In Tuesday’s meeting at the Music Hall, the Marion Board of Selectmen was asked by Open Space Acquisition Committee Chairperson John Rockwell to sign off as owners of three properties to help facilitate progress on the town’s Bike Path project.
Before pens would be put to paper, Selectman Norm Hills said the board was waiting to hear back from the Department of Public Works on the close proximity that he said two replication areas have with a cinder-block wall. The three areas are at Marion Fire Station, Point Road, and an easement granted from the East Marion Fire Station to an open lot before Joanne Drive.
Noting that Town Meeting had approved funds for the bike path, Rockwell explained that the Marion Open Space Acquisition Committee (MOSAC), which owns adjacent property to the requests, filed a Notice of Intent with the Conservation Commission because it impacts wetlands.
Rockwell told the selectmen cost estimations were made based on between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet of wetlands replication. Instead, it turns out there would be less impact on wetlands and more tree removal, clouding the picture of the cost of this piece of the project. Rockwell suggested a bidding process will reveal the cost, but MOSAC is limited in what it can spend. Hypothetically, he said, “Obviously, we can’t sign a contract for $280,000 if we’ve only got $230,000.”
Town Administrator Jay McGrail offered to work with Rockwell on the bidding process.
MOSAC is also applying for approval to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Hills said he would also like to know the plan to remedy the spot where poles and guidewires lie and hang in the middle of the path. Rockwell explained there is a technical fix to that applied by the utility company, calling it “a pretty common strategy in a more built-up environment.”
The path, according to Rockwell, is 8 feet wide with 2 feet of shoulder on either side. The highest point to a drop-off is 20 inches.
Selectman John Waterman suggested Marion take advantage of the benefit of having engineer Meghan Davis on the DPW staff and request her attendance at the next Board of Selectmen meeting to get her opinion and expertise.
The matter was tabled and put on the next agenda.
McGrail was to meet with the Finance Committee on Wednesday and post the warrant for the November 5 Special Town Meeting on Thursday, October 8. But first, he needed the selectmen to sign off on changes to five articles.
The most significant of those changes was to Article 2, originally asking the town to supplement the Town House renovation (Article 9 of the 2013 Annual Town Meeting) with $30,276.04 in prior appropriations dating back to 2015, 2018, and 2019. Article 2 will now ask for appropriations totaling approximately $112,000 from other projects that McGrail told the selectmen were “all funded with free cash, projects were completed and funded.”
Marion is looking for significant help from the Sippican Historical Society to finish the Town House renovation.
In a 4:15 appointment, resident Chris McLean appeared before the selectmen to appeal a requirement that he give up Mooring No. 1031 in Marion harbor.
“I’ve been a good resident of the town, taxpaying, everything you can. When this (float) goes away, I’m not going to replace it,” said McLean. “My basic thing is you tell me why it has to go away. The last meeting the decision was already made. We (were told that we) have to get rid of it at the end of the year. You guys tell me why I can’t keep the mooring. I don’t see a good enough argument to take it away when so many people enjoy it.”
Harbormaster Isaac Perry said that there have been some grandfathered cases in the harbor, but all ownerships predate 1984. In McLean’s case, Perry said, “This is the end of the third year.” Perry noted that Marion receives “quite a few requests for these kind of swim floats,” that it was the consensus of the Marine Resource Commission that it does not fit in well with the state regulations and that there are over 150 people on a waiting list for a mooring.
McLean said he knew of more recent contradictions to the rule. “There’s a whole bunch of ways to get around this. but I thought I’d come in here and be straight up,” he said. “I figured you guys could do the right thing and let me keep it, but if you’re going to do that … I could get a petition going with hundreds and hundreds of names.”
“We’ll make a decision that we think is fair and correct,” said Waterman, who is also on a waiting list for a mooring that can accommodate a larger boat.
Perry took issue with McLean’s current boat-ownership situation and indicated that in March an official appeals period kicks in.
There was no vote by the selectmen.
Marion resident Carol Lescarbeau delivered a scathing letter of the town’s handling of COVID-19 matters relating to the reopening of Sippican School, and she alluded in the letter to being bullied by an individual while seeking services for her special-needs daughter.
During the Public Comment segment early in Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, she stated that some of the children playing outside at Sippican School were neither wearing facemasks nor keeping the prescribed 6-foot distance from one another.
“There’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye,” she said, alluding to the Project Grow preschool program where she said she saw people “coughing and hacking.” She added that her own child is on a full-remote learning program.
Chairperson Randy Parker said the board would take her complaints under advisement and that McGrail would respond on behalf of the town.
As of Tuesday, Marion had 150 preregistered citizens for the drive-through Flu Clinic that will be held on Thursday, October 8, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Community Center. Those interested are asked to call the Community Center to sign up in advance of the clinic.
McGrail said staff members went through the clinic last week as a dry run. “This is a huge undertaking for a small town,” he said, crediting Lt. (and future chief of police) Richard Nighelli for his leadership on the project. McGrail said there are nine certified nurses who have volunteered their assistant along with EMT’s.
Marion received a $255,000 grant from the state’s Coastal Zone Management to fund a feasibility study for an upgrade to the Creek Road pumping station that sends sewer to the town’s main station. DPW Director David Willett is in the process of putting together a full RFP process against a June 30 deadline.
The selectmen approved a request from Sippican Historical Society Executive Director Leslie Piper to hold a noontime march on Saturday, October 24, along Front Street in recognition of the date of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution prohibiting gender discrimination in election voting. The approval came with the condition that the society pay for the police detail and comply with all COVID-related protocols regarding crowd size, wearing of facemasks, and social distancing.
Waterman recently submitted two letters to the editor of The Wanderer, and the selectmen and McGrail, citing Town Counsel’s approval, suggested he henceforth include his elected position with his signature on newspaper articles.
The town’s contract with ORCTV will come up during the “tri-board” meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 22.
In other business, the selectmen approved a holiday schedule that will see municipal buildings close for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 25, beginning at noon. They also approved the donation of an osprey pole and platform from Jeff Doubrava for Boat Yard Park.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen was not yet scheduled.
Marion Board of Selectmen
By Mick Colageo