Medford Election Profile: Nicole Morell For City Council

MEDFORD, MA — Medford's municipal election Nov. 5 will send seven people to the City Council out of a pool of 14 candidates. Nicole Morell, 34, is one of nine candidates not currently serving on the City Council.

Morell is a sustainability communications specialist at MIT. She lives in Medford with her husband, Jeff, and their rescue dog, Greta.

Morell graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island honors program. She has a bachelor of arts in journalism and minored in economics and political science.

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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.

Zoning is the most pressing issue facing Medford, not only because of increasing development within the city, but because it's one of the most important tools our city has to determine our future. Zoning and building ordinances have a huge impact on the amount of green space in Medford, the traffic, affordability of housing, energy efficiency, and our preparedness for climate change. As a councilor, I would work toward the creation of a master plan for the whole city which would involve a comprehensive overhaul of Medford's zoning

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

I've worked in communications my entire career, which means it’s my job to listen to people and to share their story. This skillset will enable me to not only be a responsive councilor, but a champion for citizens across Medford and the issues they are concerned about.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Our current elected officials work hard for the city and their constituents, but I believe there is always room and a need for new voices in city government. I would like to see the council have a stronger environmental and multi-modal transportation champion and believe I can be that among many other things.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Sustainable, community-led development
• Strengthen communication pathways, giving citizens a stronger voice in future development
• Revise Medford's zoning ordinance to create a comprehensive plan for our city
• Draft zoning to create sustainable development from a human, environmental, and fiscal view point
Housing
• Expand senior tax deferrals so that our neighbors can afford to stay in their homes
• Expand inclusionary zoning so first time home buyers have the opportunity to buy in Medford
Infrastructure investment
• Ensure basic maintenance funding for our public buildings
• Increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers
Supporting open and green space
• Increase our tree canopy throughout Medford
• Require developers to add public green space in future projects

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

I have been a member of Medford’s Energy and Environment committee since 2017, where I have worked collaboratively with other committee members to establish priorities, respond to needs of residents, and work to be ahead of the curve when it comes to ideas for environmental and energy initiatives within the city. We as a committee have advocated for municipal energy aggregation, a solar ordinance, and tree protection among other issues. This work requires a deep understanding of municipal government and policies.

In my professional life, I am a writer and marketer. I’ve worked at MIT for nearly six years, with many of those years focused on responding to the needs of and sharing stories of 130,000+ alumni. I had to become an expert in complex subjects in order to share those stories with a broad audience as well as work through the complex systems of higher education.

In my current position, I am charged with communicating the many efforts MIT is making to becoming more sustainable. In this role I must understand MIT’s use of resources as their effect on people, the environment, and economics at the campus and city level and communicate that to a diverse audience—a skill that will serve me well as a councilor.

My work ethic, and willingness to research and understand complex issues from all sides make me qualified for this role.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

"Don’t sacrifice long term goals for short term rewards." My dad wrote this in the card my parents gave me for my high school graduation, and it has always stayed with me. It helps me stay the course on long challenging projects, and identify priorities for moving forward as an individual, a citizen, and a candidate.

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

My main goal is to be a responsive and transparent councilor and will work toward that above all else.