20240613 City Council Meeting Minutes City of Beverly
Special City Council Meeting
Public Meeting Minutes
Thursday,June 13,2024,6:30pm
City Council Chambers, 191 Cabot St.
Julie Flowers, City Council President, called the meeting to order at 6:30pm. City Clerk, Lisa
Kent,took attendance by roll call.
Members Present: Hannah Bowen, Steven Crowley, Kathleen Feldman, Scott Houseman,
Danielle Spang, Matthew St. Hilaire, Brendan Sweeney, Julie Flowers
Members Absent: Todd Rotondo
Bowen led the pledge of allegiance.
Public Hearin
Order#161-6:30pm-Mayor Cahill's Proposed FY25 Budget
Paul Drake, 8 Bartlett St., paraprofessional at Centerville Elementary School, commended the
School Committee budget. We are having a big moment of growth as a city that comes with
some growing pains. Drake spoke about the limitations educators are facing and stated he is
hopeful that this Council will see fit to maintain and not make any additional cuts to the schools.
These numbers define our day to day lives and our children's lives.
George Gomes, 63 Bridge St., stated generally he thought the budget being presented is good.
We as a city are coming to these decision points. Healthcare costs and wages are going up;
inflation and materials are going up. There are a couple things we have the ability to impact.
Gomes spoke in support of new growth and what that would bring to the city.
Matt Bond, Beverly Teachers Association, 78 Water St., spoke about the challenges of
educators' salaries.
Julia Brotherton, President of the Beverly Teachers Association, 78 Water St., and teacher at
Beverly High School, stated that compared to other parts of the region Beverly teachers are
underpaid. This budget is a good start. Our wages are below those in neighboring districts, and
we are losing people to other districts who go there to get higher wages. We need to make sure
we pay teachers enough to live in Beverly.
Drew Redmond, Beverly Teachers Association, 78 Water St., spoke about losing colleagues to
other cities and wanting to keep that talent in Beverly. Paras are invaluable and should be paid
better. They are underappreciated and undervalued and should get a living wage.
Lorinda Visnick, 39 Middlebury Ln., stated she has two recent graduates with masters degrees,
an architect and civil engineer, who cannot afford to live here. We have some control over one
piece of the multiple pressures of the budget,that being housing. It is a supply and demand issue.
As long as we.are in a housing crisis,the prices of real estate will continue to be very high, and
as long as that is true, we will continue to struggle to pay our city employees, or any of our
workers that want to live and work here, what might be considered a livable wage. There is a lot
of data around how much wealth inequality has grown since the 1980s. Things like minimum
wage have not kept up with inflation. There are many things outside our control,but one thing in
our control is to try to release some of the pressure within the housing crisis.
The public hearing was closed.
Communications from His Honor the Mayor
Order#181-Approval of an appropriation request for professional services related to
Massachusetts Contingency Plan support for petroleum hydrocarbon release at the Beverly
Regional Airport(set public hearing)
The motion to set the public hearing for June 17 at 8:30pm was made and seconded. A vote was
taken, and the motion carried (8-0).
LATE FILE-Order#182-Appointment-Eric Knudsen, 8 Baker Ave. to serve on the Human
Rights Committee
The motion to accept the late file was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion
carried(8-0).
Referred to Committee on Legal Affairs.
Motions and Orders
Order#175-Harbormaster, Peter Dickman-Proposed Amendments to the City of Beverly
Ordinances, Chapter 124-Boating and Waterways
The motion to approve the first vote was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion
carried(8-0).
Order#161-Finance and Property Committee Final Vote on FY25 Budget
A motion to recess for a Committee on Finance and Property and Committee of the Whole
meeting was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion carried (8-0). The meeting
recessed at 7:00pm. The City Council meeting was called back to order at 7:05pm.
A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion carried(8-0).
The meeting adjourned at 7:07pm.
Beverly City Council Meeting Minutes—June 13,2024 page 2 of 2
Matthew J. St. Hilaire-Chair
Julie R. Flowers
Brendan S. Sweeney
Finance and Property/City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes
Thursday, June 13, 2024, 6:30pm
Within the Confines of the City Council Meeting
City Council Chambers, Yd Floor, Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot St.
Matthew St. Hilaire called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.
Committee Members Present: Julie Flowers,Brendan Sweeney, Matthew St. Hilaire
Councilors Present: Hannah Bowen, Steven Crowley, Kathleen Feldman, Scott Houseman,
Danielle Spang
Absent: Todd Rotondo
Order#161-Mayor's FY2025 Budget-Department Budget Sessions
The motion to approve Order#161 the Mayor's FY2025 budget as proposed at$166,004,910
was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion carried (3-0).
A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:05pm.