Chelsea approves intermunicipal 9-1-1 regional center with Revere and Winthrop

The Chelsea City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve an intermunicipal agreement to join a regional emergency communications district and dispatch center hosted by the city of Revere with partners Revere and Winthrop.

The council approved the order by roll call, 11-0, after a lengthy public-comment period and council debate that focused on labor concerns, public-safety impacts, and financial projections.

Supporters said the regional approach would save the city money while preserving service. “This move is going to save the city multiple millions of dollars over the next 5 years,” Councilor Jimenez Rivera said during the discussion. The city manager urged timely action, saying there is a submission deadline for the grant tied to the project and adding that “it is around March 1,” making prompt council action necessary.

Opponents — including current 9-1-1 employees and union representatives — urged the council to delay and to complete impact bargaining with staff before voting. “I’m furious that this conversation of regionalization has turned to a rushed vote,” said Miriam, identified in public comment as the president of the NEPBA local for 9-1-1 dispatchers. Commenters warned that regionalization could lead to longer response times and job losses if not implemented carefully.

The intermunicipal agreement submitted to council describes a Revere-hosted center located in a renovated McKinley School, 1.6 miles from Chelsea City Hall. The agreement would establish a nine-member governing board with Chelsea allotted three seats, including seats for Chelsea’s chief of police, fire chief and city manager. According to the city manager’s letter attached to the council packet, a state grant will pay for the school renovation and will fully cover Chelsea’s assessment for the first three years; the grant will also subsidize parts of years four and five (the packet describes 50% of year four and 25% of year five). The letter projects that Chelsea’s assessment in year six will be lower than its current 9-1-1 operating budget.

Councilors and the administration said they expect negotiations with employees to continue and that the city is offering enhanced pay and retention measures to affected staff. Labor leaders asked for more time for impact bargaining under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 150E; some called for tabling the vote until negotiations concluded. The council majority said the information before it, together with the grant timing, justified a vote now.

The council’s formal action was recorded as an order approving the city to enter the intermunicipal agreement for the Metro North Regional Emergency Communications District and dispatch center with Revere and Winthrop. The roll call recorded 11 votes in favor and 0 opposed; the clerk announced, “11 members in favor, 0 opposed. Order is adopted.”

The council did not specify an exact start date for the regional center in the motion; the administration letter attached to the communication lists the grant timeline and the assessment schedule but does not give a hard operational start date beyond the multi-year subsidy schedule.

Councilors said the city will continue bargaining and asked the administration to keep the council and the public informed about negotiations and implementation milestones.

Votes at a glance

• Intermunicipal agreement for Metro North Regional Emergency Communications District (Revere, Winthrop, Chelsea) — Motion adopted by roll call, 11-0. Chelsea to hold three seats on governing board; McKinley School site 1.6 miles from City Hall; state grant to cover renovation and initial assessments (first three years fully covered; partial coverage in years four and five).