(a) 
In general - This charter may be replaced, revised or amended in accordance with any procedure made available under the laws or constitution of the commonwealth.
(b) 
Periodic review - The city council shall provide, in every year ending in a zero, for a review of this charter by a special or standing committee of the council and 4 additional persons to be appointed by the council president. The committee shall file a report within said year recommending any changes in this charter that it may deem to be necessary or desirable.
The provisions of this charter are severable. If any provision of this charter is held invalid, the other provisions shall not be affected thereby. If the application of this charter, or any of its provisions, to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the application of this charter and its provisions to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
A copy of all rules and regulations adopted by city agencies shall be placed on file in the office of the city clerk and shall be available for review by any person who requests such information at any reasonable time. No rule or regulation adopted by any city agency shall become effective until 7 days following the date it is so filed.
The city council shall provide, in each year ending in a 2 or in a 7, for a review of all ordinances of the city for the purpose of determining if any amendments or revisions may be necessary or desirable. Such review shall be conducted under the supervision of the city solicitor, or, if the city council so directs, by special counsel appointed for that purpose. A report, with recommendations, shall be submitted within said year.
(a) 
Meetings - All multiple-member bodies of the city shall meet regularly at such times and places as they may, by their own rules, prescribe, unless some other provision is made by ordinance or by law. Special meetings of any multiple-member body shall be held on the call of the chairperson or by one-third of the members thereof by written notice delivered in hand or to the place of residence of or by electronic mail to each member which contains the item or list of items to be acted upon. Except in case of an emergency, such notice shall be delivered at least 48 hours in advance of the time set for such meeting. A copy of such notice to members shall be posted forthwith upon the city bulletin board and city website.
(b) 
Rules and journals - Each multiple-member body shall determine its own rules and order of business, unless otherwise provided by this charter, by law, or by ordinance, and shall provide for keeping minutes of its proceedings. These rules and the minutes of meetings shall be public records, and certified copies of them shall be kept available in the office of the city clerk. For the convenience of the public, copies of these records shall also be kept at the Beverly Public Library; provided, however, that such copies kept at the public library shall not be construed in any way as being the official records.
(c) 
Voting - If requested by any member, any vote of any multiple-member body shall be taken by a call of the roll and the vote of each member shall be recorded in the journal; provided, however, that if the vote is unanimous only that fact need be recorded.
(d) 
Quorum - A majority of the members of a multiple-member body shall constitute a quorum.
Words importing the singular number may extend and be applied to several persons or things; words importing the plural number may include the singular.
In computing time under this charter, if 7 days or less, "days" shall refer to calendar days not including Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays. If more than 7 days, every day shall be counted.
All references to the General Laws contained in this charter refer to the General Laws of the commonwealth and are intended to refer to and to include any amendments or revisions to such chapters or sections, or to the corresponding chapters and sections of any rearrangement, recodification, or revision of such statutes enacted or adopted subsequent to the adoption of this charter.
Every person who is elected, including those elected by the city council, or appointed to an office of the city shall receive a certificate of such election or appointment from the city clerk.
Except as otherwise provided by law, before performing any act under an appointment or election, all such persons shall take and subscribe to an oath of office and be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties.
The mayor-elect, councilors-elect, and school committee members-elect shall, on the first Monday in January of each even-numbered year at 12:00 noon, meet and be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties. The oath may be administered to the mayor by the city clerk, or by a judge of a court of record, or by a Justice of the Peace. The oath may be administered to the members of the city council and the school committee by the mayor, after the mayor has been duly sworn, or by any of the above named officials. A certificate that the oath has been taken shall be entered in the journal of the city council.
In case of the absence of the mayor-elect, or any member-elect of the city council or school committee on said day, the oath of office may at any time thereafter be administered to such person who for any reasons shall not have taken the oath on the day named. A certificate of each oath subsequently taken shall be entered in the journal of the city council.
After the oath has been administered to the councilors present, they shall organize, with the member elected at-large receiving the highest number of votes at the preceding regular municipal election, as president, as provided in section 2-2. The president shall be sworn by the city clerk or, in the case of the absence of the city clerk by any person qualified to take oaths or affirmations.
After the oath has been administered to the school committee members present, the committee shall organize by choosing a school committee president, as provided in section 4-2. The president shall be sworn by the city clerk, or, in the case of the absence of the city clerk, by any person qualified to take oaths or affirmations.
If a vacancy shall occur in any city office or in the employment of the city, or, when by reason of a retirement, or resignation, or the expiration of a fixed term or otherwise a vacancy can be anticipated, the mayor or other appointing authority shall forthwith cause public notice of such vacancy or impending vacancy to be publicly posted on the city bulletin board and on the city website for not less than 10 days. Each such notice shall contain a brief description of the duties of the office or position and shall indicate a list of necessary or desirable qualifications for the office or position. Any person who desires to be considered for an appointment to fill such vacancy may, within 10 days following the date the notice is posted, or such longer period as may be indicated in such announcement, file with the appointing authority a statement setting forth with reasonable clarity and specificity the qualifications of such person for such appointment. No permanent appointment to fill any position shall be effective until at least 14 days have elapsed following such posting to permit the reasonable consideration of all such applicants. This section shall not apply to positions covered under the civil service law and rules or if in conflict with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement.
If any person appointed to serve as a member of a multiple-member body shall fail to attend 3 or more consecutive meetings, or all of the meetings held during 4 calendar months, or at least 50 per cent of all of the meetings of such body held in 1 calendar year, the remaining members of the multiple-member body shall, by a majority vote of their members, notify the appointing authority. Such notice to the appointing authority shall include the notice from the chair of the multiple-member body to the person meeting the criteria above given in hand, or mailed, postage prepaid, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, of the body's intent to notify the appointing authority of the incidence of absence at least 10 days before providing notice to the appointing authority, and the response, if any, received from the person so notified. Only the appointing authority may determine if the seat is to be declared vacant.
Any city officer, member of a multiple-member body, department head or employee of the city not subject to the provisions of section 3-4, the civil service law or covered by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement which provides a different method, and whether appointed for a fixed or an indefinite term, may be suspended or removed from office by the appointing authority. Any such person may be suspended from office by the appointing authority for an initial period of 15 days, subject to an additional 15-day extension if deemed necessary by the appointing authority.
Nothing in this section shall be construed as granting a right to such a hearing to a person who has been appointed for a fixed term when that term of office expires and such person is not reappointed for another term of office.
The appointing authority, when removing any such person, shall act in accordance with the following procedure:
(a) 
City Council Appointments - The city council, may, in writing, suspend or remove any person appointed or elected by the city council by notice to the employee stating the reason for the suspension or removal and advising the employee of the opportunity to request to appear at a meeting of the council. The notice to the employee shall be delivered in hand, mailed by certified mail, postage prepaid, to the last known address of said employee, or emailed to said employee. At the same time, the city council shall file a written statement with the department of human resources, stating that such person is suspended or removed and the effective date of said suspension or removal.
The employee may make a written reply by filing such reply statement with the department of human resources and the city council president within 5 days following the date the statement of the city council has been filed. In the reply, the employee may request permission to appear at a public meeting of the city council to read the written reply concerning the suspension or removal. Such meeting shall occur within 10 days of the employee's request unless otherwise agreed by the city council president and the employee.
At the meeting, the employee shall be allowed to read their reply statement to the notice of suspension or removal. The city council president may read the notice of suspension or removal. The city council shall notify the employee of whether the decision has been upheld, rescinded or modified not later than 10 days after the council meeting is adjourned. If such notification is not provided within such time, the decision to suspend or remove shall remain in effect. If no meeting is requested, the decision of the city council is final 6 days after delivery of the notice to the employee.
(b) 
Any employee of the city, not subject to subsection (a) may be suspended or removed by the appointing authority in accordance with the following procedure. The appointing authority shall receive approval from the mayor before proceeding with any such suspension or removal. Upon receiving such approval, the appointing authority shall provide notice of the suspension or removal to said employee by stating the reason for the suspension or removal, and advising the employee of the opportunity to request a meeting with the mayor. The notice to the employee shall be delivered in hand, mailed by certified mail, postage prepaid, to the last known address of said employee, or emailed to said employee. At the same time, the appointing authority shall file a written statement with the department of human resources stating that such employee is suspended and/or removed and the effective date of said suspension or removal.
Within 2 days of delivery of the notice of suspension or removal, the employee may request in writing a meeting with the mayor. Such meeting shall be held within 5 days of receipt of the employee's request, unless otherwise agreed by the mayor and the employee. At the meeting, the employee shall be allowed to reply verbally or in writing to the notice of suspension or removal. The appointing authority and the director of human resources may be present at the meeting at the discretion of the mayor. Upon the direction of the mayor, the appointing authority shall issue a final decision upholding, rescinding, or modifying the suspension or removal no later than 5 days after the meeting. If such notification is not provided within such time, the decision to suspend or remove shall remain in effect. If no meeting is requested by the employee within 2 days of delivery of the notice of suspension or removal, the decision of the appointing authority is final.