On December 4, the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen met with Principal Assessor Kathleen Costello for the 2019 tax reclassification hearing.
The “big news”, Costello said, was “the robust new growth – a figure thanks in part to solar PILOT programs.”
Costello pegged the real and personal property assessed value in Mattapoisett at $1,722,696,813, an increase of 2.3% over fiscal year 2018.
The average single-family home for FY2019 was assessed at $484,356, and the total revenue raised by both tax and non-tax sources for FY2019 is $34,653,529, an increase of 4.8 percent from FY2018.
In defense of maintaining a single-rate tax base for both residential and commercial real estate, Costello said the homeowner would not benefit from a split tax rate, and asked the selectmen to vote for a modest increase of 20 cents or an increase of 1.5%, bringing the rate per $1,000 in assessed value to $13.02.
Costello reported that, with only 6.7% of all properties falling into a commercial or industrial category, “Even the maximum allowable tax shift to these classes produces a relatively negligible decrease in the tax burden for the residential property class.”
At the same time, the tax burden on those businesses would go up $19.83 per $1,000 in assessed value, she calculated.
Regarding the solar PILOT programs, Selectman Paul Silva asked how much revenue those programs had generated thus far. Costello estimated that, to date, the Town had received $160,000.
“It’s good business in this town and doesn’t impact schools or other services,” said Costello.
The selectmen unanimously moved to set the new rate at $13.02.
The selectmen then adjourned the hearing and moved into their regular meeting agenda that included a meeting with members of the Marine Advisory Board (MAB) and Harbormaster Jill Simmons.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Jordan Collyer asked the MAB to move forward with studies on various aspects of the Waterfront Enterprise and the duties of the harbormaster.
“Now is the time to look at the waterfront before we start to make pavements on boats and other equipment,” said Silva. He said he wanted a hard look at what the Town was paying employees working in various waterfront positions to ensure the Town could attract qualified people. He was also strident in his opinion that, “The money collected from boaters should go back to the boaters,” in terms of services. He asked for a five-year capital plan.
MAB Chairman Carlos DeSousa noted that the sinkholes on the wharves needed to be addressed, with Silva replying that costs associated with piers should be viewed as a shared cost, not one exclusively carried by the Waterfront Enterprise.
Collyer said that money to fund various needs of the historic seaside site could come from three sources: the Waterfront Enterprise, general fund or free cash borrowing, and from the Community Preservation Act.
“There are three parts to this study,” Silva told MAB members. “Number one is operations, number two is capital needs to support operations, and number three the repairs to Long Wharf.”
On the issue of staffing, the selectmen asked that the MAB look to whether or not the Town needed a full-time harbormaster and, if so, what the duties of that position would be. They also asked that summer hour staffing be increased, at least from July 4 through Labor Day with hours possibly as early as 6:00 am and extending until 9:00 pm seven days a week.
There was also some discussion regarding the BIG grant, which stands for Boating Infrastructure Grant program, an estimated $240,000 that the Town hopes to secure.
The fund receives money from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund that collects cash from excise taxes paid on fishing equipment, motorboats, small engine fuel, and import duties. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also involved in the two-tier grant process.
Back in May, Town Administrator Mike Gagne told The Wandererthat the official word received in his office was that Mattapoisett would receive $160,000 in BIG grant money. At that time, he said, “The money is to be used for building more transient space that would allow visiting boaters to come into Mattapoisett, tie up, and visit our town and businesses.”
Now, the board has asked the MAB to return to the selectman by March 1 with the latest information it requested.
In other business, the board announced the 13th annual Holiday in the Park event will take place on Saturday, December 8. Along with free food, games, and entertainment, Santa will arrive via fire engine, and the tree lighting will take place at dusk. The entire community will get into the holiday spirit that day when activities begin at 9:00 am with the Mattapoisett Congregational Church Holiday Fair, followed by the Historical Society’s Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair at 1:00 pm. The Mattapoisett Library will also get in on the fun with music, stories, snacks, and ornament making. Boy Scout Troop 53 will be selling holiday wreaths in front of Town Hall between 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm while serving hot chocolate.
A request for donations of gently-used clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, and new winter socks is new this year. The Mattapoisett Lion’s Club will also be collecting new unwrapped toys and canned goods.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for January 8 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen
By Marilou Newell