PEABODY — There was a sense of change in the air at City Hall on Monday night.
It was inauguration night in Peabody, as new City Councilors Stephanie Peach (Ward 3), Julie Daigle (Ward 4), and Dave Gamache (Ward 5) replaced outgoing councilors James Moutsoulas, Ed Charest, and Joel Saslaw.
Peach said that she is very excited to work with the council to benefit Peabody residents.
“I’m excited to get started to work for the people of Ward 3,” said Peach. “You work a whole year running the campaign and now the time’s finally come to start that work. It’s exciting, it’s a little nerve-wracking, but I appreciate people trusting me to do this, and I look forward to working with everyone.”
Daigle has attended the inauguration since she was 16 years old, and had similar emotions to Peach. However, things felt a little different now, being inaugurated instead of the one sitting in the audience.
In her first year, Daigle expects to learn from her peers.
“I have a lot of institutional knowledge, but I have a lot to learn so you will see me do a lot of listening and learning from everyone else, talking to constituents, and figuring out how I can best represent them,” she said. “The first year is a big learning curve for me but I’m excited to get people involved and get to know the residents and bring them together.”
Gamache left the City Council after his term ended in 2013, but nine years later, said it felt like the first time all over again.
“I look forward to hitting the ground running,” he said. “Now I’m retired, so this is all I got. This is what I’m going to give the residents, not only in Ward 5, but (in) the city.”
Also being sworn in were the five incumbent councilors-at-large — Thomas Gould, Anne Manning-Martin, Ryan Melville, Thomas Rossignoll, and Jon Turco — Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, who is now beginning his sixth term, and Peabody School Committee members Beverley Griffin Dunne, Jarrod Hochman, and Jon Swanson.
Melville will serve as City Council president. He was voted into the position unanimously.
“He worked hard, as he’s always done, and he’s done very well,” said Gamache. “I know he’s going to do a great job as council president.”
In his opening speech, Melville called for spirited debate and compromise in the upcoming term.
“I ask this council to be prepared and willing to compromise while still holding true to the principles of the residents,” Melville said. “I hope and know this council will listen to each other and set a better example than we’ve received in Washington, D.C. for the past 10 or 20 years.”
Melville touched upon many of his aspirations for 2022 — including the post-COVID world. He also called for a review of the city charter.
“We can make a difference, and we should make a difference, and we will make a difference, and we have made a difference,” he said.
In Bettencourt’s inauguration speech, he started off by thanking his family and acknowledging the challenges of his previous term.
“We’ve all been through so much together (in) the past 22 months,” he said. “Our strength and resiliency has continued to be put to the test with the latest resurgence of the virus.”
Bettencourt touched upon two major projects regarding the downtown area. Bettencourt plans to build a Peabody Children’s Museum and mentioned the proposal to turn the former O’Shea building into a bed and breakfast. He also praised the city for ranking third among Realtor.com’s top-10 housing markets.
