Peabody City Council votes to restore City Hall entrances to pre‑pandemic access, 7–4

The Peabody City Council voted 7–4 on Jan. 8 to restore City Hall entrances to their pre‑pandemic accessibility, directing that the front door, the two side doors and the back parking‑lot door be made available.

Councilor Corriveau moved the measure and told colleagues she "respectfully request[ed] that the mayor make these changes." Supporters said restoring access addressed constituent concerns about entry and convenience; opponents said the mayor should be invited to explain safety or operational rationale before implementation.

Councilor Rosignol urged caution and proposed inviting Attorney Khan and the mayor to discuss safety implications and any reasons the entry restrictions remained in place. Councilor Turco said the limited access had been adopted for public‑health reasons during the COVID pandemic and noted the city is no longer under that emergency. Councilor Welton raised maintenance concerns such as recent masonry work and asked that building upkeep be verified before changes.

Councilor Gamache asked staff to report any incidents involving persons barred from entering the building to clarify the scale of any safety rationale. Councilor Manning Martin noted the mayor has a statutory window to respond or veto council motions, so an immediate change would not remove the mayor’s authority.

A motion to move the question was carried earlier in the debate, and the final roll-call vote on the Corriveau motion was recorded in the transcript as 7 in favor and 4 opposed. The council’s action instructs the mayor to implement the change; the mayor may respond within the applicable timeframe or take other lawful steps in response.

The council did not attach conditions to the motion; members discussed the option of calling the mayor before the council at a future meeting to explain the prior policy.