The Mayor's Update: March 6, 2020

 

I am happy to announce that I have appointed Elena Proakis Ellis as the new DPW Director, subject to approval by the City Council. Elena came to the City of Melrose as our City Engineer in 2015. She has done an exceptional job and knows the city well, and I look forward to working with her to continue to strengthen and improve Melrose’s infrastructure.

 

Elections: Election Day went incredibly smoothly, despite the fact that it was a complicated election. We had two ballots, and voters had to sign in and sign out twice. You can view the results here. Congratulations to Kate Lipper-Garabedian, who was elected to my old seat in the General Court. Kate has resigned from the Melrose City Council, and Maya Jamaleddine will be sworn in on Monday, March 9. Congratulations to Maya!

 

 

COVID-19: We had a very productive meeting on Wednesday with City of Melrose staff and Dr. Stephen Sbardella, Chief Medical Officer of MelroseWakefield Healthcare. Health Director Ruth Clay is leading the city’s response to the pandemic, and she is in regular contact with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Dr. Sbardella briefed us on MelroseWakefield’s preparation plans, and Ruth distributed information for our first responders. We will meet with Ruth and other staff on a daily basis to stay up to date and will be bringing you more information as the situation develops.

 

School Building Committee: The School Building Committee met on Friday to review the work that has been done so far. We have just put out a Request for Qualifications for a feasibility study for reuse the Beebe School The study will include cost estimates and a review of all aspects of reoccupancy, including playgrounds, parking, and drop-off and pickup. The School Committee will discuss the possibilities at their March 24 meeting, and there will be a public forum on the topic later in the spring.

 

 

White Ribbon Day: I was pleased to take part in this year’s White Ribbon Day, sponsored by myself and the Melrose Alliance Against Violence. The purpose of White Ribbon Day is to encourage men to stand up, speak out, and act to oppose domestic violence.

 

Boards and Commissions: I am inviting all Melrose residents to consider volunteering for one of our many city boards and commissions. I have created a new page that lists the boards and commissions that currently have vacancies or expiring terms. While I will be reappointing some existing commissioners, I would like to open up this process to the community as a whole, so please, take a look at our new page and if something strikes your interest, send us an e-mail at volunteer@cityofmelrose.org.

 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee: Making Melrose a safe community for walkers and cyclists is a priority of mine, and I have assigned my Chief of Staff, Patrick Prendergast, to attend their meetings. This week the committee took the first steps toward developing a three-year plan to make our city accessible to all forms of transportation.

 

Net Zero Planning: I caught up with our Sustainability Manager, Martha Grover, this week to discuss the city’s ongoing Net Zero planning process. Melrose, has partnered with Arlington and Natick to embark on an innovative planning process to bring Melrose’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved in this exciting and important initiative!

 

Metro Mayors Association: It was wonderful to be back in my old haunt, the Massachusetts State House, to catch up with not only my peers from other cities in the area but also to see Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Robert DeLeo. Being able to leverage the relationships that I built as state representative has already proven to be very valuable during my time as mayor. I am grateful to the Speaker for taking the time, and I hope to continue this good relationship into the future. 

 

 

Next week promises to be action-packed! On Sunday, I will be at the Highlands Congregational Church for the completion and activation of their solar array as part of Melrose’s Big Roof Solar Campaign. This award-winning program highlights what’s possible when the city, activists, and community partners come together to invest in a greener future.

 

The City Council will meet on Monday. I’ve sent them a number of orders for strategic capital investments, including urgently needed repairs at the library, public safety equipment, and vehicles, and investments in our infrastructure. The School Committee will meet on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I will attend a meeting of the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s Committee on Energy and the Environment.

 

The Superintendent Search Screening Committee announced three finalists today, and the public and the School Committee will have the opportunity to get know them better in the next few weeks. That schedule is still being finalized.

 

Thanks for reading. You can always follow me on twitter at @mayorbrodeur or on Facebook.