City Manager delivers annual State of the City Address
Special to the Record
City Manager Fidel Maltez gave the annual State of the City Address in the City Council Chambers at City Hall on Monday night. During the address, Maltez looked back at the city’s celebration of its 400th anniversary and ahead to the Chelsea Pa’Lante, Chelsea Onward comprehensive planning process that will take place over the next two years. The text of Maltez’s speech is below:
Good evening, it is my honor to stand before you today, as your City Manager, and present the state of our city. I start today by extending my deepest gratitude to all the hardworking leaders who have been instrumental in Chelsea’s progress over the past year, including the members of our City Council, our School Committee, and our dedicated state delegation – Representative Judith Garcia and Senator Sal DiDomenico. To our City staff, public safety teams, and volunteers, thank you for all that you do to keep our city running. And most importantly, thank you to the residents of Chelsea who continue to make this city a place of vibrancy and resilience.
In 2024, we reached an incredible milestone celebrating the 400th anniversary of our beloved City. Over a 12 month period, we came together to celebrate our history and honor the generations that have come before us. From the 400th Gala to Chelsea Day and the Chelsea 5k Road Race, this year showed our collective spirit. A special thank you to the Chelsea 400th Committee, our Law Department, Recreation, Fire, Police, Emergency Management, the Chamber of Commerce, and all the volunteers who helped make this year-long celebration a resounding success. Just as we honored the past, we also look toward the future. In alignment with our City Council, we announced Chelsea Pa’Lante, Chelsea Onward. This is our first comprehensive plan since 1970 and will help guide our City over the next 10 years. Chelsea Pa’Lante is not just a slogan; it’s not just a plan; it is a declaration of our commitment to progress, growth, innovation, and inclusivity. I am pleased to report our City’s finances are stronger than ever.
This fall, we received a clean financial audit and reviewed the findings with our City Council. We successfully closed out Fiscal Year 2024 and generated over $33 Million in Free Cash. Funds we will use to complete major capital improvements and to replenish our rainy day accounts. Our annual comprehensive financial report was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for the 26th consecutive year. S&P Global affirmed the City’s AA bond rating and confirmed our stable outlook. We also modernized our finance operations, including rolling out our employee self-service portal and eliminating wasteful printing practices. Our Finance team, led by Michael Mason, are laser focused on ensuring that our City’s finances remain strong, while continuing to provide excellent municipal services to our residents.
While we are proud that our finances are strong, we know that uncertain financial times are ahead of us. We will not let our success blind us into unsustainable budgeting. We will rebuild reserves that will see us through the next downturn, whenever it may come. We owe this to our employees and to our residents.
Our efforts to improve communication between the City and its residents have paid off. In collaboration with Chelsea Community Cable, we launched a monthly series called Our Community and hired a rockstar communications manager, Lily Martin. We launched a weekly newsletter called the City News and activated Downtown Broadway Project announcements and a traffic advisory information page. In the last quarter of 2024, our online engagement has skyrocketed, with Facebook and Instagram reaching new audiences. In 2024, we did more than just connect online. We brought people together in person. We partnered with our Chelsea Police Department and local houses of worship to hold many Faith & Blue events. These gatherings fostered stronger community bonds and encouraged meaningful dialogue between residents and law enforcement. We held listening sessions with over 20 local organizations. These conversations were critical in getting City Hall into the community, listening to those that matter most, our community leaders and our residents.
We are excited to announce that in 2025 we will host those listening sessions again. Chelsea is more connected than ever, and as we move forward, we will continue to explore new ways to engage and inform as many residents as possible.
The City Council took a significant step forward in 2024 by establishing the Chelsea Women’s Commission. This Commission is an intentional, dedicated group focused on advancing the wellbeing of women and girls in our community. The Commission has hosted monthly public meetings, engaged with Chelsea women and girls at key community events and surveyed residents to inform the creation of a comprehensive Women’s Resource Guide.
In 2024 we launched Chelsea Electricity Choice, our municipal aggregation program, which provides our residents and small business owners with more stable and competitive electricity prices. In fact, Chelsea Electricity Choice offers some of the most competitive rates in the greater Boston area. This program brings significant savings and the rates are locked in for 24 months, and are not subject to seasonal or political swings. reducing financial uncertainty around energy costs.
Over the past year, we have also strengthened our efforts to hold bad landlords accountable. We heard loud and clear that the City has to fight for our residents. To do this, we formed a Housing Task Force, bringing together staff from Housing and Community Development, Inspectional Services, the Law Department, Police and Fire. This team has been focused on finding practical solutions to Chelsea’s housing challenges and ensuring that our residents are protected. This group operates with a ‘boots on the ground’ approach to problem properties. Most recently, we created a new licensing process to hold property management companies accountable. In partnership with La Colaborativa, we supported free eviction defense for Chelsea residents, and hosted weekly Legal Housing Clinics at the Survival Center on Sixth Street. In the next few months we will launch Made App, a free, self-guided web tool that helps tenants prepare for eviction cases. We will continue empowering our residents and ensuring they have the resources they need to stay in their homes. La Colaborativa has been an invaluable ally in our work to tackle the housing crisis in Chelsea.
We have also seen a significant increase to our affordable housing stock this past year thanks to innovative public and private developments. We celebrated the grand opening of the DUO Apartments on Central Avenue, a $155 million transformational development that built 330 mixed-income housing units. DUO replaced 96 units of aging public housing with brand new, energy efficient and ADA accessible affordable units. We are proud to have partnered with the Chelsea Housing Authority and private developers to bring this project to fruition. The Neighborhood Developers also developed 56 affordable rental apartments and 6 affordable homeownership units at 25 Sixth Street. The project redeveloped an underutilized industrial site next to the Silver Line supporting our vision for transit oriented development.
Chelsea continues to grow, and we are committed to making sure affordability is part of that growth. In the fall we announced the launch of our Opioid Abatement Grant Program made possible by the Statewide Opioid Settlement cases. I am pleased to share that we have awarded significant grants to Roca and CAPIC, which will be paid out over the next three years. Additionally, our Micro Grant Program will provide up to $2,500 to local groups through Fiscal Year 2038. A portion of these funds will also support Chelsea Police’s Critical Incident Management System enabling the sharing of non-fatal drug overdose data across communities. I want to express my gratitude to Dan Cortez, Flor Amaya, Tracy Nowicki and Devon Fields for their work with opioid funds. Their dedication to tackling one of our community’s most pressing challenges has been nothing short of extraordinary.
This year we also created our Lead Task Force. The task force is raising awareness about the dangers of lead and working to eliminate lead service lines in Chelsea’s water system. Over the past year, our Task Force created a dedicated webpage; partnered with Clean Water Action and GreenRoots to enhance community outreach and education; Knocked on over 1,000 doors, engaging directly with residents and booked more than 300 service line inspection appointments. While we are pleased that over 200 lead service lines have been replaced, and more than 3,000 safe copper lines have been confirmed, our goal is clear: we will eliminate lead from Chelsea’s water system and will ensure that every resident has access to safe drinking water.
Public safety is always top of mind in our community. We are proud to announce that in 2024, the Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between the Chelsea Police Department and the FBI, made significant progress in dismantling gang leadership and reducing gang activity. Through Operation Eight Ball, the task force disrupted organized crime, leading to significant arrests and the seizure of weapons, currency, and property. The Downtown Task Force, a collaboration with Chelsea Police, local businesses, and service providers, also saw success. Thanks to proactive efforts, we have reduced graffiti, public drinking, and criminal activity in our downtown. The Chelsea Police-led HUB initiative continued to address complex social issues by offering coordinated interventions. In 2024, the HUB provided resources to over 1,000 residents, improving safety and strengthening community trust. Finally, our Police Department launched a Female Officer Enrichment Program to empower our female officers with leadership skills in decision-making, crisis management, and community engagement, paving the way for a more inclusive leadership team in the department. Thank you Chief Houghton and the men and women of our Police Department for serving and protecting our community around the clock.
This past year, the Chelsea Fire Department welcomed Fire Chief John Quatieri. Under his leadership, collaboration and innovation have flourished, particularly with the launch of our SafetyNet Tracking Program. This program equips individuals with a tracker bracelet, allowing emergency personnel to locate them quickly when they are reported missing. Last month, the program was successfully road-tested when a missing child with autism was located within 20 minutes. This fall, the Fire Department also introduced a Fire Safety Education Program to teach residents and local groups critical fire prevention techniques. This includes in-person visits from the Fire Prevention team and tours of the Central Fire Station. In addition to these impressive efforts, the Fire Department responded to 13 working fires in 2024, including 8 multiple alarm fires. Multiple alarm fires involve large and fast-spreading blazes, demanding backup teams, and mutual aid from neighboring cities to extinguish the fire safely. I am grateful for the heroic efforts of our firefighters.
As the saying goes, “Not all heroes wear capes.” And this past year, we celebrated the heroic actions of several firefighters. Lieutenant Omar Frometa, Firefighters Jamal Ahmed, Andrew Cerretani, and Christian Avellaneda were recognized for their bravery in rescuing two colleagues from a burning building. Firefighter Jeff Flores was recognized for saving lives while off duty, and Firefighter Euclides Barahona was honored for rescuing three occupants from a fire. Finally, Firefighter Miguel Acosta was recognized for performing life-saving CPR after a motor vehicle accident. We are also proud of our investments in infrastructure and sustainability.
In December, we launched our solar-powered microgrid project that will help us become more energy independent and resilient. This initiative is part of our broader strategy to protect the city’s essential services and ensure the safety of our most vulnerable residents. Our microgrid project would not have been possible without the invaluable support of GreenRoots.
We also made significant progress on the Downtown Broadway Project, a $30 million investment transforming our city’s downtown with new roads, utilities, and pedestrian-friendly spaces. This project will make our downtown more accessible, vibrant, and welcoming. We look forward to completing Phase 1 of this project and beginning Phase 2. In 2024, the City continued our Storefront Improvement program, investing $100,000 to enhance the storefronts of local businesses while supporting the local economy. Six businesses, including Lopesa, Pupusas Las Delicias, and M&Y Jewelry, each received grants for storefront improvements, along with technical assistance from the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce. A special thanks to Omar Miranda and the Chamber of Commerce for their partnership in this effort.
Art and culture play a crucial role in shaping the identity and vibrancy of our community. It enriches the daily lives of our residents, attracts visitors, supports local businesses, and spurs economic development. This year we hired our first dedicated Arts and Culture Manager, Lourdes Alvarez. This role will amplify our city’s cultural offerings, foster artistic collaboration, and create programs that engage residents and visitors alike. In 2024 we focused on enhancing our parks and open spaces to improve our community’s wellbeing. We hired our first Park and Open Space Manager, Bladimir Hernandez. Bladimir will manage all municipal parks, trees, and open spaces and oversee grants for park improvements and ADA upgrades. We took an underused lot and transformed it into Forsyth Pocket Park, a vibrant space with a patio, umbrellas, shade trees, native plants, and improved drainage. We renovated Bosson Park, which now has shaded lawns, new seating, new play equipment, a picnic area with a splash pad, a new basketball court, and, thanks to our dedicated DPW staff, dozens of healthy shade trees. Lastly, Highland Park underwent major upgrades and now features a new synthetic turf soccer field, improved drainage and bleachers.
I’d like to give a special shout out to Ben Cares, Emily Granoff, and the entire Housing & Community Development team. Your work fosters a healthier, more connected environment where residents can gather, play, and thrive together. In response to the community’s call for a greater focus on youth sports, we hired Charlie Giuffrida as our Director of Athletic Infrastructure and Sports Tourism. Charlie has connected our leagues, coaches, and players to invaluable resources, including new sources of funding, equipment, and expertise. He has taken a community-first approach, meeting with hundreds of students, parents, and stakeholders to create programs that truly reflect Chelsea’s needs and aspirations.
I am pleased to report that the City’s relationship with Chelsea Public Schools is stronger than ever. Under the excellent leadership of Superintendent Dr. Almi Abeyta, Chelsea Public Schools continues to serve all students, including our most underserved populations. In 2024, the City purchased a vacant church, which, once renovated, will house the Chelsea Opportunity Academy and the Intergenerational Literacy Program, freeing up much-needed space at our Chelsea High School and the Early Learning Center. Over the summer, we renovated the Chelsea High School Cafeteria, expanding its seating capacity and kitchen space, resulting in a significantly improved student dining experience. We look forward to continuing to support Chelsea students from “cradle to career” in partnership with our Superintendent Almi Abeyta and the dedicated Chelsea Public Schools staff.
While there is uncertainty surrounding national policy, please rest assured that Chelsea will continue to protect the dignity and rights of every resident. We will continue to work with our legal partners so residents can understand their rights and protections under Massachusetts law. I am proud of the diverse community we have built here in Chelsea. We are stronger because of our immigrant population, and we will not let fear or misinformation divide us. I am confident that together we will overcome these challenges. We have done it before. We are a city of resilience, of strength, and of determination. This is the spirit that drives us onward–Chelsea Pa’Lante. In this spirit, we recorded the State of the City in Spanish, and it will be made available after this meeting by Chelsea Community Cable via Youtube.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for your dedication to the City of Chelsea. Thank you City Council for your continued support and engagement. Thank you to our staff and our community partners who continue to grow, innovate, and build a brighter future for us all. 2025 will bring us even greater achievements, and we will continue to honor our past while shaping a prosperous future. Thank you and May god bless the City of Chelsea.