A group of Rochester residents, through their attorney Ben O’Grady, are seeking the assistance of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), a division of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The reason for the request: the apparent resurrection of plans for a bituminous concrete manufacturing facility on five acres off Kings Highway that recently saw the light of day after years in litigation.

Attorney Stephen Meltzer and environmental scientist Briscoe Lang went before the Rochester Conservation Commission on March 6, representing the project owner Gerry Lorruso of Edgewood Development Company. Taking the lead in the discussion, Meltzer gave a brief history of the project that predates not only his involvement with the company, but also predates appointments of several Conservation Commission members.

Meltzer said a Notice of Intent filed in 2010 underwent thorough review by various town boards, including the Conservation Commission – a process taking many months. The project was conditioned. However, that decision was later appealed, as were several other decisions that sent the project to land court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

The final decision upheld the permits.

Meltzer is seeking an extension to previously granted conditions so that the project might finally begin.

But Attorney O’Grady asked the commissioners to consider that he is seeking to have the project oversight moved to MEPA. He said, “Our concerns are that site conditions have changed, the commission’s conditions are seven years old, [and] the board members have changed.”

O’Grady said, given that the development group is seeking to build an industrial facility in a wooded area close to wetlands, another review cycle was warranted.

Lang rose, saying, “The wetlands are manmade. They are the same; they have not changed – the wetland lines have not changed, nor has the project or the bylaws.” He said he would welcome the commission to a site visit to address any questions the commissioners might have and to give the newer members an opportunity to review the file.

O’Grady also presented the group with a letter from a wetland scientist, but ConCom Chairman Daniel Gagne said they needed time to digest the newly submitted letter. He also asked Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon to provide any and all documents for their review and to advise the commissioners on the impact their decision will have on MEPA involvement.

MEPA conducts reviews of the environmental impact of projects that require one or more state agency actions including soliciting public opinion, coordination of project review with proponents, consultants, and citizens, and makes recommendations to the secretary on the adequacy of environmental documentation.

The request was continued until April 17 with an April 14 site visit date scheduled.

In other business, on an unrelated project, Meltzer received a Negative Determination for a Request for Determination of Applicability for construction of a new home located at 157 Forbes Road.

The commissioners also issued a Certificate of Compliance to Derek Maksy for property located at 44 Clear Pond Road.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 20 at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall meeting room.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

The Rochester Board of Selectmen on March 5 officially appointed Sergeant Robert Small as the next police chief to replace Chief Paul Magee when he retires this year on September 14.

Small engaged in a brief public interview that evening, during which he stressed readiness to take over the department. Small completed an executive development class with the Municipal Police Institute, a course specifically designed to provide extensive training towards the position of police chief and other upper level law enforcement positions. Small also attended a civilian ‘team building’ program, he said, “that’s to sort of get an idea on how to be a little more proactive in taking advantage of peoples’ particular skills they possess … and being able to make the most out of what we can get out of our officers.”

“Recently, I’ve taken on more administrative tasks,” Small stated, including taking on the leading role in this year’s fiscal year 2019 budget process with Magee’s assistance. He said that in recent months, in addition to daytime supervisory responsibilities, he has undertaken many other responsibilities to ensure a smooth-as-possible transition into the chief’s position.

Selectman Naida Parker pointed out the issue of speeding in Rochester and its ranking as a “hot button topic” in Rochester, asking Small how he plans to address residents’ concerns.

“I think maintaining a lot of the stuff we do is really important and just being consistent,” said Small. He said he would follow through with Magee’s public forum he held last fall and continue that activity if the public wanted it. Other avenues, said Small, would be acquiring equipment to assist in catching speeders and possibly involving residents in tracking speeding in certain areas.

Small said he plans to continue efforts to expand police involvement in the schools and maintain all that is currently in place that enforces communication between the Police Department and the schools.

“We can look to do more,” Small said, but the bottom line is funding. Would a school resource officer be a direction he would like to go in? Yes, he said, and he would explore options to fund one, possibly through grants. “I think that would certainly be great for opening communication with the younger kids, not just at the high school age but even younger. Having them see us in a different forum opens up communication…”

Small started his career in law enforcement in 1991, was hired full-time by Rochester Police in 1998, and appointed Sergeant in 2013. He’s been a certified sexual assault investigator since 1995 and runs the department’s R.A.D. System (Rape, Aggression, Defense) self-defense program for women.

A department’s reputation is critical, says Small, and he will work to ensure that the Rochester Police Department lives up to it.

“I’ve been here for a long time,” Small said. “I’m very invested in this town and this department. I care about the image and the reputation of the town and the department.” He continued, “I certainly feel that we have a group of officers that I’m very happy to work with and are very involved in the town and actually care about the relationship with the town and the department…. To me, that’s really important. They go hand in hand.

“We should strive to do more, and I think we do…” Small said.

At that, Parker, saying she was surprisingly choked-up and emotional, made the motion to appoint Small as chief, pending contract negotiations. The vote was unanimous.

Also during the meeting, the Finance Committee told the selectmen that roughly 85% of the Town’s budgets have been reviewed line by line, with four budgets currently on hold: police, fire, highway, and EMS.

“We’re looking good,” said Finance Committee Chairman Kristian Stoltenberg. “I would say, based on what we have for revenue and what we have for budgets … we’re looking pretty good this year.”

In other matters, selectmen have taken under advisement a request from the Rochester Country Fair Committee to serve beer during the Friday and Saturday evening entertainment events. A “beer garden” space would be closed off and contained where people with wristbands would be allowed to consume one beer at a time. One officer would be stationed within the beer garden for security, and no one would be allowed to roam the fairgrounds outside the beer garden. The hours would be limited to between either 4:00 or 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm on Friday and Saturday only. Chief Magee gave a nod for giving this first year trial a go, and the selectmen took the matter under advisement and will make the decision during the next meeting.

The Rochester Country Fair will be August 16-19 this year.

Also during the meeting, the board appointed Brad Morse to serve as the board’s representative to the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District. The appointment stems from concerns raised at the last CMWRRDD Committee meeting about the future of trash disposal in the area, the imminent closure of a Rochester transfer station, and the possible closure of an additional transfer station in either Rochester or Marion belonging to the CMWRRDD.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 19 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

A small group of Marionites wants to bring Elizabeth Taber back home to Marion.

Tinker Saltonstall, Al Winters, and Judith Rosby and Frank McNamee from the Sippican Historical Society have formed a committee committed to commissioning a life-size statue of Elizabeth Taber so her likeness can be seen every day by her beneficiaries – the people.

“We hope to bring Elizabeth Taber back to Marion,” said Saltonstall during the March 6 meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen.

Former selectman Al Winters told the selectmen, “We need to have a statue of Elizabeth Taber in this town. We need to have her visually among us.”

The committee has chosen to commission a life-size bronze statue to honor the town’s beloved benefactor.

Rosby said the committee has met twice and will soon begin interviewing five different local sculptors. It will take roughly three months to create the sculpture’s design, and then an additional six months to create.

The committee wishes to place the statue upon Town-owned land, and they have narrowed it down to either a spot between the Town House and the library, or across the street at Bicentennial Park.

“I personally like between the library and the Town House,” said Selectmen Chairman Jody Dickerson.

No decisions have been made yet as to Taber’s gestures or whether she would be sitting or standing. The actual cost is unknown at this time, but McNamee said he expects it to be between $30,000 and $50,000.

“We are not asking the Town for money,” said Winters. “This has to come from the people. It’s the people that she benefitted … and it’s appropriate that the people are the ones who put this special statue up.” Winters said he doesn’t think it will be a hard task raising the money, saying, “This woman was the mother of the Town,” who ultimately procured the character of Marion that it is today.

Once details are cleared, the committee will update the selectmen and reveal their chosen form of fundraising.

Not on the agenda, but the two chiefs and interim DPW Superintendent Jon Henry attended the meeting to debrief the board on the storm.

The three department heads say they encountered some hiccups during the storm, mostly to do with town-wide interdepartmental communication.

Henry said all three town departments share a generator to the DPW barn, which powers the communication system. That generator failed to start when the power went out, but it did eventually get started.

The Highway Department also almost ran out of diesel well into the storm, and fuel had to be ordered from the Town’s Plymouth vendor, which took longer than Henry would have hoped.

Furthermore, with the heavy rain, Henry said he observed a heavy increase in sewer treatment plant inflow, suspecting that there may be some serious infiltration and inflow (I&I) issues in areas that the Town might not have suspected – neighborhoods that are newer and have more current sewer infrastructure, he said.

“I think there is a big amount of inflow which is from some connected device to the system,” Henry said, “Some area in the system we’ve not closely looked at.”

I&I, said Henry, has a negative impact on the functioning of the sewer treatment plant, since it relies on bacteria to break down the sewage, and with more water diluting the effluent, the bacteria cannot effectively break it down.

Before leaving, Henry announced that the Town would start collecting brush and storm debris on Monday, so residents should leave brush piles by the side of the road. The Town will continue to collect debris and brush until Friday, but after that, residents will be on their own, Henry said.

Also at the meeting, Fire Chief Brian Jackvony announced that his application to the Department of Defense for a new safety boat was accepted, and the boat has already been delivered. The boat will replace a boat that was damaged during a storm last October and, if it were to be purchased brand new, would retail at $400,000.

The boat needs some work, which will cost the Town $65,000, significantly less than two other boats Jackvony had priced – one for $208,000 and one for $137,000.

In other matters, Town Administrator Paul Dawson brought the board up to speed on the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District, with some bad news for those who enjoy the swap shed at the Benson Brook transfer station.

The shed where re-usable items can be left and taken has officially been shut down and will likely not re-open in the future.

The operation, Dawson said, became too much of a liability with non-employees who have taken the initiative in ‘supervising’ the swap shed, so to speak.

“It’s become sort of a difficult operation to maintain and regulate,” Dawson said. “It was a great idea. The problem is there’s never been any established rules for it and people have taken over that … and made it difficult to manage.”

Dawson said he knows some people will be upset by the closing, and perhaps they will re-visit the matter in the future, “But I don’t expect the ultimate decision to change,” said Dawson. “It’s just become more of a burden than an asset.”

Dawson also announced that the Hazardous Waste Day would not take place this year due to a lack of staff and resources.

During the meeting, the board met with Richard Coletti and appointed him as constable.

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 20 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

Jean Perry