Budget business is finally over, ending with the School Committee’s approval of the $5,672,343 fiscal year 2015 budget, up $121,000 from last year. The school budget, which is up a mere 1.53% from FY14, is now in the hands of voters at Town Meeting. To balance the budget, Rochester Memorial School will see one less […] Read more »
It was like waiting for the election results as the Capital Planning Committee for Mattapoisett cast their votes to prioritize proposed expenditures. After weeks of meeting with department heads, engaging them in dialog about their 2015 and beyond needs, and hammering out the details behind the requests, the committee members cast their votes and gave […] Read more »
Grief over Good Friday continued at the April 9 ORR School Committee meeting, as one resident introduced a petition with 115 signatures opposing the Joint School Committee’s decision to switch Good Friday in 2015 from a religious holiday into a regular school day. Margaret McGee of Rochester said that in 1776 the Declaration of Independence […] Read more »
On the agenda for the April 7 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board was Attorney John Williams, representing Brandt Island Realty Trust, regarding a requested amendment to the special residential development permit for ‘Brandt Point Village.’ As Williams had explained during the last meeting of the board and again on this evening, the market for […] Read more »
This elections spells a little bit of change for Rochester, with two incumbents voted out and two new candidates elected in. For Rochester Memorial School Committee, Jennifer Kulak was the big winner with 212 votes, followed by Meagan Bennett with 165 votes, beating out running incumbent Timothy Sholz who took in 159 votes, and Cheryl […] Read more »
The April 8 meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen found an agenda full of upcoming summertime events and programs and the approaching Town Meeting. Delighting all in attendance was an appointment with young Alex Craig who has spearheaded a memorial honoring Milton Silveria. Craig was back to report on his fundraising efforts. He reported […] Read more »
Shawmut Associates received swift approval for amendments made to its site plan for the Cranberry Highway trash and recycling center with little discussion required on April 8 after extensive discussions during prior meetings. Changes include enlarging the building square-footage from 88,900 to 94,270 after enclosing all waste handling operations, and modifying the pavement limits in […] Read more »
Sometimes selectmen have to hold small meetings to address the small details of running a town, like on April 7 when a relatively full-looking agenda produced less than 20 minutes of meeting time. The Rochester Board of Selectmen referred to the Planning Board its amendment of a proposed by-law pertaining to the flood plain districts […] Read more »
The board had a lengthy discussion regarding the Zoning Bylaw, Table of Principal Use Regulations-Solar at their meeting on Monday evening. Building Commissioner Scott Shippee also attended the meeting as well as Marion Energy Committee members Bill Saltonstall, Jennifer Francis and dual board member Norm Hills. What appeared to be a clarification of the Table […] Read more »
As the town nears its spring Town Meeting, Mattapoisett’s Finance Committee is closing in on the 2015 budget. During their April 2 meeting, committee members received a special visit from Bonnie DeSousa of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path and Steve Kelleher, Chairman of the Bike Path Committee. They also reviewed those areas of […] Read more »
