Passers-by through downtown will see some changes this week as the town gears up for summer.

Public Works Director Rob Desmarais and his whole department will be out working in the Millyard and downtown area, starting today.

An annual occurrence, this year's spring cleanup of the downtown will include even more extensive maintenance, he said.

"We're pulling in basically everybody we've got," Desmarais said.

Crews will clean and repair sidewalks and curbing, fill potholes, repair handrails, remove graffiti. Landscaping, planting, mulching and weeding will also be done.

"My plan is to do this every year," Desmarais said.

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Attending the Finance Committee last week, Jane Snow of Fern Avenue told the committee she was in favor of giving the Municipal Council a raise – with some stipulations.

While the current $1,200 is low for the amount of time and effort put into the position, she said, a jump to the proposed $5,000 is "a bit much."

Snow said she favors a smaller increase if that amount includes all the costs related to attending training and professional development conferences, and if it were based on attendance.

In past years, it has been frustrating to see councilors not attend meetings with certain financial matters or ordinances on the agenda, Snow said.

Finance Committee Chairman Allen Neale said there are times councilors can't attend a meeting but that does not mean they are not engaged in the topic at hand or what is being discussed. Councilors still take the time to research and look into the matters or will send along their thoughts, he said.

The Finance Committee ultimately agreed to recommend that councilors get a $3,000 stipend, with the president getting $4,000. The Municipal Council will vote on whether to grant the raise at an upcoming meeting.

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While town officials say that the closed Mobil station on Route 110 will soon reopen as a Sunoco, another Elm Street property remains for sale.

Woody Cammett of Cammett Engineering said last week he is selling his property at 295-297 Elm St. The 1.58 acres of commercial land is for sale for $1.6 million and includes three buildings. The property is included on the land known as the Golden Triangle.

Cammett said Friday he put the property up for sale in December/January after getting his last tax bill.

"It's just time to sell," he said. Cammett has owned the property since 1986, he said.

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A few years after it was first proposed, a historic carriage barn was taken down last week at the property of Rogers Funeral Home on Hillside Avenue.

The carriage house dated back to the 1890s when carriage-maker Thomas Clark lived in the Hillside Avenue home. The windowed building, which connected to the funeral home via a ramp, had problems due to its age. There was no foundation, and the wooden floor sagged and was soft in some spots.

The Historical Commission granted its approval for owner Paul Rogers to remove the structure in 2006. A legal dispute between the funeral home and its neighbor delayed the removal, but that case was recently settled.

Rogers plans to construct another building in the same spot that will allow for additional rooms at the funeral home. The new building will be designed to mirror the old carriage house and will be slightly higher than the barn in order to be level with the funeral home. A hallway will replace the ramp in order to allow visitors to walk through to the other rooms.

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The following meetings have been scheduled for this week. Check with the town clerk's office for last-minute changes.

Thursday

Board of Assessors, 6 p.m., Town Hall auditorium

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.