City Council

METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING Chair Marsan called the regular meeting to order. Members present: Clr. Surillo, Clr. Valley, Clr. Campagnone, Clr. DiZoglio (via Zoom), Clr. Faretra, Clr. Pesce, Clr. Saffie, Clr. Soto, and Chair Marsan Acceptance of the Agenda MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Pesce to accept the agenda. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS Pledge of Allegiance/Words of Wisdom/Moment of Silence Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance and remained standing for Words of Wisdom by Abraham Lincoln read by Vice-Chair Soto. Public Participation Steve Tarquinio, 64 Sycamore Road, stated he provided material in advance that shows a full email trail of his communications with the city, technical data that supports the issue with pickleball noise as well as numerous stories from around Massachusetts that are dealing with a similar issue that he is here tonight to talk about. As soon as the pickleball project was announced last March, he immediately went to the Conservation Commission to look at the plans because they are neighbors to the property. He asked the Conservation Commission what was being done for noise mitigation given that they are known to produce loud noises. The Conservation Commission said they only deal with wetlands and said to talk to the Recreation department about the project itself. He immediately emailed the Rec department and said, first line, what is being done with mitigation for the pickleball courts given how close they are to the Sycamore neighborhood. The Rec department said the bids have not gone out for the project yet. They are going to do everything they can to make sure it is a great addition to the neighborhood and there should not be any problems. As construction went on through the summertime, he stayed in touch with the Rec department, asked what the plan was and finally they acknowledged there was not a plan. They were going to wait and see and when vegetation came in, they would see what the sound was going to be like. It was a very bad plan and the reason why it is a bad plan is that vegetation is not there year-round. Not only that but the noise is known to carry through vegetation. He recommended in the Fall, when there is no vegetation, do your sound readings, come up with a solution. That way you know that is the worst-case scenario and that the residents will be protected. Then you have all through the wintertime and early spring to have a plan in place. Nothing was done in the Fall. The nice weather came about the last couple of weeks, what did we hear? loud pickleball noise as soon as people started playing. He went to the Rec department, asked them what the plan was. They said they were going to talk to the Mayor. The Mayor asked them to put some plans together. It is frustrating that this has been a 1 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING known issue in communities throughout Massachusetts and nothing was done to account for this. The planning that was done was very poor. None of the neighbors were brought in to ask about what their concerns were as part of it. The only interface they had was with the Conservation Commission over the well. He is asking for four things. #1 bring in an independent person to put a solution together to solve the problem. His fear is the way its been handled right now is that a cheap solution that is not going to solve the issue is going to be put in place. There are enough communities dealing with this. There are experts out there. They should be brough in. #2 given how this project was handled by the Rec department, he recommended somebody independently look at other Rec department projects out there as well to look for mismanagement and waste of taxpayers’ money. If you go over to the courts right now and look, they look beautiful. But there was no expense spared when it came to building enormous bench structures, benches that face into black privacy screens, black privacy screens that cover the tennis courts and pickleball courts that provide no sound barrier. Money was mismanaged. It was misspent. It was not planned properly. He recommended they investigate the other Rec department projects. #3 Until a solution is in place, he is asking that the pickleball courts be locked out. The neighbors did everything proactively trying to work with the city to make sure they never got here. Now as the weather turns nice it is all they hear the moment people are playing over there. It is not fair to the neighbors to have to deal with this noise while we wait for the town to put a solution in place. #4 Lastly an additional concern with regard to the way the Rec department has been handling this project, he is also very frustrated to see how the Rec department and public works has neglected the upkeep and the maintenance of the public fields of Methuen, including the baseball and soccer fields. The fields are in terrible condition. The irrigation systems do not work. The scoreboards have not worked for years. They have let everything go with no repair. The only reason the fields are in any playable condition for our kids is because the youth leagues’ parents, coaches, and volunteer businesses from the community have offered their time and labor to get these fields into playable condition. The city has let them down. It is not fair for us as payers of the league fees that their fees are going for repairs and services that they pay as taxpayers to have done for these fields. He recommended that the budget, how the money is being spent within the Rec department and public works be investigated, understanding why they are not keeping up with the fields. When you go and you look at the transparency site on the Methuen page, which he credits the town for doing, but it is at a very high level. It just shows you budgets and actuals. It does not necessarily say what the money is supposed to be spent on. It does not have a plan for each department showing how they are keeping up with their responsibilities. He recommended that the city look into the Rec department, they look into public works, and they understand why our tax payer money is being wasted and it is not actually going to the things that is supposed to be going to. 2 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING Jack Burke, 49 Canobiola Road, spoke on TR-25-16. Transparency, the website needs work. He cannot find any process or procedure that explains when a department sends data to IT, what they need to do with it, and within what time frame. Perhaps a procedure should be written or updated. The website has a place for agendas and minutes but there are large gaps in data, such as this meeting where the agenda outline was available to download. But you could not just open and read it. Even when it is available, often supporting documents are non-existent such as the text of any resolution or ordinance. He said he drove to city hall and requested the items he was interested in for tonight’s meeting. Guess we forget to follow up on simple things that make it easier for constituents to see what is happening with our government. In February there was a public meeting to discuss action for the Searles Estate. There were no further meetings. He would recommend that a public meeting be held to update the residents of how the committee determined we should sell it all. When the sale was proposed, several residents were rallied to a Council meeting and the Searles Committee to show either support or not for that sale. It would seem right to hold another meeting to share the results of the ad hoc committee meetings. The cost of the property is listed in the resolution as 3.25 million. He suggested that it should be broken out as land and buildings at 2.25 million, taken from the deed at the registry office and the historic artifacts would then be listed as one million dollars. No list of the artifacts has been produced and no assessment as to value, state of, and storage of these artifacts is attached to the documents for this meeting. Properties being declared as surplus. The resolution states the Board of Appeals has determined a value, but that information was not attached to this resolution. Looking at the valuation, over time of the property it may appear that any appreciation since the sale of the Presentation of Mary’s school property and the removal of the nuns may not have been accounted for in that determination. As a side note, that the Whereas that states that the RFP requires for its structures goes on to list only Searles structures from 1841 to 1920. This overlooks the contribution to the city since 1957 of the Presentation of Mary, which provided quality education to many of the women in this city. He sees no estimates of costs for maintenance and upkeep of the property. Though the Mayor committee did review such data before making this recommendation, the current zoning code chose the property to be church property and thus tax exempt. It appears that the recommendation projects future uses, and he recommends that the zoning code be changed to reflect that prior to an RFP. There is mention of a recorded preservation restriction, but no such restriction exists. He would recommend that said restriction or a great estates ordinance such as found in some Massachusetts municipalities be pursued prior to the sale. I may have overlooked this when he read this, but first right of refusal should be included in the RFP, so the property has a chance to come back to us in the future with ease. There is discussion about the National Registry consideration. The first step is to contact the state and file a form. They take forty-five to ninety days to decide. All the information required contained in the 2005 Methuen Reconnaissance Report. It would appear no, or only limited action was taken on this and it is being left to any future owner to 3 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING continue the process until conclusion. The sale to the city was November 12th, 2024. It seems we could have seen action completed by now. He is unaware of any. Note: under federal law the listing of property in the National Registry places no restriction on what a non-federal owner may do on the property up to and including destruction, unless the property is involved in a project that receives federal assistance, usually funding or licensing. He recommended that the most prudent course of action tonight might well be to table the resolution until further information is available. There seems to be no urgency as we will open the property to the public in June, a month, and a half or more from now. John Marzec, 26 Capitol Street, stated he has been distressed by the federal government’s actions as of late. He was at a protest this Saturday attended by 30/40,000 people in Boston along with people across the world. Specifically, regarding immigration, he wanted to understand what the city’s position might be. The facts are undocumented immigrants do not commit more crime than the average person, probably less according to studies. A sanctuary city, Boston has been since 2014, and whether it is the safest city or not, it is one of the top safest city in the nation. What is the position that Methuen will take regarding aligning with ICE.? Just now he sees that the US Supreme Court has ruled against the Trump administration for deporting Venezuelans. There is some stuff going on and all politics are local. “Who are we, as a city, as a Council, and as people regarding some of these issues. Bev Brown, 6 Princeton Street, said Jack Burke touched on a lot of this about the Searles Estate. She came across a survey this week that was published on the city’s website in January that people have never heard of and it was about “what would you like the Searles Estate being used for?” Mr. Burke talked about transparency. There has been no reporting on what gets accomplished in the Searles Advisory as to what is going on. She is asked a few people and got answers to her questions from them. But it is not published anywhere. “Are we really going to look at selling it?” “Have we really thought of about that?” “Has anyone been involved in finding out what kind of events can be done there, step by step, because you can’t fix it all the same date, that would help raise money for the repair of things. A lot of that must be handicap accessible. She has not been in there. “Is it wiring?” “Is it carpenters?” She has no idea but that’s part of the problem. Over 4,000 people said that they wanted to keep the Searles Estate and somehow that number is getting neglected. She urged Council to consider some transparency so the public will know what is happening because yes, it is going to cost a lot of money to bring it up to code. Also, it has a lot of history. Linda Soucy, Kirk Street, spoke in favor of contract C-25-69 Sound Thinking, Inc. Gunfire Detection System. It is very important because it can tell the difference between shots fired and fireworks. Too many times people are not calling the police when they should because 4 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING they do not know if its fireworks or know if it is shots fired. It is impressive because it can pinpoint to a specific location within a yard or two and it is sent directly to the police telephone. They can respond immediately instead of someone calling 911, talking to the dispatcher, and sending somebody out there. The police chief is aware of it immediately. This is something good for the city. She spoke about the ARPA project going on in her neighborhood. It is quite an intense project that is happening with roads being dug up everywhere and everything going on. But I must tell you that the police department and the DPW have been doing a great job notifying all the residents on everything that is going on, on a daily or weekly basis. They have been notifying people, meeting with people, meeting with the local businesses. She thanked Councilor Surillo and Councilor Soto for helping with the businesses along Broadway. The contractors Albanese and Eversource so far there has been a great response to everything that is going on. All they ask is that people treat this like it is in their neighborhood and if they see something they don’t like then they should be addressing it immediately as a contractor, as the DPW Director, or as the police department. It has been going well. This is a four to five-year project. This is not just digging up streets everywhere for a month or two. This is four to five years they are going to be taking this all on. It is not easy. Detours everywhere. Today, she and the Chief met with the school department and they are moving twenty-seven bus stops so that the children are in a much safer place. Its huge right now. She announced a golf tournament they are having to help with the programs at Mann, Inc. they have a lot of great prizes coming in. they have a Celtics ball autographed by Peyton Prichard, a hock puck from the Bruins, George Yang who grew up in Methuen and play for the Atlanta Hawks MBA who sent his jersey, Celtics tickets, Patriots tickets, all donated. If anyone is inclined to donate or put together a foursome, they are more than welcome. John Hadley, 17 Stonybrook Road, spoke of the unacceptable condition of this building, the crumbling granite wall out front did not happen overnight. That wall has been bulging for years and years. Yet, the policy of deferred maintenance seems to be the one that we follow here in Methuen. At this point it is critical. One block has already broken and fallen out. The others are sitting precariously and about to fall as well. If those fall it puts into action a domino effect. Whereas it could have been repaired years and years ago, it was not. He asked what is going to be done to repair that wall and will the city hire a professional mason who is experienced and qualified in historic preservation work. It is critical. Again, he would like to know when the city is planning to address that issue. The second issue is regarding the Searles Estate. He was put on the advisory committee late and missed the first meeting. Due to illness he missed the last meeting. He has taken aback and feels we have not exhausted every option. We have not had creative brainstorming to come up with several ideas that could make that property generate income for the city. Recently the Methuen artists united and he is a member of that. They toured art studios in Lowell, Haverhill, Amesbury, yet Methuen has not one art studio space. 5 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING They are willing to pay rent for studio space. This not a freebee. They are taxpayers and the idea of putting twenty to thirty studios in the infirmary, for example, could generate quite a bit of money over the years. He does not know if there is any study that has been done. The other ideas that have been mentioned are for venues. Wedding venues in this area get about $10,000 per event. If the property could host a wedding venue and have ten weddings, for example, there is a $100,000 per year of income. These are just some ideas. We still need to exhaust all these options and really do all our homework before we put it back up for sale. Hunt Slonem’s name has been mentioned. He would make an exception if someone like Hunt Slonem were to buy the property. But again, this is all hearsay. He does not know if the city is negotiating with him or if people are speaking with him. He does have deep pockets. He has a proven track record of historic preservation and he is a world-renowned artist that would bring attention to Methuen. If that is the plan he does approve of that idea. Sharon Pollard, 5 East Street, spoke about what John Hadley mentioned about this building, with horror every time you come to this building that wall gets worse and worse. The wall out here is the retaining wall for this building. You may end up with a situation where the wall is so bad that city hall is not going to be habitable and you may have to find other space while that is being fixed. She recommended to the Mayor, the City Council and Department of Public works that if you are not dealing with that, that you deal with that posthaste because now there are big blocks falling out. That is a critical issue that we need to pay attention to. Secondly, she spoke about the Searles Estate. You can see that people on the same team sometimes have different thoughts about a particular issue. She came tonight to recommend that Council proceed with the resolution that will declare the Searles Estate surplus so that the city can move forward. If the property is not surplus, it means that the city is going to have to maintain it. Several thousand people signed a petition many months ago to save the Searles Estate and fortunately you have all had the great foresight to do that. This is a gem in the middle of our city that if the city had not moved in to save it, probably would be in the hands of some developer and we only know, the sisters only really had one serious proposal and the proposal was for high rise housing. Other people that approached the sisters suggested that maybe the historic part was expendable. Maybe we should just demolish it. This is something the people of Methuen do not want to have happen. The people in this city are supportive of the city buying it, would like to see the city make sure that whatever happens at the Searles Estate is something remarkable because it is remarkable property. The only way we get to the point of finding out what is remarkable is to do the process the city has chosen to do. So, we declare it surplus. We eventually put out an RFP, hopefully sooner than later, and we invite people to come and make proposal for the property and maybe we get some good ones, maybe we do not. But there is nothing that says we must sell it right away. We look at them. We see what works, what does not fit for the city and take it from there. But, if you keep the property here, her concern is over 6 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING the years she has been on that property fifty, seventy-five times. When the city needs somebody to do a tour for someone, they call her, and she is happy to do it because she knows the property well. She has noticed over the last several months the property is deteriorating and it went without heat for several years, unoccupied for several years and so whoever purchases or comes up with a plan for the property, has to be able to pay for the restoration that we all support. All the people in Methuen support the restoration of that property back to its former glory and it was glorious. We need to keep that in mind. Unless the city is willing to come up with the several millions dollars needed to restore it and then to work with people to find some legitimate and reasonable things to happen there, she thinks what we are doing is proceeding in the correct manner. This is great. The city is seeking, according to what she has been told, designation on the National Register for Historic Preservation. She thinks they have plans to move forward with the preservation restriction which they absolutely should do in conjunction with an RFP and seeking people’s thoughts about the property. That will be key to making sure that the property remains viable and standing for the rest of its life. We have two fabulous pieces of property in the middle of our city both given to us by gentlemen who were enormously successful and wealthy in their own lives. Unfortunately, they did not leave money to take care of their lovely property when they left us. But, we have about forty-five acres between the Tenny Estate, Grey Court State Park, the Searles Estate and this is a remarkable resource for the people of our city for making our city a very livable place for people to enjoy and many people do enjoy Grey Court State Park on a regular basis. When you think about it, the Boston Common has about fifty acres and you know the wonderful things that happen on the common. It is a wonderful resource, a green space. It makes the city livable to have that kind of resource in the middle of your city. One other thing to think about. She hopes we can proceed with the process so we can get something remarkable happening here in Methuen. Organizational Business - None Acceptance of Minutes Reading and Acceptance of Minutes from Previous Meetings: March 17, 2025 regular MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Soto to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 out of room (Clr. Faretra) PROCLAMATION/CORRESPONDENCE National Library Week Vice-Chair Soto read the Proclamation for National Library Week, April 6th through April 12th, 2025. Sarah Sullivan, Assistant Director at Nevins Library, on behalf of Krista the Director, the staff, and the Trustees of the Nevins, thanked the Council for their continued support and for partaking in the celebration of our library and libraries across the country. We count ourselves 7 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING fortunate to serve a city that appreciates their efforts to build community, promote literacy, and provide a safe space for people to explore a new craft, improve their computer skills, or hear a fun story. Mayor Beauregard Letter Ref: recycling – Mayor Beauregard indicated he sent the memo in time for the March 31st deadline. He presented several different options and one fully costed option that entails the use of dumpsters and another that would involve a completely separate RFP for condo recycling services to see what is out there in the market for them to consider if dumpsters aren’t an option. If the Council likes the draft ordinance, let him know and they can explore the next steps. Chair Marsan said he would place this ordinance on the agenda for the next city council meeting for Council consideration. Councilor Faretra read his letter regarding GLTS. He noted there are a few typos he will correct and present to Council for a vote at the next council meeting. Councilor Soto asked if a Councilor could opt out of signing the letter if they do not share the opinions and views in this letter, mainly salaries. She asked if this letter is from Councilor Faretra and the CAFO. Councilor Faretra said it is not from the CAFO. This letter is from which ever Councilors chose to sign on. Solicitor O’Neill clarified the Council only acts as a body by vote. Council will vote on the letter. A Councilor may vote “no” and not sign the letter if it passes. Councilor Faretra said he will place this item on the agenda for a vote on the April 22nd, 2025 meeting agenda. He clarified the letter did not come from the CAFO. She was assisting him in trying to contact Dessie to get information. This has nothing to do with the CAFO’s office. Councilor Soto we are comparing her salary to other departments in another building no under our privy. Councilor Faretra said he also compared the Superintendent to other salaries in the Commonwealth. It was just a point to demonstrate why the salaries do not line up. Consideration of Appointments: • Maggie Duprey – Chief Administrative and Financial Officer (Reappointment) MOTION BY: Councilor Surillo, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. Mayor Beauregard said a few years ago our city was stuck in a financial ditch. At that time in 2018 and 2019, the city was dealing with a four-million-dollar deficit and our fiscal health was not good. Certified Free Cash was in the red to the tune of nearly two million dollars and the credit agency, Moody’s Investment Service pegged our bond rating at A3 with a negative outlook. Today, the four-million-dollar deficit is gone. In fact, the city paid it off early. Our Moody’s bond rating has improved to A1. Stabilization has grown nearly four hundred percent to eight million dollars and certified Free Cash is at its highest point than at any other time in our 8 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING city’s history. We are now able to make long overdue investments in our city, including fixing more of our roads which are in terrible shape and investing in our schools to provide students with a safer and healthier learning environment. Thanks to the work of our CAFO and partnership with Mayor Perry between 2020 and 2024, our city’s fiscal health is strong again and at a time when we are facing economic head winds and J.P. Morgan is raising recession odds to sixty percent and when many other cities in the Commonwealth envy our fiscal position our city needs our CAFO’s experience and proven track record of results now more than ever and I respectfully ask for your consideration of her re-appointment so we can continue working together to keep improving our city’s fiscal health, reforming our local government, and investing and enhancing the services our constituents expect and rely on. Councilor Saffie said she looks at Maggie as the Manikonda of the city, the powerhouse in converting our ideas into a reality. She is a major reason that the city had so much success that we often take credit for. But it really goes to Maggie and Mayor Perry. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS • Philip Cultrera - Zoning Board of Appeals (Reappointment) MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS • Jose Frias - Zoning Board of Appeals MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Saffie to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 recusal (Clr. Valley out of the room) PRESENTATION/PROJECTS/DEPARTMENT HEAD - None Mayor’s Report MHS Update – Mayor Beauregard said the final walk through took place. The point of contact is Steve Angelo at 978-983-8590 or SAngelo@ci.methuen.ma.us. The spoke about the safety upgrades on Merrimack Street, eight new streetlights at intersections. Work began March 25th and completed on March 27th. He acknowledged the Deputy Police Chief and DPW Director for their efforts with Mass DOT sidewalk improvements. The Department of Public Health posted and has started to move forward. They are working closely to monitor the Lowell Street area. The Mayor reminded everyone of the late hours until 7:30 p.m. for the next two Council meeting nights. He reported the paperwork to fix the retaining wall is moving forward. He will talk to Superintendent Angelo about that. The annual cleanup is Saturday, April 26th, 2025. Residents are encouraged to organize a cleanup group in their neighborhood. Saturday, April 19th is the Easter Egg Hunt at Greycourt. 9 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING Councilor Faretra asked about removal of Planet A boxes. It encourages people use these boxes to dump things. The Mayor said there is a cost for any illegal dumping. Chair Marsan spoke of the contractor on Lowell/East Capitol and the need to contact Eversource as well. Councilor Faretra commented the city is allowing this to happen. The Deputy Chief has been in multiple neighborhoods. People had to walk in the streets. He does not see this in other communities. The city needs to clean up the west end. CAFO Report • CIP Report Update – The CAFO spoke about the CIP report provided, which is broken down year by year that has been approved. Only 1% of 22 left, 25% of FY 23, and 99% of FY 25. We are starting make progress. It will take multiple years. Councilor Faretra said FY 26 should be a quick turnaround time. The CAFO said she received most lists from the department heads to prioritize. • ARPA Report Update – The CAFO said she does not have too much to report. Request of Councilors • Update on School Audit (Request of Chair Faretra) Mayor Beauregard stated the interviews are finished • Ownership and assessment update regarding storage facility on Old Ferry Road (Req. of Clr. DiZoglio & Clr. Pesce) The Mayor said he requested information regarding tax delinquencies. Two former vendors are on the list. • Update Status of McClure Agreement – McClure has begun collecting data. DPW will meet with McClure to address the issues. The owner of the warehouse is completing the work. Councilor Pesce said the assessment in January was one million more than previously assessed in December. She asked the Mayor to find out if they are current. The Mayor indicated he would check with the Assessor. Councilor DiZoglio asked for confirmation if the permit is current or an old permit. There are contractors doing the work on the roadway. He wants to make sure regarding liability. The Mayor indicated they are doing work with DPW and conservation. Councilor DiZoglio said they cleared it out and put piping in. They are doing it, not city workers. Mayor Beauregard said he would follow up and get information to Council. Councilor Soto asked if this is an accepted way. The Mayor said it is an accepted way. • Update or plan to address the ongoing traffic issues on Pelham Street towards Marsh Grammar School. (Clr. Valley) • Request for information related to a traffic study conducted at the Marsh School. (Clr. Valley) 10 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING • Update on the fiscal transparency page that was due to be posted on the website to give real time updates to all city accounts (Clr. Faretra) Mayor Beauregard said the dashboard is up and he made a request to School Department. • Update on plan for the Searles Estate property and the process the city is following for real property disposition. (Clr. Surillo) • List of COLA increases from 2008 to 2024 --- percentage increases only. (Clr. Faretra) • Update on the Youth Center at 10 Ditson Place (Clr. Faretra) • What is the protocol for door-to-door solicitations? (Clr. Soto) The Mayor said he is incorporating that into a report. • Update on pedestrian crosswalk at Bonano’s Farm Stand, 255 Merrimack Street (Clr. Soto) • GLTS Discussion on documents (Req. of Clr. Faretra) GLTS Letter for Council review • Update on the Charter Review Committee (Req. of Clr. DiZoglio) Mayor Beauregard said the next step is the agreement with the Collins Center. Councilor DiZoglio asked about clarification from former Councilor Saba on term limits. They have a meeting Thursday. He would like it posted on the website. Chair Marsan announced they will have public participation at their meeting on Thursday, April 10th. 1. PUBLIC SERVICE: A) Grants: Public Service Grant # 31004482 – Lowell Street – National Grid to install new JO Pole near the intersection of Wheeler Street and Lowell Street MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Saffie to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS B) Licenses: Private Livery & Taxicab License – Elkhourys Transportation, 50 Milk Street, Methuen, MA – Hannah Elkhoury MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Campagnone to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS Private Livery & Taxicab License – Garcia Logistics, LLC, 16 Granite Street, 1st Floor, Methuen, MA – Albert Garcia Ramirez MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Saffie to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS C) Contracts: C-25-67 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Methuen and NEPBA, 117 Special Services Unit E-911 Dispatchers Paring Control Officers for the Period: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027 (second read) MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Soto to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 no (Clr. Faretra) 11 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING C-25-69 – Sound Thinking, Inc., 39300 Civic Center Drive, Suite 300, Fremont, CA 94538 – Gunfire Detection System - $148,500.00 – Three-year contract at $49,500.00 per year and subject to appropriation per fiscal year. MOTION BY: Councilor Saffie, seconded by Councilor Surillo to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS C-25-70 – Care Solace, Inc., 120 Birmingham Drive, Cardiff, CA 92007 – Mental Health Care Coordination Service - $50,000.00 MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Surillo to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS C-25-71 – CATALIS TAX & CAMA, Inc., 3025 Windward Plaza, Suite 200, Alpharetta, GA 30005 – Fiscal Year 2026 through 2029 Interim Year & Fiscal Year 2030 Quinquennial Certification of all Real & Personal Property - $499,400.00 (five-year contract) Starting FY’2026 to FY’2029 @ $94,000.00 per year – FY’2030 $123, 400.00 MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS C-25-72 – Liberty Chevrolet, Inc., 90 Bay State Road, Wakefield, MA 01880 – (1) 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe LT, Four WD Utility Vehicle V8 - $65,760.00 MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Campagnone to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 out of the room (Clr. Saffie) C-25-73 – Insight Public Sector Sled, 2701 E. Insight Way, Chandler, AZ 85286-1930 – MARK43 Data Analytics Implementation for reports, cases and evidence-statewide system – Year 1 - $463,757.36 – Implementation – Year 2 - $156,757.25 – Subject to Appropriation – Year 3 - $156,757.25 - Subject to Appropriation – TOTAL - $777,271.86 MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Campagnone to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 out of the room (Clr. Saffie) C-25-74 – Stryker Sales, LLC, 11811 Willows Road, NE, Redmond, WA 98052 – Chest Compression Systems - $73,608.74 MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Campagnone to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 out of the room (Clr. Saffie) C-25-75 – Allegiance Fire & Rescue, 2181 Providence Highway, Walpole, MA 02081 – 2025 Fire Apparatus - $642,723.00 MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Surillo to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS 12 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING C-25-76 Complete Cleaning Co., Inc., 548 Chestnut Street, Lynn, MA 01904 for Cleaning of the Marsh Grammar School in the Amount of $51,500.00 MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Surillo to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS C-25-77 Employment Contract Between the City of Methuen and Maggie Duprey – Contract for Chief Administrative and Financial Officer for the term July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028 MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. Councilor Soto questioned the notification from the city being six months and the CAFO notification being sixty days. She asked if this is the norm. Mayor Beauregard explained the goal was to mirror 2022 contract/continuity and adequate notice to be provided. Councilor Soto asked if Item 8 “shared goals” has been done and was it done with the previous Mayor. She asked if that is something that is done before or after the contract. Mayor Beauregard said it would be the new Mayor to carry this forward. CAFO Duprey indicated this was done with Mayor Perry. OTHER OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS Unaccepted ways Committee March 24th, 2025 meeting update Councilor Soto provided an update on the Unaccepted ways committee meeting March th 24 , 2025. Mr. Welch identified 21 streets that do not exist. There are 366 unaccepted streets. There were two public participants at the last meeting who did not understand why a portion of the street is unaccepted and a portion accepted. Perhaps the city could allocate funding for unaccepted ways to pave unaccepted ways at least once. The committee and Mr. Welch have done a lot of work on this issue. She wants to make sure we commit to not only patching but fixing streets. Mayor Beauregard said it would be great to have a map where one could see accepted and unaccepted roads to see where the road lies on the map. Councilor Saffie said individuals could go on the state website, put the cursor over the road, and obtain that information. Chair Marsan that should be a good tool. Members for City Solicitor Search Committee – Chair Marsan announced the members of the City Solicitor Search Committee: Councilor Surillo, Councilor Pesce, and Councilor DiZoglio. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Resolutions: 13 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING TR-25-13 Resolution Allowing the Methuen Retirement System to Increase the Cost-of- Living Base from $19,000 to $20,000 (Req. of Retirement Board) MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, Seconded by Councilor Saffie to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS Ordinances: TO-24-17 An Ordinance Amending the Wage and Salary Schedule of Chapter 6, Section 6-5 of the Methuen Municipal Code, Department Heads (requested by the Mayor and CAFO) MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Saffie to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS TO-24-19 An Ordinance Amending the Wage and Salary Schedule of Chapter 6, Section 6-5 of the Methuen Municipal Code, Unaffiliated (Requested by the Mayor and CAFO) (remove from the table) MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to remove from the table. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 no (Clr. Faretra) NEW BUSINESS Resolutions: TR-25-14 Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of a 2025-2027 Mass Save Massachusetts Community First Partnership Grant of $254,565.03, of which $151,466.19 is with National Grid USA Service Company, Inc., and $103,098.84 is with Eversource Energy Service Company. MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Saffie to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 8 yes, 1 no (Clr. Faretra) TR-25-15 Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of a State of Massachusetts Fiscal Year 2025 Budgeted Earmark of $50,000 from Department of Public Health for the City of Methuen to purchase Care Solace software (EPA requested) MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Campagnone to adopt an EPA UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS TR-25-16 Resolution Declaring, the Edward F. Searles Estate, a Certain Parcel of Land with Buildings thereon Located at 209 Lawrence Street in the City of Methuen (Assessor’s Parcel ID 714-41-1) along with its identified list of historic artifacts as Surplus Property and Authorizing the Same to be Sold Under G.L. c. 30B by Request For Proposals With Historic Restoration and Preservation Restrictions And Other Conditions As Further Determined Appropriate By The Mayor. 14 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. Mayor Beauregard read into the record his memo to Council regarding the next steps to ensure the restoration and preservation of the Searles Estate (Attached) The Advisory Committee was designed to be a group as it relates to residents sharing their feedback with goal has been a shared goal for restoration and preservation of the property. As it relates to process and the estate’s architectural and historical restoration, the city is not able to come to Council with a twenty-five-million-dollar restoration request. This is something city cannot do. There could be an opportunity for they city to have restore property for $250,000 for year one. We had to make a lot of investments, i.e. boiler, the cost of insurance $111,000 for six months of insurance. The only way to do that is to pursue investment opportunity who have capability to move forward that would ensure this for years to come. $80,000 of the $200,000 has been expended. Verbatim - Chair Marsan recognized Clr. Soto,“Through you, Mr. Chair. So, this evening, and you weren't on this floor when this came to vote, it was, the chair was Councilor Faretra, I mean, everyone, half the people that attended those meetings are in this room this evening. So, you're reiterating our initial statement of Councilor Valley and Councilor Soto that we are not prepared economically to buy this, it is not something that we should do without a plan, and doing this now is gonna set us back. Five short months later, here we are, and the same people that showed up to advocate buy, buy, buy, sell, sell, sell today. You know, I, when I got your resolution, and this is tough for me because as a colleague that sat here with me and we couldn't really discuss this, it's tough for me to have this conversation, but it's very disappointing because this could have been avoided. And the hopes of many in this room that want to, wanted, had dreams of lofts, dreams of what you just mentioned, could pretty much not happen if the RFP goes to the highest and best use of the property, because we are supposed to look at everybody that brings things, that brings the quotes forward. I expect to have my full time tonight, thank you, because my vote was taken away on this as a reminder, I want to remind everyone. So, I voice serious concerns regarding the financial viability and the long-term vision for this property that was completely ignored. The administration assured, and I went, I watched the videos, I went to my minutes, I highlighted comments from public participation. It would benefit us, it was, it would benefit us all for years to come. It should be managed by a Board of Trustees. I had two ordinances that would have put people that would have been responsible and had the background to actually make this come to fruition under our ownership ignored, sent to the side, but we got a group of community members that wanted the estate, but today are showing up saying, yeah, let's sell it, because we can't afford it. We, did we give Weston and Sampson the $200,000 or $250,000 that are quoted here?” Mayor Beauregard replied, “So, $80,000 of the $200,000 has been expended.” Clr. Soto asked, “And what have they done for that $80,000?” Mayor Beauregard replied, “What we’ve asked them to do at the Estate.” Clr. Soto continued, "Which is, because we haven't seen anything, I haven't seen any public participation, any public commenting, nothing that's come through the emails, nothing, no reporting on this whatsoever. So, I'd like to see what, what we got for the $80,000 we gifted, because that was a gift. I want to quote Director John Wilson of Community Development. He reviewed the sales acquisition proposal which included a short video of the property. The CAFO explained this would cost us $4.8 million over 20 years. Mr. Wilson said there is $500,000 in grant dollars underway. Where is it? Where's the money? So tonight, you want me to vote on a resolution. I sent some amendments because I think that we should put some safeguards on there. What do I want for this property? I want it to pay tax dollars. I want it on the, on the roll, the tax roll, regardless of what your tax status is. And by the way, if you didn't call the Assessor's Office, I did. And this property should be paying on the commercial rate $238,000, 15 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING and $556.73. And under the residential rate, $122,000, $818.99. A total of $361,000, $375.72. That this city is being deprived of, because we want to gift it to an artist to have studios and a wedding venue. And let me remind you that I've told this body, on different occasions, that I've called Mr. Sloan's Great Barrington Estate, three occasions. One, I said I was going to host an event, no call. Two, I disclosed I was a city councilor here and I wanted to walk the estate, no call. And you want me to believe and trust that somebody that doesn't live in Methuen and could probably care less other than wanting a mansion and making it pretty and putting his art in there, is going to let my constituency walk the estate and have it freely. I don't believe it. I have no trust in this administration whatsoever. So tonight, I did send some amendments, okay? Those amendments are to safeguard the tax dollars of that property, because I think at a minimum it should go back on a tax roll. There should be safeguards that if a nonprofit wants to operate out of there, they need to sign a pilot agreement that will also make them pay taxes. I don't care who you are. You're not getting a freebie. I'm not doing another favor. We did a favor to the nuns already. Because the plan says day one, we'll flip it at least for a profit. Well, this resolution says at a minimum for what we spent. Where's the appraisal? And the other item that we should add, because I was a city assessor as well, let me remind you Councilor Faretra, if you're a no, you could step out and go to the bathroom. Okay, it's on. That this property should be bid for its highest and best use. Economic development for the City of Methuen. Tax dollars that can help you. You have two million dollars that you're taking today from your free cash, because there isn't enough tax dollars coming into the city. And that's what this parcel should do. Thank you Mr. Chair. Councilor Faretra said the Vice-Chair called as a realtor and he is not sure if the Vice- Chair should be voting on this. She called prior to the sale looking at the property. It was not for the city to invest. It was always to find a partner. Mayor Beauregard said there is a divide on priorities. He mentioned the purpose is the control the future of the property. Mayor Perry and he refuse to have property lost to development. There is one side for historic preservation. He would like to talk about an RFP to see what we have available out there if we are able to secure the right partner. There are no plans to gift the property to anybody. We could see whether these opportunity exists or if there will be opportunity for property tax generation. People are coming from different vantage points. Councilor DiZoglio said he has had many votes in this chamber. The vision on this no one anticipated any of this. They have a committee and the Mayor for the city. To say we do not trust is reckless. We did this. To say our votes were stolen is not accurate. He believes in this Mayor and believe in the administration. Councilor Pesce said she has mixed feelings on this. The cost is overwhelming. She understands what we are doing now. “How can we benefit from the situation we are in now?” with this RFP, the city should retain some sort of ownership in perpetuity and First Right of Refusal. Residents spoke. Everyone wants this preserved. She understands zoning is specific and we need to be careful with residential. This board has a difficult decision to make. There might be a hotel/boutique to generate revenue. She is open to as many options, but there is very specific limited use. She does not think the assessed value has a lot of value. Council needs to evaluate all options. No one is going to like increase in taxes. Mayor Beauregard indicated he would never let that happen. Councilor Valley said the sale cost 3.5 million dollars. She would like to see a breakdown of repairs as well as overtime by city employees. 16 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING Councilor Surillo said he would like to survey done by department heads. This is a first read declaring property surplus. This is the time Council should do restrictions for the RFP and have some criteria in here. We did use an appraisal and must explain the difference along with the historical aspect is something that we will put in here. He does not like to lose historical aspect of this site. We would have to make it ADA compliant as well. Methuen should always have the right of refusal for anything. We must go through the process for lifetime of the property, not any individual who owns property. MOTION BY: Councilor Soto, seconded by Councilor Faretra to table. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS TR-25-17 Resolution Authorizing Transfer of $927,704 from Free Cash, to be transferred to various General Fund Budget lines to offset unanticipated expenses for FY25 MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. Councilor Faretra noted he has been very vocal on trash. The taxpayers have a piece in this. Residents are contaminating recycling and overflowing barrels, not Harvey. They have put someone in charge and fines are eminent. Harvey did not put trash in barrels and contaminate recycling “Is it Harvey or us?” There is money to recoup. There is good news with Harvey as they will not be going down the wrong way on a one-way street. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS TR-25-18 Resolution Authorizing Transfer $978,900 from Free Cash, to be transferred to DPW Other Expenses to fund necessary Snow & Ice expenditures MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS Ordinances: TO-25-4 Petition to Amend the Zoning Ordinance 121, 125, 129, 131, 133 Pleasant Valley Street MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. Councilor Soto said the zoning is petitioned by the realtor. She questioned if the realtor could petition for these owners. Solicitor O’Neill said he reviewed this. There are two letter signed by five individuals. The owners need to sign. Chair Marsan commented it only takes one landowner. Solicitor O’Neill said there is no prohibition in the process. This will go to Community Development who will review it and report back to Council. There will be ample time. There are five signatures, not one individual letters. Councilor Soto asked if this is not considered spot zoning. Solicitor O’Neill reiterated the process and the 45 days allowed. MOTION BY: Councilor Faretra, seconded by Councilor Saffie to table to a Joint Public Hearing with Community Development and Planning. 17 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS TO-25-5 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 13, Section 13-50, of the Municipal Code of the City of Methuen to Update Door-to-Door Solicitation Requirements (Sponsored by Councilors Patricia Valley, Nellie Soto, and Allison Mary Saffie) MOTION BY: Councilor Saffie, seconded by Councilor Campagnone to approve. Deputy Chief said this was implemented years ago and there are more changes; CORI check, list of references, notarized letters, additional information, company responsible for the individual out there day to day and raised fees. He requested that Council table this ordinance one more meeting. There are different means people are using for doo-to-door sales MOTION BY: Councilor Surillo, seconded by Councilor Faretra to table. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS TO-25-6 An Ordinance Updating Section 15-9, Water Use Restriction, of Chapter 15 of the Methuen Municipal Code in Conformance with Massachusetts department of Environmental Protection Requirements MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Faretra to approve. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS ANY OTHER BUSINESS FOR THE GOOD AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY Councilor Soto reminded everyone of the Charter Review Committee public hearing and meeting on Thursday, April 10th in the Great Hall. The Council shall vote to enter Executive Session for the purpose of discussing and voting on the acceptance/disclosure of the Executive Session Meeting Minutes for the following dates: February 21, 2017 April 2, 2018 June 11, 2018 August 15, 2018 October 16, 2018 October 29, 2018 July 20, 2019 July 26, 2019 18 METHUEN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, April 7, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. GREAT HALL, SEARLES BUILDING August 14, 2019 September 25, 2019 June 10, 2021 June 23, 2021 February 6, 2025 ** The Council will not reconvene in open session after the Executive Session. MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Soto to enter Executive Session. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: 6 no, 3 yes (Clr. Surillo, Clr. Campagnone, Clr. Soto) ADJOURN MOTION BY: Councilor Campagnone, seconded by Councilor Saffie to adjourn. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE: UNANIMOUS 19