The Marion Board of Selectmen appointed a new Assistant Harbormaster and Shellfish Officer upon request of Harbormaster Mike Cormier. The decision to hire Adam Murphy was made at the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, February 5 in the Marion Town House.
“I’ve known him for 20 years,” said Cormier. “I feel as though he’s an excellent boat operator and his emergency response capabilities would be an asset to my department.”
The position is both part-time and seasonal. It would last from May through early September and would be from 5:00 to 9:00 pm during the week. In addition to working alongside Cormier, Murphy would also be working at the Fire Department. Selectman Jonathan Henry voiced concerns about possible scheduling problems.
“I wouldn’t want there to be a conflict,” said Henry. “You wouldn’t leave your post to go to a fire, would you?”
Cormier assured the Board that he has firefighters who have worked with him before and the rule is that when on duty on the water, they are not allowed to respond to fire calls. The Board unanimously appointed Murphy.
In other news, Town Administrator Paul Dawson updated the Board on several ongoing projects about town.
First, the Financial Committee has begun their work reviewing the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2014. A copy has been submitted to the Board and will be reviewed over the coming months to make sure everything is precise.
“It’s a complicated process that is by no means complete, but the process has begun and they are well on their way,” Dawson said.
Dawson also informed the Board that the Marion Music Hall lighting project is still ongoing. The building is awaiting the last set of fixtures to arrive so they can be installed. The fixtures are currently on back order.
The project to remove the mold from the basement of the Town House is making progress, according to Dawson. Several town records and documents have been cleared out of the basement to make room for the remediation process. The documents will be sorted through and redistributed to other storage locations.
The deadline for businesses to bid on the remediation project was Tuesday, February 5. Five figures were submitted from five companies. Dawson said by the Board’s next meeting they should have a recommendation on a company to get the project going.
Lastly, Dawson said he is still exploring the possibility of bringing on board a full-time Facilities Manager to help upkeep the 41 buildings around town that need maintenance. He will continue to study job descriptions from neighboring towns to further outline the specification for the job in Marion.
The Marion Board of Selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, February 19 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House.
By Katy Fitzpatrick
