Peabody City Council Regular Meeting and Committee of the Whole - August 18, 2026
Peabody City Council Regular Meeting and Committee of the Whole - August 18, 2026
The Peabody City Council met on August 18, 2026, in a Committee of the Whole session followed by a Regular Meeting. Key actions included adoption of the Hazard Mitigation Plan, appointment of department heads, approval of a special permit for a drip IV therapy business, and various motions and communications.
Committee of the Whole - Hazard Mitigation Plan
- Senior Planner Andrew Levin presented the City of Peabody Mass Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026, an update to the 2016 plan. The plan was developed with contractor Horsley Witten, funded by a MIMA grant, and involved public meetings and a comment period. FEMA Region 1 approved the plan subject to council adoption. The council was informed that adoption was needed within 30 days, but MIMA granted leniency for the August meeting.
- Councilor Kabash moved to adopt the plan. The motion carried 10-0 (Councilor Welton absent). The resolution states that adoption is a federal requirement for eligibility for hazard mitigation grants. The plan was subsequently adopted again during the Regular Meeting by an 11-0 vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke in favor or opposition during the special permit hearing for drip IV therapy.
Discussion Items
- Appointments: Mayor Bettencourt presented several appointments:
- Jacqueline Seattle as Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director (term to 12/31/2027). Approved 11-0.
- Sophia Mercurio as Park and Recreation Manager (term to 12/31/2027). Approved 11-0.
- Frank Lowry as Plumbing and Gas Inspector (term to 12/31/2027). Approved 11-0.
- Reappointments: Teresa Reid and Susan Antonellis to Board of Assessors, Sharon Cameron as Human Services Director, and Jim Liakis to Licensing Board. Approved 11-0.
- Special Permit (Hearing 4A): Attorney John Kelty represented applicant Cassandra Garcilaso for a personal services establishment (drip IV therapy) at 4 Lake Street, Unit 7. The business would provide hydration, energy boost, and immune support via intravenous vitamin therapy administered by a licensed nurse. Conditions included approval of plumbing by Public Services and Board of Health, compliance with Board of Health requirements (licenses and certificates), maintenance of insurance, and that any expansion of services (e.g., Botox) would require a new council appearance. Operating hours were revised to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The special permit was approved 11-0.
- Motions, Orders, and Resolutions: Numerous items were addressed under suspension of rules:
- Received communication on zoning amendments for 495 Lowell Street (to ICD).
- Approved state primary warrant for September 1, 2026.
- Granted withdrawal of a zoning amendment request for 196 Lake Street.
- Set public hearings for Black Marble Motorcycles (special permit and Class 1 license) and other items.
- Referred short-term rental regulations (including Airbnb/VRBO) to legal counsel.
- Received update on reducing police officers at polling places; Board of Registrars to meet October 1st.
- Accepted several special event applications (YMCA Live Strong 5K/half marathon, Jennifer Lorraine Foundation, Holy Ghost Society, Fall Festival) and requested the mayor to clarify cost collection and update the application form.
- Approved banner requests, taxi/limo licenses, block party requests, and adjunct tailor license renewal.
- Council Requests:
- Councilor Welton requested a meeting of the Municipal Safety Committee to discuss traffic safety on Bartholomew Street and the Lynn Street intersection. Approved.
- Councilor Rosignal requested a full assessment of all bike paths and a maintenance plan, including the South Peabody trail. Approved.
- Councilor Manning Martin requested the mayor provide the process for collecting costs (e.g., police details) for special events and update the application form. Approved.
Key Outcomes
- Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026 adopted unanimously (11-0). The city is now eligible for federal hazard mitigation grants.
- Appointments for Parks Director, Parks Manager, Plumbing Inspector, and four reappointments all approved unanimously.
- Special permit for drip IV therapy at 4 Lake Street Unit 7 approved unanimously with conditions.
- Various motions approved, including setting public hearings, referring items to committees, and requesting studies on traffic safety and bike path maintenance.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I would like to start the committee of the whole meeting this evening, Thursday 18th, 2026. We have in attendance. All councillors with the exception of Councillor Welton. The first item on the agenda is a presentation of the hazarded hazard mitigation plan. And I'd like to call uh Drew Levin to come up and speak to us about this. Good evening. Andrew Levin, senior planner, the community development department. I'm here this evening to discuss with the council the hazard mitigation plan. Some of you might have remembered this plan and our planning process that we went through at the end of last year. This is the hazard mitigation plan, which is an extremely critical plan overall for the city. The idea behind this plan is that we are trying to reduce loss of life and loss of uh buildings and infrastructure through natural disasters by planning for such things. This is a planning process done by myself along with our contractor Horsley Witten. This is paid through a grant through uh the EEAR sorry, this is paid through a grant through MIMA. Um, and then the project wrapped up just about the end of December. We submitted this plan to the council along with city departments for their review. Uh and then it was submitted as a whole to the public. We had a uh it was in January, we had a public meeting and discussion. Uh the plan was also put on the city website for two and a half weeks uh for the city to provide their feedback, and which we did receive feedback. That feedback was added into the plan, and in January was submitted to MIMA and then subsequently submitted to FEMA. Uh we just received at the end of June back from FEMA the approved plan, but the approval is pending adoption by city council. Uh uh I was under the impression that we had a year to receive that adoption, but I was then told that we have 30 days uh from when we received the approval in June, but that was right before the the last meeting by the council and then summer break. I have spoken to FEMA or MIMA, and MIMA had given a little leniency and had asked at the August meeting at the uh you know latest that I come before you all and ask uh for an adoption of the plan. Um I know some of you might not be familiar with they might forget, so I have any questions, uh, be happy to answer them. Do any councils have questions? I guess just sorry, one last thing. One of the biggest pieces of this entire plan is this unlocks a lot of grant funding for us to then go after many of the items that are listed in this, the largest being the hazard mitigation planning grant, which covers a lot of items and uh we can now go after be once we have an adopted approved plan. Councilor Kabash. Yes, um through you to Drew. This this just needs the city council to approve and adopt what you've submitted this evening. And this motion that is that is um attached to the back of it, and then it goes to the mayor's signature, and then it's all set, we send that to MIMA. Exactly. This will be attached to the end of the with the signatures and the date will be attached to the end of the plan that will be resubmitted back to MIMA and FEMA, who will then have it now be a fully approved and adopted plan. So the the council has to sign this tonight if if we approve it and it goes to the mayor for his approval. That is correct, yeah. If there aren't any questions, I'd like to make the motion to approve this. Any other questions? Seeing none. Yes, uh, I I move that we approve um the hazardous the hazard mitigation plan and uh I will read the uh the mitigation whereas the hazard mitigation plan preserves the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of PBD and their property, and whereas the City of PBD mass hazardous hazard mitigation plan 2026 is an update of the City of PBD hazard mitigation plan adopted by the city council on March 10th, 2016. And whereas the City Council, I'm sorry, the City of Peabody local hazard mitigation planning team, and along with its contractor, the Horsley Whitney Group Incorporated, composed the plan and held a series of re advertised and notice public hearings from June twenty-three through January twenty-sixth on the drafting of the plan. And whereas the adoption of this plan is a federal requirement for the city to be eligible for federal hazard mitigation grants as a result of a disaster or major mitigation planning project. And whereas FEMA, Region One, has completed its review of the City of PB Mass Hazard Mitigation Plan twenty twenty-six and approved it subject to approval of the City Council. And whereas the City Council approval will allow the city to meet its local hazard mitigation planning requirements pursuant to 44 CFR, Section 201, the Disaster Mitigation Act. Now therefore it be resolved that the City Council of the City of PVD do hereby accept and approve the City of PVD Mass Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026 is presented in witness thereof. We are hereon to set our hands and cause the seal of the City of Peabody to be fixed on this August eighteenth, twenty twenty-six. So move any comments? You heard the motion. Yes. Yes. Hawkman.
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