The Beverly City Council met on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 191 Cabot Street. The meeting featured the official presentation of the Fiscal Year 2027 city budget by Mayor Cahill, an update from National Grid on the long-running transmission line replacement project, five public hearings, and a full agenda of subcommittee reports and votes. Notable actions included approval of a $1.6 million transfer from free cash to purchase new automated trash carts, approval of several free cash transfers for roads, sidewalks, snow/ice, and OPEB, and a first vote on accessory dwelling unit zoning amendments. The council also postponed a second vote on the trash fee ordinance pending a community meeting in Ward 5.
Thank you, Kim. Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for being here with us. Whether you're joining us here in our council chamber or you're joining us via our live stream that is coming to you thanks to Bevcam and our thanks, of course, to Kim and the Bev Cam booth for being here and making sure that that can happen and that folks can be joining the meeting and following along wherever they are. Thank you, Kim. I'd like to just run through what's on our agenda this evening before we officially call the meeting to order so that we can all be on the same page about what's in front of us and what we have on the agenda for the evening. It is a very full agenda, and so I will just run through it quickly now and then we'll call the meeting to order. At the top of our agenda, we do have two presentations. So we'll go to those first once we call to order. Um the first is the official presentation of the FY27 budget from Mayor Cahill. And the second is a brief update from the national grid team here to give us just an update as to where they are on the 115 and 192 replacement project. So thank you to that team for being here. It's good to have an update in front of the whole council. I know you've been meeting with the community advisory committee as well. We do have three folks who signed up for the public comment spots. As a reminder, these are the up to five spots available at any regular meeting of the council. They are three minutes per speaker, and they can be signed up for by contacting the city clerk no later than 9 30 the morning of the meeting. They are first come first served. And today we have three folks who have signed up. We will get to those speakers as soon as we can within the order of the presentations and then the public hearings, which we do have to take at their posted times. So to those speakers who signed up, uh thank you in advance both for signing up and for your patience and flexibility, and we'll take you as soon as we can. We do have five public hearings this evening beginning at 7 30. They do need to be open at their posted times. If you are here to speak in one of those public hearings, the sign-up sheets are on the table uh to my right, to your left as you're looking at the council, and you can add your name to the hearing or hearings you wish to speak in. Um we will take public comment in the order signed up. Then we've got some routine business before us. We also have uh break for some subcommittee work, and we'll come back to finish things up. So with that, I will officially call to order this regular meeting of the Beverly City Council Monday, June 1st, 2026, 7 o'clock p.m. Ms. Kent, will you please call the roll? Crowley? Here. Feldman. Houseman? Here. Melady? Here. Retendo? Sonia? Here. Spain. Here. Say Hilaire. Here. And flowers. Here. Thank you, Ms. Kent. Councilor Retundo, will you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please? Yes.