Beverly budget hearing surfaces housing crisis, public safety staffing concerns

BEVERLY -- June 2, 2021, Beverly's joint Finance and Property and Committee of the Whole budget hearing surfaced urgent warnings about senior housing, public safety staffing, and major infrastructure transitions. Council on Aging Director Marianne Holak told councillors her office handled 27 housing crises among seniors in the past three months, including an 80-year-old resident who arrived homeless the day of the hearing, and named a housing specialist as her top unfunded wish-list item, noting Beverly's single outreach coordinator compares poorly to Salem's and Peabody's three or four. Police Chief John LeLacheur warned that the state's new police reform law eliminates reserve officer academies, ending the Harbormaster's ability to hire part-time assistants with special police powers and potentially leaving Beverly three patrol positions short by fall. Fire Chief Scott O'Connor reported the department is expecting its new ladder truck in August, enabling a dedicated full-time ladder company for the first time in roughly 20 years, and Mayor Michael Cahill confirmed the total McPherson Youth Center budget for FY22 stands at approximately $122,797, split between a $68,448 city contribution and a roughly $54,000 YMCA match.