It will be a busy time for city councilors tonight.
In addition to the Planning and Development meeting, the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee will also meet at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers to review a supplemental budget request by Mayor John Moak.
At 7:15 p.m., the City Council will convene to hold the annual tax classification hearing. The regular meeting of the council begins at 7:30 p.m.
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Mayor John Moak noted last week that if the city chooses to try to enter into a regional health agreement again with neighboring communities, it will not have the same benefits it would have had under the agreement rejected by the City Council a few months ago.
Under that agreement, Moak said, Newburyport would have kept control of the health director position and Jack Morris would have spent most of his hours working in the city and a third of his time working for the other two communities.
"His main job was going to be our health director of Newburyport," the mayor said.
Morris has since been hired by Amesbury and Salisbury to be the regional director of the joint health agreement they have adopted.
"We'll no longer be in the driver's seat," Moak said. "We'll be passengers and that's not where I wanted to be."
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Following discussion and feedback from neighbors and committee members, the Historical Commission continued the public hearing on a proposal to build a penthouse on top of a State Street building to its next meeting on Dec. 3, where the commission will vote on the project. The application was filed by Stonehaven Realty Development.
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Keepsakes, a jewelry, gift and engraving shop on State Street, is collecting Toys for Tots until Dec. 24.
The drive began last month. Toys for all ages are in need and must be new and unwrapped.
Anyone who donates a toy will receive a 10 percent discount on any item at the shop.
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The Council on Aging has placed a donation box at Cushing Park as part of their fundraising efforts for a new senior center.
The group is working with "Got Books," a national organization that collects used books, DVDs and CDs. The Council on Aging will then get some funds for all the collected items.
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City Hall will close on Wednesday at 2 p.m. and will be closed on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.
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The following meetings have been scheduled and are open to the public:
Monday
Budget and Finance committee, 6 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers
Planning and Development committee, 6:45 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers
City Council tax classification hearing, 7:15 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers
City Council, 7:30 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers
Tuesday
Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers
Charter Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall auditorium
Community Preservation Committee, 7 p.m., police station conference room
Wednesday
Redevelopment Authority, 7 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers
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Katie Farrell Lovett covers Newburyport for The Daily News. She can be reached at 978-462-6666, ext. 3232, or by e-mail at kfarrell@newburyportnews.com.
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