Special to the Record
Hello Residents of Chelsea! Welcome to Our Community! My name is Fidel Maltez and it is my honor to serve as your City Manager. I can’t believe it’s been a year since Chelsea residents voted on their favorite logo for !Chelsea Pa’Lante, Chelsea Onward! This is our city’s first master plan since 1970. This plan will help guide Chelsea’s growth for the next 10 to 15 years, including how Chelsea grows in areas like housing, jobs, parks, and public spaces.
Our !Chelsea !Pa’Lante, Chelsea Onward! Steering Committee, made up of residents, business owners, and elected officials, has helped guide the plan so that every step reflects what matters most to you, our residents. Your response and excitement has been amazing. More than 1,200 residents shared their ideas. We have learned where Chelsea is right now and more importantly where we want Chelsea to be in the future. With this information, we have started shaping the plan’s mission, values, and vision.
One of the most exciting events last year was Chelsea Pa’Lante Fest, the plan’s launch party where we celebrated our city and revealed the plan logo! Join me for this year’s Chelsea Pa’Lante Fest on March 14, 2026! We learned what you value most about Chelsea: Strong community bonds: our neighborhoods, our people, and our culture make Chelsea feel like home. Supportive networks: our community organizations do an amazing job helping our residents. Working-class pride: Chelsea is a place where families build their futures. Parks and open spaces: even our small parks are important and loved by everyone.
We are onto our next phase of the plan called “Developing, Revising, and Documenting.” During this phase, we will show you what we have been working on and will ask for your feedback. We will show you different future scenarios for things like parks, streets, or housing, and you get to tell us which ones you like best. We will also have “priorities workshops,” where you can tell us what’s most important to you. Once we receive your feedback, we will share a draft of the master plan with everyone in our community.
And finally, we will submit the plan for official approval to our Planning Board and the Chelsea City Council. !Chelsea Pa’Lante, Chelsea Onward! is a plan for our community, by our community. Every voice matters, and together we are shaping a city where everyone’s ideas count, every dream has value, and the future is built by all of us.
Now, I want to share a few timely announcements. In January, the Chelsea Fire Department responded to two back-to-back fires that displaced over 50 residents and destroyed their belongings. We are blessed that all residents escaped the fire and no one was hurt. That is the most important thing. Fires are devastating. And it can be very difficult for residents to get their life back on track after such a tragic event. We must plan for the worst and pray that a tragedy never hits. This is why I’m urging all our residents to get renters insurance. Renter’s insurance is affordable and costs about $15 to $30 a month. Renter’s insurance can protect thousands of dollars worth of your belongings and provide transition funds in case of emergencies. Property insurance only covers the building, not resident’s belongings. Please do not wait until it’s too late.
One of these fires was caused by a space heater. If you need to use a space heater, please follow these tips. One: keep space heaters 3 feet away from anything that can burn, like drapes, furniture and bedding. Two: Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed. And three: Never let it run while you’re sleeping. Plug directly into the wall outlet and never use an extension cord. I want to remind residents that it is currently the renewal period for the City of Chelsea Residential Parking Program. Permits are free until February 28. Beginning March 1, they cost $10.
The easiest and most convenient way to apply for your parking permit is online at chelseama.cmrpay.com. If you prefer to do it in person, you can submit your application in the City Clerk’s office. Finally, please join me for our annual State of the City address before the honorable City Council on Monday, February 9, at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. If you can’t make it in-person, You can watch it on YouTube or with Chelsea Community Cable Television on Comcast Channel 22.
See you next time on Our Community. Thank you and May god bless the City of Chelsea.
(Fidel Maltez is thr Chelsea City manager)