Beverly City Council Approves Two Electric School Bus Leases Worth $380,000

BEVERLY — February 1, 2021 — Beverly City Council unanimously approved two electric school bus leases and a bicycle infrastructure resolution at its February 1 meeting. The council authorized a retroactive five-year lease at $24,000 per year for the city's first electric school bus after Mayor Michael Cahill admitted the contract with Hamilton-based Highland Electric Transportation had never been submitted for council approval as required by state law during the COVID-19 emergency in 2020; a new 10-year lease for a second bus was approved at $26,000 per year with no escalation. Highland Electric principal Duncan McIntyre told the council the company invested roughly $250,000 in capital after grants and expects to begin selling vehicle-to-grid services to National Grid as early as June 1. The council also received and placed on file the city's Plan Beverly comprehensive master plan after divided debate, and accepted an $85,965 MassDOT Winter Streets and Spaces grant for downtown pedestrian improvements and outdoor dining infrastructure. The bicycle resolution, presented by Beverly Bike Committee members Jonathan Salt and Kyle Kuyunjian, commits the city to annual meetings with the committee and to pursuing state and federal grants tied to a 40-mile conceptual bike infrastructure map.