20220606 Special City Council Meeting Minutes City of Beverly
Special City Council Meeting
Public Meeting Minutes y
Monday,June 6,2022,6:00pm CITY OF BEVER Y
City Council Chambers, 191 Cabot St. Fr-ri:IV=D "r _ F:.I MDE0
Julie Flowers, City Council President, called the meeting to order at 6:00pm, City Clerk
Kent,took attendance by roll call. 2022 �'�
Members Present: Hannah Bowen, Steven Crowley, Kathleen Feldman(arrived at 6:08pm),
Scott Houseman, Estelle Rand,Todd Rotondo,Brendan Sweeney, Julie Flowers
Members Absent: Matthew St. Hilaire
Rotondo led the pledge of allegiance.
Presentations,Awards and Memorials
Eric Barber from Engineering Department, Stormwater Presentation
Barber stated that the presentation will show what will be done going forward. The issues that
are at hand for individualized, localized problems are complicated and unique; each
circumstance has its own response and activities that need to take place to address those. The
program is really a"stop the bleed"approach on a large scale and is a baseline comprehensive
approach that will have an effect citywide. Barber stated that does not mean those individualized
problems will not be addressed. They are complicated and take time.
Feldman arrived at 6:08pm.
Barber played the second portion of a prepared video presentation. The first part of the
presentation was played at a special City Council meeting on May 16.
Crowley stated that his concern has to do with the capacity of the two big arteries coming
through and dumping into the brook.
Barber clarified that it is the upper Sohier Road area through Tozer Road then down by the high
school and Jordan Street. It is a concern that those culverts cannot handle the short-burst high
intensity storms. Barber stated that they are looking at mitigation. The first step is to address the
downstream reaches. There is a cleaning contract that is currently underway and a design
engineer on board. The process is in the permitting phase to clean the lines beneath the
Cummings Center,then from there further evaluation will be needed. Barber stated he is also
working with the conservation agent and engineers to see what the options are and what types of
permitting will be needed to clean out the brook.
Rotondo stated that a lot of the issues with the brooks in his own neighborhood came from the
foliage. DPS used to come every two or three years and clear out the leaves,but it sounds like
they are no longer allowed to do that anymore.
Barber stated that each body of water has its own jurisdiction or requirements depending on the
classification of that body of water. Each individual area will have its own criteria based upon
the type of resource. Barber stated he is working with the conservation agent because part of the
process is identifying the classification and requirements to be able to go in and clean up.
Rand asked if they are trying to create a master plan for stormwater management and about
policy initiatives to reduce pesticides and increase permeable surfaces.
Barber stated that some of this is becoming formalized. History has changed the requirements for
stormwater management. Most of the current day techniques really started to take fruition in the
late `90s and early 2000s and started to get stricter and stricter. The more that is done to
formalize the process, the better chance there is of sustainable results. Barber stated the City is
encouraging developers to use low impact development techniques and move towards a way of
evaluating how developers are doing, specifically around stormwater management.
Bowen stated that, understanding there is not much time left before the next meeting this
evening, she had questions but could get answers at a later meeting or date. Bowen asked
questions about cleaning drains on Jordan St. and Simon St., cleaning culverts on Victor St., and
support for homeowners in the meantime like improving curbing, providing sandbags and other
short-term prevention before storms. Bowen also asked about looking at land on Jordan St. that
is at a higher grade than people's yards and if there is any short-term mitigation, as well as the
drains by Beverly High School. Bowen asked if the City is looking for funding through the new
infrastructure law, coastal resiliency grants, or the capital improvement plan and priorities for
this coming fiscal year.
Barber stated that a huge part of what the City is doing is full evaluations of all City assets. The
day after Jordan St. residents asked, someone from the department went out and inspected the
drains; they look clear at this time. The City working on formalizing a plan and process. Mike
Collins has personally spent hours talking to residents about what can be done at their own
homes to shield that area. There is only so far that things can go once it gets onto private
property. Private property owners have to make some of the changes. Looking at the street, in a
predominant amount of storms,the street and drainage is behaving the way it needs to. There are
these cases of high intensity storm bursts, where it won't take that flow. The City is doing
everything we believe we can do and taking feedback to provide a plan.
A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion carried (8-0).
The meeting adjourned at 7:01pm.
Beverly Special City Council Meeting Minutes—June 6,2022 page 2 of 2