The River Junction, the recently rebuilt tavern that sits at the site of the old Gilda’s at 27 Wareham Road (corner of Route 6 and River Road near the Wareham town line), got approval on a state-mandated correction to its alcohol license during a brief, public hearing held by the Marion Select Board on December 29 at the Town House.
“This is an administrative action only and does not change the setup, layout or previous request,” explained Town Administrator Geoff Gorman to the board.
The board approved an application for an Alteration of Premises to an existing, on premises license for the sale of all alcoholic beverages, per the request of the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Commission (ABCC.) The information in the original application filed by the owners did not match the other information on the premises, so a public hearing was necessary to correct the documentation.
No comment on the case was forthcoming from the board or the public during the public hearing.
In other actions, the board voted to accept an anonymous, $150 donation to the Harbormaster Department.
The board approved three Water/Sewer commitments: $1,322,932.31 (quarterly billing December 19, 2023), $155 (sewer-reconnection fee December 19, 2023) and $1,241.60 (final readings December 20, 2023.)
Gorman publicly recognized retiring Finance Director Judy Mooney, whose final day on the job was on December 29, the day of the meeting. New Finance Director Heather O’Brien, whose finance background is in the business world, has spent the last few months working with Mooney to learn the ropes.
The Select Board entered executive session under state law for Purpose 3 for strategy for negotiations with nonunion personnel (the town administrator) and/or to conduct collective-bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel and did not return to public session.
The Marion Select Board scheduled its first regular meeting of the new year on Wednesday, January 3 and has also scheduled a special meeting for 12:00 pm on Thursday, January 4. With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 15, the board has also set its second regular meeting of 2024 on a Wednesday: January 17 at 6:00 pm. Until further notice, the Select Board is meeting in the conference room at the Town House Annex Building (Main Street entry.)
Marion Select Board
By Mick Colageo