The Marion Board of Selectmen approved the scheduling of a Special Fall Town Meeting, setting it for Monday, October 23, at 7:00 pm at Sippican School.
A Special Fall Town Meeting is usually held each year, in addition to the regular Annual Town Meeting in May.
Selectman Norm Hills stated that he anticipates at least two articles to be proposed by the Planning Board: one regarding the Master Plan and one relating to zoning bylaw codification.
“I’m sure as soon as you put this out there, others will follow,” said Finance Director Judy Mooney, who sat in for Town Administrator Paul Dawson.
Deadline for article submissions is September 1, and the warrant will be closed September 5.
Also during the meeting, the board accepted the resignation of Steve Gonsalves from the Planning Board. Gonsalves is also a member of the Board of Selectmen and tree warden for the Town.
“It was just time,” commented Gonsalves during a follow-up. Gonsalves had only about seven months left to his current term and had served many years on the Planning Board.
The selectmen will advertise the vacant Planning Board seat in the meantime and will appoint an interim member in August. Interested parties should send a letter of interest to the Board of Selectmen.
In other matters, the board approved a money appropriation transfer for the Police Department in the amount of $111,300. The transferred funds will cover the cost of overtime pay required to cover the shifts of an injured officer who has been out of work since the last fiscal year.
Extra overtime funds are required since the Town continues to pay the injured officer and must also pay for an officer to cover the shifts. The Town does, however, receive some reimbursement for the injured leave.
“These shifts have to be filled,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman Jody Dickerson. “It’s not like these are extra shifts out there.”
The transfer appropriation also requires approval from the Finance Committee, which it granted during a meeting last week.
A discussion listed on the agenda regarding a donation to the Taber Library was tabled until the next meeting because a final agreement amongst the interested parties had not yet been finalized.
Also, the board approved a request from the Marion Council on Aging to hold an open house for the new Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center. The event will take place on Saturday, August 12, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm and is open to the public.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for August 1 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Police Station, 550 Mill Street.
By Jean Perry