City Council Preview: October 5, 2026

Barrel fees, a request to reopen a federal corruption probe, and a $32 an hour Sealer of Weights and Measures

City Council Preview: October 5, 2026

Written by: Dan Shibilia

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Another Monday, another agenda, and this one comes with a twist at the very end.

Links to original agendas

City Council Regular Meeting Agenda, Monday, October 5, 2026, 7pm

CAFO Report

The council meets Monday, October 5, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. in the Great Hall of the Searles Building, 41 Pleasant Street, third floor. I count no public hearings this time, no proclamations or correspondence, no appointments, no grants, and nothing under Unfinished Business. That makes for a lighter load on the formalities than usual. What it lacks in ceremony it makes up for in Requests of Councilors, where the trash questions pile up. As always, I am walking through this in the order the agenda is written, not the order I find most entertaining.

Opening Business

The meeting opens with Roll Call, Acceptance of the Agenda, and the Pledge of Allegiance, Invocation, and Moment of Silence. Public Participation follows, which is the time for residents to step up and say their piece before the council gets into the heavy lifting.

Organizational Business

Reading and Acceptance of Minutes from Previous Meetings: The council will take up the minutes from the Monday, September 21, 2026 Regular Meeting and the Thursday, September 24, 2026 Special Meeting. Routine, but it is the official record, so it is worth a quick read if you missed either one.

Proclamations/Correspondence

Nothing listed but it’s never stopped them before.

Consideration of Appointments

None this time either.

Presentations/Projects/Department Updates

Methuen City Hall Great Hall Audio, Visual, & Lighting Assessment Report Presentation: The Great Hall is where the council meets, where residents show up to speak, and where the cameras live for those watching at home. This presentation covers an assessment of the room’s audio, visual, and lighting setup. If you have ever strained to hear a speaker or squinted at a screen in that room, this is the report for you.

Mayor’s Report & CAFO’s Report

The Mayor’s report will likely follow the Requests of Councilors and some fun updates he usually throws in. I’m also sure he will hit on the monster resolution he brought forward with Councilor Simard.

CAFO Report:

A memo dated 10/2/26 from Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Maggie Duprey to the Mayor and City Council laying out the financial impact of this meeting’s agenda items. I have folded her numbers into the contracts and resolutions below, so you do not have to hunt for them.

• Request for Update on Searles Estate Expenses & Revenues (Councilor Soto): Councilor Soto wants a look at what the Searles Estate costs the city and what it brings in. Expect a numbers conversation about whether the property is paying its own way.

• Status on outstanding back taxes and recovery to date (Councilor Drew): Councilor Drew asked at the beginning of the year what progress had been made on collections, and he is circling back for an update. Unpaid taxes are money the city is owed, so the recovery number is the one to watch.

Requests of Councilors

• Methuen Housing Authority trash collection (Chair Soto): Clarification on the cost breakdown and tonnage fees for trash collection at the Methuen Housing Authority through the city’s municipal trash contract.

I guess what holds me up on this is the lack of purpose or end goal. What is Soto trying to accomplish? Why has there been no public discussion with how the funding works for housing and how adding trash would cause major issues?

• Unaccepted ways roadmap on the city website (Councilor Valley): A request that the City Solicitor and the DPW build a dedicated section of the website walking residents through the acceptance of unaccepted ways. The ask is detailed: a start to finish overview of the process, an online application or petition form, eligibility requirements and supporting documentation, any fees, betterment assessments, or other costs, estimated timelines, and contact information.

• Echo Lane sewer connection (Councilor Valley): Clarification on the betterment fees and upfront costs the Mayor mentioned for the Echo Lane sewer connection project. Neighbors on that street will want to hear these numbers.

• Buildings Audit RFP status update (Councilor Drew): A check on where the Request for Proposals for a buildings audit stands.

• City employee email signature standardization (Councilor Drew): A push to get city employee email signatures looking the same across departments.

Small item, big for anyone who has ever received a city email that looked a little different from the last one. But, it sounds like this was almost resolved at the last meeting.

• HHSI permit fees review and update status (Councilor Drew): An update on the review of permit fees at the Department of Health, Human Services and Inspections, which came up during the FY2027 Budget Workshop.

• Barrel fees (Councilor DiZoglio): Councilor DiZoglio asks whether anyone is sending out emails about barrel fees and, when there is no response, whether the city is following up with a phone call.

This will likely be more of the same from DiZoglio.

Public Service

A. Grants

None.

B. Licenses

Vehicle for Hire Company License Application, Zanr Transportation, LLC: Joseph J. Aime, 93 Haverhill Street, Methuen, MA 01844 is applying for a Vehicle for Hire Company License for Zanr Transportation, LLC. The backup is linked on the agenda if you want the details.

C. Contract(s)

C-27-34, Mayer Tree Service, Inc.: A one year contract with Mayer Tree Service, Inc. of Essex for brush grinding and removal of brush piles at the Transfer Station, in the amount of $39,048.00. That works out to $9,762.00 each time, four times a year. Per the CAFO, it is funded through the general fund DPW other expenses and solid waste budget, which currently has $50,000 available for it.

C-27-35, EPlus Technology, Inc.: A one year, $34,291.49 contract with EPlus Technology, Inc. of Herndon, VA for virus protection for the city. Not glamorous, but it keeps the city’s computers from catching something nasty. It comes out of the general fund IT other expenses budget, which currently has $397,147 available.

C-27-36, Energy Source, LLC: A $300,000.00 energy conservation and building maintenance upgrade at the Timony Grammer School with Energy Source, LLC of Smithfield, RI. According to the CAFO, the work includes installing a Building Management System platform and the first phase of system controls, wiring, and sensors, plus staff training and system monitoring support to keep the HVAC running efficiently. The project total breaks down as $222,580.00 from the FY26 Green Communities grant, which currently has $250,000 available, and $77,420.00 in utility incentives paid directly from National Grid and Eversource to the vendor. In plain terms, none of this is coming out of the general fund.

C-27-37, 978 Solar Development, LLC: A Net Metering Agreement with 978 Solar Development, LLC of Lowell. Under it, the city buys energy at a reduced cost and gets credit on its electricity bills. The CAFO projects 10% net metering savings per year on electricity expenditures once the solar farm is up and running, which looks to be about 18 months out. The vendor would also pay the city $5,000 after the commercial operation date of the first system. The solar systems are to be built in Wareham, MA.

D. Order Calling for State Election November 3, 2026

Order Calling for State Election November 3, 2026: The formal order calling the State Election for November 3, 2026. The backup is linked on the agenda.

14. Other Officers and Committee Reports

The agenda lists no specific reports under this heading.

15. Unfinished Business

Resolutions: None. Ordinances: None. The slate is clean.

16. New Business

Resolutions

TR-26-89, Resolution to amend TR-13-8, Resolution providing for annual performance evaluations: City Council Employees: This amends the existing resolution that sets up annual performance evaluations for City Council employees.

The CAFO says there does not appear to be a financial impact. The text of the amendment is in the linked document, so give it a read to see exactly what is changing.

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 and marked EPA requested.

This is the storm of the century. This is where we will learn a lot about our elected officials and their priorities. The resolution’s opening clauses say former Police Chief Joseph Solomon and former City Councilor Sean Fountain pleaded guilty to crimes involving unlawful police appointments and falsified credentials, that federal authorities previously investigated but closed the case without charges or a meaningful explanation to the city, and that the state prosecutions did not address the 2017 police contracts, Fountain’s exercise of police authority, or the conduct of others. It calls on United States Attorney Leah B. Foley to reopen the federal investigation or direct a fresh review of the evidence, and directs that the resolution and a signed letter go to her and to the Attorney General of the United States. Expect this one to draw a crowd and a lot of feelings.

TR-26-91, Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of a $7,500 2026 Catalyst Fund Grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation to Support the City of Methuen’s Launch of the Little Free Pantry Initiative: Requested by Director of Public Health Caeli Tegan Zampach and marked EPA requested.

The grant goes to the Department of Health, Human Services, and Inspections, and per the CAFO there is no match requirement. The grant letter and agreement sets a one year grant period from October 1, 2026 to October 1, 2027, paid in one lump sum once the signed agreement is returned, with regular reports and a final report required. The summary describes Little Free Pantries as the food version of a Little Free Library: donation based boxes of shelf stable food, community resources, and health education materials, sometimes with items like can openers, personal care products, and naloxone. It says the city is proposing roughly $25,000 in opioid settlement funds for the project and lists eight proposed sites, including the YMCA on Haverhill Street, the Pelham Street car park, the Rail Trail lot on Railroad Street, the Gill Avenue Playground, MAN Inc on Tenney Street, the Adult Learning Center on Boylston Street, Milk Street Park, and CGS School on Howe Street.

TR-26-92, A Resolution Accepting a Gift of 9/11 Memorial Banners: Sponsored by Councilor Ryan DiZoglio.

Per the resolution, Councilor DiZoglio purchased banners displayed at the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at the Methuen Central Fire Station and wants them donated to the city at no cost, for that ceremony and any other events the city sees fit. The council is being asked to formally accept the gift.

Ordinances

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 adds the Sealer of Weights and Measures to the unaffiliated wage and salary plan within the Department of Health, Human Services and Inspections, at $32.00 an hour, effective upon passage. The sealer conducts the weights and measures inspections that Massachusetts General Law requires, which is the person who checks that scales and pumps are accurate. The CAFO notes the duties were historically folded into other HHSI roles, the new position is expected to average about 15 hours a week for the rest of the fiscal year, and it has been approved for part time funding of $20,000 for FY27. The next time a deli scale looks suspicious, there will be someone to call.

17. Any Other Business for the Good and Welfare of the Community

The council will vote on entering Executive Session under Exemption 7, M.G.L. c. 30A § 23(b). If it does, members will discuss and vote on the acceptance or disclosure of executive session meeting minutes for these dates: July 1, 2024, September 16, 2024, February 6, 2025, July 6, 2026, August 13, 2026, and September 8, 2026. After the Executive Session, the council will adjourn and will not reconvene in open session.

Sign-off

The Methuen City Council meets Monday, October 5, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. in the Great Hall, Searles Building, 41 Pleasant Street, third floor. You can watch on Channel 8 (Comcast), Channel 32 (Verizon), or at Methuen.gov/livestream, and the full agenda and backup are posted on the city’s website..

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Watch live:

• methuen.gov/livestream

• Channel 8 (Comcast) or Channel 32 (Verizon)

• YouTube: youtube.com/@MethuenMeetings