Weigh In on How CPA is Administered in Malden

Greetings Malden,

The City of Malden is in the process of determining who is on the Community Preservation Committee and how it will operate. An ordinance will capture all of this and guide the CPA process, once finalized. There are two draft proposals for this essential language on the table with the City Council. The are:

Councillor Kinnon CPC Ordinance Proposal: https://goo.gl/EWGHZ3
Councillor DeMaria CPC Ordinance Proposal: https://goo.gl/F0R2Ca

At this juncture, it is important that we the public be clued in to the considerations that should inform this language and have some say about it before it is established.

Please read this public letter sent by the Preserve Malden group to city and state officials asking for an open forum that will allow you to weigh in and understand the options and how the expertise and process of the committee could enable the best outcomes of this tool for Malden.

We also ask that if you can, please attend the City Council Ordinance Committee Meeting at 6:00pm, Tonight, Tuesday, December 15, 2015. Agenda: http://www.cityofmalden.org/sites/default/files/121515ord600_0.pdf

Text of letter sent by Preserve Malden is below:

_________________________________________

December 14, 2015

Dear City and State Official:

As members of the Preserve Malden grassroots group that worked hard to pass the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in Malden, we are concerned about the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) and how it is constituted. We are familiar with the two draft proposals now in circulation:

• Councillor Kinnon CPC Ordinance Proposal: https://goo.gl/EWGHZ3

• Councillor DeMaria CPC Ordinance Proposal: https://goo.gl/F0R2Ca
  

One general concern of residents is that the CPC members will be independent voices, and not City Councillors or de facto delegates of City Councillors.

Residents of Malden gathered the signatures to put CPA on the ballot, and worked to educate Malden residents to adopt CPA with 60% of the vote. The community put CPA on the ballot and the community adopted CPA, so the community deserves significant input on the CPC ordinance and constitution of the Community Preservation Committee.

If we are to have proper citizen engagement and transparency on the CPC ordinance, we believe it is inappropriate to push through a CPC ordinance during the holiday season before people have an opportunity to participate in the discussion.

In writing to you, we respectfully request the City of Malden organize an open CPA Community Forum to review and discuss proposed CPC ordinance language. We request that this open CPA Community Forum be well publicized and take place prior to finalizing or advancing any CPC proposal from the City Council Standing Committee on Rules & Ordinance.

Sincerely,

Members of Preserve Malden:

Karen Lynch
Steven Keleti
Lisa Sulda
Teresa Bello
Dee Campbell Tompkins
Hue Holley
Burt Barachowitz
Lisa Conrad
Marilyn Glover
Len Merullo
Ginny Remedi-Brown
Karen Stern
Megan Weiss
Judy Wilson
Mary Hastings
Karen Gerbi
Alicia Garza
Stephanie Alberto
Ose Manheim
Joy Pearson
Helen Weitz
Steve Winslow
Bob Doolittle
Maria Goudreau
Molly Pidgeon
Carolyn Snook
Prisco Tammaro
Karen Wheelock
Jake Pettigrew
Liam Schwab
Nathan Lamb
Ose & Marcel Schwab
Karen Riek