Officials Continue Crafting Budget

Saying that he is working toward a very conservative budget and smoothing out the number of articles in the Warrant, Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Gagne, shared his working budget strategic plan with Gary Johnson, Pat Donahoe, Betty Pennington, and Colby Rotler of the Finance Committee. One of the most significant items Gagne discussed with the […] Read more »

A Range of Interests and Opinions

Mattapoisett’s Open Space Committee, whose board includes representatives from the Conservation Commission, Highway Department, Planning Board, Water & Sewer, Conservation Agent, and Recreation Department, held its first meeting Thursday, April 25. After a brief introduction outlining for the assembled the various vested interests each of the committee members brought to the hearing, public comments were […] Read more »

Officials Say No to Solar Bylaw

Although it seemed during the past month of Planning Board meetings that most members’ shifting positions on the Solar Bylaw might be decided only when the music stopped, one of them was consistent in his opposition to the policy from the beginning of the process through the end: Ted North. On Thursday, April 25, North […] Read more »

Reappointments, Special Permits, and Variances

The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals met Thursday evening, and several issues were discussed, including a reappointment of Chairman Richard Cutler for another year. Each regular term for the ZBA lasts five years, and next week is when Cutler’s is due to expire, but he has decided to return in the associate position, which is […] Read more »

Grassi Bog Going ‘Natural’

The natural “letting go” of an old cranberry bog area known as the Grassi Bog drew heavy attendance and much discussion at the Marion Conservation Commission’s meeting last Wednesday evening. The bog and land surrounding it lays parallel to Route 6, near the Rocky Neck subdivision and all along the area beyond. The applicant, Marion […] Read more »

Solar Bylaw Boosters Regroup

Fairhaven, Carver and Dartmouth have one, and the Energy Management Committee wants Marion to have one, as well: a solar bylaw that would allow for a community solar garden on the town’s capped landfill via a Municipal Solar Overlay District. The proposal would also formalize the process for installing residential solar arrays on parcels of […] Read more »

Mattapoisett Neck Road Price Tag Jumps

The re-paving of Mattapoisett Neck Road could cost upward of $43,000 more than originally planned, according to representatives from a longtime contracting partner of the town. During a presentation at the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday night, Ron Michalski and Pat Sheridan of Tighe & Bond – the firm handling the improvements – […] Read more »

Shawmut Nearing OK for Recycling Site

The running public hearing for construction at Shawmut Associates LLC of Cranberry Highway in Rochester continued on Tuesday evening, with Planning Board members estimating that it would take upward of another three meetings to get everything approved by the town’s various boards. Green Seal engineers recently submitted a site plan review to the town, and […] Read more »

Light Agenda, Valuable Decisions

The Conservation Commission’s schedule was extraordinarily limited, but one meeting carried great importance for the residents of Mattapoisett. Buzzard’s Bay Coalition’s Allen Decker once again was before the commission seeking its approval for a completed grant application and letter to the state for 16.5 acres the coalition is securing and, will ultimately be owned by […] Read more »

Officials Discuss School Surplus

The Rochester Board of Selectman and members of the Rochester School Committee held a brief joint meeting Monday and discussed the potential reallocation of extra funds from this year’s budget into a special education account in case of unexpected expenses for fiscal year 2014. Ultimately, the Board approved the three articles presented by the School […] Read more »