By Cary Shuman
A 35-member contingent consisting of city officials, community leaders, and residents will head to Denver next week for the National Civic League’s All-America City Award program.
Denver is known as the Mile High City and City Manager Fidel Maltez and the group will be seeking one of the nation’s highest awards. Chelsea has twice previously achieved All-America City status in 2014 and 1998 and it is one of 20 finalists, including Denver, competing for the award,
Maltez has been meeting regularly with the group in preparation for the event.
“Being named a finalist and heading to Denver is a huge honor for Chelsea,” said Maltez. “We’re ready to show the nation what community power, equity, and resilience really look like—and hopefully bring home the win!”
Director of Housing and Community Development Ben Cares is a team captain for the Chelsea group. City Council President Norieliz DeJesus, City Councilor Lisa Santagate and State Rep. Judith Garcia will be traveling to Denver as members of the group. Kelly Elementary School Principal Lisa Lineweaver will be one of the school community’s representatives.
This year’s National Civic League theme is environmental sustainability through inclusive community engagement.
Chelsea has been deemed a leader in environmental issues in the region. Maltez was a guest panelist at a May 12 Metro Mayors Coalition forum at the Museum Science and was called “a rising star’ by MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen in his introductory remarks.
“We are always attending regional forums that are working toward climate action, and one of those was the Metro Mayors Climate Coalition,” said Cares.
The city’s Department of Housing and Community Development, under Cares’s leadership, GreenRoots, (Executive Director Roseann Bongiovanni, the Mystic River Watershed Association (Executive Director Patrick Herron), the Chelsea Department of Public Works (Commissioner Cate Fox-Lent), and the Chelsea Public Schools, led by Supt. of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta, have collaborated well with Maltez throughout the successful nomination process.
Cares said there is excitement and enthusiasm about the trip to Denver and the quest for national recognition.
“Garnering national recognition for local climate resiliency efforts and environmental sustainability initiatives is really important for the city,” said Cares. “The award is celebrating Chelsea’s ability to rise from adversity, whether that be major fires, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the constant environmental justice issues that we face. I think we emerge stronger every time, and we rebuild with equity and purpose in everything that we do.”
Cares believes the All-America City Award could set the foundation for the future funding of Chelsea projects.
“I think attracting national recognition and potential funding for projects that are facing a dearth of funding in the face of this current federal climate and those impacts to the state’s budget is a solid move, and I commend the city manager for bringing us around this effort and this potential award,” concluded Cares.