[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6088400,"mediaKeyId","2881032-bb1ad64551a8a3a17bc4f2cd7b6b021b","parentId",2881032,"title","Councilors discuss repurposing city-owned vacant buildings to add homeless shelters; motion kept for future meetings","audioSeconds",215,"startMs",5351000,"endMs",5566000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2881032-bb1ad64551a8a3a17bc4f2cd7b6b021b&start=5351&end=5566","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2881032-bb1ad64551a8a3a17bc4f2cd7b6b021b/thumbnail_5351000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6088400/Peabody-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Councilors-discuss-repurposing-city-owned-vacant-buildings-to-add-homeless-shelters-motion-kept-for-future-meetings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6088400-4d59b5d06912d566aef8b62a69991527/orig.mp4?Expires=1775300876&Signature=OJVqh9snsq5tOJiDmZtSynMtvpMSoKCnmUe2vBrca77zRebINxO6jp-1Q66IkPr81xXbqLW0Zt3QDWTVvxqt1p3YlRLyADrtKfzpNPm91~vxClVEneiv0tQrU7bh7aupVEI80ckdn0YD5o0h2-WZFtewANjTEAxnJi7-h7VYtWVut3vny9nj9msPuQU-6ewDKbzdHSlEx2~v762II2sR-RaOPYXamy-nxVNqCIHjynCdghsGAJjZiHB5rUY1f7Rmok7Ctiqqnzgf0PboGGwhuxWVc8FZCHFhRnfqEODP1JD92mbmN5ikaRsIBSKKd9BWvk6p3vWTwRS49BJRbg1KcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Peabody, MA","date","2025-04-04T12:05:15Z","article","At the April 3 Student Government Day city council session, Councilor Louie Giuffre proposed a motion to plan, develop and build additional homeless shelters by repurposing abandoned city-owned buildings and to launch a public-awareness campaign about homelessness in Peabody.

The council heard background from the director of health and human services, who said Peabody currently tracks roughly a dozen people sleeping outdoors and that several nearby shelter providers operate larger or weather‑emergency facilities (for example Citizens Inn). The director said the city could consider partnering with nonprofits and neighboring towns to expand shelter capacity.

On available inventory, the director of community development said the city had \"under five\" vacant buildings that might be candidates but cautioned many are in poor condition and “we just wouldn't be comfortable with people living in them right now.” The finance director told councilors the city would need to own any building to convert it and, absent grant funding, construction or conversion would be paid from the municipal budget.

When asked about current homeless counts, the director said: \"So as of right now, for the homeless, there's 12 people that we've are aware of that are homeless... There are 12 people living outdoors.\" The director also said that a January homeless census is conducted to count people living outside.

Council discussion covered whether to expand capacity at existing providers such as Citizens Inn versus building new capacity, the potential use of grant funding, and public outreach strategies (social media and flyers were mentioned). The council agreed to keep the proposal on the agenda for future meetings rather than vote immediately, and asked staff to provide more exact counts, shelter-condition assessments for candidate properties and funding options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Student Government Day - April 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Councilor Louie Giuffre proposed converting city-owned vacant buildings into homeless shelters and launching an awareness campaign. The director of health and human services and finance director described existing shelter options and funding considerations; councilors agreed to keep the proposal on future agendas rather than voting immediately.","taxTitle","Peabody City, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",5128,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6088405,"Peabody council presses for transparency, public forums on new peaker plant",686,3754000,4440000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2881032-bb1ad64551a8a3a17bc4f2cd7b6b021b&start=3754&end=4440","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2881032-bb1ad64551a8a3a17bc4f2cd7b6b021b/thumbnail_3754000.jpg","/articles/6088405/Peabody-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Peabody-council-presses-for-transparency-public-forums-on-new-peaker-plant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6088405-d32f4bd0870d646c847c89265b118c58/orig.mp4?Expires=1775300876&Signature=oW8thw2Xaavqd9HxjR9D3ndmZb08nSEMo8gat-UDT8ajoyJPWdtDaUb1bZzN5mrouuK~Df1KJ7jVsrGn7qLoBbi~CBZv9jDR6GQSbI-2UhI21XSeL8y1HB-qNGNPJGWFD6D0pfBCKsARHwyCiiRFgUUQv29xxukSAt2iyU2OD0aJ3pq264rNsKtKmsQE65CImIqcZzsPwl8VFyursX90NJrJEKsEFhWgfl9rKH-zN-4F5cxeTRsV9P4i6CLac0~i112x5Mx9nocXL3UL8pLuDKRUe-lneaBYqkMThum1sTZ9uYpFbloIUzYE4IQBhK5zx0Ejy8gv-gLVBbZC9GAXAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Peabody City Council, meeting as part of Student Government Day on April 3, voted to increase transparency and hold public forums about a recently installed peaker power plant, and asked the Peabody Municipal Light Plant (PMLP) to provide a summary of the plant’s usage and local impacts.

Councilor Catherine Holleran introduced the motion citing air-quality and health concerns. Holleran told the council the plant \"is expected to emit over 51,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the air annually,\" and said that concentrated emissions in the city could worsen local respiratory illness rates above the state average.

Councilors heard from Peabody’s director of health and human services, who warned that \"prolonged exposure to emissions of particulates is specifically concerning to respiratory issues, like heart disease, lung disease, COPD, and asthma,\" and urged that an environmental or health impact assessment should have been completed before construction. The director said local monitors (PurpleAir sensors) are in use to observe particulate levels across Peabody.

Peabody Municipal Light Plant managers told councilors that PMLP does not own the peaker plant and therefore does not track all operating details; the plant manager said, \"We don't know exactly because PVD Light Plant doesn't own the peaker plant, but we can estimate around a dozen times so far. Half a dozen, sorry.\" Managers also said turbines have regulators to reduce emissions and noted an ongoing municipal shift toward renewable sources with a contracting target of over 50% by 2030.

Councilors pressed for specific data on emissions, frequency and duration of use, and the council voted to pursue additional public meetings and a summary from PMLP about the plant’s operation and community impacts. A recorded roll call on a request for a summary of PMLP activity passed by majority vote; councilors asked that future meetings include clearer operational and emissions information from the plant’s owner/operator.

Council discussion ranged from technical questions about fuel and efficiency to suggestions for broader public engagement, including social media outreach and city‑led forums. The council requested the municipal light plant and relevant state or regional partners provide transparent data and to respond to questions raised by councilors in coming weeks.","Peabody city councilors, in a Student Government Day session on April 3, passed a motion calling for increased environmental awareness and public meetings about a recently installed peaker power plant; council also requested a summary from the municipal light plant about plant use and impacts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6088410,"Student-run school committee approves language, security and staffing measures",795,2015000,2810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2881032-bb1ad64551a8a3a17bc4f2cd7b6b021b&start=2015&end=2810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2881032-bb1ad64551a8a3a17bc4f2cd7b6b021b/thumbnail_2015000.jpg","/articles/6088410/Peabody-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Student-run-school-committee-approves-language-security-and-staffing-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6088410-e5f8f190dfd4971d994a88f9e2265b03/orig.mp4?Expires=1775300876&Signature=kYHlADVsZr6KeZ4m3wOIUQdN7G-5Fn6uzUx7xleHFmeyrBgKeqD4F~5REYuVthquzqgcL34lSauYxGP8o2zNGK8XeBPOEeqQsxS1LbIf~97uKLk1G5d7eLMEk1Z5j9uKQSyr6FQDLbfReOMSVhXV4Iva6F8CnXGrGNtF49dHxOXTvf7BXTBjEC5pAUrLK8lqNq7zXbEqM-oaseAaMqC5X21J7BSwePd4EFKwTaJX4f7v6GneAmbWv2JguEWEMuwnIJlg6~6lJL-OBcsjSzwaog581sI8L1NLQL~zxYzh2lN2eEAAgK3OEr2EbbjOWML5xqt9RZf6-8QVSE6lfL2Qvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A student-majority Peabody School Committee meeting on April 3 adopted three motions aimed at classroom organization, building security and library staffing while asking staff to return cost and feasibility information.

The student committee voted to expand the foreign-language program so teachers won’t have to cover multiple levels in a single class, passed a motion to pursue an updated school ID–based security system with bathroom passes and lunch scanning, and approved exploring hiring a second librarian at the high school to increase student access to library resources.

The foreign-language motion was motivated by students who said mixed-level classes — for example Spanish 4 with AP Spanish students in the same room — make it difficult to meet differing learning needs. A roll-call vote recorded on the transcript shows a mix of yes and no votes from student committee members; the motion was announced as passed.

Committee members pressed administration for concrete numbers before implementation. When asked about funding and staffing, the city finance director directed members to the assistant superintendent for classroom‑level staffing requirements. The assistant superintendent told the committee, “We’ll get that information for you, and, we’ll get back to you on that.” The superintendent recommended gathering student data on whether mixed‑level classes benefit learning before changing schedules.

On security, student members proposed using school IDs and digital passes for bathroom access and lunch scanning to reduce the need for staff to continually unlock facilities. School leaders said the technology exists and that the committee would need to adopt a policy; staff recommended a feasibility study before any procurement. The vice principal described an interim solution using SmartPass on Chromebooks but cautioned about lost badges and potential costs.

The committee also approved a motion to hire a second librarian at the high school to keep the library open more often and relieve the current librarian’s workload. The high-school principal said the district would pursue budget options, including using teacher assistant (TA) students for credit as a cost‑effective stopgap. The assistant superintendent for curriculum said research on the benefit had not yet been done and recommended a short poll of students; the superintendent agreed to place staffing discussion on the budget calendar.

A separate suggestion to bring expanded performing- and visual-arts exposure for elementary and middle-school students to the performing-arts and education subcommittees was introduced for future consideration and referred for follow-up rather than voted on.

The committee recorded roll-call votes on the motions and announced those measures that passed. Staff committed to returning feasibility studies, cost estimates and any required policy language at future meetings.","At a Student Government Day meeting April 3, a student-majority Peabody school committee approved measures to split mixed-level foreign language classes, add school ID security measures and pursue hiring a second high-school librarian; the committee asked staff to return feasibility and cost details.","actionData","errors"]

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Councilors discuss repurposing city-owned vacant buildings to add homeless shelters; motion kept for future meetings

Peabody council presses for transparency, public forums on new peaker plant

Student-run school committee approves language, security and staffing measures