Special Town Meeting voters on October 17 will see eight articles featured on the warrant, which the Rochester Board of Selectmen approved on September 19.

Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar gave an informal rundown of all eight of them, starting with Article 1 that appropriates $10,000 from free cash to a bylaw codification project.

Article 2 covers $27,000 for the air conditioning system replacement at the police station, and Article 3 is for the supplemental appropriation for four different projects: The Town Clerk’s Office would receive $1,500 for the restoration of books; $4,800 to the Police Department for air conditioning system repairs; $3,100 for a fire protection system; and $17,725 for the insurance budget.

Article 4 would appropriate $20,000 from free cash for the town hall annex study, and Article 5 appropriates $32,000 for the funding and reserve for future contract settlements. Article 6 would transfer $67,000 in free cash to the town’s Stabilization Fund.

The sum of the appropriations totals $183,125.

Articles 7 and 8 pertain to the Personnel Bylaw: Article 7 amends language surrounding grievance filings, and Article 8 amends the bylaw’s employment probationary period.

A formal presentation of a final draft of the special town meeting warrant will be presented at the next selectmen’s meeting.

In other matters, Selectmen Chairman Naida Parker read a letter from the Water Commissioners regarding the town’s recent upgrade from a drought watch to the drought warning. The letter served to inform residents who use public water of a mandatory ban on outdoor water use. The letter also urged non-public water users with private wells to observe the same water restriction.

Water Commissioner Fred Underhill, present during the meeting, said, “We’re all on the same water aquifer and we’re in trouble.”

Underhill said that about 40 or 50 years ago, water wells went way down during dry spells and nearly dried up.

“And we don’t want that to happen again,” Underhill said, “and we would appreciate everybody willing to comply.”

Also during the meeting, selectmen approved the transfer of the current liquor license for Lloyd’s Market to the new owner.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for September 26 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

Mattapoisett Highway Superintendent Barry Denham attended the September 19 meeting of the Planning Board to bring the board members up to date on three construction projects that have been the subject of great interest and, at times, have created consternation in abutters.

Appaloosa Way off River Road has seen over a decade of on-and-off again subdivision activity, more than one developer, and massive water drainage issues. The current developer of the property, Michael Solimando, has been working with G.A.F. Engineering to develop drainage plans that would ensure abutters would not sustain flooding on their properties. It has been a difficult project, not only for G.A.F., but also for the Planning Board who have heard numerous complaints regarding the drainage issues at the incomplete sub-division for years.

Last year, G.A.F. began working with the town’s engineer, Field Engineering. That collaboration eventually produced a viable drainage plan, one that would benefit the town with drainage issues on River Road.

On this night, Denham said, “Piping has been installed from the westernmost drainage pond to the catch basin on River Road.” He said that an 18-inch drainage pipe connecting the subdivision system to the town’s system on River Road would improve the drainage at that location also. He said that the contractor had been “very good about calling me and keeping me informed on the schedule.”

Chairman Tom Tucker was pleased with the update and comically added, “Didn’t take too long – just 15 years.”

Another project that has garnered hours of Planning Board hearings, complaints from Phase 1 homeowners, and legal actions is Brandt Point Village. The subdivision is planned to have numerous single-family homes, a large multi-family private sewer system, and roadways. Changes in owners, developers, and contractors, long delays in roadway completion and an untested septic/sewer system have remained points of concern for Phase 1 residents and the town.

“They are still trying to get the septic to pass,” said Denham. He said that numerous deficiencies documented by Field Engineering for reports requested by the town have found problems with the piping and manholes.

Tucker asked if the present contractor, Armand Cotellesso, was keeping him informed.

“Not really,” Denham responded. “I don’t know what’s going on there unless I go there, but I’ve been in touch with Ken Motta, Field Engineering.” Denham went on to say that the septic/sewer system has not worked properly since the first homes were constructed years ago.

Moving onto another project, Tucker asked Denham if he knew what was transpiring at a single-home site located adjacent to Town Landing on Mattapoisett Neck Road. Denham said the Department of Environmental Protection had denied the owner’s request to dig trenches in the marsh for utility access. He said they were being allowed to bore under the marsh and pull through utility conduits for electrical, water, and sewer services.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for October 3 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

For over an hour and a half on September 20, the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen met with candidates vying to be of service to the town by appointment to either the one Conservation Commission seat or one of two seats on the Planning Board. Those boards had interviewed the candidates in open meetings held over the past couple of months.

Seeking the single open slot on the Conservation Commission were five candidates that Chairman Tyler Macallister said were “five very strong applicants.” Those applicants were Diane Tsitsos, Chapman Dickerson, Janice Robbins, Michael Sites, and Bernice Kaiser.

Chairman of the Conservation Commission Bob Rogers was asked to step forward. He said that the commissioners had drawn a secret ballot and provided the selectmen with their recommendation. He asked if the board would consider increasing the number of voting commissioners, expanding the board to seven members from five. They agreed to do that in the near future so that qualified candidates would not be lost.

The board of Selectmen unanimously selected Chapman Dickerson.

During the interview, Selectman Jordan Collyer asked him if he would have a conflict of interest, given his job. He replied, “No.”

Dickerson, whose background was not made clear in his letter submitted for consideration, wrote in his letter of introduction, “The knowledge gained in my highly regulated profession has given me the ability to read, understand and interpret regulatory language provided by state and federal authorities.”

Dickerson is currently a member of the Agricultural Commission.

There were four candidates for the two open seats on the Planning Board. Robbins, who also applied for the Conservation Commission seat, was considered along with Todd Philie, Paul Osenkowski, and Gail Carlson.

The selectmen chose Robbins and Carlson.

Gail Carlson, a resident of Brandt Point Village did not provide a resume but voiced her desire to be of service to the town. Carlson has been a regular attendee at Planning Board meetings since moving to the sub-division in 2014. She said she served on other boards in other towns.

Robbins, a lawyer originally from Raynham and Mattapoisett resident since 1979, offered her rich background in real estate transactions and familiarity with SRPEDD. She said that she had been involved with planning boards due to her representation of real estate clients and understood the importance of engaging engineers for technical input.

In other matters, Town Administrator Michael Gagne reported that the Coast Guard public hearing on the disestablishment of some navigational aids in Buzzards Bay is scheduled for September 28 at 6:00 pm at Mass Maritime Academy’s Glyns Hall. Harbormaster Jill Simmons will be in attendance as will Gagne.

The mandatory water restriction was discussed with all non-essential watering restricted to hand watering only between the hours of 6:00 – 8:00 am and 6:00 – 8:00 pm. A full notice is available on the town’s website. Gagne said that the area is down 12 inches of water and that recent rainstorms have produced less than 3 inches.

In other business, Stephen Brodo was appointed as alternate building inspector; Paula Butterfield is stepping down as veterans clerk; John Cornish is stepping down from the Marine Advisory Board; Lebanese Kitchen received an entertainment license; and the Lions Club received permission to hold a Fall Family Festival on October 29 from noon to 8:00 pm.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 11 at a new time of 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell