Malden — Malden city leaders voted Monday night to begin moving toward holding two city council meetings each month as officials pushed for greater involvement in day-to-day city operations and ongoing community projects. During a lengthy discussion at the regular meeting of the Malden City Council, council members said the city’s current once-a-month meeting schedule no longer provides enough time to adequately address infrastructure concerns, park improvements, financial matters and community development issues. “We need to know what’s actually going on in the City of Malden,” Ward 3 Councilman Philip Santie said. “We need to be part of it.” Santie said he believes additional meetings would improve communication between council members, department leaders and city administration while allowing officials to respond more quickly to emerging problems. “As long as I’m here, I’d like to see two meetings a month,” Santie said. “We all need to try to work together to make Malden better for the total city.” City Administrator and Public Safety Executive Director Jeff Mitchell agreed additional meetings could help improve communication and reduce delays in addressing issues before they become larger concerns. “I’m on the phone 60 percent of my day,” Mitchell told the council. “I’ll try to keep you informed as much as I can.” Mayor Denton Kooyman noted the city previously experimented with workshop-style meetings but said the format occasionally created confusion for residents attending regular council sessions. “When we came to the meeting, we already knew what we were going to do, but the audience didn’t know what we were talking about,” Kooyman said. Santie formally made the motion directing the city to move toward twice-monthly council meetings, with the motion seconded by fellow Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Dierks. Council members discussed several scheduling possibilities, including first and third Monday meetings, along with concerns involving staffing costs, ordinance revisions and attendance policies that would need updating before the change could officially take effect. Officials noted Malden’s existing ordinance governing council compensation and attendance procedures would require revision if the city adopts a twice-monthly schedule. “This does not affect any other rights or duties of council persons, only the compensation,” Kooyman said. Council members stressed the proposal was not financially motivated. “We’re here for our community,” Kooyman said. “That hundred bucks really isn’t doing nothing for the part we put in.” The council ultimately approved the motion directing city officials and attorneys to begin preparing ordinance revisions and scheduling recommendations for implementation later this summer. Splash Pad Project Nearing Completion Mitchell also updated the council on the long-awaited splash pad project at Frisco Park, saying the city is still waiting on concrete work before the final installation phase can begin. “It’s close,” Mitchell said. “I was hoping to be done before school let out.” According to Mitchell, the city has already received splash pad equipment while additional site work continues involving sidewalks, restroom access and surrounding park improvements. “Once we get the concrete done, the engineer told me he would come back, bolt the pieces down, hook it up and turn it on,” Mitchell said. Kooyman said the project has faced repeated delays over the last year and a half due largely to difficulties securing contractors through the city’s bidding process. “We’ve been trying to get concrete the last year and a half, two years,” Kooyman said. “It’s been very hard to get somebody to do it.” Officials also discussed confusion involving earlier administrative transitions that shifted responsibility for the project among multiple city leaders over time. “I think it changed kind of on who was going to do what roles, unfortunately,” Kooyman said. Mitchell said the city remains optimistic the project can still be completed within the required grant timeline, though officials may request an extension if necessary. Park Security, Maintenance Concerns Discussed Council members also discussed nighttime activity and security concerns at Frisco Park, where residents have reported individuals remaining in the park after dark. Kooyman said the park currently operates under a “dusk to dawn” policy adopted several years ago. “There’s people out there all night long sometimes,” he said. Mitchell said additional security cameras are planned as part of broader improvements connected to the splash pad and walking trail areas. “There’s also going to be cameras in the park too,” Mitchell said. “There’ll be more cameras in that park.” Officials discussed whether additional patrols or stricter enforcement of park hours may become necessary, particularly near walking trails and benches located close to residential neighborhoods. Ward 4 Councilman Bo Beckett also raised concerns about park maintenance staffing levels ahead of an upcoming Park Board meeting. “We need a guy 30 percent of the time out there in the park cleaning them up, mowing and fixing the fields,” Beckett said. Kooyman explained the city previously maintained a dedicated park employee before labor responsibilities were spread among multiple street department workers. “I don’t think they’re getting their full duty out of it,” Kooyman said. Beckett specifically pointed to conditions near the former air base athletic fields. “Our ball fields, for example, out there on the air base — somebody needs to hurry up and get out there,” Beckett said. Kooyman acknowledged the concern and said the issue may need to be addressed during upcoming budget discussions. Water Infrastructure Remains Long-Term Priority Mitchell also provided an update on ongoing water system repairs and infrastructure improvements throughout the city. “There was a lot of things going on in the water department,” Mitchell said. He described a recent late-night repair in which pressure from one repaired line caused another weakened section of pipe to rupture nearby. “When they pressurized it, it caused another fracture in the line,” Mitchell said. “They were working until about midnight.” City crews have also continued addressing sewer lift stations, sinkholes and deteriorating underground infrastructure while replacing portions of Malden’s aging asbestos water lines. “When I became mayor, it was a five-year project,” Kooyman said. “The cost of pipe went up.” Council members said replacement work has continued in recent years along Oak Street and other sections of town where deteriorating lines continue creating maintenance problems. “They’re pretty bad,” Kooyman said while describing older lines inspected by city crews. Mitchell said the city is preparing additional engineering studies and grant applications aimed at accelerating future infrastructure improvements. “If we got approved for a grant tomorrow, you’re talking a year, year and a half before you even start on the project,” Mitchell said. Parking Lot Conditions Raise Concerns Ward 1 Councilwoman Lynette Jenkins also raised concerns about deteriorating private parking lots throughout the city, including areas near shopping centers and restaurants. “There’s parking lots — they are atrocious,” Jenkins said. “Somebody’s going to lose a car.” Jenkins questioned whether the city could take stronger action against property owners whose neglected lots create hazards and negatively impact the city’s appearance. “It looks bad on the city,” Jenkins said. “We need to be proactive and get them to do something.” City Attorney Jonce Chidister explained enforcement could prove difficult because many properties are owned by absentee corporations or holding companies rather than local businesses operating on-site. “In theory, I do believe the city could adopt parking lot regulations,” Chidister said. “The concern is who do you hold accountable?” Kooyman suggested referring the matter to the city’s building code committee for further review. “It’s worth a shot to try,” Kooyman said. Financial Reconciliation, Board Appointments Approved Mitchell also updated the council on ongoing financial reconciliation efforts involving city records following staffing changes in recent years. “They truly are trying to sort it out,” Mitchell said regarding outside accounting work currently underway. Beckett said the city may eventually benefit from returning to a full-time in-house financial employee. “I think this is why we need an in-house,” Beckett said. Earlier in the meeting, council members approved the appointment of Vivian Stone to fill a vacant Ward 1 council seat following Donna Hufford’s recent election victory and subsequent withdrawal from the appointment process. Kooyman also announced several upcoming public meetings, including: * Park Board meeting — 5:30 p.m. May 20 * Board of Public Works meeting — 5 p.m. May 26 * Building code committee meeting — 1 p.m. May 27 * Next regular city council meeting — 6 p.m. June 15 The mayor additionally praised local utility crews, police officers, firefighters and emergency responders for recent service throughout the community, including mutual aid assistance provided during a major fire in Campbell and a recent elevated rescue involving stranded workers high above a Malden business. “We were able to get those people down safely,” Kooyman said. Kooyman said the incidents provided valuable real-world experience for local volunteer firefighters and first responders. “As much as we joke about things like that, it’s actually good training for our people,” Kooyman said. The Malden City Council currently meets at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at Malden City Hall inside the Malden Community Center, 607 Douglass St. The public is encouraged to attend.