The February 15 Special Town Meeting Warrant has been closed, and featured on it will be two articles – one to place a temporary moratorium on adult-use marijuana establishments and the other to request funding to repair/replace the boiler heating system at the Town House.

On January 16, the Marion Board of Selectmen voted to close the warrant, and Town Administrator Paul Dawson explained the expenses and situation surrounding the boiler breakdown.

On January 2, the heating system at the Marion Town House went caput, prompting the installation of a temporary diesel-run one million BTU external heat generator to warm the Town House offices “at a reasonable temperature,” as Dawson put it. The cost of that solution, said Dawson, quickly became “prohibiting.”

According to Dawson, the temporary heating system has been guzzling 700 gallons of fuel every week, and the cost for the contractor to remotely monitor the fuel levels so the generator does not run out has come at an additional price.

To save on temporary heating costs, which is included in the $158,460 Special Town Meeting request, Facilities Director Shawn Cormier is exploring alternative ways to buy fuel and also monitor fuel usage, since there will not be a permanent solution to the temporary setback for some time.

“We’ve been hammering away at trying to nail the expenses down,” Dawson said. “We think we’ll get that worked out in the next day or so, and think that that will reduce the costs significantly.”

The cost for the new heating system will be roughly $96,000, said Dawson, with the remainder of the $158,000 article request covering the cost of the temporary heater.

Unfortunately, though, the needed parts for the new heater will not be available for another three to four weeks, Dawson added, and it will take another three to four weeks for the installation.

Dawson thanked the employees at the Town House for their patience and endurance of the random fire alarms (due to rising heat into the second floor) that send workers evacuating the building into the cold, the sometimes less-than-ideal temperature inside offices, and the steady scent of diesel wafting throughout the Town House.

“It’s been challenging,” said Dawson. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to thank all of the employees. It has been literally up and down in terms of the heat, or lack thereof.”

Planning Board member Jennifer Francis and Town Planner Gil Hilario presented the selectmen with a draft of the Complete Streets Program document developed by the Planning Board’s Transportation and Circulation Committee.

The Complete Streets Program is a state program that assists municipalities in funding improvements to local roads, sidewalks, and multi-use pathways in the form of grants.

“The first step in being able to take part is to submit this document,” said Francis, which must include Marion-specific information about the community – elements such as Marion being a coastal community and all that that entails with storm preparedness, floods, etc., among other things such as electric cars.

“It doesn’t commit us to do anything,” said Francis. “It basically starts the process for Marion to participate in the program.”

There are currently 179 municipalities participating in the Complete Streets Program that aligns the guidelines of the Mass Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth while cities and towns pursue roadway projects, said Hilario.

The program offers up to $400,000 annually, said Hilario, “And it’s a good program because you could apply … [for projects as] simple as a bike rack, bike lane, or if you want something more complex … like traffic signals.”

The program requires the Town to set up a committee to oversee the Complete Streets Program, and Hilario said the new Transportation and Circulation Committee would qualify as such a committee.

Routes 105 and 6 – roads under state oversight – are exempt from funding made available to the Town of Marion through the Complete Streets Program.

“Sounds exciting,” said Selectman Steve Gonsalves.

The selectmen had only just received a copy of the draft policy, so the matter was taken under advisement and a vote would be taken at the next meeting.

Also during the meeting, Betsy Dunn was appointed as cemetery commissioner and Police Chief John Garcia was appointed as constable of the Town of Marion, keeper of the lockup, and emergency management director.

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for February 6 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

It was unanimous – the Marion Board of Selectmen thinks Karen Gregory, interim director at the Marion Council on Aging, is the perfect candidate for the permanent position of COA director and hired her for the position on January 8 during a special meeting.

“I want to personally thank you on behalf of the town for doing a great job stepping up,” said Selectmen Chairman Jody Dickerson. “You haven’t missed a beat, and you’ve done a great job.”

Gregory accepted the temporary position of interim COA director upon the resignation of former COA Director Heather Sylvia back in October after nearly two years as director.

Gregory had already been employed by the Marion Council on Aging for three years assisting with program development, after having had experience as assistant of programming in a senior assisted living facility, and then later as the COA director in the Town of Carver for five years.

“I’ve been with Marion going on three years, and I have enjoyed my time here,” said Gregory. She assisted in developing the senior programming at the Marion Music Hall before the opening of the senior/community center last summer. Some of the programs she helped establish include the Memory Café, “…Which has been very successful and has meant a lot to us,” said Gregory, who is pleased that the programs she helped create have led to participants forming new friendships outside the center and in the community.

Gregory’s background was in marketing, but she lost interest in her corporate career and found fulfillment working with seniors, bringing with her relevant experience in management and also budgeting, which Gregory just tackled for the first time as interim COA director heading into fiscal year 2019.

Selectman Steve Gonsalves said he has heard nothing but praise for Gregory from the community.

“It’s obvious that you have a love and passion for this,” said Gonsalves.

Gregory said her vision for the Marion COA and the senior/community center is further expansion into evening and weekend programming, and to also reach out to younger seniors in the community to join in COA events.

Gregory says seniors should feel comfortable approaching her for assistance.

“I don’t judge,” she said. “I’m just there to listen. They know that they can get the answers that they need, and if I don’t have them, then I will go get them for them.”

The new COA director also envisions uniting the young and old in activities that will facilitate intergenerational interaction, such as seniors reading to students at schools among other special events.

Communication being a vital aspect to the job, Selectman Norm Hills asked Gregory, in this day and age of technology, what has she found to be the most effective way to maintain communication with seniors who may be unfamiliar with email and the Internet.

“They still love to get the newsletter mailed to them,” said Gregory, and there is nothing like the traditional phone call to contact her clients.

The Facebook page for the Marion COA is still vital, said Gregory, although most of the seniors do not engage in social media. It serves to keep family members of seniors at the center, both near and far, aware of what is happening at the COA.

Some of the challenges Gregory will face on behalf of the COA, she said, include minimal staffing and a tight budget, which require a creative approach to funding and facilitating new programs. And some of the seniors in town aren’t as advantaged as one might think in a town like Marion, Gregory said, and face financial challenges and need resources.

Expanding transportation is essential, said Gregory, but currently senior transportation is running smoothly, with two full-time drivers and one part-time driver and employee of the Recreation Department. However, in order to expand programming into evenings and weekends, more hours for drivers are needed.

The majority of seniors served by the COA are female, said Gregory, and she hopes to reach out to the male seniors in the community by offering programs such as “Coffee with the Chief” and Ping-Pong lessons, and informing them of other amenities offered at the center like the pool table. Another idea was a regularly scheduled dinner for veterans.

“Very impressive,” Gonsalves said to Gregory as the interview concluded.

But if we could just do something about the food…

Gregory acknowledged that the current food provider has not been as palatable to people as one would hope, but as the contract nears its end, the COA will explore its options and switch food service providers if necessary.

Gregory was singled out as one of two final candidates for the position. The other finalist withdrew her application only just recently, however, so Gregory was the only candidate interviewed on Monday.

After the interview, Dickerson turned to the two other selectmen and asked, “Do we want to look for other candidates?”

“No,” Gonsalves promptly stated.

“I personally think Karen would be a great candidate,” said Town Administrator Paul Dawson. “She’s done an outstanding job … [The seniors] love her.”

Well, that settles it, said Dickerson, lest the seniors march into Town Hall wielding canes.

Gregory will be officially hired pending contract negotiations.

The next regular meeting of the Marion Board is scheduled for January 16 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

The Marion Planning Board meeting on Monday, January 8, proved consequential in clarifying Town policy on the question of mandatory municipal water hook-up.

The issue of whether the applicants, Tad Wallenhaupt and Alexander Urquhart, at 111 Wareham Street were required to hook up to town water, despite there being a well on their property, had been raised at a previous Planning Board meeting by David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider and Associates, the applicants’ representative.

Board member Norman Hills, who is also a selectman and therefore a water commissioner, researched the question and presented his findings at the meeting.

After consulting with a number of town officials, Hills discovered that while it was “common practice” for all businesses and residents to hook up to town water, it was not documented as written policy.

In the special conditions listed in the draft permit for the Wareham Street application, the Planning Board was requiring the applicant to provide adequate potable water to the site, describing the water pipe size and flow volume. Board member Chris Collings took issue with these details, suggesting that it was the board’s responsibility to require the applicant to abide by all town policies and regulations, but that it was redundant to specify how the applicant must fulfill the requirement of water supply.

“We want him to have adequate potable water … but it is the decision of the water commissioners and the building commissioner to determine what an adequate water supply is,” said Collings.

Hills was adamant that the applicant must hook up to town water, noting that only in extreme cases – “…which this is not one,” Hills stated – an exception should be made for the requirement.

Hills’ research exposed a hole in Town policy, which prompted Planning Board Chairman Eileen Marum to suggest the issue go before the By-Law Codification Committee in order to close this loophole.

In the meantime, the board voted to approve the current application for 111 Wareham Street with two special conditions: the applicant must provide a “Trucks Entering” warning sign to face westbound traffic on Route 6, the location of which must be approved by town police, DPW, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; and the applicant shall provide an adequate supply of potable water in accordance with the policies of the Town of Marion and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Hills was the only dissenting vote.

Also during the meeting, the board held a public hearing on the Complete Streets Policy presented by board member Jennifer Francis.

The policy was drafted by the Transportation and Circulation Task Force, a subcommittee of the Planning Board, in collaboration with Town Planner Gil Hilario.

While the policy does not require the Town to do anything, it signals to the State that the Town will adhere to MassDOT guidelines when planning any road projects and allows the Town to apply for grant funding through the program.

Francis was quick to point out that the policy only applies to local roads, not to any projects pertaining to Route 6, which is a state road.

Hilario noted that there are currently 179 municipalities participating in the program, which requires towns to promote pedestrian-friendly design in their roadway planning.

Marum congratulated Francis on the policy, saying, “This shows that Marion is serious about having the roads available to everyone.”

While the Planning Board is not required to approve the policy, Francis felt it was important that the board weigh in on it and indicate its support. At the suggestion of Vice Chairman Stephen Kokkins, the board voted to recommend that the Board of Selectmen approve this policy.

There will be a public hearing on January 22 regarding the possible moratorium on marijuana sales proposed by the Planning Board for a special town meeting in February. Marum indicated that, with the state Cannabis Control Board issuing its guidelines in mid-March and accepting applications for licenses on April 1, she felt the Town did not have adequate time to develop its own bylaws for regulating recreational marijuana, also known as adult use of marijuana.

By implementing a moratorium until December 31, 2018, the Town would have time to develop a bylaw and bring it to Town Meeting in the fall.

Hilario stated that currently, if a town does not pass a moratorium and does not have a bylaw in place, the Cannabis Control Commission, in reviewing applications, would consider the application as a Similar Use proposal.

In Marion’s case, an application would be considered as a General Business proposal.

Collings expressed concern that completing a bylaw this year adds considerable work for the board and wondered aloud if the Medical Marijuana bylaw would suffice in the short term.

Board member Will Saltonstall thought Collings’ concept was interesting, but held inherent risk, and Saltonstall made the case that there was little harm in putting the moratorium in place.

In other matters, Hilario reported that another multi-board meeting would be scheduled to discuss the proposed zoning change for Spring Street. Kokkins noted that the discussion at the previous meeting was quite animated surrounding the question of whether the proposed development at Spring Street would follow town Bylaw 8.12 with regard to mandatory inclusion of affordable housing units.

Hilario indicated that the intent was to follow the existing bylaw, but did not rule out the possibility of modifying it in the future, adding that “Only recently was there any discussion or interest in modifying [Bylaw 8.12]. Change must be very measured.”

Kokkins added, “Voters are not going to be asked to change a zoning bylaw, to my knowledge.”

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for January 22 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Planning Board

By Sarah French Storer