City Council Rules and Ordinance Committee – May 5, 2026

City of Malden

Malden City Hall

215 Pleasant Street Malden, MA 02148

Meeting Minutes - Final Rules & Ordinance Committee

Councillor Winslow, Chair

Councillor Colon Hayes, Vice-Chair

• Councillor Crowe
• Councillor Linehan
• Councillor O'Malley

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

5:30 PM

215 Pleasant Street

Room 105

Malden, MA 02148

Watch the meeting with Teams: https://tinyurl.com/mst4ns6e

Roll Call

Chair Winslow called the meeting to order at 5:36 PM.

Also in attendance was Nelson Miller, Ron Hogan, Zaheer Samee, and Councillor McDonald.

Present: 3 - Stephen Winslow, Karen Colon Hayes and Peg Crowe

Absent: 2 - Amanda Linehan and Ryan O'Malley

Minutes to be Approved

238-26

Minutes for the meeting of March 17, 2026

A motion was made by Councillor Colon Hayes, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Committee Minutes be approved. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Business

197-26

Be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden (MCC) 6.08.070 C(2) LICENSING OF MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS is hereby amended by inserting ‘, provided that no fewer than five marijuana retailer licenses shall be made available.’ after ‘Mass. Gen. Laws ch 138 § 15’.

Sponsors: Karen Colon Hayes

Attachments: Final Paper: 197-26

Councillor Colon Hayes explained the need to clarify the ordinance language for marijuana retail licenses, noting previous confusion when the number of liquor licenses fluctuated and the lack of clear notification procedures the for the subsequent fluctuation of marijuana retail licenses.

Mr. Hogan explained that the sections of marijuana retail licenses and liquor licenses in the ordinances conflicted, with one defining an initial licensing period and another setting a cap, resulting in inconsistent license numbers.This amendment would avoid future confusion and prevent inadvertent violations of the ordinance.

Rules & Ordinance Committee

Meeting Minutes - Final

May 5, 2026

Mr. Hogan also explained the simplest solution would be to set a fixed cap of five marijuana retail licenses given that population increases required for additional licenses are unlikely.

A motion was made by Councillor Colon Hayes, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Ordinance be recommended favorably to the City Council. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Adjournment

A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that this meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 5:43 PM.

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