The Marion Select Board’s appointment Monday night with Department of Public Works engineer Meghan Davis and Police Lieutenant Jeff Habicht was not meant to culminate in a vote, but the follow-up on the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Working Group’s recommendations indicates a groundswell of support for a new townwide speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
The exceptions would be state roads and so-called speed zones, but the expectation is that following further public feedback, the town will soon have signage, speed bumps and more speed indicators along the roadsides.
This will not be limited to the village area, and some speed limits will be lower.
Town Administrator Jay McGrail said that solicited public feedback drew “a ton of emails,” after which the group met with consulting engineering firm GPI, looked at Marion’s posted speed limits and drew up a concept. McGrail said the public is “almost unanimously” supportive of lowering the townwide speed limit.
Among considerations for Converse and Point Roads are painted transverse markings and speed bumps. Costs will play a role in the strategy, as dynamic speed indicators are said to cost $20,000. The Town of Marion owns only one, which is located on Front Street near the Music Hall. Tabor Academy has some, and the state locates two of its own in Marion.
Habicht studied the plans enacted by Mattapoisett and Fairhaven and reported no complications with implementation. There was no information on enforcement.
Front Street resident Janet Barnes attended the meeting to offer her support. She suggested a special sign in the area where Front Street meets Route 6 that would say something akin to “Entering Historic Marion,” the idea being to grab drivers’ attention.
According to McGrail, Tabor Academy has indicated a willingness to help pay for the signs. They will otherwise be funded out of the DPW budget. According to Davis, a sign costs $47, and a pole costs $55.
Select Board Chairman Randy Parker said the project needs a financial plan and a funding source.
McGrail told the board members he will be looking for a vote sometime in September, with a plan to implement the new speed limits when signage is ready.
Select Board member Norm Hills reminded the meeting that the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) has been conducting a parking study for the village that is due soon.
After reporting that Mattapoisett and Rochester Select Boards endorsed the selection of former Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Gagne to conduct an audit of its performance, Old Rochester Community Television (ORCTV) ran into some disagreement from Hills, who would not move off his disagreement due to Gagne’s history with the nonprofit cable-TV station.
ORCTV representatives Robert Chiarito (general manager) and Phil Sanborn (board liaison to Marion) tried to persuade Hills as to Gagne’s credentials as a capable third-party review who would ensure that ORCTV is adhering to the rules and regulations of cable access according to the state.
While Parker acknowledged that ORCTV is under no obligation to produce an auditor that would satisfy Hills, he did request that ORCTV consider other candidates.
In reporting to the board on its activities and objectives, Chiarito said that ORCTV has been permitted to install permanent equipment in the new Old Rochester Regional High School football press box to telecast games and graduation. ORCTV donated $5,000 to the new box, which he said will pay dividends in money saved by not bringing an operations truck to the site. Th only thing holding back installation of the television equipment is the installation of the elevator.
ORCTV is also looking into expanding its programming to include podcasts via an internet radio arm, but a studio location became uncertain after the pandemic leverages building-use changes.
The board and McGrail noted the work ORCTV did to retro-design the Music Hall and the Police Station for the telecast of municipal government meetings and thanked Chiarito and Sanborn for their efforts.
In a 6:15 pm appointment, the board voted to approve the application of Ansel’s Cafe for an amendment to its on-premises, All-Alcohol Beverages License. Representative Liz Carter explained that an 8×3-foot bar will serve three seats.
In his Town Administrator’s Report, McGrail indicated that there is no pressing business at this time that would necessitate a Special Fall Town Meeting.
The proposed Marine Center that will house the Harbormaster Department is still $1,000,000 short in construction funding after the last grant from the Seaport Economic Council. Representative Bill Straus included the final $1,000,000 in the Economic Development Bill, but McGrail reported that the bill has stalled on Beacon Hill.
The plan is to apply for another grant opportunity this fall with the SEC. Once design is complete, he said, Marion is hoping to bid out construction in Summer 2023 and hoping to break ground later in Summer 2023.
Marion will continue until Labor Day to advertise for candidates to fill the Board of Health seat vacated by Dot Brown. The board is currently comprised of Dr. Ed Hoffer and Dr. John Howard.
The Marion Town Party is scheduled for Saturday, August 27, at Silvershell Beach (rain date Sunday, August 28.)
The DPW Committee held its first meeting, revising the location of the proposed new DPW operations center while also considering wood and steel as potential types of construction in one rather than two operational structures. The committee is moving forward with Saltonstall Architects, which means Will Saltonstall will help prepare the project for the bidding processes.
In what McGrail openly hopes is his final Lagoon update, he said September 15 is the targeted “substantial completion” date, and November 5 is the “final completion” date. Methuen Contractors is applying additional sealing, while testing and commissioning the aeration system. McGrail said the final steps to making the lagoon completely operational is not about money at this point but rather engineering solutions.
McGrail thanked The Wanderer for recognizing Merry Conway, Dianne Cosman and Harry Norweb with the 2022 Keel Award for their volunteerism applied to the park development at the Cushing Community Center. “Without their leadership, none of it would have happened,” he said.
Under Action Items, the board approved of and congratulated new full-time Marion Police officers Mark Norman and Patrick Adams, both on one-year probationary periods.
The board voted to accept a donation from the Friends of Marion Recreation of swim float to the Marion Recreation Department.
The board voted to sign the Warrant for the 2022 State Primary and approve police detail for Primary and Election duty per state requirements.
After Parker raised several questions, a discussion on the town’s developing Memorial Policy was tabled.
Per IRS mandate, the board approved a midyear increase in the mileage rate for town employees to $0.625 per mile (over $0.56.)
Rick Trapilo, who is running against Straus in the Democratic Primary for State Representative, attended Monday’s meeting and briefly explained his candidacy to the Select Board.
Monday’s scheduled special meeting of the Select Board was scrapped after an effort to set up an adoption plan for David and Jennifer MacDonald’s dog did not pan out. The dog, ruled dangerous on June 9 by the board after a May 17 attack on another dog out of state, has been euthanized.
The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Wednesday, September 7, at 6:00 pm at a location to be determined.
Marion Select Board
By Mick Colageo