The council will come to order. I'll 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. Councelor Winsow, would you like to offer an additional moment of silence? Yes, I would. Um, I just wanted to offer an additional
moment of silence for the uh the victims of the shootings at Brown University and at Bondi Beach in Australia. um you know at this time where students were seeking to enlighten themselves and people of the Jewish faith were
celebrating a holiday focused on focusing on the light in the world after um horrible things have happened. Um, I just think it's time to have a moment of silence in their honor and um, and let's
focus on the light this holiday season even amongst the horrible things that happened. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Winsow. Clerk will now please call the role. Councelor Clone Hayes here. Councelor Condan here.
Councelor Crowe here. Councelor McDonald here. Councelor Omali here. Councelor Seca here. Councelor Simelli. Councelor Spataphora. Not here. Uh councelor Taylor here. Councelor Winslow
here. Council President Lahan here. Okay. So, we do not have any members participating remotely. Is that correct? No. Okay. So, uh we will take voice votes tonight. Now, under the provisions of the open meeting law for those of you in attendance, please be informed that UMA Urban Media Arts will be recording this
evening's meeting. So, just to be aware, there will be audio and video recordings of this meeting tonight. Our first order of business is our guest citizens achievement and announcements. And tonight we have guest speaker Ann Garcelo Rose of Urban Media Arts who will appear before the council to give a
presentation on the relaunch of Neighborhood View and promote the community introductory workshop in January. Let me put on the podium mic for you. Welcome Ann. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes, I think so. Can everybody hear?
Okay. Okay. Great. Great. Good morning. Um good evening members of the city council. Thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity to share an update on the relaunch of Neighborhood View, Malden Citizen
Journalism Program. My name is Ann Derso Rose and I serve as the Neighborhood View Coordinator. I'm here to tell you what Neighborhood View is all about and explain how it promotes civic engagement within our community. The slides that I'm sharing tonight give you a look inside our
stories and the people who make them happen. First, I want to start by recognizing Tina Lagard, the executive director of Urban Media Arts, where Neighborhood View was started in 2014 and where it continues as its organizational home.
I'm also joined tonight by two of our core community volunteers, Lorna Garry and Kim Brooks. Lorna is a seasoned journalist who previously founded an independent news publication in Tukesbury. And Kim is a retired
archavist, an educator, and technology specialist who plays an instrumental role in helping us with our website operations, research, photography, and more. We also have quite a number of other Neighborhood View participants and supporters that were able to come this
evening. So, please stand for a moment and thank you all for being here. So, what is Neighborhood View and why does it matter? Neighborhood View launched more than a decade ago under the umbrella of MATV, later known as
UMA. Since then, it has built a strong reputation for in-depth stories that explore local issues, profiles of Malden residents, organizations,
businesses, and neighborhoods, stories that highlight overlooked corners of community life, and reporting that connects Malden's history to present day conversations. Our
stories are thoughtful, wellressearched, and often mediarich with lots of photos and sometimes video. I love this one of the seniors, the Zumba class at the senior center.
We don't cover breaking news and we can't possibly cover all the news, all the important news stories of Malden. Instead, we cover what our volunteer team can take on responsibly, and we choose depth over volume.
Some of you remember an era when Malden had a daily newspaper and two weeklys. Today, like much of the country, we live with far less local news coverage. In that landscape, Neighborhood View as
has emerged as an important part of Maldin's local news ecosystem, providing in-depth news stories that aren't available anywhere else. Before I talk about impact, I want to briefly share how Neighborhood View
operates. Neighborhood View trains local residents from all walks of life to become citizen journalists. Some arrive with journalism experience. Others simply love writing, photography, interviewing, research, or they're just
deeply curious about Malden. There is a role for all of those folks in our program. We also work with high school students through collaborative programs. And we have someone here tonight, Kadus, if you can stand up, who is from Malden High
School and and he is currently working on a story for Neighborhood View. And we welcome college students from area universities who are majoring in journalism. The college internship program is a great way for the students to learn about a
local community and hone their reporting skills. And we benefit from their training, insight, and focused energy. Oops. A couple of times a year, we offer a four-week journalism 101 course. The
next one is coming up in late January, taught by a professional journalist. We supplement that with informal workshops and mentoring throughout the year. Everyone has access to our weekly drop-in editorial meetings held on Zoom.
It's a space where journalists along with other community members can bring story ideas, talk about what's happening in Malden, share our connections and experiences related to a story, and get journalistic guidance from our editorial
team. When a story is filed, it first is reviewed by one of our professional editors and then with me as the coordinator. After revisions, the piece is prepared for publication on neighborhoodview.org where it becomes part of Malden's living
history. Then we work with our journalists to get the story out there, share it on social media, and email it to people in places near and far that have expertise or interest in the story's content.
In short, we train, we mentor, we edit, we publish, we share. A look at our impact. Over the years, our archive has grown into a kind of living record of the city. Search pandemic on our site and you'll
find dozens of stories documenting how Maldin navigated that moment in time. Oops, sorry. Search Suffach Square and you'll find our most viewed article published more than a decade ago, still drawing
comments from former residents of that lost Malden neighborhood that now live all over the country. A follow-up article was published last year and has also been widely read. We frequently appear at the top of
internet search results for topics like the community fridge program or the Malden gaming district. And since the relaunch, we've published news stories such as the Malden Public
Schools debate over AI policy, the Chinese Culture Connections moved to the former Desi Building, and just yesterday, an in-depth look at the proposed tax override. More stories are in the works as we ramp
back up. We are also proud members of the Institute for Nonprofit News, a national organization that supports highquality independent journalism initiatives nationwide and holds members to high standards for ethics and
transparency. The relaunch and why now. As some of you know, this past June, due to financial challenges, UMA underwent a restructuring and mine was one of the three full-time staff positions eliminated. As the coordinator of
Neighborhood View since its beginnings, that put the future of the program at risk. But Neighborhood View is something I deeply believe in and so does our team. And despite the difficult choices UMA leadership had to make, they also highly value the program and were eager
to work with me to continue it. So, I've stepped in as a volunteer project lead and contractor to help relaunch the program in this initial phase. The goal is to get Neighborhood View fully active and visible again while Uma and I work
together to secure long-term funding for a sustainable coordinator role. I want to also highlight that we have a strong advisory board guiding us. Currently, our three-membered team is Stephanie Shoro, a veteran journalist,
author, and a writing professor at Boston University. For seven years, she served as the editor of Neighborhood View. John Beckamire is a commercial, web, and brand de director. He is an UMA board member and chair of the Neighborhood View Advisory Committee.
And Diddy Kohley is a full-time reporter at the Boston Globe. She is a former neighborhood view intern from Emerson College in 2019. Their combined expertise provides oversight, accountability, and deep professional
insight. One of the most powerful parts of Neighborhood View is the transformation that happens for the people who participate. Through telling Malden's stories, our volunteer team members become more connected to Malden, more knowledgeable,
and more aware of how the city works. I've seen it happen again and again. As public servants, I think you can all appreciate how this program helps to create a more engaged and informed citizenry. Our weekly editorial meetings will
resume early in the new year. They are open to neighborhood view journalists and any community member as a guest participant. Some people come once, some come regularly. All are welcome. Just email me and I'll send the link.
Here's how you can help support and build momentum for Neighborhood View. Visit neighborhoodview.org and subscribe. It's free. Share our stories that you find meaningful through email and on social media.
Refer us to constituents who are interested in writing, photography, research, or community storytelling. Suggest any ideas or leads for funding opportunities you may know of. Consider donating to support Neighborhood View. Just click the
sponsorship link on the UMA website. And finally, engage with us. When when our journalists contact you for interviews or comments, please know that they are trained, supported, and committed to accuracy and integrity.
Our goal is simple, to tell Malden, to help Maldin tell its own stories in depth, thoughtful, and rooted in community. Thank you for the opportunity to share this update. I do want to invite my uh
team member Kim Brooks up to just briefly um share and then we'll answer any questions. Hi. Um I want to echo everything she said. She's an amazing coordinator and it's a great um UMA sponsored program.
Um volunteering for UMA has meant a great deal to me. It makes me feel even more engaged in Malden. As Anne said, uh, I care deeply about the breadth and quality of our, um, of our stories, but what I'm really most excited about with
this reboot is helping an reach reach more of Malden. And part of that is getting more readers. But it's not just about readers. It's really, as an said, getting more people involved. Malden is such a rich place. Many of us choose to
live here because of the diversity of all in all different ways. And we need more voices. Really hope to get more people writing, but not just writing. If people can't write, I I'm not able to write journalistically. So, I do other things.
If people just want to tell their story to someone and someone else writes it, someone comes to an editorial meeting and just hangs out or tells us what, you know, what they're worried about, what their experience of Molden is, what they like to do, etc. It's not it's not about
what us what the vol current volunteers it's not just about informing us it's about making us richer and then I wrote something um I just wanted to for those of us who are old enough um who are the people in your neighborhood
thank you so I just if you have any questions I'm happy to answer someone from my Here we go. Great. Thank you so much. Ann, does anybody have any questions or comments? Okay. Oh, suddenly I got a lot of lights on. Um, councelor Cologne Hayes,
I I'm not going to take up a lot of time, but I just wanted to thank you so much. I know you've been thinking about this um for a while now and I love reading the neighborhood view. So, great job. Looking forward to reading more. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Winsow.
Yeah. And I think you you um neighborhood view is a great asset to the city and and I appreciate so much that you are taking leadership in this situation. I had to kind of do that when I got laid off from the city at one point um and made sure our bike trail
went ahead. So it is important to to say these things and so and let us know if there's anything in particular like a um you know if there's grant folks you need to reach out to that we can help or that type of thing. and uh and certainly um promote like donations and sponsorships
and that type of thing. I certainly will be making sure I subscribe and and be a regular donor. So, thank you. Great. Great. Byebye. Great. Thank you, Councelor Winsel. Councelor Ali. Yeah, I also just want to echo and thank you to the team. Thank you for your long-term um advocacy for this really
important thing. Um you know, as you kind of highlighted, uh news coverage in Malden is is very slim. Um and having citizen journalists who come with a unique perspective is just so valuable. Um our our democracy, our form of government is required to have uh people
who are reporting on what the government is doing. So I do appreciate the fact that you that you play that role and that you do it at such high quality. Um looking forward to making sure that we can find the funding to to make this permanent and secure that because if if we don't have that um Malden lose a lot.
So thank you. Thank you, Councelor Rali. Councelor Taylor. Um, just briefly, I want to say thank you again like everybody else else has said, uh, Neighborhood View is an amazing resource. Um, they the articles I love reading in your professionalism
in the story writing is wonderful and I'm just really glad that this is coming back and in all the work that you put in. So, thank you so much. Thank you, Councelor Taylor. And and just from the chair, I just want to echo what my colleagues have said. I know and I think you and I met when I was
actually working at the Malden Observer. Like print journalism is what actually brought me to Malden. And I think it's a very special thing, but it has dwindled and it's underpins our entire democracy and the fact that you're willing to give of your time freely now to make this something that we still continue to
have. I really hope that folks watching understand not just how important it is but how important it is that we all step up and find a way to create that sustainable funding because if we don't have that, you know, plus low voter turnout, I think really the future of
the community and public participation is at risk to councilor Mali's point, you know, that keeps the government honest and I think it's part of having a functioning society. So, thank you for what you're doing. Um, I really I really want to just not lose that point because it is so important for the community.
So, thank you. Thank you for doing that and thank you for coming out to share tonight. Thank you so much for the opportunity and for taking the time. Appreciate it. Okay. Okay. Our next order of business is public comment. Public comment is
allowed under our council rules. Um, each speaker is limited to the subject matter that's relevant to this evening's agenda and speakers must keep their comments to two minutes or less. Clerk, do we have anybody signed up for a public comment tonight? Yes, we have two people that signed up.
Okay. And do we have emails as well? We do. We have 11 emails. Okay. So, let's take the folks that are here in person first and then go to the emails. Sure. Uh, first we have Ken from OneP Spike Street. Hello.
Good evening. Can I just read it or you didn't want the one sprag street again? Say that again. Do you want me to state my name? And you can state your name and address for the record and then you can read your comment. Um Ken Gil, one Sprag Street. Good evening, counselors,
resident of Malden. My name is Ken Gil. I'm the president of Malden local firefighters 902. I'm honored to represent the men and women of our of your fire department. Over the past 20 years, calls of service have surged 33% while staffing has
dropped 12%. Fires today are more deadly than ever, and families now only have three minutes to exit a building when it's on fire. That is if their fire detectors are working.
In the past month alone, we've had four building fires, rescued a teenager from the city res. All required mutual aid because we do more with less. Just yesterday, firefighters fought a fire in
a 10-story building. We were lucky it was on the first floor. This high-rise had faulty sprinklers. If that's not a billboard of a warning sign for Maldin, I don't know what is. I stand here tonight in fully support of
the city's Proposition 2 and a half. This override will provide crucial funding for maintaining essential services for fire, police, schools, and infrastructure. for the fire department means keeping staffing levels and ensuring that we have resources respond quickly and
effectively when lives are on the line. It's not about convenience, it's about survival. I urge every city councelor to vote to put this on the ballot tonight and the resident to vote yes in the spring for
safety, for your family, and for the future of Malden. Together we can prevent a tragedy before it strikes. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Michelle Lang. Good evening. First I just wanted to say thank you for
giving me the opportunity to speak tonight and I certainly look forward to working with my new colleagues as we collaborate on the budget. continuing to move Malden forward in a fiscally responsible way. I just want to start by saying as you consider the finance committee's
proposal tonight related to Proposition 2 and a half, I appreciate the thoughtful discussion that has taken place around it and the need for the budget override. But as we move forward, I believe we can strengthen that effort by pairing it
with a clear commitment to continually improving the city's financial practices. Continuing to examine the budget from every possible angle helps ensure we are making the most responsible decisions for our residents. With that goal in mind, I respectfully suggest the council
request the mayor to seek a management review from the state division of local services. This review evaluates city operations and financial practices and provides practical recommendations for operational and budgetary improvements. According to the website, Malden's last
DLS management review was in 2011, making this a timely opportunity to benefit from a fresh and objective perspective. This is a free service offered by the Commonwealth. It's intended to provide constructive guidance on improving efficiency and financial management. Unlike the state
auditor which comes at a cost this and does not focus on operational efficiency, the DNS DN DLS management review is specifically designed to identify opportunities for improvement. Pursuing this review would
be a proactive fiscally responsible step as we approach the vote on taking on raising taxes and would help reinforce public confidence that the city's commitment to a strong financial stewardship. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Okay. So, do you want to do the email
comments now? Yep. Thank you. Uh, this is from Jacqueline Machete from Bainbridge Street. Hello. I am writing in support of voters getting the chance to vote for the override and support a tax override to keep the city moving in
the right direction with city services. I support both 5.4 million and 8.2 million amounts on the ballot. These points are important to me. One, support investing in our community and any positive comments about the DPW,
library, recck department, etc. Two, willing to pay a little more to preserve 50 to 60 jobs and avoid mass layoffs. Three, support adding a second option to keep up with the required increases of
the school budget to support kids and families in our community. Four, recognize that so many communities in Massachusetts are going to the ballot because of the record in inflation. So,
we are in good company. Malden's taxes and local spending have been relatively very low. So, it's time to ask this question. And even if it passes, our taxes will still be lower than neighboring communities.
Five. Important to put this on the ballot so Malden voters can weigh in on this critical decision about the future of our city best. Jacqueline Machete. And next, I have Daniel Freya from North Milton Street. Hello. I am writing to express my
support for the 2 and a half prop override proposals. Like many of our neighbors in greater Boston, including Medford and Melrose, our city of Malden requires increased tax revenue to support essential government services, including the public library and public
works. Most importantly, Malden must invest in its school system. Compared to our neighbors, Malden has relatively low taxes. Our tax burden per capita is lower than our neighbors. I moved to Malden with my family five years ago.
Investing in our future will demonstrate to both businesses and families that Malden is a place that they should invest into. Thank you. Next, I have from Janice Rice on Henry Street.
Dear clerk and council members, I am writing to voice my strong opposition to a per opposition two and a half override at this time along with it becoming a ballot question at a special election in March. I believe this proposal was
rushed through and now with inflated numbers there needs to be more public input meetings to discuss the shortfalls shortfalls and alternative solutions. While the city makes a compelling argument, I do not feel this is the
right time or fair to increase taxes on property owners. I strongly urge the council to vote no at this time and revisit an override the following year if necessary. This would give property owners more time to budget, be better informed, and to lobby
the state delegation to fix this chapter 70 school funding formula, which appears to be the cancer of much of Maldin's miss uh shortcomings. Thank you for your consideration on this matter and happy holidays. Sincerely, Janice Rice.
Dear Malden City Council, I write once again to express my strong opposition to a special election pertaining to a tax override in agenda items 483-25 and 363-25. I have watched meetings and waited for
weeks to hear from both the mayor's office and the city council's finance committee as to what they can cut from the budget. To date, I have heard no serious discussion of meaningful cuts to help offset this budget issue. I urge the city council to vote no on a special
election. Instead, I believe the council should work with the mayor's office to find cost-saving measures before any special election is scheduled or held. Once that is done in a meaningful way, I could support one override related question to be put on the ballot for
regular election day, November 3rd, 2026. I ask each counselor before you vote tonight, ask yourself the following question. Do I think it's fair of the city to ask taxpayers to adjust their budgets and potentially go without
needed goods or services when the city is unwilling to do the same? Sincerely, James Sumner, 759 Highland Avenue. I write uh this one's from Caitlyn Peele Sloan, 69 Columbia Street.
I write to express my strong support for paper 483-25. I am more than willing to pay a little more in taxes to keep city services moving forward and avoid layoffs. No m municipality is going to be able to dodge Prop 2 and a half forever. And it
is time that Malden took a proactive step to invest in our future. And this is from Katie Dylan, 198 Mountain Vernon Street. I'm writing to voice my enthusiastic support for the override, particularly
the two-tiered option. This option will not only help balance the budget, a problem that many communities across the Commonwealth are facing due to inflation, but will help us keep up with the required increases in the school budget to support kids in our community.
a worthy investment in our collective future. I also worry that if we do not pass this override, we will be setting ourselves up for a future that makes it harder for all of us to thrive. Not only will we be
losing critical city employees like DPW workers and library staff, but the city's longevity is at stake. At the November override forum, council president Lahan shared that the city has made critical investments in staff who
help source grants and that this has a significant generational impact. I couldn't agree more. I work in homeless and addiction services and I've had the pleasure of collaborating with many people from the city of Malden in trying to find
resources for our unhoused neighbors who struggle with addiction. I've never seen people work harder to help someone in need. And at the Override forum, Mayor Christensen mentioned how staff from his housing office worked to support an unhoused
teenager that very morning. All of this work has been made possible by those who work to find grants to create and sustain these programs. In other words, if this override doesn't pass, we wouldn't just be losing the folks doing the frontline work, but we'd
be losing people who are responsible for finding funding sources that make the work possible. This loss would be devastating. We deserve the chance to vote on the override in March so we all have a say in our future. Thank you, Katie.
And this is from Matt Tong at 10 Desmond Road. I wanted to write in and voice my support for the override being considered. Compared to many cities in the area, Malden remains a comparative bargain. Most cities and towns have already passed at least one override,
and many were starting with higher taxes than Malden when proposition two and a half went into effect or have other factors putting them in better shape, such as universities, large shopping centers, etc. Rising costs are hitting everyone and
making ends meet is hard. But the idea that this override significantly impacts affordability seems like a fabrication. Rents are several thousand a month and tend to go up yearly. Like a $100 a month
raise is not unusual. Mortgages are also in general several thousand a month. Groceries and utilities also cost much more than they used to. The amount paid by local property tax is
totally dwarfed by those expenses. And we're talking a couple thousand a year tops. There are many rising costs that impact affordability in that area. In this in the area, local property taxes are very low on that list. And cutting
services by further cuts harms those dependent on those services. All efforts should be made to fix the school funding formula that leaves us between a rock and a hard place of ever rising mandatory educational funding and a cap on property tax revenue growth
that doesn't even keep up with inflation some years. I have no kids in school. I love that we support our schools. Education is important to me. But cutting everything else the city does to keep school funding means deep cuts to the things that Malden does that aren't
tied to schooling. The percentage of our budget mandated to go to education keeps climbing. And unless revenue goes up significantly, that means cuts to services, safety, and infrastructure. To those opposed, what percentage of our
budget being siphoned by the state for education would be enough that we'd have to do an override? One can be pennywise, pound foolish. Shortselling our future by cutting services to save a bit now is
shortsighted. And this is from Carara Young at 30 Glenrock A. Dear Council President and members of the Malden City Council, my name is Carara Young and I live at 30 Glenrock A, Malden, Mass. As a resident and a parent of two children in the Malden
public schools, I am writing to express my strong support for follow for allowing voters to consider both proposed tax override amounts 5.4 million and 8.2 million on the March 31st ballot.
I believe Malden residents deserve an opportunity to decide whether we want to maintain and protect the city services that keep our community running. Without an override, Malden faces significant cuts, an estimated 50 to 60 layoffs
across multiple departments. These reductions would directly impact essential city services and the quality of our life for all residents. Including both override levels on the ballot follows a model that has worked
success successfully in neighboring communities such as Melrose and Stoneham. It allows voters to make an informed choice and ensures that if both options pass with more than 50% support, the city will be able to adopt the level
of funding that best sustains our staffing and services. I also want to voice my support for the larger amount as it would fully protect current services and staffing levels. The increase to property taxes is modest, especially when considered
alongside the recent rise in the homeowner exemption, and it represents a crucial investment in the long-term health and stability of our city. I urge the council to go, excuse me, to place both on the 5 both
the 5.4 million and 8.2 2 million override options on the March ballot and give the Malden residents the chance to choose the path forward. Thank you for your consideration and for your service to our community. Sincerely, Carrie
Young. Following is from Matt Monte Verde at 30 Glenrock A. Dear dear council president and members of the Malden city council, I'm writing to you as a concerned resident of Malden
living at 30 Glenn Rock A. As someone who has called this community home for many years and has two children attending the Malden public schools, I strongly advocate for both the 5.4 million and the 8.2 million tax override options to be included on the March 31st
ballot. We are at a crucial time crucial time facing a decision that could have lasting impacts. Without an override, Malden is expected to face significant workforce reductions
with potential layoffs affecting 50 to 60 employees across various departments. Such cuts would greatly diminish the essential services that we all depend on. I believe it is vital for voters to have the chance to decide on the future
of our city and the level of investment needed to maintain stability. Other nearby communities like Melrose and Stonem have effectively used a model that offers voters multiple override options. This method provides residents
with a comprehensive choice. If both options receive over 50% approval, Malding can choose funding, the funding level that best protects critical staffing and services. Personally, I support the 8.2 million
option as it would ensure the preservation of current staffing and service levels. The resulting property tax increase is relatively small, 5.4 million and the 8.2 two million override questions on the March ballot, allowing Malden residents to choose the direction
that best reflects their vision for our community. Thank you for your attention and commitment to serving Malden. Sincerely, Matt Monte Verde and the following is from Anne Warren
at 78 Rutland Street. I'm writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed tax override proposed in the city council file 363-25. Before asking homeowners and renters to shoulder yet another financial burden,
the city must first demonstrate that it has not that it has done everything possible to manage existing resources responsibly. To date, the city count, excuse me, the city has not provided residents with a
clear account of what specific steps have been taken to mitigate the need for higher taxes. Taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability before being asked to pay more. It is unacceptable to request an
override without first proving that every effort has been made to cut unnecessary spending. rep prioritize budgets and to operate and operate within the city's means. In that regard, I asked when did the
finance committee meet with department heads to thoroughly review their proposed budgets and identify cost-saving measures? Without this kind of oversight and public accountability, residents have no assurance that alternatives to tax
increases were fully fully explored. Further, how can the city guarantee that any additional tax revenue will be spent appropriately on true community needs and not funneled into council pet projects.
Without a clear enforcable plan and independent oversight, taxpayers have little confidence that new revenue will be managed any better than existing funds. What is needed is not another tax
increase, but a full independent financial audit. Such an audit would provide residents with a clear picture of where money has been spent, where inefficiencies exist, and how the
city can operate more effectively. Until this kind of accountability is in place, any override in is excuse me, any override is premature and unfair. Families, seniors, and renters across
our community are already struggling with rising costs. The city must prove it is willing to make difficult decisions and reduce expenses before turning to taxpayers as a solution. Yours truly, Ann Warren.
And that is all of the public comments. Thank you to our clerk for reading those. Okay. At this time, I'd like to take the finance committee report um paper 483-25 out of order so that we can take up this issue since we have a crowd that I
assume most of which is here to discuss or to listen to our discussion. Um so at this time, clerk, will you please um can we please skip to that paper so that we can receive that committee report? Certainly. Thank you so much. And if you need a moment, that's totally fine. I do want to
Yeah, please do. Okay. Paper 483-25, committee report. The standing committee on finance to whom is referred paper 363 series of 2025 having considered the same the following report. Committee
recommends the paper out favorably to the full council as amended to read as follows. Instructions to voters. Order. That the city of Malden shall include the following instructions to the inhabitants of the city of Malden on
the ballot of the special municipal election to be held on March 31st, 2026. Questions 1A and 1B are separate questions. You may vote for or against each question independently. Each question requires a majority of
those voting on that question to pass. If more than one question passes, the question with the highest dollar amount will prevail. 1. A order that the city of Malden hold a special municipal election on March 31st, 2026.
And to include the following ballot question, shall the city of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $5.4 4 million in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the city's budget and to support ongoing
stud city services across all departments including public schools, public safety, public library, public works, and general government for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026.
A yes vote would support an increase in real estate and pro personal property taxes beginning with fiscal year 2027, which is July 1st, 2026 to June 30th, 2027. A no vote would make no change to the
current tax structure. 1B order that the city of Malden hold a special election on March 31st, 2026 and to include the following ballot question. Shall the city of Malden be
allowed to assess an additional $8.2 2 million in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the city's budget and to support ongoing city services across all departments including public safety,
public library, public works, general government as well as increased funding required by law for the public schools for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026.
A yes vote would support an increase in real estate and personal property taxes beginning with fiscal year 2027, which is July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027. A no vote would make no change to the
current tax structure. Okay. So, I'm going to have us do a motion to receive that committee report by Councelor McDonald, seconded by Councelor Condan. All in favor? I Okay. Do we need to read the paper before we recognize the mayor? Okay. So, I'm so sorry to have you keep having to
read that. That's okay. So, let's read the paper and then I'm going to recognize Mayor Christensen to come and speak before us. Okay. Paper 363-25. Order. That the city of Malden hold a special election on March 31st, 2026 and
to include the following ballot question. Shall the city of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $5.4 4 million in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the city's budget and to
support ongoing city services across all departments including public schools, public safety, public library, public works, and general government for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026.
A yes vote would support in in an increase in real estate and personal property taxes beginning with fiscal year 2027, July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027. A no vote would
make no change to the current tax structure. Thank you so much to our clerk. Uh I'll rise to recognize Mayor Christensen. Thank you, mayor. You have the floor. Good evening. I first want to thank you for your partnership on this important
matter. Without a doubt, this discussion could have gone sideways during the past several months leading up to tonight, but it never did thanks to your leadership. And I also want to acknowledge the many residents who have attended meetings,
asked questions, sent emails, and are here tonight. They have shown that although we may have different opinions on an override, we can do so thoughtfully and respectfully.
This is an ask that neither of us take lightly. But as I mentioned previously, this is something that should have been considered several years ago as a variety of factors continue to put
strain on Malden at levels far greater than any other community. At our current run rate, we are burning through reserves at a level that isn't sustainable. And these are critical to
have in the event we find ourselves facing state cuts or other economic challenges. And if we aren't, then our reserves should be used on important
infrastructure repairs to our roads and sidewalks, which had been the case up until this year. Now, how did we get here? Not to be cliche, but it really is a perfect storm
led primarily by a flawed state education formula that is greatly hampering our ability to finance the rest of city services. It's simple math.
State law requires us to put a larger percentage of our available revenue towards school funding than any other similar community. In this stark comparison can be found at www.c
cityofmalden.org/overrive. We have been raising the alarm on this inequity since 2021 and have been the leading voice in bringing focus to this issue at the state house. This year, our state
delegation was successful in requiring the Department of Education to commission a study on this issue. But with 351 cities and towns receiving aid from this formula, it's a herculean
task to change. Again, I know I speak for you when I say this is not a step we take lightly, and I hope the voters won't as well. I asked them to consider that Malden is a great
place to live, more affordable than most surrounding communities, and has a track record of being responsible with tax dollars. The alternative of cutting our
way to a balanced budget will no doubt leave this community a less desirable place to live and raise a family. I understand that this ask puts strain on
already tight family budgets. One thing we have been able to do to soften the impact of this is to increase the residential tax exemption from 30 to 35%. For those owning a home, the override
impact will be greatly reduced thanks to this newly passed increase. Even with the proposed override, when combined with the increased exemption, our taxes remain more than competitive.
At one time, cities and towns who requested overrides were limited to the wealthiest of communities. Not anymore. We join a record setting number of municipalities that will be
asking for overrides this year. Even if the reasons differ by city, the question for us now is whether we are willing to fund basic city services to
keep Malden as a great place to live. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. So, I'm going to go to councelor McDonald for the paper for the order. Um, are you set to join the meeting?
Okay. Yes. Sorry, I thought you needed a moment. I'm sorry. You're you're ready to go live. Thank you, council president. Um, and so, can folks see my slides? There we go. So, there are just enough details that I went ahead and put together some
slides so we can follow through the committee report. Hang on one second. We don't seem to and we're going to make sure that we get it on both SC on all of the screens. Does anyone have any thoughts about how to get it up on this screen behind me? I think we're checking on it.
Oh, where can you see it's green? It's It's turned off. Oh, all of there. I see. Great. All right. Excellent. Um, if you could pin that, it might be easier to see.
Maybe just close out the participants. Okay. All right. Um we'll make I will send this to make sure this gets included in the record as well. So um first I just want to thank uh the the mayor for his leadership in setting this up um and in providing that excellent
overview of where we are and why this uh is before us tonight. And so I want to describe the process and the recommendation of the finance committee related to this paper. So, the finance committee has recommended out favorably
uh this proposal um from the administration for the reasons that the mayor shared tonight and we've made a couple changes, but I want to describe where we're landing. Um first, the original proposed date was earlier. It was in early February. We heard from for
a special election. We heard from many of our residents um that that was both not a great time of year for the weather and that we needed more time to be able to uh make the case to be able to have people have their input um and really understand the the issues at hand. So we
voted to move that election date back to March 31st, 2026. Um, and that will still give us enough time after consulting with the mayor's finance team to be able to prepare the annual budget which has to be adopted by June 30th. Uh, we do anticipate this
would be a uh citywide election um in all in in all of our usual precincts. Uh, meaning we're not doing that, you know, folks may remember the Vogue uh special election was just at one precinct, but we we would want to make sure that this is accessible as possible. So we would be utilizing the
full spread of precincts here. So that's the proposed date. Uh and we voted to add an additional option to recommend an additional level. Um as you heard in some of the public comments, this is a
new way to approach overrides, but we have two neighboring communities in Melrose and Stonem who just did this. Melrose offered three levels of choice to their residents and um and Stonem offered two. And one of the benefits here is that it actually gives um
residents more say and more choices and more control. Um just because there are two levels does not automatically mean the top one passed in Melrose. The middle one passed and in um uh and uh no, I'm sorry, the top one did pass in Melrose, but the the lower one passed in
Stonem. um the the the language and the way this is presented on the ballot is that the highest amount that receives a majority would prevail. So if both uh options got more than 50% then the 1B at
the 8.2 million amount would prevail. That would become law. Um I will circle back at the end of this to just some of the language about how it appears on the ballot. We do have a few final um just tweaks from our legal and treasurer uh and clerks departments to make sure that
we are complying with the the proper way to put this on the ballot. I just want to summarize as the mayor said the 5.4 million was the initial proposal from the mayor and that was based on the current gap in the current year. So not taking into account future years minus
some early uh estimates of expected savings from the GIC that is the group insurance commission. Um that is moving the the um city health insurance pool to the state-run pool and y'all have heard us talk about that. We took a vote to uh
initiate that process in August. It has been proceeding. Um everything I've heard from our team is that we are on track to make that completed. Uh that's in discussion with our unions and and then ultimately has to be approved by the state. I'm just looking to see we
don't have any reason to believe we're off track, right? I'm getting thumbs up. We're still on track to make sure that those savings are there. The we won't know until that happens just how much savings that will provide, but we've heard estimates um from between one and a half to$3 million, could be more. Um
but it also will depend on some of these net school spending things that we've been talking about. So the second option here at the 8.2 million um takes that 5.4 and adds in the additional required spending for our schools that is above
and beyond inflation. So as the mayor said, we have a serious challenge with the chapter 70 school funding program. We've talked about this many many times. Um the key thing here is to remember that school funding every year the amount we get what we get from the state
but our amount that we must pay out of local coffers also goes up and it must go up faster than inflation. That is what the state law requires. And so how fast is that? Well, uh, in general, it's been at least another million dollars a year on top of that inflationary
increase, um, because of this pen, this penalty, this effort penalty, which is like we are so far away from this what the state misguidedly thinks we are able to afford that we are assessed an additional penalty. Last year that was $1.2 million. The other portion of this
is what is called um our net school spending. So when the state sets that limit, this is how much you got to spend. We also then have to verify that we did in fact spend that money. And since we've started this process, we've been able to do a look back, get that verified by the state and seen that we actually didn't even spend all the money
that we were trying to spend, probably because we were trying to be responsible financial stewards, but we still have to spend it. So, we actually have to make that up in future years. So, the combination of those two things, the below effort penalty and the net school spending catchup is another 2.8 million
and that gets added to the 5.4. So, again, this even at the second and higher amount does not include any other inflationary increases any other unexpected things any additional projects. This is merely to cover what
is the current gap uh and the expected required increase for our schools above inflation just for one year. And I do want to just take a moment to say that um while we often talk about school funding as what the state is requiring,
I think we always uh circle back to the fact that it is very important to invest in our schools. Uh the fact that the state is forcing our hand is not because we don't want to invest in our schools, but it is because we don't have any flexibility about how to do so. So we continue to discuss and to discuss that
with our delegation and advocate for those changes. So that's what those two levels are. Um and uh just a few a few more details on those pieces. Um so what is the typical cost at each of these levels? Uh thank you to our treasurer Dan Grover for sending these updated
estimates today. Uh so the this is just the cost of the override. So your taxes change a little bit every year, you know, based on valuation, based on just regular inflationary increases, other things. This is just the cost of the override. the 1A option for a typical
house um which we're pegging at the median here of single family homes as $666,000 in valuation. That would be $353 per year. That's not per month. That's per year for uh if option 1A passes. If
option 1B passes at that $8.2 million level, that's $532 per year. And as the mayor noted and some of our um public commenters noted, we also did what we could to take the potential sting out of that and increase
the residential exemption. Um here's my little public service announcement. Every time I say residential exemption, the residential exemption is not a tax cut. It does not reduce how much money we get in is a tax shift to help um put uh less burden on our homeowners. So,
the marginal increase, right, that the the the you're going to save, frankly, regardless of whether any of this passes or not, you would save an additional $291 uh next year. And so, when because of this increase in
the exemption, we're now at the state maximum. So, when you put those two together, yeah, we're talking about the option one A is $5 a month in changes com when you combine those two for a homeowner. If you're a renter, you don't
directly pay your property tax. And at option 1B, it's $20 a month. That's the net impact of these two combined. So, I want to just review the expected outcomes and we did discuss these, but I want to be clear this is, you know, this is what has this is what has been
reported from the from the administration. Um, and we do take this seriously. So, if we do not pass this, we are facing serious cuts across all city services. We do have to comply with that net school spending requirement, but every part of the city budget that can be affected will be affected by
this. Um, we've heard this figure of expected layoffs of 50 to 60 staff positions. That's not a magical number. That is taking the 5.4 million and figuring the average staff person costs roughly a h 100,000. There's variation in all of these things. How much are we cutting operations versus staff? How
much uh do we have more senior or higher paid staff that leave versus junior or lower paid? um staff. Uh but that's the scope of where we are at. Option one A uh at the $5.4 million increase level, the mayor has committed to in with that
increase in taxes, $2 million in cuts to operations and between operations and staff and staffing roles. So that might be 10 to 20 layoff positions. Um so that 5.4 4 million uh is an amount that
really reduces you know the impact of layoffs but but we will need to reduce uh expenses to avoid being um in that higher risk situation with our cash reserves at the 1A level at the 1B level at 8.2 2 million. Um that allows us to
continue basically our current operations for one year. Um we've been very clear to emphasize that doesn't mean there will be no layoffs or no budget reductions of any kind, but those are not to cover a basic gap. Those would be to rep prioritize to become more efficient. Um and we are not and we
don't have to lay people off in quite the same way. Uh so we don't know what that what that possibility looks like in large part because we don't know what some of the other uncertain op things are. How much savings from the GIC state funding all these other questions. So
that's what uh that that will influence where those pieces land. We talked a lot about what we've done so far to address this gap and I just want to recap some of those things. The first and most important thing is that Malden spends not as much as our peers. I would
describe that as proactive, responsible financial management. We have actually kept spending low rather than simply needing to cut things right now. And you can look at the expense per person um which comes in uh less overall and less
um especially when you net out the schools and just look at every other part of our public services, public safety and so on. Um it was the shift to the state-run group insurance commission. Uh as we said that savings may vary. we hope to be at least 3 million, but we'll see how it shakes
out. We restructured our pension payments. Um, that just allowed us to extend the timeline a little bit. That saved a little under a million dollars. That was something that the council voted on, I think, two years ago. Um, I I added this one because this is from our energy and efficiency and
sustainability commission that used to be there. We are spending almost a million dollars less on energy bills today than we were years and years ago. And that's because we've made improvements in energy efficiency and made some in and invested in some um uh
we've gotten grants to improve like our HVAC systems and so on. We've noted how much we have increased grant funding. Uh we have an excellent sustainability and grants manager. We've updated our fees and our licensing and permits. Um we just did the council just voted on
recently and we also just um last week or two weeks ago. Uh uh this council voted to to adopt a resolution supporting a hiring freeze, a discretionary hiring freeze. So these are all things that have already happened to be put in place before this
time. I want to just briefly rem review the finance committee process. We met seven times over two months. I will say this is the most meetings of any topic that I've seen um in my time uh on on the
finance committee. We had a public forum on November 18th which was live streamed by urban media arts. We had people coming in um we had probably I would say 60 70 people in person. Hundreds of folks have watched the live stream. Um we talked about chapter 70 school funding formula, economic development,
cost savings to date, areas we can reduce spending uh and and all those were part of our conversation and we reviewed the ballot language um that you see before you today. Going forward, while we did not take formal votes on this, I just want to
capture the sense of the discussion. First, we heard a really strong consensus that we need to prioritize economic development uh and that the council wants to do everything that we can to streamline the process for uh welcoming the kinds of development that
will move the city forward. Um we talked in particular about the commercial street corridor where we're investing in the riverworks project as a prime uh opportunity for that. So, I'm sure that will be high on our priority list once we get back in January. We're going to continue to pursue changes to that
chapter 70 formula and talk with our delegation. A number of us went to uh the hearing for one of the hearings for the study that the mayor mentioned and submitted our testimony. We're going to keep working on that. We've heard really clearly from our state delegation that
those changes are are very unlikely to take effect in fiscal year 27. um that it's going to take more time in part because the the study is not even done uh in time for the governor's budget this year, but we are going to continue to push as hard as we can about that um
with the mayor and with our delegation. Um we will be a partner with the mayor in implementing what budget cuts are required and or rep prioritizing. That's not something that we have um tried to do on our own and I think that that's prudent. Uh right now we know that the
each department has been asked to submit uh potential cuts and the mayor's team is reviewing those. A number of us have sent our own particular recommendations and I encourage my colleagues to do that. I have a few more to send myself um for consideration, but we will be back here and the council will need to vote on these as part of the next year's
budget cycle. Um so we will know more about where those things land when we know what passes at the ballot or does not. and to review our city finances for best practices. Uh, I want to note that I think there's there is more that we can do here. The city does get an annual
financial audit by an outside firm. Those are posted on the city website, the results of that. What that shows is that our bookkeeping is correct. It doesn't tell us anything about how we spend our money, just that we're reporting it honestly, um, which we are. And uh I think some of the things that folks have asked about in terms of a
management level review, I I'm certainly heard some openness in my colleagues to consider those things. Um recognizing our already low level of spending there, we can always do better. And so we look forward to engaging with the administration next year on ways to do that and and continue to do it better
and continue to earn the trust of our residents. So I think that concludes my slideshow here. Um, and uh, I will uh, just to say I I I just want to close with one point. Um, and then to recognize that when we
get to voting on this, we will need to make just a couple of tweaks to the ballot language. I want to remind us about that. I'm happy to share what those are. Um, but to just note that what is before us really is um, is not itself a long-term solution to all of the problems facing Malden. It is a
bridge to those problems um to the to the chance to fix those problems at the state level uh with our tax base with our um you know with the ways that we invest in the city for the future and uh that there is certainly more work to be done but that this is a critical decision that the finance committee uh
felt was important for our residents to weigh in on be before we would take unilateral drastic action without that input. Um so the vote to recommend favorably was unanimous in the finance committee. I'm happy to answer questions about the process after that. Y'all are probably done hearing me talk. Um, so I
will stop there. Thank you, Council. Thank you, Councelor McDonald. Thank you for those helpful slides and I obviously we'll take any discussion and then we will entertain motions to amend as needed before we take the final vote. So, first I see um a councelor Ali.
Um I just had a question. Do you know what vote total is needed for this to pass? Is it a simple majority? Is it a So, hang on one second. I think I keep hitting it when you hit it. Go ahead. Yes, it's a simple majority in order to put it on the ballot.
Uh, yes. So, we review this. So, it is a simple majority of the council to put it on the ballot under the city charter anytime the city council takes an action that is subject to the mayor's, you know, send sending back to us with comments. So, um, and then a two-thirds
majority is required for to over, you know, to overcome basically a veto from the mayor. Um but that's just based on the charter. So it's a simple majority. Thank you. Um and and then um are these figures per year? So for instance, and
maybe that's a question for the financial team. So when we talk about 5.4 million, we're talking about an additional 5.4 million each year in the future. Yeah, that's correct. So the the way that that works is that um folks may
know that of course the way our city fi the amount of taxes we can raise is capped and it's capped at 2.5% above the previous year's tax levy overall not everybody's individual taxes but overall and then we adjust that based on valuation plus new growth. So what this
what an override is is that it permanently raises the the um that that uh amount so that then becomes a part of that 2.5% calculation going forward. I ask because um you know uh councelor
Colon Hayes and I and to a lesser degree councelor Winslow had proposed some debt exclusion papers that are current one of which is currently in finance. Um and and and the one that's in finance had to do with $36 million for funding the VO
construction. Um and that was over the next like 26 to 30 years and the number was 36 million. And so um I did the math. So over the next you know 30 years just to kind of make a a comparison um
if we increase the levy by 5.4 million each year over the next 30 years that would be $162 million. And if we do the 8.4 million, that'd be $246 million over the next 30 years. So, I'm just trying to put it into context in terms of what
is a Prop 2 and a half override look like in the foreseeable future versus what is a debt exclusion look like? Again, Prop 2 and a half general increase for the rest of time. Uh whereas a debt exclusion is for a specific one. So when you put it into
the longer term, you know, next 30 years, a debt exclusion is a much smaller amount because you're not you're not it's capped. So I just trying to put it out there in terms of what what is this really looking like to residents over the next foreseeable future? Thank you.
Thank you, Councelor Ali. Anything further on that? Um no, just I forgot to mention I mean yes, less money is less. Um, and so the I do have this memo here from uh Ron Hogan that details the net school spending calculations and I just
summarized that very quickly, but if folks would like a copy about of that, I'm happy to pass. Yeah, that'd be great to pass out. And um, you did mention that you were going to have your slides attached to this paper. I will send those to the so the public can can also have that. Um, I don't see any
other lights at this time. Oh, councelor Cologne Hayes, I was gonna say there's no chance that nobody wants to say anything. Was waiting to see if someone else wanted to step in. Thank you very much. Um, so that was a lot of information.
Thank you very much. Um, and I'm sure everybody here's um, it's whirling around in your head, but you're right, we have met many times um, in finance. I myself have come to this realization a little slower. um you
know, asking for um some information, looking to see if we could have some um guidance or some cuts before we made this decision. And then last, I actually liked hearing um well, our soon to be
colleague um so council elect um Luang, I like the idea of what she proposed about an audit. It's different than what I was looking into, which was the state. And you're correct. We did have that does come with a um a fee. And it also
the reason why I didn't go further with that is because it said it would take a year. That's not going to give us the information that we need before this ballot goes on. So I kind of put that at a a pause for right now, but I still think that we should be talking about something anyway in the in in the
future. Um but knowing and hearing from residents about how um difficult it is right now with everything going on in their finances, I spent a lot of time, you know, reviewing all this and I really came down to
having in a few of our look because I kind of took this down a couple of we had somebody write in Katie and then somebody actually on Glenn Arav that that um lives down the road from me. I don't know her yet, but I will. Says, "We deserve the right to make our own decision." And then somebody else said, "The right of the voters." And that's
what I've really come around to. Um, we're not voting up here whether or not we're going to do an override. We're voting to give you the best information and you will all be voting on the override. So, that's when I'm in support
of these. And then, uh, I would like to also say that I got this memo. I I I called Ron Hogan to make sure I understood and wanted to tell people a little bit because that was a lot of info. But basically the 8.2 I want to say what we came up with in the finance.
We took the 5.4 million that came from the mayor. We added the 1.6 shortfall that's in this memo. Um 1.6 million shortfall from fiscal year 2025. Um net school spending was below the minimum.
Then we added the 1.2 2 which we rounded from the number here which is 1 193 million um increment towards target and that's where that would be for the current fiscal year and that's where the 8.2 came from.
Yeah. Okay. So I just wanted people to kind of condense that out and understand where we got the numbers from. Um, like I said, I've come around uh to trusting our voters and I want to say that I will personally be making I'm sure my colleagues as well going around getting
this information out to the voters so that that when it is time to vote that you are well educated that you know um what you're voting on because I I do know that that's a fear and at first it seems very um confusing what we're voting on but I'm going to say right now
that I'm going to make every effort to get this information out so that everybody is well educated before they vote. So, just want to thank everybody who was involved in this, all the community members that came out, whether you support it or not, we need to hear from you and um I'm looking forward to this next step. Thank you.
Thank you, Councelor Cologne Hayes, Councelor Winsow. Yeah. Um I I do want to recognize uh if you counselor elect Michelle Leong's proposal. I think that is it's something very sounds very good. I know something
different. I mean like as councelor McDonald pointed out a lot of the you know we do get audited really on the technical things of making sure our books add up. That's a lot different than looking at operational things and it's it's always good if there's something free and available and getting tips. Uh I mean one reason I often go to
the Mass Municipal Conference and and and and read what's at ask municipal is you get some ideas. So it's it's always good to be open to that. But that it's no uh you know often those ideas spread out very quickly. I mean every mayor, every um city you know town manager is
looking for ways to be efficient. So often those those practices dreadfast but um maybe there's some that we could apply here. So I I definitely am open to that. Um and I mean I definitely you know recognize and I know um you know what we say this is not something that
the mayor's office put forward um lightly. I we have been talking about the chapter 70 formula. I know the team has been working very hard at the state level um putting together very you good updates for the state delegation and the
city council on that. Um and that is a tough situation and we made a little step of progress of actually having the state start considering it. But I, as I always say, um, you know, a few years back, the problem was there was not a
lot enough dogs to pull that sled. Um, with inflation being higher, there's a lot more communities that are in the boat where, um, they are facing the same problems that we do, that their need to uh, fund schools is going up faster than inflation and um, they need some
reconsideration of that. So, I think that's there's a bit a bit of light there. we're having more communities that will help us, but that is, you know, nothing happens very quickly at the state house. I actually did happen to see um Lieutenant Governor um the Lieutenant Governor last night and I mentioned you were going to be, you
know, talking about the override tonight. I mean, the great thing is that Lieutenant Governor Driscoll was the mayor of Salem. Um she sees her role um being very supportive of um communities. So she will be there in you know working
with the state the governor's budget to make sure that you know the funding we we get from the state is um is for municipalities is protected but um we also know that there's a lot of pressure on the state budget from cuts at the federal level um and and that's a
concern so we really you know what the governor's budget means um is going to be big but I think it is it just we are in uncertain fiscal times maybe the worst since 2008 coming up and um you know we have to be um you know this isn't being put together lightly. So I
appreciate that. I think um I appreciate the leadership of councelor McDonald with the finance committee. I think we looked at all these things. We were patient. We had a lot of questions and ideas and we did I mean we did look at the initial proposal of 5.4 million and there were real other things of like hey
we we did underspend by 1.6 million on our school budget. We got to make that up. And then there's consequences, there penalties. So that's how you get we, you know, we looked at from that 5.4 million, that's how we got up to that 8.2 million. This is just to really keep
us um providing the services and ed educational opportunities. Uh we we re actually I had put forth a third proposal of up to $9 million. Um and the council uh stepped back from that um thinking that you know even though we
did hear comments of people wanting to reach a little bit further and maybe um put some money towards um you know really building our economic future people thought we should pause on that. So I think we were pragmatic um you know and I think we we can always uh re re
review some efficiencies and um the mayor and his team I I think they have a great team having worked in other cities but you know one of my concerns is is and one why why I'm going to support um putting these choices out to the voters is that you know I've worked in Malden
you know and and and that was on a project that involved working with Medford and Everett. Um, I've I've worked at Somerville, I worked in Gloucester. So, I've I've worked in cities. And one of the things I say that, you know, partly motivated me to come run and be on this Malden city
council was that um by not funding certain pro uh staff like we say general government, but those are often people that are, you know, helping to raise grant funds, helping to make sure the grant funds we get. It's often great to great the grant funds, but the hardest
thing is then actually implementing the project responsibly um when you get those funds. So um if you don't invest in um your grant writers, your project managers, and your engineering staff, you can actually waste a lot of money. I mean, you you may not get money in the
first place. there. There's a lot of state grants out there and federal grants out there for for highways and other things, but if we don't have a staff person to apply for that, if we don't have a project manager to implement that, we don't get those money or or or we waste it. So, um it's it's important. You talk about general
government and and you heard our firefighters saying, you know, we we've grown as a city from 58,000 to 65,000, but we have not we've actually, you know, lost some fire staff and that's the same for the police. So we um we we've been able to manage um and keep
our city uh residents safe while still um you know living that. So so I am supportive of really in offering these choices to the voters. Like I say that was one of the things I I was very committed to to make sure that our role isn't to decide on what the voters taxes
are going to be but our role here as city council is to give some clear and strong choices. I think we've done that. They're fair. I think they and we will really let it to the voters and uh and and we will talk about that with the community and educate people and
ultimately people have to look at their own uh situation and see what they can afford and and make that balance between um making sure their neighborhood is strong as well as their family budgets are strong. So I am supportive of this. Thank you.
Thank you, Councelor Winsow. Councelor Simonelli. Thank you, Madam President. Um I I was just wondering I don't know if this is for Chuck or I don't know who out there but how much is in the revenue reserve now in the in the account we know.
Yes. Thanks. It's certified at 21 million and uh this year budget councelor as you know we used 8.4 million to balance. Yeah. So at that run rate you're looking at
probably two years, two and a half years, if all things remained the same before, we wouldn't have any reserves left. And as I mentioned, leading up to that, we had been using reserves for the things that they were intended to be
used for. So, infrastructure repairs, you know, a lot of the road work we were able to do down in your area, the city councelor, was through those reserves. But this year, we steered them all toward balancing the operating budget. that is not sustainable. That will not
continue come July 1st. Okay. Thank you for that. Well, you know, I mean, I think we really need to start looking at some other ways of uh raising some revenue,
whether it be reszoning. Uh I I've talking to some people out in the audience and some people at home in the neighborhood and uh you know unlocking development uh opportunities, increase license and
permanent fees uh you know moving forward. I I remember I was in this position back in 2001 and we had like a $3 million u shortfall after 911. And uh so what I did was in my
neighborhood anyway, I got working to just get some properties that we had and we had to do a home rule petition obviously because you can't put the money back into public properties even though the law says you're supposed to. So you got to get a home rule petition to allow you to be able to take that money that you sell from properties to
put into the general fund so that you can use it. I don't even know what uh properties we even have left in the city, if any, for that matter. I mean, I know we've got the uh the uh structure on Pearl Street and I think, you know, I I don't know what the deal is with the with the uh courthouse. I don't know if
there's restrictions on that, if we can sell that about is that what it is, restrictions. Yeah, there are there are restrictions on it. We're currently speaking with the state, the council president and I, on how we can move that forward with the home rule petition.
Yes. We're hoping that we won't have to go through that process. Uh but time will tell. Yeah, it was it was it was a real good mechanism back then. I mean we you know it worked out so well. I mean especially where we have like the you know at the time we had two uh state delegation uh
people to run this through for us. and they ended up liking it so much that they allowed it to go throughout the Commonwealth and gave a grandfather period for any cities and towns that were in economic need to be able to um go out and look at what they have for
properties. And you know, again, I'm just saying that was just in my neighborhood. I'm I'm working on something similar like that right now to see about the rest of the part rest of the city uh and other neighborhoods if there's some undeveloped lots, properties that we might be able to
reszone. uh if they fall short by a few hundred feet or so um get a variance maybe on it uh so that we can sell it as buildable lots uh maybe offer it up as a firsttime home buyer type program uh so
I mean I just think that you know we should be looking at those things uh to see where we come up with some funding. I know we haven't really looked at that. It's I mean I know it's going to take some time with the home petition. I get that. Um, you can't help that. And you need the money now than
later, right? Um, I mean, you guys had me in the subcommittee at 5.4, but that's Thank you, mayor. I appreciate that. Uh, you had, you know, you had me at 5.4. I don't know if I could swallow the 8.2. Um, but I I'll I'll listen. So,
Well, we don't have a motion to amend. No, I know, but I'm just listen. I'm I'm just I don't know. I think I've been pretty straightforward from the beginning of this. Um, but I know we're at some tough times, so I'll listen.
Thank you, Councelor Simmonelli. I'm going to go to Councelor Condan and then back to Councelor McDonald. Thank you, uh, Madame President. U, we've had tough times in this city before. I mean, I can remember 1988.
It's no fun to sit up here and tell people you're going to lose your job. But that's exactly what happened during those years. You know, you lose a hundred teachers and I don't care how you look at the parents,
they don't care. They're thinking about paying the kids' school bills. And that's the most difficult part of this job. But fortunately, we worked our way through that. Unfortunately,
we haven't gotten much help from the state people, including the governor who found $4 million to help the uh immigrants that they sent to Boston.
They found that money when they needed it, but for some reason they can't figure out how to straighten out this chapter 70 formula. I don't understand it, especially when our uh senator
is from Winchester and the head of the uh educational department, educational commi committee. So, I guess they can find it when they want to, but uh it's really difficult
because I don't think any of us uh want to see this. What we want is to give the voters a chance to voice their opinion because even if they voted down, we're going to have to come back in the next couple of years unless somebody bails
out the state who would bail out the cities. But they they can't even figure out how to change that uh chapter 70 formula. I mean, it's ridiculous as far as I'm concerned. But um
we've looked at every single way of increasing our revenues. Uh Nelson Miller up in the building department raised all the uh uh building fees so that we're comp competitive with the
cities around us because we were low. We were low in a lot of things. But we've increased the building fees and increased uh anything we could to increase the revenue.
But I I would not agree that we were faulty in the way we spent money because we are the lowest spending city around. out of the eight communities.
All right, we're at the bottom per person. That's for sure. You know, they can say all they want about that, but we know because we see it. We've seen the charts and uh it's just really difficult
to explain that. You know, we feel what you feel, but we have to do something about it to stay or the state will end up taking us over, you know. And then, you know, I mean, I
remember when we had 165 firefighters, all right, with five firehouses. Now we got a I think a hund4 107 with three firehouses.
I remember when we had over a 100 police officers and you probably had 10,000 less cars on the road. Well, they never got increased. We increased the 10,000 cars on the street
with the accidents and everything else, but the police officers who handle those accidents never got increased. They're at 107. They were at 107 when I come on the job here. That was in 1986.
But, uh, you just got to keep trying and keep punching away at it. try to be honest with the people that we represent and I think we have as a council and I know the mayor has and his people have worked
hard on this. So, uh, chips are going to fall where they may and we're still going to work the way we work. So, thanks for listening. Thank you, Councelor Condan. Council McDonald, I know you've been waiting.
Are your is your intent to make motions or can Okay, I I do have some others that have popped up that I think want to speak before we do make amendments. Councelor Seika. Thank you, Council President. Um I'm I'm sitting up here and I find it extremely
funny that a couple years ago, I think we just sat up here, it might not even have been a couple of years ago, and we sat up here talking about whether or not we were going to put a ballot question on about bus and bike lanes. And I I think I'm the only one up here
who is probably going to stay consistent with how I voted then and how I voted this evening. Um, as a city councelor, I do not support this override. I might be one of the only ones up here that are going to publicly say it. I don't I don't support it as a city councelor and
I don't support it as a homeowner, but I do support allowing our residents to decide whether or not they want this. And I think that we're up here elected to um represent our constituents and
they are the ones that should decide it. I am a little worried about the presentation of the ballot question. So, I hope over the next few months after this gets passed this evening because I'm pretty sure that it's going to um
that we can make sure that we let our resident This is very confusing looking to me and I'm involved in the process. Um I can't imagine somebody who is not paying attention going into the poll booth and do I vote for one? Do I vote
for both? If I vote for none, if the if the one that the 5.4 gets the most votes, but they both pass, then we're going to accept the higher number. That is my head is ready to explode, and I've
been listening to it for the last two months over a course of seven meetings, thanks to Councelor McDonald. So, I I hope that we at least go out. We only had one public meeting on this. I think maybe the citizen engagement committee
should whoever is going to be in charge of that next, you know, come January, you know, takes this to the streets and lets the public know this is what happens if you vote yes to both. This is what happens if you vote yes to 5.4. This is what's going to happen if you
vote 8.2. This is what's going to happen if you don't vote for either one of them. And that it doesn't matter if you know if only 15% of the vote voters come out then it's 50% of that. It's not 50% of our population of registered voters.
Like I think the public needs to be informed exactly how this process is going to play out and I will be more than happy to help you figure out how we're going to do this. But I really trul Stoneham I don't I was just looking through my phone and I can't find it
because somebody had sent it to me. But Stoneham actually sent out this little pamphlet and said where all the money was going to go. And I thought that that was pretty amazing that the residents went to the polls knowing if they um voted for the 5 whatever their numbers
were. I'm going to say as the 5.4 or the 8.2 that where the money from each was where it was going to go. And I I I think that we owe it to our residents to try to come up. We have an amazing team, so there's no doubt that I know that you guys can we can figure something out,
but I think we owe it to our residents to at least show them where this money's going instead of just asking them for a set number and and no outcome. So, thank you. Thank you, Councelor Seika. Councelor Crow. Thank you, Madam President. um you know
over the seven meetings it was really very informational and a lot of people came and really sort of understood sort of how we got here and where we're going and I think when the for either option we know it's still going to require um
some restructuring some bite tightening belt tightening and some really um difficult decisions so there has been a commitment that we're going to be going to continue to do that I think you're right a lot of education is going still be required pamphlets where it's going
what we are going to be willing to cut where where those going to those cuts are going to be made to say I've said this many times in the committee that where that we have skin in the game and the the administration has committed to that. I think you're right, Council Simmonelli. We've talked about some of
those things as well. Thinking about do we look at resoning? Like I think everything is on the table to see how we operate in in a more cohesive manner. I think we've been doing it but kind of taking a deep dive. They they have been
meeting with each department on where we can change what um restruction we can happen. So I I think there is a commitment and we just have to make sure that if after this vote that that education is really out there for the public so they make an informed choice.
So it is up to the voters to make the choice. Yay, one, two or none. And then we have to come back and deal with what the follow's going to be no matter what um even at the high level um comes back. So thank you.
Thank you councelor Crow. Okay, I've got councelor Ali, then councelor Simmonelli for the second time. Um, so I have to agree with councelor Seika that this is confusing. Um, and part of the reason why it's been, I think, confusing is that, you know,
early on there's been some bad information and bad data that has been put out to the public. So like for instance, councelor Condan, when you had said that we are at the bottom of the barrel, that is not true. We we are not. It's and it's not your fault. It's not your fault, Councelor Condan, but the
information that has been put out there early on showed that we were at the bottom of the of the of the bar battle in ter in terms of per capita expenditure, but that is actually not true. We're not we're not actually at the bottom. Um the the city has corrected that information on on the
website. U but I think is important that we do understand what is going on. Um another another and again I'm going to say also that I support putting these on the ballots. Um you know this is a binding ballot question. Um this I think is very different than the the
non-binding ballot question that you were discussing earlier councelor Sika. You know this is a binding ballot question that is going to have an actual financial impact on the city of Malden. Um you know there is going to be some impact to to the operations based on the decisions that have been made by the
administration. Um I in terms of where we're going. So I'll I'll also state that I I don't think that we're in a different situation this year financially than we were last year. You know, this is the same exact situation that we were in last year. Um we used
our our free cash or our revenue reserves, our savings account to fill this budget gap that we have. Um if if this was such a concern for so many years, we spent $6.8 eight million dollars of our free cash
in 2024 on other things that, you know, I I support some of these things. You know, I support some of the things that they were that that that we spent the free cash on, but we did spend above and beyond the the the money we used to to
plug that budget gap, an additional 6.8 million from free cash. We currently have 2122 million in free cash. I I just personally do not see the financial like uh significance or or challenges that we're
facing um this year than it was any different than than future years. Um do we need to tighten our belt? Absolutely. Do we need to start, you know, raising more capital funds to to fund our capital projects? Yes, absolutely. Do we need to reszone the city completely to
encourage more high quality economic development and res that is absolutely what we need to do because the only reason why this hasn't been a problem in the past was because the mayor's office and our in our economic development team were helping bring new projects to
Maldon. Between the pandemic and some ill-conceived policies that we took up as a city in terms of moratoriums and stuff, we artificially kept the market here in Malden and we discouraged a lot of projects that would have been in in
the ground. I'll give two examples. There were going to be two class A steel office towers built in Malden Square. One where the old CVS was and the other one where the old Granada Theater was. Those projects were going to be built. They probably would have brought a couple thousand jobs and they were going
to be office towers. Had we not dragged our feet, had we not put up every barrier known to man in front of them, they would have had their permits prior to the pandemic and they would have been under construction and that would have been new growth that
would have helped carry us through this type of situation. So, um, you know, I'm not saying we fully deregulate the city and say yes to every project. I know that when I have a bad project in my neighborhood that I think is going to be detrimental, I will come out forcefully against it if that's what my residents
think. Um, so I'm not saying say yes to every project, but I'm saying at least allow every project a chance to to put itself out there and if it's a good project for the city of Malden, let's not erect barriers. Let's try to help get it through if it's something the community supports. I think that our sup
community absolutely now understands the importance of development. It's not the dirty word. Um, and unless you live next to a building, the height of the building, I do not think is the the most significant thing that should be turning people off. Unless you are in a direct
abutter that is impacted by the height of a building. I don't see where and why that would be something that turns people off. Um, and the only reason why I say that is because, you know, if you don't allow property owners to go up, they have to go out. I also care about
historic preservation. It's one of the reasons why 15 Ferry Street has been the ghost of Christmas past on our agenda for this entire year. I would love to be able to save one of the last, you know, Converse U buildings in our community. Um, unfortunately, uh, with things that
have been going on, that's not possible. Uh, we we still have, I think, chances to make that possible. But I'm not afraid of height. I think building highquality buildings that are going to help our tax base is essential. Um, so it's a long-winded way of saying I support the residents having a chance to
have a say. I don't necessarily think that we're in the financial dire straits that we we are that is being presented and I do have hope that the the information that's pre presented is accurate and any inaccurate information that's been put out there is corrected.
Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Ali. Yes. Let me put the podium on for you. Thank you. I would like to address the comments made by the Ward 4 counselor. You have the floor. First, 2024, you're right. We spent
roughly $6 million from our reserves for what they were intended for, one-time projects that help build up our city. Now, we're using them to sustain our operating budget. That's the difference.
what you identified in 2024, that's exactly what they're supposed to be used for, not to sustain an operating budget. So for you to say that you're not seeing it, I'm not sure how you're able to say that.
I'd like to also, if I might, finish my comments by saying, you know, about these developments in the downtown, one was permitted. If you're referring to the one on Dartmouth Street, what's going on there? and the other one where the old CVS was, they didn't have a tenant and they
wanted a tax break. And if you thought we had it wrong, counselor, then you could have brought it to your colleagues and had them take a look at it, but you didn't. So, we can go down memory lane all we want, but the fact of the matter is we have a structural deficit that has
to be dealt with. And if you think you're going to do it through 15 Ferry Street, you're not. As I've told you in the past, I've been all leas about how to save that. And to date, I have not received or we have not
received anything from you on how to do that. So, if you have a suggestion on how to do it, share with us right now. We'll take it back upstairs and see if we can make it work. But I just, you know, I want to be on the same page here
that we can travel down this road, but it's not going to get us to where we need to go. Council, I'm going to let you respond, but I want to I don't want to go back and forth here. So, let's just want one response and then I want to give councelor Ali I mean councelor
Simmonelli the floor. Yeah, I through the chair um I'm surprised by the the reaction. It was my my comments. It's been a long time coming, counselor. It shouldn't be. We're not u considered a uh critique of
the administration alone. Um the city is made up of the mayor's office and and the city council. So, we're we're all part of this. So, I'm not throwing the responsibility uh on the mayor's shoulders by any means. Um
I won't address every specific topic. Um but I don't think it has been a secret that um my proposals are debt exclusions when it comes to 15 Ferry Street which it was just an example of historic preservation. Um there are proposals uh
they have been presented again. What have they and I have also engaged with the mayor's office on this numerous times. Oh okay. Thank you. Okay. I'm I'm going to end debate actually on this and I'm going to move to councelor McDonald so that we can
start taking up amendments. Councelor Sell. Councelor Simelli, can you be brief? Okay. Can you though? Yes. Define brief. Um listen, I you know what? We sat up here and we kind of
hammered out a whole bunch of different things that we can take a look at in the future. hopefully in the near future on raising revenue, doing all kinds of things. You know, I just want I I just want to be clear. It's just that, you know, I'm one of the people that say, "Look, you know, at the end of the day, uh it's not about Chris
Simoni. You know, it's about the people in my in my district that I represent." and uh and they elect us to represent them and to you know think for them in theirstead while they're busy with their families and you know bringing their
kids to sports and what have you. So, you know, I just right now I have to agree with council seeker at the moment, you know, about it being very confusing and I haven't had a I haven't heard a real good plan on how we're going to
educate the public. Uh because you're asking them to go out, you know, like you said, you got 15% to go out and probably even less than that on a non-election year in the middle of uh end of winter, beginning of springtime. I mean, you know, we got to first be
able to get those people to the polls so we can get them to vote. And I know there's been some community meetings and I don't know how many have been in attendance, but let's just even say there's 150 twice. That's 300 people. And uh there are 30,000 over 30,000 household houses
in the city of Maul that will be affected. And I and I also worry about, you know, I've got I have both in my neighborhood. I have both um residential people who pay taxes, property taxes, and I also have a lot of renters. And I just, you know, for people that own for developers that own multi-dwelling
units, I just don't want to give them the loophole and the green light to raise people's rents significantly, not in accordance with what they're getting, you know, uh hit with themselves from from the from the tax. Um, and you know,
I'm I'm sure a few developers come to some people's minds up here as as soon as I say that that um, you know, people take advantage of that and and people will be taking advantage of of people that are just trying to get by. Uh, so I think it would have an adverse effect on
the renters uh, with that loophole being said and I think that um, you know, it's definitely going to put some burden on the on the taxpayer. But I I think that if we could find a way or there's a
development to be able to educate the folks um then you would have my support. I just don't I I just can't give you my support right now knowing that. So that's where I stand. Thank you, Councelor Simmonelli. Okay,
Councelor McDonald, you have the floor. Thank you, Council President. Um, so I want to discuss the amendments and then I will offer my own actual opinion and comment about this for the record briefly. But um, so the there are two sets of amendments to add to this. The first is that we've learned from the
state in reviewing the ballot language guide that we cannot include yes what they call yes or no language in the ballot measure itself. So that means we need to strike the final sentence um or I'm sorry is that a the final two
sentences in each of the options. So we cannot say a yes vote would support an increase in property taxes and no vote would make no change in the current tax structure. We just strike that language. That's the first part of the amendments in both of those options. Um the second one is that is to just simplify this
language that folks have been asking about which is the final sentence here of the order introducing them. Right now it says if more than one question passes the question with the highest dollar amount will prevail. I think that was drafted when when we had a proposal to consider three options which we
ultimately declined to do. The simpler language is to say if both questions pass option 1B will prevail with the higher dollar amount. That makes sense. So that's the that's the recommended clarifying language. Um, I actually had
one other question um for our city solicitor Ally, if I can ask you very quickly. We had some back and forth about whether we can include this language around increase funding required by law for public schools. And is it your opinion that that's
appropriate to include in option 1B? That's kind of the distinguishing factor in terms of the two of those they the language is otherwise identical to those options except for the dollar amount of course. Um, but could we get your clarity on that? Uh, councelor McDonald, that should not
be included. It's right on the line as to whether it's allowed or not, and rather than that entire question be bounced out, I'd rather not include that. Okay. Thank you. And just to be clear, the the the regulation that you're
talking about is in related to to we cannot advocate on in the language of the ballot or say what um unless it is a restriction on the use um we cannot say that. So we also looked at whether we could say it will prevent X Y and Z from happening. Can't say that either
according to the state. So that would that would then um strike that as well as increase funing for the funding schools and make sure that we then add public schools as a function of what we can spend the money on. So that it would actually read the way option 1A does. So
it says including public schools, public safety, public library, public works and general government for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year be beginning July 1, 2026. Yes, that is correct. Okay. So th so th so those are three pieces. One is to um and I will send
this in I will email this I mean we have we have our I will email this to the clerk. So we have the clarifying what happens if both questions pass. We have the removing the yes no language and we have removing the phrase increase funding required by law and and uh making those two languages parallel. So
just to be clear, we can't use the ballot to get into detail about this stuff. there's very clear state law about ho how we have to formulate the question um depending on what we're going to do. So those would be the amendments I would um I would propose and just for further clarity this is
strictly for the language to go on the ballot not for what we can discuss in future public meetings. Okay I I will speak to that in a minute but I just wanted to do these amendments first. Okay. So we need a motion to amend the order which I've I'm hearing from councelor McDonald. Do I have a second?
Second. Okay. Second by councelor Winslow. I have questions on the amendments. I'll take councelor Ali first. Um do you know how like when there's state ballot questions usually there's like an additional page that says like
it kind of explains like what a yes vote does, what a no vote does. And sometimes there's even like pro and con things that you can read. Like is is that part of the bad? Like where does that come into play? I'm not opposed to your your amendments. I'm just I'm guessing that's the proper
place for what you're describing. Yeah, thank you for that question, Councelor Ali. So, uh Carolyn uh Desid Deserio, our city clerk, asked that very question. Apparently, there are different standards in law for state and local ballot measures. And some of those
things are required by state law for certain state ballot measures. They are not they're not only required, they are prohibited for local ballot measures. and the state's attorney general's office is the one who drafts those or oversees the drafting of that. So, they have no role or function in in reviewing
ballot language. They won't like give us a preliminary ruling. They will simply address it if it's challenged and then they can, you know, throw it out. That's a great question. That's a good question. Okay, Councelor Simonelli.
Thank you, Madam President. Um, just to just to say it's just getting more confusion and more confusion as people are watching it because they probably have no idea what we're talking about right now. So, it just puts more confusion on this whole ballot thing. And and the other thing is is is the
March 31st is like a drop dead date. I mean, can we push that back to like going like maybe April 31st, May 1st, so it's a little warmer weather? Maybe get people out. Uh, there is no April 31st. Sorry, my birthday is April 30th. That's an easy way to So, April 30th and May 1st. Sorry.
Sorry. I was born on the 28th, so I only got 28 days. So, I don't count up that high when it comes to birthdays, but uh I mean, I don't know. Is it is it is it possible to to move that? I mean, is it Yeah. Well, uh Council Zelli, let me just say, I think we discussed that in
committee. Um we had actually originally thought about April 7th until we checked the calendar and realized that was during Passover. So we didn't want to do April 7th. So we looked at April March 31st or April 14th. And the feeling of the commit I personally supported April
14th. However, that is the day before tax day, which can be a bad look. Um but March 31st was where we landed. I think that yeah, we could schedule it for whenever we want. However, um if we go any later than that, what we start to do is make it um somewhere between
difficult and impossible to get the annual budget completed uh to give the instruction time and instructions to our department directors to submit their budget to get it through the council process. So, we've been advised by the mayor's team that they they would really not support us going any later than that because you have to have balanced budget
by July but there's no legal restriction on when we can schedule the election as far as I understand. That makes sense. Yeah. All right. Okay. Thank you, Councelor Simonelli. Councelor Cologne Hayes. Oh, thank you. Uh, so I just want to quickly say I actually think what um you
suggested and we heard from legal makes the question it simplified it actually, very much so. So, um, I'm all for that. And also during one of our um finance meetings, I do remember it coming up about the wording and it has to be um
yeah, there were legal issues for the wording and and we had to go to the state for wording and I remember something saying like you can't be campaigning the ballot question cannot look like you're campaigning for one or the other. Um so we talked about a lot and I've said it here and I will promise
everybody here we are going to have educational meetings, right? But I I personally, especially as the chair of the CEIC committee, was waiting. We need to know what the questions are. We had to wait until we know what we're doing, what the questions are before, you know,
we bring it to the community. And I also want to hear very clearly what we can and cannot say because Lord knows we don't want to have people filing things on us. So, we have to be very careful on that. But it we should have it out. have things written is probably the best way
um because it's you know going to be out um written um down so you could just read it right directly from you know it. So um I think this is great. Thank you. We got a motion and a second. Okay. So, um, councelor McDonald, I want
to just get clarity on something. Do we need are there amendments made in committee that we need to vote to accept before we take these up? Uh, yes. I mean, the this is what is presented in the committee report. So, this is an amendment to the committee to the language in the committee report. We
could we could either accept that first and then amendment or we could accept the committee report or accept this language with these with this additional language as amended. All right, that sounds fine. Does that sound okay to you? So, we should amend the paper
as and then pass as amended the committee report and then make these additional amendments because they were not made in committee. We're making them here on the floor. There should be two motions for amendments. Okay, understood. So, we have a motion on the floor. So, then make I let me first make that
motion to amend the paper uh to reflect the committee report. Okay. Second. Second by councelor Winsow. I think we need a roll call on that as well. Yes. Okay. Well, clerk, will you please call the role? Councelor Cologne Hayes, yes. Councelor Condan, Councelor Crow,
yes. Councelor McDonald, yes. Councelor Omali, Councelor Sika, yes. Councelor Simonelli, yes. Councelor Taylor, yes. Councelor Winslow, yes. Council President Lahan, yes. Okay. And then I move to make the
amendments as discussed um with uh with the changes proposed by our city solicitor. Second. Okay. And let's call the role on that. Okay. Councelor Colon Hayes. Yes. Councelor Condan. Councelor Crow. Yes.
Councelor McDonald. Yes. Councelor Ali. Yes. Councelor Sika. Yes. Councelor Simmonelli. Yes. Councelor Taylor. Council President Lahan. Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. And councelor Winsoff. Yes. Oh, apologies. That's all. Yes.
Okay. So, now we need a motion to adopt the order as amended. Uh, so moved. Second. Okay. Clerk, will you please call the role? Yes. Is there any further discussion? I see no I see no lights for further
discussion. Councelor Clone Hayes, yes. Councelor Condan, yes. Councelor Crow, yes. Councelor McDonald, yes. Councelor Omali, yes. Councelor Sika, yes. Councelor Simelli, Councelor Taylor,
Councelor Winslow, yes. Council President Lahan. Yes. Okay. The order is adopted as amended. Thank you everyone. I'm going to call a fivem minute recess. I can't look at water. I'm like dying on your behalf over here.
I need what? I can tell I was like if she wasn't watching I know a known What are we even doing? We have the consent agenda. Oh my goodness. Okay, I'll have to deal. Okay, next
order of business. All right, next order of business is our consent agenda. This evening's consent agenda consists of meeting minutes to be approved, two communications to be placed on file, and two papers to be referred to the public property committee. Does any counselor have a desire to remove any of these items from
the consent agenda for the purpose of further discussion? Okay. All in favor? Okay. Um, the consent agenda is approved. Next order of business. Sorry.
Paper 481-25. Order that the council approve the 2026 schedule of council meetings. Okay. So, did everybody have a chance to review this? We had sent it out in in advance. Correct. Did everybody have it?
Did everybody get a copy of this? I know councelor Winsow had had a friendly amendment to offer that I am happy to have us discuss. Councelor Winsow. Well, I mean, first of all, I say I did review the committee m the the the council and committee meeting nights
events, various holidays. There doesn't seem to be any any significant conflict there. So that's good. Uh you know the only comment I had and this is really up to discretion. Um I know when I was council president the in the first uh in January I had suggested we started with
two council meetings because often the first council the meeting of especially of a new term it's just the council president presenting the the new um committee assignments and a lot doesn't happen. So it's good to have another council meeting. I know councelor Lhan
mentioned that, you know, one reason that might people might want to have committee meetings on, you know, January 13th anyway, but committee meetings can always happen on the council meeting night. So, it was just to to change change that, but I'm not I'm pretty flex flexible. But, um, you know, it does a
few things. Like I say, it makes I think a little bit more useful time in January and then it sets it up so that the council meetings um do not fall during February and April vacation. And you one of the things I know um
I really anticipate in June. I mean, right now it's it's not having a council meeting on the 30th, but you given the status of um what might happen with the state budget in particular, we might actually go till later and you know,
late. So, so it's just something we we can leave it blank now and if we have to put it on, but I think we're going to have a very um you know, lot of discussion in June about the budget, even even whatever happens with the override, but um it's it's going to
be an intense June in terms of the budgeting and that type of thing. So, it's just something to anticipate, but I I'm I'm just that was the setup that I did when I was council president. Um, but I I'm flexible or whatever, so I don't know what other people's thoughts are, but So,
well, I'm happy to speak to those questions. I do appreciate I I I appreciate anybody that takes the time to look through it in that level of detail. Thank you, clerk. Um, so, our city clerk and I did look over the issues that you mentioned. I the the
school vacation issue in particular stuck out to me right away. Um, I did sit down and look at the past basically pulled all the years that I've been on that past five or six years to kind of see where the school breaks fell. Um, we did of course review for all, you know,
religious holiday conflicts. Luckily, nothing falls in a week where we would have to contend with that and potentially reschedu or cancel. Um, I think because our first council meeting is falls relatively early in January, we do have this kind of key decision to make of whether we want to do two
council meetings right up front or whether we want to have council followed by committee meetings. It was the thought of the of the clerk and I um in looking at what pending legislation we have that we have because of the override discussions maybe a more of a backlog in committee that we would like
to kind of take that first meeting assuming that we will be having a new council president elected at the inauguration Monday utilize as you said councelor Winslow that next meeting that the council might want to have committees set um fairly light agenda
and that committees that have um you know maybe not been able to file as much because of the override discussions wanting to dive in and and get into committee business that second week but as you said that can happen on a council night. Um so that was kind of the
thinking that we had again trying to anticipate not knowing who's going to have leadership of different committees but just looking at the legislation that's kind of in the hopper now and what folks had in mind thinking that that might be the most useful thing to do. Um, I did take the liberty of speaking with counselors, including our
incoming counselor elect, um, who have um, caregiving responsibilities and kids who might be looking to travel over school break. What I actually heard from folks was that folks don't have travel so much booked during the break, but that actually we might have a difficulty making quorum at the end of June. So
that um, in the interest of not having a business back up to the end of June, we decided to keep it as is. I do however agree with you. I think given the state budget and some of the things that we're up against, we might not, you know, we might find ourselves needing to go to that extra week in June, but I think
we'll just have to contend with that as it comes. If folks have to remote in or if we have a, you know, a tight count making quorum, we'll have to just take that up. We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, I think. But, um, I'm I'm comfortable with this as it is. I'm also happy to have if folks agree
with councelor Winsow and want to make those changes. I I'm certainly open to that. Oh, sorry, Councelor McDonald. Yeah, thank you. Um, just two questions. First is that um, so the the one holiday
that I found that does hit a council meeting is is Lunar New Year on February 17th. And I don't know, I mean, that is that's obviously a major holiday for our Chinese community as well as like Vietnamese and other East Asian um
cultures that celebrate TED or Lunar New Year as a as a major holiday. Is that something that we would like to avoid with a full council meeting on the 17th? So that's one that's February 17th. The second question is just that so in finance today we did pass out two
papers. Um, one was the uh section 108 loan to complete the Molden Riverworks project and the other was capital improvements from the cable access fund. Either of those impact the general fund. Um, those are both from restricted sources, but they they're kind of
hanging out there and I just want to check my procedural understanding of this. Both of those papers, even though they made it out of committee, will automatically die unless they are revived by the council at the end of the term. Is that correct? We have to vote to
We would roll. We would vote on all of those at the first meeting in January. Okay. My question was whether we can schedule those that came out of committee for the first meeting. Um if not, then I think we could I'm more inclined to want to support councelor Winslow's approach to this and and do it
a little early. I just don't want to make them wait another two weeks if we don't have to. So everything that's unresolved comes as one package to that first meeting. So they don't h they basically don't have to get scheduled. The clerk will put them all as one decision. We we go through everything and they're alive until decided
otherwise essentially. Can we include a committee report in that? Well, there's no committee. So you you there was no committee from the previous the report that has just come out of finance. Where does that go? How does that get sent back to the council?
No, because it's not on the it wasn't on the agenda, right? That's the that's the oversight that happened by not having it on tonight. It's gets carried over. I'm just trying to figure out if there's a way we can tackle those earlier than January 20th. And maybe the answer is it's just not really that feasible
because we have to No, I think the way I think the way to take them up earlier than the 20th is to either put them on committee of the whole, which we are. We've revised our rules to be able to do or
technically. Yes. Take up the papers. Okay. So, councelor Romeli, I'm going to go to you and then So, we can't vote this term on something that will happen next term because we are not the council next term yet. And
so I believe I don't have the rules in front of me, but I think councelor Winsel's correct. They don't expire until 30 days after the new term. And so I think you can still schedule meetings with them on the agenda. You just need to also vote to carry them forward. And
I think you do it you could do it on the entire council level or also at the committee level. But I think you're going to be able to schedule what you want to schedule. I think so too because I I had asked Carolyn this question of does everything automatically die and that was an
affirmative no right so it I you're absolutely correct it's not the same council but the legislation doesn't doesn't die it exists and then it can be taken up by the new council I believe it dies after 30 days if not carried forward okay
but that we have to check the rules I don't have the rules in front of me that's correct okay so maybe Then that question could just be like can I just state for the record to be captured in the minutes? I would like to who whomever is preparing the agenda for that January 6th at least
include the report of these two things that just got voted out of committee so that we have the ability to discuss them on the six. So captured and whoever is voted as council president on Monday night can take immediate action on that. Yes. For the basically right away. Yep.
Okay. Um so that Yeah. So then my only question is whether we want to reschedule the 17th based on Lunar New Year, which does happen to fall during school vacation week as well. Yes, I'm I'm I'm fine with that. If we want
to switch those two, swap the 17th and the 24th, make the 17th a committee and the 24th a council. That's okay. That is correct. what you said about within 30 days of the next banual
session papers need to be carried and for clarity if when Caroline gets back if there's anything that we're not anticipating about making that switch that is problematic in relation to the override or anything like that can we make further adjustments to the calendar
okay um so apologies that's okay it's the motion is to swap these two make the 17th a committee and the 24th a council to my council basically. Yeah. Okay. Yep.
I could just simplify my Yes. So, councelor Winsow. So, I would suggest that we just make January 13th a council meeting as well because we can always have committee meetings on those nights, too. So, it doesn't hold up any committee, but it's
the type of thing if you anybody wants to file papers starting in January. that way it's it's easier and then you can get them quicker. So that that would be my suggestion. So I don't that would just be my additional and
things can change and stay the same otherwise but I think those I I just know that we always kind of start off slow because having there's not a lot on the committees sometimes the second week. Can I just ask a clarifying question? Yes. Go ahead. Council Monzer, are you suggesting that we just do two
backto-back council meetings in January and then alternate or That was my original proposal. So that that sets up so that then the 17th would be a committee meeting and then everything else would kind of bump back and that would also bump back
like April 21st which is cool vacation week to be a committee. So and but it would also maybe p put things final council meeting. I mean, we could make an adjustment in the um in June, but it I was pushing back the June
23rd meeting to the 30th. So, yeah, I think because I think if you did Is it okay that I respond, Council? Yes. Sorry. Through the chair. That's fine. The I I think if we if we actually did that through the special election, that would solve both of those problems. So
we would swap January 13th through 20 March 24th be council council then committee and so we would not have a council meeting on the 17th. We end up with a council meeting on March 24th and the special action and then cons continue with the count with the calendar is presented and I apologize
that we're talking about a lot of things that I know that you and the clerk already worked on. No, it's okay. We did we did go back and forth on this. So I just I I want to be clear. And I No, I think that that's that makes sense. Maybe just just having the 13th be council meeting and then then
committee council up to the special election and then just follow the same calendar after. But just to be clear, are we then cancelling on February vacation? No, it would just be committee meetings. Okay. Sorry, I thought I heard you just say we wouldn't have a meeting out. I'm sorry. I just want to make sure I understand.
Thank you for allowing me to clarify. Yeah. So we would swap the council and committee meetings everything from January 13th through March 24th. So council council and then alternate all the way through the special election. Yep. And then start again on April 7th with the council meeting. Yep. That's fine with me.
Okay. So who made the motion? Did you make that motion? Second. Second by councelor W. Does everybody understand? Okay. All in favor with those changes. I did you say okay you're Who made the motion?
Motion by councelor McDonald, seconded by councelor Winslow. To amend. To amend. Okay. So, do I have a motion to adopt the calendar the council calendar as amended? So, moved by councelor Simelli um seconded by councelor Sika. All in
favor? I Okay, that is adopted as amended. Okay. Okay, next order of business. A representative uh communications. A representative from the solicitor's
office will present to the council their findings in the investigation of the open meeting law complaint filed by Jaden Sika on November 19th, 2025. as was discussed with paper 458-25. Thank you, Solicitor McNeel. You have
the floor. Uh, so I um investigated the complaint by councelor Sika against uh councelor Clone Hayes and um the complaint everybody should
have gotten a copy of the findings. So essentially the complaint was that councelor Clone Hayes engaged in private communication which um ended up being deliberation on a matter
that was on one of the um agendas, city council agendas. So, I appreciate everyone that got back to my office and I was able to um talk with everyone in the the city that sits on
the city council. And my investigation uh revealed that although Council Cologne Hayes did um talk to a quorum of individuals and members of
the city council, uh the conversations that she had did not amount to a quorum as it related to deliberating on an agenda item. Um and I
gave everybody the report that I came um the findings that I that I made and also um in addition to the findings I also provided an admonition that um when it comes to deliberation I think people are
not really clear about what deliberation is. It's not just um replying to all, but uh deliberation could also be talking about how you're going to vote or what you're going to say on one matter to councelor A as I described in
my findings. Councelor to councelor B, councelor B talks to councelor C. That's a daisy chain communication. So I would just admonish um the city councilors to be very cautious about deliberations in general. and I'll take any questions
that anyone may have. Okay. Thank you. Do I see any questions for our solicitor's office? Councelor Sika. Thank you, Council President. Um I don't necessarily have a question. I um I wasn't sure if we were going to get this
this evening. I forgot how this works. So, I kind of had a little something prepared just in case. But I um respectfully disagree with the legal department's conclusion that no violation of the Massachusetts open meeting law occurred in this matter. Under general law chapter 38A section
18, serial deliberation occurs when a quorum of a public body discusses public business outside of a properly posted meeting. Even when those discussions take place through a series of one-on-one communications, the law is explicit that
deliberations includes the expressions of opinions, intended votes, desired outcomes, or efforts to influence decision-making regardless of whether all recipients respond. The investigation confirmed that council of
Cologne Hayes engaged in substantive substantive communications regarding a pending appointment with multiple members of this city council. These communications included her opposition to the appointment, her preferred outcome, her intended vote, and an
alternative individual she wished to advance. Such content goes well beyond procedural inquiry and squarely falls within the definition of deliberation. I'm going to um
I'm going to read you some of the the proof that I have that she did in fact as far as I'm concerned. I am going to be escalating this. I'm sending this to the state for their um for their opinion, but I just want
Can I interrupt and just ask I is is the information that the council received attached to our agenda? No, it isn't. Um I don't think it's attached. I just sent it today, so I don't think it's attached. Is it going to be or what is the like I I don't want
to get into a situation here where things at the public are not going to be uh that aren't going to be publicly available are read into the record if they're not supposed to be. So I can't tell you that it's not supposed to be. The next step for me is if the
council uh votes then I will be sending my um findings to the attorney general. not you want me to send this to the attorney general. Okay. So, we are allowed to discuss whether we do or don't agree with what you've just stated. That's appropriate. I just want to
understand what's appropriate for us to discuss before I I'll Yes, councelor Ali. One second. My understanding is that it is public. It is a public document. We we are doing it in open session. We are all referring to it in our deliberation right now. So,
my understanding it's a public document currently, but that's just my understanding uh because we didn't go into executive session to discuss this. Correct. And and mostly I'm asking because I know it came to the council just this afternoon, which was for us to be prepared to discuss it. I understand that we're not considering an executive
session, but I also just want to understand what the outcome is of this discussion so that we can limit the bounds of our discussion to what the actual vote is and what's appropriate for the vote that we need to take. The outcome for me is whether you whether
you agree or disagree, whether you want me to send these findings to the attorney general's office. Okay, that's fine. That counselor see I understand that you want to be able to articulate whether you agree or disagree. I just want to make sure that what we're doing is correct. This is new. This is new for me. So, I want to make sure we're doing things
properly. Well, since everybody up here is always so transparent, I'd like to be transparent and I'd like the public to know what it is, what proof I did have, and why I filed this open meeting law complaint to begin with because I really
still firmly believe that what I have for proof constitutes a CRL deliberation. So, um I would like to have everybody listen to this is one of my
Hey Peg, it's Karen. Um calling because I just saw um Jeff Donahghue's name on the agenda and I am not pleased at all. So, I've been making some phone calls. I talked to Amanda. I actually called um Gary as well. Um, I have serious serious
concerns about him being on the board of anything, let alone something that involves kids and the safety of kids. Um, Jeff's history of his violence behavior, but also he has been um verbally abusive to me just as uh early
as uh the preliminaries that just happened at W 4 where he came up to my face in front of people. So they will also say this and verbally abused me and then um you know went inside to vote and
I'm thinking of what you all did with Lette when you pulled back um somebody who was actually appointed for reasons that were not even as clear as the ones for Jeff with his history of being homophobic. He has written things down that I will now be getting a copy of.
And instead of embarrassing everybody here, I'm hoping that this gets delayed or tabled or something until we find someone better um who does not have a background like this to um sit on that. So anyways, I know that was a lot, but
if you want to give me a call back um do so. If not, you can also talk to Gary. Like I said, I left him a message as well. Thanks. Bye. Okay. So, that is one. And then I also have a text message.
And I want the public at home to to hear what was presented in these because although she did not get in touch with all nine that she reached out to, there was a reason why she was she contacted nine of us out of the 11. She didn't
call councel Condan or councelor McDonald to ask for a recipe or the weather of tomorrow. She called because she had a specific intent and the intent was to stop something from happening
that she was unhappy with. So on the same day, she texted a fellow colleague that said, "I've been making a lot of phone calls today because I just realized that Jeff Donahghue was on the agenda for tomorrow as an appointment to
replace Holland for a position on the vote. I strongly oppose this appointment for many reasons, but most recently he has verbally abused me in public. During the preliminaries for Ward 4 for school committee, as I was holding a sign for a
bear, he walked over right in front of my face to intimidate me and cursed at me completely unprovoked. After we walked off, a bear was so shook and this was in front of a young person as well. Dawn was actually there and I've also reached out to her. We have
plenty of great people in this city that we don't need to appoint someone who has a history of abuse and homophobic and racist comments on public social media. Although I did not agree with what happened with Lette's appointment being taken away due to some social media
post, I believe this one has merit as he was verbally abusive to a city councelor in public very recently. The good news is Ryan spoke with Lenny Ayavino, the former Ward 4 school committee rep, and he is very interested in this position.
We have both called the mayor and Maria Louise, and we're hoping that this can quietly be tabled while we review and put forward Lenny's name. I hope you agree with this suggestion. I'm going to try to table it tomorrow if the mayor doesn't take it off before then. Feel
free to give me a call. I'm making the rounds tabled. Oh, sorry for the typos. I was text talking. So, these were the two that I had at the meeting a few weeks back. And then after that particular
meeting where I accused her of possibly violating the open meeting law that evening about 30 minutes after we all left this council chamber, she called councelor Simelli. And I'm assuming based on what she texted him that
evening, she thought he was the reason that I felt the way that I felt that evening because she wrote, "Hey buddy, the next time I reach out to you, please remind me and say, do not talk to me or trust me, lol." So I I find that as an
admission of guilt because why would she call him at 11? It was 11:20 at night. We didn't get out of here till late that evening. and she was texting councelor Simmonelli about this. I um I I think it's very important for the public to
hear what the communications were because Hold on. While the legal I'm going back. While the legal department's analysis relies heavily on the number of successful communications, the open meeting law
does not require that every attempted contact result in a completed discussion to establish a violation. The attorney general has repeatedly held that serial deliberation may occur where there is a coordinated effort to influence a quorum
outside of a public view. Attempts to reach members of a public body for the purpose of shaping deliberations are highly relevant to determining intent and compliance with the law. In this case, Council Cologne Hayes
attempted to contact nine out of the 11. Council Spataphora and myself are the only ones who were not contacted regarding this agenda item. On the eve of and the day of this particular vote, had those calls been
answered, a quorum would have been made and engaged in private deliberation. There's no doubt in my mind after listening to that voicemail and reading the text messages that some of my fellow colleagues received. Even without full
participation, the scope, the timing, and the substance of outreach raises serious concerns about the intent, process, and the appearance of circumventing public deliberation. The open meeting law exists not only to
prevent actual violations, but to protect public trust by eliminating secrecy and the appearance of backroom decisionmaking. Been hearing that a lot over the last few weeks with the um Malden High principle, backroom
deliberations, but it's okay when it's one side, it's not okay when it's another. While the legal department ultimately found no technical violation, its own admonition acknowledges that the communications are worrisome and
cautions against conduct that risk serial behavior. While I respect your the city solicitor's office, I do not agree with the conclusion in this matter. I believe we must hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethical
conduct and ensure that our actions and our intentions align with the law. Accordingly, I will be sending this open meeting law complaint to the state attorney's general's office for further review. I too have violated the open meeting law
before. It's no secret. It's been all over the internet for the last several weeks, but I've I've never hidden it. I did it once. I have never done it again. And all I did at the time was send an email with paperwork while we were in
COVID procedure to my license committee. And all I put in there was my opinion that I was not in favor of the posit petition. Not I don't know if my whole committee opened up that email. I don't know if they received it. I don't know. I don't
know if it if it reached a quorum. My point is it it was a violation of the open meeting law. They had no proof that everyone saw it, but I still was fined an open meeting law. So, I believe that this is still cons this that the state
is going to come back and find this as an open meeting law violation because there's no other reason that she called 11 counselors within a 24-hour period other than to say she she openly admits in the text and the email that she was
making her rounds and making phone calls. And I I no disrespect to you, Alicia, I I don't I'm not quite sure if everybody was forthcoming with their information, whether or not, you know, they called
for a procedure or certain things don't add up. So even if somebody didn't deliberate on this ex exact item in a text message, it's also they're also finding a replacement. So, how did they not have a conversation
about the specific agenda item if they're discussing a replacement for the appointment, which is wild to me? But again, you did your job and and what you found out during your investigation, what you were told, there was no open
meeting law, but I think that the proof shows otherwise. So, I I appreciate you looking into this and I um I I we have to vote for all of us have to agree to vote to take this to the state. I
thought I had the ability to appeal your decision to the state. You can appeal the decision. You can appeal the decision. You you can do that and I will um once it's sent to the attorney general's office, then I will send a letter to you stating such that you can
Okay. All right, great. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Okay. Thank you, Councelor Sika. Um, councelor Colon Hayes, thank you. So, I wasn't going to speak tonight on this, so I'm going I'm just going to be very brief, but um thank you for all the work that you did on this. I
know that you worked um over the weekend and you were making your phone calls and did everything that you needed to do. Um, I'm going to be careful about what I say here, but there are things that people can think they know or hope they know or
insinuate and they're just not the facts. Um, it was very hard for me to make some of those phone calls because yeah, um, that did happen and I was I still
get very nervous coming in here. um to see if he's around. Like that was real for me. So, I was thinking I'm calling my colleagues to say, "Yeah, you're right. Um this is one of the reasons why I don't think he would be good for that position, but I counted them." Like we said, I made sure that I didn't break a
quorum. And then the other part was she's assuming that she knows why I was calling other people and people called me. I didn't call all the people. Some people actually called me and we're meeting for 2023. So whether you want to make it up in your head what you think
you know or not, you have no idea why I was calling people. No idea. And then yeah, I was calling councelor Simmonelli because yeah, I didn't I didn't think that's where you got the information from, but I was disappointed in him and I'm allowed to do that. And so I can call people I want, but I want everybody
here to know I took that very seriously. I was making like lists of who it was, what I said, and was very careful not to break the open meeting list. Feel free send it where you have to send it. I have no issue with that. But thank you for your work. Thank you, Councelor Cologne Hayes.
Councelor Simmonelli. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, look, I have to agree with Council SEA. You know, I think that um it was a clear violation of the open meeting law. I think that um
I you know, I thought I was kind of I thought I was special. I thought uh council Hayes was just calling me. I didn't I I didn't look and as soon as I found out that there was other people that were contacted about the same subject matter, uh at that point I went ghost and
actually blocked uh councelor Hayes uh from being able to contact me anymore because I knew where this thing was heading and I didn't want to be uh any more in the middle of it than I am now. Um, but I wasn't one of the original people that uh
turned you in or whatever you want to call it. I I I I don't know what you were thinking, but uh I just, you know, I got to say that we've been down this road before, right? We've we've talked about the executive session situation,
which I'm not going to elaborate on that because it was executive session, but we still I mean, let's not pretend counselors up here that we did have an issue with stuff getting out of executive session out to social media, which is a no no. And that that
well, we discussed it. We discussed it and then it was previous stuff before that. Uh who's lying? You know, you're the you're the queen of lying up here. Uh, stop, stop, stop. No, honestly, let's if we're going to call people names, let's let's let's be
parody across the board, me and you. I mean, to the chair, please. Well, I mean, listen, the fact of the matter is is that this has been going on for quite some time now. And it has to be corrected for all of our sakes up
here. I mean, how long are we going to keep letting it go on? you you can't you can't be calling around counselors to ask about whatever is on that agenda that coming Tuesday uh and and changing somebody and and
honestly you know he's not even elected official that could be slander or liel to be quite honest with you uh talking about somebody with all those I thought you guys were friends at one time in your lives so I don't know what happened there but I'm just saying that this type
of behavior can no longer be tolerated here on this council. I mean, if we're going to move forward and we're going to, you know, try and get along with one another, then it has to be parody across the board. You can't just get mad at Councelor Seika when when when she has an infraction or she bends a rule or
breaks a rule or me for that matter or councelor Winslow. I mean, I can go on and on. Everybody has to be treated fairly and everybody has to be reprimanded when it needs to be. So now whether we handle that on this council as a whole, you
know, maybe that's the way we should be going instead of always just, you know, putting it to the state. But when you don't get any remedy here amongst us as peers, then you got no other alternative but to go to the state and then you got to bring the legal team
in involved and you know there's a difference of opinion whether or not it was a clear violation or not. I I truly I think it is. I think it is after listening to that message. I mean, what else could it be? It's plain and simple. And you heard it
here tonight. Calling around to change counselor's votes on a candidate that was put forward from the mayor's office for us to vote on. I don't know. Am I missing something? Was that not what it was? Of course it was.
And I just think that, you know, we we can't keep going we're above the fact that we can't keep going around putting our head in the sand saying, "Oh, I didn't know. Uh, no, I didn't. Oh, I made a mistake. I won't, you know, it won't happen again." I mean, we're up here for four years now. We're up here
for four years. Michelle Leong elect comes in in January. She can use that to her advantage. Not that she would, I'm just saying. But she can use that to her advantage for the next couple of months, you know, because she's new at this, right? She doesn't know the parliamentary rules of procedure, Robert's rules of order. So, you know,
right, I got the floor. That means, you know, she's the school committee. School committee might have a different set of rules as far as, you know, the city council's concerned. So, I mean, it's all right to make those rookie mistakes when you're up here your first year is what I'm trying to say. after that, you
know, especially when you got other counselors and colleagues telling you that you can't do that and you still make that same mistake again the following year at some point in time, you got to say when's enough enough? That's all. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Simmonelli. Uh, Councelor Winsow.
Yeah. Thank you, Alicia, for um, you know, you know, we assigned you to do this investigation and and do that factual research. So, I appreciate the report. One question I have, I mean it did just come to the council today. Um I mean is it possible to table anything
tonight and then or do we have a time frame we have to respond to and make a decision about whether to send this on or whatever? So So it's just I mean I think it is it you know it it's that's my question is is how quickly do we have
to move on whether to accept the your report or not. So do we know that? So yes. So the 14 days has already passed. Councelor Seiko was gracious enough to give us I believe it was another week um
to respond and get it to the attorney general. Um, if councelor Sika chooses to give the city council more time, I can uh certainly contact the attorney
general and request additional time stating that city uh that councelor Sika um has agreed to more time. Yeah. So, so just um so thank you. So that's for counselors who may not have have a chance to really, you know, read
read the um, you know, the the report back from Alicia. Um, that may be something that people want to consider. I have read that and and one of the things I mean, having gone through law school, one of the things you learn is that there's law, but one of the things
lawyers do is apply the facts to the law. And I appreciate that. Councelor McNeel, uh, Council McNeel, um, Solicitor McNeel, you know, went through that investigation to really find the facts here and, um, it's messy. Sometimes
facts are messy, but I feel like that she looked at those messy facts and, you know, concluded that it did not rise to quite the level of um, some of the assumptions. uh you have to really sort between assumptions and facts and there
was you know one of the things that was put out there as a factual thing is that councelor Co Hayes h and I happened to go for a hike that was something actually I initiated and we had nothing to talk we did not talk about this thing uh uh really till very briefly at the
end where I just actually asked for some information from councelor Ali so it was something that I initiated to talk to her and there's assumption that somehow we were meeting to talk about this. So I think there's some assumptions that that come from that. Certainly those are pretty dramatic, you know, voicemails
you have there. So I definitely but that was nothing uh that came up in my thing my meeting with her and it was a meeting that I initiated about something. So there's some conclusions that I think uh Solicitor McNeel researched all that and
really applied and and I do appreciate you being bold enough to admonish, you know, this is, you know, getting into a murky place, but I I think that it is sometimes in the law you have to call it as it is. And uh I I I appreciate that. So, but I mean if other counselors need
some time to absorb and and read the um the you know the report back from Solicer McNeel, I'm happy to just call for this to be tabled and if councelor Seiko would allow that time, but otherwise I would be willing to support
um uh solicitor's review. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Winsel. Councelor Sea, did you want to respond to that? I I was just going to ask what would be the reason that I would say yes to an extension, but I guess um I I really
want to just quickly also add that council Winslow, I never assumed that the two of you went on a hike to have this discussion. I just happened to um be notified that you guys did post that you went on a hike the morning of she
the day she found out that she herself states she was making her rounds and her phone calls. I find it I find it extremely weird if she didn't bring this up to you while she was out on a hike when she
purposely made phone calls to colleagues she doesn't normally talk to. So, I I I I find it a little strange. I did not assume that the two of you purposefully met to have a hike to have a discussion about this agenda item. I just you
happen to be on a hike and I'm sure this agenda item got brought up. You just said it yourself that it did. That's where you That's where you create assumptions, council see. I initiated that meeting. I have the floor. Councelor Winslow, and you're getting awfully defensive if you
did nothing wrong. All right, let's move on. Council McDonald. Thank you, Council President. Uh, I just have a couple of questions. Um, I guess they're for our city solicitor or perhaps for councelor Seika. The first is council see, did you provide the
recordings and the screenshots that you had to the city solicitor for this investigation? I did. Yes. Okay. One of the questions I just in listening to the recording and then reading the report th this is a question maybe to councelor Ali because the the
voicemail references that councelor Ali had also called the mayor and the report says councelor Ali just spoke to councelor wins or excuse me councelor clone hayes in a short call and there was no deliberation and I'm just not understanding how both of those things
could be true. So, really quickly, if you don't mind me just throwing my two cents into this. So, the voicemail to Peg actually state from Karen that makes two actually states she spoke to Amanda which makes three. Then the text message
to Ahri makes four which says in Ahri's text message that councelor Omali has been in the text message talk talking to Lenny Ayavino and he's interested in the appointment that was on the agenda item that we were discussing and then council Simonelli's
text message to himself makes six. So I was under the assumption that she at least reached out to six of the 11 of us which actually constitute a quorum. But I was told that some other
conversations weren't conversations deliberating on this matter, but were procedural or I I I don't know how you talk about somebody else being interested in an appointment without talking about the appointment. But it's just again that's just me making
accusations, I guess. So, as far as the mayor's concerned, the mayor does not count. No, I understand that. I was asking about the the your report says that councelor Ali, I'm sure he has something to say about this. Um, discuss the agenda, but there was no deliberation in the in the
discussion. That's correct. But the information that councelor see shared that you received said made comments about councelor Mali's action in relationship to the agenda item in concert with councelor clone hayes. That's correct.
So you believe that those don't demonstrate that there was deliberation? I believe that um they may demonstrate that there was deliberation but it doesn't mean that there was deliberation. Um, I went with what
counselor Ali said to me and I did take into consideration the voicemails. I listened to all of the evidence, but him saying, "I'm going to talk to who whomever it was." Doesn't mean that they
got together and discussed deliberated on this matter. It could have been a coincidence. It could have been an actual deliberation and even if they did deliberate that does not um constitute a quorum.
I understand it would constitute a quorum if there were then four other people added that were involved in those kinds of conversations. If there were two other individuals because there were already three, right? Or four actually with counselor cones.
Um the fifth if it were counselor Ali would have been five and there would have been one other individual. Okay. Um and the an attempt at deliberation that does not succeed. Does that qualify as a violation of the open
meeting law? It could if there was an attempt, but I can't assume that a phone call to someone was related to that agenda item. If the phone call never succeeded, I don't know what the phone call I can
assume. I can guess, but I don't know. Well, I'm not asking you to make assumptions. I just want to know if you asked Councelor Cologne Hayes what the purpose of those phone calls were. Uh, I did not ask that question. No, but I did ask the other individual. No, I did not ask that question. No, I did not.
Can I Can I ask Councelor Glon what the purpose of those phone calls was? I was going to actually say I was going to answer some of those. So, um, the phone calls, wait, let me think about this. First of
all, it wasn't in your written part, but when we talked and councilor Mali couldn't attest to this, councilor Mali actually called me, so I didn't make that. That was the first phone call. And so, and that was him saying very briefly, did you see the agenda? And I said, what I did? What are you, what are
you talking about? And so, he just said, look down to the end. there's an appointment on for the Vogue and I went oh and then I said um okay let me read this and I was in shock and then I went
hang on and then he said to me um it's an appointment for the voke that was to fill a position and remember I told you all this that was to fill a position left by the um the person who
had passed away. And so I and then Ryan just said, you know, hey, months ago, and this is where the assumptions come back into play, months ago, I remember saying this. The reason why I know that there was um a a position or that's open
is because um I remember Lenny Aino saying that he was interested. Nobody was calling over like that was like I got that from months ago, you know, it wasn't that. So anyway, um and we hung up the phone. There was no deliberation about anything. It was this wasn't supposed to be on the docket. Like this
is not the way this goes. Um that sidebar like it wasn't supposed to be on the docket that way. So I said I'm going to call we had a very brief I said goodbye. I'm calling count the council president to talk about the procedure.
Why is this on the docket? I am reading through uh Carolyn's um this is not you know this should be something between the school committee and the city council. So that's why when I was counting so I'm not sitting here going um pretending I don't know what I'm
doing. I'm counting all right I called councelor um you know Lahan but that was because just to talk about the um procedure a number for a quorum for a quorum and so they didn't count in the quorum number. So anyway, that's um and I Yeah, and I I was calling you to get
back to I think we had said we were going to meet and it was we were going to meet for which we did end up meeting, but it was like to get back and say we're let's go for that meeting. That's all that was because counselors I've been meeting with a bunch of people not about this because they've been reaching
out saying let's talk Amanda and I were going to meet tomorrow. These are all these phone calls. So people are just making assumptions but that's what it was and we never spoke and as a matter of fact we spoke about something else and I said we can't speak about this we're going to break open meeting law which is what I reported to the city
solicitor and is reflected in the report. What was the call to councelor condan about? Oh that was the same thing he's counted in there. It doesn't if you list out the numbers and and wrote them. It's not a forum. It was just hey it was about it's not a forum though. That's what we had.
Why did you call them? Why did you call them? I called to say the same to say, did you see who's on the agenda? It's not shouldn't be there. It's not deliberating and it's not it's about a procedure. Listen, apparently you can. Just because you think you can't do it and I'm going to be done arguing about this. Just send it where you got to send
it. I'm fine. You're not a lawyer. It went through the procedure. I appreciate that you did you did all that and you did your just send it wherever it needs to go. I have no issues with it. Council McDonald, you actually had had the floor and had asked
a question. Are you all done before we move on or do you have more? I I I'm going to be honest like I want to give my colleagues the benefit of the doubt and that sounded like deliberation what you just described to me and that I that in my judgment. I'm not an
attorney. Yep. But I wanted this is why I asked this question of like does it matter what the purpose of the call? So I'm just reporting what you just said and that so that's concerning. I'm not sure where that leaves us. I certainly don't want to have this hanging out there, but that is concerning to me,
that feels like deliberation and I think that would hit our quorum count. So, that's where I'm at on this right now. Okay. Thank you, Councelor McDonald. Um, councel, may I just ask a question? Yes, of course. Um, before we move on, when you said it hits the quorum count with who? Councelor Ali and Councelor Condan or
only Coun Council Condan was is what I'm asking. I'm sorry. Who you are you driving? I'm asking councelor McDonald's. Yes, of course. Okay. So, the quorum count was councelor Cologne Hayes, uh, councelor Taylor, councelor Crowe, councelor Simonelli, councelor Lahan.
That's the five. The question is, was there a sixth? What you just described in your conversation with councelor Ali sounds like deliberation, but in addition, you said that you called councelor cond also asked him about the agenda. I don't know whether that counts as deliberation or not, but the city solicitor did say it's germanine whether
you attempted to contact him for that purpose. So that's six or seven by my count. Winsow also admitted that they briefly discussed it at the end. I mean I I I'm trying to take people's word for what they say. I I I'm just going by what you said and I will believe them if they say they didn't
talk about this. We have conversations with each other all the time where we say we're not going to talk about that. So I'm not trying to challenge anyone's words. I'm trying to get based on what the evidence that you presented, what folks have said. This is my count at this point. I I think one of the things I'm
struggling with too is just I I don't I feel like we're a little bit in a position where we're having to make a vote on a report that our solicitor has done that's based on things that have been described to you that may not reflect either may not reflect what happened or may not be
accurate to what deliberation is which there there's like two different things going on and I think for I'm sitting here as the chair of the body wanting folks to understand what not to do next time that feels feels actually more important to me because I'm hearing there's like a sense that that not
everybody understands what was done wrong and that feel like we'll move on, we'll take a vote and whether we accept your report or not, I I don't want people to leave here not understanding what they can't do next time and we all call each other a lot and or we get
calls from one another. And particularly I'm sitting here as the president, I I often know where everybody stands because I hear snippets from one person or one person calls me about one agenda item that they don't understand and then mentions, oh, I talked to someone else. They're really upset about this or
they're they're like, you know, spending a lot of time researching this other thing. I want to understand from my seat as well how not to get how not to do the wrong thing if incoming calls also count. So, I I guess I just want to make sure that we're not losing sight of of
the outcome here, which is like, yes, we need to take a vote on this report, but also we need to stop doing this and need to understand how not to put ourselves in this position again, which I think councelor Simonelli said at the at the top. Yes. And actually, I want to make sure councelor Ali, I want to make sure you
have a chance to speak because you were referenced in the last couple remarks. So, I'm going to actually take um Ryan first if you don't mind. Yeah, I just basic, if you remember correctly, I believe this agenda item was when I had my debt exclusions on it. So, there was a lot to talk to people
about. Uh, and so, um, I can't tell you if every time I called someone, it did have to do with this or that because there was like a lot of debt exclusion stuff going on. But I will say that when I did call Karen Karen or Colon Councelor Clone Hayes, I was like, "Did you see this the the the agenda item
about an appointment?" I was like, "Doesn't this I was like, didn't we get something from Carolyn that said the complete opposite of this?" And I was just like, "What's going on?" I was like, "I didn't understand why it was on the agenda." And that is pretty much the And I said, "Wait, did we post this? Was
this publicly posted?" I was like, that's kind of where it that that was that discussion. That's not deliberating of how are you going to vote on this? D. It was why is this on the agenda? Was this publicly posted? Did I miss a public posting, etc.
factf finding, trying to understand what is going on, doing my homework, whether as simple as what vote total does this take? Do we need to do a simple majority or like actually understanding how to show up to a meeting prepared? Not saying we're going to we know how
the meeting is going to go, but how do you do basic preparation for a meeting so you can show up and be competent? Um, asking why something's on the agenda is not a deliberation. Thank you, councelor Romelli. Councelor Sika.
Okay. Whoa. All right. So, this is this is my take. I actually think I may want to take up Council Winslow's motion to possibly maybe table this cuz I think you should go back and look at this video cuz I'm pretty confident that
people's people's conversations that they had with you in private have changed since they've been up here this evening. I think we might have just actually got got a quorum of this. And to your um point, councelor
Lahan, we all talk to each other all the time. I'm not calling you and saying I I this is why you should not vote for this person. I am looking to table this paper secretly table this paper before the
meeting tomorrow. There's a difference of having a dialogue and a conversation with a colleague regarding a gender item, but these these conversations and the text message and the voicemail especially they they specifically try to
sway a voice. I have the floor. I have the floor. I councelor Clone Hayes, I will give you an opportunity to respond in just one moment. So I I I would be okay if maybe you wanted to take this back into your
office. Um, but I'm not I'm not going to table this for any other reason, but I think maybe you might want to go back and relook at this video because or or we don't have to, but I'm going to include this video to the attorney general's office because I think this
this meeting proved my point that there was a clear violation of the open meeting law. Thank you. Okay, councelor Cologne Hayes. No, that was it. Okay. Just wanted to clarify that I didn't say that. Okay. Thanks. Okay. Councelor Simonelli. Thank you, Madam President. Um,
look, I I think there's a fine line between, you know, lobbying your counselors to talk to about something that you as a particular even like board counselor want to do something in your neighborhood or something like that. You can lobby your counselors to to to find it out. But I think that when there's a
particular line item on the agenda and you're calling councils around to change, now I I'll be honest. I mean, I I I was a little taken back because I, you know, I I I feel as though that I was lied to right from the beginning
because I was told that Lenny Ayino wanted this position. who Lenny Ayavino and I go way back to Lincoln Junior High and he was my seventh and eighth grade uh history teacher who actually inspired me to run for public office in the in the first place. So, I was like tickled
pink at the fact that, you know, Lenny Ayino would be wanting to come back uh and and do the school committee thing again, which I thought was kind of weird, too, because you know, he's already done that, been there, done that type thing. So, I didn't know if he'd really be uh excited to be doing it
again. Uh so I had called him and he said that he was absolutely positively not interested in that position and I uh expressed that to councelor Hayes and she just kind of just blew that off and
said we got to change the procedure or the way we do it anyway. And then to move forward on to that a little bit f further. I don't know how you can sit up here and draw a conclusion that she would call up somebody like myself or somebody else that she doesn't normally
talk to on on a on a regular basis and sway my vote. But she wouldn't do it for the counselors that she met that day who she's a little even more friendlier with. how that topic wouldn't come up because I was under the impression that
you were very heated about this discussion about Jeff Donnie getting this appointment and that we had a change that Lenny I don't want it and then when I said that I talked to Lenny he didn't want it he brushed it off and said oh we got to change the procedure anyway and then I said I think there's a way of doing that and that's an
ordinance and you put the paperwork in and change the language on how the appointments are being done but it was been a pra past practice so that's how we always did things. But anyway, you could change it if you if you wanted to and you had the votes. But again, I just I find it feel kind of funny that you
know how how could you talk to somebody like myself, Council Condan, maybe somebody else up here that you don't council Crow that you don't normally talk to on a regular basis. And then the people that you do talk to on a
regular basis, you didn't bring this thing up. And again, I'm not saying you did or you didn't. I just find it hard to believe. Let's let's be realistic up here. I'm not trying to be Perry Mason or anybody's attorney here. And uh most of us aren't. Uh I think Council Winslow has that luxury of being an attorney.
The rest of us don't. But yeah. Hey. Oh, and uh Ryan Ali now, right? So, but what he's not my attorney, but so what I'm saying, thank God. No, he's all right. So, what I'm saying though is that I just I just find that hard to believe and I think that like, you know, we need
to make sure that we send a real strong message at some point uh in this city on you know, people that sit up here. You're one of 11 people that are elected and you know, you got to follow the procedure. I mean, you know, you just, you know, you can't do things
haphazardly in your own manner. You you have to follow procedure. and when you know all right once you say okay listen you know don't do that again and you know and but I think those things were already afforded to councel Hayes at this point and I'm not picking on her man I'm just saying that things need to
start they need to start to change here I mean if we're going to if we're going to be a body that gets along with each other and move things forward then you know got to start capitalizing on people when they make mistakes and you can't make the mistakes so frequently because
you're held to a higher standard up here. And if you don't understand the procedure, you just can't go around doing anything you want, then just get out. If it's if you can't follow the rules, the rules are for all of us, not just one of us. All of us. Thank you.
Thank you, Councelor Simonelli. Okay, I'm going to go to Councelor Cologne Hayes and then I think we need to start taking up a motion. Thank you. Okay, so just to respond um to a couple of those things. First of all, I'm willing to learn all the time. Like I
said, I wasn't calling willy-nilly. I was counting very clearly to say, okay, who I was going to talk to. That is why you want you're asking you're making so many assumptions and basing them on nothing. It's it's um frustrating. So
basically I called the people and I was very clear about this and it's in the once you read it in the writing I called the people who had done a similar thing with Lette's um appointment. So when Lette had um been appointed a few
counselors here must have called each other because somehow they all knew that there was something that I'm trying to somebody knew whatever it was that came to the floor. whatever it was, people called each other to talk about some social media. I did not um I did not
claim anybody broke open meeting law. I did not go pointing fingers. I didn't like the outcome, but I was like, "Okay, let's move on." So, the reason why I called them and you asked why didn't I talk to my friends? I called specifically the three counselors that I knew, um,
councelor Taylor was one that I knew talked about this. I wasn't calling SECA. So, I talked to the other ones who who flipped their vote. So, that is how I knew exactly. This is how I knew. Don't try and confuse me. And don't try and make things and assumption things
that are true when they're not. I'm sick and tired of it. So, you can laugh all you want. You can laugh and sit here and joke between each other, but it is serious. So the reason why it's very serious and I mean it's serious when you want it to be serious because when open meeting laws are you know people make
fun of open meeting laws when it's like done by the public and they're calling in all of a sudden now it's a big serious thing which it is but everybody here is a little bit hypocritical on that. So anyway I am just going to end it with I thought I was doing what I
could do. We are allowed to talk to people. We are allowed to call a certain amount of um counselors if you're not deliberating. That is what I did and that is why I just call the ones I did. So you can all vote on whatever it is you need to do and I have to like if I
learn from it, I will learn from I'm hoping that we'll learn from it. But that's all we need to do. Okay. Okay. It better be really it will it will be. I'm sorry. Listen, I don't know. I got you. I see that ballot. I I I don't know anything you're talking about about Lette. I I didn't
vote for her, not vote for her. I didn't know anything about her appointment. I So, if you're if you're referring that to me that you called the specific people that flipped on Lette, I don't even know what you're talking about. We're definitely not talking about Lette tonight. Oh, all right. But I'm just saying I
didn't do that. So, I don't know if you What What do you When did I do that? All right. I'm going to shut this down. We need to start taking a motion. I'd like counselor Ali, you have um I I think that regardless of whether or not we table it or not table it, um it's going to go to the attorney general
and they're going to look into things. I the holidays are ahead of us. It's the end of the term. Do we really want to start in January with talking about this again? I I would move that we we forward this to the attorney general as as recommended.
Okay. I hear a motion by councelor Ali, seconded by councelor Simonelli to forward to ac do we need to accept this and send it to the attorney general or just to send it. Okay, that's fine. Do we need to take a roll call? Can All right, let's do a I have a question.
All right. All right, Councelor McDonald. I I am I'm happy to accept the report that our city solicitor produced and value that you know the the the labor that went into that and what we said this discussion has raised significant questions for me and so can
we accept the report forward this information to the attorney general and say that we have remaining questions that are out of our capacity to resolve I'm fine with that can we do that is it out out of our capacity to resolve those questions I I'm I'm saying that's what that's what
I believe is that it is out of our capacity to be able to resolve with finality. We have your report, we have this meeting, we have the evidence from councelor Seika. All of it will get forwarded to the AG. I'm just not comfortable saying I'm 100% agree that there were no violations. I don't feel like I can tell based on this
conversation. So, is it possible to do that in our response? What I would suggest is in my report um to explain to the attorney general that after I presented my report, additional evidence came out and that the council wanted me
to forward my report. Um but they still have questions, something to that effect. Okay, I would support I would support that. So Okay, I I understand that. I think that sounds fine.
Okay. So, let's take a roll call. Uh, so this is to, as we just said, send the report to the AG. Um, accept it, but also include a note that there are
further doubts because of additional uh evidence of information. Okay. Um, councelor Colon Hayes, yes. Councelor Condan, yes. Councelor Crowe, yes. Councelor McDonald, yes. Councelor Ali,
Councelor Sika, yes. Councelor Simelli, yes. Councelor Taylor, Councelor Winslow, yes. Council President Lahan, yes. That's 100. Yeah. Okay. So, that is
accepted and forwarded to the attorney general. Okay. Next order of business. Got some enrolled papers. Paper 377-25. Be it ordained by the Malden city council that the code of the city of
Malden MCC 6.08.060. Subsection B3 off off-site parking facilities is hereby amended by adding an annual between non-refundable and application and by striking $100 per vehicle and
inserting the following $200 a base fee of 100 for the first nine parking spaces and 20 per each additional parking space over nine. Okay, councelor Winsow. So I make a motion to um ordain as enrolled. Thank
you. Okay. On a motion by councelor Winsow, seconded by councelor Sika. The uh a motion to ordain, the clerk will call the role. Councelor Clone Hayes, yes. Councelor Condan, yes. Councelor Crowe, yes. Councelor McDonald, yes. Councelor Romali,
yes. Councelor Sika, yes. Councelor Simelli, yes. Councelor Taylor, Councelor Winslow, yes. Council President Lahan, yes. That's all. The paper is ordained. Next order of business.
Paper 407-25 be ordained by the Malden City Council that the code of the city of Malden MCC 6.08.100 subsection A2B used car dealers is hereby amended by striking it in its entirety and
inserting the following in its place. A release signed by the applicant authorizing city personnel to access the applicant's criminal record. There you go. Councelor Winsow. Yeah. Motion to ordain as enrolled.
Thank you. Okay. On a motion by councelor Winsow, seconded by councelor Seika. The clerk will call the role. Councelor Colon Hayes. Yes. Councelor Condan. Councelor Crowe. Yes. Councelor McDonald. Yes.
Councelor Omali. Councelor Sika, yes. Councelor Simmonelli, yes. Councelor Taylor, Council Winsow, yes. Council President Lingham, yes. That's 90.
90. Okay. The paper is ordained. Next order of business. Committee reports. Paper 482-25. Committee report. The standing committee on license to Homer's referred papers
430 and 431 and 449 through 452 series of 2025. Having considered the same make the following report. Okay. On a motion by councelor SEA, seconded by councelor Cologne Hayes to receive the committee report. All in
favor? I. The committee report is received. Clerk, will you please read the papers? Yes. Paper 430-25 petition livery company Luxy Lane Black Car LLC 64 Oliver Street Malden One
vehicle new paper 431-25 petition livery driver Jackson Voltater 64 Oliver Street Malden new paper 449-25 petition class 2 hub starters and alternators 172 Broadway Malden four
cars renewal paper 450-25 5 petition class 2 Maxima Auto Sales Corp 105 through 109 Broadway Malden 35 cars renewal paper 451-25 petition class 2 maxima auto sales 2 77
Broadway Malden 66 cars renewal and 452-25 petition class 2 Smart by USA Inc. 495 Broadway Malden 22 cars renewal. Okay. Councelor Seika for the petitions.
Thank you, Council President. Okay. So, the license committee met earlier this evening to discuss these petitions. The um committee voted to pass these favorably. So, I make a motion to grant the following licenses.
Okay. On a motion by councelor Seika, seconded by councelor Simonelli. All in favor? I I All right. All opposed? Seeing none, those petitions are granted. Next order of business. We got to go way over to this.
Paper 484-25, committee report, the standing committee on personnel and appointments to whomever's referred. Paper 468 series of 2025 having considered the same make the following report. Okay. On a motion by councelor Crow,
seconded by councelor Condan to receive the committee report. All in favor? I. The committee report is received. Clerk, will you please read the paper? Paper 468-25, mayoral appointment, Denise Balboni Kawi, 81 Nuland Street, Malden as a
member of the license board. said term to commence upon confirmation by the city council and to expire June 5th, 2026. Thank you, clerk. Okay, councelor Crow for the paper for the committee. Thank you, Madam President. We met with um Miss Bal Bony Cowi earlier this
evening. I feel like it was yesterday, but it was only earlier this evening. and she just really talked about her experience as an administrator of an organization that does hold um liquor licenses and her desire to be more civically engaged and involved in our community. And she talked about her
approach really about being um consistent and fairness when we looked at when she looks at these licenses. And I think some questions are about enforcement and making sure that we have the best people um you know really you overseeing these things to make a strong
community. So the the committee voted unanimously to um recommend this appointment. Yes. Okay. Uh so on a motion by councelor Crow, seconded by councelor Simonelli. Okay. To confirm the appointment, we
need a roll call. Councelor Colon Hayes. Yes. Councelor Condan. Yes. Councelor Crowe. Yes. Councelor McDonald. Yes. Councelor Omali. Councelor Sika. Yes. Councelor Simelli, yes. Councelor Taylor,
Councelor Winslow, yes. Council President Lahan, yes. That's 10. Oh, confirmed. Okay, so the appointment is confirmed. Uh, next order of business, I think I will see if anybody has personal privilege. Okay, Councelor Simmonelli,
thank you very much. Appreciate it. Uh, I just wanted to just let everybody know that, you know, some of the uh festivities that are going on in uh Ward 7. Uh we have this Friday uh at Suffach Mana we have our um annual uh dinner and dance um at the uh Suffach Mana
community room between 6:00 and 8. You're all invited. I left all your invitations in the car, but I'm I'm telling you personally, you're more than welcome to come. All right. Um, and also, you know, I, uh, been working with council on, uh,
sending over some money to take care of some of the folks in Ward 7 for some on the toy drive, and I know they're doing some great work over there. So, I just want to give them thumbs up and for taking care of my neighborhood in the last minute. I appreciate that. And, um, councelor Amanda Lennahan with your Mary
Malden. Um, Chuck's going to send you over some money or transfer some money in your account over there for when you guys need it for down the road. Um, and also I just want to congratulate Club 24. Uh, I'm donating uh the
entertainment and my son is uh donating the food for their uh New Year's E sober New Year's Eve dance that they're having over there. What is it? Celebrate sober. Celebrate sober. You got to love that. So, I'll be there. Uh my son will be
there. I think they're doing You're going to be there. All right. It's your neighborhood. That's right. You'll be there. Uh and uh and I think they're doing a memorial for uh for Allan Campbell, I think, too. Uh that that night. And uh I think Paul Campbell's going to try and make it down from his
uh baseball uh agenda. So, um yeah, those are just some of the few things that are going on in uh the Ward 7 area. So, thank you very much for everybody's help. I appreciate it. Thank you. Great. Thank you, Councelor McDonald. Thank you. Uh, I just want to recognize
that we did something historic tonight, which is this is the first time Malden has put an override question on the ballot to go out to vote. Um, and I want to just appreciate everybody who has contributed. Every single member of this body has contributed to that. So many
staff, so many residents. um and say that yeah we absolutely are going to have to keep talking about it. So we are there now becomes a campaign side and a public and appropriate things to talk about as you know in our official
capacity side and in that side um I do want to say I I hope and plan to have many public forums um I think particularly at our schools across the city so we get the biggest range of folks possible. We know the schools have a big um so much of this override is
related to our investment in the schools. So, I just want to say if if any of you are interested in working together on that, I'm happy to do that. I'm also talking to the mayor's team, making sure that um we have representation from the mayor or other members of his administration to be able to to do that. So, so we're going to
keep talking a lot about it. Look forward to that in the new year. And if you're interested in collaborating, please do that. Uh please reach out to me. I'd be happy to do that. Um is does someone else have the monora lighting on there? Okay, council. Um then I you know I did
just want to make sure that we recognize um it's been a it's been a long year and we have two members of our body to thank for their service as council president this year. So thank you councelor. Thank you councelor Lahan. It's a lot of work. And I also want to make sure that of
course we just recognize that this is the um final meeting for councelor Spataphora after 22 years on the council. And while um there is probably much more gratitude due from this community, I'm sorry. I just I just want to make sure that that gets recognized
as part of as part of this closing meeting that that he's dedicated many years of service, faithful service to this city. 22 as Yes. 22. I did I did say 22. Um and uh you many of you know even better than I but just want to make sure that um we
extend our words of appreciation to him for his service and wish him well on his Tuesday nights going forward. Thank you councelor McDonald. Councelor Winsow. Yeah. I just want to I know a few weeks back um Zant came we and we recognized
the uh you know silence related to um domestic violence and unfortunately a very unfortunate situation. um Rob Reiner, the the actor and and director um killed in the domestic violence situation. So, it just shows how that
touches everybody in all facets of life and uh ju just just a sad moment. Someone who's brought a lot of joy to people's lives to just to have that. So, it's again just kind of humbling to think of. There's a lot of people who don't get recognized that way, but um
domestic violence hits everybody. So, I really appreciate Zant bringing that forward. Um just uh there is uh our Jewish community um is coming here on Sunday the 21st to celebrate. Um we do have our Manura city manura here. It's
been lit, but there's going to be another lighting especially on uh the 21st from at 5:30 there'll be some activities and food and at 6:30 there'll be lighting of the next candle. So um some come out and um celebrate that and just everybody and and merry Christmas
and happy new year. um as we come in. This is our last meeting before the end of the year and um behalf of the council. Yes. So, yes, behalf of the council. So, yes. So, um everybody enjoy that time with family and friends and um and we'll be Chris and Simonelli will be
and I and Peg and Barbara Murphy will be over at Club 24 enjoying fun. Not me. I can't do caffeine. So, so it's it's not not only an alcohol-free night, it's a caffeine-free night for me, but um so, but so, right, that's flavored water.
But we'll be um having a good time over Club 24. It's always a great time, and it's it's great to celebrate um times without, you know, you know, having uh you know, alcohol or other things involved. It's fun. It's family and friends is what we're going to get high on. So, great.
Thanks. Great. Family. Oh my god. Boy, I hope nobody's watching anymore. That was so bad. Ryan put his light off. Counselor Colon. Yeah. Thank you. I know this is a little bit away, but I wanted
to make sure that people put it in their calendar because last year when we had the um Martin Luther King Day um junior celebration, there were conflicting events. So this year uh the team the planning committee met and we have the
date for Sunday January 18th um at the Emanuel Baptist Church. It is from 3 to 6. We already have our keynote speaker which is Dr. Carl B. Mack. Uh we're going to have youth performers and um and more. So just please put that in your calendar and hopefully we'll see
you all there. Thank you. Okay. Thank you councelor Cologne Hayes. We do have one more item on the agenda um before we can adjurnn. So, clerk, will you please read our next order of business? Yes. 485. Uh, paper 485-25
order that the city council will vote whether to go into executive session with legal counsel for the city for the purpose of exemption 3 Massachusetts general laws chapter 38 section 21A3
for the purpose of discussing strategy as to the as to possible future litigation related to grants where such discussion in open meetings. meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigation position of the city. If so,
declared by the chair and if so allowed by the body to admit Maria Louise, special assistant to the mayor and Alex Pratt, director of the office of strategic planning and community development. Okay. Thank you to our clerk. So citing exemption three on Mass General Law
chapter 38 section 21A wherein discussing paper 4 85-25 in open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the city's litigating position. I'd be looking for a motion to enter executive session. Okay. On a motion by councelor Crow,
seconded by councelor Seika. The clerk will now call the role. Councelor Cologne Hayes. Yes. Councelor Condan. Councelor Crowe, yes. Councelor McDonald, yes. Councelor Omali,
Councelor Sika, yes. Councelor Simelli, no. Councelor, uh, excuse me, councelor Taylor, Councelor Winslow, yes. Councelor Lahan, yes. Okay, that passes 8 to two.
Okay, so the council will now enter into executive session. The body will not reconvene for any further business this evening and we will recess to the call of the chair directly from executive session.