Medeiros: Maintain Melrose’s beauty

As I am out on the campaign trail, making my way, neighborhood by neighborhood from door to door meeting voters, I cannot help but notice just how beautiful Melrose is.

Along the way, I admire beautiful flower gardens, dodge scampering chipmunks, take in the scent of freshly mowed lawns, and hear children out enjoying these long summer days. Before long, the chug of the train brings commuters back home after a hard day’s work.

We truly are a special community.

If I am elected Mayor this fall, I will make maintaining Melrose’s beauty among my top priorities. To me, that means maintaining our roads, keeping our sidewalks clear, planting more trees and preserving our open space.

As beautiful as we are, the fact is, many of our roads are badly in need of fixing. As we embark upon the aggressive water & sewer infrastructure improvement projects I intend to pursue, I will see that we coordinate these efforts and collaborate with gas and other utilities to repair our roads in a systematic way.

We again, were just named the hottest zip code in Massachusetts by Realtor.com. Part of our desirability, is just how walkable our city is. Keeping it that way means not only properly maintaining our sidewalks, but also keeping them clear from obstruction.

Bicycles, no matter how great they are to get us around, should not be strewn across the sidewalk, impeding anyone with a baby carriage, a walker or a wheelchair from moving along safely and freely.

My order which is pending before the Board of Aldermen on August 19 would hold shared mobility vehicle companies like Limebike accountable. My proposed ordinance would treat these companies just as we do other vehicle for hire companies such as taxi and livery services by requiring licensing and allowing the police to ticket the company if vehicles are left obstructing the public way. Should this order not pass, I will pursue a similar executive policy from the Mayor’s office if I am elected.

Snow, although not manmade, presents another mobility challenge. As mayor, I would expand our sidewalk plow routes to include not only school routes, but also other heavily traveled pedestrian and commuter routes. I would also create a “snow angels” program to facilitate community service opportunities for students and others to help shovel snow for those who are unable to do it themselves.

As we look for ways to build our community and bridge the divide of age, wealth and ability, we might consider expanding this service program further to include volunteer lawn mowing or summer gardening help.

As our next mayor, I would plant more trees and seek the Arbor Day Foundation’s “Tree City USA” designation. Trees increase property values, can lower stress and help clean the air we breathe.

Likewise, preserving our precious open space is vital to maintaining our community’s character. We must focus new development in smart growth areas and think creatively to add green space wherever possible.

Together these efforts will help maintain Melrose’s beauty and keep it the desirable place we love.

To learn more about my campaign or to get involved, please visit my website at www.VoteMonica.com or follow me on Facebook at “Monica Medeiros for Melrose” and Twitter @VoteMonica.