City Manager Fidel Maltez delivers State of the City, highlights finances, housing, public safety and infrastructure

City Manager Fidel Maltez delivered the State of the City address to the Chelsea City Council, outlining priorities including fiscal stability, affordable housing, public safety, infrastructure and community services.

Maltez told the council and attendees that Chelsea closed fiscal year 2024 with $33,834,080 in certified free cash and a stable credit outlook from S&P Global. "It is an honor to stand before you today as your city manager and present the state of our city," Maltez said.

The speech placed immediate items in context. Maltez described Chelsea Palante (also referred to as Chelsea Onward), the city’s first comprehensive plan since 1970, as a 10-year guide for growth and inclusion. He highlighted the completion and ribboning of major housing projects, including Duo, described in his remarks as a $155,000,000 development that created 330 mixed-income units and replaced 96 aging public-housing units with energy-efficient, ADA-accessible apartments. He also noted a separate project at 25 Sixth Street that added 56 affordable rental apartments and six affordable homeownership units.

Maltez summarized public-safety initiatives and partnerships. He credited a Save Streets Task Force collaboration with the FBI and Chelsea Police for disrupting organized crime through "Operation 8 Ball," and described the Downtown Task Force’s efforts to reduce graffiti, public drinking and related criminal activity. He said the police department’s Hub Initiative provided resources to more than 1,000 residents in 2024 and that the department launched a female officer enrichment program. He also acknowledged Chelsea Fire Department innovations, including a safety-net tracking program that, he said, helped locate a missing child with autism within 20 minutes.

On infrastructure and resilience, Maltez announced a solar-powered microgrid pilot and described the Downtown Broadway reconstruction as a $30,000,000 investment in full-depth utility and streetscape work, with phase 1 nearing completion and phase 2 planned. He listed parks and open-space upgrades—Forsyth Pocket Park, Boston Park and Highland Park—and the hiring of the city’s first parks and open-space manager and arts and culture manager.

Maltez said the city launched Chelsea Electricity Choice, a municipal aggregation program with fixed rates locked for 24 months, and described new housing enforcement measures, including an interdepartmental housing task force and a new licensing process for property management companies. He said the city supported eviction defense services in partnership with La Colectiva and hosted weekly legal clinics. He also announced an opioid abatement grant program funded by statewide opioid settlements, with awards to Roca ($123,989.57 paid incrementally over three years) and Community Action Programs Intercity (listed as $525,600, to be paid over three years), and a microgrant program offering up to $2,500 to local groups through fiscal year 2038.

Maltez closed by reaffirming the city’s commitment to eliminate lead from the water system, describing a lead task force that knocked on more than 1,000 doors and booked about 300 service-line inspection appointments, and by thanking staff, volunteers and residents. The address was recorded in Spanish and will be posted by Chelsea Community Cable on YouTube, he said.

The address was delivered at a regular City Council meeting after the council suspended the rules to allow it to proceed.