Expansion of Salem/Beverly Water Board Signed into
Law
This bill, which had been endorsed by both the Beverly and Salem City Councils, provides for citizen representation on the board that makes policy regarding the two communities’ drinking water supply. The bill adds two residents – one from each city – to the existing board, which is now comprised of each city’s engineer and a chairman, who cannot reside in either city and who is appointed by the Governor. The resident appointments are to be made by the mayors of the respective cities. In the past year, each city appointed an advisory member to the water board for the first time, but these members were not allowed to participate in executive sessions. As a full board member, appointed citizens are now equal members and will participate in all discussions. “Our water supply is an important resource,” said Representative Grant, “As we plan for the future of this region, there will be important decisions to make regarding our supply and our treatment plant capacity. Citizens who live in our cities, pay for the water and drink the water now have a say. Proactively improving the infrastructure to include citizen input allows for more thorough consideration of supply and treatment issues.” “I commend Representative Grant for her efforts to include more citizen involvement in the oversight of one of our most important natural resources - our water supply,” added Representative Keenan, “It is critical to the quality of life here on the North Shore. I also want to thank Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry for his support on this issue.”
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