Land Acquisitions Top List for CPC Funding

On April 6, members of the Mattapoisett Community Preservation Committee met with the Finance Committee and Town Administrator Michael Gagne to present the list of applications approved by the CPC for funding. With the blessing of the Finance Committee and the selectmen, these grant requests will head to the voters when the annual town meeting convenes in May.

Only three applications were presented to the CPC for consideration this year, which is far less than the committee has had to weigh during previous years, noted chairman John DeCosta and committee secretary Margaret DeMello. But two of the requests for land acquisitions bore hefty price tags.

DeCosta said that the Mattapoisett Historical Society Museum had once again come forward and requested funds for their ongoing archival work that conserves precious exhibits from deterioration and the rigors of time, as well as data cataloging of the museum’s vast collections. For FY17, DeCosta said the society is requesting $22,500, a sum the CPC committee members determined was reasonable and worthy of funding.

Then it was on to the big-ticket items.

One of the two land acquisition requests came from the town’s Water Department in partnership with the Buzzards Bay Coalition for property near the town’s fresh drinking water supply well #3. The lands are part of what is referred to as the Tinkham Family property located off Acushnet Road and consist of 114 acres deemed critical to the preservation of the Mattapoisett River Valley water supply. The total amount needed to secure the property is $654,000.

DeCosta said a variety of funding sources and grants will come together with Mattapoisett’s CPC portion of $65,000 and matching sums from Fairhaven and Marion, member communities of the water supply.

Along with protecting the drinking water supply, the application notes that the lands will be available for passive recreational uses.

The second land acquisition application was sponsored by the town of Mattapoisett and advocated by Gagne and the selectmen for the sum of $500,000 to purchase the former ‘Holy Ghost Society’ property on Park Street.

Calling the property “exceptional uplands,” Gagne said the 7-acre property was rare and would be a tremendous asset to the future plans of the town. He noted that master planning had pointed to a significant need for recreational space north of Route 6 and, with the bike path utilizing the railroad easement bordering the property, it was an ideal location for a future recreation and senior center.

“We don’t have the money right now to build a recreation center,” Gagne told the Finance Committee members, “but these types of opportunities don’t come along very often.” He called the proposed acquisition a “long-term project,” and added that an existing structure on the site could be used by the Recreation Department once minor repairs are completed.

DeCosta said the CPC members are advancing a plan to fund the purchase with a $100,000 down payment and 15-year bond.

Pat Donoghue, Finance Committee chairman, said she didn’t have a problem with any of the requests and was pleased with the decisions of the CPC.

The Finance Committee also discussed the Capital Planning Committee’s Top 20 list.

A final figure for capital expenditures is pending and will be set on Wednesday, April 13, when the Finance Committee meets with the Board of Selectmen to finalize the warrant articles.

The following line items in descending order of importance for the FY17 budget are: $52,000 for Center and Old Hammondtown School security equipment; $27,000 for a fire hose replacement; $49,500 town bundle (variety of smaller needs from copiers to supplies for municipal departments); $52,000 Police Department furnace; $15,200 for two heat-sensing cameras; $12,252 town hall furnace; $60,000 Old Hammondtown School kitchen roof; $42,500 police cruiser; $18,000 wharf float; $50,000 Highway Department wash-down system; $25,000 Center and Old Hammondtown School floors; $40,000 town barn renovations; $35,000 masonry repairs to various municipal structures; $10,000 masonry joint caulking various municipal structures; $7,620 traffic monitoring trailers; $17,000 parking lot paving COA; $23,200 (6) speed advisory electronic signs; $25,000 various municipal building painting; $43,000 wharf parking lot paving; and, $174,000 highway road grader.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13 in the Mattapoisett Town Hall meeting room at 6:30 pm.

 

(Disclaimer: Marilou Newell is a member of the CPC committee)

By Marilou Newell

 

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