Okay. 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 Winslow, for an additional moment of silence. >> Yeah. Um, and this is a very po pointant honor this uh during Black History
Month. Um I just uh last week um Reverend Jesse Jackson um uh civil rights leader, head of the Rainbow Co coalition, and a two-time candidate for US president passed away. Um you know, he started it um a youth as a youthful
football player as a teen. Um he then became an associate of an advocate um for non-violent progress and civil rights under the tutorship of Martin Luther King and he picked up MLK's work after um that assassination by building
the Rainbow K coalition inspiring youth that they could be somebody and um ultimately running twice for US president. Um I actually had the um opportunity to see him speak at the California State Capital when I worked
there in the 1980s and um remember him talking about um asking America to rethink the melting pot theory of of assimilation and his vision was of an America as a nation of people of many backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities
and religions weaving themselves into a tapestry greater than any one group or individual could um that vision is something that's been a guide store for my work here in Mald and and I just wanted to share that and I think it's something we all need to remember at this time. So just wanted
that moment of silence. Thanks. >> Thank you. The clerk will now call the role. Oh, it's muted. I'm sorry. I couldn't tell what you were saying, counselor. >> I see. Okay. Thank you. >> Council Cologne Hayes >> here. >> Council Condan here.
>> Council Crow here. >> Council Lewong here. >> Council McDonald here. Council >> Ali. Council Sika here. >> Council Simonelli. Council Taylor. Council Winsler here. >> Council President Lan here. Okay, under the provisions of the open meeting law for those in attendance,
please be informed that UMA Urban Media Arts will be recording this evening's meeting. So, just be aware there will be audio and visual and video recordings, excuse me, of tonight's meeting. First order of business is public comment. Public comment is allowed under our council rules. Each speaker is limited
to the subject matter relevant to our evening's agenda, and speakers must keep their comments to two minutes or less. Clerk, do we have anybody signed up for public comment tonight? We do. Um, Bruce Freriedman. >> Oh, hang on. Let me put the microphone on.
>> Please state your name and street for the record. >> Bruce Freriedman, Marvin Street. I'm here to speak about two issues relevant to the docketed items on tonight's meeting. The body should pass counselor see resolution and amendment known as paper 12926. This resolve and amendment are the first
acknowledgement by this body to actually make cuts now. The public is watching you and cuts must be made. Regardless of any two and a half proposition passing or not, cuts must be made. It is up to
this body to do so. I would like to extend a thank you to councelorsa and crow for sponsoring this and taking the very first step towards acknowledging that every dollar counts. This leads me to the second comment which is based on papers 11926
12926 agenda item number 9 and 12326 the reappointment of young lip. The city of Mald has failed to properly protect itself and as such has failed to properly protect the citizens and taxpayers from litigation resulting from the alleged acts of employees like Mr.
Lip. The city claims in its annual comprehensive financial reports that the city is exposed to various risks of loss and and related to tors, theft of damage to and destruction of assets, errors and emissions and natural disasters for
which the city carries commercial insurance. People on this council have cited this report and its annual review by Rosetti Clark and Associates as audits. However, I can find no evidence that the city carries any commercial insurance except for a single property
insurance policy covering 25 buildings in their contents. If this is the only policy, a material misrepresentation has been made by the city for years, and the audit and the members of this body that continually refer to it as an audit have completely missed it. If the city was so
insured, the acts allegedly committed by Mr. Lip would presumably have been covered. Such a policy would have also covered the cost of defense and provided defense council well-versed in the areas of issue at law. The city has not provided any such policies in response
to multiple records requests. There is no publicly available documentation that reveals a budget or paid amount for such policy. And the mayor has now committed this city and its taxpayers to a $1.3 million settlement with Peter Tus. This
is a multi-year settlement that's been agreed to that apparently the city's uninsured for. The city is also responsible for $32,000. >> Mr. Freeman, you've reached your time limit. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> U Madame Clerk, have we received any comments by email? >> We've received three. Um, okay. So the first one says, "Dear city council members, prior to voting to confirm the mayoral reappoint proposed by docket number 123-26 for the city engineer director of
engineering department, please review each and every relevant document in the matter of superior court case 2181 CB01248, TUS PETA atal versus city of Malden atall, including all dispositions given under oath, all court testimony given
under oath, serious OSHA violations for city of Malden, excavation projects in the last six years, a video transcript of the January 27th city council meeting, and all remarks related to paper number 54-26 in a $300,000 appropriation from available water and sewer enterprise
fund retained earnings to fund a legal settlement between the city of Malden and Tus Construction Incorporated. I further ask that you include copies of the depositions and court testimony with the mayor's reappoint letter as attachments on the legisl record of this meeting. Thank you sincerely Brian Deacy
1 Earl Street Malden. The next one says, "Dear Council President Lahan and city councilors regarding paper 129-26 and item number two regarding the elimination of line items associated with the Fourth of July funds. As a resident in attendance of the Fourth of
July celebrations for many years and then as an active volunteer here in W 6, I find this event brings together the sense of community and American spirit and provides a fun activity day for all the children and adults at Trafton Park. I cannot I truly cannot see this family
event being taken away from the residents of Malden. I have worked closely with Steve Winslow and other volunteers and I am certain that there are cost cutting measures we can actively take to reduce the spending costs. I would think we could manage with $7,000 and also get community and
business donations to help not to lose this yearly event. Sincerely, K. Allen, 26 Rockingham Avenue. To the Malden City Council, Mayor Gary Christensen, and Chief Cronin, we write to you as clergy and faith leaders living and praying in Malden asking for
your urgent and unequivocal action. You must protect our people by prohibiting city resources from being used. federal immigration enforcement activities. Verbal or informal assurances of non-compliance and symbolic resolutions are insufficient. The public discourse
about immigration is often framed as quote unquote complicated. Let us offer you some moral clarity. The actions of ISA are evil. Murder is wrong. Abducting people off the street is wrong. Racial profiling is wrong. Imprisoning children is wrong. Imprisoning people with
impunity just because you can is wrong. Mass detention and deportation are wrong. All of these are actions of ICE is now is now ICE is taking now in clear view of the entire world. It is entirely obvious that ICE does not keep anyone
safe. Any attempts to claim it does or to minimize its violence by implying that ICE quote has legitimate public safety functions end quote or quote there are good ICE offices end quote are absurd. All of our faith traditions uphold the fundamental dignity of every
human being. Full stop. Our faiths call us to love the stranger, to care for people in need, and to pursue justice. We know many of you are people of faith. We urge you to rely on your faith for courage in the face of evil. We remind Christians in particular that Jesus was
born as a refugee child and called humanity to serve God by feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and liberating the imprisoned. You cannot pretend that assisting ICE in killing, beating, and traumatizing our community has anything to do with that call. It is
your moral obligation to as far as it depends on you refuse to comply with ICE. You have the power to take one small step in doing so. We await your action in faith and hope that is signed by a number of clergy but the letter itself was actually submitted by
Elizabeth Sa of Blum Street. >> Okay. I have a light from councelor Winslow. >> Yeah, I just I had received a a a public comment from a constituent about quarter to five. So, I know that's late. I just would ask for um deference
through a motion to suspend the rules so that one comment could be um read into the rules. >> Okay. I have an additional light from councelor Crow. >> I also got um a a an email that was sent. It was after the 4:00 deadline. So, we're going to let one in.
>> Sure. Yeah. >> We should let both in. >> Right. Great. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, motion by councelor Winslow, seconded by councelor Omali to suspend council rules in order to hear the the it sounds like two two late emails after the 4pm submission deadline. Can we do
we need a roll call vote for that? No. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Okay. So, motion to suspend the rules has passed. >> Okay. So, the first one says to whom it may concern, my name is Kimberly A. Goodman and I live at 66 Cliff Street in Malden. I have been a lifelong resident
of Malden. Being from Wood 6, I have worked with Councilman Steven Winslow and beautifification efforts in the neighborhood. I also have been able to enjoy with like with some many other families the Fourth of July celebration
held at Trafton. I would first like to mention that everyone every year for the past few years when they walk by Mwood Square or they walk by Cliff Street Gardens that the neighbors and I have worked with Councilman Winslow to obtain flowers. There has not been one family or person that has walked by and admired
the beauty of the flowers in the spring, summer, and fall. Without the funds to do this, the city area that we fill with flowers and maintain it with our efforts of watering throughout the season would be a muddy 6 foot wide by 11 foot long with just an overgrowth of weeds that
the city does not maintain and will not maintain. With some people walking by, if they did not see the flowers and the huge amount of effort our neighbors put into it, they would be throwing their trash and it would be a dumping ground for their dogs to defecate. As far as the Fourth of July celebration, it is
the only time of year that any families get together to celebrate the birthday of our nation. And as Maldonians meet one another, greet one another, smile, laugh, and enjoy. It brings the residents in W 6 together under the guidance of Councilman Winslow and the many volunteers that take the time and
their resources to fulfill the many games for the children, the food, the contests, and just the recognition of us as a city coming together for the 4th of July. If the vote gets cast, the decision is made that the funds would be taken away.
We are not making our city nothing but brick and cement. If you take away the funding of the Fourth of July festivities, we have nothing to celebrate as a community. A city with so many schools, school-aged children, working parents, families. We have a holiday that makes us all united. Yet, there was a discussion of taking away
the funding. Hadn't Malden's residents had enough things taken away? We used to have holiday parades, Memorial Day parades. Now we have to skip over to Melrose to even get to meet Santa at Christmas because Malden can't get it together to make our city a brighter
familyfriendly place. Malden needs to stand for more than what we have allowed it to be shriveled down to. Give us residents the joy of whether it be the Fourth of July celebrations or some beautifification efforts that many of us take our time and effort to plant and grow. In fact, we as re residents even
take time watering these flowers at a cost of our own. just to try to help our environment look a little nicer. There seems to be no compromise. For example, if the cost is too expensive, then just lower it and let people work with something. Something is better than nothing. Respectfully submitted,
Kimberly A. Goodman and the residents of W six. And then I just have to find the email that Thank you. Dear clerk Desidario, I'm writing to express my strong concerns about paper 129-26 to be discussed this evening.
While we are in a budget crisis and it is important for everyone to do their part to cut cost, I am concerned that reducing city council pay could cause a number of bad outcomes. Council pay is already set at a very low rate compared to the level of responsibility of the job in the level of service residents
deserve. If we send the message that being a counselor is basically a volunteer level position, we as residents shouldn't be surprised if we get volunteer level service. That would be especially harmful for lowerincome folks and those who are not native English speakers who may need more help
navigating city services. Convincing qualified people to run for these jobs is already hard enough. A reduction in pay could make that process even harder and make running for city council jobs out of reach for many working and m middleclass residents, especially with
our high cost of living being so high. Reducing diversity, for example, by gender, economic status, people with young children, etc. among our elected officials is the opposite of the direction we should be going. We've made some positive strides on this point recently, and I would hate to see us go
backwards. I am confident the council can agree on alternate areas to cut cost that would avoid these negative impacts. Sincale, Amanda Smith, Ward One resident, Ferry Street. >> And that is all. >> That concludes our emails. Okay. Thank you very much. Our
next uh agenda item is the consent agenda. This evening's consent agenda consists of meeting minutes to be approved, one appointment to be placed on file, three petitions to be referred to the license committee, and two communications to be placed on file.
Does any counselor have a desire to remove any of these items from the consent agenda for the purpose of further discussion? >> Okay. on a motion by councelor Sika, seconded by councelor Taylor to approve the consent agenda. All in favor?
>> Any opposed? Okay, the agenda is approved. Next order of business. Paper 120-26, mayoral reappoint Diego Barelli of 33 Glenn Street, Malden as member of the public works commission said term to commence upon confirmation
by the city council and expire on March 1st, 2029. >> Okay. Council or Crow, >> we'd like to can we should we go individually only because I just want to say that um um that I I think given our
like our situation that we're in sort of like and talking to department heads, we should be referring department heads only to the personnel and appointments just to have the conversation about what's going on, what they see, what they see is coming down the down on the
road and um so you know usually we do these in groups and reappoints um mayoral reappoints you know we've we've passed on the floor so I'd like to pass those on the floor and refer any department head going forward to the personnel appointments
committee >> okay I have >> I have a question >> yeah go ahead >> so just to clarify councelor Crow we do have two department heads that correct but we also have a police commissioner. What do you propose we do at that appointment?
>> She's not a department head. >> She's not a department head. >> I just was clarifying because she's a figure of authority a little bit more than just a board of commission. So, I wanted clarity on that. >> I I I I think >> she's with the the Yeah, >> got it. Thank you. >> Commission. Okay. Well, we can also have discussion on that. I do have one light
so far. Um Councelor Winsow. >> Um yeah, I I know I think that's a good strategy. Um I you know I do want to also say I know that um Yam Lip's uh you know one of the appointees and I think it's makes very much sense to send out to personnel appointments and have those
discussions. Um um you know I I can't sort of disclose of what's what we we talk about in executive session related to TU's case but I do want to say that um you know particularly through COVID when we were working on uh several things related to our lead lines and our
storm drains. Um I work you know very closely with uh our city engineer Yam Lip and I've seen his work and um you know he has been an incredible asset to our city compared to prior city engineers I worked with that he's um you
run our contracts very efficiently um been very thoughtful and so I'm just a a big supporter um and you know I think it we'll you know when we're this the suit is completely settled and the minutes come out, you'll you'll uh people will understand the context of
what the settlement is. But um but I I just think his work for the city um the staff he's built up have been um helpful in getting our streets, water lines, sewer lines, and other things repaired and um and he really is good about
making sure we stretch our dollars very well. So, um I I just want to say that um you know, I strongly endorse that, but I think it's very worth worthy to have him come down and speak to everybody. Thank you. Great. >> Okay. Thank you, Councelor Winsel. Councelor Cologne Hayes, thank you. Um
and thank you, Councelor Crow. I was going to suggest something similar. So, um I appreciate that. But the um just to be clear, the mayoral's appointment for let's see there's one, two, three other
ones. Um one for the planning board. >> So there's two department heads I think. >> Okay. Y Lip and Anthony Rodriguez. Okay. Correct. And so the rest you don't want to forward. Um >> no, it's been our past practice that the
the mayoral reappoints to boards and commissions have been passed on the floor or rejected on the floor and you know we've sent the U person to personnel appointments we have not sent many of the reappoints only absolutely
the new appointments and so and I do think that having more conversations with our department heads is warranted even prior to tonight's meeting um so I I do think sending our department heads to have um more conversations
>> okay no I agree with that um I also I did have a question um though in general when we haven't spoken yet in um finance about anything related to like um
paid positions. Um, that was another question I was thinking like should we be just reappointing these yet when we haven't talked about our budget, but um, I'm fine with moving that forward um, and go um, and go forward with that. >> Okay. Okay. I and I did want to mention
I think we've also sometimes looked at the 20-year plus reappoints and had conversations with those folks. That's been our past practice. I don't think anybody on here falls into that boat though. >> No. >> Okay. Um, councelor Ali. >> Um, I just also want to reiterate what
councelor Winslow said. Um, you know, engine city engineer Lip, uh, I think is a really fantastic engineer, city engineer. Um, you know, I think when you're looking at the state of our crosswalks and many of the other infrastructure as as he was referring
to, um, I think that, you know, city engineer Lip has done an amazing job when it comes to that. Um, I absolutely agree that we should be having more conversations with with our department heads and so I do I do support the the approach. Um, you know,
I think we've pretty openly talked about the the the the TUS case. Um, you know, and and from my understanding, and again, this is just my understanding, I believe that the that the that the lawsuit had merit in in its initial
filing. if that that's my understanding. And so and part of that was based on uh engineer lip's designation of whether or not something was ledge or not ledge. I'm I cannot do that. I'm not an engineer. And so I have a lot of faith in in in engineer lip in his ability.
Whether or not it was litigated appropriately, I can't comment on it. But that's my understanding of where things kind of went off the rail. And so um yes, I want to have conversations. Um but I I I do think that Mr. Lip has been doing a great job as our city engineer. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Okay. So, we have Do we have a motion on the floor regarding the two department heads? >> Yes. Okay. I think I don't know if um clerk desert needs to read all the appointments and then we refer to and then
>> take up the vote on the rest. >> Just take those two papers separate. >> Yeah. We can do a voice vote to refer to person. >> Okay. So, we have a motion by councelor Crow, seconded by councelor Winsler. >> Okay. To refer 123-26 and 125-26. So
123-26 the mayoral reappoint of Yam Lip. Oh 123-26 the mayoral reappoint of Yam Lip as the city engineer and paper 125-26 the mayoral reappoint of Anthony Rodriguez 100 Turmont Street Malden as
the director of information technology will be both referred with your vote. >> Okay to refer to personnel. So all in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Okay. So that is referred to personnel and then why don't we read the rest of
the papers. >> Okay. So I read paper 120 into the record. Does anybody have a motion >> to approve? >> Okay. >> To approve the reappoint. Yeah. Diego bear. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. All in favor? >> Council. I'm sorry. Are we doing all of them or just individual? >> I can read them all into the record at the same time if you'd like, but these do require roll call votes. >> Can we do them? >> This is just Diego right now.
>> Mhm. >> Correct. >> I thought she said we'll take them separate. I mean, I I was underression. >> Can we read all of them? >> Can we do a roll call? >> We can. We'll be roll calling on all five papers
at the same time. >> I'm just I don't know. That seems a little odd. >> We don't know. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Paper 121-26. The mayoral reappoint Diane Tuner of 19 Marian Street Malden as member of the planning board said term to commence upon confirmation by
the city council and expire on March 1st, 2023. Paper 122-26 mayoral appointment Maria Dspazito of 81 Floral Avenue Malden as an associate member of the board of appeal said term to commence upon confirmation by the city council and
expire on March 1st 2029. Paper 124-26 mayoral reappoint Barbara Murphy 284 Street Malden as the police commissioner said term to commence upon confirmation by the city council and expire on March 1st 2029. Paper 126-26, mayoral
reappoint Stephanie Stone of 19 Pine Street, Malden as a member of the planning board said term to commence upon confirmation by the city council and expire March 1st, 2031. >> Okay that we approve the reappoint. >> Okay, I saw a second by councelor
Condan. We will take a roll call to vote that batch of papers. >> Council Clone Hayes, >> yes. >> Council Condan, >> yes. Council Crow, yes. >> Council Lewong, >> yes. >> Council McDonald, yes. >> Council Ali, >> Council Seika, >> yes. >> Council Simmonelli, >> Council Taylor,
>> Council Winslow, >> yes. >> Council President, 11. Council President Lan, I'm counting votes. >> Not Stranger Things. Yes. >> Okay. Spoiler alert. Those were all confirmed by a vote of 11 to zero. Thank you. You have superpowers, but not like that.
>> She was confirmed. >> She was. Yeah. I was >> I just wanted to say as I've said it every time we've done this that it doesn't preclude us from asking anybody to come and talk to us about anything. So you we just go through a different
kind of process and invite them down to you know have more deeper conversations. If anyone still wants to do that let me know and with the um me and councelor Taylor will you know handle that. >> Thank you councelor Crow and councelor Roali. do have a question.
>> I just had a point of information. I just wanted to congratulate Commissioner Murphy who is in the audience tonight and I really appreciate you coming and and I appreciate all the work you're doing as our police commissioner. >> Thank you. >> Okay, so those reappoints are confirmed. Next order of business,
>> council will hold a public hearing on a National Grid petition to install underground conduits. This refers to paper 127-26. I don't believe we have National Grid in the building tonight, do we? >> No. >> Got it. Thank you. So, um, if anybody
from National Grid is online, I'm going to ask you to, um, raise your hand so that I may recognize you. They were having scheduling conflicts because of the snowstorm. Most of their employees are working on power restoration right now. >> I do see some people online, but I'm not
sure if they belong to National Grid or not, >> and nobody seems to be raising their hand. So we um >> we might have to table this. We'll have to repost the public hearing of 46 Mand Street.
>> Well, we've already discussed it and I think there are some questions that need to be addressed by National Grid. So maybe the counselors are not ready and prepared >> to proceed without them. >> You have a motion. Okay, >> I'll second that. >> All right, we have a motion by councelor Simmonelli to table, seconded by councelor Sika.
>> All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Oh, yep. Councelor Omali, let me put your light on. One second. >> I just had a point of order if it makes it easier for the clerk. Uh, does it make sense that we open the hearing and then table the hearing rather than you having to send out all new things for a
new hearing? >> Normally, yes. And also, there seem to be people in the audience that might want to be recognized. Um, but in this particular case, we would have to repost it anyway because the counselors from five and seven have questions specifically for National Grid. >> Understood. I just I was trying to
figure out a way to make it easier. is we could open the hearing but then just have them come back for clarification and then we won't have to resubmit the above >> saves you postage. Uh >> what do you think? >> I think that would be a >> Okay. So, do you want >> We can do that.
>> Open the hearing then. >> Okay. So, >> I instead of making them come back >> Yeah, since they took the time to come down. >> Okay. So, at this time I'll declare the public hearing open. Um, anyone wishing to speak in favor of the petition, please come forward and
state your name and address or street name for the record. Anyone wishing to speak in favor? Oh, helps if I put the podium light on. And thank you, Councelor Ali, for the helpful suggestion. Am I good? >> You should be good now. Thank you.
>> I'm Katherine Campion with WS Development. We're the owners of Broadway Plaza. Um, we are hoping to install EV chargers on the property. um obtaining some Massachusetts incentives to do so and this easement would allow us to work with National Grid to do this. Obviously, we're supportive
because it's our property, but we really wanted to be here in case there were questions as well. >> Okay, questions from the council. Appreciate you being here >> just for national grid. Okay, >> that's fine.
>> Tough day. Understandable. Yeah. So I actually had a similar question as C what councelor Seiko was just saying. Um so on the schematic I think for this might be beneficial for the public too. So the address on the hearing is listed as Nuland Street but it sounds and I was confused looking at it too and thought
this was for a private residence but it sounds like the EV chargers are actually going to be in the in the shopping plaza. Will these be public chargers? Can you talk a little bit about kind of what that layout's going to be? >> Sure. Yeah they'll be public chargers. Um, if you're familiar with the property, it's in kind of the center of the parking lot um against an island
where there's um grass and trees today. So, there's room to install the equipment without losing parking. Um, it's in the parking field closest to um 99 Asian Mart, but it's also walkable to all the stores. It's kind of like centrally located within the property. >> Um, they would be open to the public.
It's just however um Electrify America is who's going to run these for us. You just have to pay through them in order to charge. >> Interesting. Okay. And how many will there be? >> Six. >> Oh, wow. Okay. Um, council Oh, wow. Now we've got
lights. Okay. Councelor Ali, >> I do you mind if I ask questions? >> Um, the only question I had, um, and maybe I will find this out more. Um, it sounds like are you taking away green space to to to install these? Um, and
the only question I would then ask is, have you checked your special permits or whatever permits you might have from the city to make sure that whatever you're moving isn't required by some type of other approval? >> Yeah, thank you. So, we have a lot of a long history of permits with the city
and we've actually been working with the city with um the rainbow super I mean rainbow adult daycare came before the planning board recently. So, we have an open dialogue on trees and what's u required, what we need to do. We have a couple places within the property that we can replicate and try and do some trees. Um so it is taking away a couple
trees. The thought is there could be additional green space in between. We also have plans this year um if you're familiar with the property to install some additional landscaped islands. Today there's a lot of islands kind of the end of parking that is just paved or striping. And so we're going to actually
install some landscaped areas which will also help further define the vehicular route through the property. So it might today take some away, but overall we're going to be adding. >> Understood. And just to be clear, councelor Simmonelli is the is the man to talk to when it comes to this, and I appreciate you letting me ask some
questions about trees. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor Ali. Councelor Winsow. >> Yeah. No, I I know um you know, W six is right actually includes part of Broadway Plaza, but not this part. So I I know when it came to my attention, I made sure councelor Simonelli was aware of,
but I think this is a, you know, a great project. uh having just bought an EV myself recently, um to know this might be the closest kind of public chargers to my neighborhood. So, it's it's good to have those options and uh and and shopping plazas make sense because you
might go eat dinner or something like that. There's something to do as you're charging that type of thing. So, I think it's a a good use. So, I'm supportive and I hopefully uh councelor Simonelli's questions get answered and uh I know you've been patient on this. Thank you. Great. >> Thank you. >> Great. >> Thank you, Councelor Wzo. Um, Councelor
McDonald. >> Yeah, thank you so much for being here and I'm also really excited about EV chargers. Um, this is part of our city's climate action plan is to support more EV chargers. Um, can I just ask about the chargers? Are they level two or level three chargers? >> I'm not positive off the top of my head,
but I can definitely um get that information back to you. >> Like are they the super fast ones that charge in like 90 minutes? >> I know there was um talk of doing that. I'm just not positive right now. >> Okay, that >> we're doing eight of these across our portfolio. So, I just want to make sure I get the right information from >> Walden. That would be helpful. And I and
would make sense why we need a special connection to the utility um because that's such a high power a level three charger in particular is such a high power um thing that it's actually they can be challenging to site, but we don't have any of those in Malden. So, if we if we were adding level three chargers, I think that'd be especially exciting.
Um I do just want to note that on the east side of the city, we have the least number of existing chargers. Um there are more downtown. Um the Salemwood school is the closest and those are all level two chargers. So um I do I you know I hope we can work all those things out because I think that's you know an access and equity issue for folks who
live on the east side um to be able to get access to that. Um and I also I didn't know the thing about you adding more um like tree pits in the uh in the parking lot. But that's very exciting. I don't know if you've ever seen a heat map of the city of Malden, but your
property is bright red >> um alongside a couple of our other large parking lots, right? And that's probably not surprising to you. Um so just any way that we can help both with the storm runoff um with the like heat island effects that come from these large parking lots is I think a real benefit
to the neighborhood. So um being able to spread that out and add more trees I think is a huge benefit and and I'm glad that you're moving in that direction. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. and I'll follow up with confirmation on the level of charges. >> That would be great. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Council McDonald. Councelor Simmonelli.
>> Thank you, Madam President. I I'm not opposed to this. I just would like to hear from National Grid, maybe talk to you guys a little bit more and a couple of my colleagues on the council. So, I'd like to table it until uh I can do that. That would be great.
>> I guess sounds like we already took we did already take that. >> We did. All right. And it does I don't know who this question would be for, but there's real there's no EV chargers at MC. >> That's surprising to me. >> Not that we know of. Not that we know of.
>> Okay. Well, I'm I'm interested in that. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Well, thank you so much for being here. I don't see any other questions from the council. Um, but we do still have a public hearing open, so I'm going to ask again if anybody else
wants to come up and speak in favor. Okay, seeing none and hearing none, I will declare that portion of the hearing closed. Um, anyone wishing to speak in opposition to the petition? Anyone wishing to speak in opposition, please come forward and state your name and address.
Okay. Hearing none, seeing none, I'll declare that portion of the hearing closed. And we've already tabled. So, >> we're not voting. >> Yeah, we're not voting. >> Did you have another question, Councelor Ali? I just want to clarify that we're tableabling the hearing, right?
>> No, we did we just did the hearing. >> Okay. >> Council President noted that the hearing has now been closed. We already voted to table the paper. >> Okay. >> So when National Grid is able to come back, we can then >> Okay. >> Vote. Understood. >> Vote without reopening the hearing. We
can vote the paper then. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. So, let me take care of shutting off the podium. Okay. So, we can move on to our next of business. Paper 128-26. The city council will address the open meeting law complaint submitted on
February 17, 2026, revised on February 19th by Ryan Ali of 706A Main Street, Malden against the council related to accusations made involving the executive session of February 10th, 2026. >> Okay. Thank you to the clerk. So, because this does pertain to a matter in
executive session, we are only going to be entertaining a motion to refer this to legal. I do see a light by councelor McDonald. >> Just want to make that motion to refer to the legal team. >> Second. >> Okay. Thank you. On a motion by councelor McDonald, seconded by councelor Crowe. We can take a voice
vote. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Okay. Paper 129-26 resolved that it is the sense of the Malden City Council that during this time of budgetary constraints, the council is committed to the principles
of fiscal responsibility in the efficient management of public funds that prioritize essential services and long-term financial stability. The council wishes to demonstrate a pledge of shared sacrifice and budgetary discipline and therefore requests the
honorable mayor Gary Christensen cut specific discretionary monies and reallocate for use in the general fund in the following ways which will result in savings of $180,500 for the upcoming fiscal year. Number one, the elimination of line items
associated with water improvement funds. Number two, the elimination of line items associated with Fourth of July funds. Number two, the uh number three, the elimination of council president annual stipen, an action that will be supported by the body with the proposed amendment to MCC 2.20.020.
And number four, the reduction of annual base compensation for each member of the city council by $7,500 in action that will be supported by the body with a proposed amendment to MCC 2.20.02. Sponsors SEA and Crowder.
>> Okay. Councelor Omali with a point of order. So, I my point of order is that I'm not sure if it's in this is in order. Um, and out of abundance of caution, I checked with mass.gov and the AGO's website. I also called the state ethics commission. Haven't heard back
yet. Um, but referring to the conflict of interest resources for municipal employees, part D. I'm just going to quote a short portion of it. A municipal employee may not participate in any any particular matter in which he they or a me a member of their immediate family
has a financial interest. They may not participate in any particular matter in which a prospective employer or business organization in which they are a director, officer, trustee or employee has a financial interest. Participate participation includes discussing as well as voting on a matter and
delegating a matter to someone else. A financial interest may create a conflict of interest whether it is small or large and this is the crucial part and positive or negative. So with that I'm going to recuse myself.
Thank you >> councelor Crow. Well, you know, given that I'm not sure if we split the vote and table a couple of those things until we find out some answers, but I did want to speak to the resolve.
>> Okay. Councelor Sea, are you okay with that? I was going to go to you first as the lead sponsor. >> No, you she go to her, but again, maybe if it is something we should not be doing. I thought we kind of vested this, but we'll find out. >> I'm I'm open to discussion. I hadn't
considered that. I think I I'm totally fine with it if we um you know remove three and four for the moment >> um on the resolve if we made an amendment board. >> I would I don't know how I don't know
how we split this and have a discussion. Um I'm I'm absolutely fine with waiting for >> um a an opinion. Uh, I don't want to do anything that we're not supposed to.
This this resolve was intended for us to start a discussion on how we could find ways as a city council to reduce um, you know, line items and budgets. We have we have a tough budget cycle coming up. So, I I will do I I I am f it's fine.
>> Okay. >> I I I don't want to have any issues. I I I I don't I'm not necessaril I understand he said whether positive or negative, but I think that this would more line on us giving ourself a raise than potentially giving ourself a
decrease in pay, but I will yield to what everyone else decides. >> City clerk, what do you think? >> I mean, at the very least, you do have the option of splitting the paper and taking the first two line items, which do not have to do with your personal funds. Those are city funds that are
used for city events. >> And then splitting paper um items number three and four into a different paper that can be discussed >> at a later time. That would certainly be an option to you. >> Um I think if you table the entire paper then it does not allow for debate,
>> right? >> Or at the very least to start the conversation, which is what you're aiming to do. But it didn't occur to me that this might be an ethics violation because you're not trying to benefit in any way. >> Um >> you're actually taking away. Yeah. My my feeling from
the chair is that I had not considered that it would be an ethics violation, but I in researching it, you know, the genesis of the paper that set the last raise and that put it in ordinance that it would actually put it on the HR director, which it's kind of
ironic that former counselor Murphy is here because that was actually your idea, which I thought was a pretty brilliant thing to do when you were leaving the council because the whole point was to take it out of our hands to ever have to set an increase or decrease to our own pay whether or not it's an
ethical question. I think that was the right thing to do at that time because it and I researched this also coming into tonight. Many other cities of comparable size to us tie the council compensation either to cost of living adjustments that the
other city staff get or to when the mayor gets an increase. so that it's never a situation where the council due to a budget crisis or due to political reasons is ever looking at their own pay, which is kind of my whole discomfort with the the only discomfort
I have with this paper is three and four. So I would I would personally feel very comfortable splitting it for those reasons. Um I think we do have a duty to look at ourselves and the budgets that are under our purview when we have an override on the table or we have when we
have a budget gap on the table. my personal feelings about whether our salary is the right way to do that. I think we could actually set that aside and you know as the president my role is to keep our decorum in order and that's my big worry about the discussion around this paper. Maybe we avoid having bad
decorum tonight by splitting the paper. >> Sorry about that. You have other lights. >> I see a lot of lights though, so I do want to I want to not stifle discussion. I have council McDonald next. >> Yeah. Um, well, I wanted to speak to the paper, but I also now feel like we've
been stuck on a point of order conversation and the sponsors haven't actually had a chance to speak to the paper. So, I'm happy to defer to them to speak. We have I don't think we have split the paper yet, but I >> No, we have not. >> So, I can Would you I would my colleagues prefer to speak on the paper
as sponsors first? >> That's fine with me. >> Do we have to split it before we speak on it? >> I think I mean, this is only a resolve. It's not like where >> this is just a sense of the council that you know is was looking to go to the
mayor. I think >> I'm not really certain if it's a state ethics violation because we still have to we would still have to vote on this. This is just a resolve to for the mayor to look at all options not you know
>> including all of our things. So, if I have something a little bit prepared, um, I'll take out the three and four that I was going to discuss just to air on the side of caution just to make sure. >> So, okay,
>> we don't need a vote to split the page. So, if you both are comfortable with doing that, let's consider that. >> Okay. We'll omit conversation on items three and four >> and then we'll just proceed with questions one and two. Okay. >> Can I just note for the record though before you do that that I I don't I
it must be appropriate for this body to discuss it because otherwise I don't know how we set it in law like it we had to discuss it to set the ordinance. Now there may be better processes to do that and I think that is a worthy conversation but I just want to say I I >> it the the law I believe state law says
that we can't affect our salaries anyways right it can only take effect >> that was a question that I had for the clerk last I said >> I wasn't sure if it was going to be for the upcoming budget of 2027 or if it was the next election term that I I did
research it and it's said whether it was an increase or a decrease. We could not set it for this >> for it can only take effect after the next election. >> Exactly. >> Okay. That was my understanding as well. So I think that's part of >> say increase or decrease for this
election term. >> Um we put it on just to kind of have the discussion because I think we can still have the discussion. It just necessarily won't be voted on or go into effect until a year from July 1st >> in in that sense. Maybe splitting it has
is more prudent then because the >> 2028 it says 2028 >> the election cycle not the fiscal year cycle. So it would >> it would be an election cycle. So after the next election >> January 28 >> January 20 that's two years away whereas if we want to affect this budget that
the March 31st election is is pertaining to these other funds could be taken away effective July 1. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Not now. Effective July one. effective July one, just like the override vote would be. Okay. So, I'm gonna say that I think splitting the paper is even more
the right thing to do then. >> I think we should do that. >> Okay. But we don't need a vote to split the paper. So, it's split. >> So, do you want to go ahead and >> Sure. So, I apologize. Okay. So, we find ourselves in a season of budgetary
constraints. We are asking our department heads to do more with less. We are asking our residents to trust us with their hard-earned tax dollars during an uncertain economic time. It is my firm belief and the belief that
fiscal responsibility must start with us. We cannot lead if we are unwilling to sacrifice. The resolution proposes a total savings of we are now down to 95,000
with papers with um number one and number two. So number one would be the elimination of wood improvement funds and number two would be the elimination of the fourth of July funds in a tight budget year for the first two. We have to ask ourselves, does
these do these need to come out of the general fund or can we find other ways to make these things happen? I want to be clear, nowhere in this resolve did it say I was looking to cancel the 4th of
July. It it's amazing how everybody has a different perspective and that's what makes us so amazing is that somebody looked at it at a as a way of eliminating the Fourth of July
completely. I looked at it as a way of I didn't need the money from the city. I wasn't going to ask the taxpayers, but I was going to go around, you know, normally every Fourth of July when I'm planning the Fourth of July, I sit at my dining room table and I make I have the
clerk of committees make a letter that I type up. She copies them. I put them in envelopes and I sit there in stuffed envelopes and I send them to every business in W8 and then some. There's some citywide businesses that I send to and that's how I I am a lot I am able to
have the many things, not just the Fourth of July. I'm talking fishing derby, uh being able to do the trunk or treat with Peg, um the the color party, the backpack drive, all of that comes from businesses that donate. So, I just
want to be very clear. Eliminating the first two line items does not mean all celebrations are over. In fact, I am personally committed to hosting all my events, including the Fourth of July,
through community sponsorships and private donations. I have actually had people, regular residents, reach out and say, "Count me in for a donation." I actually think that all of us sitting up here may benefit more from it because I
think people will really want to help. So, not not many will know this, but when I was a kid, my parents had to buy tickets to go to the Fourth of July. It wasn't free. I don't I don't know how much they were. I tried to figure it out. No one can remember how much it
was, but there were these little strips at the bottom, perforated strips, and it said slush, novelty, hamburger or hot dog, chips, everything that was offered at the event had a little perforated
strip on it. Um, you had to pay for the bike raffles. Uh, there was so many different things that we did, they did, not necessarily me, to generate funds of this event. um including my the counselor that was
before me, she I think only ch she eliminated the tickets and only charged for bike raffles when I came on board. I eliminated the price of everything. I paid for everything. Um I think councelor Crow knows there's a few others throughout the year. I I am a
crazy coupon lady. I am on the BJ's app constantly checking. Usually, you know, couple weeks after Christmas, there's all the all the toys that are at BJ's are on mega clearance. I pay $2 for $20 toys. And that's how I stretch my buck
to be able to have everything that I have on the 4th of July. And it looks like I spent a million dollars because I know how how to make a buck go longer than it than it needs to be. And I'm willing to help all of my colleagues up
here do do just that if if it's a s a $95,000 savings is a clerk and a half salary in city hall. Um especially in a city clerk's department that could save
a body and a half or a part-time staffer and a full-time staffer. So I I just was trying to think of ways to think of outside the box where we could come, you know, it 95,000 is not a lot of money,
but if we start talking about all these little things that add up, it's eventually going to add up to a bigger number. I get it's only a very small percentage of the amount of money that we need, but I think we need to start looking at how we can cut costs so our
residents take us seriously when we're asking them to do a Prop 2 and a half override on March 31st. I don't think we should wait until after that. I think we should be start talking at least talking about how we can how there you know where we can save and where we can't
save. So, thank you. >> Okay. Thank you, Councelor Sika. I'm going to go to councelor Crowe as the other sponsor of the paper and then come back to councelor McDonald who is next up in our queue. Thank you, Madam President. And you know, I agree with a lot of council see. I do believe in the
override. I'm just going to say that right now because I do know I've been to the finance committee meetings even prior to this. We had been talking about this that we felt like the tsunami was coming and the tsunami hit earlier than we thought it was going to. That's
what I feel like. the um and I do think that um I have full faith in the mayor and the finance team that they are gonna be coming up whether this goes through or not even if this goes through it whatever the $2 million cuts and usually
again I'm just going to reiterate the way the the budget comes down is it's the mayor's budget comes to the city council we have three options we can approve reduce or reject So, and if to add to anything, we have
to negotiate with the mayor that this is that our priorities and and we want to add this into the budget. I think this is unprecedented times. This has never happened in the city of Malden. So maybe that we start taking some votes because the city is still looking for these
where these cuts are going to happen and maybe as a council we start saying these are areas we're willing to negotiate. We're okay if the 4th of July cuz I'm going to start really ramping up my Lisa get ready my letterw writing campaign
for donations for the 4th of July because I'm committed to having that too. council condu day you know 3rd and fourth of July but some of the other things and there's probably other little things and I keep saying that we have to
as a city identify our capital on needs and our small needs and the fourth of July to a lot of people is a capital need but it's really a smaller need in in a city so meaning I need a vacation but I can't afford it I don't
have time to go any place so the um that's a small end need at the moment. The other thing is, you know, we do have to show we have some skin in the game. I've said this in finance committee meetings and um and and so we have to figure out where we are willing to say
it's okay where we're not going to argue back with you on some of these things. Maybe we have more. But it does open a up a conversation. And I agree with um councelor Sika that you know it might not it might be a little bit but every drop in the bucket starts to fill up the
bucket. I know I sound like a cliche but I feel like we have to start indicating where we think as the council the cuts can come because we're waiting for the mayor's budget instead of cutting then we say this is where we're going to be
more proactive as well. Thank you, Councelor Crow. Councelor Condan. >> Yes. >> Thank you, uh, Council President. Um, I think eventually this is going to end up
probably an ordinance. So, um, I'd like to see it go to finance, possibly ordinance. I'd let uh Council McDonald decide which way he'd like to go, but uh
there's a lot more discussion on some of this u stuff. It's just not uh like the Fourth of July. It's uh one day where you really um see the diversity in this community
come out. The kids all competing against each other and laughing and joking and um it's it's a great day that you'd hate to see go, but um I think if we get this discussion going, maybe we can open up
some avenues and address this. Thank you. >> Thank you, councelor Okconor and Councelor McDonald. >> Yeah, thank you, Council President. Um, I do want to thank the sponsors uh for getting this piece of the conversation started. I feel like the kind of paper that only ward counselors could
introduce, you know. Uh, so as a counselor at large, let me just say that I I do support reductions in these lines. Absolutely. Um, and I think that the and I will say I do think it is important that we have some funding and
and I and I'll come back to that briefly. Um, but the you know the the reality is it is it's a fair amount of money. Uh, and we have multiple events of the same type in multiple parts of the city. And I think that we could take this opportunity to not only um reduce
some expectations a bit, but also uh really rethink how we do this, how we do these events. Um my concern with turning to entirely private funded events is that I think these are very this is a big part of the job of being a city council as it's been understood in
Malden. And if that's your passion, then I think that's great. But I think the way that the accounts are assigned to individual wards creates this expectation um that I think can be timeconuming and difficult to live up to even if you are passionate about it or maybe you're passionate about Halloween
about the 4th of July or something you know so um I I think looking at some more flexibility looking at consolidation of these ways maybe more centralized budgets rather than assigned to individual counselors I will say this is the only city that I can find that has this practice. um there are event
budgets and there are council budgets, but the idea that they're assigned to specific individuals to manage who are elected officials um is not common. And I and I think that there could be more streamlined ways of doing that. Um, so I
I think that in re in reimagining how we do that, how we allocate money for public events, it also gives us the t the chance to think about, you know, our own time as city councilors and what goes into that and what will we like to go into that and we don't that's why I don't want it to if it's all private,
then one, I think that just demands more of our time as elected officials to do that. >> But two, and I think more importantly, it matters that these events are public events that are supported with public money. I think it sends a signal that we invest in our community. I agree that
the full breadth of Maldin is there. people. There's a particular thing where folks who are brand new not just to Molden but to this country and have an imagination about what it can be to raise your family here where there are jobs and housing and decent schools and
this version of the literally the American dream that is that you can then go and participate in for free with your kids that is really powerful to watch that sense of creating the neighborhood relationships right there and that the city supports that that there's no way
to make that, oh, sorry, that's only for this set of people or this neighborhood. But we say, no, this is publicly funded because it matters. It matters that we see our neighbors. It matters that we have this time together. Um, and it matters that you see, you know, the transparency of where that core funding is coming from. So, I do think it's
important to have some public funds, but it maybe it's half of what we're doing right now. I'd be happy if, you know, to have more conversation about that and figure out what's what's everybody's best take on that in the finance committee if that's the right place to do that. um and uh and just make sure that we're,
you know, being good stewards of our time as a resource as well as um our public funds. But I do think it's time to um tighten up these budgets. And um I think it's pro rather than, you know, debating what that language in this resolve should be, I'm happy to figure out a way to refer this or have a
different conversation in more detail and support that uh as I can. Uh so thank you for bringing this forward. >> Thank you, Councelor McDonald. Councelor Winsow. >> Yeah. No. Um I I I do think that um before we move ahead on this resolution,
we we should really have some discussion perhaps in the finance committee um you know with the controllers's office to really understand is this the only set of funds that is being dedicated to city celebrations because this is seems to be you know my understanding there might be
other funds. So um we should look at any funds that are under the control of city councilors not just this set of funds and then really you know audit ourselves and I think the other thing is in just discussing with some people in my my own residents you know my own volunteer
committee um they've gone out and done some of this fundraising and I I give credit council see out there but there's only so many funds out there and if councilor seeker has already got them secured we we're finding that the w six businesses we can't ask because you've already asked so so um that's going to
be a problem. Do we want to be scrging or or you know throwing elbows against each other? So that's one of the concerns I have. We should also look I mean the ancillary costs related to DPW and police support for events is something that you know I think we we got to think of and asking you know as
we have events to make sure that that is budgeted in. Um that's the type of thing that I you know both you know I have actually you know in some comments up to the mayor's office about cutting back. I I think I you know I said hey this is cutting back these funds 25% or
something like that. Um that's maybe something we should consider. And you know that's kind of in talking to my volunteer committee um that's something that they're um you know they think they can handle. And you know, one of the things having been someone who set up a nonprofit that's still here today, right, to the sea and worked with other
um nonprofits, you one of the things is to have some um stability in funding and and one way you do that is have multiple sources of funding. Um volunteers are are I've literally had people leave
groups when they're asked to fund raise. So that is it's can destroy your volunteer base. Um, councelor Sea does a great job, but um, not everybody and and in W six people have made clear to me they want, you know, we've created a
nonprofit, the Maplewood Association that is here to help these. We do Fourth of July, we do um, Maplewood Fest. We're doing hall Halloween stuff. Um, they wanted to be independent and not rely on this the ward counselor because that can change. They want something that's if
we're going to plan on doing less city funding, we need to also think about the infrastructure to make sure that our volunteers can live beyond that, not just rely on. And I also think personally I always have an issue um in
terms of, you know, our ethics law, our political fundraising laws. Is it really appropriate for city counselors to be out there, you know, squeezing the our businesses? I think that's one of the questions that's it's always been a mystery to me and one reason why I work
to try to insulate myself from having to ask directly. It's it seems to me one question has never really quite been answered. So, um that's the first thing. I mean, one of the things I I want to also dispel the notion that the ward improvement funds go only to putting on
Fourth of July. Um in W six, we do a lot of other things. Um, I manage those funds carefully and I have to say that people that I work with are often more flinty than I ever am. Um, and making sure that every penny is spent well and that that they're getting they're
getting materials and other things to help beautify the ward. Um, I get pickup sticks so that I can I can easily have cleanups in Ward 6 in Maplewood and beyond along the bike trail. Um, I use our improvement funds. We only the only
dog park in our city is in Trafton Park. I got to make sure there's bags there to I have a volunteer who will put the the poop the dog poop bags there if I give them to her. So those type of things. Um I have um one of the things is it's a
safety issue. We have um you know constituents you know crossing to Trafton Park going to Salemwood school going to um Forestdale school crossing Lebanon Street um and Maplewood Street who have asked for safety things. It's not that much you know a few hundred
bucks um to get a crossing sign. something simple that we can do as and I don't have to you know do that and then it's also so that's the type of thing I've been using my some of my money to make those safety improvements to make our Maplewood cleaner and and that um so
it's not all going to Fourth of July um so that's one of the things um you know zero out those funds will lose my ability to leverage my residents to help out and make our community more affordably beautiful. That's just one of the things sometimes you can be penny
pinch and you can um have other things that go ary and it's not to say I mean I had my very violent Valentine's night who raised a little money for our flowers but it's not the um it's not right now it's not the the great fundraiser that um it needs to be. Um,
and also some of the thoughts about Fourth of July. Um, I, you know, my wife and I bought our house near Trafton Park in 1991 and soon after that we started getting involved, especially when our granddaughters came along in going to
Fourth of July. Um, volunteering. Initially, there was a lot of, you know, people from the St. Joseph's Men's Club who would get their grills out. They would put up this, we had a two-day celebration back in the day. Uh we would put up our circus tent and you know they
have a big grilling and stuff like that. Um you know that club's gone now. Um it sort of councelor Kin and you know and the charter school um picked it up for a while. Um that's how actually I met Ron Hogan and and uh Eric Rubin because they were working for the charter school.
They would be at the grill. That's how I met them. Um the charter school doesn't support that anymore. Um so so more recently you know councelor Camil and now myself have done that. Um but you know the the volunteer groups have
shifted and um and the you know the the literally the brawn is is one of the things I I miss out. Um we we have come up with we we we fund our food in a different way. But it's one of those things um you know having that all that
you know over 25 years of experience volunteering and seeing these things. One of the things and I remember the model that counselor see talked about of having was $5 to get that little chit and you'd have to go to get your hot dog and pizza and stuff. One of the things I
remember is kids from the neighborhood coming and like I wanted can I can I do this and the hearing oh it's $5 and they would leave. So, um, it was a little bit of an enclave of just the old-timers and actually it was councelor Kinnan at the
time that made, you know, at choice. I don't know when the city funding might have come in, but whatever. There was um, under councelor Kennan, they we found a way to not have to charge and um, and it's really you brought in new people. I've tried to kind of rejigger
the events to make them a little bit more welcoming. Um so it it is the type of thing I do get concerned about um eliminating that you know that some funding and the other thing I say just working with volunteers um having
multiple sources of funding and make and not burning out your volunteers you know running around for raffle prizes and other type of things it's a great way to lose volunteers very quickly so it's you know so I have spoken to them they're willing to work with us they do raise money we can they're willing to raise a
little bit more but zeroing this out is a little bit much. So, um that's one of the things. Um and I especially think I mean at at a time when our nation is so divided um I'm glad that we in Malden find ways um as we have for 250 years to
celebrate independence. Um you know we fought um for common people to be free themselves and future generations from the tictates of a kin and aristocrats and um who are enriching themselves and overlooking the needs of the common people to keep this at a common level. I
really um like having eight different word things. I know there's always this talk about going to one. It's so overwhelming. It's nice to have and know I I was counselor at large. I had to go to all of them. my one point and it was really fun to see the different flavor you know councelor Anderson there having
his contest and Chris and stuff like that and councelor see it's great to see people you know you know ward one and two doing movie night and then the the the crazy thing by delay w three then dunk tank was there for a
while so there's a lot of different places w four so um so I I just think that's it's great and I would I'm committed to raise funds and but I really get concerned and then just related to the second part I know it's sort of a different paper but um you
know we can talk about that but there we can talk a lot lot a lot more about how to um put less money into um what we're spending on councils I I have to say I um I am not eligible for a pension because
of my pension I get from Gloucester so the city's not p going to put any money up for my pens pension and my health care is covered through my my wife's insurance. So, my presence here is saving the city a lot of bit and the choices I've made. So, you know, there's
other things we can discuss besides, you know, if we're talking about trying to save money for counselors, there's some bolder things we can talk about rather than shaving things. So, that's something we, you know, if we're going to open that can of worms, I got some ideas that can save at least that amount of money. So, all right. Thank you very
much for your patience. Yeah, >> councelor Simmonelli. >> Thank Thank you, Madam President. Well, you know, I kind of agree with Councelor Winslow. Um, you know, first of all, in my neighborhood, you know, I have two housing projects, three housing
projects, a senior building. So, a lot of people can't afford that $5 ticket to be able to get that hot dog or to be able to get that slice of pizza. And it's, you know, the worst thing in the world when, you know, kids come to
the event and they can't participate in the event and they've got to walk home with their head down. Uh something that we've been doing. What's amazing to me is that, you know, we're celebrating our 250th year uh of this country uh being
America and we're talking about cutting the Fourth of July funds down. Listen, if you really want to make a real impact, because what you're talking is it was $180,000. Now it's down to $95,000. And that's not even a drop in the bucket with the approximate $5 million
shortfall that we have. So if you really want to do something, then I suggest that we forfeit all our pay, all of it along with the insurance. Get rid of the insurance because I don't take it either. So get get rid of the insurance
and get rid of the total amount of pay. If you really want to put your money where your mouth is and make a real big difference, that's what you should do. Not take it away from the children uh that are looking forward to an event once a year. Um you know, I think that's uh especially where we're heading into
the 250th year of this country and you want to do it then. And then on top of that, I would say if you're gonna make uh suggestions, then I say, "Listen, again, you hear it out of my mouth right here, right now, you're going to have my pay. I'll forfeit that pay. I'll forfeit
the uh the health insurance. Will you all?" I'd like to see it. Secondly, I think we should go down line item to line item. go after every department, every department head, see how much money they're making, and then suggest that we
take a cut on their pay as well, along with fire, police, DPW, across the board, including us. I think that's what we should be doing because that's real money. That's where we'll be making a difference in the $5 million deficit
instead of having a knee-jerk reaction for whatever reason you're having a kneejerk reaction for. And I'm appalled on the fact that this is the first that me and my colleagues are finding out about it uh over this weekend. And we got a f we found about we found out
about it when it was put on the docket uh when we weren't even um included in this paper. No one called me on the phone. I don't know if anybody called anybody else to see if, you know, that would be something that we would be
willing to do. Instead, it's just, you know, dropped on us, uh, especially during a time that we're asking the taxpayers uh, to override two and a half. I just think that it's a little, again, once again, a little too little, too
late. And again, 180,000, 95,000 is a drop in a bucket compared to what we really have to make up overall. uh for the city. That's why we're asking for the two and a half over all ride in the first place. So, but again, I say put your money where your mouth is. I'm
saying that I'd be willing to forfeit my pay for the city council and the health insurance and do this for free. Now, I'd like to see some of my other city councils do the same thing. With that being said, I would like to say that I we should table this and put it to the
budget committee and have discussion on it in the budget committee and not here on the on the floor uh from a knee-jerk reaction that we weren't even including on uh from I don't know when was our last meeting Tuesday. And uh nothing was
said to us until the docket come out on what Friday. So, you know, I think that's kind of >> unclassy first of all, and second of all, you know, no respect for your colleagues, so you can call them up on the phone. Anybody got a problem with
that, you can see me when the curtain go down. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Councelor Simell. >> So, I do have a motion. >> Do we have a second to councelor Simmonelli's motion? Was it to table or to >> It was It was to set it to the uh
finance discussion. It does not stifle discussion. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> I'll I'll go I'll go with the motion. >> The motion for finance. >> Oh, no. I
>> way you want to go. It's fine with me. >> But we're still discussing. >> Correct. Correct. And I have just I have one more light and then I see councelor SEA. You want to respond? I assume. Okay. I'm going to take counselor Cologne Hayes. Thank you. Um, so I wasn't sure if I was going to say anything tonight because I um I'm a
counselor at large and I do feel like it's the ward counselors um that are really going to take the brunt of this. Um I was going to speak to the pay but since we took that off because I was concerned that we wouldn't be able to do that in this cycle. So it wasn't even helping now that that was taken care of.
So, I just gonna say a couple of things um about for the ward counselors. Like I wouldn't mind definitely taking a look at ways we could help um you know raise some funding together, but I live in W three. I know my ward counselor um does
the best she can also. But we don't have a lot of businesses zero businesses. So I my fear is that it's going to be inequitable across the city for many reasons. ones like you were talking about like you have a lower income folks maybe they can't um donate. Um I've also
always been very impressed by your couponing. I have seen that but we don't all do that as well. Um and I and I would like to um see us you know using our time um in other ways especially now during this crisis. I did want to speak
for the ward counselors and I I felt like that this puts a lot of extra burden on them having to fund raise um for a lot of it you know in the middle you know even though this is a crisis but the other um point too about public monies being spent for things um
councelor um McDonald had mentioned for fourth of July one thing that I wanted to let folks know as the junth committee we talk a lot about that and it really means a lot when the city puts in as well because it means a lot to say we
recognize this. We recognize this. It's it we should be holding this and we're going to put a little in with it. Also, they don't have to pay for everything, but that has been a subject of conversation to the point where we were hoping to actually get it in a line item. It could be a very small thing,
but it does mean something. So, um I wanted to bring that up too about the um the events. But in any case, I think it's good to go to finance and we can um brainstorm on this and hopefully figure out a way that will help and not be uneven across the um the ws. Thank you. >> Thank you, councelor Cologne Hes. Um
councelor Sika, >> thank you. I This is my final time. I just wanted to um let the public know that I will put my money where my mouth is and I would do this job for zero dollars because when I
decided to run for this when I decided to run for this seat back in 2013, it wasn't about the lucrative paycheck. It was about giving back to the community that I grew up in, the community that I love, the community
that I want to see move Malden forward. It this has nothing to do with the pay. So I I had that I was going to say that earlier, but I didn't because we weren't discussing three and four, but I just want to go on the record as stating I
don't sit up here for $25,000 a year. I sit up here because I love Malden and unlike some some comments that were made this evening, I don't think this reducing the pay will stop people from
doing from wanting to run for this seat because I don't think all of us up here did it for the lucrative pay. >> So, I I I just want to go on record in saying that I did not do this for the pay. And I think a lot of us city
officials do not do it for the pay because if we did we wouldn't have we wouldn't be able to be here. You can't live off of 25,000. So thank you. >> Thank you councelor Sika. I do see one more light from councelor Taylor. >> Thank you very much. So just to go on
record, I don't do this for the pay. I didn't sign up for it for the pay, but I couldn't do it without the pay. that pay and those health benefits are what keeping my kids going right now. And all the other jobs that I take so I'm able to fit this one in is what keeps us
going. So we do not all have the same background and the same ability to do things. I cannot spend time fundraising. I have been very clear about the fact that this job makes five for me that I am struggling through. But I make sure to prioritize this. It is not because I
want the money, but I need that money in order to be able to do this. And I think a lot of us are in that boat. The time that I take off of work to come into meetings, the time I was spending a Friday afternoon with a friend and I stopped because I had to spend an hour
and a half dealing with National Grid. I I couldn't afford to do these things if it wasn't for that small stipend. And that is already a sacrifice cuz that doesn't even cover my rent. Nor does the take-home amount cover my food shopping
bills for the month. But it's a small amount that keeps me able to do this job because I want to because I love this city so much that I sacrifice every day to be able to come here and do this job. And I don't want it out there in the
public that we do it for the money or we're getting rich. But we also may need that money to supplement our incomes to be able to keep going. And and I just I know that doesn't it's not what everybody wants to hear. They want to see us sacrifice. But we do
sacrifice. We sacrifice when people come at us online when they say things to our kids. We sacrifice every single day to keep coming back to this job. Sometimes here till 1:00 in the morning. Sometimes we're here 12 hours a day. That's >> right. >> Yeah. We can't sit here and make it feel
like one of us is doing it with better intentions than another. No one's doing it to get rich. 25,000 doesn't go far. After insurance, my direct deposit is $359. My last food shopping bill was $258.
>> Like, it's I'm not but I need it to be able to supplement so that I can move forward and keep doing this. So, I just want to make that extremely clear when we're voting on this and we're talking about our salaries. No one's sitting here talking about the salary because they don't love doing this. It is always
a sacrifice and I do love it and I would do it for free if I could afford it. If anybody wants to finance my lifestyle, let's let's do it. It all come for free. But until then, >> I cannot Okay, councelor Crow
>> the um and again it I don't think the people are doing this let me tell you I you know it hurts me too and we're not talk even talking about salaries again because that's off the table at the moment. I think it needed just to be a
conversation about the telling signaling the community where we as counselors are already saying yes maybe we don't reduce it by a zero maybe we reduce it by a percentage I'm not taking off three and
four talking about our ward improvement I do the same thing council wins you know I mean it does you know give me a strap sign that has come down and instead of having go to the traffic commission to ask them to that they don't have any money either. But we need
to we can't keep saying that um we need this, we need this, we need this, we need this. We got to cut and I have full faith in the mayor and the financial system that they're putting it together, but some pieces at least need to be out
into the community. And I think that if we my neighbors call that that we as the council can start signaling yes we agree with this you know instead of waiting for the mayor's budget to come down and
then start either reducing okaying or rejecting or having to negotiate that we don't agree with that we don't agree with this and it's wonderful when um and I know most counselors I'm sure I don't know but um have had you know either
conversations or signal the mayor where they think some cuts should happen but that's not the whole body so it can't be what you know council of condon thinks shouldn't be cut it has to be what the body
is willing to cut to so we need to start having conversations about what we are okay with cutting and maybe it's not and I agree with councelor Kayla people, it's not like I have more, you know, dedication because of this or that. I
mean, you know, with with some of the funding and I know that that that was like a, you know, a difficult conversation, but we need to have these difficult conversations and we need to start signaling um because there will be a lot
of cuts if this does not pass. But even we got to give some signaling that we we're in this with the community and I know the mayor is I know the finance team is but we need to start signal to the community as well where we are.
>> Thank you councelor Crow counselor McDonald for the second time. >> Um I just wanted to talk to say briefly about the the approach to talking about cuts. I do want to I do want folks to know who maybe didn't make it to the first um public forum that we had about
the override that we did share um I actually wasn't there but was shared a um an example of what the kind of cuts we would be looking at um what would be the impact across city departments and it was a demonstration it wasn't an
actual proposal but I do just want to be clear that that was you know that and that was like I think a 14% um reduction in headcount kind of across the board proportionally and what would that be? How many firefighters would that be? How many folks at the DPW would that be? So, I I want to just make sure that the
public hears that there is a lot of good conversation happening right now and we're going to continue to do that about what this level of reduction in service would look like. Um, I think what this discussion hopefully highlights for our community is that there are real impacts
to our reductions. It is not let's just trim these things we don't need. We are talking about doing less, offering less, and that's what this is. And we're starting with the places that we have more control over, and I think that's appropriate. But I actually don't want
us to deny the public, the agency, in deciding, do you want to gut all public funding for events? To me, that would be a conversation if the override failed. I think showing that we can, you know, have a plan for some reductions regardless, that makes sense to me. But it doesn't make sense to me if the
public says actually we want to invest in the city to then turn around and be like, "Sorry, we already cut all funding for all public events that you dearly love." That doesn't feel like it's actually in the spirit of the democratic process, which is like why we're asking voters to weigh in on this. I think what's incumbent upon us is to make sure
we are prepared to act on what the results of that override are. And I think this helps us show that we in fact are. Um, so I just wanted to say that just on the subject of um of of our compensation and I just want to
appreciate Councelor Taylor's clear defense of why it's important to fund public officials. Um, I don't want to be glib about this, but you get what you pay for with public officials. Like we This is a hard job. Yes, no one does it
for the money. Yes, you do not pay me enough to take the abuse that we all take online. I don't want to put a price tag on that, but it's high and you ain't going to pay it. But what does matter is access to this job to the full diversity of our
community. And there is no way, there is no way, and you can look at the research on this, that people at different stages of life, different stages of income, education, family would be able to participate as elected officials in this um in this city if we substantially
reduce the compensation. There's just no way. Um, that's a that's a pretty common story and I think that is wrong. I think that would be wrong. I think it would be immoral and I think that it sets up a dangerous dynamic whereby um by being a
public servant it means that to that that that implies that we should take any amount of abuse that is leveled our way. And I don't think that's the case. I think we need to recognize labor as labor. The same reason I would not call in departments and and staff and ask
them, "Hi, how much can we cut your pay?" I wouldn't do it to us either because I recognize that our labor is in fact labor. Um, and of course, we can't do that with city staff because they're unionized. Uh, there are contracts that we follow about pay and and so on. So, I
I do think that it's just important to recognize that the work that we do here is valid and should be compensated in a respectful way, perhaps not at the total fair market way because you do have to sacrifice to serve. I recognize that. Um, but I think that really matters for
the quality of government that we can get and the fairness of our democracy and who can serve. Um, I would actually like to call the vote on the referral of the first part of this paper to finance. I think it's beyond time that we did that. Um, so we have a motion on the
floor. >> Motion by Simelli, second >> second by councelor Winslow for Sorry, I flipped. >> This will be um a referral to finance >> for >> for the first half of the paper. >> Right. Exempting numbers three and four. >> Correct.
>> Okay. So, we can do a voice vote for this. So, all in favor? >> I I any opposed? And we have one recused. the second half of the paper. Do you want to enterain a table motion? You want to refer that out as well, but as a
separate paper? >> I don't want to refer it out. No. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Do we have discussion on that, Councelor McDonald? I just I actually think it would be better to put it on file than like a portion of a and just resubmit this. And I think we could ask
for some information about how we set compensation from our law from our legal department if we want to do that. But I think otherwise we're going to have like half a paper that sits on the docket awkwardly. >> That's a that's a fair point. >> Okay. >> So,
sorry. We have a >> I'm all right with that. >> You're okay with that? Okay. So, we have a motion by councelor Crow. Who's who seconded that? Councelor Simmonelli. >> Okay, that's fine. We'll have Councelor McDonald second that. Uh, all in favor of placing that on file?
>> I. Any opposed? And we have one recused. Okay. Next order of business. >> We should I don't know where Councelor Ali actually physically went. In the back. Yeah. >> Okay. We'll just go get >> 13-26 resolved that it is the sense of
the Malden city council that no resources of the city of Malden should be used to assist. >> You keep doing that tonight. Paper 130-26 resolved that it is the sense of the Malden City Council that no resources of the city of Malden should be used to assist with the federal
government's responsibility for civil, noncriminal immigration enforcement in any manner not required by law, court order, or subpoena. This includes not assisting Immigration, Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, or other federal agencies charged with this responsibility. The
city council asks that all city staff and representatives comply with this intent to the best of their ability and within the limits of the law. This resolution is not intended to violate any federal law, nor shall it be interpreted to do so. We support the protections of the United States Constitution for due process and condemn
aggressive and inhumane tactics of ICE agents in Malden and other communities across the country. As a diverse and immigrantrich community, we dedicate our resources to creating a safe, livable, and welcoming community for all. And this is sponsored by councilors McDonald and Winslow.
>> Okay. So, you were just getting started for tonight. I'm going to go to councelor McDonald for the paper. >> Thank you, Council President. Um, so this paper comes obviously after we've been having some conversation and we still have the order uh on the agenda to discuss. Um, what I want to say though
is that the the challenge and the need uh despite much of our conversation about this paper hasn't gone away. The reality is right now that Malden and every community that has a substantial immigrant population is under direct
threat uh from our federal government. And it is not just about what's in the headlines. the the deportations, arrests, um family separations are happening have been happening in Malden at a much higher rate in the last year
uh since um since January 2025. And so it's us for us as leaders I think we have to make sure that we are doing everything that we can that is under our control to not participate uh in this oppressive regime and to keep our people
safe like actually do the things that we can do to reduce the risk that they will be targeted by the federal government. And while I think by and large what we've heard uh is that we are doing uh we we are not intentionally uh in any of our departments trying to help um you
know trying to give information to ICE or to DHS to make our you know that would make our folks easier to target. Um but that we really need to think carefully about whether there are places where we are doing this unintentionally. That's actually my hope from this paper
uh is that every city agency and department and staff person ask themselves a question. Is there any intersection in my work to the federal government's um push on this? And that where I'm doing more than I'm required to do by law and if so let's not do it.
Let's heir on the side of protecting our folks. And I know that goes really against the presumption that we've been able to have for so many generations that the feds are here to help us. I do not believe that the head of the, you know, that the leadership of the federal
government is here to help us even if individual folks that we know and individual agencies and departments have been supportive of this city. But I think we are in an incredibly dangerous time and we have to be cautious. So, I I I hope and believe there's broad
agreement and understanding that that's a good thing to do and that we actually don't support this. Um, I want to emphasize I do think it is our job to comment on this. This is the one of the top issues I get asked about in the community. Um, we have the data to know that this is happening. We know that
other cities are taking action um through executive orders, through council actions and select boards and so on. So I think it is really important that there be a standard that we are looking towards. I want to just briefly say in terms of process this started out
as an order that councelor Winslow and I had submitted that was a bit broader. It got referred to the public safety committee the public and we'll talk about this um in a second with the actual paper. This is the tech. This is very close to it actually has additional feedback from our colleagues and from
our legal department and others. But this is close to an amendment that we were going to propose in the public safety committee and didn't get the chance to do so. Um but it also became really clear in this process that there was not the support um at this body or
in the administration or various department heads to uh make a to to pass an order that would have the effective policy. uh and that instead the the preference uh and the balance of that support was for a strong statement uh
which this is. That's what a resolve is. I still think that matters. I still think it matters to say clearly that we the council hope and expect this that we think this is important uh and to get that on the record um and for our colleagues and our community to be able
to see that. But it was clear to me that there was not going to be the support um to advance this as an order. And so this is our fallback uh approach to to make sure that we do uh have the chance to advance something that is meaningful in
our community. So I hope you will all support this paper. Uh I think that our community is watching us uh and paying attention to what the council does right now and that it will matter. Uh and um and just thank you to everyone who has
actually engaged with this and commented about it and talked to your neighbors about it uh because I think this is such a key issue for the safety and the future of our community. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor McDonald. Councelor Winslow. >> Yeah. you know, um I I that's a a great
statement, Council McDonald, and I I don't intend to kind of go over that too much, but I do strongly agree that um you know that we need to take a public stand against what we see as unlawful, unsafe, and unhelpful federal immigration actions. Um I happened to be
at a meeting where um our Middle Sex DA Maryanne Ryan was there and I asked her about what her office is doing because they're right more on the front lines than we are. And she said even going back to 2017, federal agents went into a state courthouse in the middle of a
murder trial and took the suspect um out of the courthouse. And that was very disruptive of course and it upset the victims by not giving them the opportunity to participate in justice being done. Um I give credit to uh DA
Ryan that she went to federal court and got an order against such actions against the federal government. Um but now you know eight years later that same type of thing is happening again and that can happen in our city in city property and that type of thing. So um
and and I think it maybe even worse in some ways. Um we have federal agents that are more bent on meeting quotas than working for our safety in Malden. Um Malden throughout our existence has been a community families comprised of foreignb born and native family members.
Many fleeing pro persecution, violence or poverty. Federal laws and policies and action need to recognize that basic reality about Malden. And our federal partners need to respect that our local practices working with immigrants of any
status have evolved to protect both citizens and non-citizens from violence and predation from within and beyond our boundaries whether local, state or or national. So that's re really what this is about and um I think that was a good
conversation um in in uh in public safety and but I I do think that we do need to make a stand um as a council um and I think this is a great approach. Um thank you. >> Thank you councelor Winsow. Councelor
Cologne Hayes. Thank you very much. Um thank you to my colleagues um so much for sticking this through and working on um new or different language so that hopefully this does pass unanimously. Um and it is important and for anyone that
is um watching um and we hear some push back that things that happen at the state level, the world level doesn't affect Malden, but that is absolutely wrong and we know that from hearing back from um our constituents and and it's important to
say it out loud and we aren't protected here in Malden. Um, I had forwarded this uh report to my colleagues too so they can use some of this data here, but we do have the Leia Zalman Center here for immigrant health research. I don't know if anyone here has ever been there, but they're phenomenal. They're here in
Malden. Um, I've worked with them. They just put out a report and it was published um the actions and impacts of US Immigration Customs Enforcement ICE in Massachusetts in 2025. It's a report of real actual things that happened in
our community, in our surrounding community. Um, it is happening. So, it's extremely important that we make this stand and um, I am in full support of this and I'd love to be added as a sponsor and I really appreciate all the work that you've done. Thank you very much.
>> Thank you, Councelor Cologne Hayes, Councelor Sika. >> Thank you, Council President. I just want to say thank you to the sponsors for this paper for changing it from the order to the resolve. This is something I can absolutely support this evening. I've spoken to the um police chief as
along with some department heads and city employees who are much feeling much better with it being a resolved than an order. So I I appreciate you and I just want to know that I will be supportive of this and I would also like to be added as a co-sponsor as well.
>> Great. Thank you, Councelor Sika. Um councelor Siminoi. >> Thank you, Madam President. I just um I just wanted to make sure that the mayor's office if we can call up Marie Louise maybe if through you chair. >> Absolutely. >> Uh madam president I just want to make sure that the mayor's office is on board
with this. I mean thank you. >> Thank you. Mayor, can you introduce yourself? >> Thank you. Um yes. So, I do want to thank um Council McDonald and Council Winslow because they did include us in
um coming up with this resolve. First of all, changing it to a resolve was very helpful and um we appreciated having the input and also we got the input of our police chief as well. So, we're very appreciative of that and do support this
um resolve. As a matter of fact, that um mayor will probably be issuing a statement along with this um passage. I'm assuming it'll pass hopefully. >> Great. Thank you. >> So, if I may, I'd like to be a sponsor on the paper as well.
>> Okay, sounds good. Any other discussion? Okay. I I will just say from the chair, I think one of the privileges of being the president is that you do get to see a lot of the sausage making behind the scenes. There was a tremendous amount of
work on this to listen to the discussion that came out of committee last week. Um I really want to applaud the the authors of the resolve. there was just a lot of input and just trying to take into consideration, a lot of high volume community feedback, department heads,
um, a lot of our colleagues, you know, a lot of back and forth on this, but I think this is a good outcome where folks have been listened to and heard and to underscore what others have said. I think the community um, you know, as we all said in committee last week, the community is really needing to hear from
us on this issue. This is a very tense time and I think our voice is needed on this. So I am hopeful that we can call the question so that we can have a vote on this. So we have a motion. Did you
Okay. You want to make a motion? Okay. >> I'll go to Council McDonald for a motion. Councelor Winsow, do you want a second? >> Okay. So we just need a voice vote on this paper. Uh councelor Simmonelli, did you have another question? Your light was just still on from before. Okay, great. All in favor?
>> I. Any opposed? Okay, that is passed. Next order of business. >> A representative from the solicitor's office will follow up on paper 104-26 with an update to the council on the investigation into the open meeting law complaint filed by Bruce Freeman of
Marvin Street on February 5th, 2026 related to redactions made to executive session minutes from the meeting of January 20th, 2026. Okay, I'll invite our assistant solicitor to come up, introduce yourself and explain your response if you can and
if we have any questions, we can discuss. Thank you so much for being here. >> Thank you. Uh yeah, to introduce myself, uh my name is Prasana Roac. I'm an an assistant city solicister with the legal department. Um, so I I'll keep this fairly brief, but this complaint had to
do with um city council's withholding of executive session minutes pertaining to the TUS trial. Uh the the bottom line here is that um at this point um there's no open
meeting law violation because releasing executive session minutes about this trial would be premature where the trial where the the case is still open. Um litigation is ongoing, case is still open. So releasing the executive session
minutes about the case would defeat the purpose of the executive session. Um, and that is one reason to withhold the minutes by law. So that's basic explanation. I'm happy to answer any more questions about it. Um, but that
that's our position. >> Okay. Thank you. Do we have any questions or discussion or motion to authorize to submit the complaint to the AG's office? >> Second. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor Crow, seconded by councelor SEA, we can take a
voice vote. So all in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Okay, that was easy. Thank you for being here. >> Yep. Thank you. >> Next order of business. >> Paper 131-26, committee report. The standing committee on public property to
whom was referred paper 471 series of 2025, having considered the same, make the following report. Committee recommends this paper to the full council favorably for the treasurer to be authorized to sell the property when and if so approved by land court. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor Leuong,
seconded by councelor McDonald to receive the report. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay. Paper 471-25. Order. The council will vote on whether to sell or retain the property known as 33 Tough Street and by city assessor's
possible identification number 07835819 as in accordance with tax title litigation and foreclosure action with the Massachusetts Land Court. Case number 22 TL0000313. >> Okay. Councelor Long for the paper. >> Thank you so much. Um this went through
our council. I mean, it's been a long night. It went through my committee and um it was favorably um voted out. We had um our um treasurer here and um he explained the process. And I I kind of want to take a second.
There's been a lot of discussion online, especially with the Prop Two and a half, on why we don't just take everybody's properties that um owe us taxes and sell them off and that would, you know, balance our budget. And what I think people have,
>> well, no, it it trust me, I've been dragged a bit on mine. So, I just want to address that to say we do a really good job here in Malden to be respectful of the pro the property owners, to be respectful of what's owed
to us. And we go through there's a series of steps that takes from months to years before a property can come before us. So, this is probably I don't quote me probably my fifth property in two meetings that we've voted to sell.
Um and my colleague um council McDonald had made you know some very good points in those committee meetings making sure that you know the people in which we have foreclosed on have places to go and either the tenants or themselves. So I just kind of want to put that out there
that you know this a foreclosure of a property isn't done instantaneously and it's certainly not going to affect this year's budget or next year's budget for that matter. Um, so I just kind of wanted to make that kind of clear to everyone. So we asked for this to be
brought out favorably favorably to the council. >> So you make a motion to adopt the order? >> Yes, I do. Thank you. Sorry. >> And I want to thank you councelor Lu Wong for taking this on. I certainly when I appointed you to chair this committee, I had full confidence that you could handle it, but it has been an onslaught of papers early in the year.
So I want to thank you for handling that very cavey. everyone else on the committee has chaired the committee at some point or another, which was intentional on my part so that you'd have that support, but it has still been a very high volume of business. So, I want to thank you for taking that on. I know we've had the support of the treasurer. Um, but it has truly been a
lot of work. So, thank you for moving that along. >> So, we have a motion to adopt the order seconded by councelor Simoa. >> The councelor Taylor. All in favor? >> Um, oh, sorry. Um, so just to be
specific, you're voting to adopt the order and you're going to authorize the treasurer to either retain retain or sell. >> Correct. >> You have to say what that is. So we to authorize >> we authorized it to be part of foot to sell. >> You're authorizing the treasur to sell.
>> Where's he going? >> Taylor. Well, it doesn't matter. >> I just He was here and then he was gone. Okay. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay. The order is adopted. Next order of business. >> Paper 132-26. Committee report. The
standing committee on public safety to whom was referred paper 72 series of 2026. Having considered the same, make the following report. Committee refers this paper out to the full council without recommendation. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor Condan, um seconded by councelor Taylor to
receive the committee report. All in favor? I >> 72-26 order that as a diverse and immigrant-rich community, the limited resource of the city of Malden shall be fully dedicated to address the local needs and priorities of Maldin's residents, businesses, and visitors. The
goal of this order is to provide for a safe, livable, and welcoming community for all. No city employees, departments, appointees, processes, or representatives shall assist in fulfilling the unique and separate responsibilities of the federal government, including immigration enforcement, or cooperate with any federal agencies or policies contrary to
the stated goal of this order. This order shall be followed to the maximum extent permitted by law, provided that it shall not require the city to break pre-existing contracts or agreements with federal entities. >> Okay. And this was already discussed in part during the previous resolve. Um so we have a motion by councelor seea to
place on file seconded. Oh councel McDonald did you want to speak to this paper as well? Of course you have the floor. Yeah, just very briefly, um I I I do want to share with the community about what were the concerns that got raised that in committee that helped um
that you know that moved the conversation in a different direction and that the concerns um that were brought to the committee including by our police chief and our treasurer um and then later also shared by the mayor's office were around whether and whether this order or really any version
of this order would be would offer enough clarity to our city staff about what is expected of them and what is appropriate and what the policy of the city is and then what the consequences if they do not comply with that or if they violate that are. Um while the so
that was the that was the level of concern that that led to us taking a different t. I do want to say I think it is appropriate for the council to set or to set policy for the city. We do th so through ordinance. Um, and I think that it's that it is important that this
particular issue have the force of policy. I think I'm going to get outvoted on that, but I understand that. Um, I just want to say on the record that I I would have preferred that we'd spend a little bit more time rather than referring it back out to the committee to see if we could get to some kind of shared language or agreement. Um, you
know, we had proposed a motion to table that also failed. So, we are we are where we are in the process. I understand that. And um I just I would have I would have hoped we could spend some more time seeing if we could get to something that I think was a little bit stronger and more meaningful um and see
sought if we could have addressed some of those operational questions um about how to go about implementing this because that is what we hope people will do. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor McDonald. I see a light from councelor Ali. Yeah, I was going to comment on on the resolve, but
I decided not to like rain on people's parades and I figured I'd leave it for the order. Um, you know, I was not in uh full support of this order as it was written. I think it needed to go through work in committee, which I appreciate
that councelor McDonald and and councelor Winslow had done that work and had a amendment that was ready. Um, I had wished the committee would have taken that up. Um, but I understand that they referred this out without a recommendation. Um, I do want to state,
you know, and reiterate what councelor McDonald stated is that we are the city council and we do set policy and we shouldn't be afraid of that. Um, you know, the resolve is a resolve. It's the sense of the city council. Um, but it does not have to be complied with. And
so, um, you know, I supported it. it. I'm not opposed to it, but it doesn't have the effect of policy. People know that we feel this way, but there is no consequences. Um, and there's no requirement that people follow that
resolve. Um, so while this order is not in a form that I would support, um, I think that the amendment that councelor Winsow and councelor McDonald uh came up with as an order would have been would have been a great solution for that. Um,
but I understand y'all had to make the sausage as councelor um, Lahan had stated. Um, so I understand that politics is the fine art of compromise. Um, I don't know how I'm going to vote on this order now that it's here. I don't know what the motion is going to be. I guess no motions are on the floor.
>> There was a motion to place on file. >> Oh, to place on fire. Okay. Um, great. Thanks. >> Okay. Thank you, Councelor Ali. So, I had a motion by councelor SEA. Did we have a second to that? Okay. Second by councelor Winslow. Uh, all in favor of the motion to place on
file. >> I. Any opposed? >> No. >> Okay. Two opposed. >> I heard two. Was that Ali and McDonald? Thank you. >> Paper 133-26. The committee report uh the standing committee on license to
whom was referred papers 45 47 through 51 and 85 through 96 series of 2026 having considered the same make the following report. Committee recommends these papers out favorably to the full council. Committee further recommends paper 84 series of 2026 out favorably
with a conditional 90-day class 2 license. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor Seika, second by councelor Conan to receive the committee report. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay. The committee report is received.
Okay, here we go. Paper 45-26, Class 2, Frank's Auto Sales, 189 Highland Avenue, five cars. Paper 47-26, Livery Company, Bella Luxury Transportation, 19 Mount Vernon Street,
one vehicle renewal. Paper 48-26, livery driver Michael Czecha, 19 Mount Vernon Street renewal. Paper 49-26, livery company, Ruby Lin Transportation LLC, 259 Mountain Avenue, one vehicle renewal. Paper 50-26, livery driver,
Linda Delano, 259 Mountain Avenue renewal. Paper 51-26, Taxi Company, Malden Transportation Incorporated, 290 Eastern Avenue, 10 cabs renewal. Paper 84-26, Class 2, Malden Auto Center LLC,
189 Eastern Avenue, 31 vehicles new. Paper 85-26, livery company, JML Luxury, 500 Broadway, apartment 5158, one vehicle renewal. Paper 86-26, livery driver Joel M. Lopez, 500 Broadway,
apartment 5158, renewal. Paper 87-26, livery company, Cas Kasana Casan Deita, 411 Salem Street, one vehicle renewal. Paper 88-26 livery driver Kasan Deita 411 Salem Street renewal 89-26 taxi
driver John D. Dominico 5 Admiral's Way Chelsea renewal paper 90-26 taxi driver Albert Frost 679 Broadway apartment 2R Chelsea renewal paper 91-26 taxi driver Christopher Jackson 24 Surfside Road
Apartment 6 Lynn renewal paper 92-26 taxi driver Steven A lober 3 Meredith Way Rockland renewal paper 93-26 taxi driver David Mcmanara 51 Melrose Street 2A Melrose renewal paper 94-26 taxi Taxi
driver Donald F. Quarter 500 Broadway apartment 4110 Malden renewal paper 95-26 taxi driver Valentine Chalet 30 Washington Street apartment 508 Brighton renewal paper 96-26 taxi
driver Carlos F Vargas 29 Mishwan Road apartment 2039 Wuburn renewal >> receive the committee report >> okay on a motion by councelor Sika to receive the committee report all in favor wait >> we received the committee report I just read all the record. >> Sorry,
>> it is getting late >> the opposite way. I apologize. >> It's okay. Councelor Seika for the committee. >> Thank you. Um, so the license committee met last week, I think it was, to discuss all these petitions. There was no issues with compliance and we recommended them all out favorably.
Motion to grant the petitions. >> Okay. On a motion by councelor Seeker, seconded by councelor Cologne Hayes to grant the petitions. >> Oh, sorry about that, Councelor Ali. Go ahead. Um what was the condition on the conditional license? >> It's just 90 days like what what's
>> there was some issue. It wasn't any issues with the license holder. It's the property owner that's storing cars at the location. So the property owner has the the license holder has been told that he has to tell the property owner.
The compliance guys had a whole thing. We had the gentleman in last week. Uh we're going to give him 90 days to rectify all um you know the things that are going on over there and we will be revisiting in 90 days. >> Okay. And I apologize. I'm just looking up >> No, no worries.
>> I'm looking up the address now. >> It is the corner of Wyth and Eastston across from 180. Oh, 189 Eastern. >> Oh, okay. Okay. Understood. Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Okay. So, we have a motion and a
second. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Okay, those are granted. Our next order of business, >> paper 134-26, order that the city council will vote to go into executive session with legal counsel regarding the
matter of benevolent botanicals in 926 Eastern Avenue v. the city of Malden for the purposes of exemption 3, Massachusetts general law, chapter 30A, section 21A3, to discuss strategy with respect to litigation where such discussion and open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigation
position of the city and if so declared by the if so declared by the chair and if so allowed by the body to admit Marie Louise, special assistant to the mayor and Ron Hogan, chair of the cannabis licensing and enforcement commission. Okay. So, citing exemption three on Mass
General Law, chapter 38, section 21A, wherein discussing paper 134-26 in open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the city's litigating position. Do we have a motion to enter into executive session? So, moved by councelor Lewong,
seconded by councelor Taylor, and we will call the role. And then after that, we can take personal privilege before we enter executive session. Yes, councelor. >> I won't bel labor the the topic. Um I would just like to have this conversation in open session. I know that's not going to pass, so we can
continue with the motion. Thank you. >> Okay, so we'll take a vote on the motion on on the floor. >> Council Cologne Hayes, yes. >> Council Condan, >> yes. >> Council Crow, yes. >> Council Wong, yes. >> Council McDonald, yes. >> Council Ali, >> wait, you just said the opposite.
Even for you that was confusing. >> Council see, >> no. >> Council Simonelli is not here. Council Taylor, >> yes. >> Council Winslow, >> yes. >> Council President Lennan, >> yes. >> So that passed 8 to two
>> with one missing. >> With one missing. >> Okay. So, let's do personal privilege before we go into executive session. Councelor Cologne Hayes. Okay. So, I am um going to give my last
shout out for Malden um Junth's fundraiser, which is this Friday at the Irishamean. I know you've all gotten emails and would really love for you to support this. When we were talking earlier about ways we can have our um
events, this is how you can support them. So, the money that we raise um on the Juneenth bingo, which is starts at 5:30 at the Irishamean this Friday, um it's $30 a ticket, gives you five bingo cards. Um is how we try and supplement
um having everything for free on our Junth event um this summer. So, we would love to see you all there. We've been pushing this hard, so hopefully um and it's also a lot of fun. Just going to say that. A lot of fun. Thank you. >> Always fun. Okay. Thank you, Councelor Cologne Hayes. Councelor Winsow.
>> Yeah, a couple things. Um on Thursday the 26 um six o'clock over at the Everett um recreation center, there's a presentation on air pollution in Malden and Everett community. So, just letting people know I'm going to try to make that. And then um I did also want to um
alert uh people particularly on um in Ward Six on the east side of town. Um, we are moving ahead with a proposal put speed humps up in Maplewood Highlands to kind of follow up on the great work on up on Banebridge Street. That's going to be held on March 11th, 6:30 p.m. at the
Lynen School. Um, the Moose Lodge wasn't available, so that's why we're having at the Lynen School. So, um, just encourage people to come out if they're interested in finding out more, but I'm looking forward to hopefully moving ahead on those in in the the spring and summer. Right. >> Great. Thank you, Councelor Winso.
Councelor McDonald, >> I want to make sure that the community knows about our upcoming public forums on the override and about the city's budget situation. We had our first on February 11th at Salemwood. Our next is coming up this Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
And this one is online, so you can access it wherever you are. Um, this is also one where we will have we have live um interpretation through our Microsoft Teams platform. Um, so you can get that in multiple languages. the three other forums that have been scheduled at this
point. On Thursday, March 5th at six o'clock, we will have one at the June uh excuse me, at the BB school auditorium. Uh on Monday, March 16th at 6 p.m. we'll have one at the Ferryway School auditorium. And on Wednesday, March 25th
at 6 p.m. we'll have one at the Lynen Steam Academy Auditorium. So, we're trying to make sure we spread out around the city. Those forums are a chance to ask questions um and to hear a an o
it'll start with an overview presentation from the city um that will talk about both the reason for the override the potential impacts if the override does not pass um and talk about the ballot and how the b and how the voting itself is working since this is
the first time that we've ever done this uh and I and we've had u representatives from the mayor, I believe the mayor himself was there as well as other representatives from the mayor's finance team and councelor Lahan was there to help host the first one. >> That went great. >> Yeah. And it went great. I'll be at the
next ones. I just had a conflict at that one. Um but encourage my colleagues to come to invite people. You know, this is a great way to get to just increase the public awareness and understanding of what these issues are um and why they're important for our voters to weigh in on for the future of our community. Thank you very much.
>> Great. Thank you, Councelor McDonald. So seeing no other lights at this time the council will now enter into executive session and the body will not reconvene for any further business this evening. We will adjourn directly from executive session. Thank you everyone.