On January 14, Mattapoisett voters gathered as town officials called a Special Town Meeting to order to consider one warrant article: modifying Article 20 of the October Special Town Meeting that collectively pulled together various infrastructure projects and specific funding sources.
That warrant article noted that the town would not move forward on any of the capital projects if one of two specific grants were not received. The town failed to receive a much-heralded Mass Works grant. That failure now put a federal grant in jeopardy.
The January Special Town Meeting Article 1 amended October STM Article 20 by deleting “This work shall only proceed if the Town is in receipt of a Mass Works Grant and a U.S. Economic Development Grant both totaling $1,470,000.” Language that would replace the deletion read, “The Town’s share of the project costs $1,665,000 must be matched dollar for dollar from Federal and State Grant/Funding sources to be used towards the project.”
The language change would give the town more flexibility to seek, and hopefully secure, other funding sources.
Selectman Jordan Collyer addressed the packed cafetorium at Old Hammondtown Elementary School, prompting him to note the large number of attendees. He explained how the federal grant, the U.S. Economic Development Grant, which the town was poised to receive, had to be responded to by January 15. The town had no choice but to call a Special Town Meeting to give voters the decision as to whether or not the language could be changed; otherwise, the entirety of October Special Town Meeting Warrant Article 20 would become invalid.
Collyer also explained that although the town had failed to receive the Mass Works Grant, almost immediately the town had received word that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation would be allocating more funds in July to road projects. But with the October Special Town Meeting vote in place, time was of the essence.
The voters spoke almost unanimously with 178 votes in favor of the Article One and 6 voting no.
By Marilou Newell