Rochester’s Select Board Monday expressed a lot of concerns as it reviewed the soon-to-be-renewed Inter-Municipal Agreement with the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCCC) that, since 2017, has placed the town’s public safety dispatching services in Duxbury.

            What would the Rochester Police and Fire departments do without ROCCC’s services, given that Rochester does not have its own dispatching equipment? That was the main concern as Town Administrator Cameron Durant and the board discussed new language regarding the town’s responsibilities should the regional system go down or lose funding.

            That language says the town must be responsible for its own dispatching system if the ROCCC system goes down. “Where do we dispatch from if ROCCC is down?” Select Board member Paul Ciaburri responded. “We need a Plan B?”

            “It would be a logistical nightmare,” Police Chief Michael Assad said. He noted the town police station no longer has dispatching equipment. The department has a “shift phone” that allows an officer to communicate with ROCCC in an emergency but explained that would not be an efficient second plan. He speculated that Marion or Mattapoisett could be where Rochester’s dispatching calls go. But then the town would need its own agreement(s) with those neighboring towns.

            A greater problem would be having trained personnel to man town dispatching equipment, Chair Adam Murphy pointed out. Murphy noted another clause in the agreement stating that the town should have dispatching equipment from grant funding it received. “We never got that console or that funding,” he complained.

            “We’d have to budget it if we had to have it,” Durant said. The board ended discussion by agreeing to set up a meeting with ROCCC officials to discuss these concerns.

            The Duxbury-based ROCCC handles the 911 calls, police, fire, and EMS dispatching for the towns of Duxbury, Plympton, Halifax, Rochester, Hanson, and Hanover. Rochester joined the center in January 2017.

            In other action, the board signed the contract for the construction of the new Police Department jail cell. Kneeland Construction of Medford was the winning low bidder at $139,000. Durant reported, however, that a Town Meeting appropriation put aside only $129,000 for the project. He said he is considering using $20,000 appropriated at Town Meeting to establish a Facilities Management reserve account for this shortfall but will look at other ways within the FY25 budget as well.

            The board approved changes to the town’s Senior Work-Off Program proposed by Council on Aging Director Eric Poulin.

            Seniors unable to pay their property-tax levy will be eligible for the program if their earnings are 80% of median household income and they are among the first 25 to apply. First come, first served. All applications will be handled by the COA.

            Durant proposed a staff liaison be appointed to the Park Commission. “Someone to respond to the day-to-day responsibilities of the Commission,” he explained. He said what the commission oversees daily, such as fees and rentals maintains, needs some oversight. The board concluded it would set up a meeting with the new commission to discuss this idea.

            The board accepted the resignation of Rochester Police Department officer Elijah Vicente-Roberts.

            The board appointed Dennis McCarthy, a Zoning Board of Appeals associate member, to the Public Safety Facility Building Committee.

            The board announced the town has received the SEMASS Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) amount of $343,082 for this month.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, July 7 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

The Rochester School Committee met on Wednesday, June 4 in Rochester Memorial School and began with a recognition of two retirees: special education teacher Bridget Wollenhaupt and speech pathologist Janet Bejtlich. Both were praised for their years of service and dedication to their students. Next, new Rochester School Committee member Kirstin Jimenez was recognized for recently being voted in following the recent election.

            Following these recognitions was the discussion and approval of various curriculums, namely OpenSciEd science curriculum and Envisions math curriculum. The program by OpenSciEd is approved by students and teachers, while also increasing testing scores. The committee also said it has also already been approved at Old Rochester Regional and in Marion. Working with teachers, Superintendent Michael Nelson said, the Envisions math curriculum was also put forward. Marion also recently approved Envisions math. Both curriculums were approved with unanimous votes in order to “align curriculum across the district.”

            Discussion then began on the 2025-2026 student handbook, which was soon approved unanimously without alteration by the committee. Nelson then spoke on all six Rochester schools adopting the two-year school improvement plan “Vision 2028.” The first year of the plan has just concluded, with Nelson offering a progress report. He said they are well ahead of schedule.

            The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee will be held following the start of the next school year (August 27) on Thursday, September 25.

Rochester School Committee

By Sam Bishop

The Marion Board of Health met on Thursday, June 5. The meeting began with an update on mosquito control, saying residents could request yard spraying as well as the company checking standing water for larvae and doing subsequent needed treatment of such if deemed necessary. Chair John B. Howard then moved on to a discussion on a letter from the Department of Public Health’s letter regarding the police station’s lockup facility, joking “for those of you who end up at that lockup, it is a healthy lockup approved by the Board of Health, not to worry.”

            The board then moved to reappointments, with Megan daCosta as Tobacco Compliance Program Manager, David Flaherty as Health Agent Consultant, Susan Griffith as MAVEN backup, and both Gabrielle Almeida and Shallyn Carreiro as Health Speacialists to the Public Health Excellence Grant Southgcoast Collaborative. The board unanimously approved all postings. Geoffrey Gorman then spoke in support of Gabrielle Almeida, who was also approved as Health Agent by the board.

            A continued public hearing was then underway for 2 Edwards Bridge Road for a Variance to not require a denitrification system based on the property’s distance from the water, being 3.1 miles from Sippican Harbor. There had been some disagreement and lack of assurance from the board whether it actually had the ability and authority to grant such a variance. The board agreed they do, following deliberation. They then closed the hearing and granted the variance with a unanimous vote.

            The Marion Board of Health was then reorganized, Edward P. Hoffer, MD retained his seat following the recent Marion Elections. Chair John B. Howard, MD recommended Albin R. Johnson III become the new Chair, which was approved by both Hoffer and Johnson himself. Hoffer then was approved as Vice Chair.

            Would the Marion Board of Health have met following their typical schedule, they would’ve met June 19. Due to the Juneteenth holiday, the next meeting was not scheduled at adjournment.

Marion Board of Health

By Sam Bishop