The Marion Select Board’s last meeting was held on April 1, when the members went down a long list of appointments, permit requests, monetary commitments, further Town Meeting discussions with the public, and other action items.
For appointments, the board approved Peter O’Brien for assistant harbormaster. O’Brien had been a part-time employee at the Harbormaster office, as well as previously serving as a member of the US Marine Corps for 27 years as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. Carl MacDermott III, not in attendance at the meeting, was approved as Special Police Officer. Edward Johnson, also not in attendance, was approved as Police Officer. Re-appointment of Alternate Building Inspector Edward Johnson was then approved. Finally, the appointment of the Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Jody Dickerson as Marion’s representative to the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission and the Mattapoisett River Valley Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee was also approved.
An annual request for a Mobil Home & Trailer Permit for 507 Delano Road was approved without comment. Following that, a request for sewer connection for 24 West Drive, already approved by DPW, was also approved by the board.
There was a short discussion on the purchasing of land in Little Neck by the Buzzards Bay Coalition. The organization is awaiting confirmation on a Municipal Vulnerability Program (MVP) grant before moving forward with discussions.
For water/sewer monetary commitments, there was a large number of approvals. Two quarterly bills, one for $1,119,443.38 and one for $1,624.58, were both approved. A $10,000 commitment for new sewer service was approved, as well as a separate $10,970 commitment for new water and sewer service. A new water service commitment for $1,505 was approved. Finally, a commitment of $1,198.63 to FRMA-Cummings Wagner Co. for low pressure repairs was approved.
For the Town Meeting Warrant, Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman explained all changes from the board’s last meeting are grammatical and language based. The board again went through the warrant, approving or “recommending” article by article. For Article 17, regarding accessibility, fire suppression systems, building code and ADA compliance, and HVAC, Select Board Vice-Chair Carleton Burr, Jr. said, “I would pull it. I would say, just as the town is having tremendous difficulty balancing our budget and the school’s having tremendous difficulties balancing their budget, many of our townspeople are having trouble balancing their budgets. This is not the time to ask them for a Proposition Two and A Half override.” Burr voted “nay,” though the other members voted to keep it in the warrant.
Some members of the public used time to speak out against the bylaw regarding the proposed Marion Village Historic District.
Some important dates were also discussed. There will be a Candidates Forum hosted by the League of Women Voters SouthCoast on Tuesday, April 29, at 7:00 pm in the Sippican School Multipurpose Room, as well as a review of the Town Meeting Warrant held on Wednesday, April 30, at 6:00 pm in the Marion Music Hall.
Town Meeting will take place on Monday, May 12, and the full Town Meeting Warrant is posted on the town website at: www.marionma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2339/Annual-Town-Meeting-Warrant-for-May-12-2025-PDF.
The next meeting of the Marion Select Board will be held on Tuesday, April 15, at 6:00 pm in the Marion Town House Conference Room.
Marion Select Board
By Sam Bishop