Mattapoisett has scored a triple “A” bond rating from Standard & Poor. This major achievement was announced during the regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen as part of Michael Gagne’s Administrator’s report. This rating is the highest cities and towns can attain and will make the upcoming bond sale much more attractive. Gagne said that S&P, along with similar institutions, has become vastly more stringent in their scoring practices since the stock market crash and banking irregularities the country recently experienced. As he continued to share with the board significant highpoints of the past few years that has allowed the town to reach this level, Gagne segued to the Annual Budget Review process and memorializing policies.
The Finance Committee and staff accountants have worked with Gagne to produce written documents or a memorializing of financial policies that were presented to the board for their review and adoption. The objectives detailed in the document that was presented include: Memorializing fiscal management goals, policy for use of town funds and associated reporting, goals for building proper reserves for unforeseen expenses and potential budget busters, long- and short-term capital planning strategies, long-term debt planning and management, practices for protecting credit rating, methods of developing an annual budgets, and methods to develop annual revenue projections.
Other information Gagne reported to the board was the necessity for a member of the Board of Selectmen or their delegate to conduct the Town’s perambulation (boundary walk). Harkening back to a time when maps were handcrafted documents, it was important for leaders of villages, towns, or counties to “walk” or perambulate the boundaries to insure that survey markers were consistent with records and hadn’t been breached or removed.
And completing his report, Gagne asked permission to contact safety officer Justin King to explore the possibility of adding some caution signage near bike path intersections. There was some discussion about the necessity of also putting additional cautionary signs on the bike paths due to the bikers not obeying cycling rules of the road. The board agreed that additional signs might be helpful and working with Officer King important to help both motorists and cyclists.
In other business, Marylou Armstrong came before the board for a brief interview of her qualifications to fill an empty seat on the Conservation Commission. She referred to her experience with wetland regulations and past positions in Stoughton on the Conservation Commission. The members of the board concurred that her impressive resume was well suited for the position she was seeking and her appointment was passed.
Judy Mooney and Horace Field both received Certificates of Appreciation. Mooney was lauded for her expertise in fiscal planning and work on the Finance Committee. Field was thanked and appreciated for his many years of dedicated service as the town’s harbormaster.
Upcoming events are: Board of Selectmen, Tuesday, October 22; Fall Special Town Meeting, Monday, November 18; Rabies Clinic, Sunday, October 20; Fire Department Annual Open House, Thursday, October 10, 6:00-8:00 pm.
By Marilou Newell
