Tuesday night’s meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board was more like a celebration. The Mattapoisett Fire Department community meeting room was full to capacity with officers from the Mattapoisett Police Department and many smiling family and friends. The occasion was the formal introduction of two new police officers, Isaac Perry and Benjamin Church, and a request by Chief Jason King that two sergeants, Justin King and Scott LeBlanc, be promoted to lieutenants.

            During his introduction of the two new police officers, Chief Jason King spoke to the level of professional competency the two new members possess.

            Of Church, King stated, “he comes to us with three years’ experience as an officer with the Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Police Department.” King said Church has completed his field training. Church is married with four children and is a 2009 graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School.

            King then introduced Perry, the former Marion harbormaster who just completed his first summer season as Mattapoisett’s new harbormaster. Also a graduate of ORRHS (1992), Perry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation from Massachusetts Maritime Academy and is married with five children.

            King moved on to promotion of officers, saying, “I would like to thank the Select Board and town administrator for the support of these positions.” He went on to say that the position of lieutenant is demanding, requiring advanced skillsets such as control, operations and support of not only the Police Department itself but also EMS and the Marine Department and ensures enforcement and compliance with the general laws of the state. Further, King pointed out that lieutenants must also uphold policies, procedures and regulations of the Mattapoisett Police Department.

            Sergeant Justin King earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Western New England University. He is currently on track to secure a master’s degree from UMass Lowell. Sergeant King is a 1997 graduate of the Massachusetts Police Academy in Plymouth and is a certified EMT.

            “Sergeant (Justin) King has performed many duties and assignments for the past 28 years,” Chief Jason King stated. The sergeant has been the town’s safety officer, fleet manager, Marine Patrol officer, and was instrumental in the development of SEMLEC, Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council’s motorcycle unit. Sergeant Justin King is also a Massachusetts Police Training instructor.

            Sergeant Scott LeBlanc received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Bridgewater State College and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from UMass Lowell. He graduated from the Massachusetts Police Academy in 2003. LeBlanc earned a captain’s license and over his 25 years with the department has worked in Marine Patrol as well as being a supervisor in EMS and detectives and has worked on cases that brought forfeiture money back to the town. Before Perry’s appointment, LeBlanc handled the daily operations of the harbormaster’s office. LeBlanc is married with two children.

            Select Board member Jordan Collyer moved that LeBlanc and King be promoted to lieutenants. Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger performed the swearing-in duties. The pinning ceremony included the officer’s daughters placing the new badges on their fathers’ coats. Rounds of applause followed.

            Earlier in his presentation of officers, Chief Jason King said, “police recruitment across the U.S. is still at historic lows.” He said the task of finding and keeping qualified candidates is difficult. “Policing is not just a profession, it is a calling, a commitment to serve and protect. It is a vow to uphold justice, to stand against injustice and to be there for those in need.”

            At the beginning of the meeting, the Select Board moved to open the 2023 Special Town Meeting Warrant for the November 6 Special Town Meeting. The next regular meeting of the Select Board was not announced.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

            Rochester’s Conservation Commission Tuesday overrode recommendations from Town Counsel as it approved a mandate that anyone applying for one of its permits must allow site visits from the Conservation Commission or its Conservation agent to be considered for that permit.

            The commission endorsed its original addendum to the Rochester Conservation Commission application over revisions submitted by Town Counsel that edit out reference to the fact the lack of a site visit will cause the application to be denied.

            Town Counsel’s revision strikes out those words and adds the lack of a site visit “may result in a conclusion by the Conservation Commission (that it) does not have sufficient information to fully evaluate the proposal …”

            None of the commissioners were happy with these changes. “The teeth have been taken out of this,” said ConCom Chairman Christopher Gerrior.

            “We have to hold our attorney’s feet to the fire here,” Commissioner Ben Bailey said. “Lawyers will water down anything they see.”

            Gerrior proposed approving the commission’s own original language. Member Mike Gifford suggested adding “at the sole discretion of the Conservation Commission” to the permit-denial mandate, and the board unanimously approved the original addendum.

            Later Gerrior announced some bad news regarding the much-debated regional Conservation Restriction that includes 13 acres at Red Brick Farm East. The town may not get the water it wants as a result of the project after all.

            When they first heard of the CR plan months ago, commission members complained that Rochester has lost the right to use its own water resources too many times over the decades. The regional CR agreement was proposed to give Mattapoisett the water rights to the Rochester parcel, including possibly digging up to four new wells, under a co-ownership agreement with the Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Authority.

            The commission was united in its members’ refusal to sign the Red Brick Farms CR without more information, especially as to whether the CR can be rewritten to give Rochester rights to some of that water, but they finally agreed to the plan only if it was emphasized that the $1 purchase offer needed to be part of the letter’s language.

            Gerrior reported on September 19 that the plan favoring Rochester’s water rights may not become reality after all. He said Town Counsel told him, “We did everything we can. But our proposal is never going to happen.”

            Bailey responded it was not yet time to give up on Rochester’s water rights proposal. “We should have Town Counsel reexamine this,” he said. “Direct Town Counsel to seek every possible avenue to get this proposal to work. Then come in and talk to us about it. We shouldn’t give up.”

            Gerrior turned that suggestion into a motion, and the action was unanimously approved.

            In other business, Sarah Wasserman of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife gave the Conservation Commission a presentation on a new Bio-Map, which delineates land and animal habitats around the state that need protecting. She said that 60.4% of Rochester is covered by these habitats and lands. The map’s goal, the accompanying brochure elaborates, is the strategic protection and stewardship of these lands. For more information, she said, people can visit Mass.Gov/BioMap.

            The Rochester Conservation Commission will meet next on Tuesday, October 3, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester’s Conservation Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco