It should come as no surprise that Mattapoisett’s treasured and historic wharves suffered during the 2017-2018 storm season. Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jill Simmons shared highlights of the damage inflicted by storms during her presentation to the Mattapoisett Finance Committee on March 28.

Going back, Simmons says an early seasonal storm moved the ramp at Barstow wharf adjacent to the town beach, pushing it onto the fireboat tied up at the floating dock. Thankfully, there was no serious damage to the boat, said Simmons.

Then another storm on October 29, later reclassified as a hurricane, “…caused very significant damage to private boats and town property.” She reported that three floating dock ramps were damaged, with one being completely destroyed. Also, many dinghy docks need repairing or rebuilding along with the floating dock at Barstow that was ripped apart. Simmons said that same storm caused three groundings.

As Simmons moved the discussion to “present needs,” she said the dinghy dock system is “…woefully inadequate for the number of boats in the harbor.” She said, with approximately 1,000 moorings placed in the inner harbor, there was only space for 70 dinghies. A plan to add dingy space to the Barstow wharf area is currently under review, she said, but with evidence of new eelgrass beds, more study was necessary.

Adding to the difficulties boaters face, Simmons said launch services were insufficient due to long wait times and that launch service shuts down when Mattapoisett Boat Yard closes for the season, yet the season extended well into September.

Of work needed on the wharves themselves, Simmons said repair and replacement of pilings on the timber pier and Long Wharf was imperative.

The harbormaster boat sustained major damage during one of the storms, Simmons said, with repairs estimated at $2,000. She then repeated a position she has held for some time: the harbormaster boat is not the right type of craft for the job.

Calling it a “recreational” boat, she said it wasn’t suitable for public safety activities, noting that it takes three onboard personnel to pull in one petite-sized person in the event of a water rescue or recovery. She said she was currently researching decommissioned military and government watercraft.

Simmons also said the department would greatly benefit from a shallow draft craft that would allow greater flexibility for work inshore due to ease of maneuvering around the mooring field and coves.

Of the budget itself, Simmons presented a worksheet showing an increase of $28,722 over fiscal year 2018 – from $230,000 to $258,722.

Also coming before the Finance Committee was John DeCosta, chairman of the Community Preservation Act committee.

The committee has received three grant requests. The first is from the Town of Mattapoisett for repairs to the building located at the former Holy Ghost grounds on Park Street in the sum of $174,000.

Next, Freemin Bauer submitted a request for $75,000 for a new dog park to be located on land adjacent to the police station for $75,000.

Lastly, the VFW Florence Eastman Post requested $10,000 to study the current structural integrity of the historic Legion Hall.

Funding of the CPA program currently stands at $193,615, DeCosta said, including anticipated level funding from the state for $28,257. The grants will be voted on during the Annual Town Meeting should they be advanced to the warrant, DeCosta said.

Also during the meeting, Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger discussed the need to finance poll workers versus a combination of senior tax work-off staffing and paid staffing. The budget impact would be an increase to the department’s FY19 of $3,000. Heuberger also requested a 2% pay increase for her position, from $59,000 to $60,180.

On a humorous note, Heuberger presented a punctured and severely damaged dog tag saying that a resident had brought it in to show her the poor quality of the tags. The committee members chuckled when Heuberger said that a “puppy” had done the damage, causing Town Administrator Michael Gagne to say, “I wouldn’t want to see that puppy!”

Heuberger’s FY18 budget was $150,666 with a proposed $3,717 increase for FY19, bringing the department budget to $154,383.

The Mattapoisett Finance Committee’s next meeting was held on April 4 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

(Disclosure: Marilou Newell is a member of the Community Preservation Act committee representing the Mattapoisett Historical Commission.)

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

By Marilou Newell

At approximately 8:05 pm, Friday April 6, 2018, the Mattapoisett Police Department received a telephone call reporting a motor vehicle crash on Aucoot Road approximately a quarter mile prior to the entrance to Harbor Beach.

Officers who responded to the crash site found a vehicle that had traveled south on Aucoot Road, a two-lane roadway and had crashed into a telephone pole and continued on into the wooded area.  Police EMS personnel on scene determined that the operator, the only person in the vehicle was deceased.  The operator of the vehicle was identified as James Bardsley age 45 of 14 Harbor Road Mattapoisett.

The Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Section was notified, per protocol, of the fatal crash and responded to the crash site to assist the Mattapoisett Police Department in the crash investigation.

Power in the Aucoot/Hollywood’s Road area was out for several hours due to the downed pole as a result of the crash.

The Mattapoisett Fire Department also responded to assist with the crash.

Mattapoisett Police Department Press Release

The Marion Conservation Commission on March 28 issued an Enforcement Order to the owners of 78 Wareham Road for what the commission perceived as an obvious violation of the Wetlands Protection Act and the Clean Rivers Act after visiting the site.

According to Vice Chairman Jeffrey Doubrava, extensive clear-cutting has taken place after visiting the site located next to the Weweantic River.

“A good part of the lot has been clear cut,” Doubrava said. “I’m not sure if that part of it is in [wetlands] buffer, but it’s certainly in the riverfront area. That’s … the mouth of the river…”

Doubrava pointed out that a deed restriction notes that the wooded area that was clear-cut was the habitat of at least one endangered species and not allowed to be touched, which is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.

“[The work is] not a subtle thing,” Doubrava said. “We didn’t go and pick trees out here and there; it’s essentially clear cut…”

“It’s pretty huge, I think,” said commission member Joel Hartley.

The property owner purchased the land, Doubrava said, and hired an engineer and also filed with the Planning Board for an Approval Not Required to subdivide the land into four lots.

Doubrava said he wasn’t sure if clearing took place within the wetlands line, but he was confident the riverfront zone was disturbed.

The commission said the Enforcement Order will require the property owner to file a Notice of Intent after the fact, and Natural Heritage would be forwarded a copy of the order.

Another possible wetlands violation at 308 Converse Road was determined not to be a violation within the wetlands, but one could be possible at 2 Washburn Park Road. Doubrava suggested the new owners of the horse farm file a Request for Determination for grading and fill already begun in the front pasture, and the owners must submit an engineer’s report before the commission can issue a Certificate of Compliance the new owners had requested for past work.

In other matters, the commission approved a three-year extension for the turtle garden at The Cove, filed by Debra Ewing.

Although the extension for ongoing work was granted, Doubrava expressed he could not support any future expansion of the “salt meadow” area that is mowed to enhance the turtle habitat restoration project, which Ewing had expressed an interest in doing during past meetings.

“I’m not in favor of expanding the mowed areas, given that they had a hard time living within the agreed-to mowed area this past year,” Doubrava said.

Last year, The Cove’s hired landscaper over-mowed the area, crossing marked barriers that were meant to distinguish the boundary of the area approved for mowing.

“And also, I’ve yet to be convinced that the mowing is actually doing anything positive for the box turtles,” continued Doubrava, “so I’m all right with extending it … but I’d like to see more data that, yes, we’re helping the box turtles by doing the mowing and have justified expanding the mowed area.”

Also during the meeting, the commission accepted the withdrawal of Great Hill’s Notice of Intent for underground culvert pipe repair and phragmites control. Continued from February 28, the scope of the project had become more complex than the applicant expected, so Cathy Stone, on behalf of Great Hill, withdrew the NOI and will reassess a future plan for pipe repair, wetlands flushing, and phragmites control.

The commission approved a Notice of Intent for Emmanuel DaCosta to install an in-ground swimming pool at 163 Cross Neck Road, and they also rendered a Negative 2 and 3 determination (no NOI required) for John and Maria Hartwell’s Request for Determination to upgrade a failed septic system with a conforming Title 5 system at 63 East Avenue.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 11 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Jean Perry