City honors its fallen on Memorial Day
Vol. 20, No. 22
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isa Jean DeLacey graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 27, 2017. She is a 2013 graduate of Malden High School (MHS). At her West Point graduation, she was commissioned as an officer into the United States
Army with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. While at West Point, Lisa was a member of the Cycling Team, Handball Team, and German Language Forum Committee. She
ACADEMY | SEE PAGE 6
By Barbara Taormina he City Council’s proposal to extend the building moratorium on multifamily development wound its way through another vote this week at an Ordinance Committee meeting. Committee members approved two versions of a six-month moratorium extension that would run through the end of this year. The first extension proposal would put a hold on building projects of five or more units except in the downtown area and the Rowe’s Quarry development. The second proposal would apply the building moratorium to the entire city. Councillors have said the additional six months are needed to craft and pass new zoning regulations meant to reign in residential development. “This allows us to get a lot of these things done,� said Ward
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By Barbara Taormina irefighters saved taxpayers some money this year with DIY repairs and renovations to the central fire station. The Finance Committee reviewed the 2018 budget for the Police and Fire Departments this week. Together, the two departments make up almost 12 percent of the $180 million budget proposed by Mayor Gary Christenson. The Fire Department’s $10.3 million inched up less than $36,000 from last year but it doesn’t include pay raises. Those increases come later with the $1.4 million the city will tuck away in its salary reserve account. The only significant change in the department’s operating budget is a jump from $250,000 to $350,000 for overtime pay. Fire Chief Kevin Finn said a lot of improvements have been made to the central fire station over the past year, including newly renovated dispatch and training rooms. “The guys did the work to move the dispatch
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7 Councillor Neil Kinnon. “If we don’t pass this, on July 1 people can come in with a proposal and go under the old rules.� Kinnon said the recent moratorium study and survey have given the council the financial data and community feedback they had hoped to collect when voters approved the building freeze in November 2015. Results from a community-wide survey showed that 73 percent of the more than 2,000 residents who participated want the city to stop approving developments of 20 units or more throughout the city. Despite those results, some city officials have expressed concerns that the moratorium would send the wrong message and suggest that Malden is opposed to growth and change. Kinnon, however, downplayed those concerns. “The idea that this is going to chase people away from the
city is an absolute fallacy proven by the last 18 months,� he said. Ordinance Committee members also unanimously agreed on a new height regulation that would limit new residential construction to three stories. Both the moratorium extension proposals and the new height restriction were recommended by the Planning Board and will now move back to the full City Council for a final vote. Meanwhile, Ward 4 Councillor Ryan O’Malley renewed his call for a new zoning map that would more clearly define parts of the city where growth would be welcomed and encouraged. And Kinnon and Ordinance Committee Chairman Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora said they are ready to start work on at least 10 other proposals that would control growth and development throughout the city.
Finance Committee reviews public safety budgets
Second Lt. Lisa DeLacey is shown with former MHS Principal Dana Brown and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis at her graduation ceremony from the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 27.
$1.83 GALLON
Friday, June 2, 2017
City moves one step closer to a moratorium extension
Malden resident graduates from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
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See pages 12 & 13
room and they put the leftover space into a training room,� Finn told the committee. “The new dispatch center is beautiful, it really is.� Finn praised firefighters for their teamwork and their shared goal of being the best Fire Department possible for the city. Over the past year, firefighters responded to about 10 major fires and slews of other incidents that were contained and resolved before they rose to the department’s definition of a fire. “We’re very busy,� said Finn. Ward 6 Councillor Neil Kinnon asked about staffing and whether the roughly 120 members of the department provided enough manpower to cover the city’s growing population. Kinnon questioned medical aid calls specifically and noted those needs will be skyrocketing as the city’s population ages. “Right now, I think we’re doing a good job,� said Finn. “It’s the other things – the community service things – that you wish you could do more of.� Still, Finn assured committee
members that the Fire Department was getting the job done with the money provided in the budget. “Malden is well protected,� he said. Police budget Police Chief Kevin Molis said many of the increases in the 2018 budget proposed for his department are contractual. Spending for the Police Department is expected to increase by about $571,000 or about 5.5 percent. Salaries for officers and patrolmen, which were just over $8 million in 2016, are expected to rise to around $8.6 million this year. The budget proposal calls for a small increase of about $37,000 in the department’s operating and maintenance account. Police expect to save about $40,000 in gasoline, $7,000 in clothing and dry cleaning and $23,000 in custodial services. Although the operating budget proposal also shows a $20,000 decrease in technolo-
BUDGET 2018 | SEE PAGE 16