Rochester’s Select Board voted Monday night to not exercise its Right of First Refusal to purchase 7.3 acres at 109 Neck Road that are being taken out 61A agricultural protection land for development of a solar energy array there.
But first, the board paused over Town Moderator and Finance Committee Chairman David Arancio’s questioning of whether this action fits the town’s long-term goals.
Noting that the land in question is close to a town water resources, Snipatuit Pond, and that the town is concerned about frequently losing access to those resources to other surrounding communities, Arancio asked, “What is the long-term plan here? How do we ensure down the road that the town can look at this and have access if we need it?”
This made the board stop before the final approval vote. Select Board member Brad Morse noted this action is just to take part of a larger 61A parcel for road access to the solar facility. Select Board Chairman Paul Ciaburri paused to reexamine the diagram of the plan. Ciaburri concluded this action won’t stop any future action to access that water resource, and he motioned the vote that the board approved unanimously.
The board also approved Rochester Troop 31 Scout master Kevin Thompson’s request to give away “town property.” Town Administrator Glenn Cannon explained that one of the four box trailers on the Pine Street property that formerly hosted the Rochester Country Fair contains scouting equipment that the troop no longer wants or needs. The troop, Cannon said, wants to just give this equipment away to anyone who wants to pick it up.
The board agreed to this plan, with one qualification. Morse said the troop must follow the formal procedure of filling out a request form for such a giveaway plan.
In other action, the Select Board approved a new policy for flying a flag on one of the two new flagpoles in front of Town Hall. The only flags allowed on the poles will be the American, state, town or POW flag or the flags belonging to the branches of the military services.
The town’s Appointing Committee, which includes the chairs of the Select Board and the Finance Committee and the town moderator, appointed Greg Hardy to the Personnel Board, Justin Bouley as an alternate member of the Finance Committee and James Austin as a full Finance Committee member. The Select Board also approved the appointments of Lorraine Thompson and Sarah Hasbrouck to the town’s Cultural Council.
No future meeting date was scheduled as of this report.
Rochester Select Board
By Michael J. DeCicco