Okay, good evening everyone. Apologies for the delay tonight due to our tech issues. Thank you so much for your patience. The council is now going to come to order at 7:23. All rise and salute the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for a moment of silence in honor of our veterans, service members, and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
>> You okay? >> Okay. Oh no. Did the Did the chair break? >> Okay. >> Do we need to get a new chair? We can probably rule that one over if it's broken. >> Council fall. >> Is council coming?
>> Okay. Moment of silence. >> Okay. Apologies. We're going to continue with our moment of silence. >> Okay. >> Thank you. The clerk will now call the role. >> Council Clone Hayes here. Council Condan here, >> Council Crow here, Council Lewong,
Council McDonald, Council Ali, >> Council Sika here, Council Simelli, Council Taylor, >> Council Winslow >> here, >> Council President Lahan >> here. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor Winsow. >> Okay. 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. We also have a member of the Blue and Gold here recording. So, just to be aware, there will be audio and video recordings of tonight's meeting. First order of business, representative from Friends of the Malden Public Library will appear before
the council to present their annual calendar of events and to update the city on projects the organization is working on to support the library in realizing its mission to serve the community. >> Okay. Thank you to the friends. Welcome. >> Good afternoon, everyone. I am very
pleased to be here for the third time. As you may know, uh, my term as president of the Friends of the Mald Public Library finished as of December of 2025. Our maximum term is three years, which I served happily and
proudly. Um, I would like to introduce some members of our board. Our new president is couldn't be here this evening, but I'd like to present uh Melissa Lelant, who is our new vice president. Marian Browning, our treasurer,
Sheila Tammore, who is our chair of uh membership. And although I am no longer president, I am still on the board and I will be um occupying the place of the uh external relations secretary. So I will be
working on Thank you. Uh continue to grow the friends and to continue expand our impact in the community and partnering with local organizations. Okay, so that is our logo 2026.
Uh please next slide please. Thank you. So once again I just posted the mission uh just to make sure everybody is sure about what we do. We are not part of the Mald Public Library per se. We are a proper nonprofit organization and the
friends support the library and its mission to serve our community organizing fundraisers and collaborating in local events. We promote books, reading, the library itself, culture, diversity uh for all the citizens of Malden. So
what I personally saw as our mission for the last three years was growing and developing the friends. Uh as we all know after COVID a lot of organizations were kind of on their last legs and we tried in the last three years to revive
the friends and we have been successful in that effort. So the way that we got went about that was partnering with Malden organizations and businesses for mutual support. So if we wanted to reach out to, for example, the Emanuel Baptist
Church for Black History Month, that was our way to do it for Malden Pride, for the Northshore Hispanic Association to be able to reach those um those people in our community. That's how we've been doing it. Traditionally, the Friends of
the Mom Public Library had book sales in the library. So the idea was even though it's wonderful to invite people to our beautiful library and have them come to our book sales, we needed to get out into the into the community and that's how we did it. We piggybacked on other
organizations events with a popup book sale. So the books that we were we are offering at these events are very carefully selected so that they will interest the people that are uh attending those events. So in the
picture you can see our board um Dave Ball also who has been a steering committee member now for a couple of years. Myself, Hui Gwen who is our president. Uh Angela Han who is on the communications uh ch committee. Uh Glenn
Crum who is our course our recording secretary. Marian and Melissa who you've already met. And our meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 700 p.m. at the library with a Zoom option. Next slide, please.
Okay. So, as I previously explained, our project was to get out into the community. This is how we did it. You can see that we started in 2024, 2025. Uh we did most of the activities.
Um, and we have most of them on our calendar for 2026. So, MLK celebration, Black History Month event, um, Lunar New Year with the Chinese Culture Connection, Race Amity event, we participated, uh,
in 2024. It didn't happen last year and it's on, it will be on our calendar for this year as well. The Pride event, uh, this will be our third year. And we've also partnered with Malden Pride with a uh Friends Pride book swap last year and
this year which is at Cafe Renard and we just get together and people bring books and they can exchange it for another book. It's a really happy and friendly event. Uh the Hispanic Heritage Festival with the Northshore Hispanic Association. This will be our third year
as well. Indigenous People's Day with Malden Reeds um with the Chamber of Commerce. We always do the Halloween book giveaway and we've done that forever in a day, ever since I can remember. Um, and then
we have our two major book sales which are the spring book sale and the fall book sale where we partner with the Malden Fire Department and with the Malden Police Department. Next slide, please.
Uh, new events in 2026. We're always innovating and doing more to get involved with the community. So, we've decided that months that we don't have a programmed book sale, major book sale, we will be opening the book room for a
couple of hours and inviting people in for a kind of more low-key book sale. So, that way we're able to get more people in. We're circulating those books out into the community. And once again, it's a dollar and $2 per book. and all
of the proceeds go to the M public library. Uh the other event, okay, so we had that our first uh open day was January 14th and we we will be scheduling more. Um we have had also our
first Friends Gallery open house on February 21st. This is taking advantage of the normal open gallery hours from 2 to 4 on Saturdays. And the difference is that the friends go, we host it, we prepare light refreshments, and we will
be reaching out to our community partners and inviting them to join us and take the tour of the gallery and enjoy some light snacks with us afterwards and socialize. So, that's a new strategy to get more people into the gallery. Okay, so once again, I have loaded my
presentation with tons of pictures. Um the popups are just really really joyous events. Um it's so nice to get out into the community and what I personally have noticed in the three years that we've been doing this is now people not only
recognize us, people are waiting for us. And so we'll appear, we'll start setting up our book table and uh getting all of our our merchandise out and people will come over. Oh, you're from the library, the friends of the library. So, it's nice to be accepted like that into
different communities. Um, and really feel like one of the family every time we go, we're just welcomed and and have a really good relationship with all of the different community groups. So, this is with the Emanuel Baptist Church, Martin Luther King event, and Black
History Month event. Uh, next slide, please. Uh, second one this year was the Chinese culture connection. Once again, this is the third year we have participated with them. Um, and once again, it was just a
great event. Great to be out there. Great to be participating. Next slide, please. Uh, the spring book sale. Once again, we partner always with a coffee partner. Last year it was New England Coffee. Um,
we have a new small Malden business which is the Apo Apothecary, correct me? Thank you. Yes. Uh who is a uh a small business owner here in Malden. She has done one
or two of our book sales and we will be partnering with her uh now from now on because it's just been very successful with her. She also in her coffee truck has a mini free library. So, we'll be helping her stock that from books that
we are getting rid of because we have too many copies or for whatever reason, she'll be able to stock her coffee truck so that she always has books. Uh, next slide, please. Some more pop-up book sales. Uh, the Friends Pride book swap, that was just
two weeks ago, I think. The race amity event, which once again we'll be doing that in June, and the Junth event, we're always there as well. Next slide, please. And uh everybody, please take note May
15th of this year, the most elegant elegant event in Malden, the wine tasting gala fundraiser. So we started again from scratch two years ago because obviously during COVID
we were not available, we were not able to gather. Um the first year I consider it to have been a success. Second year was even more people. First year I think we had about 125 people. Last year I
think we're up to 190. This year we're expecting 200 or more. So it's catching on. Those are just a few a few pictures uh from the event. Uh we offered mocktails last year.
um for people who prefer not to drink alcohol. Uh it was successful. We didn't get a lot of purchases. So, if anybody has any ideas about non-alcoholic options, please reach out and let me know. I'd like to have something really
appetizing for people. Next slide, please. Some more pictures from the wine tasting. The picture on the top left is the silent auction and that is something that has really taken off. Um we have a
formula at the friends when we reach out to for example um restaurants in the city instead of just asking them for a donation since we're very conscious about what how local businesses suffer during COVID our offer
is we will buy a gift certificate. will you donate one? So, we get two, we make up the baskets, and it was a very big success. We usually have seven nights of dining in Malden. Uh we had a spa gift
certificate from Serenity in the City. If you haven't been there, you should go. Uh we had a wine basket made up. Lots of different treats. So, please, when you come, take a look at our silent auction. It's a lot of fun.
Next slide, please. We also participate uh in the Pine Banks Fairy Houses book giveaway. We've done that for two summers now or two summers falls. Um and it's just once again a very joyous event. Lots of little ones fluttering
around um getting free books. So, next slide, please. Uh the GMAC event, we participated in that two years ago. Um, I don't think that took place last year, but we will be looking to um collaborate with them
this year as well. Uh, September Northshore Hispanic Festival. Uh, this was an event that two years ago, despite the rain, it still happened. We had our stand. Last year was a sunny, beautiful day. The music,
the food, the fun. Uh, really great event. will look forward to collaborating. Uh I would like to point out Glattis Rivera Rogers who is also here to support us tonight who is the president of the Northshore Hispanic Association.
Next slide please. Fall book sale partnering with Cornucopia last year and the Malden Police Department. Once again, just great to have our first responders at the book sale. Um, speaking to the families, greeting the children, giving
out little treats to them. Fantastic opportunity to partner with the police department as well as the fire department. Next slide, please. Keep clicking. And one more. >> Thank you. Uh, so that's the Halloween
book giveaway. And ever since I returned to Malden, which was 2021, I believe, we've been collaborating with this. Last time we gave away 400 books.
>> So, and carefully selected, carefully curated as usual. We've got Halloween books, we've got monsters, we've got dinosaurs, we've got animals, we've got everything that kids can like. But that's Pistol Pete there too who always comes to support us as well. Next slide
please. And also our winter concert uh which we do in collaboration with Malden Historical Society. Uh this year for the second time we partnered with the Mystic
Side Opera House and Natalia Sticko and her musicians came in and gave a fantastic concert. Once again, this concert is free. Um, wonderfully elegant event in our beautiful galleries. Um, and as you can see in the
second picture, always a packed house. Next slide, please. And once again, this is our calendar of events. Um, I've asked Carolyn to print out a copy for each one of you. This will also be on our website, so if you
need to consult. But as you can see, except for July and August, which we take a break to rest, we're pretty booked up each month with different events. So, we're looking forward to collaborating with the wards and getting
people residents of Malden into our events. And next slide, please. Oh, any questions? You can pass the next slide. And that is our friends appreciation dinner. We do this once a year. As you know, we are
all volunteers. And I am not the only one who has given my time, my heart, and my soul to this organization. Um, we have a great team. I'm very proud of the team that we've constructed over the last three years.
We've renovated. When I first sat down at the table, everybody kind of looked like me. And now we've got men on the board. We've got all kinds of different people from Malden. Um we've also gotten a lot of people from the younger crowd which is
very important for the longevity of the organization. And everybody gets along. Everybody loves the library. Everybody loves their work. I always say there's something for everybody at the Friends. Some people go to the popups. Some people come to
meetings. Some people don't. Some people work in the bookroom. There's something for everybody. We play to our strengths. Everybody can do at the friends what they like. So, thank you very much. Questions?
Any questions from the council? >> Yeah, thank you. Thank you. We appreciate you. I do see one light from counselor Lang. >> Hi, I just wanted to just say thank you so much for everything that you do for a volunteer organization. Reading
especially is for young children is you know immeasurable as they as they grow. And I just wanted to just say thank you for everything that you do and the time that it takes. You know being part of a nonprofit it's it's thankless. So what
you do makes a difference. So just thank you >> and we have fun. >> You can tell. Thank you very much. >> Thank you councelor Lew Wong. Counselor Winslow. >> No Mary Ellen, I just just had a question. Um
>> so just the the fundraising, you know, especially at this time when we're talking about our library. Um can you tell a little little bit about how the friends contributes to the library in terms of what you what's the ultimate >> thing relationship there? Everything we
do goes into the friend's bank account. Uh we have a monthly meeting and at every monthly meeting the library presents a wish list. >> They detail the wish list to us. We go over over all of the events that they're hosting at the library. Sometimes it's
for snacks, sometimes it's for craft materials, sometimes it's for books, sometimes it's it's just a myriad of different things. and we vote on it and we approve the wish list. >> Oh, yes. The museum passes as well. We pay for those.
>> Oh, interesting. >> Okay. >> Great. Thank you so much for the wonderful presentation as always. We always love having you here. So, thank you for being here. >> Okay. Our next order of business is the consent agenda. Um, tonight's consent
agenda consists of five petitions to be referred to the license committee. Does any counselor have a desire to remove any of these items from the consent agenda for the purpose of further discussion? >> No. >> Okay. Hearing none. And seeing none, I hear a motion by councelor seek a
seconded by councelor clone Hayes to approve the consent agenda. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Okay. The agenda is approved. Next order of business. >> Paper 170-26. Mayoral reappoint. Shanty Shalu Corey of 30 Franklin
Street, Unit 123 Malden, as a member of the disability commission said term to commence upon confirmation by the city council and to expire May 15th, 2029. >> Okay. Councelor Crow for the appointment. >> Um, as we've done in the past for the
mayoral reappoints, um, we've actually just passed them on the floor unless anyone has a desire to pull anybody into the personal appointment. So I make a motion that we approve Ashanti >> Shulu Corey. >> Shula Corey um to the disabilities
commission for her reappoint. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor Crow, seconded by councelor Simelli. We do need a roll call to confirm on the floor. >> Council Clone Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council Condan. >> Yes. >> Council Crow. >> Yes. >> Council Lewong. >> Yes. >> Council McDonald.
>> Yes. >> Council Sega. >> Yes. >> Council Simonelli. >> Council Taylor. >> Yes. Councelor Winslow. >> Yes. >> Council President Lahan. >> Yes. >> Okay, that reappoint is confirmed. Next order of business. >> Paper 171-26, mayoral appointment, uh,
reappointment, Gene Voltier, 500 Broadway, unit 2114, Malden, as a member of the registars of board of voters said term to commence upon confirmation by the city council and to expire March 31st, 2029. Okay, back to councelor Crow. again as a
reappoint. I think um Gene Voltater has done a lot of work. I think the whole um board of registers um of voters has done a lot of work and so I um I make a motion that we reappoint Gan Bolt here. >> Second. >> Did you want to speak to that councelor
Winslow as well? Yeah, I just I want to appreciate Jean and the board of registrators um work and especially at this time where there's a lot of uh pressure and questioning about what how we run our elections and that type of thing. This is the board that helps be the citizens representations in the
election process. So I appreciate that uh he and other people are stepping up to do that with our clerk's office that does a great job. Thank you. Great. >> Absolutely. Thank you, Councelor Winsow. motion. >> Okay. So, on a motion by councelor Crow, seconded by councelor Winsow, we'll need another roll call to confirm on the floor. >> Council Cologne Hayes,
>> Council Condan, >> Council Crowe, yes. >> Council Wong, >> yes. >> Council McDonald, >> yes. >> Council Seca, yes. >> Council Simonelli, Council Taylor, >> yes. >> Council Winslow, >> yes. >> Council President Lahan, >> yes. >> Okay, that confirmation has been approved by 10 to zero vote.
>> Okay, next order of business. Paper 172 resolved that it is the sense of the Malden city council that it urges Malden state legislative delegation to support S2542 an act to build resilience for Massachusetts community the mass ready
act to strengthen climate resilience infrastructure and to ensure it includes urgently needed flood protection upgrades to the Amelia Airhart Dam. This act would also increase funding for the municipal vulnerability preparedness grant program which Maldin had benefited
from in the past few years. The council specifically supports including language in the mass ready acts section on the department of conservation and recreation which earmarks as much as possible toward the overall project cost of over hund00 million for long-term coastal flood resilience improvements to
the Amelia Ehhat dam and its embankments. The proposed investment aligns directly with the flooding mitigation and climate adaptation priorities of Maldin's climate action plan adopted by the council in 2024. The climate action and sustainability commission has endorsed
this project in funding has and has asked the Malden city council to do the same. The Airha Dam is primary is the primary barrier to prevent flooding on the west side of Malden along the Malden River in the event of a significant storm surge and is cornerstone of our
community's climate resilience. The increasing threats of sea level rise and extreme precipitation events pose a growing risk to Maldin's neighborhoods and infrastructure throughout our city. improvements to elevate and strengthen the Amelia Airhhat dam and would significantly reduce the risk of
catastrophic flooding and provide long-term protection to residents, businesses, and public assets. This paper was sponsored by Council McDonald and Winslow. Thank you, Madam Clerk, for reading the resolve. Councelor McDonald for the paper. >> Thank you so much, Council Chair. So, I
want to preface this by saying this resolve has come to us by way of our climate action and sustainability commission. They uh met with the Mystic River Wershed Association who was really focused on this as one of their priorities at the legislature uh and the Climate Action and Sustainability
Commission passed its own resolution in support of this particular provision and asked the council to do the same. So I just want to give you an overview of really what this is. I think folks do know the Ameilia Airheart Dam, right? It's the one by assembly and it protects the entire Mystic River watershed. Um
but the it it it is the it controls the tidal b it's the title barrier to the Malden River. And so this is a um this is how we prevent storm surge from flooding the west side of our city. Uh and the proposal is to raise the dam.
And uh I think it's about 18 in or so was the proposal. It's a it's a pretty old structure. Um, but this is one of these climate resilience things that is going to be so important in the next decade or two as sea levels rise and we need to make sure that our communities
don't suffer catastrophic damage. Uh, I do have a really quick picture that shows kind of the vulnerability in the next, you know, generation or two. And so I'm just going to share that very quickly. This is um a this is a a
picture from Malden's climate access I'm sorry climate action plan. I don't know if you can see this very well but the the the lighter colors are um more more ready flooding like with sea level rise and the darker you get the the further you're out of them. So you can see this
area all along the Mullen River and particularly in WS one and two uh are very vulnerable to even small amounts of sea level rise. You'll see there um that the sea level rise this is just coastline. This is not even flooding um at the 1 foot level which uh some
estimates say we could get to um in the 2030s um without without correction would could lead to that that light blue flooding uh the very lightest blue and then storm surges beyond that. So it's really important that this um that this
that this be addressed soon. These projects take a lot of time. The point I just want to make sure that folks know is that the state does understand this priority. This dam is actually already in the depart uh department of conservation and recreation DCR's um
capital plan but it is it is not enough money to do the project that they have in the capital plan. So this is something that can be included in the mass ready act which is the environmental bond bill. But for those who follow bond bills, just because something is authorized does not mean it
is necessarily likely to happen. But this in fact is likely to happen because it's already in the DCR capital plan. By adding this as an earmark to the bond bill, which already has an emphasis on coastal resilience. We know there's a department ready to do this. They've already been working on the designs for
the project, which includes not only the dam, but the embankments on the sides of the dam because if you just raise the wall and then it's shorter on the other side, that doesn't work. And um so GCR is ready to move this project ahead if we can make sure that the funding is there for it to to happen. And all I
will just say is these projects only get more expensive over time as dams degrade. Even since they've been talking about this, they've had it to add more systems as they've been as they've gotten older. Um and just to be clear also that bond bills are not in direct competition for funding with the
operating funds that for example fund our schools. It's a different it's a different appropriation process for those for that bonding. authority. So, I just want to be clear um that it's not a zero- sum game we're dealing with. So, I would ask for everyone's support. I have been in touch with Senator Lewis's office about this. They're paying
attention trying to figure out whether we can um get this added while the bill is in committee or um be prepared to work with some of their colleagues on potential floor amendments if it gets to that. but it will mean a lot to have this front and center as a priority of
Malden to protect our residents on the west side for the next generation. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor McDonald. Um, Councelor Winslow. >> Yeah, I I really particularly support this because the east side is as vulnerable. You saw that map that uh
council McDonald put up. You you sort of see it was bifurcated in the middle. Um the Emily Heart Dam sort of protects everything from Salem Wood School to the to the west. Um there's flood barriers and other type of protection on the east
side that needs as much or if not more investment. So um the good news is that DCR and that side with Mass DOT are working to the floodgates um near the Mald and River line that um you know what's the Amazon now um need to be
updated because they're not functioning right. So that's like a $4 million project. So this is the type of funding and the other type of thing in the long run is to look at Townline Brook in Ward seven and W eight for resources to make those areas um better. So that's the
type of thing this this bill will provide the funding that we can work with um you know our climate resiliency staff at the community development office to get these funding so we can protect I know council sec off and delta terrace is another thing that these are
funds that can go into um making those improvements we need there has been planning that's been underway and um on the east side as well and uh getting the funding lined up to protect that um I I give credit to Rep. Alrino's office who's done a lot and spearheading that
as well as Senator Lewis's office. Um, but you know, there there is stuff on East Side that needs to be done and funded. And again, that is money that will that that otherwise we might have to pay out of our operation budgets or just have the the risk. And you know, in
other communities where they're not dealing well with coastal resiliency and that type of thing that you know, uh, property um, insurance goes way up. I mean, just look at the challenges they have in places like Florida. So, so getting ahead of this and protecting our
community um, it protects our homes and also saves our residents in the long run. So, we got to do this. It's um, you know, things are more difficult. So, thank you. Great. >> Thank you, Councelor Winszo. Councelor Simmonelli. Thank you, Madam President. I I'd like
to support this paper as well. I think that, you know, it's something that we really got to start taking a look at. I know that councelor Seeker and myself and along with some other counselors here, we've talked about it. We've actually walked uh along the path that councelor Winslow was just uh referring
to. And I think it's just something that's important uh something that we really have to start taking a look at. I mean, we see, you know, um the eroding of uh our coastal shorelines all the way through up the the state, you know, and it's getting to be a worse and worse
problem. And if it's not going to, you know, mess around with our bottom line, this is something that we should actually be seeking uh funding for and looking to go out and bond for is our our future and our children's future and uh and the well-being of our home, which
is Malden. So, I think it's a great paper. I think it's something that we really should start taking a look at moving forward. Uh I think it's just been, you know, something that we've put in the rearview mirror for too far now and I think that we should really start taking a comprehensive approach and proactive approach. So, thank you. I
like the paper. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you, Councelor Simmonelli. Councelor Cologne Hayes. >> Uh yes, thank you so much. I'm fully in support and I meant to get um back and respond. So, um I'd love to be added as a sponsor. Um I'm a board member of the Mystic River Watershed Association. So
this is nothing new to me, but it's definitely something that I am um again fully in support of and um we do need to get working on this. I really appreciate uh the work that you put into this. Thank you. Great. Okay. So, seeing no other lights, um we need just a voice
vote to pass the resolve. So, do I hear a motion? >> Okay. Um Councelor Simonelli, seconded by Councelor Winslow. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Okay. The resolution passes 10 to zero.
Next order of business 173-26. The city council will address the open meeting law complaint submitted on March 12th, 2026 by Bruce Freriedman of 8 Marvin Street, Malden against the council related to the public release of 14 sets of executive session minutes as
well as an email sent by Maria Louise. Okay. So, just by way of explanation, so typically we would be um reviewing and then voting to refer, but because of the constraints of needing to um not have well because we have no meeting next week and because there's of course a
deadline um to respond to these, we unfortunately need to do everything tonight. Um so, what we've decided to do um is basically we need to refer and authorize legal to respond on our behalf all at one time this evening. Um, so if
counselors want to review the response one-on-one or have questions, we're offering the opportunity to meet with legal, but it would not be to obviously change anything. It would just be to ask questions or to understand more. Um, but the deadline is to respond by next week
and given that we don't have a meeting next week, we do need to do everything tonight. Is that a fair assessment of >> Yes. So, we would like a motion to refer it and to also authorize it be sent off to the AG's office. >> Okay. So, that's the motion that we're looking for. A vote to refer to legal and authorize legal to submit to the
attorney general on our behalf. >> I'll make that motion. >> Okay. >> I think we all got >> Yep. Sorry, I can put your light on. Counselor Coro, >> we've all got the response. We had the opportunity actually to um ask some questions ahead of time. >> Okay, great. >> Before this, if we if we had some So, I
make that motion that we refer and respond. >> Okay. with many thanks to the clerk for distributing that. Okay. On a motion by councelor Crow, seconded. I heard councelor Cologne Hayes first. >> All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Okay. Thank you very much. Next order of
business. A representative from the solicitor's office will follow up on paper 154-26 with an update to the council on the investigation into the other open meeting law complaint filed by Bruce Freriedman of 8 Marvin Street from March 4th, 2026 related to the
release of executive session minutes. Okay, so who do we have? Sorry over there. So we have our assistant city solicitor Zahir Sami joining us tonight. Let me put your podium microphone on. Okay. Thank you so much. You have the floor.
>> Hi, good evening. So here's Sami, assistant city solicitor. So this was an open meeting complaint by Mr. Freriedman. uh he filed it I believe on March 4th and one of our other assistant city solicitors Prasana Raja Securin uh
investigated and wrote the response which is dated March 24, 2026 and I believe you all have had a chance to review that if I'm not mistaken. >> Sorry, sorry. Apologies, John Denver. Happens to
everyone. Please continue. Sorry about that. >> Yeah. So, the the original uh complaint uh was a complaint about um failure to release executive session minutes. It's actually uh three sets of minutes uh dated uh for meetings
February 3rd, 10th, and 17th. Um the February 3rd and 17th ones had to do with the TUS construction litigation and the February 10th executive session minutes had to do with the uh benevolent botanicals litigation. All of them have
been released already u since the complaint was filed. They were released in I believe around March 10th or so. So the complaint's actually kind of moot at this point. Uh but they've all been released. So Mr. Freriedman and anyone else who wants to see the minutes, they
they're out there. Um, and so the response basically says one, it's moot. Um, however, the other part of the response is that on the merits, there was a justifiable reason to withhold the minutes until the benevolent botanicals
litigation, actually both litigations were finally concluded. They were tentatively concluded. Uh, in one case, there was a possible appeal pending. Uh once the appeal was withdrawn uh the minutes were released very shortly thereafter and in the other litigation
there was a a settlement which still need to be sort sort of buttoned up and finalized and pending the uh finalization of that settlement. Um the minutes were withheld but in early March when that was um concluded those minutes
were also released. So basically it says uh it's moot and there was no violation. motion. >> No, >> yeah, we need a motion to authorize Leela to submit to the attorney general and the complainant >> pending any questions. I do see a light
from counselor McDonald. >> I'm happy to make that motion. I just wanted to ask Sahir, do you know with the approval of the one that we just did from the March 12th complaint, how many open meeting law complaints will we have responded to Bruce Freriedman about relating to these executive session
minutes in this calendar year? Is it five? >> I believe five. I would say around five. >> Five since the beginning of the year. Yeah. I think that might be a new record >> for the first couple of months of the year a couple of years back that we had there was a situation where I there were
three complaints sort of one after the other. Um but I think this this I think this is about five. >> Okay. Yeah. Um, well, I would be happy to make that motion to to acknowledge rece what do I have to do? Approve.
>> Uh, we need a motion to authorize legal to submit this to the attorney general and the complaintant. >> So moved. >> Okay. Do I have a second? Seconded by councelor Taylor. We can do a voice vote. So all in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Okay.
That is authorized by a vote 10 to zero. Next order of business. Thank you. Use it here. >> Paper 174-26 committee report. The standing committee on license to whom was referred papers 115 through 117 series of 2026 having considered the
same make the following report. Committee recommends petitions 115 to 117 out favorably to the full council. Committee further recommends paper 370 series of 2025 originally granted as a conditional 90-day license now be
extended until December 31st, 2026. Committee further recommends paper 451 series of 2025 originally granted as a conditional 90-day license now be extended until December 31st, 2026 and to be adjusted from 66 to 41 cars in
accordance with the establishment's newly updated plot plan. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor Seika, seconded by councelor Taylor to receive the committee report. All in favor? >> I. Paper 115-26
petition class 2 Friends Auto Group LLC 225 Eastern Avenue 17 vehicles paper 116-26 petition taxi driver John A Dana 26 Highland Court renewal paper 117-26
petition taxi driver Sophia Pepper 290 Stephenson a man street apartment 307 renewal paper 370-25 petition class 2 AGM Auto Sales Incorporated 160 Eastern Avenue, 21 cars. Paper 451-25, petition
class 2 maximum auto sales 277 Broadway Malden originally for 66 cars. >> Okay. Councelor Seika for the committee. >> Thank you, Council President. The license committee met last Tuesday to discuss all these petitions. Um, they
were all passed unanimously. So, I make a motion to grant all these petitions on the floor. >> Okay. on a motion by councelor Sika, seconded by councelor Simelli. All in favor? I >> I. Any opposed? Those petitions are granted. Next order of business.
>> Paper 175-26 committee report the standing committee on finance in a joint session with rules and ordinance committee to whom was referred papers 158 and 159 series of 2026 having considered the same make the following report. Okay. On a motion by councelor
McDonald, seconded by councelor Taylor to receive the committee report. All in favor? I. >> So the first paper of the two was for ordinance. It's paper 158-26 be ordained by the Malden city council that the code of the city of Malden
2.24.030 public works, parks, traffic, water, sewer, and cemetery salary schedule is hereby amended by adding the updated salary schedule chart effective July 1st, 2024. >> Councelor Winsow for the committee. >> Yeah. Um the rules and ordinance
committee met tonight to discuss the updated salary schedule and controller Rangan was there. Um this is proposed as a result of um a recently uh reached uh collective bargaining agreement with the um relevant union of our public works uh
workers. Um this is just the um the frontline staff. Um I believe it's 27 people that are involved. they have not um had a their contract has not been in effect since um you know June of 2024. So they've been going a year and a half.
I mean during that year and a half these folks have been on the front lines of dealing with the trash strike, dealing with our recent blizzard. So they've been working very hard and so um the committee did recommend that the salary schedule and I do note that this is only
updating the schedule for the the past year and a half up to June 30th, 2026. So it's not impacting next fiscal year. So that was something that both the um controllers's office and and the negotiators uh um from the city as well
as the union um decided that we were just working to get this more mostly retroactive in place. Um so that's really the main purpose and especially I think for this group of workers um that h had a very unusual couple years here
that um they really deserve this um this. So thank you very much. Great. >> Thank you councelor Wzel. see a light by councelor Cologne Hayes. >> Thank you. Well, I'd like to second that. And then also for if if anybody's listening, um it is it made me very happy to second that. You're right
there. They had been waiting a long time and I have been hearing from a lot of folks out there. So, I'm extremely happy that this went through after all those years of waiting and it was one of the reasons why I did vote no um to the director's level because rank and file
was still waiting. Um so, I'm really really happy to second this. Thank you very much. >> So, you're seconding councelor Winsow, I assume a motion to enroll. Yes. >> Motion to enroll. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. Any other questions or lights? Seeing none. All in favor of enrolling.
>> I >> I >> I >> Any opposed? >> So then I'm going to make a motion to um suspend the rules so we can ordain and enroll in one night. >> I'll second that. >> Okay. So to suspend, do we need what is it? 2/3. We need eight votes. >> We need eight votes.
Okay. Um, sorry. >> Okay. So, on Council Winslow's motion seconding council see to suspend the council rules. >> Council Clone Hayes, >> yes. >> Council Condan, >> yes. >> Council Crowe, >> yes. >> Council Lewong, >> yes. >> Council McDonald, >> yes. >> Council Sega,
>> yes. >> Council Simonelli, yes. >> Council Taylor, >> yes. >> Council Winsow, yes. Council President Lan. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, we need a motion to ordain. >> So, motion to ordain the uh updates to
DPW salary schedule. >> Okay. So, a motion by councel Winsow. I heard councelor Sea second. >> Excuse me. >> Council Cologne Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council Condan. Council Crow. Yes. >> Council Lewong. Yes. >> Council McDonald. >> Yes. >> Council Sega.
>> Yes. Councelor Seali. >> Council Taylor. >> Yes. >> Councelor Winsow. Yes. >> Council President Lahan. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, that has been or um ordained enrolled and ordained unanimously. And then the companion paper that goes
with it, paper 159-26. Order that the sum of $175,000 be and the same is hereby transferred from salary reserve to public works salaries labor. Councelor McDonald. >> Thank you, Council President. So, this
paper again addresses retroactive re um new new class new grades to bring us up to the to the current um the current fiscal year. And it does include some other small stipened benefits and other parts
that uh other other parts of the contract that have financial implications, but it's mostly these standard three and 3% increases that has been pretty uh pretty consistent across uh so many of our bargaining units in the last uh in the last two years. And
so the so the appropriation before us I I just want to acknowledge and we talked about this briefly in committee is awkwardly timed with a an override election scheduled for next week in which a core question is what Malden residents are willing to pay to fund our
core city services like public works. Um that being said, I think we were comfortable in the finance committee moving this forward because again it is retroactive and just makes kind of brings our frontline DPW workers up to par where we are right now. Um and uh
controller Ranigan, CFO Renigan acknowledged that, you know, this council was not willing to entertain future year agreements at this stage until we know where that um where that override is going to land. Um, we also noted that there are probably a lot of these agreements that are outstanding at
this point that probably need to be addressed at this because we're waiting to see what will happen. Um, this with the override vote and what the future prospects are. This one is just particularly uh has been hanging out there for a particularly long time. So, I would just
defer to my colleagues about would you like to uh pass this now and go ahead and bring the DPW workers up to up to time. I think it would be within our rights to certainly hold off for another week. Um it is not typical that we hear
um the for the first time um a salary schedule and approve it and the finance order. We don't always do that all in the same night. Um but we do know that our DPW workers have been as counselor Winsow said working really hard for us through a trash strike and a huge amount
of snow. Um, so I leave that question to my colleagues um, with no doubt about the need to support our DPW workers, but just acknowledging the complexity of the timing of this particular paper. >> Thank you, Council McDonald. I do see some lights for discussion, so I'm going
to go to Councelor Simmonelli first. >> Thank you, Madam President. I I just wanted to just uh give you my sentiment. I think I expressed it a little bit earlier today about uh you know talking with several of the DPW workers, particularly the parks department folks because they're down in my neighborhood
every morning getting the parks ready. Uh and they've been waiting for this money for a while and I think that it would be, you know, it'd be good for us to uh pass this tonight so we could get these guys up to speed. They can get their retroactive money and move forward. I mean, it's it's inevit inevitable. It's going to
happen at some point in time. Uh, so why make them wait any longer? And, um, I think it'd just be a a good sentiment to set out to them to let them know how much we really appreciate the work that they do for us uh, year to year. So, that's all. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Councelor Simmonelli. Councelor Lewong. >> All set. I'm all set. >> You're all set. Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Seeing no further lights, um, do we have a motion? I apologize. I was taking care of some paperwork. You made a motion, councelor Simonelli.
>> Seconded by Condan. >> Seconded by Condan. Okay, so the motion we have is to adopt the order. >> And we do need a roll call. Council Clone Hayes, >> yes. Council Condan, >> yes. Council Crow, >> yes. >> Yes. Council Lewong, >> yes. >> Yes. Council McDonald,
>> yes. >> Yes. Council Sega, >> yes. >> Yes. Council Simmonelli, >> yes. Council Taylor, >> yes. Council Winslow, >> yes. >> Yes. Council President Lahan, >> yes. >> Yes. So, that has been um adopted unanimously. >> Sorry.
>> Okay. Next order of business. >> That was him. >> Didn't look like Steve. >> It didn't. I did the same thing. I thought Steve hadn't signed it. >> I don't think he signed. >> Sorry. I'm just going to take a minute to say whoever didn't sign the election warrant already. I think I'm missing two signatures. So, >> well, we don't have Ryan here.
>> We don't have Ryan. So, who are we missing? >> Did Chris, we need Chris to sign. >> Did you sign this? We'll send it down. >> All right. Thank you. >> Okay. Uh paper 176-26 committee report. The standing committee
on finance to whom was referred paper 129 series of 2026. Having considered the same make the following report. Committee unanimously recommends the paper out favorably to the full council with the following amendments. Strike the word cut after Christensen
and insert submit cuts to. Strike the word will after following ways which in insert could strike the elimination of the in insert reduction of in lines one and two. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor McDonald
seconded by councelor Taylor to receive the committee report. All in favor? I. Paper 129-26 resolved that it is the sense of the Malden City Council that during this time of budgetary constraints, the council is committed to the principles of fiscal responsibility
and the efficient management of public funds that prioritize essential services and long-term financial stability. The council wishes to demonstrate a pledge of shared sacrifice and budgetary discipline and therefore request the honorable mayor Gary Christensen cut specific discretionary monies and
reallocate for use in the general fund in the following ways which will result in savings up to $95,000 for the upcoming fiscal year. Number one, the elimination of the line items associated with water improvement funds. Number two, the elimination of line items associated with Fourth of July funds.
>> Councelor McDonald for the committee. Thank you, Council President. So, the we had a good discussion about this paper in committee. I'll let um the sponsor speak to the substance of the paper if you'd like to, but just to recap uh where the conversation landed. Uh there was um there was a range of opinions
about whether we should be having this conversation right now and to what degree and to what specificity about these different cuts. Where we landed was that this is certainly an appropriate set of things for the council to be talking about because it's money that we control and that we should
be clear with the general public that if we cannot fund an override that we're going to have to cut some things and this is probably one of the things that will be impacted. Is this funding for community events? Um but we didn't want to get quite to the level of specifying
does that mean we zero them all out now? Are we trying to cut half? what if one option passes but not the other etc. So um the amendments that were approved in committee just make this convey that sentiment without trying to solve the
problem uh in a cart before the horse kind of way. So when you integrate the amendments um it will read the council wishes to demonstrate a pledge of shared sacrifice and budgetary discipline and therefore requests the honorable mayor Gary Mayor Gary Christensen to submit cuts i.e in the annual budget to
specific discretionary monies and allocate for reallocate for use in the general fund in the following ways which will result in savings of up to 95,000 which we clarified that was up to for the upcoming fiscal year the reduction of line items associated with reward improvement funds and the reduction of line items associated with fourth of
July funds. One last note, folks may remember that when this paper was originally submitted, it also included um a a set of provisions about the council's own uh compensation and that was split off into a separate paper. So in committee, we only discussed this
portion of that original paper and the remaining piece of that was placed on file before being referred to committee. So that is what has been referred out. Um, I know we don't often refer resolutions to committee and bring them back, but this one felt like it was important to clarify what the committee
was recommending the council um the council ultimately uh say uh about our intent with these funds. >> Thank you, Council McDonald. Did either of the original sponsors want to speak to the paper before we take up the votes on the amendments? >> I was going to say I think Council
McDonald explained quite well what the sentiment was. So make a motion to >> Okay. So we need a vote to adopt the amendments according to the committee report first and then we can vote to pass the resolve if that is the motion. >> Okay. So >> okay so so moved by councelor McDonald
seconded by councelor Crow to adopt the amendments. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Okay. And do I have a motion to pass the resolve? >> Motion. >> Okay. Motion by councelor SEA. Seconded by councelor Crow. All in favor? >> I Okay. The resolve is passed. That is
your docket. >> Does anybody have personal privilege? >> I see councelor Taylor hot on the mic. Thank you so much. Um I just want to remind everybody that last year Ward Five did a community yard sale and this
year um Marlene Gala who put it together and has been working on it very hard uh extended it to the entire city this year. Um, anybody interested, there is still time to sign up um by March 31st
and you can go to um malden ward 5.com and and search under the calendar for the yard sale and it has the link to sign up, get involved um and you know hopefully sell some of your stuff and
maybe travel around the city on uh April 25th and and see what people have uh their trash may be your treasure. >> I'm excited about it. I'm signed up for the BV location and I just want to put a plug in because I know a lot of Ward 3
folks asked me last year if we could get in on it and I've been trying to spread the word but I don't I feel like signups at BB are maybe a little bit low. So I just want to reiterate if folks don't want to host it at your house, it's the same cost, right? You >> It's the same cost. It's $10. If you
sign up um and you're at the BB or the Forest Dale, your $10 will actually go be a donation back to that school if it's not used for like promotional or or whatever. You know, there's not a huge amount of cost associated with it. Um so
it'll be split >> in those in those ways uh to help our PTO's. >> That's awesome. Thank you, Councelor Taylor. Um, Councelor Winslow. >> Yeah. Um, just this Saturday at nine o'clock down at Salem Wood School, um, we're having a a trail cleanup, so
please come down. The more people we have, the more length of the trail we can get to. So, please come down to that. Um, we'll be there 9 to 11ish or whatever. So, uh, appreciate the, um, the key club from the high school coming out and some other people. So, um, uh, we'll we'll be down there with pickers
and bags and, uh, that to get that cleaned up. And sometimes we go into the neighborhood a little bit too. Um and then on May 16th um we are going to have the Maplewood Fest from 2:00 to 5:00 in Maplewood Square and um we are seeking crafters and artists who um wanted to
have booths and stuff like that. So do that. Um and just a heads up for people in W six and and throughout the community, we're going to have our Independence Day celebration on July 3rd, the Friday before the 4th. So, um that will that's just we uh feel that'll
be great to uh for the community and our volunteers. So, we're going to do that on July 3rd a regular time 9 to1 standard. And then um I have my uh liberty tie on today because just to remind people um this coming Tuesday um
the council has asked the uh folks to uh vote on a tax increase and we know that 250 years ago uh people in the you know what is now the United States the colonies did not want to have a
government where um people weren't representative in how they are taxes are raised. raised. So, this is your opportunity by law under Prop 2 and a half um if we as a community uh re want our taxes raised above 2 and a
half%. That has to go before the voters. So, um that Tuesday is your opportunity and I, you know, as a council, um we uh will ultimately follow the will of the voters one way or the other, but get out and vote. Um and we will see what happens and then uh then uh speak on
Tuesday or before then or you know then then it'll be up to the council to follow the wishes of the voters that come out. Thanks. Great. >> Indeed it will. Thank you councelor Winslow. Councelor Seika. >> Thank you council president. I just want to wish everybody a happy Passover,
happy Easter next week. um since we're not we don't have council on Tuesday and also to remind everybody that the annual W 8 egg hunt is Saturday, April 4th at 10:00 a.m. shop. Make sure you're there at 10:00 a.m. At 10:05 the eggs will be
gone. I promise you there will be no eggs left. People come I used to years ago when I first started this I used to put like a time to start and a time to end this and people would show up at like quarter of 11 and they're like where's the eggs? I'm like >> so sad.
>> The eggs are gone 45 minutes ago. So, just make sure you're at um Lynen Lynen Steam Academy, Lynen Park at Hunting Field by 10:00 a.m. shop with your little Easter basket or your bag. We'll pass out some bags and um the bunny himself will be there for some pictures.
So, uh it hopefully the weather will be cooperating. For a minute, I was wondering if the snow was still going to be there, if we were going to even be able to have this event, but I just ordered 5,000 eggs the other day. They are in my basement and they're filled.
Yes. And uh it it'll be a great time. So, thank you. >> Sounds adorable. Okay. Thanks, Councelor Seika. Councelor McDonald. >> Thank you, Council President. So, just a couple more things about the override election. One is that our final forum will be this Wednesday, tomorrow night
at 6 PM at the Lynen School Auditorium. So, this will be the last of five forums. There's a presentation that goes over the whole budgetary situation and then there's the opportunity for folks to ask questions who do come. Uh, I also want to make sure folks know there's
still early voting available this week. I voted right before our council meeting, although my sticker fell off. I promise I had my sticker and it just fell off. It's in the hall. Lisa says it's in the hall. >> Someone's going to run around acting like they voted. No.
>> So, no, please. But, um, just want to make sure folks know that you can vote tomorrow, Wednesday, and also Thursday when city hall is open if that would be easier for you. And on Tuesday is normal polling hours at your normal polling location. And what that means, of course, then is that we are going to not
have a school day in our K8 uh and ELC schools. The high school is open, but uh most of most schools and the other schools in Malden, Malden public schools will be closed because they're serving as polling locations. Um there is an open gym program sponsored by the Malden
Recreation Center along with MPS and the Malden PD. And so you can sign up on the Malden Rec Center's website for one of the two sessions in the morning or in the afternoon if it'd be helpful to have um some place to be able to bring your kid grades K through six at some point
on that day off. So I really want to appreciate Malden Wreck for creating that option for parents and families. Um are you going to talk about this? Okay. And uh I just want to remind folks again on your calendar the green Malden fair is going to be Saturday, April 24th.
just keep reminding you about that. Come on down. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you, Councelor McDonald. Councelor Cologne Hayes. >> Thank you very much. Um we all have a flyer um here given by the president of the Northshore Hispanic Association, Glattis River Rogers, and that's for an
event that um has been done every year. Um I've been a part of that association um I want to say almost 10 years maybe. Um but this year uh they're doing it a little different. So, it's Thursday, April 30th, um 6:00 to 8, and it will be
at a restaurant. So, that's a new um at the steakhouse um on 100 Ferry Street. And if you want to have a an ad, you can go to the Northshore Hispanic Association atgmail.com and they're um
$100 and that's for the Northshore Hispanic Association. Um and unfortunately, I'm going to announce another event that's on that exact day. So, I'm very sad about that. But the um RiverWorks the public uh we're having a public meeting um for the River Works
project and we wanted to update the community on how great uh the project has been going and that it should be open um this summer which is going to be fantastic. Yes. So, that's going to be at the senior center uh from the same
time from 6 uh to 7:30 8:00. There's going to be slides, a presentation, um some fun activities for kids. Uh and it's really just a spring into action kind of thing, a spring update to get everybody really excited um that this is
actually going to happen. There's there'll be a couple of canoes and kayaks there also. You can take some pictures in there. Okay. So, thanks. Cool photo op. >> Yes, exactly. >> What date was that, Karen? >> April 30th. >> Um my birthday. >> Oh,
>> I might be eating cake somewhere else. Just a >> um just kidding. Uh okay, seeing Oh, wait. I was going to say seeing no other lights, but councelor Leong popped in there at the 11th hour. >> Yes, I actually meant to say this earlier in the month, but I just wanted
to say thank you to our crossing guards. >> It's cross it's crossing guard appreciation month and they have done such a great job. Um and I'm sure we can have them on next month and they can tell us all the projects that they're working on. But I just wanted to say shout out to them and just say thank
you. It's also the end of Women's History Month. So thank you to all the powerful women that have focused our lives and made a difference in Malden through the years 250 years. So um that's it. Just want to say thanks. >> Yeah, we we should congratulate one of
one of our very own being honored this week at Women Making a Difference. Congratulations councelor Taylor Club of Malden is doing their annual 26th annual um women making a difference. Council Taylor is one of our
narish um as well as Linda Cochran Busin Sed um Elizabeth Santiago. We have a humanitarian excuse my voice um was um officer Amanda Grineier >> and the fabulous um brought a life. So
we're really excited to honor everybody. It's going to be a great evening. It's at Rosario's restaurant up on um Sus. So yeah, hopefully be can make it. >> Great. Thank you for that. >> Welcome. Okay. So now seeing no other lights, do I have a motion to adjurnn?
>> Okay. So moved by councelor Crow, seconded by councelor Luong. All in favor? I. We are adjourned at 8:29. >> I know we could have been done a whole half hour earlier, but it's okay. It's all right.