City Council — 2026-02-02
Attendance
Jason Chen ; Cal Finocchiaro ; Bradley Freeman ; Maya Jamaleddine ; Manjula Karamcheti ; Elizabeth Kowal ; John Obremski ; Christopher Park ; Devin Romanul ; Kimberly Vandiver ; Ryan Williams
Agenda
- CALL TO ORDER
- Attendees
- MINUTES APPROVAL
- City Council Regular Meeting January 20, 2026 7:45 PM
- PUBLIC COMMENT
- COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE HONORABLE MAYOR & OTHER CITY OFFICIALS
- NEW BUSINESS
- Filings by the Honorable Mayor
- Appointments/Reappointments
- Reappointment of David Hoff, 46 Warwick Road, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029.
- Reappointment of Garin Boyd, 463 Lebanon Street, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029.
- Reappointment of Margaret Sheets, 53 Melrose Street to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term; said term to end on the last day of February 2029.
- Orders
- Authorizing a Bond under the Water Enterprise System through MWRA Local Water System Assistance Program bonds in the amount of Eight Hundred Forty Eight Thousand Six Hundred dollars ($848,600)
- Requests
- Appropriation in the amount of $340,000 from Capital Stabilization for DPW Refuse/Yard Waste Truck
- UNFINISHED BUSINESS
- Appointments/Reappointments
- Reappointment of Helena Widtfeldt, 44 Briggs Street, Melrose MA to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, for a two year term, said term to expire on the last day of January, 2028.
- Orders
- Reappointment of Linda Reed, as Assistant City Clerk for a one year term, ending on the first Monday in February 2027.
- REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES
- EXPIRIES
- RULE 36 REPORTS
- ADJOURNMENT
Minutes
City Council Regular Meeting Monday, February 2, 2026, 7:45 PM City Council Chamber, 1st Floor 562 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Jason Chen Cal Finocchiaro Maya Jamaleddine Manjula Karamcheti Elizabeth Kowal John Obremski Christopher Park Devin Romanul Kimberly Vandiver Ryan Williams Brad Freeman, President Pledge of Allegiance Meeting was called to order by Councilor Jamaleddine at 7:45 PM Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Jason Chen At-Large Present Cal Finocchiaro Ward 6 Absent Maya Jamaleddine At-Large Present Manjula Karamcheti Ward 1 Present Elizabeth Kowal At-Large Present John Obremski Ward 2 Present Christopher Park Ward 3 Present Devin Romanul Ward 7 Present Kimberly Vandiver Ward 5 Present Ryan Williams At-Large Present William Bradley Feeman President Absent 1 II. MINUTES APPROVAL A. City Council Regular Meeting January 20, 2026 7:45 PM Motion to Approve the minutes by unanimous consent without reading made by Councilor Jamaleddine RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Jason Chen, Maya Jamaleddine, Manjula Karamcheti, Elizabeth Kowal, John Obremski, Christopher Park, Devin Romanul, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams NAYS: None ABSENT: Cal Finocchiaro, Bradley Freeman III. PUBLIC COMMENT When: Feb 2, 2026 07:45 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: City Council Meeting Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android: https://cityofmelrose- org.zoom.us/j/93811800155?pwd=vSIQZQbqpoAsGUdSlt9bcXcMTXz25a.1 Passcode:982686 Webinar ID: 938 1180 0155 Motion to Open public comment made by Councilor Jamaleddine at 7:46 PM There were no comments on the floor or via Zoom. Motion to Close public comment made by Councilor Jamaleddine at 7:47 PM IV. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE HONORABLE MAYOR & OTHER CITY OFFICIALS V. NEW BUSINESS A. Filings by the Honorable Mayor i. Appointments/Reappointments
1. (ID # 2026-294): Reappointment of David Hoff, 46 Warwick Road, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029. Motion to Refer to Boards & Commissions Committee made by Councilor Jamaleddine. RESULT: ASSIGN TO COMMITTEE TO: Boards & Commissions
2. (ID # 2026-295): Reappointment of Garin Boyd, 463 Lebanon Street, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029. Motion to Refer to Boards & Commissions Committee made by Councilor Jamaleddine. 2 RESULT: ASSIGN TO COMMITTEE TO: Boards & Commissions
3. (ID # 2026-296): Reappointment of Margaret Sheets, 53 Melrose Street to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term; said term to end on the last day of February 2029. Motion to Refer to Boards & Commissions Committee made by Councilor Jamaleddine. RESULT: ASSIGN TO COMMITTEE TO: Boards & Commissions B. Orders
i. (ID # 2026-305): Authorizing a Bond under the Water Enterprise System through MWRA Local Water System Assistance Program bonds in the amount of Eight Hundred Forty Eight Thousand Six Hundred dollars ($848,600) Motion to Refer to Appropriations & Oversight Committee made by Councilor Jamaleddine. RESULT: ASSIGN TO COMMITTEE TO: Appropriations & Oversight C. Requests
i. (ID # 2026-307): Appropriation in the amount of $340,000 from Capital Stabilization for DPW Refuse/Yard Waste Truck Motion to Refer to Appropriations & Oversight Committee made by Councilor Jamaleddine. RESULT: ASSIGN TO COMMITTEE TO: Appropriations & Oversight VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Appointments/Reappointments
i. (ID # 2026-178): Reappointment of Helena Widtfeldt, 44 Briggs Street, Melrose MA to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, for a two year term, said term to expire on the last day of January, 2028. Motion for Passage/Approval made by Councilor Williams Seconded by Councilor Vandiver All were in favor and motion passed. RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Jason Chen, Maya Jamaleddine, Manjula Karamcheti, Elizabeth Kowal, John Obremski, Christopher Park, Devin Romanul, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams NAYS: None ABSENT: Cal Finocchiaro, Bradley Freeman 3 B. Orders
i. (ID # 2026-174): Reappointment of Linda Reed, as Assistant City Clerk for a one year term, ending on the first Monday in February 2027. Motion for Passage/Approval made by Councilor Karamcheti Seconded by Councilor Romanul All were in favor and motion passed. RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Jason Chen, Maya Jamaleddine, Manjula Karamcheti, Elizabeth Kowal, John Obremski, Christopher Park, Devin Romanul, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams NAYS: None ABSENT: Cal Finocchiaro, Bradley Freeman VII. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES VIII. EXPIRIES IX. RULE 36 REPORTS X. ADJOURNMENT Motion to Adjourn made by Councilor Karamcheti at 7:51 PM Seconded by Councilor Romanul All were in favor and meeting was adjourned 4 January 20, 2026 Dear Mayor Grigoraitis: I am writing to request to be re-appointed to the City of Melrose Commission on Disability for another 3-year term. During my recent term my accomplishments have included: 1. Serving as Commission Chair for 2 years 2. Service as Vice Chair for the past year 3. Leading the development of the recently published disability guide for community organizations. 4. Working to build the partnership between the Melrose Public Schools, Chamber of Commerce, and city businesses to expanding work experiences and employment opportunities for students with disabilities. 5. Assisting with successful applications to the Massachusetts Office on Disability for funding of capital improvements to increase accessibility of city buildings. It has been an honor to serve on the commission for the past 6 years. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to continue to work together with my fellow commission members and the city to ensure Melrose is an accessible and welcoming community for all residents with disabilities. Sincerely, David Hoff 46 Warwick Road Melrose, MA. 02176 Mayor Jennifer Grigoraitis Melrose City Hall Melrose, MA 02176 Dear Mayor Grigoraitis: Please accept this letter as my request for reinstatement onto the Melrose Commission on Disability. Over the past three years I have served as Secretary for two of those years. Prior to that I served as Vice Chair. I have helped organize and execute city wide activities including the Disability Pride Month celebration. I have made it my goal to attend Melrose city meetings and support disability policy and grant approval. I have also worked to increase representation and inclusion within the disabled community. As an artist and an advocate, I try to incorporate creative expression and community engagement into the work I do with the Commission. I feel grateful to have served for six years. It is amazing to work with a motivated, talented and passionate Commission. I am so proud of our accomplishments and the seismic shifts we have made to increase accessibility in Melrose. As noted in the recent city meeting: our list is long and it will be a while until we are “totally there” with accessibility. I would like to continue my work. It would be an honor to serve another three year term. Sincerely, Garin A. Boyd 463 Lebanon Street Margaret Sheets Melrose, MA linkedin.com/in/margaret-sheets January 5, 2026 Dear Lauren and Diane, I am writing to formally request reappointment to the Melrose Commission on Disability for a new three-year term. Having served as a founding member since 2020, I am deeply committed to continuing the Commission’s work in ensuring Melrose is as welcoming and inclusive as possible for people with disabilities. During my time with the Commission, I have served in various leadership roles, including Commission Secretary and Vice Chair. In my current role as Commissioner At-Large, I am particularly proud of leading the planning for Disability Pride Month in 2024 and 2025. By coordinating with local partners like Follow Your Art and the Melrose Public Library, we successfully engaged the community through murals, panel discussions, and inclusive children’s book readings. Beyond events, I remain dedicated to practical advocacy, such as my recent work collaborating on a resource guide to help our local organizations and places of worship improve their physical and social accessibility. In a subsequent three-year term, I hope to build on this momentum by expanding on Disability Pride Month events to ensure they continue to grow and become a well-established yearly town event. I also feel strongly that my knowledge of the Commission's growth since its inception will be an asset in ensuring the Commission’s long-term projects reach completion. I would be pleased to discuss my goals or any other information you may need for my reappointment at your convenience. Please feel free to contact me at or by phone at . Sincerely, Margaret Sheets HAS Comments 01/26/2026 CITY OF MELROSE Office of Treasurer-Collector City Hall, 562 Main Street Kathryn J Armata Melrose, Massachusetts 02176 Treasurer-Collector Treasurer - (781) 979-4162 Collector - (781) 979-4120 MEMORANDUM To: Melrose City Council Mayor Grigoraitis From: Kathryn Armata Date: January 23, 2026 Re: Loan Order –MWRA 0% loan – Grove Street water main improvements ORDERED: That the City appropriates $848,600, to pay costs of water main improvements, including designing, engineering and constructing water main improvements that will address the removal of lead water service connections throughout the City's water system, including but not limited to cement-lined ductile iron water mains on Grove Street from Lebanon Street to Argyle Street, and including the payment of all costs incidental and related thereto; that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Mayor, is authorized to borrow said amount pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 8(5) of the General Laws, or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the City therefor; that the Treasurer, with the approval of the Mayor, is authorized to borrow all or a portion of such amount from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (the “MWRA”) and, in connection therewith, to enter into a loan agreement and/or financial assistance agreement with the MWRA and otherwise to contract with the MWRA with respect to such loan; and that the Mayor is authorized to take any other action necessary to carry out this project. Pursuant to Section 56-14 of the City Ordinances, attached is a projection of the principal and interest costs on the bonds proposed to be authorized by the following loan order under consideration by the City Council. The payment schedule attached assumes a 10-year borrowing term, an interest rate assumption of 0% over the life of the borrowing, and a level debt service payment schedule. The debt service on these bonds will be paid from the Water Enterprise Fund. The borrowing will be entirely offset by maturing loans and will not impact future rates. 70348225 v1 HAS Comments 01/26/2026 Financial Impact MWRA Water Main Bonds Local Water System Assistance Program 0% interest $ 848,600.00 Debt Schedule Principal Interest 4/15/2026 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/15/2027 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/14/2028 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/14/2029 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/15/2030 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/15/2031 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/14/2032 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/14/2033 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/15/2034 $ 84,860.00 0.00 4/15/2035 $ 84,860.00 0.00 $ 848,600.00 $ - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Administration–Engineering–Water–Sewer–Facilities Parks–Forestry–Highway–Sanitation–Cemetery–Fleet CITY OF MELROSE Jay Coy, P.E., PMP City Hall, 562 Main Street Acting City Engineer Melrose, Massachusetts 02176 Telephone – (781) 979-4172 E-mail: jcoy@cityofmelrose.org January 20, 2026 To: Melrose City Council Mayor Jennifer Grigoraitis From: Elena Proakis Ellis, DPW Director Jay Coy, Acting City Engineer cc: Kerriann Golden, CFO/Auditor Kathryn Armata, Treasurer Collector Shannon Philips, City Solicitor James Troup, Assistant DPW Director – Administration & Finance Re: Authorization to borrow LWSAP funds for CY2026 Water Main Improvements The Melrose DPW is proposing a project for the MWRA Local Water System Assistance Program (LWSAP) to fund the CY2026 Annual Water Main Improvements. The estimated cost of the program is $848,600 and includes, but may not be limited to, the following work: • Grove Street (1450 LF) – This street ranked “poorest” in the City’s roadway condition assessment. The project includes new 8-inch and 12-inch diameter cement-lined ductile iron water mains from Lebanon Street to Argyle Street, to be installed prior to final paving presently scheduled for 2027. Final pavement restoration will be funded by other sources and completed by the City’s paving contractor. This neighborhood was ranked as a Phase II improvement in the 2017 water system CEP. The rate model shows that there is older debt rolling off in FY26 such that there should be no rate impact from the proposed borrowing. The funds borrowed pursuant to this Order will be deposited into a designated fund as determined by the Finance Department, similar to our other MWRA water and sewer loans. For this purpose, The Department of Public Works respectfully requests the City Council to review and consider the attached Treasurer’s bond order. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Administration–Engineering–Water–Sewer–Facilities Parks–Forestry–Highway–Sanitation–Cemetery–Fleet CITY OF MELROSE City Yard, 72 Tremont Street Elena Proakis Ellis, P.E., BCEE Director of Public Works Melrose, Massachusetts 02176 Telephone – (781) 665-0142 E-mail: eproakis@cityofmelrose.org January 28, 2026 To: City Council Jennifer Grigoraitis, Mayor Lauren Grymek, Chief of Staff Kerri Golden, CFO/Auditor From: Elena Proakis Ellis, DPW Director CC: James Troup, DPW Deputy Director Administration and Finance Matt Spinale, Operations Manager RE: Capital Stabilization Request for Replacement of Truck #26 – Refuse Truck The Department of Public Works respectfully requests an appropriation from Capital Stabilization in the amount of $340,000 to replace Truck #26, the City’s Class 8 refuse truck. The DPW is proposing to replace this truck with a new diesel refuse truck of similar, but slightly smaller size. Truck #26 is used predominately for curbside yard waste pickup by the City’s in-house forces. The existing truck that will be replaced is in need of a repair in the range of $10,000 to $15,000, and Truck #26 has been identified as in need of replacement for the last four years. The City has routinely spent between $10,000 and $30,000 on repairs for this truck over the last decade. Rather than sinking more funds into repairs, we recommend replacing this aging vehicle. The recommended useful life for a refuse truck is on the order of 7 to 10 years, while Truck #26 is now 21 years old, with about 120,000 miles. In addition to being used for yard waste collection, the new truck will also be able to tip school dumpsters, providing redundancy with the DPW’s smaller refuse truck, Truck #18. While we were able to purchase an electric vehicle to replace Truck #18, which is used for municipal barrels, the collection of yard waste is much more energy intensive, with constant operation of the hopper throughout the day. We do not believe an electric vehicle is feasible to accomplish this task at this time. Thus, we are proposing to purchase a 25-yard rear loading refuse truck from a state contract vendor under State Contract VEH111 for heavy duty vehicles. We formally request an appropriation from Capital Stabilization in the amount of $340,000 for the purpose of funding the immediate purchase of a new refuse vehicle. The Department of Public Works will be the custodian of these funds in an account set up by the Auditor and will be the responsible Project Manager. Thank you for your support and consideration. We would be happy to call or meet with anyone who wishes to ask any questions in advance of the City Council meeting. From: Helena Widtfeldt < > Sent: Monday, January 5, 2026 9:49 AM To: MacDonald, Diane <dmacdonald@cityofmelrose.org> Subject: Re: January 2026 Reappointment Affordable Housing Trust Good morning, Diane. I am happy to hear about my reappointment to the Housing Trust board. During 2025, I provided input and assisted in the shaping of key documents establishing the guidelines and processes for the operation of the Housing Trust. This included establishing overall goals & strategies as well as developing guidelines and an application process. The Board also received the first application for the receipt of funds from the Trust and I participated in the evaluation of the application and interview of the applicant representative. Let me know if you need additional details or anything further from me. Thanks, Helena § 56-10. Assistant City Clerk. A. The City Clerk shall, on or before the first Monday in February in each year, appoint an Assistant City Clerk, subject to confirmation by the City Council. B. The Assistant City Clerk may be removed by the vote of a majority of all the members of the City Council taken by roll call. C. In the absence of the City Clerk, the Assistant City Clerk shall perform all the duties of the office and shall perform such other duties as he/she may be called upon to perform by the City Clerk. State law reference — Authority to appoint assistant city clerk, MGL c. 41, § 18. :1Comments from City Clerk Tanji Cufuni regarding the reappointment of Linda Reed: I’m sorry, I could not be in attendance this evening… I wanted to make sure I shared my experience working with Linda Reed over the last year and a half. Last February, Linda Reed was appointed as a assistant city clerk for the City Of Melrose… Each year the assistant city clerk has to be reappointed… A year has gone by so fast and Linda continues to be a strong asset to our team… Over this past year, our department hired an elections administrator, as well as a senior clerk for our office… She was very instrumental in helping me get both of these individuals up to speed in their new roles… She brings so much knowledge and experience to the front office of the city clerk… She manages all of our business licenses and all of the permits that we give out on behalf of the City Of Melrose… This year, we are managing the dog database, and we make sure that we have it posted up on our website for all residents to view… She manages all of our vital records with ease and expertise. She continues to keep up with all of our training manuals… Making sure that each time we roll out a new procedure, it’s all documented.. Linda is always willing to provide a helping hand to any one within the department or outside of our department… A complete team leader… Her attendance is impeccable… I think she practically opens up the building every day of the week… I cannot ask for a better partner to work with, and I look forward to working with her for many years to come. I truly hope my endorsement for Linda can help all of you decide to extend her contract for another year… Thank you all for taking the time to read this
Transcript
▶ 13:27 Maya Jamaleddine: Good evening. The time is 7:45 PM on Monday, February 2nd, 2026. I am Councilor Jamal Dean pronounced she and her. This meeting of the Mayor City Council is called to order in accordance with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. This meeting is being broadcast and recorded by Mero Cable Access tv, and will be available for viewing in its entirety on MMTV and through the City U website Link. Madame Clerk, will you please call the role? Yes. Councillor Chen. Here. Counselor Occhio. Councilor Jamal Ledine. Here. Councilor Carrum Chen. Here. Councilor Kowal? Here. Councilor Osky. Here. Councillor Park. Present. Councilor Romanul? Here. Councilor Vandiver? Here. Councilor Williams. Here. President Freeman.
▶ 14:20 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay. And, uh, this serves as a quorum for the records. Um, at this time, please rise if you're able to join in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge all pledge allegiance to the flag. To the flag. United of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with, with liberty and justice for all. At this time, I will motion by unanimous consent to approve without reading the minutes from the January 20th, 2026 meeting. Seeing no objection, those minutes are now approved. Now, I'll, uh, motion by unanimous consent to open the floor for public comments. Seeing no objection, we are open for public comment per rule 33 A of the Mero City Council rules.
▶ 15:20 Maya Jamaleddine: This is the, uh, portion of the meeting where the public may speak on any item on tonight's agenda. Comments expressing any viewpoints on other, um, matters are also welcome. Uh, we don't have anyone present. Uh, do we have anyone online? No one Online. Um, okay. Since we don't have anyone to participate in, um, public comments, I would like to close, uh, public comments. Seeing, seeing no objection, we are now closed for public comments. Um, communication, uh, from her o uh, honor the mayor and other city o uh, officials. Uh, do we have anyone? No one. Uh, now onto new business filings by the Honorable Mayor, uh, for appointments. Okay, ID number 2 0 2 6 dash 2 9 4. Reappointment of David Hoff 46 Warwick Road
▶ 16:22 to the Commission on Disability for a three year term. Said term to expire on the last day of February, 2029. This will go to boards and commissions ID number 2 2 0 2 6 dash 2 9 5. Reappointment of Garrin Boyd 4 63 Lebanon Street to the Commission on Disability for a three year term. Said term to expire on the last day of February, 2029. This will go to boards and commissions ID number 2 0 2 6 dash 2 9 6. Reappointment of Margaret Sheets 53 Melrose Street to the Commission on Disability for a three year term. Said term to end on the last day of February, 2029. This was will also go to boards and commission onto orders ID number 2 0 2 6 dash 3 0 5, authorizing a bond under the water enterprise system
▶ 17:15 through MWRA local Water System Assistance program bonds in the amount of $848,600. This will go to appropriations. Um, and now we are in requests ID number 2 0 2 6 dash 3 0 7 appropriation in the amount of $340,000 from capital stabilization for DPW refuse yard waste truck. This will, we will also go to appropriations. Now we are on to unfinished business, um, Appointments, reappointments, We have appointments and reappointments ID number 2 0 2 6 dash 1 78 reappointment of Helena Whitfield, 44 Briggs Street, Melrose, mass, to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for a two year term. Said term to expire on the last day of January, 2028. Councilor Williams, Madam Chair, this comes from the Boards
▶ 18:15 Maya Jamaleddine: and Commissions Committee with a recommendation for approval by the full council. And at this time, we'll make that motion. Second. Thank you. Now we have a, a motion to approve, uh, to recommend by, uh, made by Councilor Williams, seconded by counselor. Um, uh, be ver Sorry. Um, all in favor, aye. Aye. Any, uh, opposed? Okay. The aye have, uh, uh, on orders ID number 2 0 2 6 dash 1 74 Reappointment of Linda Reed as Assistant City Clerk for a one year term ending on the first Monday in February, 2027. Uh, Madam Chair, this reappointment comes from the finance Committee with a recommendation for passage. And at this time, I'd like a motion for passage. Second. Great. We have a motion, um, uh, made by Councilor Cherri
▶ 19:14 Maya Jamaleddine: and seconded by councilor uh, Romano. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. I have it. Uh, reports from committees. Um, do we have any? No. Any expires Saying none. We move to reports under Rule 36. Uh, we don't have anything. And now we are on to adjournment. Uh, I will now entertain a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. Second. Uh, uh, councilor Ka. Sheri made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Councillor Romanul. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any of opposed? Okay. We're adjourned.