A strategy for revitalizing the town’s Point Road Bike Path, as well as ironing out the purview of the town’s Marine Resources Commission, were items discussed at last Wednesday’s Select Board meeting.
The Select Board, which also oversees the town’s water and sewer services, also attended to items connected to those services. This includes water abatement requests.
Jeff Doubrava, the CPC chairman, met with the Select Board.
Doubrava, representing himself as a concerned citizen, said the bike path is only half the size originally proposed and has encountered other issues impacting its use in town. Doubrava said there is $600,000 available in CPC funding and through a “sunset provision” the town can access funding to extend and fix issues with the path.
“The Point Road Bike Path has been troubled,” Doubrava told the Select Board at the November 6 meeting.
Doubrava proposed an article at the next Town Meeting that would “claw back all monies” meant for the project
As The Wanderer reported in weeks prior, residents in October complained that the sand along the path has snakes, often less than seven feet off the road. Storm water runoff is also damaging homes and yards.
Doubrava told Select Board members on November 6 that the path’s length is only half of what was originally intended.
In 2019, a town meeting approved a plan for the path using $268,000 in funds allocated by the Community Preservation Act.
Select Board members agreed to allow Doubrava to craft an article for the Town Meeting.
Marine Resources Commission (MRS) Chairman Vincent Malkowski Jr. met with the Select Board about funding, staffing, and the general governing purview of the marine resources department.
The commission falls under the police department, but commission members often clean up trash and are responsible for Island’s Wharf’s maintenance. That area has also had parking issues and problems and the MRS is unsure how to handle such issues.
The commission also had three full-time employees and now only one – a personnel issues Malkowski wants to revisit.
The Select Board agreed to hold a special meeting with the MRC at a later date with to discuss these issues.
In other business, George Morton, Jill Pitman, and Merry Conway were appointed to the Historic District Study Committee. Elizabeth Dowd was appointed to the Scholarship Education Fund Committee.
It was also reported that the Department of Public Works building is ahead of schedule and the Marion Skate Park is now open.
Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman announced the town received a state grant of $206,000 to refurbish the Marion Town House, bringing the building up to American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance and correcting other safety issues.
In sewer and water business, the board agreed to talk further with Building Commissioner Bob Grillo about a once-denied sewer hookup on Bass Road, a waterfront property. The property owner said similar beachfront properties have received sewer hook-up approval. Select Board members expressed concern that the area is in a coastal flood zone and cautioned that any home built there needs to be built high to avoid a potential disaster.
They agreed that similar properties have received sewer approval and will be revisited.
The Select Board met with Rocky Knoll Lane resident Greg Silva, who seeks a water bill abatement. Silva contended that his older water meter, from 1985, might have been inaccurate, leading to him being overcharged over a three-year span.
Since the town now can read the water meter from the street, his bills have decreased. Board members agreed to have staff further analyze his meter for inaccuracies.
The board also received a request and will further analyze whether businesses within Sippican Business Park are eligible for a water bill abatement.
The Select Board will meet again at the Marion Town House on November 19 at 6:00 pm. The board will meet with assessors to set the tax rate for next year. That initiative was planned at the November 6 meeting, but assessors were not available then to meet.
Marion Select Board
By Jeffrey D. Wagner