Members of the Marion Board of Selectmen agreed that enforcement of a “30 Minute Parking” sign at the Marconi Village roundabout was outside the Town’s jurisdiction, but Selectman Jonathan Henry told Marconi resident and Planning Board member Eileen Marum that he would get to the bottom of the situation and report back to the board.
Marum submitted a letter to selectmen weeks ago describing how some visitors and residents at Marconi Village are ignoring the sign, sometimes parking their vehicles for hours at a time. She addressed the board on January 19 to explain what she considers a public safety issue.
“Pedestrians have to walk in the street,” said Marum, and the passing by of pickup trucks traversing Mill Road from Atlantis Drive creates a tight squeeze. She requested the sign be removed and replaced with a “No Parking” sign.
“It is my understanding that the current no parking sign is not town-owned and not maintained by the town,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman Stephen Cushing.
Cushing later added that the type of sign that hangs at the site does not resemble the standard signs the Department of Public Works uses throughout town. DPW Superintendent Rob Zora was present to confirm it.
“That area is not in the town layout. That was put there by the developer of Marconi Village,” said Selectman Jody Dickerson.
Marum told him the housing manager told her it was a town sign, not a private housing sign.
“I personally do not see it as a problem. I see it as an issue between neighbors,” said Dickerson. “Call it like it is. I do not support this.”
Dickerson consulted with Police Chief Lincoln Miller who he said found no public safety concern with the matter. “I spoke with the fire chief, the DPW superintendent, they all agree.”
“Honestly, I have no knowledge of that sign,” Zora said. “We didn’t put it up, and I’ve been here a long time.”
“[The manager] said it was placed there by the town,” said Marum, “So, you know, I’m right back where I started.”
Cushing said he was throwing this ball back into the management company’s court to resolve.
Henry offered to investigate further and the other two selectmen took him up on it.
In other matters, Collector/Treasurer Gary Carreiro addressed the board briefly, asking for a vote regarding the maximum useful life of the new fire pumper as the town moves through the financing process.
Carreiro said the agreement stipulates that in order to complete the financing packet, those details must be approved and provided.
“How did you derive a maximum useful life of ten years?” Cushing asked. Carreiro said it is standard to make the estimate based on the profile of the truck.
The board voted to approve the request.
Also during the meeting, the board met with two members of the Music Hall Advisory Committee regarding several requests for funding from the endowment. The selectmen approved three of the five, but told the advisory committee to return in the early spring for a request for further funding for a landscaping project that town counsel said might not be covered under the endowment.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for February 2 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry
