Peabody City Council Gives Final Approval to New $200 Annual Trash Fee
Peabody residents are waking up to a pair of significant municipal changes: a newly approved annual trash fee and the start of road work that will reroute traffic on Central Street for two days.
TOWN HALL
The City Council gave final approval to a new $200 annual trash fee, per Peabody Patch. Seniors and veterans who occupy their own homes will be eligible for a $100 abatement, cutting their cost in half. The fee represents a notable shift in how the city funds residential solid-waste collection.
Separately, road rehabilitation work is scheduled on Central, Warren, and Tremont streets, triggering traffic detours on Central Street. Emergency access will remain open throughout the two-day project, according to Peabody Patch.
SCHOOLS
The 2025-2026 school year has officially wrapped. Superintendent messaging posted to the district website congratulated families on a successful year and signaled the start of summer vacation. The district's 2026 Summer Reading program — Peabody PROMISE — is active, and families of incoming kindergartners are reminded that 2026-2027 registration is open at peabody.k12.ma.us.
Looking ahead on the school committee calendar: a Building and Grounds Subcommittee Meeting and an Executive Session on Buildings and Grounds are both scheduled for June 30.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
The Peabody Institute Library's South and West Branch locations are shifting to new hours effective July 6. Both branches will operate Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday 1 to 9 p.m., Friday closed, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. — a change from current schedules. The Main Library at 82 Main Street continues its regular hours. Residents planning summer library visits should note the adjustment before heading to a branch.
The library's 2026 Summer Reading program is underway, and teens in grades nine through 12 can join the "100 Books Before Graduation" challenge by logging reads on Beanstack to earn free books and prizes.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
Peabody Patch reports "Peabody To Implement New, $200 Trash Fee After Final City Council Approval" — the council gave its final sign-off on the new annual solid-waste charge, with a half-price abatement available to qualifying seniors and veterans (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/peabody).
Patch also reports "Peabody Traffic Detours Set On Central Street During 2-Day Road Work" — drivers will need to find alternate routes while crews rehabilitate the Central, Warren, and Tremont street corridor; emergency vehicles will retain access (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/peabody).
COMING UP
- June 30: Building and Grounds Subcommittee Meeting and Executive Session, Peabody Public Schools - July 1: Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (per Peabody Patch calendar) - July 2: Johnny A Syndicate (per Peabody Patch calendar) - July 6: New South and West Branch Library hours take effect — confirm your branch's schedule at peabodylibrary.org before visiting