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7-15.1   Purpose.
   The purpose of this Section is to establish the Boston Commemoration Commission. The Commission is herein tasked with developing and executing a plan to mark upcoming historical anniversaries, including, but not limited to, the United States Sestercentennial (250th) in 2026 and the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Boston in 2030, while investing in inclusive and robust historical resources and preservation tools. The intent of this Section is to ensure that the many diverse community voices and organizations who steward Boston’s history, and the City Departments with responsibilities related to historical narrative, exhibits, curricula, archives, preservation and event-planning, are all able to work together to deepen the public opportunities to engage with that history, in collaboration with commonwealth and federal partners. This Section affirms that our diverse and intertwined community histories are of great value to the city and its residents, that historical tourism should be a driver of true shared prosperity, that inclusive and honest historical memory is a crucial public good worthy of attention and resources and that communities all over the city should have the tools and resources to research, preserve, acknowledge and celebrate their history.
(CBC 1985 7-15.1; Ord. 2021 c. 19 § 1)
7-15.2   Establishing the Boston Commemoration Commission.
   (A)   The Boston Commemoration Commission will include members appointed by the Mayor, including:
      (1)   One member who represents a tourism-related Boston business outside downtown;
      (2)   One member who represents a tourism-related Boston business in the downtown area;
      (3)   One member from the Boston Chamber of Commerce;
      (4)   One member from The Boston Foundation;
      (5)   One member from the commonwealth’s Competitive Partnership;
      (6)   Two members who are archivists and are seeking to preserve a diverse history;
      (7)   One member who is a digital archivist or preservation specialist seeking to preserve a diverse history;
      (8)   One member from a non-profit institution with major Boston historical holdings;
      (9)   One member representing a Neighborhood Historic District;
      (10)   One member involved in local history in a neighborhood without a Historic District;
      (11)   One member affiliated with the North American Indian Center of Boston;
      (12)   One member from the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag;
      (13)   One member from the Museum of African American History;
      (14)   One member with an expertise in local Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) history;
      (15)   One member with an expertise in local Indigenous history;
      (16)   One member with an expertise in local Black history;
      (17)   One member with an expertise in local European immigrant history;
      (18)   One member with an expertise in local Latinx history;
      (19)   One member with an expertise in local women’s history;
      (20)   One member with an expertise in local LGBTQ+ history;
      (21)   One member with an expertise in local intellectual history;
      (22)   One member from the commonwealth’s Historical Society;
      (23)   One member from the Boston Preservation Alliance;
      (24)   One member from Revolutionary Spaces;
      (25)   One member from the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau;
      (26)   One member who is a hospitality worker;
      (27)   One member of the Boston Legislative Delegation;
      (28)   One member of the Boston City Council;
      (29)   The following members, ex officio: Three members from National Parks of Boston, representing the Boston National Historic Park, the Boston African American National Historic Site and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area; and
      (30)   And the following people or their designees, ex officio:
         (a)   Chief of Economic Development;
         (b)   Chief of Arts and Culture;
         (c)   Director of the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment;
         (d)   The Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools;
         (e)   The City Archivist;
         (f)   The City Archaeologist;
         (g)   President of the Boston Public Library;
         (h)   Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space;
         (i)   Executive Director of the Landmarks Commission;
         (j)   Chair of the Landmarks Commission;
         (k)   Director of the Boston Planning and Development Agency; and
         (l)   Collector-Treasurer, as steward of the Community Preservation Trust Fund.
   (B)   (1)   The Boston Commemoration Commission will include, but not be limited to, the following Subcommittees:
         (a)   Events, Exhibits and Trails;
         (b)   Timelines, Archives and Curricula; and
         (c)   Legislation and Preservation Tools.
      (2)   All members of the Boston Commemoration Commission shall be assigned to at least one Subcommittee. The Boston City Council member shall sit on any Subcommittees on which the Councilor requests membership.
   (C)   The city shall assign the equivalent of two full-time staff: one half-time staff person to coordinate the Commemoration Commission as a whole, and one half-time staff person to coordinate each of the three above-enumerated subcommittees, with these staff persons to be drawn from such City Departments as may be most appropriate.
   (D)   The Boston Commemoration Commission’s full meetings will be open for any organizational member of Revolution 250 and/or of commonwealth- level Commissions focused on commemorating the commonwealth’s history to attend.
   (E)   The Boston Commemoration Commission members shall serve without compensation. Members will elect a Chair for the Boston Commemoration Commission every year with a simple majority vote. Members of each subcommittee will elect a subcommittee Chair every year with a simple majority vote.
   (F)   The Boston Commemoration Commission will exist until June 30, 2031.
   (G)   The Boston Commemoration Commission shall first convene within 60 days of the effective date of this Section. Should there be a vacancy or resignation in any of the above positions, the Mayor will appoint a new representative from another equally relevant Office or organization within 90 days. Members of the Boston Commemoration Commission will remain members as long as the Commission exists or unless voted to be removed by a majority vote of the Commission.
(CBC 1985 7-15.2; Ord. 2021 c. 19 § 1)
7-15.3   Responsibilities and Authorities of the Boston Commemoration Commission.
   (A)   The primary responsibility of the Boston Commemoration Commission is to advise the Mayor and relevant Departments on making Boston’s celebrations of significant upcoming historic anniversaries, as well as Boston’s preservation policies and tools, robust and inclusive of all history, including the history of Indigenous, Black, immigrant, LGBTQ+, women and other historically marginalized communities. The Boston Commemoration Commission will advise the Mayor and relevant Departments on the following:
      (1)   Commemorating upcoming historical anniversaries that are significant to Boston;
      (2)   Collaborating with commonwealth-level commemoration and historic commissions;
      (3)   Ensuring that the city applies in a timely and robust fashion for any available federal or commonwealth funds;
      (4)   Recommending how to collaborate with commonwealth-level and regional commemoration efforts;
      (5)   Fulfilling the goals of its subcommittees, as detailed below; and
      (6)   Determining whether any other subcommittees should be added relevant to its primary responsibility.
   (B)   The goals of the Events, Exhibits and Trails Subcommittee include producing recommendations for events and exhibits that educate participants on the diverse history of Boston and determining how to promote historic anniversaries and acquire related public and private funds to benefit tourism, historic sites and economic development in Boston, including by promoting minority, women and LGBTQ+ owned businesses, and by supporting the formation of historical trails and tours that extend beyond the downtown area. Within the first year of convening, the Subcommittee shall produce an initial actionable plan of next steps in support of commemorative events to fall between 2022 and 2026, to be approved by vote of the full Commission and presented to the City Clerk.
   (C)   The goals of the Timelines, Archives and Curricula Subcommittee include recommending a timeline of significant historical events in Boston to comprise the focus of the Commemoration Commission’s work over the coming years; planning content for exhibits throughout the city that educate participants on the diverse history of Boston; determining how to save, process and highlight Boston’s rich archival resources, including through digital archives; and incorporating archival history and commemorative activities into the Boston Public School Curriculum. The Subcommittee will also recommend how collections can be made accessible and inclusive, as well as recommend how the archival capacity of all communities could be supported and expanded. Within the first six months of convening, the Subcommittee shall produce an initial recommended timeline of key occasions to be the focus of the Commission’s commemorative work through December 31, 2030, to be approved by vote of the full Commission and presented to the City Clerk.
   (D)   The goals of the Legislation and Preservation Tools Subcommittee include proposing a plan for a complete city-wide historic building survey that would inventory Boston’s built history across all of its neighborhoods, recommending reforms for the Article 85 process, suggesting adjustments to better align funds from the Community Preservation Trust with the aims of equitable city-wide historic preservation and putting forward other policy changes that would enable the city to have a more comprehensive, equitable and effective historic preservation process. Within the 18 months, the Subcommittee shall produce an initial report summarizing such proposals, to be approved by vote of the full Commission and presented to the City Clerk.
   (E)   This Commission will meet quarterly. Additional meetings may be held to work on specific issues as they relate to the overall work of this Commission. The Commission will file a bi-annual (every six months) progress report with the Clerk to update the city and community on their progress. Any plans, timelines and proposals presented by the Commission to the Clerk may be adjusted and refined by vote of the Commission over the course of its existence.
   (F)   Subcommittees will meet monthly or more often as needed. The Commission subcommittee members will serve without compensation.
   (G)   At any point, the Commission may be called upon to testify to and update the Boston City Council on their progress.
   (H)   If the Commission determines necessary, the Commission is authorized to continue meeting beyond June 30, 2031; provided the Commission continues to provide bi-annual reports to the Clerk.
   (I)   The Commission reports submitted to the Clerk and any documents pertaining to the governing of the Commission will be publicly available.
(CBC 1985 7-15.3; Ord. 2021 c. 19 § 1)