  thanks DJ Frederick!

if anyone wants a copy of this zine just hit me up!

[email protected]

[nextboston]

Building a Healthy Boston for All

By Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director, Boston Public Health Commission

Boston in many ways is a model of good health and a city that our peers across the country look to as an example for developing proven public health strategies that create stronger communities.  The data from this year’s Health of Boston report, an annual study produced by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) that details the latest trends in our city health, is filled with encouraging signs.

Teen pregnancy is decreasing along with the percentage of preterm births in Boston.  The infant mortality rate for black infants is declining and inching closer to the overall city average.  Fewer people are dying from strokes.  Boston public high school students are smoking less.  And the hospitalization and mortality rates for heart disease have declined for a majority of our neighborhoods.

We could take comfort in this positive news, but the truth is we have an obligation to do more – much more.  The mission of the Boston Public Health Commission is to protect, promote, and preserve the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly the most vulnerable.  When we ask ourselves whether or not all residents are sharing in good health, the answer is they are not.

Certain populations in our city have a better shot at good health than others, and closing the gap on these inequities is our biggest challenge as we look to the future of public health in Boston.

You may have heard the terms health disparity and health inequity before.  Although they might sound interchangeable, we’re very intentional about using the word “inequities.”  While disparities refer to differences in health outcomes between groups, inequities refer to differences that are unnecessary, avoidable, unfair, and unjust. 

Here’s what we believe are the most significant inequities that we’re positioned to address, not only as a health department, but together as an entire city over the next several years.

Reduce the low-birth weight rate among Boston infants, and reduce the gap between white and black low birth-weight rates by 25%.

Reduce obesity and overweight rates among Boston residents, and reduce the gap in rates between white residents and black and Latino residents by 30% for school-aged children and 20% for adults.

Reduce Chlamydia rates among Boston residents aged 15 through 24, and reduce the gap in Chlamydia rates between black, Latino, and white residents in this age group by 25%.

Each and every one of the approximately 1,100 employees of the Boston Public Health Commission – not to mention the larger community of Boston – has a role to play in achieving these goals.  We refer to these three issues as our “Overarching Goals” for public health between now and 2016.

What are some strategies that we’re implementing to accomplish this work? 

Our Healthy Baby Healthy Child and Healthy Start in Housing initiatives work with expecting and new mothers to offer housing, free home visiting, case management, and support services to prepare parents for healthy deliveries, successful parenting, financial literacy, and school readiness in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

A $4.6 million grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) initiative is helping us build on our obesity prevention work with partners from the YMCA of Greater Boston, the Harvard School of Public Health’s Prevention Research Center, community health centers,  and the Boston REACH  and VIP Coalitions which engage residents in the effort.  Together, our collaborative is working to increase opportunities for out-of-school physical activity for school-aged children; to ensure safe green space in the neighborhoods for exercise; and to promote healthy nutrition in partnership with community-based organizations.

With the help of students from the Boston Public Schools (BPS) and teens from BPHC’s youth programs, we worked with the school committee to successfully amend the BPS Wellness Policy to provide all high school students with access to sexual education and condoms.  We’re now working with youth to develop a social marketing campaign aimed at raising awareness about access to Chlamydia testing and treatment for young people.

In all three areas, our work is anchored by efforts to promote policies that create equitable opportunities for optimal health and well-being. Mayor Menino has issued an executive order banning the sale of sugary beverages in all municipal buildings.  Our Board of Health has passed regulations restricting youth access to tobacco and nicotine products in addition to prohibiting artificial trans fats in prepared foods at restaurants.  And we have worked tirelessly to ensure funding for youth development and job training programs.   

These are but a few examples of the strategies we’re utilizing to achieve health equity in Boston.  They’re the tip of the iceberg, but they hold a tremendous amount of promise for the future health of our city.

I’m excited to share more about our public health priorities in the coming weeks on the Next Boston blog.  Check back every Tuesday over the next month to learn more about different issues.  Visit us at www.BPHC.org, and follow us on Twitter @HealthyBoston.

[nextboston]

ROAD CONSTRUCTION AHEAD

The City of Boston maintains a network of over 800 miles of streets.  Each year, an extensive maintenance and reconstruction program is undertaken to improve the condition of the city’s streets.  The construction season generally runs from April to mid-November. In a typical year, the City paves 25-35 miles of roadway. As we finish up this year’s “blockbuster” 60 miles of paving, we’re already planning for the next two years.

So how does the City decide what streets to repave? It starts with an annual assessment of pavement conditions.  Each year, PWD surveys about one-quarter of all City streets.  The results of these engineering studies form the basis of a recommended program for crack sealing (preventive maintenance), resurfacing (major maintenance), and reconstruction (complete rebuilding of a street).  This recommended program is then compared to the utility companies’ five-year maintenance and improvement plans, planned developments within the city, and available funding. The Mayor reviews the construction program each year to ensure that the investments further the strategic goals of the city and properly address constituents’ needs. 

Coordination with utility companies and property owners is critical because after a street has been paved, there is a five-year moratorium on cutting into the street. Streets that are recently paved are call “Guaranteed Streets,” and only in cases of legitimate hardship, determined on a case-by-case basis, are permits to cut into Guaranteed Streets granted.  In those cases the cost of restoring the street to new condition is charged to the entity requiring the work. This process is coordinated by the Public Works Department using a system called COBUCS (City of Boston Utility Coordination Software). As part of the application process for a construction permit, projects are cleared through the COBUCS system managed by the Construction Inspection and Coordination Unit in Public Works. 

  Once the construction program is agreed upon, the list of streets and anticipated timeline is updated on the City’s website.  Notice fliers are distributed to abutters both at the beginning of the season and in the days leading up to construction to allow property owners to coordinate their own work and improvements, as well as understand parking restrictions during construction.  The list of streets and schedule can change depending on weather, site conditions, and funding availability, so the website is updated regularly. 

[nextboston]

Federal Relations

By Jake Sullivan, Virginia Mayer, Dina Siegal

Federal Relations is a division of the office of Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) and works with City Departments to define key issues and priorities, and articulate them to the Congressional delegation and relevant federal agencies. The Office also supports the work of City Departments in coordinating and facilitating the City’s pursuit of competitive grants from federal agencies in the areas of education, public safety, transportation, community development, public health, broadband, homelessness, seniors, energy efficiency and conservation, workforce development, and public housing.

Top Federal issues the next Mayor should engage in immediately:

The Federal Budget: The Federal budget reflects an important source of revenue for the City and will impact key programs the City operates. Come January the Federal budget process will be off and running with the President due to outline his vision in February. Your Administration should take an active role in advocating to the House and Senate on funding levels for priority programs that impact the City. In recent years, Federal funding for the City has been adversely impacted by sequestration and budget cuts. These resources have a profound effect on how Bostonians live and how community development meets the needs of our residents.

Immigration Reform: The President wants a deal on immigration this year but this could go over into next year. More than 8,800 immigrant-owned small businesses help strengthen Boston’s economy by generating almost $3.7 billion in annual sales and employing over 18,000 people. IGR has advocated for immigration reform as immigrants continue to help our city to grow. One in four Bostonians were born outside the United States, and speak more than 140 languages in our neighborhoods. Immigrants now account for close to 27% of the city’s population, up from 20% in 1990. For Boston, more diversity means more talent, more ideas and more innovation- a real competitive advantage in today’s global economy.

Reauthorization of No Child Left Behind: This is THE Education bill that will be debated next year. A new Administration should quickly determine its priorities for this Legislation and engage the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation.

Gun Violence:  Legislative efforts in the House and Senate to improve the nation’s background check system continue to require support of Mayors to pass these common sense measures.  As illegal guns from states with weaker gun laws present a danger in our neighborhoods, a sustained effort and leadership to push for passage of these federal laws will save lives.

The Boston Congressional Delegation

The Boston Congressional delegation works closely with IGR to advance the priorities of the City. There are four members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation who represent Boston: Senators Warren and Markey in the Senate and Congressmen Capuano and Lynch in the House.

Key Committee assignments held by the Boston Congressional Delegation include:

Senate Banking, Housing and Foreign Affairs (Warren)

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (Warren)

Senate Special Committee on Aging (Warren)

Senate Commerce, Science and Technology (Markey)

Senate Foreign Relations (Markey)

Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Markey)

House Financial Services (Capuano and Lynch)

House Transportation (Capuano)

House Ethics (Capuano)

House Oversight and Government Reform (Lynch)

IGR Federal Relations also works with other members of the MA Congressional Delegation on relevant issues including Education and Workforce (Congressman John Tierney), Gun Violence (all Members), Food/Hunger (Congressman Jim McGovern), and Homeland Security (Congressman William Keating).

Each year, Congress must appropriate a specific amount of funding to each Federal agency. Program and agency funding can't be spent until it is appropriated. IGR works closely with the Mayor’s cabinet and department heads to advocate for federal investment in the City through the budget process and works to make sure key funding streams are maintained.

Senator Warren and Congressman Capuano joined Mayor Menino in February at Boston Medical Center to highlight the importance of federal research dollars at Boston institutions.

Nearly 94% of the City’s external funds (state and Federal) are found in eight departments.  These eight departments are the School Department, Neighborhood Development, Public Health Commission, Boston Housing Authority, Office of Emergency Management, Police Department, Library Department and the Parks and Recreation Department. Other departments that also have significant grant funding are the Elderly Commission and the Transportation Department.  IGR also works to support non-city agencies and external partners who receive federal funding and serve Boston residents.  Examples include Head Start, Fuel Assistance, and Community Health Centers.

In recent years, IGR has coordinated advocacy and delivery of an influx of federal funds from initiatives such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). On the flip-side, IGR has also worked to prevent the impacts of deep budget cuts proposed by the majority in the House of Representatives and from budget vehicles such as Sequestration.

At any given time, there are numerous federal policy proposals being drafted or considered in Congress ranging from new legislation to address gun violence to reauthorization of key legislation including No Child Left Behind and the Older Americans Act. IGR represents the city's priorities by providing testimony, comment, and analysis to Congressional leadership and the Administration regarding a variety of legislative vehicles regarding (including but not limited to): sequestration/federal budget, community development, education, foreclosure, homeless and housing, fuel assistance, economic development, innovation, illegal guns, public health, public safety, energy and environment, telecommunications, workforce development, youth activities, seniors, veterans, immigration reform and transportation.

Executive agencies play a critical role with regard to the City - from administering grant funds to implementing federal rules and policies which impact the City.

IGR works closely with all the federal agencies and maintains regular contact with them to identify grant funding opportunities, solve administrative and regulatory problems, and advocate on behalf of the city's priorities.

[nextboston]

The Mayor's Scheduling Office

The Mayor’s scheduling office is responsible for day-to-day operations. The team – a staff of two overseen by the Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff – knows what the Mayor is doing, why he’s doing it, and who’s responsible for each item on the Mayor’s schedule.  Anything the Mayor needs to get through his day, the scheduling office is responsible for – seven days a week.

At any given time of day, the Mayor has 30 requests and invitations waiting for him. In the video below, the Mayor's schedulers, Liz O'Brien and Sue McMorrow, get creative with a Schoolhouse-Rock-inspired video that takes a look at the life of a scheduling request made to the Mayor's office.

Here’s what the typical “request” process looks like:

1. The Mayor's schedulers receive a call or email from a group or individual asking to meet with the Mayor or inviting the Mayor to attend their event.

2. The scheduling office asks the group or individual to put their request into writing, including all the background and logistical information needed: date, time and duration, location, description, Mayor’s proposed role, other attendees, etc.

3. Once the scheduling office has a request in writing, it is brought to the Mayor for review. While the Mayor always wants to say yes to every request, the date and time of the event must be considered, because more often than not, a request will conflict with another, already scheduled event. Some times, the event is too far to travel, or is not the best use of the Mayor's time on that given day. 

4. If there is a conflict, the Mayor’s scheduling office will determine if the event can be rescheduled to another time. Unfortunately, large events are unable to be changed, and in this case the Mayor would have to send his regrets.

5. If the Mayor is able to attend the event, the scheduling office will then notify the group that submitted the request, and tell them the good news. The request then becomes an event on the Mayor’s schedule.

I'm A Request from City of Boston on Vimeo.

City Hall Rock Cast

Sue McMorrow (Writer, Star) is originally from Dorchester, and now lives in West Roxbury. Sue has worked for the City of Boston for 27 years, and with Mayor Menino since July 1993. Aside from scheduling, Sue provides comic relief for the Mayor’s Office.  

Liz O’Brien (Writer, Producer, Star) is originally from Dorchester, and now lives in Jamaica Plain. Liz interned with the Mayor’s Chief of Human Services during her summers in high school, and more recently, has been a scheduler for Mayor Menino since January 2012. Aside from scheduling, Liz serves as the Mayor’s Office Craft Czar.  

Meet the other talented contributors:

Catherine McCourt (Backing Vocalist) is from Jamaica Plain, and is an undergraduate senior at Harvard College.  Catherine has been an intern in Mayor Menino’s Scheduling Office since January 2012.

Chardline Faiteau (Backing Vocalist) is from Dorchester.  Chardline served on the Mayor’s Youth Council in high school, interned in Mayor Menino’s Scheduling Office from August 2008 through May 2012, and currently serves as a special assistant to the Mayor.  

Mr. Clemons (Pianist) played piano for the choruses of “I’m A Request.”  Mr. Clemons was recruited while playing the Boston Street Pianos Festival piano placed on Boston City Hall Plaza. Mr. Clemons knew the sheet music to Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just A Bill” by memory.