Loading...
12-19.3   Director Responsibilities.
   The Director, or designee, of the Office shall have the power and the duty to:
   (A)   Advise and assist the Mayor in developing and implementing policies designed to assist immigrants and speakers of languages other than English in the city, in consultation with the Office of Language and Communication Access, with respect to language accessibility;
   (B)   Enhance the accessibility of city programs, benefits and services to immigrants and speakers of languages other than English, in consultation with the Office of Language and Communication Access, by establishing outreach programs in conjunction with other City Agencies and the Council to inform and educate immigrants and speakers of languages other than English of relevant city programs, benefits and services;
   (C)   Conduct research and advise the Mayor on challenges faced by immigrants, including, but not limited to, obstacles to accessing city programs, benefits and services, and on socio-economic trends related to such persons;
   (D)   Monitor and conduct analysis on local, state and federal laws, policies, enforcement tactics and case law regarding issues relating to and impacting immigrant affairs, including potential strategies for addressing such developments and maximizing the positive impacts to local immigrants;
   (E)   Promote equitable treatment of immigrants by City Offices, Departments, Board and Commissions and other governmental Agencies;
   (F)   Make recommendations and provide coordination and support to City Departments and Agencies concerning public policies, programs, services and regulations, including sections of the charter and the administrative code, as they affect or may affect immigrants;
   (G)   Serve as liaison between the city and its immigrant communities, in order to support the safety, growth and general welfare of such communities;
   (H)   Solicit community and stakeholder input regarding the activities of the Office, including, but not limited to, the Office’s consultations with relevant agencies on implementation of sections of the charter and the administrative code that are relevant to immigrants; and
   (I)   Perform such other duties and functions as may be appropriate to pursue the policies set forth in this Section.
(Ord. 2023 c. 10)
12-19.4   Reporting Requirements.
   (A)   All City Departments shall cooperate with the Office and provide information and assistance as requested; provided, however, no information that is otherwise required to be provided pursuant to this section shall be disclosed in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state or local law relating to the privacy of information or that would interfere with law enforcement investigations or otherwise conflict with the interests of law enforcement.
   (B)   The Office shall annually provide to the Boston City Council and post on the Office’s website a report regarding the city’s immigrant population and the activities of the Office during the previous calendar year, including, but not limited to, the following information, where such information readily is available:
      (1)   The size and composition of such population, including, but not limited to, demographic information, socio-economic markers, and estimates of the immigration status held by members of such population, if any;
      (2)   Information regarding the needs of such population including, but not limited to, social services, legal services, housing, public benefits, education and workforce development needs;
      (3)   Information regarding barriers faced by such population in accessing such services, and recommendations on how the city could address such barriers; and
      (4)   Information and metrics relating to each programmatic initiative of the Office, including initiatives that are conducted in partnership with other Offices or Agencies, including, but not limited to:
         (a)   Total program capacity, disaggregated by service type;
         (b)   Number of intakes or program eligibility screenings conducted;
         (c)   Number of individuals served, disaggregated by service type;
         (d)   Number of matters handled, and aggregate data on the outcomes achieved, disaggregated by service type; and
         (e)   With respect to legal services initiatives, the number of individuals directly supported or referred to other legal services providers, disaggregated by service and case type.
(Ord. 2023 c. 10)
12-20   OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE.
12-20.1   Purpose.
   The city is inhabited by a broad and diverse set of constituents from cultural communities, some of which have been and may continue to be underrepresented in city government decision making. Therefore, a concerted effort to develop policies and programs that are responsive to the strengths and needs of these cultural communities is necessary to ensure equity and inclusion for these communities in the city.
(Ord. 2023 c. 8)
12-20.2   Establishment of the Office of Cultural Affairs.
   There shall be established in the city the Office of Cultural Affairs, hereafter referred to as the Office, which shall be under the charge of an Officer known as the Director of Cultural Affairs (hereafter called the “Director”), who shall be appointed by the Mayor. The Office will be a part of the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet.
(Ord. 2023 c. 8)
12-20.3   Director Responsibilities.
   The Director, or his or her designee, of the Office shall have the power and the duty to:
   (A)   Develop, implement and evaluate culturally competent programming aimed at fostering a sense of belonging in the city among diverse cultural communities;
   (B)   Connect with City Departments, community leaders and cultural organizations to curate events or find resources and opportunities for constituents. Enhance the accessibility of city programs, benefits and services to the historically excluded cultural communities represented by this Office by establishing outreach programs in conjunction with other City Agencies and Departments to inform and educate those communities of relevant city programs, benefits and services;
   (C)   Collaborate with stakeholders to develop and advocate for policies that address the unique needs and challenges of various cultural communities and perform policy analysis and program evaluation to ensure the social, emotional and financial well-being of these cultural communities;
   (D)   Solicit community and stakeholder input regarding programming and policies to ensure that the priorities of underrepresented communities are properly considered in city decision making;
   (E)   Manage a staff of Cultural Advisors responsible for leading the above functions for specific historically excluded cultural communities in the city: historically excluded cultural communities will be defined as groups of city residents:
      (1)   With common ethnic ancestry, country of origin, language spoken and/or region of the world;
      (2)   With significant populations in the city; and
      (3)   Who, as a whole or with a subgroup, have economic, health or civic indicators demonstrating an insufficient ability to benefit from the city’s resources.
   (F)   Cultural advisors will develop a midyear progress report and end of year review on current lessons learned, community priorities and policy recommendations to better serve the residents within each cultural community;
   (G)   Advise the Mayor on challenges faced by historically underrepresented residents, including, but not limited to, obstacles to accessing city programs, benefits and services, and on socio-economic trends related to such persons;
   (H)   Identify model policies, practices, and programs within City Departments or Agencies, as well as in other municipalities across the United States, that effectively support historically excluded residents that can be adopted or adapted across the city; and
   (I)   Perform such other duties and functions as may be appropriate to pursue the policies set forth in this Section.
(Ord. 2023 c. 8)
Loading...