CITY COUNCIL ROUNDUP: Malden City Council meets for the first time — in person— since November election

Councillors support Black Women Suffragists exhibit at City Hall

Council approves salary adjustments due to job reclassifications

By Steve Freker

  The Malden City Council met for the first time — in person — since they were elected as a group in November in its regular meeting at City Hall Tuesday.

  “It’s great to see everyone here, in person, for the first time this year,” said Council President Craig Spadafora, who, in turn, gaveled into session an in-person meeting for the first time since the November election.

    The indoor mask mandate in Malden, in effect since August due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has also been lifted so that the Councillors were also able to participate without wearing masks.

     At their first in-person meeting of 2022, the Councillors also got a special treat when they were able to take a brief recess and review the informative and inspiring exhibit on display in the lobby of Malden City Hall outside the Council Chamber of a historical look at Black Women Suffragists.

      The display was provided by the North Shore Juneteenth Association as part of their recent commemoration of Black History month.

     Maria Luise, Special Assistant to Mayor Gary Christenson, appeared and spoke at Tuesday’s Council meeting and encouraged Councillors to inform their constituents of the display, so it could be viewed.

  The exhibit gives the Black Women Suffragists both the recognition and the appreciation they deserve, she said.

   According to Malden city officials, during the 19th and 20th centuries, Black women played an active role in the struggle for universal suffrage, participating in political meetings and conventions where they strategized on obtaining the right to vote. “These heroes along with many others displayed incredible amounts of fortitude, resilience and courage and played an important role in getting both the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments passed,” according to a release from Mayor Christenson’s office.

  The exhibit will be on display through Monday, March 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant St.

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  Council approves salary transfers due to municipal job reclassifications

     The Malden City Council approved a series of funds transfers from the Salary Reserve Fund to cover some salary increases generated by municipal position reclassifications.

    The reclassifications were made by under the auspices of the Council’s Finance Committee and its chairperson, Ward 5 Councillor Barbara Murphy.

    “We are pleased to announce these salary adjustments and to note the continuing work of the committee members in reclassifying some of these positions,” Councillor Murphy said, acknowledging the other Finance Committee members, Counclllors Paul Condon (Ward 2, Vice chairperson), Karen Colon Hayes (at large), Jadeane Sica (Ward 8), Chris Simonelli (Ward 7) and Stephen Winslow (Ward 6). “We have more work to do as we navigate through the other city departments this year.”

The salary transfers due to the reclassifications included:

Teen Center Salaries, $8,081.77

Police Administration Salaries, $3,831.74
Information Technology Salaries, $4,034.33
Controller Salaries, $2,343.41
DPW Admin Salaries, $1,571.00
Fire Admin Salaries, $2,343.41
Health & Human Services Salaries, $2,893.97
Recreation Salaries, $2,893.97
Engineering Salaries, $2,343.41
Inspectional Services Salaries, $1,571.00
Traffic Administration Salaries, $5,319.25

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Council approves new, third polling place for Ward Six at Malden Moose Hall

    Due to the redistricting process approved by the Council at a recent meeting, the new, three-precinct setup of the eight Malden wards is now in place,

The relocation of former portion of Ward 8 into Ward Six, on the western side of Broadway, resulted in the need for a new, third polling place for Ward 6 residents.

    That new polling place, the Malden Moose Hall, 562 Broadway, was unanimously approved by the Council at Tuesday’s meeting at the request of Ward 6 Councillor Stephen Winslow.

    This would be for Ward 6, Precinct 3. The other Ward 6 polling places are Ward 6, Precinct 1 (Community Room, 630 Salem St. Senior Housing) and Ward 6, Precinct 2 (Club 24, 787 Salem St., Malden).

     The Council later approved all of the new precincts for all of the eight wards in a separate vote.