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NEWBURYPORT NOTEBOOK: Councilors set long-, short-term goals

By Stephen Tait
Staff Writer
Published: March 24, 2008

Working to narrow its focus to a small handful of issues it can accomplish — or put into motion — during the current term, the City Council Saturday developed a list of five top priorities.

The top priorities include two long-term goals and three short-term goals.

Long-term goals include creating a charter review commission and undertaking a comprehensive zoning rewrite. The short-term goals include creating a grant-writing group, modifying the historic home demolition delay and approving the High Street Master Plan, a document that already exists.

The meeting continued a discussion that started on a previous Saturday in March in which the council listed dozens of goals and priorities for the city. During that meeting, the lists were sorted and narrowed to short-term and long-term goals.

During the meeting Saturday — with coffee and bagels and morning stimulus — the goals were narrowed further with the aim of creating two goals for each list. Consensus could not be reached for just two short-term goals, so three were allowed. The meetings were arranged by James Shanley, the council president.

"If you don't push it, it is not going to happen," the Ward 3 councilor said.

The list of ideas for long-term goals included: a capital improvement plant, a City Hall business plan, sewer and water plans and focusing on Chapter 91 issues. The list of ideas for short-term goals included: approving a space for a senior center, dealing with the Kelley School, working on a Waterside East Overlay District and making Newburyport a "greener city," an idea later moved to long term.

A consensus could not immediately be reached for short-term goals. Shanley called for each councilor still at the meeting — Ed Cameron, Kathleen O'Connor Ives, Brian Derrivan, Barry Connell, Donna Holaday, Tom Jones and Shanley — to make 30-second "elevator speeches" about why their top pick should be the one chosen as a priority.

After 10 to 15 minutes of good-natured, thoughtful discussion about the merits of each, the three short-term goals were finalized.

"This is government at work," Jones said.

And later Derrivan said, "We're really making headway, hey."

Holaday was assigned to work on making the grants group come to fruition, Cameron and Ives were put in charge of the demolition delay and Connell and Holaday will address the High Street Master Plan.

Shanley said on the short-term list as the top priorities are checked off, other priorities will move up the list.

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The Community Preservation Committee will begin its hearing schedule for this year's Community Preservation Act grant money tomorrow night.

Committee members will hear pitches from five groups about why they deserve the money for their projects, which include: restoration of St. Anna's Chapel at St. Paul's Church ($78,500); Old South historic preservation project ($40,000); Powder House restoration ($60,000); brick preservation fund ($300,000); city trees historic preservation project ($25,500).

The Community Preservation Act allows Newburyport to add a 2 percent surcharge on property tax bills and spend it on grants for three types of preservation: open space, which includes recreation; affordable housing; and historic resources. It is a resource that is often used in the city, including for the restoration of City Hall and extension of the harborwalk, for example.

Mike Dissette, chairman of the committee, said that this year the committee received 16 requests from various groups, totaling $1.27 million. But the committee will have just $475,000 to give out.

Hearings for the remaining 11 requests will be heard on April 8 and April 22.

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The Newburyport Conservation Commission is seeking new members.

Members help regulate conservation lands according to the Wetlands Protection Act and the Newburyport Wetlands Ordinance. The members' responsibilities include reviewing applications, going to commission meetings and conducting some on-site inspections.

Other projects may be included in the responsibilities, including open space concerns and other conservation-based activities. Previous experience is not needed, but an interest in the topic is recommended.

For those interested, send inquiries to Mayor John Moak at 60 Pleasant St. For questions, call Mary Reilly, the conservation administrator, at 978-465-4462.

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Dog licenses are available for the new year at the City Clerk's office. Also, census forms are due and must be returned to be included in the annual street listing. Failure to respond could result in removal from the active voter list.

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The following meetings are planned for this week in Newburyport:

Tomorrow:

Zoning Board of Appeals, council chambers, 7 p.m.

Board of Water Commissioners, 16A Perry Way, 5:30 p.m.

Community Preservation Committee, police station conference room, 7 p.m.

Wednesday:

Retirement Board, basement of City Hall, 9 a.m.

School Committee Budget Workshop, high school room 118, 6:30 p.m

Redevelopment Authority, council chambers, 7 p.m.

Thursday:

Planning Board Subcommittee on Traffic Circle Site Plan Review, council chambers, 8:30 a.m.

Parks Commission, second floor conference room, 7 p.m.

Local Historic District Study Committee, police station conference room, 7:30 p.m.

Energy Advisory Committee, library, 7:30 p.m.

Stephen Tait covers Newburyport city hall for The Daily News. He can be reached at 978-462-6666, ext. 3234, or by e-mail at stait@newburyportnews.com.