Malden City Council expected to approve $6M commitment to street and sidewalk repairs

Councillors also approve $2M to fund continued lead line replacement; Council’s Finance Committee will also review $300K in funding for affordable housing and $160K for Trafton Park project

  The Malden City Council made a substantial, new commitment for the city toward continued rehabilitation and new replacement projects for some of Malden’s most important infrastructure areas. A series of votes taken at Tuesday night’s regular meeting this week will potentially commit close to $10 million in municipal funding for a variety of key projects. With a pair of unanimous votes, Councillors voted to refer two papers to the City Council’s Finance Committee for review which, combined, would direct $6 million of municipal funding toward continuing street and sidewalk repair, reconstruction and replacement around the community.

  A total of $3 million, or half of that total, would be funded through a new bond issue, if approved by the City Council. An additional $3 million would be funded through the appropriation of monies from the city’s free cash account. It is expected this amount in total would be supported by the Finance Committee and ultimately approved by a formal vote of the City Council in the near future. That would ensure that this major project would continue and be completed during the coming summer and fall months.

  In other votes, the City Council received a favorable report from the Finance Committee on the proposed expenditure of an additional $2 million on an extensive lead water line replacement project that has been underway in the city for two-plus years. The Councillors unanimously voted to approve that expenditure, with the $2 million in funding being appropriated from the city’s Water & Sewer Enterprise Fund. Those lead line replacements are expected to be completed during the coming summer and fall months.

  In other votes, the City Council unanimously approved sending two papers to the Finance Committee for review that would appropriate close to $500,000 in funds from the Community Preservation Account to support two projects: The city’s Affordable Housing Trust and the Trafton Park Rehabilitation Project. With two separate votes, the City Council sent a paper authorizing $300,000 for affordable housing pursuits to the Finance Committee, as well as a paper covering $160,000 on additional improvements to the Trafton Park project.

  The Malden Community Preservation Committee approved both applications for funding for the two projects. A major stipulation with the affordable housing trust award was that if, for instance, it is applied to the purchase of affordable housing, it would have to be for a property that would remain affordable housing for a minimum of 15 years.

  The Trafton Park project award is be spent on specific improvement items, such as water stations for dogs at the dog park (which is being renovated) and for humans there, as well. Also, a system of LED, solar-powered lighting for the new basketball court/tennis court area is also being funded, among other amenities.