Mayor Thatcher Kezer began meeting with department heads last week to go over their requests for the FY09 budget. With less revenue to work with than originally hoped due to slow new growth and decreased state aid, Kezer said "good planning is absolutely critical" with this budget.
Kezer will file his budget proposal with the Municipal Council on May 9. The council will then hold budget hearings and vote on the document by the June deadline.
This year's budget includes $1.5 million of total new revenue, a decrease from last year's $2.2 million, the mayor said.
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The school district still has several job openings, School Committee personnel subcommittee chairwoman Paula Blair told the full committee last week. .The positions have been vacated during the school year and remain open.
They include: the attendance/safety officer, an assistant at Amesbury High, a lunch monitor at Cashman and a speech/language assistant for the middle and high schools. A speech/language therapist position at Amesbury Elementary is also temporarily open due to leave coverage.
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Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan visited Amesbury Town Hall last week to sit in on a session of AmesStat. Sullivan was recently elected to run that city as it changed from a town form of government to a city.
"He seemed pleased with what he saw," Kezer said. "He will probably integrate parts of it."
More communities continue to inquire about AmesStat, his data tracking and management tool, Kezer said. Officials from Ipswich are planning to schedule a visit as well.
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Internet surfers in Amesbury have a few new Web sites to visit these days.
The Amesbury Police Department recently created a new Web page that highlights the different areas of the department and offers several commonly requested forms for download, like an accident report or an application for a firearms identification card: http://www.amesburypolice.net/.
Also, the Amesbury Educational Foundation Inc. (AEFI) has launched a new Web site: http://www.aefionline.com/ where users can learn more about the organization and the grant programs it runs.
And District 6 Councilor Jonathan Sherwood encourages his constituents to visit his blog, where he posts comments about happenings with the Municipal Council and discusses issues in town: http://sherwoodd6.blogspot.com/.
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Town Clerk Bonnijo Kitchin reminds residents that dog licenses are due April 1. Dogs must be licensed when they are 6 months old, regardless of the time of year. Proof of rabies vaccination and spay/neuter must be shown at the time the license is granted.
The fees are: neutered/spayed $5, male/female, $10; kennels: four dogs $25, not more than 10 dogs, $50, more than 10 dogs, $100.
Any dog owner who fails to get a license or renew a license by May 1 will be issued a late fee and the fee price is doubled.
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School Committee members voted last week to invite the South Hampton School Board to join them on a tour of the construction at the high school on Tuesday at 5 p.m.. Members of the High School Building Committee will also accompany them.
Students from South Hampton can choose to attend Amesbury High School as that town doesn't have a high school.
.Vice Chairwoman Deb Bibeau suggested that the School Committee also work with the new members of the Municipal Council to set up a tour for them during the spring.
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Our Neighbors' Table volunteers handed out 509 Easter baskets this year — about 130 more than last year. The baskets were given to kids who attend the weekly dinner, as well as to the Geiger Crisis Center, Pettengill House, the children's psychiatric unit at the Health Center, the Marist Center for Women in Newburyport and Sally's Place in Amesbury.
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The following meetings have been scheduled for this week. Check with the town clerk's office for last-minute changes:
Planning Board will meet tonight at 6:30 in the Town Hall auditorium.
High School Building Committee will meet tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the high school library.
Finance Committee will meet tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium.
Lakes and Waterways Committee will meet Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Health Center.
Katie Farrell covers Amesbury for The Daily News. She can be reached at 978- 462-6666, ext. 3232, or by e-mail at kfarrell@newburyportnews.com.
