The Advocate online: www.advocatenews.net Vol. 20, No. 9 -FREE- www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday State of the City 617-387-2200 Friday, March 1, 2019 rida March 1, 2019 Committee considers City Council’s rules of decorum By Barbara Taormina Mayor Gary Christenson delivered his State of the City address on Feb. 26 at Anthony’s of Malden. See Page 7 for the full address. (Photos Courtesy of the City of Malden) 2.60% APY 2.70% APY 9 MONTH * 14 MONTH * he City Council’s Rules and Ordinance Committee is reviewing how best to handle situations when members of the council and its committees act up. This week committee members and City Solicitor Kate Fallon began a discussion on rules of decorum for elected and appointed offi cials. Since the start of the year, there have been several heated moments among councillors particularly around the issue of documenting meeting minutes as required by the state’s open meeting laws. Committee Chairman Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora proposed that councillors make it clear that public bodies will function under Robert’s Rules when it comes to decorum. “I think we should accept all of Robert’s Rules unless it conflicts with our own rule T Craig Spadafora Councillor-at-Large book,” he said. Although Robert’s rules for decorum are not spelled out in the council’s own rule book, Spadafora said that theoretically they still apply. Fallon explained that there are diff erent types of off enses and diff erent remedies. “There are slight off enses where the chair will just rap the gavel and rule a member out of order,” DECORUM | SEE PAGE 5 Lawrence Memorial ER set to close next week By Barbara Taormina L INVEST IN PEACE OF MIND . Right by you. *Annual Percentage Yield {APY) is accurate as of February 14, 2019 and is subject to change without notice. Fixed Rate awrence Memorial Hospital’s emergency room is closing on March 7 to make way for a new urgent care center. MelroseWakefield Healthcare, which owns the hospital, set the date to close the ER despite concerns from residents and offi cials in Medford and Malden that the change would create a gap in the area’s health-care infrastructure. Malden residents in need of emergency care will now go to MelroseWakefield Hospital, Winchester Hospital, Mass General or one of the Cambridge Health Alliance facilities located in Everett, Somerville or Cambridge. MelroseWakefield Healthcare, formerly Hallmark Health, is part of the Wellforce Health System, which defines itself as a “value-driven” provider Member FDIC Member SIF that believes patients should “get the care they want, when and where they want it.” But that aspect of Wellforce’s mission took a back seat to statistics that showed the ER at Lawrence Memorial had been experiencing a decline in patient visits with an average of only 23 cases a day. Although Malden residents who depended on Lawrence Memorial’s ER for care will no MEMORIAL | SEE PAGE 4 $2.59 GALLON
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