Well, the Council is back in the Great Hall on Monday night, and this agenda has a little of everything and the biggest piece has been telegraphed for us. There is the typical long list of questions for the Mayor, a contract to hire a search firm for a permanent police chief, and the second read of the joint resolution from the Mayor and a councilor asking for a federal investigation to be reopened.
A few things stand out right away…
Pesce will not be there. She has a planned family vacation.
Last meeting, she all but stated she was only supporting the resolution for the joint resolution to the feds for votes.
She knew when she voted she would not be at this meeting.
The first read passed 5-4. Without Pesce, it fails 4-4.
This was a master class is political pandering by Pesce.
The best part of this will get covered below… so keep reading.
This is a Regular Meeting of the Methuen City Council on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. in the Great Hall of the Searles Building, 41 Pleasant Street, 3rd Floor.
Opening Business
Items 1 through 5 are the usual opening steps: Roll Call, Acceptance of the Agenda, the Pledge of Allegiance, Invocation and Moment of Silence, Public Participation, and Organizational Business. Public Participation is your chance to speak to the Council, and with this much on the agenda, it is a good night to show up.
We already know we will be down a Councilor at roll call.
My other pet peeve is the use of religion in the Invocation. As someone who believes in the seperation of church and state, this one blows my mind. Why is everyone ok with it?
Hopefully, the room is full of residents calling for the resignation of anyone not willing to serve the residents of Methuen and support the ask to reopen the investigation. …Although, the last time there was a call for a resignation, Chair Soto launched a war with the Housing Authority. So, be sure to think twice before going to battle if that is what you choose.
Reading and Acceptance of Minutes from Previous Meetings
The Council will take up the minutes of the October 5th, 2026 Regular Meeting and a correction to the minutes of the September 24, 2026 Special Meeting.
Proclamations/Correspondence
None this week.
Consideration of Appointments
Marylin Murphy, Council on Aging: The Council will consider her appointment to the Council on Aging, the board that helps shape services for the city’s seniors.
Presentations/Projects/Department Updates
Veterans Service Officer Presentation, 90 Days in Review: The Veterans Service Officer will report on the first 90 days in the role. It is a chance to hear what veterans in Methuen are asking for and how the office is handling it.
I’d hope to hear from veterans in the community about the performance of the VSO and not the VSO himself. Hopefully we get some insight during public participation.
Mayor’s Report
The Mayors report typically follows the questions in the requests of councilors and a few other fun tidbits the Mayor is able to share.
CAFO Report
• Update on Searles Estate Expenses and Revenues (Councilor Soto): Councilor Soto wants a look at what the Searles Estate is costing the city and what it is bringing in. Expect the numbers to get a lot of attention.
This is an ongoing request. The additional funds have been minimual - mostly just utitlites and some small items for upkeep.
The more interesting recent aspect is that the Friends of the Searles recently filed to form their nonprofit entity with the State (filing can be viewed here). How does the City plan to continue to work together with the organization that seems to be raising a bunch of money and working this property. That’s the question would should be looking for answers on. With no clear guidance if we ever intend to sell this land, we should have some kind of documented relationship with the Friends.
• Outstanding back taxes and recovery to date (Councilor Drew): Councilor Drew first asked at the beginning of the year what progress has been made on collections. This is the follow up, and it is a fair question to ask again.
This is another ongoing request. The reality is that this takes time… sometimes months and somtimes years to collect back taxes through the courts. What we should do is ask for a quarterly balance sheet to show debt off and debt on. Chasing this on a biweekly basis is a unproductive use of time.
Requests of Councilors
This is the longest section of the night, so here it is in agenda order.
• Methuen Housing Authority trash collection (Chair Soto): Clarification on the cost breakdown and tonnage fees for Housing Authority trash collection under the city’s municipal trash contract.
This is the result of the first call for resignation. It’s now being used to leverage the City to get trash pick up for condo complexes. You may remember this was a failed attempt in late 2025 right before the previous council rolled off by Pesce to get trash pick up in her neigborhood. Soto seems to have picked up that burden and is using low income seniors as her stepping stone.
• School contracts and the legal department (Chair Soto): Clarification on why school contracts have to go through the city’s legal department, and what is causing the delay in processing them.
This is truly a great question. I’ll start by saying the school is not perfect. They’ve made mistakes with contracts in the past BUT so has the City. However, the Solicitor doesn’t understand acadameia and the time sensitive nature of the world.
As you may recall, due to delays from his office, our AP students went without materials for a few weeks and our new literacy program was delayed. In addition, we had delayed contracting with the solar contracts.
There is a very valid arguement for letting the School either hire it’s own “in house” counsel or utilize its already engaged attorneys for the contract review in conjunction with the purchasing department.
• Unaccepted ways roadmap (Councilor Valley): A request that the City Solicitor and the DPW build a dedicated section on the city website walking residents through the acceptance of unaccepted ways. It would cover the process from beginning to end, an online application or petition form, eligibility requirements and supporting documents, fees, betterment assessments and other costs, estimated timelines, and contact information.
Valley was told this was almost done, twice. If it’s not done, I am sure she will be less than happy.
• Echo Lane sewer connection (Councilor Valley): Clarification on the betterment fees and upfront costs the Mayor mentioned for the Echo Lane sewer connection project. Homeowners on that street will want to hear the answer.
Homeowners on that street will want to hear the answer… if we ever get one.
• Buildings Audit RFP status (Councilor Drew): An update on where the Buildings Audit request for proposals stands.
This has been ongoing for months. If it’s that important, why hasn’t the council worked up a draft RFP for the Mayor’s office and purchasing to review? That’s what I would have done. Especially knowning this is a low priority item for an adminstration that has been under constant strain due to budget, staffing, and ongoing madness. Seems like it could have greased the wheels a bit.
• City employee email signature standardization (Councilor Drew): A rollout and implementation update on standardizing email signatures for city employees.
In my opinion, this should have been marked complete as the end of the last meeting. It’s unclear what Drew is looking for at this point since the language on this ask hasn’t changed.
• HHSI Permit Fees Review (Councilor Drew): A status update on the review of HHSI permit fees, which came up during the FY2027 Budget Workshop.
These new fee schedules were assumed in the budget creation process. We should probably get them in and approved before we lose too much of that revenue.
• 2026 Paving Program (Councilor Drew): Which streets are done, which remain, the Spring 2027 list, and whether the work will be finished before winter.
The Mayor had a VERY aggressive paving plan for the year. This will be interesting to hear.
• Constellations Program (Councilor Drew): A financial and performance update on the program.
• Trash and recycling collection (Councilor Drew): Current service performance, missed pickups, and an update on the FY2028 contractor transition.
• ALPR / FLOCK replacement system (Councilor Drew): Status of the Automated License Plate Reader replacement system, along with an update on the privacy and data policy that will govern it.
This is the new hot button issue for the Council thanks to Valley and her grandstanding on being “flocked”. It didn’t impact her until it did and now they all care.
• Permanent Police Chief search (Councilor Drew): The status, process, and anticipated timeline for finding a permanent chief.
• Barrel fees (Councilor DiZoglio): An update on barrel fees, including whether anyone is sending emails out and, if there is no response, whether the city is following up with a phone call.
This request hasn’t changed in weeks. It’s starting to feel like we are being lazy with the agenda or this is a standing moment for DiZoglio to monologue about how messed up the trash system is and has been (as if we weren’t all already aware.)
Public Service
A. Grants: None.
B. Licenses: None.
C. Contract(s):
C-27-39 Blue Integrity Consulting, LLC of 16 Forest Front Street #207, Salem, MA 01970, for executive search services to conduct a comprehensive recruitment process for the position of Chief of Police for the Methuen Police Department, in the amount of $29,500.00.
Why it matters… this is the contract that puts the permanent chief search in motion, and it connects directly to Councilor Drew’s request for a timeline earlier in the night.
Someone should ask if this is the same firm we used when we hired McNamara a few years back?
There should also be some conversation about what they want to see in the next police chief. This particular conversation should be ongoing.
Other Officers and Committee Reports
No specific reports are listed on the agenda but we shall see what comes up.
Unfinished Business
Resolution(s)
TR-26-89 Resolution to amend TR-13-8, Resolution providing for annual performance evaluations: City Council Employees (Request of Chair Soto).
This is a second read to set up annual performance evaluations for employees who work for the City Council. It is housekeeping on the surface, but it is about how the Council manages its own staff.
Hopefully, someone asks for HR to weigh in on the process because the concept of it being annoymous that was floated last meeting seems wrong and likely illegal. Additionally, they would need to be carefully not to committ any open meeting law violations in the process of reviewing employees.
TR-26-90 A Joint Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of the City of Methuen Calling for the Reopening of the Federal Investigation into Corruption Involving the Former Leadership of the Methuen Police Department (Requested by Mayor Beauregard and Councilor Simard).
This is the big one. The Mayor and Councilor Simard are asking for the federal investigation to be reopened, and they want the full Council to go on record. Expect a real debate and a fair deal of back and forth.
The kicker here… the members who agreed have already signed it. The question becomes, if it fails, will the Mayor still send it with the signatures of those who voted yes in read one?
It’s also worth looking at those who didn’t sign and wondering who they really support.
TR-26-92 A Resolution Accepting a Gift of 9/11 Memorial Banners (Sponsored by Clr. Ryan DiZoglio).
The city would formally accept a gift of 9/11 memorial banners. A gift to the city has to be accepted by the Council, so this is the vote that makes it official.
Ordinance(s)
TO-26-21 An Ordinance Amending the Wage and Salary Classification Plan, Unaffiliated, to add the new position of Sealer of Weights and Measurers.
This creates a new position in the city’s pay plan for employees who are not in a union. A Sealer of Weights and Measures is the person who checks that scales, gas pumps, and similar devices are accurate, so this protects both shoppers and businesses.
New Business
Open Meeting Law Complaint, Dated September 9, 2026
Open Meeting Law Complaint, Dated September 29, 2026
Two Open Meeting Law complaints are on the agenda, one dated September 9 and one dated September 29. The agenda does not describe the substance of either, so I will leave it there until the Council takes them up.
Resolution(s)
TR-26-93 A Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of a Fiscal Year 2025 Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Award, $27,999.02 (Request of Mayor Beauregard). This accepts an award from the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program to help the police department with protective vests. Backup is linked on the agenda. View backup.
TR-26-94 A Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of a $48,759.90 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Fiscal Year 2027 Federal Municipal Road Safety Grant (Request of Mayor Beauregard). This accepts a road safety grant of $48,759.90. Backup is linked on the agenda. View backup.
TR-26-95 Resolution Accepting a Gift of Equipment from Planet Fitness to the Fire Department. The Council will formally accept a gift of equipment from Planet Fitness for the Fire Department. Free equipment is always welcome, and the vote makes it official.
These should all be easy and quick. There is nothing of consequence here and this just helps the City.
Ordinance(s)
None listed.
Any Other Business for the Good and Welfare of the Community
The floor opens for anything else councilors want to raise before the meeting ends.
Adjourn
The meeting adjourns after the final business of the night.
