Newburyport City Council Unanimously Confirms Kim Turner as Director of Public Services

NEWBURYPORT — April 14, 2026 — Newburyport City Council voted 11-0 to confirm Kim Turner as Director of Public Services, the first woman to hold that role in the city's history. Turner had served as interim director since December 2025 following the departure of former Director Wayne Emerald; the appointment came after a multi-year search through the Collins Center produced candidates who ultimately withdrew. The council also approved a $220,000 transfer from water enterprise retained earnings — part of a $350,000 total investment — to fund an alum treatment of the upper and lower Artichoke Reservoirs from April 27 through May 12, targeting the phosphorus supply that fed last summer's cyanobacteria blooms; the original cost estimate had been $600,000. A 20-year power purchase agreement with Select Energy for a solar array at the new Low Street recreation center, projected to save approximately $12,000 annually, passed 11-0, with Finance Committee chair Councillor Seth Zed noting that federal investment tax credits are set to expire July 1.