Malden City Council 10/20/2026

Okay, is it 713? 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, Liberty and Justice for all. Please remain standing for a moment of silence in honor of our veterans service members and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We honor and acknowledge the Massachusetts, Pennacook, and Pawtucket peoples whose ancestral lands we now call home and on which we gather today. We express gratitude to the indigenous peoples who have cared for this land for generations predating European colonization and continuing to the present. Moving forward, we are committed to ensuring that the histories voices and contributions of indigenous peoples are recognized and respected in the life of our city. Clerk will you please call the roll?

O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, I believe she's with us, but just out of the room at the moment right now. Council Winslow and Council President Linehan here.

Thank you, Clerk. Next, 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 please just be aware that there will be audio and video recording of tonight's meeting Is anyone else present tonight who is recording in addition to Uma? If you are, could you please identify yourself just wave your hand. Okay seeing none we'll move on to our first order of business which is guests citizens achievement and announcements Oh, let me put your microphone on. One second.

Members of the Climate Action and Sustainability Commission will appear before the council to present on the commission's first annual progress report evaluating the implementation of the city's climate action plan. Welcome. Oh my goodness. I honestly don't know why it keeps doing that, I apologize.

Okay bear with us just one moment while we get our projector going.

I'm gonna report this while you're talking, I'm going to report this to IT, it keeps going in and out and I don't now why but we are on and people at home can still see us even if our projector goes off. Perfect. Okay, good to know.

Can you guys hear me okay?

Yes, thank you.

Good evening, members of the City Council and the residents of Malden. My name is Ricky. I am the chair for the Climate Action and Sustainability Commission, CASC and I've been a resident at Malden for the past seven years, engineer of trade. Very happy to be here today to talk to you guys about the Climate Action Plan and the progress reports on on what we have done in the past year. And I'll hand it over to Becca for introductions.

Becca McPheater, Sustainability and Grants Manager in OSPCD.

And Amanda Treat, Vice Chair of the CASC.

So I wanted to maybe start off by talking a little bit about what the CAS is. So like many of the other commissions in Malden, we are a resident-led volunteer commission Our mission is to oversee the implementation of the Climate Action Plan that was completed in September of 2024. So we're just about a year old now, and so what you see here today is actually the culmination of the efforts from many of the city departments. And so I wanted to start off by acknowledging the hard work These departments, including OSPCD, DPW, public facilities, inspection services, engineering, tree warden and who helped drive many of these efforts forward. I also wanted to acknowledge the supports that we have received from the Mayor as well

many of the city councilors here, your support in the presence at our cast meetings as well as partnerships in advancing many of our priorities. I also wanted to acknowledge the external partnerships that we have with Mystic River Watershed Association, Friends of the Malden River, Bike to Sea, MAPC and UMA. And so yeah jumping right in then let's talk through some of the progress that we have made this year

I'm already here. All right, so we're going to start with some quick but very important wins this is The five different buckets that we have focused the Malden Climate Action Plan on. So you see champion good governance, and I'm just going to read really quickly some of the highlights here since 2016 The City of Malden has reduced our municipal energy by 30%. That is a heck of an accomplishment, so we're celebrating that. We have also added seven Municipal Electric Vehicles as well as four municipal EV chargers, those charging stations. And since the publishing of the Climate Action Plan which was summer 2024 We have brought in $15.8 million to this community for climate and energy projects That is the hard work of people in this room, people outside of this room.

If you helped write one of those applications, if you brought in some of the grant funding, thank you. You have made this community better for that exemplified how important that is to Malden. We also have Achieving Net Zero and Building Energy Sorry, I'm reading and it is very tiny. So this is... Kudos to the Malden residents. There were over 1,000 home energy assessments done in 2025 as well as 425 weatherization projects that is keeping people cool in the summer It is keeping people warm in the winter and it's helping lower energy costs. Also near and dear to my heart, we have had 243 installations of heat pumps. I love a good heat pump. So once again, Malden residents really stepping up and yeah great progress there just in 2025 alone.

For accelerating sustainable transportation this is another focus area of the Climate Action Plan We have room to do opportunity for more action here, but we did recently add seven shaded bus shelters for the comfort of people who are taking and many more. We also added transportation around the city in a sustainable way, also added blue bike stations looking for more of those as well so people really are using The next area of focus is enhancing community resilience. The focus there is with communication, education and any events that can bring our residents together We did, as the cast start a newsletter that is currently going out to 162 subscribers. If you're not subscribed please join us like and subscribe

The people you see here are often drafting those newsletters, so we'd love to get our voice out to more people in Malden. I'll actually lengthen this one a little bit. When we did the Climate Action Plan, the input we got from Malden residents is they really wanted a farmer's market It's in the plan. You need a farmers market people more sick of driving out of town to get local produce We have a farmer's market we're calling out here that there were 13 of them in 2025 it's still going on in 2026 so you can go tomorrow So that's a great success and really met the needs of what people in Malden were asking for. We also have some metrics that came out of the Green Malden Fair that we've been having every April, you see tons of textiles collected We have been pushing composting, which is great for lowering carbon footprints for individuals and restoring our soil health. And then finally the fifth area of focus is mitigating heat and flooding impacts.

So we have planted a lot of trees, over 1,000. We have water bottle filling stations that'll help people stay cool and reduce those single-use plastic water bottles and we have the adopt a storm drain program, which we have seen a lot of Malden residents joining in participating in. And that's keeping the flooding out of the streets so... All in all, these are quick wins. We are about to go into more detail on each of these areas but just wanted to call out that was a lot of work from the entire city residents, city staff. Great job and with that I'm going to pass it to Becca to talk about champion good governance

Thanks. Yeah, so the last thing I'll just point out about this slide is these are really easy statistics for us to grab and so every year we plan to update these numbers so that we have points of comparison. champion good governance. So this is the first goal outlined in our climate action plan, and it's really about like the city setting a good example in terms of taking climate action especially as it relates to decarbonizing our municipal buildings and fleets and so this is a lot of the work that Eric Rubin does in public facilities with green communities funding, incentives and other grant funds. So, one project that we're highlighting here is he recently was able to add heat pumps to a municipal facility on Oliver Street. But then we actually just... He and I had been working on a grant the Green School Works grant, and we got awarded 1.95 million to be able to put in heat pumps at Ferryway.

The next pillar is achieving net zero in building energy. The focus here for this one is really around the residents' buildings and energy consumptions here, Really two things that we want to highlight here. So earlier this year, we have received the So Smart Bronze designation. It is a nationally recognized program that basically helps cut through the red tape and make it easier, streamlining the process for residents and commercials to do solar installations. So we'll be looking at next year to see how we can further advance the destination there and also wanted to talk a little bit about the Malden Community Electricity. So huge effort there for the past two years, and so

Cumulatively, we have reduced about 21 million pounds of CO2 between the two years that the program has been running. and also saving the residents over $4 million in terms of electricity costs compared to a national grid basic service. So huge win there, reducing the emissions and saving money for the residents.

I'm going to jump back in and talk about the transportation goal outlined in the Climate Action Plan. So for this goal, we highlight a lot of the grant funding that the city has received in the last year for transportation projects specifically We also call out the Northern Strand Master Plan, which is a plan that OSPCD is finalizing right now. kind of guide safety improvements and enhancements on the Northern Strand in the years to come. We again are shouting out Blue Bikes expansion, we added a bunch of blue light bike stations and we're still planning to add more We've added a bunch of bus shelters in the city and we're working with the MBTA to improve bus networks. That's the I guess that was over two slides, but.

All right and for enhancing community resilience we had spoken about how it is to bring people together at events for education and communication We supported a youth climate summit that took place, I believe in this room, that Friends of the Malden River and Myra had sponsored. The Cask Fellow was the key speaker at that event. We currently are the recipients. We are one of three cities in Massachusetts that received a Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund Award. $50,000 that they gave us that we're going to be distributing to Malden residents between the age of 15 and 24 for projects that they have pitched to us. We are in progress deciding who is winning those awards Very exciting, they're gonna be doing all that work here in Malden. We got a whole variety of projects that we're really looking forward to. So coming soon, keep an ear out.

We spoke about the farmer's market and then also calling out that we partnered with Chelsea on a heat pump pizza party I love our heat pumps and people got to learn about them, learn about incentives available for putting one in your home. And you got to eat pizza so wonderful win-win-win. We spoke about the newsletter and we also have the city website that we're updating with more information for residents. There's the Malden Library of Things, which is a great resource for everybody who lives here in Malden adding new items to it all the time. And Project Spotlight here we're calling out the Green Malden Fair, which will be coming again next April approximately around Earth Day. And finally, the mitigating heat and flooding impacts here in Malden. A lot of projects underway we had a working group for this specifically

so ways of keeping people cool when the urban heat island effect, if you've ever like me walked a dog up Main Street in the summer you know that is very very hot. So anywhere we can add drinking fountains where we can ad shading where we Tree Canopy to just cover and prevent all that heat from having that impact on our residents. There's lots of great work going on over at Forestdale Cemetery, which is now an arboretum officially and Chris Rosa has been doing permeable pavement projects there as well. So lots of cool things that are underway, and more to come for mitigating heat and flooding impacts but finally the newest jewel in our crown, The Malden River Works Project which many of you were at the grand opening two weeks ago. Very exciting, what a great space and resource for all Malden residents.

And yeah I'm not gonna repeat any of the speeches that were made at that event but that is just a wonderful new thing that we have so... With that, some more of the progress from Ricky.

Yeah so amongst all the highlights we have also done a lot of work in all these areas Each of those pillars, we have many additional strategies that will be implementing through the next few years. And we have a high level progress report on each one of those diving too much into the specifics. So maybe for this year, I'll just highlight a few of the ones that we have completed this year so far. First one is about the third row down on the achieving so smart designation. We have completed that and we'll look to see how we can do more on it, throughout the pillars, and then I also wanted to highlight two additional ones. We have also completed our first pocket forest, so very exciting news there.

And obviously the last one here is the modern river works project that Amanda just talked about also very exciting. So yeah, this is I'll open up the floor to any questions but exciting progress so far.

Wonderful thank you so much that was an excellent presentation I already see a few lights on, no surprise.

I'm going to start with Councilor McDonald. Thank you all so much for being here and I just want to say as the council liaison who sees this committee work you know, week in and out month in and now I this is just one of the hardest working committees in the city with such dedicated members who bring so many professional and personal and so on. leaders, many folks around the council table have been involved in these projects and that ability to just catalyze excitement and many more. just huge kudos. I want to just ask one thing and highlight one thing,

The thing I want to highlight that you didn't quite talk about is a project we're still working on right now, which is to create clean energy coaches which are residents who will help other residents navigate all of these complicated questions about what you can do with your house, what you could do to get access to solar or renewable power, which can reduce your electricity bill. With a specific focus on helping folks who are renters or connecting with landlords, because that's a huge portion of Malden and some real attention to language access. So it's not only in English this stuff is really hard to figure out if you are an educated and so on. So that's a program like if you know folks who are interested and might be interested in doing that to get in touch with us about that. And I just wanted to ask you, could you tell the good people watching this how to sign up for the newsletter if they were so interested?

Yes. Go to cityofmalden.org slash green malden and there's a sign up box on that page.

Thank you. And I will just note, two thirds of Malden's greenhouse gases come from buildings and it's by far the biggest source so it's just really great to see the progress that's happened there in terms of getting You know, it's always possible to make sure you get an assessment from MassSave or HomeWorks and that we really want to keep those up because as this council knows since you passed a resolution on this, this is one of the best sources of funding to keep this money up. and this momentum up from the state. So we really wanna keep that energy up as much as we can, thank you so much.

Thank you, Councilor McDonald. Councilor Winslow?

Yeah no I really want to thank y'all for this work. I know just so many residents, we get involved overwhelmed by you know, discussion about climate change and sustainability. So the great thing is this is showing that taking tangible steps both small and large are possible here in Malden and those accumulate. So I think that's the great thing in the breadth of it so, and I'm really excited to hear about the Bloomberg grant and youth so definitely Let us know, and we'd love to have those youth come and talk to us when that opportunity comes. And of course make sure they connect as necessary with us as counselors to see how we can help out on stuff. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Winslow.

Councillor Colón Hayes? Thank you so much. I just wanted to thank you for all your great work. I've seen you at so many events tabling getting information out and honestly doing Great work of making sure the community knows what you're doing. Sometimes we set up committees and, you know, we don't hear too much that there's work going on but you don't see it front facing to the community so I really appreciate that thank you very much for all your hard work

Thank you, Councillor Colón Hayes. Councillor Simonelli?

Thank you, Madam President. I'm just going to echo my colleagues. That was a very nice presentation. It seems like you're doing a lot of work. The amount of money that you save in the city, the gases that you're keeping down and the education that you are doing out there is it's wonderful to see. So just keep up the good work and we appreciate you guys, thank you so much.

Thank you Councilor Simonelli. Councilor O'Malley?

Yes, and great job. Obviously these tangible benefits are amazing. And it's also the fact that you guys are getting out there into the community This message starts becoming more and more awareness, which I think is the biggest thing that you guys are really providing. So thank you for that. I know on there you kind of showed like trends, what it was like before when it comes to trees Do you have data of what, like from before the cap for the other things? Like home energy assessments or the reduction in energy efficiency. It'd be good to see the trends over time just so we know like where were we, where are we at now in year to year? It sounds like going forward you're gonna track that. It would just be really great to get all the data before and then after. Maybe you have it.

Yeah, that's something that we can definitely get. Cool, thank you so much.

Great. Thank you, Councilor O'Malley. Well I would just say from the chair this was like I said an excellent presentation and also we would really welcome you to come back if you have other updates even interim. You know don't wait until it's another annual report or whatever your next expected update is and also if there's things that the council can do to spread the word on incentives or programs that you have, please let us know. I think a lot of the things that you shared here are things we get questions about whether it's how to request or suggest a location for a blue bike station or wanting information Heat pumps, decarbonization or really all these programs are things that I think our constituents speaking for myself ask about a lot. So definitely make sure folks sign up for the newsletter thank you for sharing URL, and please come back and keep us informed and let us know how we can just spread the word about what you have going on. It's great work. Thank you so much. Okay, next order of business is public comment.

Public comments allowed under council rules. Each speaker is limited to the subject matter 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 public comment tonight?

We do. We have one person in-person and six emails so Katie Dillon would be first.

Okay come on up Katie. and please introduce yourself. You can give your name and your street or your full address, it's up to you.

Okay. Katie Dillon, 198 Mount Vernon. So I'm here tonight to voice my support for updating our inclusionary zoning and I hope the City Council will adopt this proposal this evening. Last time I was here, I heard some concerns about lowering the affordability percentage. And lowering the affordable percentage will allow us to actually build affordable and market rate housing which we sorely need in this community and in others. It seems like we can revisit this part if needed at a later time, if the market changes. But right now we're accomplishing nothing by keeping the affordability rate where it is. Homelessness and housing insecurity are both increasing especially among our elderly population One of the antidotes to this is creating more housing and this new change will allow us to do that. Thanks so much.

Thank you.

Okay, and you said we have some emails as well? We do, yes. So the first one is from John Sayah, 37 Pierce Street. Dear Malden City Council, I write to oppose Papers 393-26 and 394-26 which would redirect funding from Roosevelt Park to Malden River Works. Lead was discovered at Roosevelt Park in 2019, forcing part of the field to be fenced off Appreciable lead was also found throughout the field, yet years have passed and thousands of children and residents continue to use it for recess sports birdwatching walking in play. they have been failed by the mayor, the council, the school committee and those who have called themselves advocates for environmental justice. While aware that children were being exposed to lead in a historically redlined neighborhood, the city and its partners committed to raising more than $13 million for waterfront property in an isolated commercial corridor instead.

In response to tonight's proposal, I ask the following. that Councilor-at-Large Karen Colón Hayes recuse herself from the waterfront matters because of her role with Mystic River Watershed Association and concerns about her objectivity on this issue. Number two, halt further funding of Malden River Works until Roosevelt Park's lead problem is addressed. Exhaust every effort to recover funds already transferred from Roosevelt Park and ask RiverWorks leadership to seek donor approval, to redirect remaining funds towards Roosevelt Park remediation. Number three, provide the public with a complete accounting of RiverWorks expenditures funding sources conditions and projected total cost and conduct a full audit of its long-term maintenance and financial obligations. Number four, conduct a public safety walkthrough of the waterfront Finally, the school committee and parents should not remain silent.

Malden should not settle for anything less than full soil replacement three feet down across the entirety of Roosevelt Park No amount of lead is safe, and while that may not be practical we can definitely do better. Sincerely, John Saye at 37 Pierce Street The next one is from Sean Bonu, 47 Parkins Ave. I am submitting public comments on two agenda items for tonight's City Council. They are split as below regarding paper 434-26. I urge the council to approve the proposed inclusionary zoning updates. We have been generating affordable units at far too slow a rate, and looking at our neighboring municipalities proves this isn't solely due to current marking conditions we can ensure do better. Regarding paper 433-26, please follow the committee's recommendations in updating the use regulations. In fact we should go even further in streaming these

For instance, we should also allow restaurants in neighborhood business without requiring a special permit. The next one is for Marsha Monong 296 Bryan Street. Dear City Councilors, as a member of MRW Steering Committee and a potential recipient of the repurposed Roosevelt Park funds I want to share my perspective While I appreciate that Malden River Works needs additional funding to complete the park, I do not support taking resources away from another community project if they are needed for them to finish their project. It was never Malden River Works' intention to compete for funding against another community project. Instead, collaborating with other neighborhood projects and sharing lessons learned is a staple of this project. Malden Rivers Works promotes centering community voices in ensuring that equity is an essential component of our processes and outcomes.

Given the sensitivity around the Roosevelt Park project, a roundtable discussion inclusive of all stakeholders to find mutually beneficial solutions would have been a better path forward before submitting recommendations to the City Council. While I appreciate the efforts of the Finance Committee and support from Mayor Christensen, when municipal processes eliminate community voices we have lost the plot of what community and civic engagement is all about not allowing community members to speak at committee meetings where recommendations to the council are made is a clear example of silencing the voices of those most affected. I am not saying the Malden River Works project doesn't need or want the repurposed funds, What I am saying is your process was not conducive to building trust between residents and local government. I am also aware, as with the Malden River Works project, the longer it takes to complete, the higher the cost will be.

The Malden River Works Project is not a competitor to the Roosevelt Park project and we want to ensure that both our communities view this process of repurposing funding thus far as fair. Thank you for this opportunity to express my concern, Marsha Menon Dear Council Members, the Friends of Roosevelt Park would like to address the two items on the council agenda concerning the transfer funds from Roosevelt Park Revitalization Project to the Malden River project. because the Roosevelt Park project is currently in the process of removing contaminated soil and as far from completion, we believe it is premature to transfer these funds. Given that cost overruns are common in construction projects, we're concerned about how such expenses would be covered if this budget is depleted. Additionally, we would like to formally request that funding be set aside to restore the park's former outdoor classroom

This space, which was fenced off in 2019 previously featured raised planting beds fruit trees and benches that served as a vital community asset for the children at the Salem Wood School. It was also set to be named after a Salem Wood student, Khalil, who had passed away. He loved the outdoor classroom and could often be found there hanging out with some friends. the Friends of Roosevelt Park have maintained consistent communication with the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, the Mayor's office in the ward and at-lodge counselors regarding updates on the timeline for soil remediation. and to be notified when there would be new planning committee. While we are pleased that the contamination is being addressed, we have been informed that any future park redesign including drainage repairs will require a comprehensive planning process involving all stakeholders.

We remain fully committed to participating in these discussions, however we are concerned that without a dedicated budget for potential overruns of the current project and the restoration of the outdoor classroom, the long-term vision for the park's utility may be compromised. We appreciate your consideration of these priorities and look forward to your support. Sincerely, Friends of Roosevelt Park." and this next one is from Mark Connors, 480 Main Street. Honorable City Council members I appreciate the opportunity to comment on city council agenda items 335-26 related to proposed changes to Malden's inclusionary zoning ordinance scheduled for consideration this evening. Although I fear the proposed changes do not go far enough, I support the amendments to the ordinance recommended by OSCPD as they represent an improvement over the existing ordinance language and hopefully a starting point for continued enhancements.

Today, Malden has a virtual ban on mixed use and multifamily development. There is not a single mixed-use or residential project under construction in downtown Malden today. There has not been one constructed for years. By comparison, Melrose currently has seven transit-oriented mixed use and multifamily developments under construction. Everett and Revere each have several hundred multifamily units currently under construction The City of Chelsea recently enacted the West Chelsea Overlay District which eliminates city parking requirements for all projects located within and exempts all development under 100 units from inclusionary zoning mandates. The city is marketing the proposed changes to developers and is currently considering eliminating parking requirements citywide Chelsea is courting developers, a site tour October 1st and meetings on dropping parking minimums. And then he entered a link. to a webpage.

Although Malden's proposed changes do not go nearly as far as Chelsea's, they do represent the step in the right direction and I hope you will vote to approve them. Thank you Mark Connors. And and finally we have Mark Nolan from 12 Fairmont Street. Inclusionary zoning, please adopt the amendments and keep parking reductions. The city's consultant found that virtually no market rate development of eight or more units has moved forward in Malden since 2021. When you look at our neighbors like Everett, Medford, or even Melrose, that is wild. 15% of zero is zero. A 10% requirement at 60% AMI is a reasonable bar that more projects can clear. Parking is what I care about most. Minimums are a floor, not a cap. Builders can still provide parking where residents want it but a minimum forces every project to build it anyway. And that cost drives up rents, list prices and prices of affordable units this ordinance is meant to create.

On Malden's small sites, a parking requirement is often the difference between a project getting off the ground or one that stalls immediately. The city planner's memo cites about two vehicles per household, that describes our existing mostly single and two family housing not new apartments near Malden Center, Oak Grove or on bus routes. The same data shows roughly 2,300 households with no car registered who pay for parking through their rent anyway nearby cities have eliminated parking minimums entirely, but still have projects that include parking where it makes sense. Please adopt the reduced minimums as written I also support keeping the location incentive, which opens up most of the city to small affordable projects with full planning board review. Use regulations, please adopt. Requiring special permits for dental offices, restaurants or convenience stores in business district add cost and delay and contributes to vacant storefronts.

We must solve this. Thank you for your time. Mark Nolan, 12 Fairmont Street And that is all of them.

Okay and those will each be attached to the relevant papers? That is correct. Okay great thank you so much Our next order of business is the consent agenda. This evening's consent agenda consists of meeting minutes to be approved and two papers to be referred to finance. Does any counselor have a desire to remove any of these items from the consent for the purpose of further discussion? Okay, hearing none and seeing none. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? Okay on Councilor McDonald's motion to approved the consent Agenda seconded by Councilor Winslow all in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay, seeing none the agenda is approved next order of business.

Council will hold public hearings on national good petitions to install new poles and underground conduits we have two of them this evening The first one is paper 429-26, petition Massachusetts Electric Company DBA National Grid Plan number 31120327. Updated September 28th, 2026. National Grid to install one sole owned pole on Pearl Street, beginning at a point approximately 115 feet south of the center line of the intersection of Medford and Pearl Street. National Grid To Install New Sole Pole sole owned pole 355-1 for future riser pole. Also, National Grid to install underground facilities on Pearl Street beginning at a point approximately 20 feet north of the center line of the intersection of Medford and Pearl Street in continuing approximately 175 feet in a south direction.

National Good is petitioning to install two 5-inch ducts from existing MH605-1 South, approximately 175 to a new riser pole on the east side of Pearl Street.

Okay, thank you to the Clerk I'm going to put on the podium microphone if you could both introduce yourselves and then give a brief overview of this petition then I'll open the hearing and after that we can take questions from the council. I'll of course go to the ward councillor first, but you please introduce yourselves to get us started.

Good evening everyone my name is Zane. My name is Mazen Kamel.

Welcome to you both thank you for being here.

Thank you. So just going into a little bit more detail about these two petitions, one of them is for an overhead.

Oh sorry can you take them one at a time? We did only introduce the first one. Sorry I should have prefaced that.

This is just the Medford Street and Pearl Street one, and then we're going to take up the other one after we... First things first. So we're talking right now about Medford and Pearl street?

Are you talking about both the Underground and the Overhead or just the Underground?

Both parts of the project, but only on that one first petition. Just Pearl Street? Okay.

So we're installing one pole on Pearl Street, and that's going to be a SO-owned pole. The reason for this work is because we are reconductoring our cable going from the original both 355, which is the original pole that rises down to the manhole. The reason we can't replace the cable there is because our conduit is too small. It's a four inch. We need a five inch for the cable and we can't replace the existing conduit because MWRA won't give us the permit, because we're getting too close to their right of way. So that's the reason we're installing a pole across the street to run new conduits from that pole to the manhole.

Okay. Do we have any clarifying questions before I open the hearing? Okay, Councilor Condon do you want to speak before we open the Do you have any, just clarifying questions before we open the hearing. We can discuss after.

Are you the gentleman that redesigned the original

I did not redesign it, this was not my design. I did meet you on site though back when I came first for the initial petition that was tabled.

Just so the council knows The first drawing was like a zigzag.

I remember.

You know, it was... So I worked with our city engineer and they... decided to redraw this conduit and telephone poles. It just was going to be a mess down there, so I thank you for that. It's a much cleaner project now.

Yeah, I remember they were putting more poles on West side of the street.

On the other side, right?

Yeah and now we're instead only putting one pole on the other.

They were putting two poles in front of one house We were... Which was a disaster. I don't remember if it was two or one, but we... Yeah, it was at 363 Pearl Street.

Yep, that's correct.

Which they straightened out.

Yeah, they took them off there.

And we've re-noticed this, right? This is a re...

Yes.

Okay.

It was done from square one.

Done, okay. Understood. Are you all set, Councilor Condon? Yeah. That's a helpful clarification. I'll go to Councilor O'Malley.

I have your plans up. Can you walk me through where is the power coming from and where is it going? Which direction?

Do you have the sketchup?

I do. Do you want me on the overhead one or the underground one?

Whichever, I think they're both the same. So if you see new poll 354-50-1 in the bottom? P355-1 354-50-1. It's right next to 392 Pearl Street. I do not see that. ICP 354 That's on the right of it.

You're sure it's not 355? Can I come up there? Yeah, you can look at that.

Is there an issue with the agenda?

We don't really know. Hold on, I'm going to look when this was stamped This was stamped in September. It does actually say August 11th. Yeah, what is it? Hold on. I see a stamp for September 28th or maybe 30th?

26, right. It says full 355-1. 355 dash 1. Okay. Yeah, I just have the older date. I have the day from August but I have to write one over here as well.

So just to clarify are the plans that we have attached to our agenda the correct ones?

It's the same it's just a poll number was different, that's it. Okay so...

So from 355-1, the power is coming from that hole?

That's where the power's coming from. It rises down or siphons underground and goes all the way to manhole 605- 1 and that's where it reconnects to the existing underground service.

Great, and what's feeding 3551? Because I don't see anything showing overhead lines connecting to that pole Is it coming from underground or?

The new pole. What's feeding the new pole? Yeah, where is the power coming from? It's coming from the pole across the street which is Pole 355.

Oh yeah, and the plans just don't show that overhead. That's an overhead wire?

That's overhead wire which we don't need to petition for. We just need to position anything we're installing on the ground.

Oh I see.

Okay so you're aware of that? Okay thank you.

Okay, so seeing no other questions I'm going to begin the hearing. So I'll declare the public hearing open. Anyone wishing to speak in favor of the petition please come forward state your name and address for the record Are you speaking in favor?

Good evening. I'm not speaking for or against, but I do want to make a point that we received calls at the mayor's office from the Malden Islamic Center who had concerns about work being done near 405 Pearl Street on Fridays when they're having their prayer service. So the mayor was able to speak to John Prudente, and John Castro, and they've agreed not to do work on Fridays. I think it's a three week project is my understanding. And they've agree not to work on Friday at all so... I want to make sure if it can be a condition put on that, that conditions. Understood. Thank you.

Okay let me just make a note of that Okay, anyone else wishing to speak in favor? Okay, hearing none and seeing none. Oh, I'm sorry, Councilor Condon.

Okay, thank you. The original drawing I was dead set against it. It was ridiculous what they wanted us to do, but you know, I'm just happy you worked with our city engineer and he got them to redraw the, it's a much better project now that I can support. So as a councilor, I do support this. Okay.

Thank you, Councilor Condon. Seeing no one else wishing to speak in favor I'll declare that portion of the hearing closed. Anyone wishing to speak in opposition to the petition please come forward and state your name and address for the record. Anyone wishing Okay, seeing and hearing none I'll declare that portion of the hearing closed. Do I have a motion to grant? So moved by Councilor Condon, seconded by Councilors Simonelli with the following conditions. One, that the engineer be called when DigSafe is notified. Number two, that streets and sidewalks be restored to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works. And number three, that there be no work on Fridays. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay, that petition is granted.

Next order of business we have one more petition.

paper 430-26 petition, Massachusetts Electric Company DBA National Grid and Verizon New England Incorporated plan number 31348669. National Grid to relocate two joint-owned poles on Lynn Street beginning at a point approximately 135 feet southwest of the center line of the intersection of Lynn Street and Oliver Street. and continuing approximately nine feet in a southwest direction. National grid to replace or relocate pole 2043 about nine feet southeast and National Grid to replace or relocate pole 2044 about five feet southwest.

Okay? please feel free to introduce this petition.

So, this one is part of the MWRA project that's going on in the area. We're doing underground work and our poles are too close to where they're doing the work. So there's the option of doing a pole hold or relocating the fold, Unfortunately, with them being that close to our poles we can't have a pole hold out there so we will have to relocate those two poles a little bit backwards. That way it's further away from where they're doing the work. So, pole 2043. That one is moving about a foot and a half to two feet into the grass area right beyond that sidewalk. I know Councilor Winslow brought it up that's part of the MBTA By the way, I did look into it. My MAS GIS does not state that's part of the MBTA.

On my end, it ends where the Riviera line ends which is right next to where the It's about where 551 Main Street ends. That other section does not show for me that is part of the MBTA. But either way, we are only going into about two feet right after that sidewalk so it shouldn't be... It should still be city right away. and another pole, Pole 2044 is moving to the end of the sidewalk about nine feet back.

I'm going to go to Councilor Sica to speak on the petition, but I do want to hear from the Clerk because I know we had some correspondence about the right-of-way earlier today.

So I don't have any issue with 2044 By looking at this plan, I didn't see a problem with it until Councilor Winslow brought it up. So I would request maybe we table 2043 until we can get some clarification as to who technically owns the land that the proposed location is going to? Okay.

Did you want to speak to that, or do you...

So my office spoke with the assessor. Okay. And he looked it up in GIS and came back and was very confident that this is not Malden property it was just a matter of who owned the land and who owns the right away. And so, um, the assessor's office is in agreement that we don't have the authority to speak on this, to grant this petition.

Well, how far away from a sidewalk does the city own? Because I know there's maybe a foot or two feet after a sidewalk where the city still owns that property. So like for example People can't build right on the sidewalk, all right? They have to be two feet away from the sidewalk because that's still technically city ride-away. So this still falls within a foot and a half to two feet where any other city would say that's still city-owned property or a city owned right away.

In the right of way. It's in the right-of-way, it's not on the sidewalk. It looks like it's being moved from the sidewalk to the right hand side of the property line which is in the Right of Way Do we have to table the whole petition? Are you able to do one poll without doing both of them at the same time? They are connected to each other.

Either way, MWARA can't proceed with the work even if you approve one poll we still have to move the other poll.

I don't think it makes sense to have a hearing if we don't have the particulars

If we have the hearing, it doesn't... Well can you have the Hearing for 2045? Because what happens if 2043 does not end up being us. We won't have to resubmit everything.

I see you, Councillor O'Malley.

That's what I would suggest. If they're confident that 2043 is not on city property, he's not going to come back here before us to get that one approved. He's gonna have go to the MBTA if that is who it is.

I'm wondering if it should be a joint public hearing between the MBT and the City of Malden because it looks like one poll can't be done without the other, and we don't... That's what I'm saying.

If they have to go... You can split them up?

Not right now, but when I go back to the office.

Okay. Can they do one poll without doing the other? That's my question.

The work? We can't do the work without the other pool.

So then what would be the purpose of splitting the petition? You should either have it all approved or none of it approved.

Split them in case that's not city right-of-way.

But you can't split it tonight, is what you're saying? No. I'm going to go to Councilor O'Malley because he's been waiting to ask something.

Really quickly, point of information really quickly. Are you suggesting that we... grant the relocation of that one, that we know for certain is on City and not the other? Or you can't do that.

I don't think you could because we only sent in one person.

The way he was saying it, I was a little uncertain as to what he was suggesting. Okay, Councilor O'Malley?

I do have substantive questions but from a point of order I think that since this has already been noticed, there might be people in the audience who want to testify and maybe they came out to testify. And so out of respect for them, I don't know if they're here or not, we could always have the hearing and table the hearing, not close the hearing. And then when they come back in the future we reopen the hearing with additional information and maybe they come or others come back again I think it's the best way to make sure that... Yeah, I'm fine to do that.

That's a good point. Okay, I have one more light. Thank you, Councilor O'Malley. Councilor Winslow?

Yeah, my understanding, I mean, you guys probably deal with the MBTA a lot anyway but the MBDA does have and the process where you apply through their property division, get licenses or whatever. There is a process there so it's not a hearing that we have here there is a process that they have. So it's certainly, they're one of the biggest property owners in Massachusetts so they have utilities are dealing with them all the time. But yeah I guess the only other thing would be I mean, if really having a survey and getting out the property descriptions. I have the valuation plans going back to Boston and Maine. It is that type of thing. kind of knowing that the rail right-of-way might have been laid out even before the street was, or this street is a very old street so who knows exactly what the survey would show where this is landing. So I just raised that as a question

You know, it's short of a survey and that type of thing. It just was a question to me. It looked like from this plan he was showing it in the right-of-way and the true owner of that is the MBTA. So that was really why I raised it.

Yeah, okay.

I've dealt too much with that stuff, so great.

All right, thank you, Councilor Winslow. Councilor McDonald?

So my question would just be if we have substantive agreement on not having a problem with moving this poll, the one that looks like it could be in the right of way. We just don't know whether it's our authority to grant it or not. Why don't we just go ahead and grant it and do that contingent on establishing it was ours to do. Do you say the same thing? Great minds, great minds. Then we just don't have to do all this again and if it's... I mean, if we don't agree on that then obviously let's not do that but yeah okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you. Councilor O'Malley for the second time.

Yeah, what does a poll hold? It's when someone goes out there and just holds up the ball until the work is done. Someone goes out there in a bucket truck, holds the pole until the work is complete. So just make sure the pole doesn't fall.

With a machine?

Yeah, with a bucket, yes.

Oh my God. With their bare hands. Okay, cool. Yeah, I think it sounds a little complicated and more complicated than normal. and obviously the MBTA has like, the permanent title to this because it's their railway. But the city of Malden has a 99 year lease which is maybe why you're having some discrepancies in your system So I think it definitely makes sense that we find out what the MBTA thinks, and then we have to decide do we want a poll in the Northern Strand. the first step is, is the people that own the property okay with it? And then are we at the people who lease the property. Okay with it seems a little bit cart before the horse and I think splitting the paper as I'm a fan of I don't know if it makes sense in this particular circumstance. Thank you.

Okay, I'm going to go to Councilor Crowe. Just a quick question. Can we make it part of the condition that we get something that says the MBTA says it's okay with them? this is a pot, I mean so they don't have to go through this but then we know we're not saying yes and they're saying why did you say yes? They never came to us. We just don't say yes.

Yeah.

Got it yeah. Okay, is everybody comfortable doing the hearing then and then proceeding as we've discussed? Okay I do see one more light from Councilor Simonelli. you have the floor.

Thank, thank you. You know I think we're kind of killing this thing a little bit too much here. I think that whatever the board councilor would like to proceed on this is the way we should be going. I think it's probably a great idea to hear who owns the land over there, since they're gonna be doing some more work as we talked about Councilor in the future for that. Broadway, and the Northern Strand to see who owns what property. It's probably a good practice anyway but I'll follow your lead to John Neighborhood so thank you.

Yep, I see you, Councillor Winslow. Councillor Winslow for the second time.

Yeah, I mean, I didn't think actually that 243 actually has much of a conflict with the bike trail there because there is a weird little triangle there but I did just want to say for 2044, the plans kind of show it in the middle of the sidewalk. So I would definitely want to make... 2044?

Yeah, I just want to make sure that... That's all the way to the back of the sidewalk. So we want to be sure that 88... Yeah, when I measured it, I got about four and a half feet. Okay, so that was my question on that.

It is a busy area Winslow. So I'm going to go ahead and open the hearing, we'll do the hearing

Provision that we discussed, if there's a motion to that effect. So at this time I'll declare the public hearing open. Anyone wishing to speak in favor of this petition please come forward state your name and address for the record. Anyone looking to speak Okay, hearing and seeing none I'll declare that portion of the hearing closed. Anyone wishing to speak in opposition to this petition please come forward. Yep you can approach the podium thank you name an address for the record please

and so I apologize for coming here with a somewhat self-serving interest being that these two poles are adjacent to our property. But I did want to ask a few clarification questions, although in general I am opposed until these are answered. First of all, thinking about the triangle which is slightly beyond the edge of our fence. Our property is a giant pizza slice and in the deed it's actually a perfect triangle which means that part Triangle area according to the deed actually extends beyond our fence to the point. So I'm interested in knowing whether there's any chance that that poll would end up possibly impeding on our property. Secondly, there's a tree in that area that was planted by the DCA about a year ago we

collaborated with them to plant it there. And I want to make certain that tree would not be harmed in this process. And then thirdly, I just wanted to ask about the the general impacts on neighbors while this project is happening. That being noise, loss of electricity et cetera that could potentially affect us or our neighbors on Lynn Street. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Let me just keep the hearing open for one more minute and then we can address questions I think after we close the hearing. Does anybody else want to speak in opposition? Okay, seeing and hearing none, I'll close the you or if Councilor Sica have any response to that.

To answer his questions, that would be wonderful.

So the question was about

I know the noise and power. No one will be losing power. Noise, I can't speak for the MWRA because I know part of the work would be MWRI but that would be after us. For our end it's going to be relocating two poles which Typically a poll would take four hours. So two polls will take eight hours, one full day.

Zane can you let them know why you need to relocate these polls?

So MWRA, the water department is doing work right next to that sidewalk. and it will be coming too close to our polls which means our polls could fall in or fall over. So the reason we're looking at moving them back that way they're far enough where MWRI won't interfere with our polls.

Okay, thank you. So just to make certain that his little pizza slice is also not a part of this, can you make like an added condition to Peg's condition that we just make certain that it's not 551s property or, you know what I mean? What was the address again? It's 551, right? 551 Lynn Street. So we're just going to make sure we know for certain who actually owns the little piece of grass where they're looking to switch the pole to. because it sounds like there's a lot of uncertainty at this particular location.

Are we talking about pole 2043?

Say that again, yeah.

That's pretty far from where their property is.

We're going to just make sure. He's concerned with it, so we want to make sure that we dot all our I's and cross our T's just to be certain. Okay? So yeah. However you want to word that condition would be...

We can place additional conditions that we make certain the property line for 551 Lynn and the MBTA right-of-way.

Okay, then I'll make that motion to grant the petition. with those conditions.

Do we have a second to that motion to grant the petition with those provisions, with those condition? Oh I'm sorry didn't see your light, I apologize.

The abutters mentioned that they recently had a tree planted on your property. What are your clearances for power lines? So like when the tree grows taller, how far back would they need to trim the tree away from your power lines

Just as long as it's far enough from our problem is... I think it's 10 feet, is it 10 feet? It's not 10 feet. No, it's ten feet for work and clearance. That's when someone's working out there they can't be within 10 feet that's OSHA For power lines trees, as long as they're trimmed enough I believe it's one foot away from our power lines. That's completely fine.

because that's the only thing I'm thinking of is you're moving it from the curb to back.

So, the tree that's right next to pole 2044, I did look at that tree and that's the reason why I'm placing the pole right up towards the fence so we don't interfere with the tree so we

So I think they're referring to a tree that's on their property, a new tree that was planted. That's what I heard.

As long as the tree is not close to our power lines then there should be... You'd have to replace the tree if it damaged the tree.

We're hoping to have results here.

Really quickly, I'm sorry. John, right? This is John. Is the tree that you just recently planted near the one closest to the bike path or is it the one more in front of your house, in between you and 555? It's closer to the bike path one.

I don't believe it's actually on our property.

The tree is not on your property, so you would be responsible for trimming it anyway?

Sorry?

Would National Grid be responsible for trimming it anyway if it was to get too close to the power lines? If there was, yes. Okay. Are you good with that, Councilor O'Malley?

Okay, so I'm still looking for a second to the motion to grant. Seconded by Councilor Simonelli. So we have a motion by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli to grant with the following conditions that the engineer be called when DigSafe is notified. Two, that the streets and sidewalks be restored to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works. And three, that we make certain Property Lines for 551 Lynn Street and the MBTA right-of-way. Does that sound sufficient? with written confirmation.

And that the other part of the sidewalk remains ADA compliant based on the position

I did not catch that part, I apologize.

and that we maintain ADA compliance of

for 2044. Do we need to specify a four feet, a 4 1⁄2 feet? What did you say it is?

So ADA I believe is 36 inches which is three feet right as long as we're... Oh 36 inches.

Okay, great. So we've added that additional and that we maintain ADA compliance for number 2044. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? O'Malley opposed? That petition is granted. Yes, Councilor Winslow let me put your light on one second.

The MBTA may be very aware of this project because the MWRA project is gonna be very disruptive to Lynn Street. So they are already having a reroute their buses, Lynn street between like Oliver and Beach it's going to be closed So it's going to be very disruptive to traffic in the neighborhood. This is the least we have to worry about. There's already a Traffic Management Plan coming back, When Diem Del Rey actually starts digging, this is going to be very disruptive to a very sensitive area on the east side of town. So just you know I think maybe my MBTA meeting with Diem Just to give a heads up, at some point it's something we've got to make sure the word out. But while we're here talking about it, this is the least disruptive thing that's going to happen out there. So just let everybody know. Thanks.

Thank you for that, Councilor Winslow. Thank you both for being here. We appreciate it. Okay, next order of business.

Paper 431-26 be ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden 2.24.010 salary schedules union employees is hereby amended.

Okay, Councilor Winslow for the paper.

So this is something that mayor's office has approached me about you know, essentially every time a collective bargaining agreement is passed it comes to the council in a couple forms. You see even tonight we have some and so on. And then there's also this process of rules approved those salary schedules. And maybe there's a different, more streamlined way to do this stuff. So this paper is really basically proposed to take salary schedules out of our ordinances. So I'm just making a motion that we refer this to Rules and Ordinance. We can talk about that further but that's really the concept there. And I mean, one of the things I asked them here to do is really maybe put together

specifically a proposal of making sure that perhaps communications comes to the council when a collective bargaining agreement is filed with the salary schedule in it but it doesn't have to go through McDonnell, and we thought that was a good way. So just to give you a sense of what's going on but I'm just gonna make a motion that we refer this Rules and Ordinance if people want to discuss it a little further, so thanks.

Okay, thank you, Councilor Winslow. We have a light from Councillor McDonald.

Yeah, I just want to echo as the chair of finance. I do think this is worth consideration, right? We always do these joint rules and ordinance and finance hearings which are just complicated to schedule. These ordinances don't have a lot of functional use because the thing that and so on. And I think that's what governs is the collective bargaining agreement, whether or not it's in our ordinance. The oversight that we have as not to negotiate with the unions is to appropriate the money administration come before the council to ask for money to pay for these CBAs. and if we wanted to reject the CBA, we would just reject the money to pay for it. And that would force also... I mean not force but that is the point at which we would expect to see the salary schedule. We just don't need to go through the complicated logistics of scheduling this pro forma piece when we already have a mechanism to review and offer our assent. So I am all for streamlining things, so I think this is worthy to consider

I'm happy to second that referral to the Rules and Ordinance Committee.

Okay, great. Seeing no other lights for discussion on a motion by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor McDonald, all in favor refer to ordinance? Aye. Any opposed? Okay, that paper is referred. Next order of business.

Paper 432-26 be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the code of the city of Malden MCC Title 12 zoning is hereby amended by adding a new section 12.28.150 snow storage. Okay, Councilor Winslow for the paper.

Yeah, Building Inspector Nelson suggested this ordinance. This past year we had some and a few very big snowstorms. At least one property owner in Malden decided to make their land a snow farm so suddenly we had huge piles of snow coming from all over, maybe we should just not allow that. So, that's the purpose of the papers so you don't have big piles of snow. This doesn't affect the requirement people have snow storage on their own property. They can still snow their store, but it's kind of hauling in snow from elsewhere and I did ask a question about how that might impact like how city this City handles snow you know, we have places where we can store snow when we have big snow emergencies.

So it didn't seem to impact that but it was just really the thought of people bringing in snow and wherever. So that's to be discussed, but that's what the purpose of the paper is, thanks.

Okay, thank you, Councilor Winslow. I'm gonna go first to Councilor O'Malley.

I just wanna say There's no love lost for this particular property owner. I feel like they are one of the worst neighbors in the city. They left this vacant lot for years and expect everything from the city, and we have to bend over backwards for them. So I'm not surprised that this is how they behave That said, if we do have a storm like we did last year I think there could be benefit to snow storage offsite within the city. So, I obviously don't want cities from other cities shipping all their snow to Malden but if we wanna relocate snow within Malden to make it a little bit easier for us, there might be a use of that. So maybe we look at an exemption for moving snow within the city. Just a thought. Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Councillor O'Malley. Councillor Simonelli?

Thank you guys for having a point of information. So, you're telling me that this particular lot owner was importing snow to put on his lot? Really?

All right, all right. Gone are the days where we, back in the day it was either up at Malden River or Boston Harbor You know, DEP banned that. I mean, I know before Assembly Square was built, Assembly Square area was being used for snow storage. So there are issues during big storms about where you're clearing your property if it gets too much. So, you know, I think my motion would be to refer this to rules and ordinance so we can maybe take into Councilor O'Malley's consideration that type of thing. Do we have an exemption that police or fire department can make, or public works or whatever? So a little flexibility.

All good to discuss in committee, I think. We have a long agenda. Take it over. Okay, on a motion by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Crowe to refer to rules and ordinance. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Seeing none that is referred next order of business.

Paper 385-26, be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden Title III Revenue and Finance is hereby amended by adding 3.05 Solid Waste Enterprise Fund. This is an enrolled ordinance we are looking to ordain.

Okay. Whoa, everybody wants to move this one along. I get it. I love it. On a motion by, I heard, Councilor McDonald seconded by Councilor Crowe to ordain all in favor? Aye. Any opposed?

that is so ordained. Paper 388-26, be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden Title III Revenue and Finance is hereby amended by adding 3.10 reserve and stabilization fund framework, also a paper that has been enrolled looking to ordain. Okay I have one light from Councilor McDonald

Just very quickly, so assuming this goes through I just want everyone to know that we then would expect to hear from the administration about proposals to take cash once it's certified by the state to create the first balance in this stabilization fund framework. So I'm very excited for that, and also just wanted to be asked to be added as a co-sponsor. And then I'm happy to second Councilor Winslow's motion to ordain.

Wonderful. Okay, on a motion by Councillor Winslow seconded by Councillor McDonald in favor of ordaining all in favor aye any opposed okay that is ordained next order of business paper 418-26 committee report

The Standing Committee on Finance to whom was referred papers 391, 392, 393 and 394 series of 2026 having considered the same make the following report. Committee recommends these papers out favorably to the full council

Okay, on a motion by Councilor McDonald seconded by Councillor Taylor to receive the committee report. All in favor? Aye. Okay, the Committee Report is received.

Paper 391-26 order that the sum of 200 66,174.60 is appropriated from the TNC surcharge municipal distribution account to cover the following expenses as outlined in the paper.

Councillor McDonald for the paper So this is the money that we get from the surcharge on rideshares, Ubers and Lyfts that pick up or drop off in Malden. This was a temporary thing that continues to be extended by the legislature which is great because use it to make really important street improvements. So this year is actually two years of this money, it's about double what we get in a year and it is being bundled with other funding from Community Development Block Grants and Chapter 90 to make a number of ADA accessibility improvements across the city. So I'm just gonna read the intersection where we're gonna be updating wheelchair ramps, sidewalks, traffic signals, pedestrian signals the push button and the crosswalk markings and other pieces to make sure those crosswalks and curbs are accessible.

Cross, Bryant and Willow Streets, Ferry and Belmont, Pleasant and Highland, Maplewood and Eastern, Medford and Commercial, Salem and Branch, Medfort and Canal, Maple and Highlands and Eastern and Broadway. So we had unanimous support for this in committee.

Wonderful, so we do need a roll call to adopt this order. Do I have a motion?

Happy to make the motion.

Okay on a motion by Councilor McDonald seconded by Councilors Sica let's call the role

Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow Council President Linehan. Yes. That order has been adopted 10 to 0.

10 to zero, the order is adopted. Okay next Order of Business.

Paper 392 Order that the sum of $400,000 is transferred from Human Resource Group Insurance Miscellaneous to the Malden Public School Department. I'm going to stick with Councilor McDonald.

So this is a proactive request for an appropriation from the mayor because we need to meet our net school spending requirements. Brief primer, the state gives us a minimum amount we have to spend on our schools. Malden, unlike many communities is always right at the limit there which means we plan to spend exactly how much we need to spend and as inevitably things are open or in this case we changed Care Program. That saves money, we actually still have to spend that amount of money so We had to provide a report about this every year to the state. Last year, folks may remember we initially thought that was a worse situation than it was. The city's financial team has since has instituted new protocols and reviewed this doubly with the school's department staff to ensure that this is what we anticipate still owing from last fiscal year. And so, that's about $400,000. So this is to account for

just getting us up to that net school spending minimum. And we want to make sure that we have the purview to do that in a prompt way. So this was unanimously supported in committee.

Okay, thank you, Councilor McDonald. Seeing no lights for discussion, do I have a motion to adopt the order? Second. Okay, on a motion by Councilor LeLong, seconded by Councilors Taylor, we do need a roll call.

Colón Hayes, Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Winslow, Council President Linehan. Yes. Thank you sir the paper has been adopted by 11 to 0.

Okay, 11 to zero that order is adopted. Next order of business.

Paper 394-26 order that $938,174.50 of the funds from the adopted appropriation order authorized by paper 140 series 2023 relative to the Roosevelt Parker revitalization project of which are no longer needed to complete the project for which it was borrowed. be transferred to pay costs of the Malden River Works project in accordance with the provisions of MGL Chapter 44, Subsection 20.

Clerk, can I request you also read 393.26? Certainly, I will take it. So we can talk about them together.

394.26 Well, you just read 394 I'm sorry, I actually skipped over 393. Let me read both of them in the proper order. That was 394, my apologies. Paper 393-26, order. that $1,292,045 of the funds that remain available from the adopted appropriation order authorized by paper 139 series of 2023 relative to the Roosevelt Park Revitalization Project be repurposed to pay cost of the Malden River Works project. Okay, Councilor McDonald.

All right. Let me just set this up a little bit because we had, and we've had a number of comments on this. And I think those comments are really important to hear from the community. I also just wanna kind of level-set what we're actually approving and not approving in the paper that's before us So there was a prior project around Roosevelt Park. That was the project that included, you know, a number of improvements around the field transferring the field into a turf field a number of other improvements around the lighting and other amenities as part of the park, and work on the drainage. So this is a comprehensive project this is what we had appropriated money at multiple points. So there was a 2019 vote, I think and then we had to come back in 2023 and were asked to approve additional funds for this project. That project was then canceled, pardon me so the project was then canceled. A new project was initiated that only focused on the remediation, that is the project that is authorized and in place.

So there's a lot of questions that we've gotten about well if we're repurposing money that had been appropriated do we still need that money I want to just be clear that in the authority of the council has is to appropriate money to spend on certain things. and when the intent of that, when that project goes away, the authorization is expired. Like there's no project to fund So while there are still important questions from the neighborhood about what could happen or should happen with the park, there is no plan, meaning there's no staff assigned. There's no timeline. you know, quotes or estimates that we could appropriate money to fund in this project currently beyond what's already been funded. That remediation has been entirely funded from the Section 108 loan that had been borrowed from the original project and then transferred to this second project.

So we had these authorizations, one third... The first paper which was 139-2023 wasn't expensive cash The second one, 140-2023 was authorization to bond. The bonding authorization in particular must be spent quickly. In fact, we have probably delayed it longer than we should when we put the city's credibility on the line to go out and borrow money it has to be for a specific project, if we cancel the project and then we don't spend the money and just sit on it that can impact our credit rating. it was important to find a substantially similar project, the most similar possible. And our treasurer assured us that this is you know, this is the right path forward for those particular funds. For the others I don't wanna be I don't want to be nitpicky about it, but I think that the council's authority is important in this regard. We have money that was appropriated for a project that no longer exists.

We had a project we are all committed to that needs the money We can transfer that authorization, but if we were to fail to adopt that, we would have to find another source of funding for Malden River Works, of course, to finish that project. But moreover there is no authorization to spend So regardless of what we vote on tonight, it doesn't change the options there for the Roosevelt Park project right now because that project is already funded and there's not an additional project. And so So those are the choices that we have, and I will speak to the paper at some point probably in the discussion about my own personal views about this. But I just wanna be clear, that was some of the conversation that we had in the committee We ultimately did recommend this out favorably, but we were not all of one accord of the counselors that were present.

And so I think that while there was broad support for the Malden River Works Project, of course, there were just questions about how to not leave the Roosevelt Park pieces hanging and what was happening there. So I'm sure we'll talk about that. So I just want to clarify that's the authority that we have before us is whether to use this expired, to take these expired authorizations repurpose them for the park that needs them or not.

Stop there thank you. Okay thank you Councilor McDonald. I'm gonna go first to Councilor Taylor

Thank you, Council President. So thank you, Councillor McDonald for explaining that so clearly. We are currently in the process of remediating Roosevelt Park and restoring The Garden slash Outdoor Classroom. That is the project that's at hand, that project is funded and so soon for the first time in seven years it'll be fully open and we're looking forward to that and that's been a lot of work and that underway Once that is done, we can start to look at the overall project and see what needs to happen if there is a project there in putting that together. But we know these things take more than just a couple of months it's not going to be an overnight plan, and this money needs to be used now, or it could affect us going back for money when we do have a plan for Roosevelt. So we would be really irresponsible to not shift this over now to set us up in a good space

and so on. that I fully support this moving forward and going towards the River Works, and hope that you will too.

Thank you, Councilor Taylor. Councilor Winslow?

Yeah, I sit on the River Works Building Committee. Literally, the plans for the boathouse and the salt shed are 99% done they're being held up a little bit just to make sure that there's an issue we're dealing with. But those should be ready to go out almost in the next week or two, very quickly. Maybe I over said that but they're on the cusp so basically there's these projects that are ready to go out to bid Taylor. As Councillor Taylor explained, we already have stuff happening at Roosevelt to deal with the lead situation but beyond that these processes can take and so on. So by not moving forward it would hurt River Works because that would delay it and just drive up the cost there.

And it would also negatively impact what happens at Roosevelt, because whatever extra money we'd spend on River Works make it harder to have money to spend. So this is, any delay of getting the RiverWorks done is just gonna be an impediment to actually moving ahead with Roosevelt. I think everybody in this council can agree Roosevelt is worthy of more investment, but it's going to take a strong community process to make that all happen. And I have confidence in Councilor Taylor to take lead of that. So I am supportive of these things as just the financially right thing to do. And we will find more money when Roosevelt has a strong plan and we know what is going to happen and what it's gonna cost, but right now we know Exactly what we need to do for, um, to complete River Works, a boathouse and assault shed at the DPW. And those are on the cusp of being put out to bid and under contract.

So I'm supportive of this. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Winslow. Councilor O'Malley?

You know I think that there's a lot of and this is not directed to the council from Ward 5. need to come up with a plan and more community engagement. So this is not directed to you, but I do think that at large we're doing a lot of mental gymnastics does a plan exist, does it not? Does the plan not exist and if there was a way for a portion of these funds to be earmarked for the creation of the plan that Councilor Taylor is mentioning, I think that could be a great way to have a win-win situation. I'm not going to shove money down anyone's throat but it's just something that I want to put out there. But I think more concerning which has, again, nothing to do with Councilor Taylor.

I think more concerning is the way in which over the years as community groups and community members have tried to get involved there has been, I think a coordinated campaign from the finance perspective to like not have any conversations about that. And I think that what Marsha Munong, the chair of the Malden River Works Committee mentioned in her public comments really highlight what's going on. We're here to try to elevate voices, elevate EJ communities and to marginalize those speakers is just I think inappropriate and so I think that we need to be bringing people in, not shutting people down. And marginalize the people in our community regardless of who does it is not acceptable. Thank you.

Thank You Councillor O'Malley Colón Hayes.

Thank you so much, so many of you know I have major reservations that I made clear during the Finance Committee meeting when this was discussed, the families and children along with the neighbors of Roosevelt Park deserve a chance at a park that serves everyone. They've consistently taken a back seat while other parks are updated. So tonight we're being asked to reallocate bond funds that were originally designated to Roosevelt Park, which has the project was canceled. We're all aware of that. and we're being told that by holding on to this bond, and not spending the money It could hurt us financially in the future by getting bonds, which I understand. I get that. I do understand it was a bad financial decision to let that money sit there unused and that's the main reason why tonight we're being asked to make this transfer now but the narrative that this is, you know,

the best way to move forward with this funds because The River Works has a plan is valid. They do have a plan, I sit on that full disclosure. I do sit on the steering committee. I'm also a board member of and Mystic River Watershed Association. It's very important to me, I think, I'm just gonna have to give it one last shot tonight to try and do something for Roosevelt Park. It might fail whatever but I'd like to propose that we take 200,000 of set it aside of what we're asking right now to be moved over to Roosevelt Park. I'm looking for just like a compromise so if we could do that to develop a plan because you're right and so on.

the engineering, like a lot of that stuff was looked at and even though turf and grass are apples and oranges both of them need drainage and I think that a roadmap was already being set by the original plan. So to develop a comprehensive plan, I believe this 200,000 would be money well spent so that we're not in a position like we are now where we're saying the only reason why we're moving it. Well I'm sure there's many other reasons but the reason why removing that is because the River Works has a plan. So I'm proposing just to say, so that we're not stuck like this in the future if there's a way and this, I might have to ask someone, I'm not sure if there is a way but if there was a way to set aside 200,000 I think on the top of what we're asking to move over it's maybe a little up maybe 10 percent of that.

It's in my mind a small amount if we could do that so that it would help our ward counselor and anyone else who is developing a plan it would give you money, a seed to start that. So that's just something I'd like to put out there So I'm not sure if it's time now to make, like, I would actually like to make that motion that we have. Or should we hear if that's even possible? Okay. I don't know who to ask that from.

I do have a couple other lights. I'm going to go to Councilor Taylor first to respond and then I'll get to you, Councilor Long.

Thank you. So I just want to make it very clear that voting to move this money is not a vote against Roosevelt, nobody is against doing things at Roosevelt. We very much want to see that move forward. Voting to move means that we're not sitting on money so that when we are ready, because starting to create a plan does not take $200,000 of seed money. We don't need that to just make a plan We need to sit down and assess what's going on first. We need look at what the areas are that we really need to look at, and we need to bring the community back together which has been difficult because there was a lot of animosity around this and there is more than one group who is interested in Roosevelt. And there are many different voices, and many of them felt like they were shut out of the last conversation. So I have been trying very hard over the course of the past couple years to go ahead and kind of bring everybody back to the table. And I've made a lot of headway with that. We are working on something,

that we are against it if we vote to move this money is 100% wrong, and we cannot let that be what is out there. Because it is causing people to feel more upset about this We want to move this forward. We intend to move it forward, but right now the plan in front of us is going to be the RiverWorks Plan and when we're able and have a plan to move forward to get funding will be in a better place because we will have a better bond rating. And so that is how this needs to move forward and as the ward councilor, that is I would like it to move and it would be great to be able to have consensus. If we really wanna work together, then let's work together at this is the plan and this is where we're going

you know, if Alex wants to speak about whether or not it's possible for what Councilor Colón Hayes is saying I welcome him to say that but just wanted to set the record clear that a vote to move this money is not against Roosevelt and that kind of terminology is distracting to the actual issues.

OK, I've got councillors who are looking to speak for the first time. So I'm going to go to them first and then come back around to folks who have are looking

Thank you, I just wanted to let Councilor Taylor know that she has my full support in whatever she needs to push this and to move this forward. I fully support moving the money over to the Malden River Works and Securing and Protecting Our Bond Rating. But more importantly, as Councilor Lodge, Councilor Taylor knows she can reach out should she need any help but I have the full confidence in her ability to move this whole project forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Luong. Councillor Simonelli?

Thank you, Madam President. I got to agree with my colleague from Ward 5. You know, I want to kind of stay out of it a little bit because I like to see the ward counselors handle their own affairs in their own neighborhoods it's been an ongoing, long thing that's been happening up here and seems to be kind of loosening up a little bit. It just doesn't create... Good relationships when you do that. But, that being said I've had a little experience of doing pox over in my neighborhood and I would say that I understand Hayes, that you want a commitment. I understand because there's been a lot of animosity, I guess, that have been going back and forth over there on who wants what and why and how and everything else. but I would have to advise caution at this point.

$200,000 sounds like a lot of money, but not at the scope of what they want to do over at Roosevelt. We spent 2.2 million dollars alone Kirstead. So it's not a lot of money and I have all the confidence in the MRA or what are they called now again? OSPCD G, X, XY, KJ. But anyway the other guys but I have all the confidence in the world on them and we've been working on many parks around the neighborhood and where you know Ward 5 and Ward 7, Roosevelt's like right on the cusp of both of those neighborhoods right there. So I have confidence that once they get a comprehensive approach. Because here's the thing, if you got $200,000, you end up starting to do things piecemeal-wise and then things don't get done because then you can't find the funding the following year. Some spigots are turned on, some are turned off. and I'd rather have a comprehensive plan, this is how much money the actual park's going to cost.

And here are the funding mechanisms on how we can get to them. So I think there's a lot of hailing that needs to begin in that neighborhood. And, you know, I think that going back to the drawing board at this point is not a bad thing and I think once you do get the neighborhoods input and come up with a comprehensive plan like you guys did before I came back in office, Michelle, along with Kirsten Park and Steve. You guys all had meetings down there prior to me even coming into office. So, you know, those are the things I think needs to happen in this area and I think that you've got to start letting the hailing begin. That would be my advice. That's where I would go with this, but thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilor Simonelli. Okay, I'm going to go back to Councilor Colón Hayes for the second time. Great. Thank so much.

it will be, but so just a couple of things. If I in any way said anything about being against Roosevelt Park or Piblite, I apologize, that was not what I meant at all. But I stand by the people who live near the park and Roosevelt Park has been taken a back seat, I stand The plan, so I just wanna be clear and I will withdraw. I'm not gonna make a motion. I absolutely defer to the ward councilor. I've been trying to meet with Councilor Taylor. I emailed and reached out I, the funding I was asking for. I still would like to know though if this could be done is a plan not to do anything so to Councilor Simonelli right when you make up it and I worked in an architect's office for many years I was the manager business manager there.

So 200,000 could actually get you a nice like comprehensive plan not to to get a project done. But you hire an architect or you hire, and they pull together based on community feedback, the ward counselor you know the residents everybody all the stakeholders and You come up with a plan. That's what they did when they did it originally for Roosevelt Park that's what the 200,000 for not to like finish anything It's to help I To be honest. I thought I was proposing something that was helpful. Let's take some money and move forward with the plan, I would even step back, don't even need to be a part of it. but if that's not gonna, it seems like it's not going to go anywhere. You know I'm fine with that but that comes from... and so on.

So that was a way of trying to figure out how we could do right by both move forward with one plan while also moving forward with another, so that's where that was coming from Were we gonna be able to get an answer to see if that money, can I call up? Yeah, I was gonna say.

I've got two more lights on but I would like to at that point invite our OSP CD director to come up. Okay thank you so much. OK. Sorry, let me put the podium microphone on. Thank you so much. If you could just introduce yourself.

Hi everybody. Alex Pratt, OSP City 26 Hilton Street. There are a number of challenges with trying to do these things ad hoc without coming up with a large plan. I know we've talked about that. One thing I wanted to remind the council, if our treasurer were here tonight and I know he had extensive conversations about this with you all in the finance committee He would also point out that this would continue to create arbitrage issues for the city. There is no plan for where this money would go. We know we need to spend this money, it's been borrowed We have IRS obligations that our treasurer has spoken about more succinctly than I can. But this money needs to go somewhere that it's going to be spent soon, otherwise the IRS is going to come looking for it. Thanks

I'm sorry, the money. Would $200,000?

Can you split some?

It's bonded so it's a whole thing.

We have borrowed the money we are collecting interest on the money and I think Treasury are expecting us to have spent the money. We need to move it to a place that it will be spent in short order before they come looking for it.

Okay, I totally understand exactly what you're saying. I'm asking about a portion of it. Would we be able to do that? Let's say you are spending that money. It's gonna go to Roosevelt. I mean, it's going to go to the RiverWorks project can we take out 200,000 of it? So you're still spending the majority and then put it towards a plan so actually to developing a plan. So you would have 200,00 and you could tell whoever... The powers that be that yes now it's actually going towards developing a plan, so you're gonna use that as well. That's the question I was just wondering.

If we are trying to move money towards a plan that doesn't exist, I would be concerned about the speed at which we could spend that money in a way that is thoughtful and strategic.

So moving money, not to a plan that doesn't exist. Moving money to develop a plan. Develop a plan so like in the beginning of when you're working... You know how it rolls out right? you're in an architect's club and somebody says, oh come on out check I have some ideas right? You send out a team. That money is being spent to develop the plan so So my question is, and it could be no. Just tell me no, right? Can $200,000 of it... The rest is being moved out to the RiverWorks project. That's being used so everybody's happy that money's being 200,000 of it we could say to whoever it is that you need to talk to in the finance department. We're going to take this $200,000. It will be used. We are going to spend it to pay architects or you know, I'm gonna say an architect to develop a plan. So the money is going to be used in my mind but if that's, if I'm wrong let me know

I would want the treasurer to weigh in on that. We actually just invited him to come down because I want to make sure we're getting that. But I think setting aside those issues, we are working right now on the remediation project. When that project is complete, we intend to work with Councilor Taylor and the Ward 5 community figure out what a bigger picture goal for this project is

Yes, the plan. That's what I'm saying to set aside 200 to help with exactly what you just said. It's all I'm asking if that can be done.

And I don't think that it is timely for us take these funds that we know we need for the River Works today and move it to something that we will work on in the future when we know that we both need to spend the money today.

Okay, all right.

And we have the need for it today.

Thank you. So I'm going to ask our treasurer to come up to the podium. Dan, if you don't mind, could you come? I'm sorry to put you on the spot right after you came in the room. What are you doing here, Dan? I'm actually horrified that you are still here, but thank you.

Sorry, doing other things.

You mustn't be surprised as we're still working at 9 o'clock. Yes, true.

So I guess there were some questions on reallocating funds related to the bond.

Do you want me to repeat that question or did you hear it?

You're asking if you can carve out $200,000 from pre-existing bonds.

Yes, thank you.

Which we have a paper to... reappropriate to the Malden River Works, which is an existing project. So you can't amend this paper on the floor and you cannot reallocate $200,000 to a non-existent project if you come up with a plan that is similar to what was originally intended, then you could find a way to allocate those funds. But if you do not have a plan to spend the money like within the next three to four months, then that is also gonna be problematic. So I would strongly suggest that if you want to fund Roosevelt you find another way to do so in the future when you actually have some sort of actionable items.

Okay, so I'm going to clarify because thank you actually that just something just clicked so what it would be is if I like I'm sorry, did you just curse at me? That's so rude. I could hear you.

Okay let's just focus on our guest answering questions.

It's a Jesus Christ, she said. Okay. We're on camera. I know we are. Trust me. So anyway, I'm going to rephrase. The $200,000 you're saying is... you need a plan. And so I'm gonna ask another question, I think it's going to clarify for me having it being allocated to a plan development is not enough. You actually need a plane. So like, not like sometimes you can like put money towards developing a plan. You can hire an architect to develop the plan, but it sounds like what you're saying is that $200,000 wouldn't be able to be used unless there was an actual plan already developed, not a developing of the plan.

Right so right now you're speaking about something that's hypothetical. You don't have anything related to Roosevelt outside of the work that Alex has already articulated which is being funded and we have funding source for that. So talking about $200,000 allocating something hypothetical there's nothing to allocate that too so you wouldn't be able to amend the paper.

Okay, thank you. No, that answers my question. Thank you very much.

Can I jump in for the benefit of folks watching? I think one of the things that's helpful to understand is that one of reasons we can't just park money as a public entity as Alex so helpfully explained, the IRS does not love it when you just experience interest and just sit on money that you've borrowed. Is that a fair? That is correct. Okay, in that scenario to move money you also need to be able to charge it against something. So we can't just move it somewhere else and have it sit somewhere. And so I think that's a helpful way of reframing it because while we might like to say, let's say consensus around taking some of this money and putting it somewhere else, it essentially needs to be able to immediately charge to a project or the money doesn't exist. And it's just gonna sit somewhere else and collect the interest that we're already getting quote unquote in trouble for.

Correct. That's exactly correct.

I really appreciate that and thank you. Questions?

Yeah, and I think that's a misconception. If you aren't thinking about the restrictions on public funds it wouldn't necessarily be apparent to folks watching who might think just move the money and then wait and go get a project going. We're just creating a different problem in a different bank account, and it's not solving what we're actually trying to do tonight which is charge this money because it actually can't keep sitting. Okay.

Sorry it took me so long to get down there.

No, that was fantastic we appreciate you. Okay I am gonna move on. We have two more lights on and then I would love I'm going to move the question. I'm gonna go to Councilor O'Malley and then Councilor McDonald.

I just want to start by thanking Councilor Linehan, I appreciate the fact that you allowed Councilor Colón Hayes to fully vet her idea and I appreciate, it's sometimes difficult listening to dissenting voices but part of this whole thing is allowing ideas to get out there. And sometimes we have to separate the idea from the person because sometimes people we don't like have good ideas. And I also agree with Councilor Taylor that moving the funds is not against Roosevelt, but I also think that wanting to Taylor, Winslow, Malden, Councilor and the administration, and whoever else is a part of that plan so that you can do the design. You can do to community engagement. So I was gonna second your motion.

It sounds like you withdrew it So I just wanted to put it out there. Thanks for having this conversation, I think it was beneficial.

Thank you, Councillor O'Malley. Councillor McDonald?

Yeah, I appreciate that it's time to clarify the bonding issues. There are two papers and the other one is not a bond and I wanna make it clear, we do use money to pay for planning processes but those are also bid out and have price tags and estimates attached and I certainly just could not feel comfortable appropriating money without a price estimate. And I don't think it would be responsible for us to do so and I actually don't know that legally we have the ability as the council to propose spending. We can only approve spending that the mayor proposes or request the mayor make an expense, so I actually think that legally even if you wanted to continue your motion counselor that we would have the authority to carve out money of an appropriation for a different purpose. We could reduce the appropriation, but as we just heard, of course, one of our works needs the money. So I just wanted to say like procedurally, I think that is true.

I would love to make sure that we do get a final accounting of how much of these funds do get utilized once the bids are settled and the project is done. I think if that has leftover money, they'll be the first place we go for planning costs for the next stage of whatever comes at Roosevelt. I'm sure that's true. I appreciate that most of this conversation has been relatively civil. I know that this is a fraught issue in our community and I am someone who, I live closer to this park, I think than anyone else. I am one of the... I can't believe I even have to do this, but I am one of the few people of color that are elected in this city. I am myself from a neighborhood that is impacted in this way and

the conflation of these different things has I think led some to be confused about this whether a vote is for or against Roosevelt Park. I always supported a grass plan for the park, I always wanted to make sure that those principles were centered. I don't appreciate or think it's really collegial to have that challenge at this table, but that actually shouldn't be what this is about it really should be about trying to separate out the mechanical things that we are responsible for as a council, that follow our fiduciary duty from the important work that I do think has, yes, gotten ensnared in politics in the past. So I'm here to help clear the way for that. Like, I don't want this to continue to be a project that just can't get passed the complexity of the people involved. And I hope this is pushing us in this direction, I hope we can celebrate the work of the Malden River Works project without conflating those two things because I don't actually think that they are in competition at all

even if that is a confusing thing to sort out. So I would be happy to make a motion to adopt this paper.

Okay, on a motion by Councilor McDonald- I'm sorry there are two papers Oh, right. We're doing 393. Do you want to do them? I think we need to do separately. Yeah. Okay so we're on 393-26 which is the 1.2 million dollar paper The $1.2 million paper, so I have a motion by Councillor McDonald seconded by Councillor Sica and we do need a roll call.

Councilor Colón Hayes? No. Council Condon? Yes. Council Crowe? Yes Council LeWong? McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow, President Linehan. I'm sorry, the order has been adopted by a 10 to 1 vote.

Okay, 10 to one the order had been adopted and we'll do the next one.

Paper 394 which was the $900,000 paper

So I need a separate motion on this paper. So moved by Councilor McDonald, seconded by Councilors Sica.

Council of Colón Hayes? No. No. Council Condon? Yes. Yes. Council Crowe? Yes Yes. McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow. Yes, Council President Linehan. Yes. Okay so that order has also been adopted by a 10 to 1 vote.

Okay that is adopted by attend to one well next order of business

Paper 433-26, Committee Report. The Standing Committee on Rules and Ordinance to whom was referred Papers 327 and 415 series of 2026. Having considered the same make the following report. The committee reports paper 415-26 out favorably to the full council. Committee additionally recommends paper 327-26 be split with 15 of the original 18 amendments recommended favorably to the full council. The remaining three line items requiring further discussion, motel-hotel, restaurant fast food and supermarket are recommended to be split into what is now numbered as paper 327A-26 and was tabled to come back to the Ordinance Committee at a later date.

On a motion by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Crowe to receive the committee report. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? The report is received.

Paper 327-26, be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden 12.12.030 Use Regulations is hereby amended as follows.

Okay, Councillor Winslow for the paper.

Well, I just have a procedural question. So since we separated the paper in committee, do we as a council first have to vote to separate the paper? All right, so I'll explain that.

Well you've amended both papers. I think you'd be asking for a motion to amend based on the committee recommendation.

All right, all right. So good. Wait a minute.

Hang on a second. Sorry. Okay. They didn't amend necessarily. We split? They split. Yeah, we split off. This is part of the paper that you did not amend. The other part of the paper, 327A is still in committee. Correct. That's going to have amendments to it but this... I don't think you need any amendments right now. Okay, yeah.

Yeah, so just for the edification of the public and people who weren't in the Rules and Ordinance Committee meeting.

And half of it's still taped.

So this paper was submitted by our community development office to really try to update our use table, to make it easier to do some many types of uses and convert them from many processes that were special permit to actually allow by right. That went to hearing, we did hear back from the planning board they had a series of recommendations and others. some of the key recommendations were related to motels and hotels, restaurants and fast food in supermarkets where they thought that was a pretty dramatic change from going from site planning requiring a special permit to going to allowing by right. The thought and recommendation from the planning board was to actually go to an intermediate thing called site plan review,

The challenge to moving ahead the whole paper at once is that even if we modified the use table to include site plan review, we don't have any site plan regulations. so we really have to adopt that and reissue that. So in committee, the recommendation was to split the paper into the parts where we weren't recommending going and so the paper has split advanced 15 updates to the use table that don't require, they're basically taking things special permit are not allowed and making them by right in a variety of districts. And then so that's was we split the paper

and the committee recommended that the split paper be adopted as a split, in that we will continue to work on what would be called 327A, which is the uses that we need to do a site plan review and would send back a paper to go back to hearings. So I don't know if people need more I don't see any lights

Oh, sorry, Councilor Colón Hayes. Are we going to take a vote right now and what exactly are we? So we could take a... Vote if we have a motion to enroll I guess that's what Councilor Winslow was asking. If you have additional questions, we also have OSPCD staff that we could ask to come up and give a quick breakdown of what it includes and what we split off. Really up to you.

Under our rules that there was a request in committee that we split the paper. So I guess it's just acknowledging as a council, that that request was made and I guess we acknowledge here that that's what we're going to vote on the split paper.

And so, we do have part of the paper still on the table in committee? So, I think we are functionally split.

What we had before us is only part of it. So, the motion I would make accept the committee's recommendation to adopt the paper favorably as split. So, yeah.

I'll second that. Okay. I do have one light from Councillor O'Malley. Let me go to Councillor O'malley first.

I am of the opinion that when amendments are made in committee and the committee report is sent out, and we then accept that committee report, that the amendments were made in but I believe that there are maybe differing opinions on that and in the past we've had to amend it based on what the committee report was recommending. Either way, I think we get at the same place in the end but I'm just putting it out there so that we make sure we do it the right way based on what the collective thought of the body is. I just wanted to put it out there.

Okay, so I think that's correct

I think what you're both saying is correct. We didn't amend it, we split it but if I'm hearing Councilor O'Malley and feel free to jump in if I am getting this wrong, I think that there's two schools of thought once its split into committee that's done. We don't have to affirm that, but we could certainly do that now.

No, I just mean amend it. Remember we were talking about change one?

I thought we didn't amend this one though.

And that's maybe why I'm misremembering it because I know some of it was like SP to SPR, this doesn't include that stuff?

Correct.

Okay.

The amendments were not this section.

This paper only reflects the 15 line items that unanimously were agreed upon, and the other ones that required further debate were the ones that are still on the table in committee.

If that's what we're all on the same page on then great I don't remember it differently It just was very confusing because we were dealing with a hundred different things. It's been a lot, yep.

Okay. So I guess I make a motion to... enroll the paper as split per the recommendation of the committee?

I'll second. Well, we have all of you that motion and a second on the floor already. Who made that motion? I'm sorry.

Okay, I didn't even write that down. Thank you for reminding and remembering that. So we can do a voice vote. So all in favor? We truly need a roll call vote. We do?

Well this is a zoning paper which typically requires two thirds vote for, I'm sorry, but we need a majority. A two-thirds majority. We need eight votes, okay. So I think I was counting votes when I said we need to work all votes. That's okay. I thought I was on the wrong page. No, my apologies.

I feel like we've been here since yesterday at this point. Yeah, sorry. Don't listen to me. We can do a voice vote. Okay, all in favor? Aye. Any opposed? So that is enrolled. Next order of business.

Paper 415-26 be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden, Title II Chapter 24 is hereby amended by adding Section Winslow for the paper. So as we talk about salary schedules, so this was a

A submission by the mayor's office to include updated salary schedules for assistant department heads and other positions. So, the committee reviewed that recommended that the Council adopt the paper without amendments. Thank you, Greg.

Okay seeing no lights for questions on a motion by Councillor Winslow seconded by Councillor Sica to enroll All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Seeing none, that is enrolled Next order of business.

The next three papers were essentially placeholders anticipating papers coming out of the ordinance committee tonight, which did not happen so we will not be taking up for business paper 434, 335 and 335A Just got back a lot of time. Skipping ahead to paper 435-26, a committee report from the Standing Committee on License to whom was referred papers 380, 381... and 412 through 414 series of 2026, having considered the same make the following report. Committee recommends these petitions out favorably to the full council.

Okay, on a motion by Councillor Sica seconded by Councillor Condon to receive the committee report. All in favor? Aye. The committee report is received.

Paper 380-26, Petition Livery Company, Ana Santos Transport LLC located at 64 Linwood Street. One vehicle new. Paper 381-26 petition livery driver, Díaz Dos Santos of 64 Linwood Street, apartment number two. Mold a new petition. Paper 412-26 Lodging House Metro North Housing Corp located at 115 Washington street 14 rooms renewal Paper 413-26 Lodging House Metro North Housing Corp. located at 22 Charles Street, 11 Rooms Renewal Paper 414-26 lodging house Cedar House LLC for 116-118 Cedar Street Malden for 14 rooms renewal.

Thank you.

The License Committee met last week with the compliance guys, everybody that was a renewal had no issues and the new petitions were all They had required parking, anything that they needed to be able to be granted. So the ape came out of the committee unanimously so I make a motion to grant all these petitions.

Okay on a motion by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Colón Hayes to grant. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? The petitions are granted

Paper 436-26, the Standing Committee on Personnel and Appointments to whom was referred Papers 363, 364, 365, 367, and 368 series of 2026 having considered the same make the following report. The committee recommends these appointments out favorably to the full council.

Okay on a motion by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Luong to receive the committee report all in favour? Aye Any opposed? The committee report is received

Paper 363-26 Mayoral Appointment Karen Buck of 3234 Street, Malden as a member of the Public Works Commission said term to commence upon confirmation by the City Council and to expire on March 1st, 2027.

Okay, Councilor Crowe for the appointment.

Thank you. Can we read them all together? Yeah, absolutely.

They do all need roll call votes though but I'll read them at once. Okay. Paper 364-26 Mayoral Appointment Heather Barry of 10 Hudson Terrace Malden as a member of the Parks and Rec Commission, said term to commence upon confirmation by the City Council and expire on June 30th, 2028. Paper 365-26 Mayoral Appointment Ben Gately of 69 Pierce Street Unit 1 Malden as a member of the Parks and Rec Commission, said term to commence upon confirmation by the City Council and to expire on June 30th, 2029. Paper 367-26 Mayoral Appointment Julie Turner of 2654 Street, Malden as a member of the Parks and Rec Commission. Said term to commence upon confirmation by the City Council and to expire on June 30th, 2028. Paper 368-26 Mayoral Appointment

Ventrone of 33 Dodge Street, Malden as a member of the Parks and Rec Commission said term to commence upon confirmation by the City Council and expire on June 30th, 2029.

Okay, Councillor Crowe for the committee.

Thank you, Madam President. First of all, I'm going to apologize because we usually have notes on the backgrounds of everybody. But I was running late so they're on my desk at work. And so we met with each one of these will take Karen Buck up separately because she is the Public Works Commission. And she really talked a lot about her background in even Parks and Recreation, I think that was one of the questions why not that one? she was looking at really a fuller view of all sort of infrastructure around the, you know that the Public Works Commission and so we really, unanimous that she has a wide-eyed view of a lot of things and be able to pull some of those things together. So again, unanimously voted to approve this appointment.

Okay, so any questions? Do I have a motion on Karen Buck?

Motion to be seconded.

Okay, I have motion by Councilor Winslow, seconded by Councillor O'Malley. We do need a roll call.

Council Colón Hayes, Council Condon Winslow, Council President Linehan, that confirmation. has been approved by 10 to 0 vote.

Okay, that confirmation is approved back to Councilor Crowe.

So in these next four are all on the newly organized Parks and Recreation Commission and so Heather Barry and Ben Gately, again I don't have my notes but brought some unique perspectives about sort of what the Parks and Recreation Commission could be doing and is really excited to be at the ground floor of some things, to kind of really build that up. And then we have Julie Turner and Jane Ventrone. Those two people there was a discussion previously that those two people are also city employees. And it was cleared, I researched all my things that they have both Malden residents we knew that and so they can't sit on this as an unstipend position

It does, I think some of the committee would discuss what my is really since Julie Turner right now works at the Recreation Department. She kind of has an insight in sort how some permitting happens and what we can make things a little easier, and a little more fair across the board. And then Jane Ventrone who works at OSPCD Again, as we're doing some of the parks that we've been talking about, sort of can have a bird's eye view of some of things that are coming down. Some work that is going on and how the Parks and Recreation Commission I think can kinda, they can be some of the expertise to help that one move along and get it done. So again we voted unanimously to approve all four these new appointments.

Okay, great. So we do need individual motions and individual roll calls, is that correct?

That is correct.

Okay so let's do Heather Barry first. Paper 364, Heather Barry Do we have a motion? Okay, motion by Councillor LeLong, seconded by Councillor Taylor. We'll do the roll.

Councilor Colón Hayes? Yes. Council Condon? Yes Councilor Crowe? Yes Councillor Le Long? Yes Segoe, not in the chamber. Councilor Taylor? Yes. Council Winslow? Yes Council President Linehan? Yes Okay that has been confirmed.

Okay that's confirmed do we have a motion for Ben Gately? O'Malley, seconded by Councilor Taylor. Let's call the roll.

Council of Colón Hayes? Yes. Council Condon? Yes Council Crowe? Yes O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli is not in the chamber. Winslow, Council President Linehan. Yes. That confirmation has been approved by a 10 to 0 vote.

10-0 that confirmation is confirmed. Do we have a motion for Julie Turner?

Motion.

Second.

Okay motion by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Colón Hayes. Let's call the roll.

I'm sorry would you please repeat the motion?

Yep, Councillor Sica and Councillor Colone Hayes I appreciate that Of course

Colón Hayes, Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow, Council President Linehan. Yes. Okay that confirmation has been approved.

Okay, that confirmations approved and finally do we have a motion for Jane Ventrone? Motion by Councillor Sica seconded by Councillor Colón Hayes again Colón Hayes, Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Simonelli

Taylor, Councilor Winslow.

Yes.

Council President Linehan? Yes. Okay we have confirmation.

Okay that final one is confirmed thank you everyone before we take up our last order .

Because under the Community Preservation Act, once we have a Parks and Rec Commission, we have to and many more. Thank you. updating the charter and that we didn't tackle this issue, but it's something we have to update that. So anticipate that. I'll put that on my to-do list.

Duly noted. Thank you, Councilor Winslow. So our next order of business is our executive session vote. However, I am gonna ask if anybody has personal privilege before we do that? Wow, everybody does. Okay, Councilor O'Malley.

Thank you so much. I just wanted to highlight to the community that as many of you know, I really care a lot about public art and at Quarter Millie Park we just installed today with the help the DPW, two new sculptures. So as you probably know we have the Wise Owl sculpture that has been a big hit and the artist Dale Rogers who is local to Massachusetts has done two more sculptures one's called American Dog with a really cool bone cut out of it, and another one is a fox. And I'm in the process of writing a little short children's story tying all three together basically talking about how to encourage children to take care of our parks of our environment. I just want to really give a shout out to the administration and Marie Louise specifically for your support, thank you so much for making it happen, it's really appreciated. Aside from that, I think Halloween is coming up, we have one more meeting So I won't say happy Halloween yet. You should say it when we're on TV next week.

Oh, happy Halloween. Yes, we are. Yeah, we were. Never mind.

It's a full meeting next week, yeah.

Okay, thank you, Councilor O'Malley.

Thank you, Madam President. So I have a few things that is, lots of things always go on in Malden so on Saturday and Sunday at 11 to 1230 there'll be a walking park Bell Rock Cemetery. These, Mark Linehan leads them and they are very informative. If you've never been to one or if you've been to all of them I would say go again because there's always more information that gets a little deeper really explains a lot. Really, with Malden sort of start a lot there so I think it makes you stop and think some of the information that is there. So it's from 11 to 1230 I highly encourage you to show up here this Saturday or Sunday. And then on Sunday after that at 1 30 we'll be having our annual trunk-or-treat event 1 30 to 3 30 It is on Canal Street, on the bike path.

And so the line will start near the bicycle statue sculpture in the bench towards the bike kitchen and then go down. We have about 30 trunks So I hope people come and we have a great time. And the weather looks like it's going to be perfect, so hope to see everybody there. Great.

Thank you, Councilor Crowe. Thank you. So just wanted to remind everybody that this Saturday from 6 to 8 is the Haunted Woods at Pine Banks. Hope to see so many people there. We do have the coffee truck will be there. The cannoli truck might have an issue, so we're working something out but that might be a different treat and there will be from Sick Props doing a photo booth. So come on down, hang out with us. There are options if you don't want to be scared going through the walk or extra scared looking forward to seeing everyone. Thank you, Councilor Taylor. Councilor Winslow?

Yeah I want to thank this weekend Lowe's of Saugus donated some railing we needed at Club 24, which is the Ward 6 voting location to fix their ADA railings there. And my neighbor Matt Royale who's a Northeast Vogue grad helped me install that and get it painted so I'm just we're all set for The election coming up in a few weeks at that. So just thanks to Matt and Lowe's for making that all possible and then just a few things coming up. I know Salemwood School has their trunk or treat coming up this Friday, so I believe that's at six o'clock. So I'll be out there with Peter Piazza from other people from Salemwood school and then also this Friday night, the Warming Center has its gala at Anthony's. So I think some people probably already signed up for that I know, I think they wanted people to sign up sooner but you could probably still check.

And I'm sure that they will gladly take a check if you just need to do that or whatever. But it's a great group and it's coming up to November when they reopen so They need that support. Thank you, Greg.

Thank You, Councilor Winslow. Councilor McDonald?

Thank you. Well as we head towards Election Day just want to remind folks about the early voting options unless you were gonna do that clerk

Go right ahead.

Because I went and voted early today in City Hall lobby, and it was very easy. And so early voting is happening every day between now and Thursday October 29th when it stops It's at City Hall except for Friday, October 23rd when it's at the police station that day.

Yes, we're doing mobile early voting to really people on the east side of the city. We'll be there from 10 to 2. Thank you for announcing that.

That is Friday the 23rd, 10 to 2. So if that is more convenient for you, you can check that out at the Police Station Community Room, presumably? Correct. At 800 Eastern Ave. And so thank you to the Clerk's Office for that good work. 8 to 5 on weekdays except for Tuesday it's 8 to 7 and then on weekends it's 9 to 1 except for that Friday one you just mentioned. So please, don't forget to go out and vote. There are three different pieces to your ballot and like nine of these ballot initiatives. And so just don't get to vote the whole ballot or to note the whole ballat at least. I also wanted to make sure that folks were aware of the first meeting on the Commercial Street Corridor Study, which is tomorrow. There will be virtual and in-person meetings. Tomorrow's is virtual at 6 to 7 30 p.m., The commercial street corridor, as we've discussed many times is by far the lowest hanging fruit

for significant economic development that can revitalize our tax base in a concentrated way and a cohesive way. So really excited to move that forward by starting with looking at the street itself and the grant that we've gotten to redo to redo the physical infrastructure. So check that out, thank you. Great, thank You Councillor McDonald.

Councillor Simonelli?

Thank you, Madam President. I probably should have done this in the beginning of the meeting but a long time resident of both Ward 7 and Ward 8 Jimmy Stanley passed away last night You have to actually be married to Waymont, no sister. So we just wanted a little moment of silence to recognize Jimmy Stanley. Absolutely. He was a big hot-topper and I think we all worked for one summer or another so thank you.

Thank you.

Absolutely, let me just put your light on.

I apologize. I was surprised we didn't have any at the beginning. Usually people let me know. Yep, I apologize my mind is crazy these last few weeks but as many, you may not know I don't know but Carol Burgess used to work for the city clerk's office. Her husband George passed away the other day. I attended the services last night, George and Carol. I've known them since I think I was in kindergarten. They live up on Central. George was super active in the Boy Scouts of America. It was actually one the most attended waits I think I've been to since COVID, I feel like. The place was packed last night and it was a true testament to Carol and George and how they've lived their life so I just wanna give my condolences to the Burgess family.

Thank you both for those.

Another one, okay, oh my goodness. Just a clerk of committees, Lisa Cagno lost her mother recently in the last week so we just want to send our thoughts and prayers out to Lisa and her family.

Thank you, everyone. Okay. Last but not least, Councilor Colón Hayes.

Yes, thank you. Now I have to... follow three moments of silence with some fun stuff. But anyway, this Bread of Life is holding their bowling fundraiser this Sunday it is from 2 to 4. It is at the Town Line Luxury Lanes. We're going to have a team from the Malden River Works, our team and we're gonna be bowling on there and I just actually saw that costumes are welcome so that just makes me very happy and I am also want to say, I'm very sad. I'm going away this weekend so I'm gonna be missing a lot of Halloween things that I usually participate in. So I'm a little bummed about that but that's just the way it goes. And then last I am going to be taking down, I keep staring at them even though they look really nice and all those flags that have been up for Hispanic Heritage Month. I really love seeing them but it is over so I will be taking them down and maybe it will be a monthly thing with putting something else up in there.

Cause I've really enjoyed looking at them, thank you. Thank you.

Well we do have our last item on our agenda which is our executive session Let me get there. Take your time. Thank you.

Paper 437-26 order that the City Council will vote whether to go into executive session with legal counsel for the city for the purpose of Exemption 1, Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A Section 21 A1. For the purpose discussing charges brought against a public employee in the matter Jeannette versus Officer Patrick Kennan, and to consider legal representation and indemnification of said employee if so allowed by the body to admit special assistant to the Mayor Marie Louise. Roll call required.

Okay, so we're looking for a motion to enter executive session. Okay on a motion by Councilor Taylor seconded by Council or Crowe We do need a roll call to adopt the order and enter into executive session, so let's call the roll.

Councilor Colón Hayes? Yes. Seminelli, Taylor, Winslow, Linehan. So the council will now enter into executive session.

The body will not reconvene for any further business this evening and we will adjourn directly from executive session. Thank you.

Thank you for watching!