During the August 2 meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator Paul Dawson and Energy Management Committee members Jennifer Francis and Bill Saltonstall met with the selectmen to discuss how to handle cash payments from Eversource.
The utility’s 20-year contract with the town for energy produced from wind turbines includes a clause that allows them to pay the town cash instead of giving energy credits or net metering credits as originally planned. Now the town is faced with how to best handle receiving these cash payments.
Selectman Steve Cushing said, “The plan was to reduce energy costs.” Without direct deductions on municipal electricity bills, the EMC offered other ideas.
Francis said that the committee thought that possibly half of the Eversource payments could go into a new fund that could be used for such things as purchasing electric cars, replacing boilers in municipal buildings, or planning a municipal solar farm.
Dawson thought that part of the new cash flow should go towards the growing OPEB liability the town is facing and said, “…that will go a long way with bond raters.”
The selectmen were in agreement that to simply put the payments into the general fund might mean that the cash could get “lost” in the budget. They concurred that if funds were segregated, they should also be earmarked for specific items.
Selectman Jody Dickerson suggested that instead of looking at the entire lifecycle of the Eversource contract when brainstorming how to use the cash, perhaps just trying any plan ultimately agreed upon for five or ten years was better so that, “…we don’t tie the hands of future boards.”
The selectmen agreed that the EMC should continue to pursue ideas and to return to them with more fully developed plans.
In other news, Dawson said that a grant in the amount of $10,924 applied for by the Open Space Committee had been awarded. He said that these funds could now be used to complete the Grassi Bog repairs.
Dawson said that abutters to the town-held property had been “very patient” in dealing with stormwater runoff issues from a failure in an earlier water management plan designed by National Resources Conservation Service, a federal agency. Armed with a new plan from the NRCS that had been vetted by the town’s peer review consultants CDM Smith, Dawson believed “The new plan should fix the problems.”
Repairs to the historic Elizabeth Taber Library were also discussed. Board of Trustees President Jay Pateakos and architect Bob Raymond said that repairs to the front steps, door and improved handicap access were paramount to improving the structure. Raymond presented conceptual designs that had been part of the original campus concepts for the town house project to help the selectmen visualize what the front entrance changes would look like.
Funding for the repairs will be paid by donor funding, Pateakos said, and although it would not cost the town anything, public input was important. The selectmen were pleased with the plans and approved further exploration.
Continuing on the theme of repairs, Dawson said that the manufacturer of the siding used on the police station had declared the product defective and will repair and replace the siding under the warranty.
Funds for the Marion Scholarship fund were also discussed when Debra Watson met with the selectmen saying, “Since 1994, we have given ninety-one scholarships to Marion residents.” However, she noted that the fund was now empty. To fill the void, Watson said a raffle was held. The prize was three Red Sox tickets donated by Laura Sharpe and Jim Fogerty. The drawing was held and the winner announced: David Ellis. The raffle raised $550.
Fall special town meeting date was set for October 24 at 6:45 pm in the Sippican School multi-purpose room.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for August 16 at 7:00 pm in the police station community meeting room.
By Marilou Newell
