The proof is in the pudding, as Finance Committee Member Margherita Baldwin put it, when it comes to how effective the Town’s grant writer has been in obtaining funding for projects to supplement the budget.
The Finance Committee is certain it wants to eliminate the grant writer position from the fiscal 2015 budget, but on March 12, selectmen were still not convinced.
It took a while before finally raising the topic that prompted selectmen to attend the meeting with the FinCom, but when it finally came up, Selectman Jonathan Henry advocated strongly in favor of keeping Development Specialist Pamela Marean, the grant writer for the Town of Marion.
“When it comes to making cuts, we got to be involved in that discussion,” said Henry. “When it comes to cutting people … I thought, we got to jump in.”
Finance Committee chairman Alan Minard said the committee was trying to maintain a level-service budget in order to avoid cutting out other positions, like special officers from the Police Department.
Henry had his own idea on how to balance the budget without cutting Marean’s position. He suggested shaving a fraction of a percent from every budget across the board, saying that, because it was such a small amount, the departments would not feel the pinch.
FinCom was not buying it.
“There’s got to come a point when there’s no longer any meat [to cut],” said Selectman Stephen Cushing. “There’s only bone. And once you start cutting bone…”Dickering trailed off, wringing his hands.
“I don’t think it is fair to the departments that are working hard to keep a bare bones budget,” said Baldwin.
Finance Committee members looked over a report Marean submitted to them, a report of her accomplishments in obtaining grants for the Town – but FinCom members were not buying that, either.
Minard mentioned that committee members had spoken to certain departments, including the Board of Health, and said it looked as though Marean was unfairly taking credit for some of the grants listed in her report.
“It raised some flags,” said Baldwin. She then asked, “Have we got the right grant writer? Are we going after the right grants?”
She asked Henry, what has the Town gotten in return for the investment in the grant writing position?
“Well, those are questions that we (selectmen) have to answer,” said Henry.
Minard said the meeting was not about simply picking on the grant writer.
Having said that, some departments, according to Minard, say that it would just be easier to just skip over the extra step of collaborating with Marean when going after grants relevant to their department.
“Basically, it’s very difficult to work in the environment …That is, availability, following-through, [and] personality,” he said frankly of Marean. “The results speak for themselves. There aren’t any, really.”
Sure, he had higher expectations, but Henry tried convincing the committee that Marean just has not had enough time to establish herself and produce, saying it takes time to learn about which grants to go after and where to look for them.
“That’s a long learning curve,” said one FinCom member.
“With all due respect,” said Minard to Henry, “I look at it a little different.” He pointed out that, although Marean takes much of the credit for one $1 million grant, and he does give her some credit, “I just don’t think we’re getting the bang for the buck here.”
Concerned that the conversation was turning toward more of a personnel matter, Minard cautioned everyone to be careful with what they say, since personnel matters are usually discussed behind the veil of executive session.
Besides, above all, improving the Town’s free spending issues are “way more important than a grant writer,” said Minard.
After some back and forth discussion, selectmen chose to take no action that evening and further the discussion during the Board of Selectmen meeting on March 18.
The Finance Committee Chairman bookended the meeting with comments on how the Town’s bond rating was not looking so great compared to Mattapoisett’s, specifically.
Things such as capital projects the Town has been putting off for too long, different elements within the budget, and the Town’s bond rating – Minard said they would soon have to make some very difficult decisions.
“Whatever you guys could do to help would be great,” Minard told the selectmen. “Pretty soon, you’re going to run into the wall. And, frankly, we’re getting close to it.”
Also during the meeting, it turns out Upper Cape Cod Cod Regional Technical High School has been billing Marion for a student who is a Mattapoisett resident while, at the same time, also billing Mattapoisett for the same student. And at “$15,000 a whack,” said Minard, probably for about six to seven years.
Minard said no one, not anyone within the Massachusetts Department of Education, nor the Upper Cape Superintendent’s Office, would accept responsibility for the error.
Town Administrator Paul Dawson, as well as Finance Director Judith Mooney, is looking further into the matter.
Fire Chief Thomas Joyce made his pitch for a new generator and pumper, two items slated as articles on the Annual Town Meeting warrant. FinCom had yet to decide on whether or not to recommend the articles to Town Meeting, and, still, took no vote during the meeting.
By Jean Perry
