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2002-01-07 Inaugural ceremony INAUGURATION CEREMONY CITY OF BEVERLY JANUARY 7, 2002 AT 12:00 NOON Robert Valliere WELCOME Chief of Staff Beverly Police ColorGuard PRESENTATION OF COLORS Paul Guanci PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG City Council President Laurie McDonough NATIONAL ANTHEM Rev. Beth Loughhead INVOCATION First Baptist Church Rabbi Steven J. REMARKS Rubenstein TempleB’nai Abraham Rev Charles Hughes, Pastor, St.Mary’s Star of the Sea Church Frances Macdonald READING OF THE CERTIFICATE OF Beverly City Clerk ELECTION City Clerk OATH OF OFFICE ADMINISTERED TO THE MAYOR City Clerk OATH OF OFFICE ADMINISTERED TO THE CITY COUNCIL City Clerk OATH OF OFFICE ADMINISTERED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL City Clerk OATH OF OFFICE ADMINISTERED TO THE THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE BHS Ensemble AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL Under the Direction of Carolyn Pilanen Peter Gilmore INTRODUCTION OF THE MAYOR Inaugural Address Welcome to the members of our legislative delegation, and current and former office holders. Thank you for taking time out from your busy schedules to participate today. Before I begin, I want to take the opportunity to say that if it were not for the tireless and determined support and encouragement of my wife Liz and my three sons Gregg, Jonathan, and Jeffrey, I would not be standing up here today. I want to begin by thanking them publicly for their tremendous work and support throughout this year. I also offer my congratulations to the elected members of the new City Council and School Committee, and in particular to the new City Council President, Paul Guanci. I look forward to long and fruitful cooperation and accomplishments with them. I realize that I am not well known to some of you, so I will take a moment to talk about my approach to the job of mayor. I do not plan to go into specifics today, and I intend to be brief. We are taking office at a challenging time. The economy has entered a very difficult 1 period, state aid to cities and towns has been cut back, and further cuts look very likely next year. The city has also suffered some major financial blows in the past year. The Golf and Tennis settlement will have to be completed. Health insurance was under- budgeted by as much as a million dollars, and that will have to be paid. Dealing with this combination of a declining economy, less state aid, and several issues specific to Beverly's recent past will require some sacrifices by all parts of our community. There are many ways of going about the job of mayor at such a time. My approach is partly similar to that of a coach in professional sports -- assemble a strong team, and let them use their talents freely for the benefit of the city. It is my philosophy to seek input from the broadest possible range of people, make the decisions about overall direction and strategy, and then make sure that whatever has been decided on is actually being carried out fully and successfully To that end, my new administration is starting out with a balanced mixture of people continuing to serve from the previous administration, promotions from within, and new people with a fresh outlook. My philosophy relies strongly on inclusion, on reaching out and "broadening" the amounts and types of input to decision-making and overall city policy. That idea of broadening, of inclusion, means an expanded role for many institutions in our city. It means a broader role for the City Council, and a climate of cooperation and teamwork as we deal with the looming challenges we will face in the next two years. It means a broader role for the new city charter. Many people remain unaware that the city charter passed by the voters many years ago has not been implemented to this day. I know that Council President Guanci and many members of the City Council share my frustration that the charter has not yet been fully implemented. I pledge to do whatever is within my power to see that the city's ordinances are updated, and that the charter is fully implemented as quickly as possible. It means a broader role for the office of the city solicitor, which will play a significant role in rewriting those ordinances to complete implementation of the charter. While the League of Women Voters, led by Crystal Atherton, Mary Grant, Ellen Flannery, Mary Rodrick, and many other dedicated citizens, has done heroic work to bring the city's ordinances into conformity with the charter, I believe this job should not be dumped in the laps of citizens. It is urgent for the city to take the lead in completing this job. As City solicitor Peter Gilmore, will have the major responsibility for managing this process. It means a broader role for the Planning Department. I intend to fill the vacant assistant planner's positions, as well as the position of grant writer. We cannot afford to miss a single opportunity to obtain outside funding for our needs, and I expect the position of grant writer to more than pay for itself over time. Our focus will be on improving the downtown through planning and grants. There will also be training sessions for those serving on city boards and commissions. It means a broader role for the city's new Master Plan, which will soon complete the final citizen input phase and be ready for submission. The money spent for that plan will be worthwhile only if we pay serious attention to its conclusions, and take action to bring those conclusions to life. And last but not least, it means a broader role for the public. The city has a number of citizens' and public interest groups that have made an irreplaceable contribution to improving the quality of life in Beverly. I intend to pay close attention to the ideas of these talented and dedicated people who have committed themselves, with their time and often at their own expense, to a better Beverly. Everyone may not get their way, but everyone will get their say. It is my belief that the streets, buildings, and facilities of our city exist to benefit and serve the PEOPLE of the community, and not the other way around. I will always come down on the side of what I believe is best for the people who live here. I will always work to preserve the livability and the affordability of our community, the balance and diversity that make our city a special and unique place. The city is nearing the end of an excellent primary school construction program initiated under the administration of my predecessor. I will commit to making certain that the quality of the education received by the students in those schools matches the quality of the new schools themselves. This means that fully funding affordable school budgets will always be the highest of priorities. 2 The city has been replacing many of its water mains as well. I will work tirelessly to make certain that the quality and safety of the water in those pipes is flawless, and that the clean up soon to begin at Wenham Lake is completed quickly and completely. The city and state have been repaving many of our roads here in Beverly. I will work to make certain that the impact of the traffic on those streets is minimized, and that certain neighborhoods are not forced to bear more than their fair share of that traffic. Finally, I want to say a word to the employees here at City Hall. To my mind, there is no higher calling than to serve your fellow citizens, face to face, day after day, right in your own community. You do a lot of fine work here under challenging conditions, and sometimes under heavy criticism. Anyone who is sincerely working for the good of the people in this city will always have my support and encouragement So let's work together to continue to build a better Beverly, to solve the problems we face, to keep what is good and to improve the rest. It is my pledge to you that there will be no special deals, no special interests, and no special privileges for one group or segment of the community over another. I am neither pro-business nor anti-business; I am simply pro-people and pro-community. Whatever serves them best will be my choice. Those who know me, know that I am not given to grand pronouncements and speech making. I prefer to roll up my sleeves and get to work. So let's do just that. With the continued contributions and input of all the groups I have mentioned above, our city will weather the coming challenges, and emerge an even more prosperous and special place to live and work. Thank you for coming today, and I look forward to serving you as your mayor. CITY COUNCIL MEETING Call to Order Roll Call: All Council Memberswere present Communications from His Honor the Mayor #2 January 7, 2002 Honorable City Council City Hall Beverly, MA 01915 Dear Honorable Council: I hereby reappoint, subject to your review and recommendation, the following citizens to serve as members of the Beverly Golf and Tennis Commission: Mr. Kevin Hobin 6 Gardner Street Recreation Commission Representative Effective until February 1, 2003 Mr. John D. Kenney 7 Middlebury Lane Effective until February 1, 2005 Very truly yours, Thomas M. Crean Mayor Referred to Legal Affairs and Accounts 3 #3 January 7, 2002 Honorable City Council City Hall Beverly, MA 01915 Dear Honorable Council: I hereby appoint, subject to your review and recommendation, Mrs. Debra Hurlburt, 7Milk Street, Salem, MA 01970, to the position of Director of Planning and Development effective February 25, 2002. Very truly yours, Thomas M. Crean Mayor Referred to Finance and Property #4 January 7, 2002 Honorable City Council City Hall Beverly, MA 01915 Dear Honorable Council: I hereby appoint, subject to your review and recommendation, Mr. Robert J. Valliere, 10 Radcliff Road, Beverly, MA 01915 to serve as the Chief of Staff. Very truly yours, Thomas M. Crean Mayor Referred to Finance and Property #5 January 7, 2002 Honorable City Council City Hall Beverly, MA 01915 Dear Honorable Council: I hereby appoint, subject to your review and recommendation, Peter H. Gilmore, 10 Parsons Drive, Beverly, MA 01915, to serve as the City Solicitor for the City of Beverly. Very truly yours, Thomas M. Crean Mayor Referred to Legal Affairs and Accounts #6 January 7, 2002 Honorable City Council City Hall Beverly, MA 01915 4 Dear Honorable Council: I hereby appoint, subject to your review and recommendation, the following citizens to serve as members of the Beverly Golf and Tennis Commission: Mr. Jeffrey Conley Mr. Donald Jones 18 Gardner Street 11 Driscoll Lane Term until - February 1, 2005 February 1, 2004 Mr. Martin Lawler Mr. David Lang 36 Ellsworth Avenue 14 Old Town Road February 1, 2004 Cons. Comm. Representative February 1, 2003 Mr. Lawrence Nelson 55 Friend Street Ms. Marianne Doane February 1, 2005 18 Clifton Avenue February 1, 2003 Mr. Michael Pierce 17 Pine Knoll Drive February 1, 2004 Very truly yours, Thomas M. Crean Mayor Referred to Legal Affairs and Accounts Communications from Other City Officers and Boards #7 City Clerk City Hall Beverly, Mass. 01915 Dear honorable Council: I respectfully submit these committee assignments for the upcoming year. Committee on Finance and Property John W. Murray, Chairman Donald G. Martin Paul M. Guanci Committee on Legal Affairs and Accounts Maureen Troubetaris, Chairman Timothy P. Flaherty Virginia D. McGlynn Committee on Public Service and Aid Ronald F. Costa, Chairman William J. Coughlin Roger E. Morency Also starting January 14, 2002, Public Service and Aid will meet at 6:00 PM, followed by Legal Affairs and Accounts at 7:00 PM and finally Finance and Property will commence at 8:00 PM. The extra half-hour per committee should ensure more discussion time and continue the current trend of holding these three sub-committee meetings on one night. Respectfully, Paul M. Guanci, Council President Receive and Place on File 5 Communications, Applications and Petitions Reports from Committees: Motions and Orders: Meeting Adjourned at 12:55 PM Benediction Rev. Beth Loughhead First Baptist Church Attest: Frances A. Macdonald, CMC City Clerk 6