Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill Makes Climate Change Key Theme Of State Of City Address

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill began his sixth term in office with a pledge to advocate with corporate, state and federal partners to speed up capital projects — including the replacement of the closed Hall-Whitaker Bridge —announced new youth council and local business initiatives, and made climate mitigation and the elimination of fossil fuels a major focus of his State of the City address on Tuesday at Beverly High School.

He also said he will soon request funding from the City Council for massive City Hall renovations, library renovations and the completion of a new McPherson Youth Center as part of a 15-minute address at the event to swear in the next term of the mayor, as well as City Councilors and School Committee members.

"We, like many communities, have focused on cutting greenhouse gas emissions as a local government," Cahill said. "And, yet, our own emissions are a small percentage of the overall emission citywide. Today, and the next few years, are critical in limiting climate change so our planet can continue to support the lives that we want for our children and our grandchildren.

"Emitting greenhouse gases from burning all these fossil fuels has to stop."

Cahill said the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy has to happen "in a matter of years and not decades," and that "every city and town in the world needs to do this hard and crucial work — and do it now."

He said that over the coming months, he intends to seek shared commitments from private companies, organizations and residents to stride toward more sustainable programs moving away from fossil fuels.

"There is much to accomplish in this time and I believe firmly that our community will meet this challenge," he said.

Cahill pledged to request a transfer of so-called "free cash" to augment road and sidewalk improvement projects in the city, as well as move "in the quickest timeline possible" when it comes to the replacement of the Hall-Whitaker and Kernwood drawbridges, the cleanup of the former Varian site, and the National Grid electrical transmission line project.

"Progress is being made on these projects and we will continue to work our hardest on behalf of our community to push the state, to push Varian and to push National Grid to complete these projects," he said.

He announced the local business initiative through the Community Development Council to make recommendations on how the city can best support the business community.

He said the Beverly Youth Council will be aimed and providing a platform for city youth to learn about government and to weigh in on and to advocate as city leaders make decisions about Beverly's future.

"What I've shared is really only a snapshot of the work that we will do over the next two years," Cahill said. "I'm energized and I'm determined because all of our work matters and together we can make a positive difference for the people of Beverly and beyond.

"I'm grateful today that we as city leaders are blessed with this opportunity to serve our community, to serve our children and our grandchildren, to do the important work that is needed."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)