Malden Election Profile: Stephen Winslow For Councilor-At-Large

MALDEN, MA — Malden's municipal election Nov. 5 will vote in three Councilors-at-Large out of a pool of four candidates. Stephen Winslow, 59, is running for re-election.

Winslow lives in Malden with his wife, Helen. He has two daughters and three granddaughters.

Winslow has worked in state and local government for over 30 years in the fields of environmental law and community planning. He previously served as the Ward 6 School Committee member for six years.

He has a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a juris doctorate from the University of California, Davis.

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The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The issue I hear most frequently from voters is about the future of trash and recycling pick-up in Malden. The program the City has had for the last 10 years must be updated now that China has substantially decreased the amount of recycling that it takes. I hear from many residents who would like to see barrels to help reduce litter from bags that ripped open by animals or blown out of recycling bins. I also hear from others who would have great difficultly moving barrels up and down flights of stairs. I plan to work with my fellow Councillors and the Mayor’s Office towards a solution that favors barrels while allowing residents who have no place to store a barrel to request to be provide stickers instead

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring my 30+ years experience working with multiple mayors and state administrations in solve complex problems city and state governments face including cleaning up toxic waste sites and air pollution, clearing brownfield sites, building playgrounds and ballfields and laying out our streets and sidewalks for the safety of all residents. Through those 27 years I have learned the importance of building strong connections with the community to achieve results that individuals struggle to accomplish.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Key priorities are to:

Protect our Seniors and youth by building safer and more accessible streets, speeding up our lead pipe removal efforts and addressing the opioid crisis in Malden

Improving Neighborhood Quality of Lie by increasing funding for street repairs, holding clean-ups, boosting the ArtLine, protecting historic buildings and tackling Malden’s affordable housing crisis

Encouraging Maldonians to Engage each other through public forums to receive input on transportation, parks and housing issues.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

During my first term:

To address Malden's traffic, road safety and transit needs, I successfully advocated to the Mayor and fellow councillors to hire a Transportation Planner. The new planner starts work on November 12.

I proposed the City increase funding on sidewalks and helped secure an additional $500,000 to do so.

I am working with various organizations to support efforts to improve our open spaces and parks. Working with Councillor Camell and the Malden Redevelopment Authority, a $400,000 grant for Trafton Park has been secured, I am also working with residents and Councillors Anderson and Murphy on projects to improve Patchell Park, Kierstead Park and Roosevelt Field.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

When starting outreach to garner community support to build the Northern Strand / Bike to the Sea Trail, late Everett City Councillor Rosie LeCours advised that Bike to the Sea supporters needed to “Give to Get” explaining that the most effective citizen groups must be sure to build good will within the community they work in. That spirit has carried Bike to the Sea forward over the past 27 years as numerous clean-ups, bike safety fairs and train building days occurred. I continue to do so by participating in as many community activities as I can.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I work to see the bigger picture to be sure that the small steps we take each day to make the lives of individuals and neighborhoods better result in more good than we can imagine. The most rewarding actions for me as a Councillor is when I can make one persons or one families life better.