20210802 Special City Council Minutes City of Beverly
City Council Special Meeting
Public Meeting Minutes
Monday,August 2, 2021, 7pm
City Council Chambers, 191 Cabot St.
Paul Guanci, City Council President, called the meeting to order at 7:05pm. City Clerk, Lisa
Kent, took the attendance by roll call.
Members Present: Stacy Ames, Dominic Copeland, Kathleen Feldman, Timothy Flaherty, Todd
Rotondo, Estelle Rand, Paul Guanci
Members Absent: Julie Flowers, Scott Houseman
Copeland led the pledge of allegiance.
Acceptance of Minutes of Previous Meetings: Finance and Property/Committee of the
Whole June 15,2021 and City Council Minutes June 23,2021 and June 28,2021
The motion to approve was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion carried (7-0).
Communications from His Honor the Mayor
Order 4139-Grant-$180 from Mass Department of Transportation Rail & Transit Division for
the Council on Aging to place advertising on Diversity.com
Catherine Barrett, Director of Grants, stated this was to expand hiring outlets.
The motion to approve was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Order #140-Grant-$180,000-Mass Department of Mental Health, Jail Arrest Diversion Program
for a one year period to assist police staff on calls for individuals who need mental health/and or
substance use supports
Barrett stated the previous grant was for a three year term, and it was a huge success. This grant
is to add a second clinician. Barrett noted in the three year term, one clinician served six
communities. The largest-demand community was Beverly, then Gloucester, then Ipswich. With
the second grant for one year, one clinician will be devoted to Beverly and Ipswich, and the other
clinician will be devoted to Gloucester, Manchester, Essex and Rockport. Beverly is the lead on
the grant. Barrett stated she does the financial and grant compliance work on the back end.
The motion to approve was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Order #141-Approval for Reciprocal Easements with Briscoe Village, LLC. in connection with
the sale of the former Briscoe School, Sohier Road
Referred to Committee on Legal Affairs.
Order #142-Donation-35 child passenger car seats from EOPSS and OGR-Car Seat Distribution
Program
Peter O'Connor, Fire Chief, stated these will be used in conjunction with other local agencies to
make sure they get into the right hands.
The motion to approve was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Order #143-Grant-$12,606,097 in American Rescue Plan Act grant funds from Mass Executive
Office and Administration and Finance to help cover increased expenditures, replenish lost
revenue and mitigate economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic
Michael Cahill, Mayor, stated this is a unique opportunity. A team of department heads from
across the administration and key support staff has been working on this initiative. Cahill stated
that he understands that the Council, his colleagues in local government and the community at
large need to be part of the discussion to work through the process of setting priorities for use of
the grant. From the time it became clear that this grant was going to happen, it has been our
intent to do the following: one, work with the U.S. [Department of the] Treasury, Massachusetts
[Executive Office for] Administration and Finance, as well as through several networks
including planning,public health, finance, legal, Massachusetts Municipal [Association] and
others, to educate ourselves regarding the eligible categories of expenditures and to talk and
discuss with colleagues in other communities and throughout the state as to what people are
seeing. That has been ongoing for some time. Two,work through that process and work to
identify administration priorities given our understanding and knowledge of the needs of the
community and of the impacts being felt by Covid. All this is being done in preparation for the
next step of meetings with Councilors as we understand the importance of the Council's
perspective and advocacy. We are looking to start those meetings the week of August 16th. Once
those steps happen and we have had the chance to look at all this together, we plan to hold a
community meeting and invite community members to share their perspectives on Covid's
impact here in Beverly,where the critical needs are, and how we might best address these. From
the start,the intention has been acknowledging the uniqueness of this whole dynamic and to try
to work through a really robust process to figure out where to head with these expenditures. The
goal is to conduct this process over the next several weeks. The ARPA funds can actually be
expended over several years; we have through December 31, 2024 to expend funds. Given that
the funds will be able to be expended over several years,we expect that the conversations will be
revisited and will continue through the life of the grant.
Copeland asked what a yea or nay vote tonight would mean.
Cahill stated the vote would be to accept the money and approve the administration's
expenditure of it. Cahill committed to a full conversation and vetting. We will utilize that to try
to help take what we are seeing as opportunities and needs and shape where we go with it. It is
not a dynamic where the Council will be looking at it in a line by line or expenditure by
expenditure kind of way.
Copeland stated that right now there is not a full understanding of how those funds would be
dispersed if it was approved, so if we are voting yea,we are saying that also to the disbursement
of it.
Cahill stated it is unique because most of the grants that we receive, we understand when we
apply for them what they will be for and we understand when they come in what they will be
spent on, so that is easier to fully see what you are voting for when you vote to accept and
approve expenditure. Here, it is a set of broad categories of eligible expenditures that are meant
to be both circumscribed and flexible.
Williams stated this is a formula grant as opposed to a competitive grant. This is a request to
approve expenditure of the grant. If the Council votes to approve the expenditure tonight, then
Beverly City Council Meeting Minutes—August 2,2021,page 2 of 5
that is approval of the Mayor going forward with qualifying programs under ARPA. Legally, if
the Council approves tonight, there is not another step in which the administration has to receive
Council approval for the expenditure.
Cahill stated he fully recognizes that there needs to be a lot of input here. It is a process that we
are looking to undertake in good faith. We are all elected to represent our constituents, our
residents, our business owners, and in the case of our department heads and other staff who are
working on this, they are all entrusted with the best interest of the community. We would not lay
out any kind of a comprehensive plan of expenditures because we do not know what may come
that we had not anticipated. It is all about finding the right formula of investments that will really
help the community all in all.
Rotondo asked if there is a long term goal with the funds since it is a three year grant and elected
officials have two year terms. Rotondo also asked if there is a simplified method of getting it on
the website to show how the money is being expended so the everyday citizen knows how it is
being used since it is a large amount of money.
Cahill stated we will do the best we can with sharing it, absolutely. Once it is expended, it is
certainly easy to show that.
Flaherty clarified the process, stating that it is different from the budget process. Flaherty stated
he appreciates what the Mayor is doing by getting the community and City Council involved and
getting input in the process, but ultimately the responsibility falls with the Mayor's Office.
Cahill stated as he understands it, there is no requirement for that process. The reality is this is
our community, so it only makes sense that we spend the time sorting through it. It does not
mean that all of us are going to be happy with every expenditure, it does not mean that every
member of the public will be. We are going to undergo a process that we hope will give us a lot
of good input. We all want to do what is right with it.
Rand asked realistically what the timeline would be for making the first expenditures from this
grant.
Cahill stated if the comfort level is not there tonight, if that involves wanting to see this process
unfold and see the back and forth and the input and the conversation, the hope is that we will be
able to have these conversations together the week of the 16th and soon after Labor Day
schedule a community meeting. If that process is something the Council wants to see unfold first,
then the goal would be to have seen all that by the second September meeting. There are a couple
of things that we have been looking through in terms of whether we might expend money in the
meantime, and it certainly does not have to happen that way; there may be priorities that the
Council would like to see freed up sooner than that, and those are the considerations. It can work
either way.
Ames stated she is really encouraged to hear this community conversation effort that Mayor
Cahill is putting forward. It would be a great step to also put online in detail the dollars that were
spent in 2020 from the Covid money. Ames acknowledged it is complicated and suggested the
HVAC system for the library may be a candidate for some of this funding. There would be
tremendous value in holding off because the councilors are not all here and because it would give
the community and the Council a little time just to catch up.
Referred to Committee on Finance and Property.
Beverly City Council Meeting Minutes—August 2,2021,page 3 of 5
Order #144-Grant-$250,000 unrestricted grant donation to benefit Parks and Recreation
Barrett thanked Bruce Doig for his work on this grant.
Bruce Doig, Director of Parks and Recreation, stated this grant was from a family in memory of
a family member who loved visiting Lynch Park. They are also paying for two viewfinders and
plaques to be put up in Lynch Park.
The motion to accept the donation was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion
carried(7-0).
Communications from other City Officers and Boards
Order #146-Councilor Flowers-4th Quarter Summary from Finance and Facilities
Subcommittee of Beverly School Committee
A motion to receive and place on file was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion
carried(7-0).
Communications, Applications and Petitions
Order #147-National Grid-Plan#30405117-Railroad Ave.
A motion to set the public hearing set for September 13 at 7:15pm was made and seconded. A
vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Order #148-National Grid-Plan 430405117-Park St.
A motion to set the public hearing set for September 13 at 7:25pm was made and seconded. A
vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Order #149-Department of Public Utilities-Notice of filing,public hearing,procedural
conference and request for comments
A motion to receive and place on file was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion
carried(7-0).
Motions and Orders
Order #136-Planning Director Darlene Wynne-Proposed Ordinance Change-Possession or
consumption on public ways, in public places or on private property
Lisa Kent, City Clerk, stated this was in the newspaper.
The motion to approve was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Order #137-Planning Director Darlene Wynne-Proposed Ordinance Change-Sandwich board
signs
Kent stated this was also in the newspaper on July 2, 2021 and today is the final passage.
The motion to approve was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Beverly City Council Meeting Minutes—August 2,2021,page 4 of 5
The City Council recessed for committee work.
The City Council meeting was called back to order.
Reports of Committees
Legal Affairs
Order #134A-Councilor Houseman-Copy of Letter to Solicitor
The Committee on Legal Affairs recommended that the Council receive and place on file Order
4134A (2-0). A vote to approve was taken, and the motion carried (7-0).
Order #141-Approval for Reciprocal Easements with Briscoe Village, LLC. in connection with
the sale of the former Briscoe School, Sohier Road
Ames asked about parking, stating it looks like there will be ten deeded parking spaces. Ames
asked how a"permittee" is defined because that is who it says can park there.
Stephanie Williams, City Solicitor, stated the ten parking spaces are for the benefit of people
using the City field. Briscoe Village is allowing continued use of the ten spaces in connection
with the field.
Ames confirmed that it would be for the public. The adjacent side streets are already pretty
crowded. Once this project goes in,there should be some economic revitalization in the adjacent
residential and commercial area.
Cahill stated with regards to the community accessing the field, we don't anticipate that there
will be organized spots there moving forward, so the ten spaces will be more than sufficient for
informal uses of the field. As far as adjacent zoned areas that are commercial and retail, there are
requirements for them for parking. If new proposals come forward on any of those parcels they
will have to be looked at.
Ames, Cahill, and Williams confirmed that the project permitting and financing is on track.
Cahill stated the goal has been to close on the property by the first quarter of next year and to
have people living there by 2024.
Ames commented she has received complaints about nuisance lighting and construction noise
before lam. Ames encouraged being proactive with the neighbors so they understand what is
coming in terms of traffic, noise and lighting and being respectful of that.
The motion to approve was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried(7-0).
Guanci stated the next meeting will be September 13.
Ames stated that the scouts are having a food drive on August 22, from 2-6pm at Dane Street
Church on behalf of Beverly Bootstraps if anyone wants to bring anything.
Guanci reminded everyone it is homecoming this week so check beverlyhomecoming.org for
events.
The motion to adjourn was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion carried(8-0).
The meeting adjourned at 8:17pm.
Beverly City Council Meeting Minutes—August 2,2021,page 5 of 5