City organizing North End outdoor dining "task force"

The City opened submissions for people interested in becoming part of a "task force" to determine how issues with outdoor dining could be remedied in future iterations of the permanent outdoor dining program. The City notes that "only serious inquiries will be considered" and that applications are due on Friday, March 24th.

From the City's Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Outdoor Dining Page:

The City of Boston is committed to stewarding a robust permanent outdoor dining program. To do that, it is important that all voices are heard and that stakeholder concerns are addressed.

The application form parrots the same disingenuous reasons for cancelling the 2023 but does acknowledge that community input was part of the decision:

quality of life challenges expressed by residents during the temporary outdoor dining programs like sanitation, public safety, and accessibility

It also lists the responsibilities of the task force:

• To recommend where on-street outdoor dining should be permitted.
• To recommend rules and regulations for participation in or removal from the program.
• To recommend a consistent length of the outdoor dining season.
• To recommend quality of life improvements to support a permanent outdoor dining program.

Once potentially concerning question asks whether applicants own or rent their residence:

Hopefully the City is using this information to ensure that people who rent their home are represented proportionally (about 75% of North End residents rent their home).

If you'd like to be involved, fill out the form here:
North End outdoor dining task force application form