There was a lot riding on the Mattapoisett Spring Town Meeting Warrant. Some might say the very character of the community. But when all was said and done, the people spoke affirmatively for a five-member Select Board versus the historic three-member.
Nikki Demakis, a nearly life-long resident and an active member of the Mattapoisett Democratic Committee, pursued the inclusion of a home rule petition to put the question of whether or not the community had an appetite to increase the size of the Select Board. A hiccup in the number of votes in an initial petition that garnered sufficient signatures for placement on the warrant required an additional number of signatures to be collected. But that was handily accomplished.
Demakis stated in her remarks that by expanding the board a wider range of expertise could assist in complicated decision making, especially on difficult projects. She said that there were people ready to come forward to lend their talents to the town, “… it would offer a more robust system of checks and balances, it would be more democratic.”
Demakis pointed out that many municipal boards, including Planning, Conservation and others, have larger memberships that help facilitate those boards in moving business through the system. But others, both Town Meeting voters and some elected officials, held that the increase wasn’t necessary.
Demakis stressed that many cities and towns throughout the commonwealth have five-member select boards and that there would be fewer recusals than is currently the case.
Select Board member Tyler Macallister reminded Town Meeting that, leading up to the meeting, the board works closely with the Finance Committee and that other boards and committees review each level of spending and spending needs throughout monthly meetings. He said, ”we are supported by strong boards and department heads.” Chuck McCullough suggested looking at the role of town administrator to see if some decisions now made by the Select Board might be moved to that position, calling the current administrator the “hub in a wheel.”
McCullough held that the town should postpone voting on this article until further study can be conducted. After some technical wranglings that involved considering the question of postponement (the entire article took 45 minutes to debate), Town Meeting voted in favor of moving forward with the pursuit of a five-member board. Next steps include the Select Board’s vote to send the petition on to the state for legislative consideration.
In a follow-up Damakis said, “I’m exhausted, excited for positive change, and encouraged.”
Another article that garnered considerable debate on Town Meeting floor was the permanent movement of Community Preservation funds from an undesignated category to the housing category. The committee asked Town Meeting in Article 30 to move $250,000 from the undesignated category to the Affordable Housing category. The effect of doing so would mean those funds would be locked exclusively for the purpose of affordable housing.
Gary Johnson of the Finance Committee voiced his concern that, since there were not presently any plans from any corner for the development of such housing, it wasn’t prudent to lock away funds that might be needed for other projects.
McCullough stressed that by moving the funds the town would be demonstrating its desire for such development. He said affordable housing development would likely require the town’s ponying up some matching funds and that this was one way to accomplish that goal. Both the Select Board and the Finance Committee withheld movement on the article, but in a close vote that required a hand count, Town Meeting carried the motion.
Before Town Meeting began, the Select Board met with the Finance Committee as part of their regular meeting schedule. The agenda item was the consideration of the CPA Committee’s Article 30, the beforementioned movement of $250,000 into the Affordable Housing Fund. As noted, no action was taken.
The board also approved a request from Flatiron Works for filming in the community, a one-day wine and malt license for St. Anthony’s Parish for May 3, and the acceptance of a donated ladder truck from the Fire Fighters Association.
Mattapoisett Spring Town Meeting
By Marilou Newell