The Beverly City Council convened its first meeting of 2026 on Jan. 5 at Beverly High School and elected Councilor Matt St. Hilaire as vice president by voice vote, with the final recorded tally 7-0.

The council then heard communications from the mayor's office about Order 10, which includes a proposed $25,895,000 loan authorization for renovation of City Hall and the adjacent former police station annex, and a $2,000,000 debt stabilization transfer request to support that project. The council voted to set public hearings on those items for Jan. 20, 2026, at 7:50 p.m. and 8:10 p.m., respectively.

Councilors also moved and approved a set of appointments and reappointments (Orders 11 6) to boards and committees, including appointments to the city accounts, veterans advisory committee, trustees of public libraries, and the director of municipal finance; those appointments were referred to the appropriate standing committees for further review.

An $850,000 grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to support housing rehabilitation projects for low- and moderate-income residents was announced and referred to the finance and property committee. The council also set a public hearing for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding recommendations on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Most motions were approved by voice vote with recorded tallies noted in the minutes as typically 7-0. After concluding its agenda, the council adjourned.

Votes at a glance: Matt St. Hilaire elected vice president (motion carried 7-0); motions to set public hearings on Orders 9 and 10 and to approve the listed appointments all carried by voice vote with recorded approvals typically 7-0.