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CITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
BOARD OR COMMISSION: City of Beverly Community Preservation Committee
DATE: June 18, 2026
LOCATION: Beverly Public Library, Fogg Room, 32 Essex Street
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Wendy Pearl, Jamie Jamieson, Vice Chair David Ershun, Nancy Marino, Robert Buchsbaum, Heather Richter, Christy Edwards
STAFF PRESENT: Jean Delios, Community Preservation Act Coordinator
RECORDER: Kristan Patenaude
1. Call to Order
Chair Pearl called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. Consultation and Q & A with the CPC
The CPC encourages the public, current or potential applicants, and other interested parties to bring their questions/comments to the meeting during this 15-minute session.
None at this time.
3. Next Year's CPA Grant Cycle, Round 14 - Application Materials and Process, Feedback Received, Best Practices, Suggestions for Modifications.
The Committee reviewed the proposed calendar for meetings and agreed to hold a meeting on September 10th. Presentation materials will be gathered in August. The Committee discussed how to streamline the presentation and make it more accessible to the public. There is interest in making the CPC process as user friendly as possible. There was discussion regarding how to publicize the first meeting in order to get more interest and participation.
4. CPC Project Closeouts
a. Lynch Park_OOC-2_2024 - Review Closeout Report
The Committee reviewed the closeout report for the Lynch Park project. The Committee agreed that the closeout report could be signed off on.
5. CPC membership and meeting schedule – Updates
The next meeting will be held August 20th, with a public hearing on September 10th and another regular meeting on September 17th. There are three Committee seats that need to be filled, and this continues to be worked on.
6. Other CPA project updates.
a. Independence Park_OOC-1_2024 (Study) - Review of project costs, disbursements, and other supporting documentation
The Committee reviewed the guidance from the City Solicitor's letter on this item. Pearl explained that the Committee submitted a letter to the Solicitor asking about the scope of work that was performed versus the scope of work that was funded. The City Solicitor reviewed that information and advised the Committee to undertake a review of the invoicing and supporting documentation to make sure that it complies with the terms of the grant agreement. The letter outlines that there were three installments proposed and certain types of submittals were required with each installment. The Committee should also consider if the work that was undertaken was part of the original scope and budget. If the answer to either of those items is no, then the applicant did not satisfy the requirements and there are two sections of the grant agreement that could be invoked in terms of next steps.
Pearl noted that none of the invoices submitted had dates on them. The invoices from The 400 Committee requested funds but did not detail what was done. There was no backup information. The invoices from Tighe & Bond similarly listed services performed but no detail information. In the future, detailed descriptions of the work undertaken for each invoice should be submitted. It is difficult to determine the answer to the second question because there was not enough detail submitted. She also noted that she did not see a 50% report, including a check in for the budget.
The Committee agreed to request detailed backup for the invoices for proof of payment. Also, a 50% progress report to go along with invoice #2. Payment #3 was awaiting final plans and a closeout report. The information should include a simple spreadsheet. It was agreed that Delios would draft a letter for Pearl to review on behalf of the Committee, prior to sending to the project team.
b. Girdler House Generator_OOC-3_2024 - Status update or potential closeout
A representative for the Girdler House explained that they received a CAC generated grant. The generator was obtained and has been installed. Upon trying to get a license from National Grid, it was determined that the generator obtained is much larger than the other one. This section of Beverly is on a low flow gas line and in order to hook up the generator the requirement is approximately $20,000 to dig up the lot from Abbott Street and run a new pipe. The current pipe is about 2” in diameter and they want a 4” diameter pipe. Girdler House is also required to purchase a booster pump, which will help push more gas through. Quotes obtained for this item are approximately $45,000, or $37,500. In order to hook this up, a plumber is required to install a valve beyond the booster pump. Even though the facility is tax exempt, it is required to pay the bills. There have been discussions with various people in the City in order to determine what could be done. Girdler House houses 14 senior, low-income women. If they were in a house by themselves, they would be getting some type of financial help with utilities, but because this is an entity, it gets no help. The gas bill went up almost 32% last year and electricity 20%. The project is in a bind, with quite a deficit at this time. The Girdler House does not have any private benefactors. It is a public charity, but classified as a private foundation, and is therefore not eligible for any grants. The foundation money has dwindled, and work has been needed on the building. The original application would have included the newly discovered costs, if they had been known ahead of time.
The Committee discussed a potential amendment to the original application which would require going to the City Council for an additional appropriation on the original amount of funds. The Committee agreed to seek an opinion from the City Solicitor on this item after receiving updated written information from the Girdler House.
7. Approval of minutes
a. May 21, 2026
Ershun: Motion to approve the meeting minutes of May 21, 2026, as presented.
Buchsbaum seconds. Motion carries (7-0).
8. Other items not known in advance of the posting of this agenda
None at this time.
9. Adjourn
Edwards: Motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:28pm. Ershun seconds. Motion carries (7-0).
Next Meeting(s): August 20, 2026