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Ward 5 and friends, Apologies for a gap in these updates. Let’s get back into it! The Library is slated to reopen in its new building on April 15th at 10am! I had the opportunity to tour the in-progress building this fall with fellow Councilors, and it’s going to be an amazing community space. Read more here. Road Safety is on the agenda for Monday March 24th, following a crash on Franklin Street and public interest. The administration and the Department of Public Works will be on hand to answer Councilors’ questions “relative to efforts to reduce crashes and improve vulnerable road user safety on Franklin Street and other roads in Melrose.” Melrose’s Zoning Ordinance is being updated to accommodate ADUs, per new state law. Last year, the Office of Planning and Community Development streamlined and clarified our zoning code (see “Public Hearing Presentation” at the bottom of this link for a summary). That set the stage to more easily update our zoning to meet new state requirements and provide oversight deemed appropriate by the OPCD, Planning Board, and City Council. You can reach out to the OCPF with questions about the change or to submit an application for an ADU; they report that they have received 2 applications thus far. The Fiscal Year 2026 Budget process is underway. The Mayor has advised that she anticipates needing $6.1 million in cuts across the budget. This is driven by Proposition 2½, which limits our revenue growth to a lower level than inflation in most years. It is compounded by escalating costs, many of which are statutory obligations. For example, our city employees’ health insurance rates are set by the Group Insurance Commission, and expected to go up anywhere between 8.5% - 12.5% this year. Compared to a typical year, the City Council has been brought into the budget process earlier than usual, with updates including a series of Memoranda from the Mayor and a joint meeting of the School Committee and the City Council. This will be the second year affected by last June’s failed override vote, and the cuts will be substantial and difficult. The mayor has announced a Financial Task Force to “take in public feedback and develop potential revenue plans, including seeking a Proposition 2 ½ override question or questions on the November 4, 2025 municipal election ballot.” Key budget links: Melrose budget timeline, FY2026 Budget page (the memorandum series from the Mayor is very helpful here), School Budget details. You can email the Financial Task Force and Grigoraitis administration at budget@cityofmelrose.org The Public Safety Buildings Project is planned to be completed in three phases: Phase 1: Westside fire station (new building in same location) & Police station (new building in new location) Phase 2: Central fire station (renovate in existing location and preserve historic elements) Phase 3: Eastside fire station (new building in same location)
The Mayor, guided by the Public Safety Buildings Advisory Committee, has decided on the Beebe school site as the best location for the police station for a variety of reasons. The neighbors have been very engaged and provided input about the design and planning process. During this process, I advocated for increased focus on resident input and more accessible information about the project online. As of now, we expect the new police station project to go out to bid in October with a December construction start and estimated 20 month duration. We expect the West side fire station to go out to bid in July with a September construction start and a 16 month construction duration. This large capital building project is financed through long term loans, thanks to the debt exclusion that Melrose voters approved in November of 2023. The City Council authorized initial borrowing of up to $5.5 million in June 2024, of which only $1.7 million has been spent thus far, for design and engineering work. Boards and Commissions are continuing to welcome new members, as the Mayor sends candidates for confirmation by the council. As chair of the Boards and Commissions Committee, I have proposed rules updates to improve our review process, which the council has passed. We are now 3 months into 2025, and the City Council has already confirmed 22 reappointments and 10 new appointments. And amidst all of this, it’s Melrose’s birthday! Save the date for a May 3rd celebration of 175 years of Melrose. Please feel free to ask about anything you see coming across the City Council meeting agendas, whether summarized here or not. Future & Past meetings, filterable by group currently are found here. According to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, all meetings and agendas must be finalized and posted at least 48 business hours ahead of the meeting. Live video feeds and meeting recordings are hosted by MMTV here.)
Thanks for reading, and if you found this useful please share it with a friend.
Best,
Kim Vandiver City Councilor, Ward 5
kvandiver@cityofmelrose.org
kim@kimformelrose.com / (781) 309-7047
https://www.kimformelrose.com/
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