Malden City Council unanimously approves landmark City Charter reform package

Home Rule Petition seeking charter changes sent to state legislature for final approval

By Steve Freker

This particular journey began at least seven years ago, more accurately, even longer than that, it is believed. The path was arduous at times and yes, it was long, very long. Literally, dozens of meetings, hundreds of hours of spirited – and of course, by chance, dispirited – debate. Scenarios created and dismissed, agreements and disagreements – all of that.

At Tuesday night’s Malden City Council meeting, municipal history was made when the City Council voted unanimously to approve the widest scope of Malden City Charter changes in decades. It was a major step in the ultimate finality of the process and culmination of a clear and effective collaboration between the City Council and staff from the office of Mayor Gary Christenson, among other staff from various municipal departments. Additional, intensive collaboration was held between the City Council, Mayor’s Office, the Malden Legal Department and the Malden Planning Board.

The final step in the process of amending the existing Malden City Charter requires approval of a home rule petition – sent from the Mayor and City Council – by the Massachusetts Legislature. A separate but related City Council vote Tuesday night approved the creation of the home rule petition and initiated the formal submission process.

Ward 6 Councillor Stephen Winslow, a strong voice for city charter reform since he first came onto the City Council in 2017, headed up the Charter Review Committee for the Council. “Upwards of seven years working on amending the city charter has resulted in this vote tonight,” Councillor Winslow said. Winslow said initially, back in 2017, that discussion was centered on establishing a new city charter, but after much consideration, landed on amending the present charter with pertinent changes and “edits.”

“Instead of a new charter, an update of the original charter reflects more of where we are as a municipality today,” said Councillor Winslow, who also serves as chair of the Council’s Rules and Ordinance Committee.

Many of the charter changes, as amendments to the existing document, involve the restructuring of some key municipal departments, along with the resurrection of a former city commission and replacements of others. The “nuts and bolts” of the charter changes/amendments involved the repeal of portions of certain sections of the Malden City Charter, including:

• Section 16, Fire Commissioner and Fire Department
• Section 20, Supt. of Public Works, City Engineer, Public Works Commission
• Section 21, Supt. of Public Works, City Engineer, Public Works Commission
• Section 23A, Police Commissioner and Police Department
• Section 23C, Stadium & Athletic Field Commission
• Section 23D, Traffic Commission
• Section 23F, Plumbing Inspector
• Section 23G, Code Enforcement Inspector
• Section 32, Board of Health

The greater part of these sections, having passed the Council vote, were then incorporated as charter changes into Malden municipal ordinances by Tuesday’s unanimous vote – for the following chapters:

• MCC 2.12, Officers, Employees, and Departments
• MCC 2.16, Board, Commissions, and Committee
• MCC 9.16, Rental Units; Inspection Required
• MCC 11, Public Works

(Editor’s Note: All of the wording of the repealed sections, the incorporated charter changes and newly ordained municipal ordinances can be found on the City of Malden website: www.cityofmalden.org under “Government” as well as by reviewing the agenda of the April 29 Malden City Council meeting under “Public Meetings”.)

The vote in favor of ordaining the ordinances which incorporated the charter changes was unanimous and voting in favor, 10-0, were Councillors Peg Crowe (Ward 1), Paul Condon (Ward 2), Amanda Linehan (Ward 3), Ari Taylor (Ward 5), Stephen Winslow (Ward 6), Chris Simonelli (Ward 7), Jadeane Sica (Ward 8), Karen Colón Hayes (at-Large) and, voting remotely, Craig Spadafora (at-Large). City Council President Ryan O’Malley (Ward 4) also voted in favor to make it 10-0. Councillor-at-Large Carey McDonald was not present for the vote. The vote on approving the home rule petition was unanimous, with all of the above Councillors voting in approval and joined by Councillor McDonald to make it 11-0.

Councillor Simonelli, a member of the Charter Review Committee, thanked Strategic Planning Officer Ron Hogan, City Clerk Carol Ann Desiderio and Mayoral Chief of Staff Maria Luise for their collaboration with the Council, as well as the Councillors themselves. “We’ve done a lot of hard work on this charter review paper,” Councillor Simonelli said.

“Councillor Winslow has done a fine job on this and has been nonstop on this work.

“I take my hat off to Councillor Winslow and all of the other Councillors who contributed to the success of this work.”

Winslow made the motion to ordain the enrolled ordinances and it was seconded by Councillor Sica before the unanimous 10-0 vote.