20230130 City Council Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes Kathleen M. Feldman-Chair
Hannah L. Bowen
Steven M. Crowley
PUBLIC SERVICES/CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTES
Monday, January 30, 2023 6:OOPM
City Council Committee Room, 3rd Floor, Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot St.
Feldman called the meeting to order at 6:00pm.
Members present: Hannah Bowen, Steven Crowley, Kathleen Feldman
Other Councilors present: Matthew St. Hilaire, Scott Houseman
Others present: Stephen Drohosky(Cummings Center), Lorinda Visnick, Rachael Abell
Order Date to Description Action Taken
Number Committee
#326 12/20/2022 Councilor Bowen-Regarding Beverly Regional Airport Hold
#328 12/20/2022 Councilor Bowen-Regarding Storm Water Management Receive and
place on file 3-0
Notice of Availability Public Comment Draft Phase III
#331 12/20/2022 Remedial Action Plan-Former Varian Facility Site, 150 Hold
Sohier Road
Reappointment-Mr. Sean Leach, 63 Kernwood Avenue to
#013 1/17/2023 serve as a Mayoral Appointee to the Clean Energy Approve 3-0
Committee
Discussion on Order#326
Feldman asked about the progress on finding a new airport manager. Collins stated there have been almost 20
applicants. The hiring committee will forward three names to the Airport Commission for interviews. It should
be a short timeline for getting the new manager in place.
There was some discussion about the hope of finding someone who will work with the public.
Houseman joined the meeting at 6:06pm, and Committee of the Whole was called to order.
Feldman asked about the building with the broken staircase.
Collins stated the Airport Commission was going to tear it down years ago, but his department rehabbed some
of it. Funds ran dry on that project.
Bowen asked if it would be helpful for councilors to be advocating for changes regarding leaded gas.
Collins stated it is regulated by the FAA, so it would take advocacy at an even higher level.
There was some discussion about clean up projects at the airport. Collins stated testing would be going on for a
long time.
Houseman asked where the most recent report would be.
Collins stated those are available on the DEP website.
Feldman stated she will be meeting with someone from the Airport Commission and wanted to hold the item
until after that conversation.
Order#013
No discussion on Order#013. A motion to approve was made and seconded. The motion passed (3-0).
Discussion on Order#328
Feldman asked for an update on the work being done.
Collins stated that a company has been out cleaning the culverts from the high school to the pond by the
Cummings Center. Lately they have run into more rainwater than expected this time of year and may have to
wait for that to drain a bit before they can get in there,but they are doing a really good job overall.
Feldman asked if there is anything in this round of work that will be different in terms of long-term solutions.
Collins stated that right now we are just trying to increase capacity in what we have. We have not applied for
anything yet this time regarding the brook because we are waiting to schedule a meeting with DEP to discuss
the options to work together. We are hoping to do something to prevent erosion and migration of material.
At 6:37pm Houseman left the meeting.
Collins stated hopefully there will be some opportunities to get the Cumming Center portion to be more
efficient. A 31) scan will be done at the end of the cleaning which will help to look at where there could be
some possible improvements.
Bowen asked if the delay of the project happening in the winter instead of the fall is impacting costs.
Collins stated it is not impacting costs,just the payment schedule.
Drohosky stated cleaning the culverts is great but not the solution Cummings Center is looking for. Cummings
Center is willing to invest time, effort,and money. We need to get some of the water to go another way to the
Bass River or be staged somewhere. The cleaning is awesome and will definitely help,but we want to work
together to figure out what the project is.
Feldman suggested the option of quarterly updates on these larger ongoing projects.
Collins stated he is hoping to look at the entire watershed. There are not a lot of opportunities to slow the water
down at the top end. The other option would be to speed the water up where it comes out. Collins spoke about
some option for storing water and infiltrating it back into the ground that have been used by the middle school
and other places.
A motion to receive and place on file was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion passed(3-0).
A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. A vote was taken, and the motion passed(3-0).
The meeting adjourned at 7:00pm.
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Beverly City Council Committee on Public Services Meeting Minutes—January 30,2023 page 2 of 2