Beverly City Council Meeting - April 21, 2026
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Beverly City Council Meeting - April 21, 2026
The Beverly City Council held its regular meeting on April 21, 2026, addressed public comments on Flock safety cameras, approved routine orders, and continued three public hearings on Go Net Speed petitions for underground fiber installations. Subcommittees met, and the council approved several appointments, donations, and a National Grid petition.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mitchell Sorovic (42 Pratt Avenue) criticized the city's use of Flock Safety license plate readers, calling the company a data broker that monetizes personal data. He cited Denver's cancellation of its Flock contract and urged the council to cancel Beverly's contract immediately.
- Aisha Sidicki (Ward 3) gave a land acknowledgment, then discussed the earlier police-community meeting on Flock. She requested community representation in meetings with the mayor and Flock, recommended enabling the Flock Transparency Portal (citing Norwell, MA as an example), and noted that hundreds of searches in 2025 involved immigration-related queries. She expressed concern that out-of-state police departments (e.g., Houston PD with over 50,000 monthly searches) could access Beverly data, potentially on behalf of ICE.
Consent Calendar
- Order 118 (handicap parking sign at 23 Front Street) was read for final passage and approved 8-0.
- Orders 125 and 126 (donations to Council on Aging and Veterans Department) were approved via committee reports.
- Several appointments and reappointments to city boards were approved unanimously (8-0): William Finch to Historic District Commission, Julia Work Vienne, Barbie Papaleos, and others to Waste Reduction Committee; Brenda Wong Murphy, Amanda Bittner, and Alex Weatherup to Cultural Council.
Discussion Items
- Interdepartmental Transfer for Fire Department (Order 124): The council referred a $190,000 transfer to the Finance and Property Committee for a public hearing on May 4, 2026. Chief Peter O'Connor was present.
- Road Naming – Matt Ziegler Way (Order 127): Councilor Retundo introduced a request to name the road into Beverly Golf and Tennis after Jan Ernst Matt Ziegler. The matter was referred to Legal Affairs; the solicitor explained a 30-day public comment period is required before a public hearing can be set.
- Go Net Speed Public Hearings (Orders 49, 50, 51): Three continued hearings for underground fiber on Ashton Street, Friend Street, and East Street. Councilors questioned Go Net Speed representatives (Mr. Teed) about construction methods (directional boring vs. open trenching), soil testing for ledge, depth (24-36 inches), impact on trees, and coordination with residents. Councilor Housman proposed attaching a condition requiring test borings for ledge. Councilor Spang asked about life cycle and warranties. Public commenter David Mahood (191 Lowthrop Street) raised questions about product circularity, end-of-life responsibility, and warranties, noting his neighbors' fatigue with disruption but openness if it improves service. Go Net Speed stated conduit could last 30+ years and replacement would not require excavation. All three hearings were closed and referred to the Committee on Public Services.
- National Grid Petition (Order 65, Broadway): The committee recommended approval with eight conditions. Councilor St. Hilaire thanked all parties for reaching a positive conclusion regarding newly paved street conditions. Approved 8-0.
- National Grid Petition (Order 129, Chase Street & West Dane Street): A public hearing was set for May 4, 2026 at 7:50 PM.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Orders: Order 118 (handicap parking) finalized; Orders 125 and 126 (donations) approved; appointments and reappointments approved unanimously.
- Public Hearings Set: $190,000 fire department transfer (May 4, 8 PM); National Grid on Chase/West Dane (May 4, 7:50 PM); road naming for Matt Ziegler Way (future date after 30-day comment period).
- Go Net Speed Petitions: All three public hearings closed and referred to Public Services Committee for further deliberation; potential conditions (test borings, no trenching) to be considered.
- Next Meeting: May 4, 2026 at 7 PM in Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
Please call the roll. Crowley? Here. Feldman. Houseman. Here. Melady. Retundo. Sonia. Spang. St. Hilaire. Flowers. Here. Thank you very much, Ms. Kirker. Counselor Housman, will you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Allegiance to the flag. The United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Thank you very much, Councillor Houseman, for leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. And I'll just mention, as I as I like to explain, that for those who are following, these uh public comments that can be made are part of the agenda of every regular city council meeting that we have. There are up to five spots available for folks to sign up and be able to address the council for up to three minutes per speaker. And you can sign up for these spots to speak by contacting the city clerk no later than 9.30 the morning of the meeting, and they are first come first serve. You won't see the council necessarily engage in any kind of question and answer or back and forth with these speakers. Um, but that doesn't mean that we're not listening very carefully, taking very seriously what we hear, and often what we hear from folks during this time helps to inform our conversations and things that we're thinking about together. So we really appreciate those who take the time and come and share with us. Uh so we'll go to those two folks, um, and we'll start please with uh Mitchell Sorovic, and I apologize if I mispronounced your last name. Um I will invite you to go ahead to the podium, begin with your name and address, and then uh Vice President St. Hilaire, will you keep the time for us for three minutes, if you would. If you hear the timer glov, if you would just draw your remarks to a close. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. My name is Mitchell Sorovic. I live at 42 Pratt Avenue. Most of us just endured the police department's attempt over the past hour to justify the indefensible. But let's talk some more about flock safety. The mayor, who is left, I believe, and councillor Housman, I suspect, will find what I'm about to say quite interesting. About two weeks ago, I sent a public records request to the city for all flock data collected for license plates, 5 VEB 50 and 8 TF 133. The solicitor, as our, as your legal representative, informed me that I could not have that data. Why? For two reasons. Either one, it constitutes investigatory material. I believe the owners of those cars would be surprised to learn that they are under investigation. If that's the case, surely a warrant was obtained to collect that investigatory material. Or I couldn't have the data to because I quote. There's that word again, invasion of personal privacy. End quote. You mean the very information you're sending to Flock?
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