The Marion Town House Building Committee was back before the Marion Board of Selectmen on March 7, this time to request the addition of an article on the Annual Town Meeting warrant that would authorize the expenditure of $34,300 for the existing Town House Building Committee to conduct its own feasibility study of a new building at the VFW site.
There is just too much energy in this committee to sit back on the sidelines and not remain involved, said Town House Building Committee Chairman Bob Raymond. Raymond would rather the Town Meeting voters decide on which committee should do the exploring – a new one proposed by Planning Board Chairman Robert Lane and Finance Committee Chairman Allen Minard, or one composed of the same Town House Building Committee members using the same consultants and data from a past new building exploration that Raymond says would help mitigate costs.
And, Raymond added, if the two groups are both going at it, then twice as much could be accomplished.
“Is it possible that both groups could work together as one committee?” asked Board of Selectmen Chairman Jody Dickerson. “We see enough fractions down in Washington. We don’t need it here in Marion.”
Dickerson asked, “Instead of going down two different roads at Town Meeting, is this something that we could work together on?”
“We already have a base plan of a town hall new building,” said Town House Building Committee member Wayne Mattson, which would keep costs down for a study, he added.
Selectman Steve Gonsalves said he understands the committee’s frustration, but perhaps the current committee still needs a set of “new eyes” to make sure all voices are heard in the ongoing debate. Gonsalves advocated for both groups to come together in cooperation for one goal.
Selectman Stephen Cushing was not in the mood to keep beating the same subject, he said. He asked the committee and Lane and Minard who were seated in the audience where the two groups stood on the idea of merging.
“Our goal has always been to renovate the town house,” said Mattson. “In all fairness … we’ve been looking at this objectively, not just one sided.”
Lane stood and said he would like to see the two groups work together, but with conditions.
First, Lane argued that at least three new members should be appointed to the Town House Building Committee, one of which would sit as the chair. Second, all architectural work should be done by an independent contractor, he said.
“All of that is to ensure independence and objectivity,” said Lane.
Resident John Waterman said he didn’t think the warrant needed two articles and that having two would simply serve to confuse voters. He added, “I think it’s really up to the selectmen in the end to decide who will be on that committee.”
Minard said the last day to submit an article in time to make the warrant was February 23, but Dickerson corrected him, saying that that was the deadline for citizen petitions and the deadline does not apply to appointed and elected boards.
Raymond said he felt his committee’s article was “more inclusive” and perhaps the other committee, which has not been formally established and appointed yet, should withdraw its own article on the town meeting floor.
In the end, the selectmen voted to allow the Town House Building Committee’s article to proceed.
In other matters, the board received the invitation from the Wareham Veterans Council to participate in the August 17-21 visit of the Moving Wall, the half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
Veterans Council Chairman Bob White also asked the selectmen to declare that week in August as a special week honoring veterans in a proclamation, which Dickerson openly accepted with a motion to declare that week “Veterans Week” in the Town of Marion.
The Moving Wall will be installed behind the Wareham Town Hall in front of the middle school on the Anderson Track field across Viking Drive. Once the site opens on August 17, it will be a 24-hour operation until the wall is taken down, with public viewing hours starting on Thursday, August 17 at 12:00 pm and ending on Monday, August 21 at 4:00 pm. More information will be available as the event draws near.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 21 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry