The Marion Select Board met on Tuesday for its first post-election convening with Carleton “Toby” Burr taking the seat previously held by Norman Hills. Burr had been on the Select Board until the 2025 Town Election, when he decided not to run. There was standing room only in the Police Station Conference Room, with Chair Randy Parker saying, “I love to see the attendance.”

            Parker then motioned for a reorganization of the board. John Hoagland was made Chair, Toby Burr was made Vice-Chair, and Randy Parker was made Clerk.

            Next, there was an update from the Elizabeth Taber Library on the Library Garden Project. Children’s Librarian Macy Kinney stated they unfortunately did not receive the grant they had applied for, though the library board itself had approved the project. The Select Board also then quickly voted to support the project.

            Next, there was an update on the Flag of Marion Project by local artist Mike Malone. To “celebrate the nautical history” of the town, Malone originally sought to paint nautical signaling flags onto the road at Front Street. He said he had originally proposed the exhibit last year and spent the winter analyzing various alternate options to ensure safety (in terms of not increasing difficulty of seeing the road) and support for the project. Chair of the Historical Commission Meg Steinberg noted the commission members “have no object to the concept,” though they did not support the project as presented. They are concerned by the art’s altering of the historic Front Street, saying it should be near Tabor Academy fields or by Island Wharf. It was noted the original proposal for the project would be around 500 feet long, ending at the Marion Music Hall. The board took no action yet, with members saying discussion on this project will continue.

            The big discussion of the night stayed on Front Street and was that of the removal of the stop sign at the corner of Front and Main Street and the Speed Bump Installation discussed at Town Meeting. Residents spoke in favor of the stop sign that has since been removed, though Police Chief Richard B. Nighelli said “if we add a sign, we have to do it legally,” noting it may not have been legal or warranted to add the original sign. Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman noted the stop sign was only a small part of various implementations meant to make cars pass through the intersection slower. He said, “We’re throwing everything we have at it to reduce speeds and make it safer.”

            The Chief again clarified that he has no preference between a speed hump or a stop sign, and that he only wants to make sure procedure is followed. “I don’t know the legality of a stop sign,” Member Parker later said. Gorman requested support from residents as the town tries to find the best solution. He stated, “I’m trying to do the right thing going forward,” as he requested the town conduct a pilot on implementing a speed hump.

            Gorman told the board, “Humps are ready as soon as I get your gentlemen’s approval.” He also noted the town has six moveable humps in its inventory. A motion was made for the readdiction of the stop sign at the corner, as well as an additional stop sign and a speed hump down a section of Front Street. None of these installations will be permanent in their onset and can be moved as experimentation continues. The motion passed and went into effect immediately.

            The next regular meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2 at 6:00 pm in the Marion Police Station.

Marion Select Board

By Sam Bishop

            For a comprehensive look at Town Meeting results, see the end of this article.

            Monday’s Rochester Annual Town Meeting ran smoothly for most of its three-and-a-half-hour length until residents loudly shot down efforts to rezone areas of Mary’s Pond Road and County Road from residential/agricultural to limited commercial.

            The 294 voters in attendance started with the 34-article warrant by approving town-employee salaries and a classification plan that both reflected 2.5% Cost of Living increases. Then with minimal questions from attendees, the meeting passed a $28,129,536 town operating budget for FY27.

            Available funds and free cash then paid for additional items that included Capital Improvement Fund refunding ($110,000), a Police Cruiser Lease-Purchase ($54,675), a Fire Department Pick-Up Truck ($21,636), Library HVAC and Building Repairs ($23,951), ORR Gateway Liability Payment ($716,000), and Pay-Off of Non-Exempt Debt ($179,520).

            Article 20, which will transfer $250,000 from free cash to supplement the school system’s Special Education out-of-district tuition, passed after attendees asked for clarification. “When the student population is declining, why should this cost be rising?” one resident asked. Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Michael Nelson explained two students entering Rochester Memorial School require out-of-district placement and the expense involved is a budget buster. Yet the school department has succeeded at educating 99% of its Special Education students within the district, he said. RMS teacher and union co-president Tara Nelson said if this measure doesn’t pass there would be more staff cuts than the four cuts currently in the FY27 budget. After this plea, Article 21, which transferred $100,000 from free cash to establish a Special Education Fund that could be used for this type of future expense, passed easily.

            Article 29 was a move to rezone from Residential/Agricultural to Limited Commercial: 711 Mary’s Pond Road, 73 County Road, 35 County Road. Article 30 was a proposal to rezone from Residential/Agricultural to Limited Commercial the Decas Processing Plant at 0 Mary’s Pond Road and 475 Mary’s Pond Road. Both failed to pass after vocal opposition from meeting voters.

            Planning Board Chair Arnold Johnson explained it was decided through Master Plan Committee research that a Limited Commercial District there would mean smaller businesses and affordable housing that his board could better control than the controls that exist under residential district zoning. And the businesses would add to the town’s business tax revenue. Speakers implying that this would still not be a good fit for this section of town led to a vote to end debate, which led to hand-counted votes to shoot down both zoning changes.

            Article 31 would have rezoned from Residential/Agricultural to Limited Commercial two cranberry bog parcels at 0 Mary’s Pond Road. In response to the earlier defeats, Johnson motioned and Town Meeting approved postponing this article indefinitely. Town Counsel explained this effectively kills this proposal.

            Next, the meeting authorized Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreements with the following ground-mounted photovoltaic installations: Dexter Lane Solar, 53 Dexter Lane; Snipatuit Solar, 529 Snipatuit Road; Featherbed Lane South Solar, 0 Featherbed Lane; and Braley Hill North Solar, 0 Braley Hill Road.

            The meeting ended by taking “No Action” on a Citizen’s Petition to prohibit the clear cutting of over 1 acre of land for solar farms and put restrictions on battery-storage units. Town Moderator David Arancio explained this motion is due to the fact no public hearing could be held in time prior to Town Meeting.

Article 1: Approved – Town Report

Article 2: Approved – Elected Officials’ Salaries

Article 3: Approved – New Personnel Classification and Compensation Plan

Article 4. Approved – $28,129,536 FY27 Town Budget

Article 5: Approved – New Revolving Fund Spending Limits

Article 6: Approved – Natural Resources Funding

Article 7: Approved – Future funding of OPEB: $15,000

Article 8: Approved – Biennial Actuarial Study funding: $8,750

Article 9: Approved – Funding of Capital Items

Article 10: Approved – Capital Improvement Fund refunding: $110,000

Article 11: Approved – Roadway Line Painting: $100,000

Article 12: Approved – Police Cruiser Lease-Purchase: $54,675

Article 13: Approved – Fire Department Pick-Up Truck: $21,636

Article 14: Approved – Library HVAC and Building Repairs: $23,951

Article 15: Approved – Facilities Maintenance Fund: $20,000

Article 16: Approved – COA Transportation Program Fund: $10,000

Article 17: Approved – COA Revolving Fund: $20,000

Article 18: Approved – COA Kitchen Maintenance Fund: $10,000

Article 19: Approved – Board of Assessors MASS DOR Mandates: $20,000

Article 20: Approved – Supplement Special Education out-of-district tuition: $250,00

Article 21: Approved – Increase Special Education Stabilization Fund: $50,000

Article 22: Approved – Fund Unemployment Compensation Expenses: $100,000

Article 23: Approved – ORR Gateway Liability Payment: $716.000

Article 24: Approved – Pay-Off Non-Exempt Debt: $179,520

Article 25: Approved – Prior Year Cemetery Tax Bill: $2,600

Article 26: Approved – Fund Consultants: $35,000

Article 27: Approved – Adopt newly codified General Bylaw rewrite- Approved

Article 28: Approved – Adopt newly codified Zoning Bylaw rewrite- Approved

Article 29: Failed – Rezone 711 Mary’s Pond Road, 73 County Road, 35 County Road

Article 30: Failed – Rezone Decas Processing Plant

Article 31: Postponed Indefinitely – rezone two cranberry bog parcels

Article 32: Approved – Authorization of Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT)

Article 33: No Action Taken – Citizen’s Petition to prohibit the clear cutting of over an acre of land for solar farms and put restrictions on battery storage units.

Article 34: Accepted – Town Election Warrant

Rochester Town Meeting

By Michael J. DeCicco