The Marion Police Department will welcome a new special police officer to its force as the Board of Selectmen voted to appoint Derryl Lawrence to the position at their Tuesday, March 6 meeting in the Marion Town House.
“Welcome aboard,” said Selectman Chairman Jonathan Henry. “You come from a good place and we’re very glad to have you.”
Marion Police Chief Lincoln Miller said Lawrence will start field training immediately and will serve as a special officer for a probationary period of one year. He comes to Marion from Plymouth where he served as the Harbormaster. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
The Marion Town House Advisory Committee also met before the board to request both more time and permission to broaden the horizons of their research that was originally drafted in their contract when the committee formed a few months ago.
“We have a job to do as a committee, and that job may take more time than we imagine preliminarily,” said Committee Member Jay Ryder.
The committee was originally formed with the intention of overseeing the planning of renovations to the Marion Town House. In conducting their preliminary studies, the committee found that there are several other alternatives that could also suit the Town House needs instead of just using it for town offices. These include relocating other organizations in the town that are looking to expand and moving the town offices to an asset that currently exists. Ryder believes that more time and a more in-depth analysis will help committee find the best solution possible.
Henry said he could not approve these requests because they could possibly be violating the Designer Selection Law. However, Henry did agree to sit down with the committee and a lawyer prior to their next meeting on Wednesday, March 14 to explore possibilities.
Town Administrator Paul Dawson gave an update on the fiscal year 2013 school budget. According to Dawson, the town will see level funding in state aid and minor adjustments in local assessments. Dawson explained that across the state, towns are seeing a slight increase in state aid, and here in Marion, there were no large increases except a small increase in Special Education funding.
“Overall, it was a very successful budget season,” said Dawson. “There were no big surprises.”
The town’s bond rating was recently upgraded from AA status to AA-plus on February 17. Dawson said that this is good news because it will present a lower cost to the town when it puts bonds on the market, and it also shows that Marion’s financial standing is strong.
The Marion Department of Public Works will begin their hydrant flushing program on Thursday, March 15 between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. It will take approximately eight weeks to complete. Dawson said residents could experience discolored water or decreased water pressure during this time, but assured that this is completely normal.
The Board approved a one-day all liquor license for the VFW Post #2425 for their Ham and Bean Supper and Penny Sale on March 10.
The Marion Board of Selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, March 20 at 7:00 pm.
By Katy Fitzpatrick