When I collected the newspapers from my front step today, I was shocked to see the Boston Herald’s front page declare it “Silly Season at City Council.”  I thought back to the past few weeks—my colleagues and I held a hearing to discuss the library budget, unanimously agreed to adopt a recently-enacted state law—which was created by this body in 2005—that will tie unpaid municipal fines to property tax bills, and debated the merit of granting a Tax Increment Financing plan to Liberty Mutual, which hopes to build a new corporate headquarters in Back Bay.  Certainly, these aren’t “silly” topics.

Then I read the article itself.  Most of the initiatives mentioned by the Herald are years old.  One was proposed by a Councilor who no longer serves on the body.  The “cocktail condoms” and poet laureate legislation date back to 2007.  Limits on the volume of music from ice cream trucks were passed in 2008.  The legislation around grocery carts was filed in 2003.

The one item of recent legislation mentioned in the article—the proposal to replace solid commercial grates with perforated grates—is hardly a joke.  It takes its inspiration from a nearly 20-year-old theory known as “broken window policing.”  If people live in a community that is covered in graffiti, filled with trash, and abandoned property falls into disrepair, crime rates go up because residents believe no one cares enough to stop minor violations.  By cracking down on things like graffiti and litter, communities can often see more violent crime rates drop.

My colleagues and I tackle issues of all kinds—from the City of Boston budget to fixing street lights in alleyways.  The role of the Boston City Council is to respond to the concerns of the neighborhoods we serve, both through constituent service and through legislation.  What may look “silly” to an outsider can often solve a significant problem in a community. 

I hope the Herald will be present at City Council hearings as we continue to face the challenges that face our city, and as the FY2011 budget process gets underway in April.  I’m sure the paper—and those who read it—will be pleased by the serious and innovative work this body does for the people of Boston.