Malden City Council 12-16-25

The council will come to order. All rise and salute the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for a moment of silence in honor of our veteran service members and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Winslow, would you like to offer an additional moment of silence?

Yes, I would. I just wanted to offer an additional moment of silence for the victims of the shootings at Brown University and at Bondi Beach in Australia. you know at this time where students were seeking to enlighten themselves and people of the Jewish faith were celebrating a holiday focused on Focusing on the light in the world after horrible things have happened, I just think it's time to have a moment of silence in their honor, and let's focus on the light this holiday season, even just amongst the horrible things that happened.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Winslow. Clerk will now please call the roll.

Sica, Simonelli, Spadafora, Taylor, Winslow, Malden, Taylor? Here. Councilor Winslow? Here. Council President Linehan?

Here. Okay so we do not have any members participating remotely is that correct? No. Okay so we will take Thank you for your voice votes tonight. Now under the provisions of the open meeting law for those of you in attendance please be informed that UMA Urban Media Arts will be recording this evening's meeting so just to be aware there will be audio and video recordings of this meeting tonight. Our first order of business is our guest citizens achievement and announcements. And tonight, we have guest speaker Anne Durso-Rose of Urban Media Arts, who will appear before the council to give a presentation on the relaunch of Neighborhood View and promote the Community Introductory Workshop in January. Let me put on the podium mic for you. Welcome, Anne.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes, I think so. Can everybody hear? Okay. All right. Great.

Great. Good morning. Good evening. Members of the City Council, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity to share an update on the relaunch of Neighborhood View Malden Citizen Journalism Program. My name is Anne Durso Rose and I serve as the Neighborhood View coordinator. I'm here to tell you what Neighborhood View is all about and explain how it promotes civic engagement within our community. The slides that I'm sharing tonight give you a look inside our stories and the people who make them happen. First, I want to start by recognizing Tina Lagarde, the Executive Director of Urban Media Arts where Neighborhood View was started in 2014 and where it continues as its organizational home. I'm also joined tonight by two of our core community volunteers, Lorna Gary and Kim Brooks. Lorna is a seasoned journalist who previously founded an independent news publication in Tewksbury.

And Kim is a retired archivist and educator and technology specialist who plays an instrumental role in helping us with our website operations, research, photography, and more. We also have quite a number of other Neighborhood View participants and supporters that were able to come this evening. So please stand for a moment and thank you all for being here. So what is Neighborhood View and why does it matter? Neighborhood View launched more than a decade ago under the umbrella of MATV, later known as UMA. Since then, it has built a strong reputation for in-depth stories that explore local issues, profiles of Malden residents, organizations, businesses,

and Neighborhoods, stories that highlight overlooked corners of community life, and reporting that connects Malden's history to present day conversations. Our stories are thoughtful, well-researched, and often media rich with lots of photos and sometimes video. I love this one of the seniors. Zumba class at the Senior Center. We don't cover breaking news and we can't possibly cover all the news, all the important news stories of Malden. Instead, we cover what our volunteer team can take on responsibly and we choose depth over volume. Some of you remember an era when Malden had a daily newspaper and two weeklies.

Today, like much of the country, we live with far less local news coverage. In that landscape, Neighborhood View has emerged as an important part of Malden's local news ecosystem, providing in-depth news stories that aren't available anywhere else. Before I talk about impact, I want to briefly share how Neighborhood View operates. Neighborhood View trains local residents from all walks of life to become citizen journalists. Some arrive with journalism experience, others simply love writing, photography, interviewing, research, or they're just deeply curious about Malden. There is a role for all of those folks in our program. We also work with high school students through collaborative programs. And we have someone here tonight.

Caduce, if you can stand up, who is from Malden High School. and he is currently working on a story for Neighborhood View. And we welcome college students from area universities who are majoring in journalism. The college internship program is a great way for the students to learn about a local community and hone their reporting skills, and we benefit from their training, insight, and focused energy. A couple of times a year, we offer a four-week Journalism 101 course. The next one is coming up in late January, taught by a professional journalist. We supplement that with informal workshops and mentoring throughout the year. Everyone has access to our weekly drop-in editorial meetings held on Zoom.

It's a space where journalists along with other community members can bring story ideas, talk about what's happening in Malden, share our connections and experiences related to a story, and get journalistic guidance from our editorial team. When a story is filed, it first is reviewed by one of our professional editors and then with me as the coordinator. After revisions, The piece is prepared for publication on neighborhoodview.org where it becomes part of Malden's living history. Then we work with our journalists to get the story out there, share it on social media, and email it to people in places near and far that have expertise or interest in the story's content. In short, we train, we mentor, we edit, we publish, we share. A look at our impact.

Over the years, our archive has grown into a kind of living record of the city. Search pandemic on our site and you'll find dozens of stories documenting how Malden navigated that moment in time. Oops, sorry. Search Suffolk Square and you'll find our most viewed article published more than a decade ago still drawing comments from former residents of that lost Malden neighborhood that now live all over the country. A follow-up article was published last year and has also been widely read. We frequently appear at the top of internet search results for topics like the community fridge program. or the Malden Gaming District.

And since the relaunch, we've published news stories such as the Malden Public Schools debate over AI policy, The Chinese culture connections moved to the former DESE building. And just yesterday, an in-depth look at the proposed tax override. More stories are in the works as we ramp back up. We are also proud members of the Institute for Nonprofit News, a national organization that supports high quality independent journalism initiatives nationwide and holds members to high standards for ethics and transparency. The relaunch and why now? As some of you know, this past June, due to financial challenges, UMA underwent a restructuring, and mine was one of the three full-time staff positions eliminated. as the coordinator of Neighborhood View since its beginnings that put the future of the program at risk.

But Neighborhood View is something I deeply believe in and so does our team. And despite the difficult choices UMA leadership had to make, They also highly value the program and were eager to work with me to continue it. So I've stepped in as a volunteer project lead and contractor to help relaunch the program in this initial phase. The goal is to get Neighborhood View fully active and visible again while Uma and I work together to secure long-term funding for a sustainable coordinator role. I want to also highlight that we have a strong advisory board guiding us. Currently, our three-member team is Stephanie Shoro, a veteran journalist, author, and a writing professor at Boston University. For seven years, she served as the editor of Neighborhood View. John Beckmeyer is a commercial web and brand director. He is an UMA board member and chair of the Neighborhood View Advisory Committee.

and Diddy Coley is a full-time reporter at the Boston Globe. She is a former Neighborhood View intern from Emerson College in 2019. Their combined expertise provides oversight, accountability, and Deep Professional Insight. One of the most powerful parts of Neighborhood View is the transformation that happens for the people who participate. Through telling Malden stories, our volunteer team members become more connected to Malden, more knowledgeable, and more aware of how the city works. I've seen it happen again and again. As public servants, I think you can all appreciate how this program helps to create a more engaged and informed citizenry. Our weekly editorial meetings will resume early in the new year.

They are open to Neighborhood View journalists and any community member as a guest participant. Some people come once, some come regularly. All are welcome, just email me and I'll send the link. Here's how you can help support and build momentum for Neighborhood View. Visit neighborhoodview.org and subscribe. It's free. Share our stories that you find meaningful through email and on social media. Refer us to constituents who are interested in writing, photography, research, or community storytelling. Suggest any ideas or leads for funding opportunities you may know of. Consider donating to support Neighborhood View. Click the sponsorship link on the UMA website. And finally, engage with us. When our journalists contact you for interviews or comments,

please know that they are trained, supported, and committed to accuracy and integrity. Our goal is simple, to help Malden tell its own stories in depth, thoughtful, and Rooted in Community. Thank you for the opportunity to share this update. I do want to invite my team member Kim Brooks up to just briefly Chair, and then you'll answer any questions.

Hi. I want to echo everything she said. She's an amazing coordinator, and it's a great UMA sponsored program. Volunteering for UMA has meant a great deal to me. It makes me feel even more engaged in Malden, as Anne said. I care deeply about the breadth and quality of our of our stories. But what I'm really most excited about with this reboot is helping Anne reach more of Malden. And part of that is getting more readers. But it's not just about readers. It's really, as Anne said, getting more people involved. Malden is such a rich place. Many of us choose to live here because of the diversity in all different ways. And we need more voices. really hope to get more people writing, but not just writing. If people can't write, I'm not able to write journalistically. I do other things.

If people just want to tell their story to someone and someone else writes it, someone comes to an editorial meeting and just hangs out or tells us what they're worried about, what their experience of Malden is, what they like to do. et cetera, it's not about what us, what the current volunteers, it's not just about informing us, it's about making us richer. and then I wrote something I just wanted to, for those of us who are old enough, who are the people in your neighborhood?

So I just, if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer. Someone from my team can.

Great. Thank you so much, Ann. Does anybody have any questions or comments? Okay. Oh, suddenly I got a lot of lights on. Councilor Colón Hayes.

I'm not going to take up a lot of time, but I just wanted to thank you so much. I know you've been thinking about this for a while now, and I love reading the neighborhood view. So great job. Looking forward to reading more.

Thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Winslow.

Yeah. And I think you, you, um, neighborhood view is a great asset to the city. And I appreciate so much that you are taking leadership in this situation. I had to kind of do that when I got laid off from the city at one point, um, and made sure our bike trail went ahead. So it is important to saying these things. And let us know if there's anything in particular, like if there's grant folks you need to reach out to that we can help or that type of thing. and certainly promote like donations and sponsorships and that type of thing. I certainly will be making sure I subscribe and be a regular donor. So thank you. Great. Great. Bye bye.

Great. Thank you, Councilor Winslow. Councilor O'Malley.

Yeah, I also just want to echo a thank you to the team. Thank you for your long term advocacy for this really important thing. You know, as you kind of highlighted, news coverage in Malden is very slim. and having citizen journalists who come with a unique perspective is just so valuable. Our democracy, our form of government is required to have people who are reporting on what the government is doing. So I do appreciate the fact that you play that role and that you do it at such high quality. Looking forward to making sure that we can find the funding to make this permanent and secure that because if we don't have that, Malden lose a lot. So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor O'Malley. Councillor Taylor. Just briefly, I want to say thank you again. Like everybody else has said, neighborhood view is an amazing resource. They are the articles I love reading and your professionalism in the story writing is wonderful. And I'm just really glad that this is coming back and in all the work that you put in. So thank you so much.

Thank you, Councilor Taylor. And just from the chair, I just want to echo what my colleagues have said. I know. And I think you and I met when I was actually working at the Malden Observer. Print journalism is what actually brought me to Malden. And I think it's a very and so forth. So I think it's a special thing, but it has dwindled and it underpins our entire democracy and the fact that you're willing to give of your time freely now to make this something that we still continue to have. I really hope that folks watching understand not just how important it is, it is that we all step up and find a way to create that sustainable funding because if we don't have that, you know, plus low voter turnout, I think really the future of community and public participation is at risk, to Councilor O'Malley's point. That keeps the government honest. And I think it's part of having a functioning society. So thank you for what you're doing. I really want to just not lose that point, because it is so important for the community. So thank you. Thank you for doing that. and thank you for coming out to share tonight.

Thank you so much for the opportunity and for taking the time. Appreciate it.

OK, our next order of business is public comment. Public comment is allowed under our council rules. Each speaker is limited to the subject matter that's relevant to this evening's agenda, and speakers must keep their comments to two minutes or less. Clerk, do we have anybody signed up for a public comment tonight?

Yes, we have two people that signed up.

Okay, and do we have emails as well? We do. We have 11 emails. Okay, so let's take the folks that are here in person first and then go to the emails.

Sure. First, we have Ken from One Sprake Street.

Good evening.

Can I just read it, or do you want the one on Sprague Street again?

Say that again?

Do you want me to state my name?

You can state your name and address for the record, and then you can read your comment.

Ken Gill, 1 Sprague Street. Good evening, councilors, resident of Malden. My name's Ken Gill. I'm the president of Malden Locum Firefighters 902. I'm honored to represent the men and women of your fire department. Over the past 20 years, calls of service have surged 33%, while staffing has dropped 12%. Fires today are more deadly than ever, and families now only have three minutes to exit a building when it's on fire. That is if their fire detectors are working. In the past month alone, we've had four building fires, rescued a teenager from the city res, all required mutual aid. and because we do more with less. Just yesterday firefighters fought a fire in a 10 story building. We were lucky it was on the first floor.

This high rise had faulty sprinklers. If that's not a billboard of a warning sign for Malden, I don't know what is. I stand here tonight in fully support of the city's proposition two and a half. This override will provide crucial funding for maintaining essential services for fire, police, schools, and infrastructure. for the fire department means keeping staffing levels and ensuring that we have resources respond quickly and effectively when lives are on the line. It's not about convenience, it's about survival. I urge every city councilor to vote to put this on the ballot tonight and the resident to vote yes in the spring for safety, for your family, and for the future of Malden. Together we can prevent a tragedy before it strikes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Michelle Luong.

Good evening. First, I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak tonight. And I certainly look forward to working with my new colleagues as we collaborate on the budget, continuing to move Malden forward in a fiscally responsible way. I just want to start by saying as you consider the finance committee's proposal tonight related to proposition two and a half, I appreciate the thoughtful discussion that has taken place around it. and the need for the budget override. But as we move forward, I believe we can strengthen that effort by pairing it with a clear commitment to continually improving the city's financial practices. continuing to examine the budget from every possible angle helps ensure we are making the most responsible decisions for our residents. With that goal in mind, I respectfully suggest the Council request the Mayor to seek a management review from the State Division of Local Services.

This review evaluates city operations and financial practices and provides practical recommendations for operational and budgetary improvements. According to the website, Malden's last DLS management review was in 2011. making this a timely opportunity to benefit from a fresh and objective perspective. This is a free service offered by the Commonwealth. It's intended to provide constructive guidance on improving efficiency and financial management. Unlike the state auditor, which comes at a cost and does not focus on operational efficiency, the DLS management review is specifically designed to identify opportunities for improvement. Pursuing this review would be a proactive, fiscally responsible step as we approach the vote on raising taxes. It would help reinforce public confidence that the city's commitment to a strong financial stewardship. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. OK, so do you want to do the email comments now? Yep. Thank you.

This is from Jacqueline Machete from Bainbridge Street. Hello, I am writing in support of voters getting the chance to vote for the override and support a tax override to keep the city moving in the right direction with city services. I support both 5.4 million and 8.2 million amounts on the ballot. These points are important to me. One, support investing in our community and any positive comments about the DPW. Library, Rec Department, et cetera. Two, willing to pay a little more to preserve 50 to 60 jobs and avoid mass layoffs. Three, support adding a second option to keep up with the required increases of the school budget to support kids and families in our community. Four, recognize

that so many communities in Massachusetts are going to the ballot because of the record inflation. So we are in good company. Malden's taxes and local spending have been relatively very low. So it's time to ask this question. And even if it passes, our taxes will still be lower than neighboring communities. Five, important to put this on the ballot so Malden voters can weigh in on this critical decision about the future of our city best, Jacqueline Machete. And next I have Daniel Freya from North Milton Street. Hello, I'm writing to express my support for the two and a half prop override proposals. Like many of our neighbors in greater Boston, including Medford and Melrose, Our city of Malden requires increased tax revenue to support essential government services, including the public library and public works.

Most importantly, Malden must invest in its school system. Compared to our neighbors, Malden has relatively low taxes. Our tax burden per capita is lower than our neighbors. I moved to Malden with my family five years ago. Investing in our future will demonstrate to both businesses and families that Malden is a place that they should invest into. Thank you. Next I have from Janice Rice on Henry Street. Dear Clerk and Council Members, I am writing to voice my strong opposition to a per opposition two and a half override at this time, along with it becoming a ballot question at a special election in March. I believe this proposal was rushed through and now with inflated numbers there needs to be more public input meetings to discuss the shortfalls and alternative solutions.

While the city makes a compelling argument, I do not feel this is the right time or fair to increase taxes on property owners. I strongly urge the council to vote no at this time and revisit and override the following year if necessary. This would give property owners more time to budget, be better informed, and to lobby the state delegation to fix this chapter 70 school funding formula. which appears to be the cancer of much of Malden's shortcomings. Thank you for your consideration on this matter and happy holidays sincerely, Janice Rice. Dear Malden City Council, I write once again to express my strong opposition to a special election pertaining to a tax override and agenda items 483-25 and 363-25.

I have watched meetings and waited for weeks to hear from both the Mayor's Office and the City Council's Finance Committee as to what they can cut from the budget. To date, I have heard no serious discussion of meaningful cuts to help offset this budget issue. I urge the City Council to vote no on a special election. Instead, I believe the Council should work with the Mayor's Office to find cost-saving measures before any special election is scheduled or held. Once that is done in a meaningful way, I could support one override related question to be put on the ballot for regular election day, November 3rd, 2026. I ask each councillor before you vote tonight, ask yourself, the following question. Do I think it's fair of the city to ask taxpayers to adjust their budgets and potentially go without needed goods or services when the city is unwilling to do the same? Sincerely, James Sumner, 759 Highland Avenue.

This one's from Caitlin Peel Sloan on 69 Columbia Street. I write to express my strong support for paper 483-25. I am more than willing to pay a little more in taxes to keep city services moving forward and avoid layoffs. No municipality is going to be able to dodge Prop 2 1⁄2 forever, and it is time that Malden took a proactive step to invest in our future. And this is from Katie Dillon, 198 Mount Vernon Street. I'm writing to voice my enthusiastic support for the override, particularly the two-tiered option. This option will not only help

balance the budget, a problem that many communities across the Commonwealth are facing due to inflation, but will help us keep up with the required increases in the school budget to support kids in our community, a worthy investment in our collective future. I also worry that if we do not pass this override, we will be setting ourselves up for a future that makes it harder for all of us to thrive. Not only will we be losing critical city employees like DPW workers and library staff, but the city's longevity is at stake. At the November override forum, Council President Linehan shared that the city has made critical investments in staff who help source grants and that this has a significant generational impact. I couldn't agree more.

I work in homeless and addiction services, and I've had the pleasure of collaborating with many people from the city of Malden in trying to find resources for our unhoused neighbors who struggle with addiction. I've never seen people work harder to help someone in need. And at the override forum, Mayor Christensen mentioned how staff from his housing office worked to support an unhoused teenager that very morning. All of this work has have been made possible by those who work to find grants to create and sustain these programs. In other words, if this override doesn't pass, we wouldn't just be losing the folks doing the frontline work, but we'd be losing people who are responsible for funding sources that make the work possible. This loss would be devastating. We deserve the chance to vote on the override in March so we all have a say in our future. Thank you, Katie. and this is from Matt Tong at 10 Desmond Road.

I wanted to write in and voice my support for the override being considered. Compared to many cities in the area, Malden remains a comparative bargain. Most cities and towns have already passed at least one override and many were starting with higher taxes than Malden when proposition two and a half went into effect or have other factors putting them in better shape such as universities, large shopping centers, et cetera. Rising costs are hitting everyone and making ends meet is hard. But the idea that this override significantly impacts affordability seems like a fabrication. Rents are several thousand a month and tend to go up yearly, like $100 a month raise is not unusual. Mortgages are also in general several thousand a month. Groceries and utilities also cost much more than they used to.

The amount paid by local property tax is totally dwarfed by those expenses. and we're talking a couple thousand dollars a year tops. There are many rising costs that impact affordability in the area. Local property taxes are very low on that list and cutting services by and so on. All efforts should be made to fix the school funding formula that leaves us between a rock and a hard place of ever rising mandatory educational funding and a cap on property tax revenue growth that doesn't even keep up with inflation some years. I have no kids in school. I love that we support our schools. Education is important to me, but cutting everything else the city does to keep school funding means deep cuts to the things that Malden does that aren't tied to schooling.

The percentage of our budget mandated to go to education keeps climbing and unless revenue goes up, Significantly, that means cuts to services, safety and infrastructure. To those opposed, what percentage of our budget being siphoned by the state for education would be enough that we'd have to do an override. One can be penny wise, pound foolish, short selling our future by cutting services to save a bit now is shortsighted. and this is from Cara Young at 30 Glen Rock Ave. Dear Council President and members of the Malden City Council, my name is Cara Young and I live at 30 Glen Rock Ave, Malden, Mass.

as a resident and a parent of two children in the Malden Public Schools, I am writing to express my strong support for allowing voters to consider both proposed tax override amounts, 5.4 million and 8.2 million, on the March 31 ballot. I believe Malden residents deserve an opportunity to decide whether we want to maintain and protect the city services that keep our community running. Without an override, Malden faces significant cuts, an estimated 50 to 60 layoffs across multiple departments. These reductions would directly impact essential city services and the quality of our life for all residents. Including both override levels on the ballot follows a model that has worked successfully in neighboring communities such as Melrose and Stoneham.

It allows voters to make an informed choice and ensures that if both options pass with more than 50% support, the city will be able to adopt the level of funding that best sustains our staffing and services. I also want to voice my support for the larger amount as it would fully protect current services and staffing levels. The increase to property taxes is modest. especially when considered alongside the recent rise in the homeowner exemption. And it represents a crucial investment in the long-term health and stability of our city. I urge the council to go to place both on the 5.4 million and 8.2 million override options on the March ballot and give the Malden residents the chance to choose the path forward. Thank you for your consideration and for your service to our community.

Sincerely, Carrie Young. Following this from Matt Monteverde at 30 Glen Rock Ave. Dear Council President and members of the Malden City Council, I'm writing to you as a concerned resident of Malden living at 30 Glen Rock Ave. As someone who has called this community home for many years and has two children attending the Malden Public Schools, I strongly advocate for both the 5.4 million and the 8.2 million tax override options to be included on the March 31 ballot. We are at a crucial time for a crucial time facing a decision that could have lasting impacts. Without an override, Malden is expected to face significant workforce reductions. with potential layoffs affecting 50 to 60 employees across various departments. Such cuts would greatly diminish the essential services that we all depend on.

I believe it is vital for voters to have the chance to decide on the future of our city and the level of investment needed to maintain stability. Other nearby communities like Melrose and Stoneham have effectively used a model that offers voters multiple override options. This method provides residents with a comprehensive choice. If both options receive over 50% approval, Malden can choose the funding level that best protects critical staffing and services. Personally, I support the 8.2 million option as it would ensure the preservation of current staffing and service levels. The resulting property tax increase is relatively small, 5.4 million and the 8.2 million override questions on the March ballot, allowing Malden residents to choose the direction that best reflects their vision for our community.

Thank you for your attention and commitment to serving Malden. Sincerely, Matt Monteverde. And the following is from Ann Warren. at 78 Rutland Street. I'm writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed tax override proposed in the City Council File 363-25. before asking homeowners and renters to shoulder yet another financial burden, the city must first demonstrate that it has done everything possible to manage existing resources responsibly. To date, the city has not provided residents with a clear count of what specific steps have been taken to mitigate the need for higher taxes.

Taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability before being asked to pay more. It is unacceptable to request an override without first proving that every effort has been made to cut unnecessary spending. Reprioritize budgets and to operate and operate within the city's means In that regard I asked when did the Finance Committee meet with department heads to thoroughly review their proposed budgets and and identify cost saving measures. Without this kind of oversight and public accountability, residents have no assurance that alternatives to tax increases were fully explored. Further, how can the city guarantee that any additional tax revenue will be spent appropriately on true community needs and not funneled into council pet projects?

Without a clear enforceable plan and independent oversight, taxpayers have little confidence that new revenue will be managed any better than existing funds. What is needed is not another tax increase, but a full independent financial audit. Such an audit would provide residents with a clear picture of where money has been spent where inefficiencies exist and how the city can operate more effectively. Until this kind of accountability is in place, any override is excuse me, any override is premature and unfair. Families, seniors, and renters across our community are already struggling with rising costs. The city must prove it is willing to make difficult decisions and reduce expenses before turning to taxpayers as a solution.

Yours truly, Ann Warren. And that is all of the public comments.

Thank you to our clerk for reading those. Okay, at this time I'd like to take the Finance Committee Report Paper 483-25 out of order so that we can take up this issue since we have a crowd that I assume most of which is here to discuss or to listen to our discussion. So at this time, Clerk, will you please, can we please skip to that paper so that we can receive that committee report? Certainly. Thank you so much. And if you need a moment, that's totally fine. I do want to.

Yeah, please do.

Okay. Paper 483-25, Committee Report. The Standing Committee on Finance to whom is referred, Paper 363, Series of 2025, having considered the same like the following report. Committee recommends the paper out favorably to the full council as amended to read as follows. Instructions to voters, order. that the city of Malden shall include the following instructions to the inhabitants of the city of Malden on the ballot of the special municipal election to be held on March 31st, 2026. Questions 1A and 1B are separate questions. You may vote for or against each question independently. Each question requires a majority of those voting on that question to pass. If more than one question passes, the question with the highest dollar amount will prevail.

1A, order that the City of Malden hold a special municipal election on March 31st, 2026 and to include the following ballot question. Shall the city of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $5.4 million in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the city's budget and to support ongoing city services across all departments, including public schools, public safety, public library, public works, and general government. for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026. A yes vote would support an increase in real estate and personal property taxes beginning with fiscal year 2027, which is July 1st, 2026 to June 30th, 2027.

A no vote would make no change to the current tax structure. 1B, order. that the city of Malden hold a special election on March 31st, 2026, and to include the following ballot question. shall the city of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $8.2 million in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the city's budget and to support ongoing city services across all departments, including public safety, public library, public works, general government, as well as increased funding required by law for the public schools. for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026. A yes vote would support an increase in real estate and personal property taxes beginning with fiscal year 2027.

which is July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027. A no vote would make no change to the current tax structure.

Okay, so I'm going to have us do a motion to receive that committee report. McDonald, seconded by Councilor Condon. All in favor? Aye. Okay, do we need to read the paper before we recognize the mayor? Okay, so I'm so sorry to have you keep having to read that.

That's okay.

So let's read the paper, and then I'm going to recognize Mayor Christensen to come and speak before us.

Okay. Paper 363-25, order. that the City of Malden hold a special election on March 31st, 2026 and to include the following valid question. Shall the City of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $5.4 million in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the city's budget and to support ongoing city services across all departments including public schools, public safety, public library, public works, and General Government for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026. A yes vote would support an increase in real estate and personal property taxes beginning with fiscal year 2027, July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027.

A no vote would make no change to the current tax structure. Thank you so much to our clerk.

All rise to recognize Mayor Christensen. Thank you, Mayor. You have the floor.

Good evening. I first want to thank you for your partnership on this important matter. Without a doubt, this discussion could have gone sideways during the past several months leading up to tonight. but it never did, thanks to your leadership. And I also want to acknowledge the many residents who have attended meetings, asked questions, sent emails, and are here tonight. They have shown that although we may have different opinions on an override, we can do so thoughtfully and respectfully. This is an ask that neither of us take lightly. But as I mentioned previously, this is something that should have been considered several years ago

as a variety of factors continue to put strain on Malden at levels far greater than any other community. At our current run rate, We are burning through reserves at a level that isn't sustainable and these are critical to have in the event we find ourselves facing state cuts or other economic challenges. And if we aren't, then our reserves should be used on important infrastructure repairs to our roads and sidewalks which had been the case up until this year. Now, how did we get here? Not to be cliche, but it really is a perfect storm led primarily

by a flawed state education formula that is greatly hampering our ability to finance the rest of city services. It's simple math. State law requires us to put a larger percentage of our available revenue towards school funding than any other similar community. In this stark comparison can be found at www.cityofmalden.org slash override. We have been raising the alarm on this inequity since 2021. and have been the leading voice in bringing focus to this issue at the Statehouse. This year, our state delegation was successful in requiring the Department of Education to commission a study on this issue.

But with 351 cities and towns receiving aid from this formula, it's a Herculean task to change. Again, I know I speak for you when I say this is not a step we take lightly, and I hope the voters won't as well. I ask them to consider that Malden is a great place to live, More affordable than most surrounding communities and has a track record of being responsible with tax dollars. The alternative of cutting our way to a balanced budget no doubt leave this community a less desirable place to live and raise a family. I understand that this ask put strain on already tight family budgets.

One thing we have been able to do to soften the impact of this is to increase the residential tax exemption from 30 to 35%. For those owning a home, the override impact will be greatly reduced thanks to this newly passed increase. Even with the proposed override, when combined with the increased exemption, our taxes remain more than competitive. At one time, cities and towns who requested overrides were limited to the wealthiest of communities. Not anymore. We join a record-setting number of municipalities that will be asking for overrides this year. even if the reasons differ by city.

The question for us now is whether we are willing to fund basic city services to keep Malden as a great place to live. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you. So I'm going to go to Councilor McDonald for the paper, for the order. Are you set to join the meeting? OK. Yes, sorry. I thought you needed a moment. I'm sorry. You're ready to go live.

Thank you, Council President. And so can folks see my slides? There we go. So there are just enough details that I went ahead and put together some slides so we can follow through the committee report.

One second, we don't seem to.

And we're going to make sure that we get it on all of the screens. Does anyone have any thoughts about how to get it up on this screen behind me? I think we're checking on it. Where can you see it's green? It's turned on.

Oh, up there.

I see.

Great.

All right. Excellent. If you could pin that, it might be easier to see. Maybe just close out the participants. All right. I will send this to make sure this gets included in the record as well. So first, I just want to thank the mayor for his leadership in setting this up and in providing that excellent overview of where we are and why this is before us tonight. And so I want to describe the process and the recommendation of the Finance Committee related to this paper. So the Finance Committee has recommended out favorably this proposal from the administration for the reasons that the mayor shared tonight.

And we've made a couple of changes, but I want to describe where we're landing. First, the original proposed date was earlier. It was in early February. We heard for a special election. We heard from many of our residents that that was both not a great time of year for the weather and that we needed more time to be able to make the case to be able to have people have their input and really understand the issues at hand. So we voted to move that election date back to March 31st, 2026. and that will still give us enough time after consulting with the mayor's finance team to be able to prepare the annual budget which has to be adopted by June 30th. We do anticipate this would be a citywide election in all of our usual precincts, meaning we're not doing, folks may remember the Vogue special election was just at one precinct, but we would wanna make sure that this is accessible as possible, so we would be utilizing the full spread Precincts here.

So that's the proposed date. And we voted to add an additional option to recommend an additional level. As you heard in some of the public comments, This is a new way to approach overrides, but we have two neighboring communities in Melrose and Stoneham who just did this. Melrose offered three levels of choice to their residents and Stoneham offered two. and one of the benefits here is that it actually gives residents more say and more choices and more control. Just because there are two levels does not automatically mean the top one passed. In Melrose, the middle one passed. and no, I'm sorry, the top one did pass in Melrose, but the lower one passed in Stoneham. The language and the way this is presented on the ballot is that the highest amount that receives a majority would prevail. So if both

options got more than 50%, then the 1B at the 8.2 million amount would prevail. That would become law. I will circle back at the end of this to just some of the language about how it appears on the ballot. We do have a few final tweaks from our legal and treasurer and clerk's departments to make sure that we are complying with the proper way to put this on the ballot. I just want to summarize, as the mayor said, the 5.4 million was the initial proposal from the mayor, and that was based on the current gap in the current year. So not taking into account future years minus some early estimates of expected savings from the GIC, that is the Group Insurance Commission. That is moving the city health insurance pool to the state-run pool and y'all have heard us talk about that. We took a vote to initiate that process in August. It has been proceeding.

Everything I've heard from our team is that we are on track to make that completed. that's in discussion with our unions and then ultimately has to be approved by the state. I'm just looking to see. We don't have any reason to believe we're off track, right? I'm getting thumbs up. We're still on track to make sure that those savings are there. We won't know until that happens just how much savings that will provide, but we've heard estimates from between $1.5 to $3 million. Could be more. but it also will depend on some of these net school spending things that we've been talking about. So the second option here at the 8.2 million takes that 5.4 and adds in the additional required Spending for our schools that is above and beyond inflation. So as the mayor said, we have a serious challenge with the Chapter 70 school funding program. We've talked about this many, many times.

The key thing here is to remember that school funding every year, we get what we get from the state, but our amount that we must pay out of local coffers also goes up and it must go up faster than inflation. That is what the state law requires. And so how fast is that? Well, in general, it's been at least another million dollars a year on top of that inflationary increase because of this penalty, this effort penalty, which is like we are so far away from what the state misguidedly thinks we are able to afford, that we are assessed an additional penalty. Last year that was $1.2 million. The other portion of this is what is called our net school spending. So when the state sets that limit, this is how much you gotta spend. We also then have to verify that we did in fact spend that money. And since we started this process, we've been able to do a look back

get that verified by the state and seeing that we actually didn't even spend all the money that we were trying to spend, probably because we were trying to be responsible financial stewards, but we still have to spend it. So we actually have to make that up in future years. So the combination of those two things, the below effort penalty and the net school spending catch up is another 2.8 million and that gets added to the 5.4. So again, this even at the second and higher amount does not include any other inflationary increases, any other unexpected things, any additional projects. This is merely to cover what is the current gap and the expected required increase for our schools above inflation just for one year. and I do want to just take a moment to say that while we often talk about school funding as what the state is requiring, I think we always circle back to the fact that it is very important to invest in our schools.

The fact that the state is forcing our hand is not because we don't want to invest in our schools, but it is because we don't have any flexibility about how to do so. So we continue to discuss that with our delegation and advocate for those changes. So that's what those two levels are. and just a few more details on those pieces. So what is the typical cost at each of these levels? Thank you to our treasurer, Dan Grover, for sending these updated estimates today. So this is just the cost of the override. So your taxes change a little bit every year based on valuation, based on just regular inflationary increases, other things. This is just the cost of the override. the 1A option for a typical house, which we're pegging at the median here of single family homes as $666,000 in valuation. That would be $353 per year. That's not per month, that's per year. for if option 1A passes.

If option 1B passes at that $8.2 million level, that's $532 per year. And as the mayor noted and some of our public commenters noted, We also did what we could to take the potential sting out of that and increase the residential exemption. Here's my little public service announcement. Every time I say residential exemption, The residential exemption is not a tax cut. It does not reduce how much money we get in. It is a tax shift to help put less burden on our homeowners. So the marginal increase, you're going to save. frankly, regardless of whether any of this passes or not, you would save an additional $291 next year because of this increase in the exemption. We're now at the state maximum.

So when you put those two together, yeah, we're talking about the option 1A is $5 a month in changes when you combine those two for a homeowner. If you're a renter, you don't directly pay your property tax. and at option 1B, it's $20 a month. That's the net impact of these two combined. So I wanna just review the expected outcomes and we did discuss these, but I wanna be clear, you know this is what has this is what has been reported from the from the administration and we do take this seriously so if we do not pass this we are facing serious cuts across all city services we do have to comply with that net school spending requirement but every part of the city budget that can be affected will be affected by this. We've heard this figure of expected layoffs of 50 to 60 staff positions. That's not a magical number that is taking the 5.4 million and figuring the average staff person costs roughly 100,000. There's variation in all of these things.

How much are we cutting operations versus staff? How much do we have more senior or higher paid staff that leave versus junior or lower paid staff? But that's the scope of where we are at. Option 1A, at the $5.4 million increase level, the mayor has committed to, with that increase in taxes, $2 million in cuts. two operations between operations and staffing roles. So that might be 10 to 20 layoff positions. So that $5.4 million is an amount that really reduces the impact of layoffs, but we will need to reduce expenses to avoid being in that higher risk situation with our cash reserves at the 1A level. at the 1B level at 8.2 million. That allows us to continue basically our current operations for one year.

We've been very clear to emphasize that doesn't mean there will be no layoffs or no budget reductions of any kind. but those are not to cover a basic gap. Those would be to reprioritize to become more efficient and we don't have to lay people off in quite the same way. So we don't know what that, what that possibility looks like in large part because we don't know what some of the other uncertain things are. How much savings from the GIC, state funding, all these other questions. So that will influence where those pieces land. We talked a lot about what we've done so far to address this gap, and I just want to recap some of those things. The first and most important thing is that Malden spends not as much as our peers. I would describe that as proactive, responsible financial management. We have actually kept spending low rather than simply needing to cut things right now.

And you can look at the expense per person, which comes in less overall and less especially when you net out the schools and just look at every other part of our public services, public safety and so on. It was the shift to the state run group insurance commission as we said that savings may vary. We hope to be at least 3 million, but we'll see how it shakes out. We restructured our pension. Payments. That just allowed us to extend the timeline a little bit. That saved a little under a million dollars. That was something that the council voted on, I think, two years ago. I added this one because this is from our energy efficiency and Sustainability Commission that used to be there. We are spending almost a million dollars less on energy bills today than we were years and years ago. And that's because we've made improvements in energy efficiency and made some and invested in some We've gotten grants to improve like our HVAC systems and so on.

We've noted how much we have increased grant funding. We have an excellent sustainability and grants manager. We've updated our fees and our licensing and permits. We just did the council just voted on the recently and we also just last week or two weeks ago This council voted to to adopt a resolution supporting a hiring freeze, a discretionary hiring freeze. So these are all things that have already happened to be put in place before this time. I want to just briefly review the Finance Committee process. We met seven times over two months. I will say this is the most meetings of any topic that I've seen in my time on the Finance Committee. We had a public forum on November 18th, which was live streamed by Urban Media Arts. We had people coming in. We had probably, I would say, 60, 70 people in person. Hundreds of folks have watched the live stream. We talked about Chapter 70 school funding formula.

Economic Development, Cost Savings to Date, Areas We Can Reduce Spending, and all those were part of our conversation. And we reviewed the ballot language that you see before you today. Going forward, While we did not take formal votes on this, I just want to capture the sense of the discussion. First, we heard a really strong consensus that we need to prioritize economic development. and that the council wants to do everything that we can to streamline the process for welcoming the kinds of development that will move the city forward. We talked in particular about the commercial street corridor where we're investing in the Riverworks project. as a prime opportunity for that. So I'm sure that will be high on our priority list once we get back in January. We're going to continue to pursue changes to that Chapter 70 formula and talk with our delegation. A number of us went to the hearing for one of the hearings for the study that the mayor mentioned and submitted our testimony.

We're going to keep working on that. We've heard really clearly from our state delegation that those changes are very unlikely to take effect in fiscal year 27. that it's going to take more time, in part because the study is not even done in time for the governor's budget this year. But we are going to continue to push as hard as we can about that with the mayor and with our delegation. We will be a partner with the mayor in implementing what budget cuts are required and or reprioritizing. That's not something that we have tried to do on our own, and I think that that's prudent. Right now, we know that each department has been asked to submit potential cuts, and the mayor's team is reviewing those. a number of us have sent our own particular recommendations and I encourage my colleagues to do that. I have a few more to send myself for consideration, but we will be back here and the council will need to vote on these as part of the next year's budget cycle.

So we will know more about where those things land when we know what passes at the ballot or does not. And to review our city finances for best practices. I want to note that I think there is more that we can do here. The city does get an annual financial audit by an outside firm. Those are posted on the city website, the results of that. What that shows is that our bookkeeping is correct. It doesn't tell us anything about how we spend our money, just that we're reporting it honestly, which we are. and I think some of the things that folks have asked about in terms of a management level review, I certainly heard some openness in my colleagues to consider those things. recognizing our already low level of spending, we can always do better. And so we look forward to engaging with the administration next year on ways to do that and continue to do it better and continue to earn the trust of our residents. So I think that concludes my slideshow here.

And I will just to say, I just want to close with one point. and then to recognize that when we get to voting on this, we will need to make just a couple of tweaks to the ballot language. I want to remind us about that. I'm happy to share what those are. But to just note that what is before us really is not itself. A long term solution to all of the problems facing Malden. It is a bridge to those problems, to the to the chance to fix those problems at the state level, with our tax base, with our you know with the ways that we invest in the city for the future and that there is certainly more work to be done but that this is a critical decision that the Finance Committee felt was important for our residents to weigh in on before we would take unilateral drastic action without that input. So the vote to recommend favorably was unanimous in the Finance Committee. I'm happy to answer questions about the process after that. Y'all are probably done hearing me talk.

So I will stop there. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor McDonald. Thank you for those helpful sides. And I obviously will take any discussion and then we will entertain motions to amend as needed before we take the final vote. So first, I see a Councillor O'Malley.

I just had a question. Do you know what vote total is needed for this to pass? Is it a simple majority? Is it a?

Hang on one second. I think I keep hitting it when you hit it. Go ahead.

Yes, it's a simple majority. in order to put it on the ballot? Yes. So we review this. So it is a simple majority of the council to put it on the ballot under the city charter. Any time the city council takes an action that is subject to the mayor's sending back to us with comments. And then a two-thirds majority is required to overcome basically a veto from the mayor. But that's just based on the charter. So it's a simple majority.

Thank you. and then are these figures per year? So for instance, and maybe that's a question for the financial team. So when we talk about 5.4 million, we're talking about an additional 5.4 million each year in the future.

Yeah, that's correct. So the way that that works is that folks may know that, of course, the way our city, the amount of taxes we can raise is capped and it's capped at 2.5% above the previous year's tax levy. overall, not everybody's individual taxes, but overall. And then we adjust that based on valuation plus new growth. So what an override is, is that it permanently raises that amount so that then becomes a part of that 2.5% calculation going forward.

I ask because, you know, Councilor Colón Hayes and I and to a lesser degree, Councilor Winslow, had proposed some debt exclusion papers that are current, one of which is currently in finance. And the one that's in finance had to do with $36 million for funding the Volk construction. and that was over the next like 26 to 30 years and the number was 36 million and so I did the math so over the next you know 30 years just to kind of make a comparison if we increase the levy by 5.4 million each year. Over the next 30 years, that would be $162 million. And if we do the 8.4 million, that would be $246 million over the next 30 years. So I'm just trying to put it into context in terms of what is a Prop 2 1⁄2 override look like in the foreseeable future versus what does a debt exclusion look like?

Again, Prop 2 1⁄2. General increase for the rest of time, whereas a debt exclusion is for a specific one. So when you put it into the longer term, next 30 years, a debt exclusion is a much smaller amount because it's capped. So I was just trying to put it out there in terms of what what is this really looking like to residents over the next foreseeable future? Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor O'Malley. Anything further on that?

No, just I forgot to mention, I mean, yes, less money is less. and so the I do have this memo here from Ron Hogan that details the net school spending calculations and I just summarized that very quickly but if folks would like a copy about of that I'm happy to pass.

Yeah, that'd be great to pass out. And you did mention that you were going to have your slides attached to this paper. I will send those to the so the public can can also have that. I don't see any other lights at this time. Oh, Councilor Colón Hayes. I was going to say there's no chance that nobody wants to say anything.

I was waiting to see if someone else wanted to step in. Thank you very much. So that was a lot of information. Thank you very much. and I'm sure everybody here is swirling around in your head, but you're right. We have met many times in finance. I myself have come to this realization a little slower, asking for some information, looking to see if we could have some guidance or some cuts before we made this decision. And then last, I actually liked hearing, well, our soon to be colleague. So, Councilor-elect Luong, I liked the idea of what she proposed about an audit. It's different than what I was looking into, which was the state, and you're correct. We did have, that does come with a fee.

And it also, the reason why I didn't go further with that is because it said it would take a year that's not going to give us the information that we need before this ballot goes on. So I kind of put that at a pause for right now. But I still think that we should be talking about something anyway in the future. knowing and hearing from residents about how difficult it is right now with everything going on in their finances, I spent a lot of time reviewing all this and I really came down to having in a few of our look because I kind of took this down a couple of we had somebody write in Katie and then somebody actually on Glen Archive that that lives down the road from me. I don't know her yet, but I will says we deserve the right to make our own decision. and then somebody else said the right of the voters. And that's what I've really come around to. We're not voting up here whether or not we're going to do an override.

We're voting to give you the best information, and you will all be voting on the override. So that's when I'm in support of these. I would like to also say that I got this memo. I called Ron Hogan to make sure I understood and wanted to tell people a little bit because that was a lot of info. But basically, the 8.2, I want to say what we came up with in the finance We took the 5.4 million that came from the mayor. We added the 1.6 shortfall that's in this memo. 1.6 million shortfall from fiscal year 2025. Net school spending was below the minimum. Then we added the 1.2 which we rounded from the number here which is 193 million increment towards target and that's where that would be for the current fiscal year, and that's where the 8.2 came from.

Yeah, okay, so I just wanted people to kind of condense that out and understand where we got the numbers from, but like I said, I've come around to trusting are voters and I want to say that I will personally be making, I'm sure my colleagues as well, going around getting this information out to the voters so that when it is time to vote that you are well educated that you know what you're voting on. Because I do know that that's a fear, and at first it seems very confusing what we're voting on, but I'm going to say right now that I'm going to make every effort to get this information out so that everybody is well educated before they vote. So I just want to thank everybody who was involved in this. All the community members that came out, whether you support it or not, we need to hear from you. I'm looking forward to this next step, thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Colón Hayes. Councilor Winslow.

Yeah, I do want to recognize if you, Councilor-Elect Michelle Luong, McDonnell's proposal. I think that is it's something that sounds very good. I know something different. I mean, like, as Councilor McDonald pointed out, a lot of the you know, we do get audited really on the technical things of making sure our books add up. that's a lot different than looking at operational things. And it's always good if there's something free and available and getting tips. I mean, one reason I often go to the Mass Municipal Conference and read what's at Mass Municipal is You get some ideas. So it's always good to be open to that. But it's no, you know, often those ideas spread out very quickly. I mean, every mayor, every City Town Manager is looking for ways to be efficient. So often those those practices spread fast, but maybe there's some that we could apply here. So I definitely am open to that. And I mean, I definitely recognize and I know

you know what we say this is not something that the mayor's office put forward lightly. We have been talking about the chapter 70 formula. I know the team has been working very hard at the state level putting together very good updates for the state delegation and the city council on that. and that is a tough situation and we made a little step of progress of actually having the state start considering it but as I always say you know a few years back the problem was there was not a lot enough dogs to pull that sled with inflation being higher there's a lot more communities that are in the boat where they aren't facing the same problems that we do that their need to fund schools is going up faster than inflation and they need some reconsideration of that. So I think there's a bit of light there. We're having more communities that will help us. but that is, nothing happens very quickly at the State House.

I actually did happen to see Lieutenant Governor, the Lieutenant Governor last night and I mentioned we're gonna be talking about the overwrite tonight I mean, the great thing is that Lieutenant Governor Driscoll was the mayor of Salem. She sees her role being very supportive of communities. So she will be there working with the state the governor's budget to make sure that the funding we get from the state is for municipalities is protected. But we also know that there's a lot of pressure on the state budget from cuts at the federal level. and that's a concern so we really you know what the governor's budget means is going to be big but I think it is just we are in uncertain fiscal times maybe the worst since 2008 coming up and you know we have to be This isn't being put together lightly, so I appreciate that. I think I appreciate the leadership of Councilor McDonald with the Finance Committee.

I think we looked at all these things. We were patient. We had a lot of questions and ideas. And we did. I mean, we did look at the initial proposal of a 5.4 million. And there were real other things of like, hey, we did. under spend by $1.6 million on our school budget. We've got to make that up. And then there's consequences. There are penalties. So that's how you get, you know, we looked at from that $5.4 million, that's how we got up to that $8.2 million. This is just to really keep us providing the services and educational opportunities. We actually, I had put forth a third proposal of up to $9 million and the council stepped back from that, thinking that even though we did hear comments of people wanting to reach a little bit further and maybe put some money towards really building our economic future. People thought we should pause on that.

So I think we were pragmatic and I think we can always review some efficiencies the Mayor and his team. I think they have a great team, having worked in other cities. But one of my concerns is, and why I'm going to support putting these choices out to the voters, is that I've worked in Malden. and that was on a project that involved working with Medford and Everett. I've worked at Somerville. I worked in Gloucester. So I've worked in cities and one of the things I say that it partly motivated me to come run and be on the Malden City Council was that by not funding certain staff, like we say general government, but those are often people that are you know, helping to raise grant funds, helping to make sure the grant funds we get.

It's often great to grant the grant funds, but the hardest thing is then actually implementing the project responsibly when you get those funds. So if you don't invest in your grant writers, your project managers and your engineering staff, you can actually waste a lot of money. I mean, you may not get money in the first place. There's a lot of state grants out there and federal grants out there for highways and other things but if we don't have a staff person to apply for that, we don't have a project manager to implement that, We don't get those money, or we waste it. So it's important you talk about general government. And you heard our firefighters saying, we've grown as a city from 58,000 to 65,000, but we have actually lost some fire staff. And that's the same for the police. So we we we've been able to manage and keep our city residents safe while still, you know, living that. So I am supportive of

really in offering these choices to the voters. Like I say, that was one of the things I was very committed to to make sure that our role isn't to decide on what the voters' taxes are going to be. But our role here as city council is to get some clear and strong choices. I think we've done that. They're fair. I think they and we will really let it to the voters and and we will talk about that with the community and educate people. and ultimately people have to look at their own situation and see what they can afford and make that balance between making sure their neighborhood is strong as well as their family Budgets are strong. So I am supportive of this. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Winslow. Councilor Simonelli.

Thank you, Madam President. I was just wondering, I don't know if this is for Chuck or I don't know who out there, but How much is in the revenue reserve now in the account? Do we know?

Yes.

Thanks.

It's certified at 21 million. and this year, Councilor, as you know, we used 8.4 million to balance. So at that run rate, you're looking at probably two years, two and a half years if all things remain the same before We wouldn't have any reserves left. And as I mentioned leading up to that, we had been using reserves for the things that they were intended to be used for. infrastructure repairs, a lot of the road work we were able to do down in your area, the city councilor, was through those reserves. But this year, we steered them all toward balancing the operating budget. That is not sustainable. that will not continue come July 1st.

OK, thank you for that. Well, you know, I mean, I think we really need to start looking at some other ways of raising some revenue, whether it be rezoning. I've been talking to some people out in the audience and some people at home, in the neighborhood, and unlocking development opportunities. Increase license and permanent fees, moving forward. I remember I was in this position back in 2001, and we had a $3 million shortfall after 9-11. and so what I did was, in my neighborhood anyway, I got working to just get some properties that we had. We had to do a home rule petition, obviously, because you can't put the money back into public properties even though the law says you're supposed to. So you gotta get a home rule petition to,

allow you to be able to take that money that you sell from properties to put into the general fund so that you can use it. I don't even know what properties we even have left in the city, if any for that matter. I mean, I know we've got the and the structure on Pearl Street. And I think, you know, I don't know what the deal is with the courthouse. I don't know if there's restrictions on that, if we can sell that. Is that what it is, restrictions?

Yeah, there are restrictions on it. speaking with the state, the council president and I, on how we can move that forward. With the whole new petition? Yes. We're hoping that we won't have to go through that process, but time will tell.

Yeah, it was a real good mechanism back then. It worked out so well, especially where at the time we had two state delegation people to run this through for us. they ended up liking it so much that they allowed it to go throughout the Commonwealth and gave a grandfather period for any cities and towns that were in economic need to be able to go out and look at what they have for properties. Again, I'm just saying that was just in my neighborhood. I'm working on something similar like that right now to see about the rest of the city. In other neighborhoods, if there's some undeveloped lots, properties that we might be able to rezone if they fall short by a few hundred feet or so, get a variance maybe on it so that we can sell it as buildable lots. maybe offer it up as a first time home buyer type program.

So, I mean, I just think that we should be looking at those things. to see where we come up with some funding. I know that we haven't really looked at that. I mean, I know it's going to take some time with the whole petition. I get that. You can't help that. You need the money now than later, right? I mean, you guys had me in the subcommittee at 5.4. Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate that. You had me at 5.4. I don't know if I could swallow the 8.2. I'll listen.

Well, we don't have a motion to amend.

No, I know that, but I'm just, I don't know, I think I've been pretty straightforward from the beginning of this, but... I know we're in some tough times, so I'll listen.

Thank you, Councilor Simonelli. I'm going to go to Councilor Condon and then back to Councilor McDonald.

Thank you, Madam President. We've had tough times in this city before. I mean, I can remember 1988. It's no fun to sit up here and tell people you're going to lose your job. but that's exactly what happened during those years. You lose 100 teachers, and I don't care how you look at the parents, they don't care. They're thinking about paying the kids' school bills. and that's the most difficult part of this job. But fortunately, we worked our way through that. Unfortunately, we haven't gotten much help from the state people, including the governor. who found $4 million to help the immigrants that they sent to Boston. They found that money when they needed it.

but for some reason they can't figure out how to straighten out this chapter 70 formula. I don't understand it, especially when our Senator, is from Winchester, and the head of the educational department, educational committee. So I guess they can find it when they want to. It's really difficult because I don't think any of us want to see this. What we want is to give the voters a chance to voice their opinion. because even if they voted down, we're going to have to come back in the next couple of years unless somebody bails out the state who would bail out the cities. They can't even figure out how to change that chapter 70 formula.

I mean, it's ridiculous as far as I'm concerned. We've looked at every single way of increasing our revenues. Nelson Miller up in the building department raised all the building fees so that we're and many, many, many more. anything we could to increase the revenue. But I would not agree that we were and the way we spent money.

Because we are the lowest spending city around out of the eight communities. All right, we're at the bottom per person. That's for sure. You know, they can say all they want about that, but we know because we see it. We've seen the charts and it's just really difficult to explain that, you know, we feel what you feel. But we have to do something about it to stay or the state will end up taking us over. And then I remember when we had 165 firefighters. all right, with five firehouses. Now we got, I think, 104, 107 with three firehouses. I remember when we had

over 100 police officers. And you probably had 10,000 less cars on the road. Well, they never got increased. We increased the 10,000 cars on the street with the accidents and everything else. But the police officers who handle those accidents never got increased. They were at 107. They were at 107 when I come on the job here. That was in 1986. You just got to keep trying and keep punching away at it. Try to be honest with the people that we represent. And I think we have as a council and I know the mayor has and his people have worked out on this. So Chips are going to fall where they may, and we're still going to work the way we work.

So thanks for listening.

Thank you, Councilor Condon. McDonald, I know you've been waiting. Is your intent to make motions? Okay, I do have some others that have popped up that I think want to speak before we do make amendments. Councilor Sica.

Thank you, Council President. I'm sitting up here and I find it extremely funny that a couple of years ago, I think we just sat up here. It might not even have been a couple of years ago when we sat up here. talking about whether or not we were going to put a ballot question on about bus and bike lanes. And I I think I'm the only one up here who is probably going to stay consistent with how I voted then and how I voted this evening. As a city councilor, I do not support this override. I might be one of the only ones up here that are going to publicly say it. I don't. I don't support it as a city councilor. I don't support it as a homeowner. But I do support allowing our residents to decide whether or not they want this. and I think that we're up here elected to represent our constituents and they are the ones that should decide it.

I am a little worried about the presentation of the ballot question. So I hope over the next few months after this gets passed this evening, because I'm pretty sure that it's going to, that we can make sure that we let our resident, this is very confusing looking. to me, and I'm involved in the process. I can't imagine somebody who is not paying attention going into the poll booth and do I vote for one? Do I vote for both? if I vote for none, if the 5.4 gets the most votes but they both pass, Then we're going to accept the higher number. That is my head is ready to explode. And I've been listening to it for the last two months over a course of seven meetings, thanks to Councilor McDonald. So I hope that we at least go out.

We have only had one public meeting on this. I think maybe the Citizen Engagement Committee should, whoever is going to be in charge of that next, you know, come January, takes this to the streets and lets the public know this is what happens if you vote yes to both. This is what happens if you vote yes to 5.4. This is what's going to happen if you vote 8.2. This is what's going to happen if you don't vote for either one of them. And it doesn't matter if only 15% of the voters come out, then it's 50% of that. It's not 50% of our population of registered voters. I think the public needs to be informed exactly how this process is going to play out. And I will be more than happy to help you figure out how we're going to do this. But I really, Stoneham, I was just looking through my phone and I can't find it because somebody had sent it to me but Stoneham actually sent out this little pamphlet and

said where all the money was going to go. And I thought that that was pretty amazing that the residents went to the polls knowing if they voted for whatever their numbers were, I'm going to say as the 5.4 or the 8.2, that where the money from each, where it was going to go. And I think that we owe it to our residents. to try to come up. We have an amazing team, so there's no doubt that I know that these guys can, we can figure something out, but I think we owe it to our residents to at least show them where this money's going instead of just asking them for a set number No outcome. So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Sica. Councillor Crowe.

Thank you, Madam President. You know, over the seven meetings, it was really very informational and a lot of people came in. really sort of understood sort of how we got here and where we're going. And I think for either option, we know it's still going to require some restructuring, some belt tightening, and some really difficult decisions. So there has been a commitment that we're going to continue to do that. I think you're right. A lot of education is going to still be required. Pamphlets, where it's going, what we are going to be willing to cut, where those cuts are going to be made. To say I've said this many times in the committee that we have skin in the game and the administration has committed to that. I think you're right, Councilor Simonelli. We've talked about some of those things as well, thinking about do we look at rezoning? I think everything is on the table.

to see how we operate in a more cohesive manner. I think we've been doing it, but kind of taking a deep dive. They have been meeting with each department on where we could change, what restriction we can happen. So I think there is a commitment, and we just have to make sure that after this vote, that that education is really out there for the public So they make an informed choice. So it is up to the voters to make a choice. Yay, one, two, or none? and then we have to come back and deal with what the fallout is going to be no matter what, even at the higher well level comes back. So thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Crowe. Okay, I've got Councilor O'Malley, then Councilor Simonelli for the second time.

So I have to agree with Councilor Sica that this is confusing. And part of the reason why it's been, I think, confusing is that early on there's been some bad information and bad data that has been put out to the public. Condon. So like for instance, Councilor Condon, when you had said that we are at the bottom of the barrel, that is not true. We are not, and it's not your fault. It's not your fault, Councilor Condon, but the information that has been put out there early on showed We were at the bottom of the barrel in terms of per capita expenditure. But that is actually not true. We're not actually at the bottom. The city has corrected that information on the website. I think it is important that we do understand what is going on. And again, I'm going to say also that I support putting these on the ballots. This is a binding ballot question.

This, I think, is very different than the non-binding ballot question that you were discussing earlier, Councilor Sica. You know, this is a binding ballot question that is going to have an actual financial impact on the city of Malden. There is going to be some impact to the operations based on the decisions that have been made by the administration in terms of where we're going. I'll also state that I don't think that we're in a different situation this year financially than we were last year. This is the same exact situation that we were in last year. We used our free cash or our revenue reserves, our savings account, to fill this budget gap that we have. If this was such a concern for so many years, we spent $6.8 million of our free cash in 2024 on other things that I support some of these things.

I support some of the things that we spent the free cash on, but we did spend above and beyond the money we used to plug that budget gap. and additional $6.8 million from free cash. We currently have $21, $22 million in free cash. I just personally do not see the financial and so forth. And I think that's what we need to do. to fund our capital projects? Yes, absolutely. Do we need to rezone the city completely to encourage more high quality economic development? That is absolutely what we need to do because the only reason why this hasn't been a problem in the past was because the mayor's office and our economic development team were helping bring new projects to Malden.

Between the pandemic and some ill-conceived policies that We took up as a city in terms of moratoriums and stuff. We artificially capped the market here in Malden, and we discouraged a lot of projects that would have been in the ground. I'll give two examples. there were going to be two Class A steel office towers built in Malden Square, one where the old CVS was and the other one where the old Granada Theater was. Those projects were going to be built. They probably would have brought a couple thousand jobs and they were going to be office towers. Had we not dragged our feet, had we not put up every barrier known to man in front of them, they would have had their permits prior to the pandemic and they would have been under construction and that would have been new growth that would have helped carry us through this type of situation. So I'm not saying we fully deregulate the city and say yes to every project.

I know that when I have a bad project in my neighborhood that I think is going to be detrimental. I will come out forcefully against it if that's what my residents think. So I'm not saying say yes to every project, but I'm saying at least allow every project a chance to put itself out there. And if it's a good project for the city of Malden, Let's not erect barriers. Let's try to help get it through if it's something the community supports. I think that our community absolutely now understands the importance of development. It's not the dirty word. And unless you live next to a building, the height of the building, I do not think is the most significant thing that should be turning people off. Unless you are in a direct abutter that is impacted by the height of a building, I don't see where and why that would be something that turns people off. And the only reason why I say that is because if you don't allow property owners to go up, they have to go out. I also care about historic preservation. It's one of the reasons why

15 Ferry Street has been the ghost of Christmas past on our agenda for this entire year. I would love to be able to save one of the last converse buildings in our community. with things that have been going on. That's not possible. We still have, I think, chances to make that possible. But I'm not afraid of height. I think building high quality buildings that are going to help our tax base is essential. So it's a long winded way of saying I support the residents having a chance to have a say. I don't necessarily think that we're in the financial dire straits that is being presented. And I do hope that the information that's presented is accurate and any inaccurate information that's been put out there is corrected. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor O'Malley. Yes, let me put the podium on for you.

Thank you. I would like to address the comments made by the ward for Councillor. You have the floor. 2024, you're right. We spent roughly $6 million from our reserves for what they were intended for, one-time projects that help build up our city. Now we're using them to sustain our operating budget. That's the difference. What you identified in 2024, that's exactly what they're supposed to be used for, not to sustain an operating budget. So for you to say that you're not seeing it. I'm not sure how you're able to say that. I'd like to also, if I might, finish my comments by saying, you know, about these developments in the downtown. One was permitted. if you're referring to the one on Dartmouth Street. What's going on there? And the other one where the old CVS was, they didn't have a tenant and they wanted a tax break.

And if you thought we had it wrong, Councilor, and you could have brought it to your colleagues and had them take a look at it, but you didn't. So we can go down memory lane all we want, but the fact of the matter is we have a structural deficit that has to be dealt with. And if you think you're going to do it through 15 Ferry Street, you're not. As I've told you in the past, I've been all ears about how to save that. And to date, I have not received or we have not received anything from you on how to do that. So if you have a suggestion on how to do it, share with us right now. We'll take it back upstairs and see if we can make it work. But I just want to be on the same page here, that We can travel down this road, but it's not going to get us to where we need to go.

Councilor O'Malley, I'm going to let you respond, but I don't want to go back and forth here. So it's just one response, and then I want to give O'Malley, I mean, Councillor Simonelli, the floor.

Yeah, I threw the chair. I'm surprised by the reaction. It was my comments.

It's been a long time coming, Councillor. You shouldn't be.

We're not. considered a critique of the administration alone. The city is made up of the mayor's office and the city council, so we're all part of this. So I'm not throwing the responsibility on the mayor's shoulders by any means. I won't address every specific topic, but I don't think it has been a secret that my proposals are debt exclusions. When it comes to 15 Ferry Street, which was just an example of historic preservation, there are proposals. They have been presented.

What happened?

and I have also engaged with the mayor's office on this numerous times. Oh, okay.

Okay, I'm going to end debate actually on this and I'm going to move to Councilor McDonald so that we can start taking up amendments. Simonelli, can you be brief? Okay. Can you though? Yes.

Define brief. Listen, you know what? We sat up here. kind of hammered out a whole bunch of different things that we can take a look at in the future, hopefully in the near future, on raising revenue, doing all kinds of things. I just want to be clear, it's just that, you know, I'm one of the people that say, look, you know, at the end of the day, it's not about Chris Simonelli. You know, it's about the people in my in my district that I represent and and they elect us to represent them and to, you know, think for them in their stead while they're busy with their families and, you know, bringing their kids to sports and what have you. So, you know, I just, right now, I have to agree with Councilor Sica at the moment, you know, it being very confusing. I haven't heard a real good plan on how we're going to educate the public

because you're asking them to go out, you know, like you said, you got 15% to go out and probably even less than that on a non-election year in the middle of, end of winter, beginning of springtime, I mean, you know, We got to first be able to get those people to the polls so we can get them to vote. And I know there's been some community meetings, and I don't know how many have been in attendance, but let's just even say there's 150 twice, that's 300 people. And there are 30,000, over 30,000 houses in the city of Malden that will be affected. And I also worry about, you know, I have both in my neighborhood. residential people who pay taxes, property taxes. And I also have a lot of renters. And I just, for people that own, for developers that own multi-dwelling units, I just don't want to give them the loophole and the green light to raise people's rents significantly, not in accordance with what they're getting hit with themselves from the tax.

And I'm sure a few developers come to some people's minds up here as soon as I say that. that people take advantage of that. And people will be taking advantage of people that are just trying to get by. So I think it would have an adverse effect on the renters. with that loophole being said. And I think that it's definitely going to put some burden on the taxpayer. But I think that if we can find a way or there's a development to be able educate the folks, then you would have my support. I just can't give you my support right now knowing that. So that's where I stand.

Thank you, Councillor Simonelli. OK, Councilor McDonald, you have the floor.

Thank you, Council President. So I want to discuss the amendments and then I will offer my own actual opinion and comment about this for the record briefly. But so there are two sets of amendments to add to this. The first is that we've learned from the state in reviewing the ballot language guide that we cannot include what they call yes or no language in the ballot measure itself. So that means we need to strike the final sentence. or I'm sorry, is that a sentence? The final two sentences in each of the options. So we cannot say a yes vote would support an increase in private taxes and no vote would make no change in the current tax structure. We just strike that language. That's the first part of the amendments in both of those options. The second one is to just simplify this language that folks have been asking about, which is the final sentence here of the order introducing them. Right now it says, if more than one question passes, the question with the highest dollar amount will prevail.

I think that was drafted when we had a proposal to consider three options, which we ultimately declined to do. The simpler language is to say if both Questions pass. Option 1B will prevail with the higher dollar amount.

That makes sense.

So that's the recommended clarifying language. I actually had one other question. for our city solicitor, Ali, if I can ask you very quickly. We had some back and forth about whether we can include this language around increased funding required by law for public schools. and is it your opinion that that's appropriate to include in option 1B? That's kind of the distinguishing factor in terms of the two of those. The language is otherwise identical to those options except for the dollar amount, of course. But could we get your clarity on that?

Councilor McDonald, that should not be included. It's right on the line as to whether it's allowed or not. Rather than that entire question be bounced out, I'd rather not include that.

OK, thank you. And just to be clear, the the the regulation that you're talking about is in related to we cannot advocate on in the language of the ballot or say what unless it is a restriction on the use. We cannot say that. So we also looked at whether we could say it will prevent X, Y, and Z from happening. Can't say that either according to our state talent law. So that would then strike that as well as increased filing for funding schools and make sure that we then add public schools as a function of what we can spend the money on so that it would actually read the way option 1A does. So it says, including public schools, public safety, public library, public works, and general government. for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. Yes, that is correct. Okay. So those are three pieces. One is to, and I will send this in, I will email this. I mean, we have... I will email this to the Clerk.

So we have the clarifying what happens if both questions pass. We have the removing the yes, no language. And we have removing the phrase increased funding required by law and making those two languages parallel. So just to be clear, we can't use the ballot to get into detail about this stuff. There's very clear state law about how we have to formulate the question depending on what we're gonna do. So those would be the amendments I would,

I would propose. And just for further clarity, this is strictly for the language to go on the ballot, not for what we can discuss in future public meetings. Okay.

I will speak to that in a minute, but I just wanted to do these amendments first.

Okay, so we need a motion to amend the order, which I'm hearing from Councillor McDonald. Do I have a second? Second. Okay, second by Councillor Winslow. I have questions on the amendments. I'll take Councillor O'Malley first.

Do you know how like when there's state ballot questions usually there's like an additional page that says like it kind of explains like what a yes vote does what a no vote does and sometimes there's even like pro and con things that you can read? Is that part of the bet? Where does that come into play? I'm not opposed to your amendments. I'm guessing that's the proper place for what you're describing.

Yeah, thank you for that question, Councilor O'Malley. So Carol Ann? Desiderio, our city clerk asked that very question. Apparently there are different standards in law for state and local ballot measures. And some of those things are required by state law for certain state ballot measures. they are not only required, they are prohibited for local ballot measures and the state's Attorney General's Office is the one who drafts those or oversees the drafting of that. So they have no role or function in reviewing ballot language. They won't give us a preliminary ruling. They will simply address it if it's challenged, and then they can throw it out.

That's a great question.

That's a good question.

OK, Councillor Simonelli.

Thank you, Madam President. Just to just to say it's just getting more confusing and more confusing as people are watching it because they probably have no idea what we're talking about right now so it just puts more confusion on this whole ballot thing and and the other thing is is is the March 31st is like a drop dead date. I mean, can we push that back to like going like maybe April 31st, May 1st, so it's a little warmer weather. Maybe get people out.

There is no April 31st.

My birthday is April 30th. That's an easy way to remember. It's all April 30th and May 1st. Sorry. Sorry. I was born on the 28th, so I only got 28 days. So I don't count up that high when it comes to birthdays. But I mean, I don't know. Is it possible to move that? I mean, is it?

Simonelli. Let me just say, I think we discussed that in committee. We had actually originally thought about April 7th until we checked the calendar and realized that was during Passover. So we didn't want to do April 7th. So we looked at March 31st or April 14th. and the feeling of the commit, I personally supported April 14th. However, that is the day before tax day, which can be a bad look. But March 31st was where we landed. I think that, yeah, we could schedule it for whenever we want, however, If we go any later than that, what we start to do is make it somewhere between difficult and impossible to get the annual budget completed. to give the time and instructions to our department directors to submit their budget to get it through the council process. So we've been advised by the mayor's team that they would really not support us going any later than that? Because you have to have a balanced budget by July 1st. Yeah, but there's no legal restriction on when we can schedule the election as far as I understand it. That makes sense.

Yeah.

All right.

Okay, thank you, Councillor Simonelli. Councillor Colón Hayes.

Thank you. So I just want to quickly say, I actually think what you suggested, and we heard from legal, makes the question, it simplified it. Very much so. So I'm all for that. and also during one of our finance meetings I do remember it coming up about the wording and it has to be Yeah, there were legal issues for the wording, and we had to go to the state for wording. And I remember something saying, you can't be campaigning. The ballot question cannot look like you're campaigning for one or the other. We talked about a lot. And I've said it here, and I will promise everybody here, we are going to have educational meetings. But I personally, especially as the chair of the CEIC committee, was waiting. We need to know what the questions are. We had to wait until we know what we're doing, what the questions are before we bring it to the community.

And I also want to hear very clearly what we can and cannot say, because who knows? We don't want to have people filing things on us. So we have to be very careful on that. But we should have it out. Have things written is probably the best way because it's going to be written down so you could just read it directly from it. I think this is great, thank you.

McDonald, I want to just get clarity on something. Are there amendments made in committee that we need to vote to accept before we take these up?

Yes. I mean, this is what is presented in the committee report. So this is an amendment to the committee report. to the language in the committee report, we could either accept that first and then amendment or we could accept the committee report or accept this language with this additional language.

As amended. All right, that sounds fine. does that sound okay to you?

So we should amend the paper as and then pass as amended committee report and then make these additional amendments because they were not made in committee we're making them here on the floor there should be two of

Okay, understood. So we have a motion on the floor.

So then let me first make that motion to amend the paper to reflect the committee report.

Okay. Second. Second by Councillor Winslow. I think we need a roll call on that as well. Yes. Okay. Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councillor Colón Hayes. Yes. Councillor Condon. Yes. Councillor Crowe. Yes. Councillor McDonald. Yes. Councillor O'Malley. Sica, Councilor Simonelli, Councilor Taylor, Councilor Winslow, Council President Linehan.

Yes. Okay. And then I move to make the amendments as discussed. with the changes proposed by our city solicitor. Second.

Okay, and let's call the roll on that.

Hayes, Condon, Crowe, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Council President Linehan. Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. And Councilor Winslow. Yes. Apologies.

That's all. Yes. Okay. So now we need a motion to adopt the order as amended.

So moved.

Okay. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Yes.

Is there any further discussion?

I see no lights for further discussion.

Councillor Colón Hayes? Yes. Councillor Condon? Yes. Councillor Crowe? Yes. Councillor McDonald? Yes. Councillor O'Malley? Yes. Councillor Sica? Yes. Councillor Simonelli? Taylor, Councilor Winslow, Council President Linehan. Yes.

Okay, the order is adopted as amended. Thank you, everyone. I'm going to call a five-minute recess.

I can't look at Morgan's empty water bottle for one minute longer.

I was like, should we go through? Should we? And I was like, no, you're dying. I need to. And I figured everybody would.

I'm like looking at the script being like...

I got to look into a lot of the steps.

What are we even doing? We have the consent agenda. Oh my goodness. Okay, next order of business. All right, next order of business is our consent agenda. This evening's consent agenda consists of meeting minutes to be approved, two communications to be placed on file and two papers to be referred to the Public Property Committee. Does any councilor have a desire to remove any of these items from the consent agenda for the purpose of further discussion? Okay, all in favor?

Aye.

OK, the consent agenda is approved. Next order of business. Sorry. That's OK.

Paper 481-25, order that the council approve the 2026 schedule of council meetings.

Okay, so did everybody have a chance to review this? We had sent it out in advance, correct? Did everybody get a copy of this? I know Councilor Winslow had a friendly amendment to offer that I am happy to have us discuss. Councilor Winslow.

Well, I mean, first of all, I did review the council and committee meeting nights, events, various holidays. There doesn't seem to be any significant conflict there, so that's good. You know, the only comment I had, and this is really up to discretion. I know when I was council president in the first in January, I had suggested we started with two council meetings. because often the first council of the meeting, especially of a new term, it's just the council present presenting the new committee assignments and a lot doesn't happen, so it's good to have another council meeting. I know Councilor Linehan mentioned that You know, one reason that people might want to have committee meetings on January 13th anyway. But committee meetings can always happen on the council meeting night. So it was just to change that. But I'm pretty flexible.

you know it does a few things like I say it makes I think a little bit more useful time in January and then it sets it up so that the council meetings do not fall during February and April vacation and one of the things I know I really anticipate in June, I mean right now it's not having a council meeting on the 30th, but given the status of what might happen with the state budget in particular. We might actually go till later and late. So it's just something we can leave it blank now and if we have to put it on. But I think we're going to have a very, you know, and a lot of discussion in June about the budget, even whatever happens with the override. But it's going to be an intense June in terms of the budgeting and that type of thing. So it's just something to anticipate. But I'm just that was the Steadup that I did when I was council president.

But I'm flexible or whatever, so I don't know what other people's thoughts are.

But so well, I'm happy to speak to those questions. I do appreciate I appreciate anybody that takes the time to look through it in that level of detail. Thank you, Clerk. So our city clerk and I did look over the issues that you mentioned. The school vacation issue in particular stuck out to me right away. I did sit down and look at the past basically pulled all the years that I've been on that past five or six years to kind of see where the school breaks fell. We did, of course, review for all religious holiday conflicts. Luckily, nothing falls. and a week where we would have to contend with that and potentially reschedule or cancel. I think because our first council meeting falls relatively early in January, we do have this kind of key decision to make of whether we want to do two council meetings right up front or whether we want to have council followed by committee meetings. It was the thought of the of the clerk and I in looking at what pending legislation we have that we have of

because of the override discussions, maybe a more of a backlog in committee that we would like to kind of take that first meeting, assuming that we will be having a new council president elected at the inauguration Monday. Utilize, as you said, Councilor Winslow, that next meeting that the council might want to have committees set fairly light agenda and that committees that have maybe not been able to file as much because of the override discussions. wanting to dive in and get into committee business that second week. But as you said, that can happen on a council night. So that was kind of the thinking that we had, again, and trying to anticipate not knowing who's going to have leadership of different committees, but just looking at the legislation that's kind of in the hopper now and what folks had in mind, thinking that that might be the most useful thing to do.

I did take the liberty of speaking with counselors, including our incoming counselor elect who have caregiving responsibilities and kids who might be looking to travel over school break. What I actually heard from folks was that Folks don't have travel so much booked during the break, but that actually we might have a difficulty making quorum at the end of June. So that in the interest of not having a business back up to the end of June, we decided to keep it as is. I do, however, agree with you. I think given the state budget and some of the things that we're up against, we might find ourselves needing to go to that extra week in June, but I think we'll just have to contend with that. as it comes. If folks have to remote in or if we have a tight count making quorum, we'll have to just take that up. We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, I think. But I'm comfortable with this as it is. I'm also happy to have folks Agree with Councilor Winslow and want to make those changes, I'm certainly open to that.

Oh, sorry, Councilor McDonald.

Yeah, thank you. Just two questions. First is that, so the one holiday that I found that does hit a council meeting is Lunar New Year on February 17th. and I don't know, I mean, that's obviously a major holiday for our Chinese community as well as Vietnamese and other East Asian cultures that celebrate Tet or Lunar New Year as a major holiday. is that something that we would like to avoid with a full council meeting on the 17th? So that's February 17th. The second question is just that, so in finance today we did pass out two papers One was the Section 108 loan to complete the Malden River Works project and the other was capital improvements from the cable access fund. Either of those impact the general fund. Those are both from restricted sources. but they're kind of hanging out there.

And I just wanna check my procedural understanding of this. both of those papers, even though they made it out of committee will automatically die unless they are revived by the council at the end of the term, is that correct? We have to vote to bring it back over?

We would vote on all of those at the first meeting in January.

Okay. My question was whether we can schedule those that came out of committee for the first meeting. If not, then I think I'm more inclined to want to support Councilor Winslow's approach to this and do it a little earlier. I just don't want to make them wait

So everything that's unresolved comes as one package to that first meeting. So they basically don't have to get scheduled. The clerk will put them all as one decision. We go through everything. and they're alive until decided otherwise, essentially.

Can we include a committee report in that? Well, there's no committee, so you... There was no committee from the previous, the report that has just come out of finance. Where does that go? How does that get sent back to the council? No, because it's not on the, it wasn't on the agenda.

Right, that's the oversight that happened. By not having it on tonight, it gets carried over.

I'm just trying to figure out if there's a way we can tackle those earlier than January 20th, and maybe the answer is.

It's just not really that feasible because we have to No, I think the way I think the way to take them up earlier than the 20th is to either put them on committee of the whole, which we are, we've revised our rules to be able to do. or...

Yes.

Okay, so Councilor O'Malley, I'm gonna go to you

So we can't vote this term on something that will happen next term because we are not the council next term yet. And so I believe I don't have the rules in front of me. I think Councilor Winslow is correct. They don't. I think you do it. You could do it on the entire council level. or also at the committee level. But I think you're going to be able to schedule what you want to schedule.

I think so, too, because I had asked Carol Ann this question of does everything automatically die? And that was an affirmative no. Right, so you're absolutely correct. It's not the same council, but the legislation doesn't die. It exists, and then it can be taken up by the new council.

I believe it dies after 30 days if not carried forward.

OK.

but that, we have to check the rules. I don't have the rules in front of me.

That's correct. Okay. So maybe then that question could just be like, can I just state for the record to be captured in the minutes I would like to whoever is preparing the agenda for that January 6th at least include the report of these two things that just got voted out of committee so that we have the ability to discuss them on the 6th.

So captured. And whoever is voted as council president on Monday night can take immediate action on that. Yes. For the basically right away. Yep. OK.

So that, yeah, so then my only question is whether we want to reschedule the 17th based on Lunar New Year.

Which does happen to fall during school vacation week as well. Yes. I'm fine with that if we want to switch those two. swap the 17th and the 24th, make the 17th a committee and the 24th a council.

That's okay. That is correct what you said about within 30 days of the next biennial session. Papers need to be carried over.

And for clarity, if when Caroline gets back, if there's anything that we're not anticipating about making that switch that is problematic, in relation to the override or anything like that. Can we make further adjustments to the calendar? Yeah. OK. OK. So apologies. That's OK. The motion is to swap these two. Make the 17th a committee. Winslow, and the 24th of Council. And then we'll have two back-to-back Councils. Basically, yeah.

OK. Yep. Good. I could just simplify my amendment.

Yes, Councilor Winslow.

So I would suggest that we just make January 13th the council meeting as well. Because we can always have committee meetings on those nights too. So it doesn't hold up any committee meetings, but it's the type of thing if anybody wants to file papers starting in January, that way it's it's easier and then you can get them quicker so that that would be my suggestion so I don't that would just be my additional and then uh things can change and stay the same otherwise but I think those I just know that we always kind of start off slow because there's not a lot on the committees sometimes the second week.

Can I just ask a clarifying question? Yes, go ahead. Councilor Windsor, are you suggesting that we just do two back-to-back council meetings in January and then alternate?

That was my original proposal, so that sets up so that then then the 17th would be a committee meeting and then everything else would kind of bump back and that would also bump back like April 21st which is school vacation week to be a committee so and but it would also maybe put things at final council meeting. I mean, we could make an adjustment in June, but I was pushing back the June 23rd meeting to the 30th. So.

Yeah, I think because I think if you did Is it okay that I respond, Council? Yes, sorry, through the chair, that's fine. I think if we actually did that through the special election, that would solve both of those problems. So we would swap January 13th through March 24th. would be council, council, then committee. And so we would not have a council meeting on the 17th. We ended up with a council meeting on March 24th in the special election and then continue with the calendars presented. And I apologize that we're talking about a lot of things that I know that you and the clerk already worked on.

No, it's OK. We did go back and forth on this. So I want to be clear.

I think that makes sense.

But just to be clear, are we then canceling on February vacation?

No, it would just be committee meetings.

Okay, sorry, I thought I heard you just say we wouldn't have a meeting at all. No, I'm sorry. That's okay. I just want to make sure I understand.

Thank you for allowing me to clarify it. Yeah, so we would swap the council and committee meetings, everything from January 13th through March 24th.

So council, council, and then alternate all the way through the special election.

Yep, and then start again on April 7th with the council meeting.

Yep, that's fine with me. Okay, so who made the motion? Did you make that motion? Second by Councilor Winslow. Does everybody understand? Okay, all in favor with those changes? Aye.

Okay.

Motion by Councilor McDonald, seconded by Councilor Winslow to amend. Okay, so do I have a motion to adopt the council calendar as amended? So moved by Councilor Simonelli, seconded by Councilor Sica. All in favor? Aye. Okay. That is adopted as amended. Okay. Okay, next order of business.

A representative communications. A representative from the solicitor's office will present to the council their findings in the investigation of the open meeting law complaint followed by JD and Sica on November 19th, 2025, as was discussed with paper 458-25.

Thank you, Solicitor McNeil. You have the floor.

So I investigated the complaint by Councilor Sica against Councilor Colón Hayes and the complaint, everybody should have gotten a copy. of the Findings. So essentially, the complaint was that Councilor Colón Hayes engaged in private communication, which ended up being deliberation on a matter that was on one of the agendas, city council agendas. So I appreciate everyone that got back to my office and I was able to I'm talk with everyone in the city that sits on the City Council and my investigation revealed that although

Colón Hayes did talk to a quorum of individuals, members of the city council the conversations that she had did not amount to a quorum as it related to deliberating on an agenda item and I gave everybody the report that I came the findings that I made and also in addition to the findings I also provided an admonition that When it comes to deliberation, I think people are not really clear about what deliberation is. It's not just replying to all, but deliberation could also be

A, as I described in my to Councilor B. Councilor B talks to Councilor C. That's a daisy chain communication. So I would just admonish the city councilors to be very cautious about deliberations in general. And I'll take any questions that anyone may have. Okay, thank you.

Do I see any questions for our solicitor's office? Councilor Sica.

Thank you, Council President. I don't necessarily have a question. I wasn't sure if we were going to get this this evening. I forgot how this works. So I kind of had a little something prepared just in case. I respectfully disagree with the legal department's conclusion that no violation of the Massachusetts open meeting law occurred in this matter. Under General Law, Chapter 30A, Section 18, serial deliberation occurs when a quorum of a public body discusses public business outside of a properly posted meeting. Even when those discussions take place through a series of one-on-one communications, the law is explicit that deliberations include the expressions of opinions, intended votes, desired outcomes, or efforts to influence decision making. regardless of whether all recipients respond.

The investigation confirmed that Councilor Colón Hayes engaged in substantive Communications regarding a pending appointment with multiple members of this City Council. These communications included her opposition to the appointment, her preferred outcome, her intended vote, and an alternative individual she wished to advance. Such content goes well beyond procedural inquiry and squarely falls within the definition of deliberation. I'm going to I'm going to read you some of the proof that I have that she did. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, I am going to be escalating this. I'm sending this to the state for their for their opinion, but I just want... Can I interrupt and just ask?

Is the information that the council received attached to our agenda?

No, it isn't. I don't think it's attached. I just sent it today. So I don't think it's attached.

Is it going to be? Or what is the, like, I don't want to get into a situation here where things that the public are not going to be, that aren't going to be publicly available are read into the record if they're not supposed to be.

So I can't tell you that it's not supposed to be. The next step for me is if the council votes, then I will be sending my Findings to the Attorney General, not you want me to send this to the Attorney General.

Okay, so we are allowed to discuss whether we do or don't agree with what you've just stated. That's appropriate. I just want to understand what's appropriate for us to discuss before I will. Yes, Councilor O'Malley, one second.

My understanding is that it is public It is a public document. We are doing it in open session. We are all referring to it in our deliberation right now. So my understanding, it's a public document currently, but that's just my understanding because we didn't go into executive session to discuss this.

Correct. And mostly I'm asking because I know it came to the council just this afternoon, which was for us to be prepared to discuss it. I understand that we're not considering an executive session. but I also just want to understand what the outcome is of this discussion so that we can limit the bounds of our discussion to what the actual vote is and what's appropriate for the vote that we need to take.

The outcome for me is whether you whether you agree or disagree, whether you want me to send these findings to the Attorney General's office.

Okay, that's fine. Councilor Sica, I understand that you want to be able to articulate whether you agree or disagree. I just want to make sure that what we're doing is correct. This is new for me, so I want to make sure we're doing things properly.

Well, since everybody up here is always so transparent, I'd like to be transparent and I'd like the public to know what it is, what proof I did have and why I filed this open meeting law complaint to begin with because I really still firmly believe that what I have for proof constitutes a serial deliberation. So I would like to have everybody listen to this is one of my... Hey Peg, it's Karen calling because I just saw

I have Donahue's name on the agenda and I am Not pleased at all. So I've been making some phone calls. I talked to Amanda. I actually called Gary as well. I have serious, serious concerns about him being on the board of anything, let alone. something that involves kids and the safety of kids. Jeff's history of his violence behavior, but also he has been verbally abusive to me just as early as the preliminaries that just happened at Ward 4 where he came up to my face in front of people so they will also say this and verbally abused me. and then went inside to vote. And I'm thinking of what you all did with Lisette when you pulled back somebody who was actually appointed for reasons that were not even as clear as the ones for Jeff.

With his history of being homophobic, he has written things down that I will now be getting a copy of and instead of embarrassing everybody here, I'm hoping that this gets delayed or Tabled or something until we find someone better who does not have a background like this to sit on that. So anyways, I know that was a lot, but if you want to give me a call back, do so. If not, you can also talk to Gary. Like I said, I left him a message as well. Thanks. Bye.

OK, so that is one. And then I also have a text message. And I want the public at home to hear what was presented in these because Although she did not get in touch with all nine that she reached out to, there was a reason why she contacted nine of us out of the 11. She didn't call Councilor Condon or Councilor McDonald to ask for a recipe or the weather of tomorrow. She called because she had a specific intent and the intent was to stop something from happening that she was unhappy with. So on the same day, She texted a fellow colleague that said, I've been making a lot of phone calls today because I just realized that Jeff Donahue was on the agenda for tomorrow as an appointment to replace Holland for a position on the vote.

I strongly oppose this appointment for many reasons. But most recently, he has verbally abused me in public during the preliminaries for Ward 4 for school committee as I was holding a sign for a beer. He walked over right in front of my face to intimidate me and cursed at me completely unprovoked. After we walked off, Abia was so shook and this was in front of a young person as well. Dawn was actually there and I've also reached out to her. We have plenty of great people in this city that we don't need to appoint someone who has a history of abuse and Homophobic and Racist Comments on Public Social Media. Although I did not agree with what happened with Lizette's appointment being taken away due to some social media posts, I believe this one has merit as he was verbally abusive to a city councilor in public very recently.

The good news is Ryan spoke with Lenny Iovino, the former Ward 4 school committee rep, and he is very interested in this position. We have both called the Mayor and Maria Luis and we're hoping that this can quietly be tabled while we review and put forward Lenny's name. I hope you agree with this suggestion. I'm going to try to table it tomorrow if the mayor doesn't take it off before then. Feel free to give me a call. I'm making the rounds. Tabled. Oh, sorry for the typos. I was text talking. So these were the two that I had at the meeting a few weeks back. and then after that particular meeting where I accused her of possibly violating open meeting law, that evening about 30 minutes after we all left this council chamber,

She called Councilor Simonelli, and I'm assuming based on what she texted him that evening, she thought he was the reason that I felt the way that I felt that evening. because she wrote, hey buddy, the next time I reach out to you, please remind me and say do not talk to me or trust me, LOL. I find that as an admission of guilt because why would she call him at 11 it was 11 20 at night we didn't get out of here till late that evening and she was texting council of Simonelli about this I um I think it's very important for the public to hear what the communications were because, hold on. I'm going back.

While the legal department's analysis relies heavily on the number of successful communications, the open meeting law does not require that every attempted contact result in a completed discussion to establish a violation. The Attorney General has repeatedly held that serial deliberation may occur where there is a coordinated effort to influence a quorum outside of a public view, attempts to reach members of a public body for the purpose of shaping deliberations are highly relevant to determining intent and compliance with the law. In this case, Councilor Colón Hayes attempted to contact nine out of the 11. Councilor Spadafora and myself are the only ones who were not contacted regarding this agenda item. on the eve of and the day of this particular vote. Had those calls been answered, a quorum would have been made

and engaged in private deliberation. There's no doubt in my mind after listening to that voicemail and reading the text messages that some of my fellow colleagues received. even without full participation, the scope, the timing, and the substance of outreach raises serious concerns about the intent, and the appearance of circumventing public deliberation. The open meeting law exists not only to prevent actual violations but to protect public trust, by eliminating secrecy and the appearance of backroom decision making. Been hearing that a lot over the last few weeks. with the Malden High principle, backroom deliberations. But it's okay when it's one side, it's not okay when it's another.

While the legal department ultimately found no technical violation, its own admonition acknowledges that the communications are worrisome and cautions against conduct that risks serial behavior. While I respect the city solicitor's office, I do not agree with the conclusion in this matter. I believe we must hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct and ensure that our actions and our intentions align with the law. Accordingly, I will be sending this open meeting law complaint to the State Attorney General's Office for further review. I too have violated the open meeting law before. It's no secret. It's been all over the internet for the last several weeks, but I've never hidden it. I did it once. I have never done it again. And all I did at the time was send an email with

paperwork while we were in COVID procedure to my license committee. And all I put in there was my opinion that I was not in favor of the petition. I don't know if my whole committee opened up that email. I don't know if they received it. I don't know if it reached a quorum. My point is it was a violation of the open meeting law. they had no proof that everyone saw it but I still was fined in open meeting law so I believe that this is still this that the state is going to come back and find this as an open meeting law violation because There's no other reason that she called 11 counselors within a 24-hour period other than to say. She openly admits in the text and the email that she was making her rounds and making phone calls.

No disrespect to you Alicia, I'm not quite sure if everybody was forthcoming with their information. Whether or not they called for a procedure or

Winslow.

certain things don't add up. So even if somebody didn't deliberate on this exact item in a text message, they're also finding a replacement. So how did they not have a conversation about the specific agenda item if they're discussing a replacement for the appointment, which is wild to me. But again, you did your job and what you found out during your investigation, what you were told, there was no open meeting law. But I think that the proof shows otherwise. So I appreciate you looking into this and I We have to vote. All of us have to agree to vote to take this to the state. I thought I had the ability to appeal your decision to the state.

You can appeal the decision. You can appeal the decision. You can do that. And I will, once it's sent to the Attorney General's office, then I will send a letter to you stating such that you can appeal.

Okay.

All right.

Great. Thank you so much. You're welcome.

OK. Thank you, Councillor Sica. Councillor Colón Hayes. Thank you.

So I wasn't going to speak tonight on this, so I'm just going to be very brief. Thank you for all the work that you did on this. I know that you worked over the weekend and you were making your phone calls and did everything that you needed to do. I'm going to be careful about what I say here, but there are things that people can think they know or hope they know or insinuate and they're just not the facts. It was very hard for me to make some of those phone calls because, yeah, That did happen. And I still get very nervous coming in here to see if he's around. That was real for me. So I was thinking I'm calling my colleagues to say, yeah, you're right. This is one of the reasons why I don't think he would be good for that position. But I counted them, like we said. I made sure that I didn't break a quorum.

And then the other part was she's assuming that, She knows why I was calling other people. And people called me. I didn't call all the people. Some people actually called me and we're meeting for 2023. So whether you want to make it up in your head what you think you know or not, you have no idea why I was calling people. No idea. and then, yeah, I was calling Councilor Simonelli because, yeah, I didn't think that's where you got the information from, but I was disappointed in him and I'm allowed to do that. And so I can call people I want, but I want everybody here to know I took that very seriously. like lists of who it was, what I said, and was very careful not to break the open meeting law. So feel free. Send it where you have to send it. I have no issue with that. But thank you for your work.

Thank you, Councilor Colón Hayes. Councilor Simonelli.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Look, I have to agree with Councilor Sica. I think that it was a clear violation of the open meeting law. You know, I thought I was kind of, I thought I was special. I thought Councilor Hayes was just calling me. I didn't, look. and as soon as I found out that there was other people that were contacted about the same subject matter, at that point I went ghost and actually blocked Councilor Hayes from being able to contact me anymore because I knew where this thing was heading and I didn't want to be anymore in the middle of it than I am now. But I wasn't one of the original people that turned you in or whatever you want to call it.

I don't know what you were thinking, but I just, you know, I got to say that we've been down this road before, right? We've talked about the executive session situation, which I'm not going to elaborate on that because it was an executive session. But we still, I mean, let's not pretend, councilors up here, that we did have an issue with stuff cutting out of executive session, out to social media, which is a no-no. And that, well, we discussed it, we discussed it, and then there was previous stuff before that. Who's lying? You know, you're the queen of lying up here.

Oh, stop, stop, stop.

No, honestly, if we're going to call people names, let's be parity across the board, me and you.

Address your comments to the chair, please.

Well, I mean, listen. The fact of the matter is, is that this has been going on for quite some time now, and it has to be corrected for all of our sakes up here. I mean, how long are we going to keep letting it go on? You can't be calling around counselors to ask about whatever is on that agenda that coming Tuesday and changing somebody. And honestly, You know, he's not even an elected official. That could be slander and libel, to be quite honest with you. talking about somebody with all those. I thought you guys were friends at one time in your lives, so I don't know what happened there. But I'm just saying that this type of behavior can no longer be tolerated here on this council. I mean, if we're going to move forward and we're going to try and get along with one another, then it has to be parity across the board.

You can't just get mad at Councilor Sica when she has an infraction or she bends a rule or breaks a rule, or me for that matter, or Councilor Winslow. I mean, I can go on and on. Everybody has to be treated fairly. and everybody has to be reprimanded when it needs to be so. Now, whether we handle that on this council as a whole, maybe that's the way we should be going instead of always just putting it to the state. But when you don't get any remedy here, amongst us as peers, then you've got no other alternative but to go to the state. And then you've got to bring the legal team involved. And there's a difference of opinion whether or not it was a clear violation or not. I think it is. I think it is after listening to that message. I mean, what else could it be? It's plain and simple. And you heard it here tonight.

calling around to change councilor's votes on a candidate that was put forward from the mayor's office for us to vote on. I don't know, am I missing something? Was that not what it was? Of course it was. and I just think that, you know, we can't keep going, we're above the fact that we can't keep going around putting our head in the sand saying, oh, I didn't know, no, I didn't know, I made a mistake, I won't, you know, it won't happen again. I mean, we're up here for four years now. were up here for four years. Michelle LeWong, elect, comes in in January. She can use that to her advantage. Not that she would, I'm just saying, but she can use that to her advantage for the next couple of months. you know, because she's new at this, right? She doesn't know the parliamentary rules of procedure, Robert's Rules of Order. So, you know, right? I got the floor. That means, you know, she's the school committee. School committee might have a different set of rules as far as, you know, the city council's concerned.

So, I mean, it's all right to make those rookie mistakes when you're up here your first year is what I'm trying to say. After that, you know, especially when you've got other counselors and colleagues telling you that you can't do that and you still make that same mistake again the following year. At some point in time, you've got to say, when's enough enough? That's all. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Simonelli. Councillor Winslow.

Yeah. Thank you, Alicia, for, you know, you know, we assigned you to do this investigation and and do that factual research. So I appreciate the report. One question I have, I mean, it did just come to the council today. I mean, is it possible to table anything tonight and then or do we have a time frame we have to respond to and make a decision about whether to send this on or whatever? So. So it's just I mean, I think it is, you know, it's that's my question is, is how quickly do we have to move on whether to accept your report or not? So do we know that?

So yes. So. The 14 days has already passed. Councillor Sica was gracious enough to give us, I believe it was another week, to respond and get it to the Attorney General. If Councillor Sica chooses to give the City Council more time, I can certainly contact the Attorney General and request additional time stating that City, that Councilor Sica has agreed to more time. Yeah.

So so just so thank you. So that's for counselors who may not have have a chance to really, you know, read, read the, you know, the report back from Alicia. that may be something that people want to consider. I have read that. And one of the things, I mean, having gone through law school, one of the things you learn is that there's law, But one of the things lawyers do is apply the facts to the law. And I appreciate that Councilor McNeil, Solicitor McNeil, went through that investigation to really find the facts here. and it's messy. Sometimes facts are messy. But I feel like that she looked at those messy facts and concluded that it did not rise to quite the level of

some of the assumptions you have to really sort between assumptions and facts and there was you know one of the things that was put out there as a factual thing is that Collin Hayes and I happened to go for a hike. That was something actually I initiated and we had nothing to talk. We did not talk about this thing really till very briefly at the end where I just actually asked for some information from Councilor O'Malley. So it was something that I initiated to talk to her. And there's an assumption that somehow we were meeting to talk about this. So I think there's some assumptions that come through. Certainly, those are pretty dramatic. you know voicemails you have there so I definitely but that was nothing that came up in my thing in my meeting with her and it was a meeting that I initiated about something so there's some conclusions that I think Solicitor McNeil researched all that and really applied.

And I do appreciate you being bold enough to acknowledge, you know, this is getting into a murky place, but I think that it is sometimes in the law you have to call it as it is and I appreciate that so but I mean if other councillors need some time to absorb and read the The report back from Solicitor McNeil, I'm happy to just call for this to be tabled and if Councilor Sica would allow that time. But otherwise, I would be willing to support Solicitor's

Siga, did you want to respond to that?

I was just going to ask what would be the reason that I would say yes to an extension, but I guess I really want to just quickly also add that Councilor Winslow I never assumed that the two of you went on a hike to have this discussion. I just happened to be notified that you guys did post that you went on a hike. the morning of the day she found out that she herself states she was making her rounds and her phone calls. I find it extremely weird if she didn't bring this up to you while she was out on a hike when she purposely made phone calls to colleagues she doesn't normally talk to. So I find it a little strange. I did not assume that the two of yous purposefully met to have a hike, to have a discussion about this agenda item.

You happen to be on a hike and I'm sure this agenda item got brought up.

You just said it yourself that it did at the end. That's where you create assumptions. Sica. I initiated that meeting for a very specific purpose.

I have the floor, Councilor Winslow, and you're getting awfully defensive if you did nothing wrong. All right, let's move on.

Councilor McDonald. Thank you, Council President. I just have a couple of questions. I guess they're for our city solicitor or perhaps for Councilor Sica. The first is, Councilor Sica, did you provide the recordings and the screenshots that you had to the city solicitor for this investigation?

I did, yes.

Okay. One of the questions I just, in listening to the recording and then reading the report, this is a question maybe to Councilor O'Malley, because the voicemail references something that Councilor O'Malley had also called the mayor. And the report says Councilor O'Malley just spoke to Councilor Winslow, or excuse me, Councilor Colón Hayes in a short call and there was no deliberation. and I'm just not understanding how both of those things could be true.

So really quickly, if you don't mind me just throwing my two cents into this. So the voicemail to Peg actually state from Karen, that makes two, actually states she spoke to Amanda, which makes three. Then the text message to Ari makes four, which says in Ari's text message that Councilor O'Malley has been talking to Lenny Iovino and he's interested in the appointment that was on the agenda item that we were discussing. Simonelli's text message to himself makes six. So I was under the assumption that she at least reached out to six of the 11 of us, which actually constitute a quorum. But I was told that

some other conversations weren't conversations deliberating on this matter but were procedural or I don't know how you talk about somebody else being interested in an appointment without talking about the appointment, but it's just, again, that's just me making accusations, I guess, so.

As far as the mayor is concerned, the mayor does not count.

No, I understand that. I was asking about that. Your report says that Councilor O'Malley, I'm sure he has something to say about this. discussed the agenda, but there was no deliberation in the discussion. Yes, that's correct. But the information that Councilor Sica shared that you received said, made comments about Councilor O'Malley's action in relationship to the agenda item in concert with Councilor Colón Hayes.

That's correct.

So you believe that those don't demonstrate that there was deliberation?

I believe that they may demonstrate that there was deliberation, but it doesn't mean that there was deliberation. I went with what Councilor O'Malley said to me, and I did take into consideration the voicemails, I listened to all of the evidence but him saying I'm going to talk to whomever it was doesn't mean that they got together in disgust deliberated on this matter. It could have been a coincidence. It could have been an actual deliberation. And even if they did deliberate, that does not constitute a quorum.

I understand. It would constitute a quorum if there were then four other people added that were involved in those kinds of conversations.

If there were two other individuals because there were already three.

Right.

Four actually with Councilor Colón Hayes. the fifth. If it were Councilor O'Malley would have been five and there would have been one other individual.

Okay. And the an attempt at deliberation that does not succeed. does that qualify as a violation of the open meeting law?

It could if there was an attempt, but I can't assume that a phone call to someone was related to that agenda item. If the phone call never succeeded, I don't know what the phone call. I can assume, I can guess, but I don't know.

Well, I'm not asking you to make assumptions. I just want to know if you asked Councilor Colón Hayes what the purpose of those phone calls were.

I did not ask that question. No, but I did ask the other individual. No, I did not ask that question.

I did not. Can I ask Councilor Colón Hayes what the purpose of those phone calls were?

I was going to actually say I was going to answer some of those. So the phone calls, let me think about this. First of all, it wasn't in your written part, but when we talked and Councilor O'Malley couldn't attest to this, O'Malley actually called me. So I didn't make that. That was the first phone call. And so and that was him saying very briefly, did you see the agenda? And I said, what I did. What do you what are you talking about? And so he just said, look down to the end. there's an appointment for the Volk and I went, oh, and then I said, okay, let me read this and I was in shock and then I went, hang on, and then he said to me, It's appointment for the vote. That was to fill a position, and I remember I told you all this, that was to fill a position left by the.

the person who had passed away. And then Ryan just said, hey, months ago, and this is where the assumptions come back into play. Months ago, I remember saying that the reason why I know that there was a position, or that's open, is because I remember Lenny Iovino saying that he was injured. Nobody was calling over. That was like, I got that from months ago. It wasn't that. So anyway. and we hung up the phone. There was no deliberation about anything. This wasn't supposed to be on the docket. This is not the way this goes. that sidebar like it wasn't supposed to be on the docket that way. So I said, I'm going to call. We had a very brief. I said goodbye. I'm calling the council president to talk about the Procedure, why is this on the docket? I am reading through Carol Ann's, this is not, this should be something between the school committee and the city council.

So that's why when I was counting, so I'm not sitting here going, Pretending, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm counting. All right, I called Councilor Linehan, but that was because, just to talk about the procedure, a number for a quorum, for a quorum. And so they didn't count in the quorum number, so anyway, that's um and I yeah and I was calling you to get back to I think we had said we were going to meet and it was we were going to meet for which we did end up meeting but it was like to get back and say we're let's go for that meeting that's all that was because I've been meeting with a bunch of people. Not about this, because they've been reaching out saying, let's talk. Amanda and I are going to meet tomorrow. These are all these phone calls. So people are just making assumptions. But that's what it was. And we never spoke. And as a matter of fact, we spoke about something else. And I said, we can't speak about this. We're going to break open meeting law.

No, which is what I reported to the city solicitor and is reflected in the report. What was the call to Councilor Condon about?

Oh, that was the same thing. He's counted in there. If you list out the numbers and write them, it's not a quorum. It was just, hey, it's not a quorum, though. That's what we had. I called to say, did you see who's on the agenda? I shouldn't be there. It's not deliberating and it's about a procedure. Listen, apparently you can. Just because you think you can't do it, and I'm gonna be done arguing about this, just send it where you gotta send it. I'm fine. You're not a lawyer. It went through the procedure. I appreciate that you did all that. Just send it wherever it needs to go. I have no issues with it.

McDonald, you actually had had the floor and asked a question. Are you all done before we move on or do you have more?

I'm going to be honest. I want to give my colleagues the benefit of the doubt and that sounded like Deliberation, what you just described to me. And that in my judgment, I'm not an attorney. but this is why I asked this question of like, does it matter what the purpose of the call? So I'm just reporting what you just said. And so that's concerning. I'm not sure where that leaves us. I certainly don't wanna have this hanging out there, but that is concerning to me. that feels like deliberation and I think that would hit our quorum count. So that's where I'm at on this right now. Okay, thank you, Councilor McDonald.

May I just ask a question? Yes, of course. Before we move on, when you said it hits the quorum count with who, O'Malley, and Councilor Condon, or only Councilor Condon is what I'm asking. I'm sorry, who are you directing that to? I'm asking Councilor McDonald.

Yes, of course. Okay, so the quorum count was Councilor Colón Hayes. Taylor, Councilor Crowe, Councilor Simonelli, Councilor Linehan. That's the five. The question is, was there a sixth? Well, you just described in your conversation with Councilor O'Malley sounds like deliberation. But in addition, you said that you called Councilor Condon to also ask him about the agenda. I don't know whether that counts as deliberation or not, but the city solicitor did say it's germane whether you attempted to contact him for that purpose. So that's six or seven by my count. Winslow also admitted that they briefly discussed it at the end. I'm trying to take people's word for what they say. I'm just going by what you said. And I will believe them if they say they didn't talk about this. we have conversations with each other all the time where we say we're not gonna talk about that. So I'm not trying to challenge anyone's words, I'm trying to get based on what the evidence that you presented, what folks have said, this is my count at this point.

I think one of the things I'm struggling with too is just I feel like we're a little bit in a position where we're having to make a vote on a report that our solicitor has done that's based on things that have been described to you. that either may not reflect what happened or may not be accurate to what deliberation is, which there's like two different things going on. I'm sitting here as the chair of the body wanting folks to understand what not to do next time. That feels actually more important to me because I'm hearing there's like a sense that not everybody understands what was done wrong. and that feel like we'll move on. We'll take a vote. And whether we accept your report or not, I don't want people to leave here not understanding what they can't do next time. And we all call each other a lot. and or we get calls from one another. And particularly I'm sitting here as the president.

I often know where everybody stands because I hear snippets from one person or one person calls me about one agenda item that they don't understand and then mentions. Oh, I talked to someone else. They're really upset about this or they're they're like, you know, spending a lot of time researching this other thing. I want to understand from my seat as well how not to get done, how not to do the wrong thing if incoming calls also count. So I guess I just want to make sure that we're not losing sight of the outcome here, which is like, yes, we need to take a vote on this report. But also, we need to stop doing this and need to understand how not to put ourselves in this position again, which I think Councilor Simonelli said at the top. Yes. And actually, I want to make sure, Councilor O'Malley, I want to make sure you have a chance to speak because you were referenced in the last couple of remarks. So I'm going to actually take Ryan first, if you don't mind.

Yeah, I just basically, if you remember correctly, I believe this agenda item was when I had my debt exclusions on it. So there was a lot to talk to people about. And so I can't tell you if every time I called someone it did have to do with this or that because there was a lot of debt exclusion stuff going on. But I will say that when I did call Karen or Councillor Colón Hayes, I was like, did you see the agenda item about an appointment? I was like, doesn't this, I was like, didn't we get something from Caroline that said the complete opposite of this? and I was just like, what's going on? I was like, I didn't understand why it was on the agenda. And that is pretty much the, and I said, wait, did we post this? Was this publicly posted? I was like, that's kind of where it, that was that discussion, that's not deliberating How are you going to vote on this? It was, why is this on the agenda? Was this publicly posted? Did I miss a public posting? Et cetera.

Fact finding, trying to understand what is going on, doing my homework. whether as simple as what vote total does this take? Do we need to do a simple majority or like actually understanding how to show up to a meeting prepared, not saying we're gonna, we know how the meeting is gonna go, But how do you do basic preparation for a meeting so you can show up and be competent? Asking why something's on the agenda is not a deliberation.

Thank you, Councilor O'Malley. Councilor Sica.

OK, well, all right. So this is this is my take. I actually think I may want to take up Council Winslow's motion to possibly maybe table this because I think you should go back and look at this video. because I'm pretty confident that people's conversations that they had with you in private have changed since they've been up here this evening. We might have just actually got a quorum of this. And to your point, Councilor Linehan, we all talk to each other all the time. I'm not calling you and saying this is why you should not vote for this person. I am looking to table this paper, secretly table this paper before the meeting tomorrow. there's a difference of having a dialogue and a conversation with a colleague regarding a gender item, but these,

These conversations and the text message and the voicemail especially, they specifically try to sway a voice. I have the floor. I have the floor.

I will give you an opportunity to respond in just one moment.

So I would be okay if maybe you wanted to take this back into your office. I'm not going to table this for any other reason, but I think maybe you might want to go back and re-look at this video. Or we don't have to, but I'm going to include this video to the Attorney General's office because I think this meeting proved my point that there was a clear violation of the open meeting law. Thank you.

Okay, Councilor Colón Hayes. No, that was it. Okay. I just wanted to clarify that I didn't say that. Understood. Okay, thanks. Okay, Councilor Simonelli.

Thank you, Madam President. Look, I think there's a fine line between, you know, lobbying your counselors to talk to her about something that you as a particular, even like board counselor, want to do something in your neighborhood or something like that, you can lobby your counselors to find it out. But I think that when there's a particular line item on the agenda and you're calling councils around to change things. I'll be honest, I was a little taken back because I feel as though that I was lied to right from the beginning because I was told that Lenny Iovino wanted this position. Lenny Iovino and I go way back to Lincoln Junior High and he was my seventh and eighth grade history teacher who actually inspired me to run for public office in the first place. So I was like tickled pink that the fact that, you know, Lenny Iovino would be wanting to come back

and do the school committee thing again, which I thought was kind of weird, too, because he's already done that, been there, done that type thing. So I didn't know if he'd really be excited to be doing it again. So I had called him. And he said that he was absolutely, positively not interested in that position. And I expressed that to Councilor Hayes. she just kinda just blew that off and said, well, we gotta change the procedure the way we do it anyway. And then to move forward onto that a little bit further, I don't know how you can sit up here and draw a conclusion that she would call up somebody like myself or somebody else that she doesn't normally talk to on a regular basis. and sway my vote, but she wouldn't do it for the counselors that she met that day who she's a little even more friendlier with.

How that topic wouldn't come up because I was under the impression that you were very heated about this discussion about Jeff Donahue getting this appointment and that we had a change that Lenny Iovino wanted. And then when I said that, I talked to Lenny. He didn't want it. He brushed it off and said, oh, we're going to change the procedure anyway. I think there's a way of doing that. And that's an ordinance. And you put the paperwork in and change the language on how the appointments are being done. But it's been a past practice. So that's how we always did things. But anyway, you could change it if you wanted to and you had the votes. But again, I find it kind of funny that how could you talk to somebody like myself, Councilor Condon, maybe somebody else up here, Crowe, that you don't normally talk to on a regular basis, and then the people that you do talk to on a regular basis. You didn't bring this thing up. And again, I'm not saying you did or you didn't. I just find it hard to believe.

Let's be realistic up here. I'm not trying to be Perry Mason or anybody's attorney here. And most of us aren't. Winslow has that luxury of being an attorney. The rest of us don't, but yeah. Oh, and Ryan O'Malley now. So what I'm saying though is that I just I just find that hard to believe and I think that like you know we need to make sure that we send a real strong message at some point in this city on you know people that sit up here you're one of 11 people that are elected and you know you got to follow the procedure I mean you know, you just, you know, you can't do things haphazardly in your own manner. You have to follow procedure. And when, you know, all right, once you say, okay, listen, you know, don't do that again. And, you know, but I think those things were already afforded. to Councilor Hayes at this point. And I'm not picking on her, man.

I'm just saying that things need to start, they need to start to change here. I mean, if we're gonna be a body that gets along with each other and move things forward, then, you know, Gotta start capitalizing on people when they make mistakes, and you can't make the mistakes so frequently, because you're held to a higher standard up here. And if you don't understand the procedure, you just can't go around doing anything you want, then just get out. if you can't follow the rules. The rules are for all of us, not just one of us, all of us. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Simonelli. Okay, I'm going to go to Councilor Colón Hayes, and then I think we need to start taking up a motion.

Thank you. just to respond to a couple of those things. First of all, I'm willing to learn all the time. Like I said, I wasn't calling willy nilly. I was counting. very clearly to say, OK, who I was going to talk to. That is why you're making so many assumptions and basing them on nothing. It's frustrating. basically I called the people and I was very clear about this and it's in the once you read it in the writing I called the people who had done a similar thing with Lisette's appointment so when Lisette had been appointed. a few counselors here must have called each other because somehow they all knew that there was something that, I'm trying to, somebody knew, whatever it was, they came to the floor. Whatever it was, people called each other to talk about some social media. I did not.

I did not claim anybody broke open meeting law. I did not go pointing fingers. I didn't like the outcome, but I was like, OK, let's move on. So the reason why I called them and you asked why didn't I talk to my friends? I called specifically the three councillors that I knew. Councilor Taylor was one that I knew talked about this. I wasn't calling Sica. So I've talked to the other ones who flipped their vote. So that is how I knew exactly. This is how I knew. Don't try and confuse me. And don't try and make things and assumption things that are true when they're not. I'm sick and tired of it. So you can laugh all you want. You can laugh and sit here and joke between each other, but it is serious. So the reason why it's very serious. And I mean, it's serious when you want it to be serious, because when open meeting laws are, you know, people make and so on. And I think the fun of open meeting law is when it's like done by the public and they're calling in, all of a sudden now it's a big serious thing, which it is,

Everybody here is a little bit hypocritical on that. So anyway, I am just going to end it with I thought I was doing what I could do. We are allowed to talk to people. We are allowed to call a certain amount of if you're not deliberating. That is what I did. And that is why I just called the ones I did. So you can all vote on whatever it is you need to do. And I have to like, if I learn from it, I will learn from it. I'm hoping that we all learn from it, but That's all we need to do.

Okay, it better be really quick.

It will. It will be. I'm sorry. Listen, I don't know. I got you. I see that now. I don't know anything you're talking about about Lissette. I didn't vote for her, not vote for her. I didn't know anything about her appointment. So if you're referring that to me, that you called the specific people that flipped on Lisette, I don't even know what you're talking about.

We're definitely not talking about Lisette tonight.

Oh, all right. But I'm just saying, I didn't do that. So I don't know if you... What are you... When did I do that?

All right. I'm going to shut this down. We need to start taking a motion. I'd like, Councilor O'Malley, you have.

I think that regardless of whether or not we table it or not table it, it's going to go to the Attorney General and they're going to look into things. The holidays are ahead of us. It's the end of the term. Do we really want to start in January talking about this again? I would move that we forward this to the Attorney General as recommended.

Okay, I hear a motion by Councillor O'Malley, seconded by Councillor Simonelli. Do we need to accept this and send it to the Attorney General or just to send it? Okay, that's fine. Do we need to take a roll call? All right, let's do a... All right, Councilor McDonald.

I'm happy to accept the report that our city solicitor produced and value that, you know, the labor that went into that and what we said. this discussion has raised significant questions for me. And so can we accept the report, forward this information to the Attorney General, and say that we have remaining questions that are out of our capacity to resolve? I'm fine with that. Can we do that?

Is it out of our capacity to resolve those questions?

I'm saying that's what I believe is that it is out of our capacity to be able to resolve with finality. We have your report. We have this meeting. We have the evidence from Councilor Sica. All of it will get forwarded to the AG. I'm just not comfortable saying I'm 100% agree that there were no violations. I don't feel like I can tell based on this conversation. So is it possible to do that in our response?

What I would suggest is in my report to explained to the Attorney General that after I presented my report, additional evidence came out and that the council wanted me to forward my report, but they still have Questions. Something to that effect.

Okay. I would support that.

Okay. I understand that. I think that sounds fine. Okay. So let's take a roll call.

So this is to, as we just said, send the report to the AG, accept it, but also include a note that there are further doubts because of additional evidence and information. Okay. Councilor Colón Hayes. Yes. Councilor Condon. Yes. Councilor Crowe. McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow, Linehan, that's 10-0, yeah.

Okay, so that is accepted and forwarded to the Attorney General. Okay, next order of business.

Got some enrolled papers. Paper 377-25, be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden MCC 6.0A.060, subsection B3, Off-site parking facilities is hereby amended by adding an annual between non-refundable and application and by striking $100 per vehicle and inserting the following. $200, a base fee of $100 for the first nine parking spaces, and $20 per each additional parking space over nine.

Okay, Councilor Winslow.

So I make a motion to ordain as enrolled, thank you.

Okay, on a motion by Councilor Winslow, seconded by Councilor Sica, the motion to ordain, the Clerk will call the roll.

Councilor Colón Hayes. Condon, Crowe, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow, Linehan, That's all yes.

The paper is ordained. Next order of business.

Paper 407-25, be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the code of the City of Malden MCC 6.08.100 subsection A to B. Used car dealers is hereby amended by striking it in its entirety and inserting the following in its place. Winslow. A release signed by the applicant authorizing city personnel to access the applicant's criminal record. There you go.

Councilor Winslow.

Motion to ordain as enrolled. Thank you.

Okay, on a motion by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Sica, the Clerk will call the roll.

Councillor Colón Hayes? Yes. Councillor Condon? Yes. Councillor Crowe? Yes. Councillor McDonald? Yes. Councillor O'Malley? Sica? Yes. Councilor Simonelli? Yes. Councilor Taylor? Yes. Councilor Winslow? Yes. Council President Linehan?

Yes.

That's 9-0.

9-0, okay, the paper is ordained. Next order of business.

Committee reports, paper 482-25. Committee report, the standing committee on license to whom was referred papers 430, and 431 and 449 through 452 series of 2025, having considered the same, make the following report.

Okay, on a motion by Councilor Sica, seconded by Councilor Colón Hayes to receive the committee report. All in favor? Aye. The committee report is received. Clerk, will you please read the papers? Yes.

Paper 430-25. Petition, Livery Company, Lexi Lane, Black Car, LLC, 64 Oliver Street, Malden, one vehicle, new, paper 431-25, petition Livery Driver, Jackson Voltaire, 64 Oliver Street, Malden, New. Paper 449-25, Petition Class 2, Hubstarters and Alternators, 172 Broadway, Malden, Four Cars, Renewal. Paper 450-25, Petition Class 2, Maxima Auto Sales Corp, 105-109 Broadway, Malden, 35 Cars, Renewal. Paper 451-25, Petition Class 2, Maxima Auto Sales 2, 77 Broadway, Malden, 66 Cars, Renault, and 452-25, Petition Class 2. Smart Buy USA Inc., 195 Broadway, Malden, 22 Cars Renewal.

Okay, Councilor Sica for the petitions. Thank you, Council President.

Okay, so the License Committee met earlier this evening to discuss these petitions. The Committee voted to pass these favorably, so I make a motion to grant the following licenses.

Okay, on a motion by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli. All in favor? Aye. Aye, all right. All opposed? Seeing none, those petitions are granted. Next order of business. We've got to go way over to this.

Paper 484-25, Committee Report. The Standing Committee on Personnel and Appointments to Whom is Referred, Paper 468, Series of 2025, having considered the same, make the following report.

Okay, on a motion by Councilor Crowe, seconded by Councilor Condon to receive the committee report. All in favor? Aye. The committee report is received. Clerk, will you please read the paper?

Paper 468-25, mayoral appointment. Denise. Balboni-Cowie, 81 Newland Street, Malden, as a member of the License Board, said term to commence upon confirmation by the City Council and to expire June 5th, 2026.

Thank you, Clerk. Okay, Councilor Crowe for the paper, for the committee.

Thank you, Madam President. We met with Ms. Balboni-Cowie earlier this evening. I feel like it was yesterday, but it was only earlier this evening. and she just really talked about her experiences as an administrator of an organization that does hold liquor licenses and her desire to be more civically engaged and involved in our community. And she talked about her approach really about being consistent in fairness when we looked at these licenses. And I think some questions are about enforcement and making sure that we have the best people. really overseeing these things to make Malden a strong community. So the committee voted unanimously to recommend this appointment. Yes.

Okay, so on a motion by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Simonelli. Okay, to confirm the appointment, we need a roll call.

Councillor Colón Hayes? Yes. Councillor Condon? Yes. Crowe, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow, Linehan.

Okay, so the appointment is confirmed. Next order of business, I think I will see if anybody has personal privilege. Okay, Councillor Simonelli.

Thank you very much. Appreciate it. I just wanted to just let everybody know that some of the festivities that are going on in Ward 7 We have this Friday at Suffolk Manor, we have our annual dinner and dance at the Suffolk Manor Community Room between six and eight. You're all invited. left all your invitations in the car, but I'm telling you personally, you're more than welcome to come. All right. And also, you know, I Been working with Councilor Sica on sending over some money to take care of some of the folks in Ward 7 on the toy drive. And I know they're doing some great work over there, so I just want to give them thumbs up and for taking care of my neighborhood in the last minute. I appreciate that. Amanda Linehan with your Mary Malden. Chuck's going to send you over some money or transfer some money in your account over there for when you guys need it for down the road. And

Also, I just want to congratulate Club 24. I'm donating the entertainment and my son is donating the food for their sober New Year's Eve dance that they're having over there. What is it? Celebrate Sober, you gotta love that. So I'll be there, my son will be there, I think they're doing, you're gonna be there? All right, it's your neighbor, that's right, you'll be there. And I think they're doing a memorial for, for Allen Campbell, I think, too, that night. And I think Paul Campbell's going to try and make it down from his baseball agenda. So, yeah, those are just some of the few things that are going on. the Ward 7 area. So thank you very much for everybody's help. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Great. Thank you. Councillor McDonald. Thank you. I just want to recognize that we did something historic. tonight, which is this is the first time Malden has put an override question on the ballot to go out to vote. And I want to just appreciate everybody who has contributed. Every single member of this body has contributed to that. so many staff, so many residents and say that, yeah, we absolutely are gonna have to keep talking about it. So we are, there now becomes a campaign side and a public, and appropriate things to talk about in our official capacity side. And in that side, I do want to say I hope and plan to have many public forums I think particularly at our schools across the city so we get the biggest range of folks possible. We know the schools have a big, so much of this override is related to our investment in the schools.

So I just want to say if any of you are interested in working together on that, I'm happy to do that. I'm also talking to the mayor's team, making sure that we have representation from the mayor or other members of his administration to be able to to do that. So we're going to keep talking a lot about it. Look forward to that in the new year. And if you're interested in collaborating, please do that. Please reach out to me. I'd be happy to do that. Does someone else have the menorah lighting on there? Okay, Councilwoman. Then I you know, I did just want to make sure that we recognize it's been it's been a long year and we have two members of our body to thank for their service as council president this year. Thank you, Councilor O'Malley. And thank you, Councilor Linehan. It's a lot of work. And I also want to make sure that, of course, we just recognize that this is the final meeting for Councilor Spadafora after 22 years on the council. And while There is probably much more gratitude due from this community.

I'm sorry, I just want to make sure that that gets recognized as part of this closing meeting, that he's dedicated many years of service, faithful service, to this city. Yes, 22, I did say 22. And many of you know even better than I, but just want to make sure that we extend our words of appreciation to him for his service and wish him well on his Tuesday nights going forward.

Thank you, Councilor McDonald. Councilor Winslow.

Yeah, I just want to, I know a few weeks back, Zonta came, and we recognized the silence related to domestic violence. Unfortunately, a very and fortunate situation, Rob Reiner, the actor and director, killed in a domestic violence situation. So it just shows how that touches everybody in all facets of life. just a sad moment, someone who's brought a lot of joy to people's life to just to have that. So it's again, just kind of humbling to think of there's a lot of people who don't get recognized that way, but domestic violence hits everybody. I appreciate Zalta bringing that forward. Just there is our Jewish community is coming here on Sunday, the 21st to celebrate. We do have our menorah, city menorah here. It's been lit, there's gonna be another lighting, especially on the 21st.

At 5.30 there'll be some activities and food and at 6.30 there'll be lighting of the next candle. So some come out and celebrate that. and just everybody, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we come in. This is our last meeting before the end of the year. On behalf of the council, yes. On behalf of the council, so yes. So everybody enjoy. that time with family and friends. And we'll be, Chris and Simonelli will be, and I and Peg and Barbara Murphy will be over at Club 24 enjoying fun, not me, I can't do caffeine. So it's not only an alcohol-free night, it's a caffeine-free night for me. Flavored water. Right, that's flavored water. We'll be having a good time over at Club 24. It's always a great time. And it's great to celebrate times without having alcohol or other things involved. It's fun.

Family and friends is what we're gonna get high on, so great, thanks.

Oh my God. Boy, I hope nobody's watching anymore. That was so bad, Ryan put his light off. Colón Hayes.

Thank you. I know this is a little bit away, but I wanted to make sure that people put it in their calendar because last year when we had the Martin Luther King Day Junior Celebration there were conflicting events. So this year, the team, the planning committee met and we have the date for Sunday, January 18th at the Emmanuel Baptist Church. It is from three to six. We already have our keynote speaker, which is Dr. Carl B. Mack. We're going to have youth performers and more. So just please put that in your calendar, and hopefully we'll see you all there. Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Councilor Colón Hayes. We do have one more item on the agenda before we can adjourn. So, Clerk, will you please read our next order of business?

Yes. Paper 485-25. Order that the City Council will vote whether to go into executive session with legal counsel for the city for the purpose of Exemption 3, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 30A, Section 21A3, for the purpose of discussing strategy as to possible future litigation related to grants where such discussion in open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigation position of the city. if so, declared by the chair. And if so, allowed by the body to admit Maria Louise, Special Assistant to the Mayor, and Alex Pratt, Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development.

Okay, thank you to our Clerk. So citing Exemption 3 on Mass General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21A, wherein discussing paper 485-25 in open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the city's litigating position. I'd be looking for a motion to enter executive session. Motion. Okay, on a motion by Councilor Crowe, seconded by Councilor Sica, the Clerk will now call the roll.

Colón Hayes, Condon, Crowe, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Councilor Winslow, Councilor Linehan?

Yes.

Okay, that passes eight to two.

Okay, so the council will now enter into executive session. the body will not reconvene for any further business this evening and we will recess to the call of the chair directly from executive session.