The Point Road Bike Path will take shape this spring, but it is a matter of carefully stacked layers of materials designed to hold the grade and also properly process drainage.

            Deb Ewing, Chairman John Rockwell and Marc Sylvia represented the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission at its January 4 Zoom meeting.

            The meeting began with discussion of a December 27 meeting of vendors to discuss gravel placement and compacting. Rockwell forwarded questions and received several emails from vendors.

            Expecting to read about a gravel surface, resident attendee Shaun Walsh pointed out that the donation being made by Makepeace A.D./Reed Custom Soils is listed as “a very fine sand.”

            Walsh says that is one step away from silt, which would mean no drainage after compaction, but Rockwell explained that the sand is a sub-base material to be under base and top materials. “This is just to bring it up to grade,” said Rockwell.

            Walsh also sought to clarify that the town will remain the responsible party for compaction testing.

            “I’d be surprised if 10 years from now there isn’t some settling,” said Rockwell. “One of the issues that we’re going to have to look at is this issue of drainage coming off Point Road.”

            He recommended putting in stakes and taking note of low spots to fill in and address those areas at the same time the final top is being put on.

            Rockwell estimates the finished product will contain a top material of 3 inches of gravel to the 8-foot width of the path. It is yet unknown of that material will also be donated.

            Ewing clarified that the current bidding process is regarding the fine sand and sought to establish direction for next steps.

            Rockwell suggested that drainage requires on-site observation because, with every 1 to 2 inches in rise, water will flow in different directions.

            Walsh articulated concern about the contract to grind down large boulders and asked about the vendor’s schedule. He thought the project would be completed by now but no longer knows what to expect.

            Ewing said she would reach out to Arne Excavating, which had agreed to take 6 inches to a foot off the stones. Walsh called that activity a roadblock to the project’s progress.

            Bids on the rest of the project were due January 10.

            Walsh asked if Rockwell will be working on the next bidding document for the top material. Rockwell is thinking gravel with process stone on top, a fine material that does not hold up well against rain if placed on a slope. He intends to consult with experts before embarking on that piece of the project.

            All MOSAC meetings except for site visits are held via Zoom, so Rockwell’s southern travel and Ewing’s will not impede their ability to hold meetings.

            Resident Carol Molander volunteered to take photos of the work while Rockwell and Ewing are away.

            The next meeting of the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission is scheduled for Thursday, February 1, at 7:00 pm via Zoom.

Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission

By Mick Colageo

            Deep into a long night of meeting with the Tri-Town Select Board and then holding their regular meeting, the members of the Mattapoisett Select Board heard from Sandy Hering, chairman of the Mattapoisett Tree Committee.

            Hering once again stated her concerns that residents didn’t have the information needed to make an informed decision regarding the Village Street reconstruction project. The project pegged at an estimated $8,000,000 is nearing the completion of 25% design necessary for Massachusetts Transportation Department review for possible funding via the TIP program.

            Hering reiterated that earlier meetings weren’t well-attended and thought the Select Board needed to hold well-publicized public meetings before moving forward with designs that she believed would change the quaint seaside landscape of the village area. “Our citizens are not informed,” Hering stated, asking the board to do what they could.

            But the Select Board responded that some 20 public meetings had been held, primarily in 2017-18 and that if people wanted to share comments or had questions those would be answered, provided emails and letters with residents’ names were submitted to the board.

            Jordan Collyer, Select Board member, said input would be responded to and taken into consideration, but board member Tyler Macallister pointed out that substantive changes to plans accepted by MassDOT would likely not be considered.

            Hering suggested that the town not take the grant money but instead break the work up into smaller pieces, doing it themselves. Town Administrator Mike Lorenco reminded Hering that property owners would have to pay over $3,000 each to make up the difference.

            The Tree Committee chairman returned to previous points made about ideas and a presentation the committee had submitted for the engineers, VHB, to take into consideration as they drew up the 25% design, submissions she said were never incorporated into the planning. Hering again asked for a public meeting be held to educate the public on the full scope of the proposed village streets reconstruction.

            Mike Rosa, a member of Capital Planning and the Holy Ghost Grounds Reuse Committee, said people don’t attend public meetings for a variety of reasons including meetings he holds. “People aren’t that interested unless it’s something big.” He also wondered why Hering wasn’t focusing public information meetings on agendas for the Tree Committee.

            After about 20 minutes, the board determined to place the subject of a possible public meeting on a future agenda, telling Hering that even if the 25% design is accepted by the state, it would be several years before shovels would turn the ground.

            In earlier business, the board accepted an updated flag policy for public buildings and properties. The board felt it was important to ensure that the public understands what flags may be flown on town-owned locations, given recent issues that arose in neighboring communities. The last sentence of the policy (available in the Select Board office) reads, “No other flags shall be allowed to be flown on Town-owned flagpoles as those flagpoles and this policy are not intended to establish or serve to create a forum for private expression.”

            Lorenco noted that several grants were pending or had been received, namely $132,479 from the Community Compact for IT upgrades, $90,000 for broadband upgrades and an ADA grant which is pending. Lorenco also said that the Finance and Capital Planning committees have met several times, ramping up financials for the spring Town Meeting. He hoped to have a draft FY25 in the near term.

            Lorenco said a public-input session addressing the Holy Ghost Grounds project will be held on Wednesday, January 24, at 6:00 pm at the Fire Station.

            The board also approved a letter to be sent to the ABCC (Alcohol Beverage Control Commission), attesting to Mattapoisett’s seasonal population increase to 10,800. Lorenco stated that alcohol permitting is based on populations.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board was not announced before adjournment.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

            With the assistance of two consultants, the Marion Historic District Study Committee created a working list of over 250 Marion properties covering three and potentially five historic districts.

            So reported Will Tifft to the Marion Select Board during its January 3 public meeting at the Town House.

            One of several residents appointed to the committee by the Select Board, Tifft said the committee has conducted surveys on the Wharf village (including Cottage, Water and parts of Pleasant Streets based on an 1855 surveyed map.) An informational presentation displaying the suggested district with a 40-page preliminary proposal for the consumption of area citizens packed out the Music Hall.

            Tifft explained to the Select Board on January 3 that the request to study the prospects for such a district came with the promises not to spend any town money and to conduct the study “in a reasonable amount of time.

            “Our feeling was that we could get this done in time for the next Town Meeting,” he said, qualifying that with the suspicion that it might take longer and should not be a hurried process.

            The year-old effort, Tifft said, was to produce a decision that would benefit residents inside and outside the district.

            As Town Administrator Geoff Gorman explained, the committee is working with a consultant and with Marion’s legal advisors to create an historic district, using adequate exemptions to ensure that members in the town’s proposed district are made comfortable with the action.

            Tifft said the committee is considering two options: creating a district using MGL 40A as a zoning bylaw and using the Zoning Board of Appeals or using MGL 40C (the chapter used to create the study group) as a general bylaw and using a yet-to-be-formed Historic Commission.

            The primary difference between these two options is that MGL 40C and a historic commission has a much more restrictive exemption list, and there’s no legal support for local changes.

            Delays in correspondence at the state level are leveraging a decision that some would rather be made slowly anyway.

            As the committee has sought guidance from the attorney general regarding the legalities involved, the delay makes it clear to Tifft that it would be impossible to meet the state’s 60-day review schedule and the town’s review in time to make the annual Town Meeting.

            Tifft said he was representing the committee’s request to take more time with an eye on a special fall Town Meeting. Tifft told the Select Board that all committee members are willing to continue volunteering their time in order to further educate the public about the district.

            Select Board member Randy Parker asked Tifft to explain what “Historic District Light” means. Further, board member Norm Hills asked Tifft if the committee can provide any documentation explaining the difference between the two approaches.

            Tifft offered a verbal explanation, saying that an “historic district light” offers property owners many more exemptions so that they can do things on their own property that would otherwise not be allowed under a more traditional, stricter historic district.

            He said one of the more common comments is the concern that people don’t want to be told what color they can paint their front door. “Light” would allow homeowners more flexibility even as it concerns design features.

            Parker applauded the committee for its thorough process and issued a motion that the committee be granted an extended time to continue to pursue the facts that would enable a more complete presentation to the board.

            Tifft suggested that much of the committee’s ability to follow suit depends on the state government.

            Select Board Chairman Toby Burr said something of this importance should be decided by voters at a spring (Annual) Town Meeting. “If we don’t make this spring town meeting, we should go to next spring town meeting,” he said.

            The board agreed to extend the commissioning of the committee to spring 2025.

            Gorman told the board he would provide the members information on the case of Hancock Village LLC versus the Town of Brookline.

            In other action, the Select Board voted to approve the Annual Report to the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC.) It voted to approve a one-day liquor license for ICJ Corporation for an event to be held Thursday, January 18, at the Music Hall from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, along with a Water/Sewer commitment for $1,425.67 (quarterly billing December 14, 2023.)

            The board met on January 4 solely to approve a one-day liquor license for a private event held Friday at the Music Hall and took part in Tuesday’s tour of the Mattapoisett Fire Station and the Tri-Town Select Board meeting that followed.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, at 6:00 pm at the Town House Annex Building accessible off Main Street.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo

            The Town of Rochester would like to replace its aged main fire station on Pine Street with something like what the Town of Mattapoisett built along Route 6 before the COVID-19 pandemic, but post-COVID construction costs and supply-chain issues are straining the building industry at large.

            Nonetheless, Rochester officials were quite interested in checking out Mattapoisett’s new public-safety facility during Tuesday’s Tri-Town Select Board meeting.

            Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andy Murray, who would conduct a group tour and take questions, estimated the hard construction cost of the 16,500 square-foot structure at $7,400,000.

            “Other than that, we were able to stay under budget,” said Murray, who leaned heavily on the expertise of Mike Hickey, a retired engineer and former call firefighter for a decade. Hickey chaired Mattapoisett’s building committee.

            “Through the whole process, we had to scale back and change. We started the project as much larger. …,” explained Murray.

            As built, the Mattapoisett station completed in 2021 has nine garage doors with 4.5 bays. The two-floor facility has four full-time employees on site and can sleep many more. Equipment includes giant touch screens on the walls of the meeting and conference rooms and a grant-funded fitness room.

            Asked by Rochester Select Board member Adam Murphy if there were issues that came up for Mattapoisett that Rochester officials could proactively address, and Murray recommended a soil test.

            “We ran into unsuitable soils,” he said, noting that the resultant dig went down to the groundwater table.

            Rochester Town Administrator Glenn Cannon asked about contingencies. Murray said the town set aside over $500,000.

            The rest of the Tri-Town Select Board agenda consisted of some substantial discussions about issues especially affecting one of the three communities but of interest to all three.

            Marion Town Administrator Geoff Gorman asked the stakeholders as to any interest in discussing a potential municipal agreement with the towns’ departments of Public Works to share services and especially heavy equipment.

            With each town’s DPW projecting out 10-year capital plans, the opportunity to join forces was considered mutually attractive.

            Mattapoisett Select Board member Jordan Collyer asked if such a cooperative would complicate insurance coverage. Gorman indicated belief that need not be a sticking point.

            Rochester Select Board member Brad Morse said, “It’s up to our Highway (Department) guy (Jeff Eldridge.) Are we in favor of it? Absolutely.”

            Murphy suggested sharing equipment is better for the equipment itself and noted that the Tri-Towns’ Fire and Police departments share mutual aid.

            Town officials will discuss the matter among themselves.

            Rochester Select Board Chairman Paul Ciaburri indicated that the town would like to leave its regional dispatch based in Duxbury, and he asked if there is any mutual interest in a Tri-Town dispatch.

            “Unless we find another regional center to go to, our hands are tied,” said Murphy, noting that Rochester is currently under contract and pays for dispatch service. “We’re looking for something closer.”

            Rochester is in the first year of a two-year contract with the Duxbury-based dispatch (18 months remaining.) Murphy said the State 911 office wants regionalization in order to minimize feedback.

            Rochester has another complication, as its Police Department recently went to a digital system but the Fire Department has not.

            Expanding the concept to address road repair, Marion Select Board Chairman Toby Burr considers it worthwhile for the Tri-Towns to join together when it can on bid processes for repairs to various roads. A coordinated effort would minimize redundancies and save each town money.

            Mattapoisett Select Board Chairman Jodi Bauer said she would love to see a solar array in the Old Rochester Regional High School parking lot. In discussing Rochester’s complications in trying to reach agreement with the contractor in the case of the solar canopy planned for the elementary school, Macallister indicated he can help. Murphy plans to contact Macallister to consult on the matter.

            Cannon suggested a regional approach to the broadband grant program. He said that the Southeastern Massachusetts Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) is involved with the Municipal Digital Equity Grant Program that provides towns with a signal-gap analysis. “A regional application usually carries more weight with the state,” he said.

            The membership agreed that it has been over two years since the Tri-Town Select Board has met. It was agreed that the boards will reconvene in the middle of June and that Marion will host the meeting.

            The Rochester Select Board voted to enter an executive session, while Mattapoisett members took a short break in advance of their own public meeting.

            The next meeting of the Tri-Town Select Board was not scheduled upon adjournment but is anticipated in June.

Tri-Town Select Board

By Mick Colageo