Council presses no-show administration on Blackstone pool
Boston councilors grill an empty chair after no one from the Wu administration shows for a Blackstone pool hearing. The Committee on Human Services, chaired by Councilor Erin J.
City Council · Meeting of September 24, 2026
Boston councilors grill an empty chair after no one from the Wu administration shows for a Blackstone pool hearing. The Committee on Human Services, chaired by Councilor Erin J. Murphy, heard testimony on a hearing order from Councilors Edward M.
Flynn, John FitzGerald and Miniard Culpepper seeking an independent engineering study of the long-closed South End pool. Superintendent Mary Skipper, facilities chief Brian Ford and BCYF Commissioner Mata Rivera were invited but did not attend; Flynn said the city instead scheduled a Red Sox event at the same school that day. Jonathan Alves of the Washington-Harrison Neighborhood Association said roughly 65 percent of Black children and 45 percent of Latino children nationally have little to no swimming ability.
Murphy detailed how a $2 million Blackstone pool project has disappeared from the city's capital plans heading into fiscal 2027. No formal votes were taken; Murphy plans a follow-up hearing, likely in November, in the community.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,301 words
Source: the City Council meeting of September 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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