Chelsea Happenings February 2018 - City of Chelsea
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Chelsea Happenings February 2018 Hello Chelsea! Spring is just around the corner. Bloomberg Mayor’s Challenge Grant Great news! We were recently notified that Chelsea is one of 35 Champion Cities selected as a finalist in the 2018 U.S. Mayors Challenge, a nationwide competition that encourages municipal leaders to uncover bold ideas that confront the toughest problems cities face. Chelsea generated an idea to scale the “Hub” crime prevention strategy, in which a team of community and government agencies meet weekly, identify individuals or families facing high levels of risk for crime, and then immediately connect them to the services they need. The City is now beginning a six month testing phase where it will conduct public prototypes of its idea with grant funding of $100,000. You can find out more information here. Re-Imagining Broadway The final public hearing on the City’s plans for the re-design of Broadway, Bellingham Sq., Fay Sq. and Chelsea Sq. will take place on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Williams School Music Room located at 180 Walnut Street. We expect to present two different plans to the public, one for continuation of the One-Way Broadway configuration and another for a new Two-Way Broadway design. We encourage all residents to attend. Capital Improvement Plan The City’s FY19-FY23 Capital Improvement Plan has been submitted to the City Council. The total amount requested for FY19 is in excess of $11.5 million. The Plan includes significant funds for roadway and water and sewer infrastructure improvements, technology upgrades, vehicle replacement, building renovations and park and open space improvements. There are also major investments proposed for the Chelsea Public Schools. The CIP Plan reflects the City’s philosophy to utilize its strong reserves
for investment in capital improvements that enhance the quality of life of its residents. The City Council will be holding a public hearing on the Plan and then voting on its components. You can access a copy of the CIP submitted to the City Council for approval here. Recreational Marijuana The City Council has scheduled a public hearing on the City’s proposed Recreational Marijuana Ordinance for Monday, March 26, 2018 at 7pm. The proposed Ordinance would allow for recreational marijuana uses, and its sale, in the Highway Business, Shopping Center and Industrial Districts. A copy of the proposed Ordinance is available here. Because Chelsea’s residents voted in favor of the recreational marijuana ballot question in the November 2016 election, the City cannot prohibit this use. Plastic Bag Ban The City Council recently held a subcommittee meeting to consider a ban on plastic bags. Further discussion on this important public health matter is scheduled for the next Beautification Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. That meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m. at The Neighborhood Developers, 4 Gerrish Avenue, Chelsea. All are welcome. Black History Month February is Black History Month. A Calendar of events is available here. The programming will conclude with a major celebration on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Williams School from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Dog Licensing and Dog Bite Reporting The City is reminding all dog owners that you must license your dog annually. Licensing commences on April 1, 2018. The cost is $15 for a spayed or neutered dog, or $20 for an intacted dog. The City also encourages anyone who is the victim of a dangerous dog to report all instances of biting and/or aggressive behavior to the City Clerk and the Animal Control Officer. A new form for reporting such incidents is available online here. For the Animal Control Officer Joao Teixeira, please contact Jteixeira@chelseama.gov or 617-874-0413. CAPIC’s Tax Preparation Program CAPIC is offering free tax help for taxpayers who income qualify. Trained volunteers will help with special credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the Credit for the Elderly or Disabled. In addition to free tax return preparation, the program also offers free electronic filing (e-filing). For more information, please contact
Shelly Thimmer at 617-884-6130, ext. 116, or
click here.
White Ribbon Day 2018
White Ribbon Day is Wednesday, February 28.
This is a day to remember all those who are
victims of domestic violence and to take a
pledge to commit to promoting healthy
relationships and communities. A ceremony will take place in front of Chelsea City Hall
from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. All are invited. See more information here.
Bunker Hill Adult Education
Bunker Hill Community College is offering Adult Education classes during the Spring
semester in Chelsea. Most classes will take place at the old Bellingham Square
location. For more information about the specific
offerings, dates and times, click here.
Chelsea Property Data Available Online
As part of an effort to be transparent and supply
information to the public, the City of Chelsea has
generated an Excel spreadsheet containing current real
estate data. We hope you find it useful. You can view the
sheet here.
MassDOT Tobin Bridge and Viaduct Project
As many of you know, MassDOT is moving forward with two major projects in the
City. The Tobin Bridge rehabilitation project has commenced, with a Notice to Proceed
issued to J.F. White. That project involves rehabilitation of the Tobin Bridge decking as
well as repair of the Beacon St., Fourth St. and Everett St. ramps. The project will last
3 years. The Viaduct Project is still in design but will likely have a Notice to Proceed
issued by the end of 2018. That is also a 3 year project. The City continues to remain
in active dialogue with MassDOT to limit project impacts and to reach agreement on a
mitigation package. A follow-up public meeting for the Viaduct project is scheduled for
the Chelsea High School Auditorium on March 8, 2018 at 6:30pm.
Microenterprise Program for Downtown Businesses
The City has officially launched a new grant program for small businesses located in the
Broadway Business District! The City is offering low- and moderate-income business
owners free technical assistance to help improve sales, market their establishments,
and enhance both their physical and digital presence. Free consulting is available for
business marketing and planning, interior and exterior design, and customer service
and sales techniques. Grants of up to $1500 are available to help implement the
recommendations. Services are available in English and Spanish. Any eligible business
is encouraged to apply. Applications can be found on the City’s website, or picked up at the Department of Planning and Development, located in Room 101 at Chelsea City Hall. Please contact the City’s Economic Development Specialist, Karl Allen, at 617-466- 4190 or kallen@chelseama.gov if you are interested! Chelsea Police Department Invites Residents to Participate in the Community Satisfaction Survey The Chelsea Police Department is conducting a community satisfaction survey to gauge the perception of its work in the City. The survey is available here in English or here in Spanish. It will take approximately five minutes of your time and is completely confidential. Your participation will help to improve CPD’s services, processes and outreach to the community. The survey includes both multiple-choice questions and an opportunity to make individual comments. CPD will read every individual comment and encourages individuals to make their feedback as specific as possible. Housing Rehabilitation Program The Chelsea CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program provides deferred-payment loans to eligible applicants for housing rehabilitation in 1 to 4 unit residential buildings to bring the property into code compliance and eliminate violations that threaten the health and safety of building occupants. More information can be found at the City’s Department of Planning and Development here. You can also contact Bethany Rosa at 617-466-4180 or brosa@chelseama.gov. Community Preservation Committee The next Community Preservation Committee meeting will be held on February 22, 2018 at 6PM in Chelsea City Hall Room 102. The Committee will also convene on March 22, 2018 at 6pm in Chelsea City Hall Room 102. The formulation of a plan for usage of the Community Preservation Act funds will be the subject of discussion at these meetings. Looking to get rid of old furniture? Puerto Rican families need your help! Let the Chelsea Collaborative know if you have any furniture in good condition that you would be willing to donate to a family in need. For more information, click here or contact Sylvia Ramirez at 617-889-6080 ext. 106 or sylviar@chelseacollab.org. 2018 Police Academy for Chelsea Residents Sign up now for the few remaining slots of the 2018 Police Academy for Chelsea Residents. The program begins March 21 and will continue for 8 weeks. Sessions are from 6pm to 7:30pm and are held in the Community Room of the Chelsea Police Station. Business owners are also encouraged to apply. As a participant, you will learn more about how and why police departments operate and how they are organized. You will also learn about how the nature of policing is
shifting and about new strategies in community policing. You will get a glimpse of the daily
life of a patrol officer and what happens when someone is arrested. You will also get a
special session from the Criminal Investigations Division which includes homicide and drug
investigations, and how crime scenes are handled. You will also have the opportunity to
sign up for a civilian “ride-along” in a Chelsea patrol vehicle. Presentations will also be
made by the Gang Unit and the K-9 officer. The program will conclude with a special
graduation ceremony and you will be connected with previous graduates of the program.
For an application and more information, please contact Dan Cortez at (617) 466-4807
and at dcortez@chelseam.gov.
Free Walking Tours
Did you know that Chelsea was once known as “Little Jerusalem” and held more than two
dozen Jewish places of worship? Explore Chelsea’s rich Jewish history and evolving
present with Dr. Ellen Rovner of Boston University and Brandeis on a free walking
tour this spring. Learn about the swell of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe in
the early twentieth century, the mark that the growing Jewish population made on
this city, and what has changed over the past few decades. This program was made
possible in part by the City of Chelsea through its downtown initiative, Chelsea Pros-
pers. The next tours are all at 10:30 am on March 14, March 19 and April 9. To reg-
ister for the free tour or for more information: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/free-tour
-of-jewish-chelsea-tickets-43353911717?aff=efbevent
Gallery 456:
Change is coming to the former site of the Salvation Army store on Broadway. Over
the next month a storefront gallery will be installed in the now vacant property. The
exterior will be cleaned up and temporary walls and new lighting installed to show off
rotating art exhibits. The first show scheduled is letterpress prints from middle
school students of English teacher Lindsey Horowitz and art teacher Jennifer Porto of
the Eugene Wright Science and Technology Academy. They’re composing poems
about Chelsea and creating posters and other media of words and images. Chelsea
artists interested in exhibiting in this space should contact Mimi Graney at
mgraney@chelseama.gov.
Upcoming Events:
Do you have a community event for the Community Events Calendar?
Click here to submit it.
Sunday, February 25 from 1pm to 4:30pm - FREE Ice
Skating for Chelsea residents! Come out for an afternoon of
family fun at the Cronin Skating Rink, 870 Revere Beach
Parkway, Revere.
Wednesday, February 28 from 9:30am to 11am—White
Ribbon Day - White Ribbon Day is a day to remember all thosewho are victims of domestic violence and to take a pledge to commit to promoting healthy relationships and communities. A ceremony will take place in front of Chelsea City Hall from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. All are invited. See more information here. Sunday, March 4 - Ice Skating Lessons for youth & adults—Join us on Sundays from March 4 to April 22 at the Cronin Skating Rink. The cost is $35 for youth and $45 for adults. See here for more details. Register online at https://recreation.chelseama.gov or register in person at Williams Building, 180 Walnut Street, Monday - Friday 4-8:30pm and Saturday 9-4:30pm. For more information call (617) 466-5233, or email recrea- tion@chelseama.gov. Tuesday, March 6 at 6pm - Plastic Bag Ban Meeting - The City Council recently held a subcommittee meeting to consider a ban on plastic bags. Further discussion on this important public health matter is scheduled for the next Beautification Committee meeting at The Neighborhood Developers, 4 Gerrish Avenue, Chelsea. All are welcome. Saturday, March 10 from 9am to 1pm - Chelsea Collaborative Annual Membership Retreat - Join the Chelsea Collaborative for its annual membership retreat and learn about the benefits of being a member of the organization. This event will take place at the Chelsea Collaborative, 318 Broadway, Chelsea. For more information, click here or contact 617-889-6080. Wednesday, March 14 from 6pm to 8pm - Reimagining Broadway—The final public hearing on the City’s plans for re-design of Broadway, Bellingham Sq., Fay Sq. and Chelsea Sq. will take place in the Williams School Music Room located at 180 Walnut Street. We expect to present two different plans to the public, one for continuation of the One-Way Broadway configuration and another for a new Two-Way Broadway design. We encourage all interested residents to attend. Saturday, March 24 - Easter Egg Hunt - Bring your own basket and hop on over to our Easter Egg Hunt! For children ages 2-10, come to the Mary C. Burke Complex at 300 Crescent Ave. See here for more details. For more information or to register online, visit: https://recreation.chelseama.gov. Or, register in person at Williams Building, 180 Walnut Street, Monday - Friday 4-8:30pm and Saturday 9-4:30pm. For more information call (617) 466-5233 or e-mail recreation@chelseama.gov. That’s all for now! Tom A.
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