Beverly City Council approves $1.2 million CPC budget, honors historic councilor

BEVERLY -- November 8, 2021, Beverly City Council unanimously approved a $1.2 million Community Preservation Committee budget and honored outgoing Ward 6 Councilor Dominic Copeland at its November 8 meeting. Finance Director Brian Ayles told the council the $1,217,095 FY2022 appropriation, drawn from roughly $925,000 in property-tax surcharge revenue and a state match estimated at 32.3 percent of last year's surcharge, must be in place before the city sets its tax rate in December; CPC Chair Heather Richter said approximately 10 Round 10 grant applications are in the pipeline, with eligibility rulings set for November 18 and funding awards expected in January. The council also voted unanimously to adopt a resolution recognizing Copeland, appointed in December 2020, as "the first person of color and first Black American to serve as a counselor on the Beverly City Council," with Copeland telling the chamber "it was never about me, it was about the people." Three speakers including local farmers Anita Dealy and Andy Varela urged the council to adopt a proactive agricultural ordinance, arguing the Board of Health was unlawfully treating Dealy's 19-acre working farm the same as a backyard chicken operation; the council president invited Dealy to return for a fuller presentation in December.