Beverly City Council Regular Meeting - June 15, 2026

The Beverly City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, June 15, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The agenda included public comments, a proclamation, and final passage of a trash fee ordinance (Order 142) with amendments. Key topics included funding for veterans services, a $70,000 grant from the Bernard M. Gordon Foundation for robotics education, and approval of multiple grants and appointments. The meeting also featured subcommittee reports and a motion to reconsider and finalize the trash fee ordinance.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Gerard Rathe (address not given) spoke in support of the Veterans Services Department, sharing his personal experience of being homeless and receiving help from David and Ken. He emphasized the importance of having two staff members to serve veterans effectively.
• Robert Laws (245 Elliott Street, Beverly) expressed concerns about budget cuts to veterans services, first responders, fire, and police. He highlighted Beverly's national recognition for finding Revolutionary War graves and argued that the federal government does not adequately support veterans, urging the city to take care of them.
• Dina Diorio (on behalf of her father, a disabled veteran at 14 Central Street, Apt 3) urged the council to preserve funding and full-time staffing for the Veterans Service Department. She described how the office helped her father access benefits, enabling her to become a daughter again after being a full-time caregiver for over a decade. She noted that serving 1,561 veterans with only two staff is a low ratio.
• Charles Clark (55 Juniper Street, Beverly) read a statement on behalf of John W. Reynolds (retired U.S. Army colonel), chair of the Veterans Council. The statement detailed the intensive work of Veterans Service Officers (40–60 hours per month per veteran) and asked the council to reconsider reductions in support for veteran services.

Discussion Items

• Order 142 – Trash Fee Ordinance (Final Passage): The council debated amendments to the proposed ordinance that would set residential trash fees. Councilor Retundo proposed an amendment (later revised per the city solicitor) requiring periodic fee review every even-numbered year. Councilor Crowley moved to reduce all fees by $100 (to $200 default, $100 for 35-gallon, $300 for 95-gallon), contingent on finding $1.3 million in budget cuts. After legal and budgetary concerns (unbalanced budget), the motion failed (1–8). Councilor Spang successfully amended language in Section 244-15B to replace "eligible for a reduced fee" with "charged a fee" (9–0) and later moved to strike the sentence "No new commercial customers will be serviced by the city" from Section 244-16, which passed (9–0). After a motion to reconsider (7–2), the main motion (Retundo’s amendment with all amendments) passed on final passage (7–2). The final ordinance sets residential fees at $300 per dwelling unit (default), $200 for opting to use a 35-gallon receptacle, $400 for a 95-gallon receptacle; commercial minimum $650; and requires review every even-numbered year.
• Proclamation – Bernard M. Gordon Foundation Day: The council unanimously (9–0) declared June 15, 2026, as Bernard M. Gordon Foundation Day in Beverly, recognizing a $70,000 donation supporting Beverly High School robotics. Mandy Harrington, a recent graduate, was credited with initiating the partnership.
• Committee Reports: The council approved multiple items from subcommittees, including:
  • Grant acceptances: $100,000 Cummings Foundation grant (Police Wellness), $156,000 DMH training grant, $248,478 DMH Jail Arrest Diversion grant, $499,974 Complete Streets grant, $2,000 donation from Keller Williams Realty Evolution, and $50 pastries donation from What’s Brewing Cafe (all for veterans).
  • Appointments: Dileen Wynn (Planning & Development), Grace C. Lee (Planning Board), Philip Thornton (Design Review Board), Christine Bettoni (Conservation Commission), Joanne Miller (Conservation Commission, with waiver), Stephanie Tallow and Dan Wensell (Council on Aging), Mike P. Collins (Commissioner of Public Services).
  • License approvals: peddler licenses for Geraldine Longchamp and Joe’s on a Roll; class two motor vehicle license for Grand Touring Sales on Cabot.
  • Public hearing dates: June 25, 2026, at 6:30 PM for road resurfacing transfer ($1.5M), 6:45 PM for Lynch Park Climate Resiliency MEPA work ($45,000), and 7:00 PM for National Grid underground facilities on River Street.
• Special Committee on Deficit Reduction: Council President Flowers appointed a special committee (including herself, Councilor Mulady, School Committee members Karin Robinson and Madeline Lennox, and citizen representatives Lydia Ames, Christine De Palma, Dan Hughes, and Mark Munoz) to address structural budget imbalances. The committee will meet publicly but not on BEVCAM; public may attend but not participate.

Key Outcomes

• Trash Fee Ordinance (Order 142) passed 7–2 on final passage with amendments: residential fees $300 (default), $200 (35-gallon), $400 (95-gallon); commercial minimum $650; no new commercial customer ban was removed; periodic review every even-numbered year.
• All committee reports approved unanimously (9–0) including multiple grants, appointments, and license renewals.
• Public hearings set for June 25, 2026, on road resurfacing, Lynch Park project, and River Street underground facilities.
• Proclamation adopted (9–0) honoring Bernard M. Gordon Foundation.
• Budget process continues: Finance and Property subcommittee meetings scheduled for June 16 (veterans, Council on Aging, Board of Health) and June 17 (dispatch, Essex Tech, schools); public hearing on city budget on June 22 at 6:00 PM.