The North Tonawanda Common Council on Tuesday set a public hearing for input on the city’s new master plan.

The plan, compiled by a committee and members of the Lumber City Development Corp., will guide future development and comes with specifics with regard to zoning.

The meeting was set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 9., to coincide with the night’s usual council workshop meeting in City Hall, 216 Payne Ave.

Mayor Larry Soos began the meeting Tuesday by detailing a conference he had with the Buffalo Diocese that morning, along with officials throughout the area with a stake in redevelopment of the many churches abandoned after widespread mergers mandated by the diocese.

“I think the parishes that we have here in North Tonawanda will be put to good use and probably get back on the tax rolls,” Soos said.

Those parishes are the former Ascension (where members are now part of the congregation at St. Jude’s) and St. Joe’s, which has been merged with Our Lady of Czestochowa.

Soos said about a hundred pastors, developers and “laypeople” met in Buffalo at the request of Bishop Edward Kmiec.

Also at Tuesday’s council meeting:

• Two agenda items, a local law and a change to the city code were advances that will establish increases to residents’ water and sewer rates as part of the latest budget figures.

The vastly unpopular changes were viewed as necessary by water/wastewater Superintendent Paul Drof as the budget was negotiated recently.

Water rates will go from $2.30 to $2.70 and $4.00 to $4.50 per thousand gallons of sewer output.

• Former city Councilman Dennis Barberio, who’s name was sent to the Niagara County Legislature on Tuesday night for consideration for an appointment to the County Board of Health, also addressed the council.

“I would like to know if this council has put up an opposition to the legislature’s (planned increases) in North Tonawanda (taxes),” he asked. He said he has heard the city’s county tax is scheduled to increase while other of the county’s 15 municipalities are unchanged or decreased. (He cited Royalton as scheduled for a decrease in county taxes.)

Council President Brett Sommer said the question would better suit local lawmakers on the county legislature, but vowed to look into formulating a council response.

“I don’t think anybody is in favor of rates going up,” he said, adding he wasn’t sure the council has a significant role in the matter.

• The council resolved to grant a request by Building Inspector Cosimo Capozzi asking that residents be barred from installing outdoor wood-fired boilers until city code can be updated to include regulations specific to their operation.

A memo sent on behalf of Capozzi by Assistant City Attorney Bob Sondel said concerns exist about dense smoke possibly causing either nuisance or health concerns.

The outdoor fire boxes have enjoyed popularity recently in the face of rising fuel costs associated with home heating.

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.