Rochester’s Personnel Board Tuesday began reviewing its bylaw language revisions under wage ranges, categories and steps within the FY25 Classification and Compensation Plan that was approved by the May 13 Annual Town Meeting.

            Chairman Kristine Nash said the goal is to have all of the board’s revisions to the new Classification and Compensation Plan ready to be voted on at the fall Special Town Meeting set for October 21. None of their revisions will be formally approved until then, she said.

            The main revision the board agreed to on June 18 was wording clarifying that as of July 1, Step pay increases will no longer be linked to the periodic evaluations of an employee’s job performance. Rather, they will be based on that person’s work experience.

            Nash said this needs to be the new rule because the board has learned that departments in the past have inconsistently conducted these evaluations. Some have not been conducting employee evaluations at all, she said, “or just phoned them in,” she said. “And that’s a problem because evaluations used to be the basis for step increases.”

            In a related issue, Nash said she will bring to the board’s next (July 1) meeting a draft memorandum updating department heads on the board’s changes to the town’s personnel bylaws. She said she has learned that within the past two years since the board began its work in October of 2022, town departments have not been kept informed as to the new bylaw regulation they will need to be following.

            “None of this has been communicated to town departments,” Nash said. “It’s time to do that.” She said this memorandum will include the FY25 Classification and Compensation Plan that was approved by the May 13 Annual Town Meeting as an attachment.

            The board also approved its revised job description for the position of Executive Assistant to the Select Board and the Town Administrator, and it said it will be reviewing the final candidate for that position at its July 1 meeting. This move follows upon Executive Assistant Amanda Baptiste’s resignation announcement, effective Friday, June 21.

            The board’s timeline for its bylaw revisions is as follows: It will complete final review of the bylaw language by the end of July and send these revisions to the town attorney for review. It will review the attorney’s edits in August and bring the revisions to a vote at the fall Special Town Meeting.

            The Personnel Board’s next meeting will be held on Monday, July 1, at 6:30 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Personnel Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Marion Select Board member Randy Parker’s effort to get a second line of conduit under Front Street as a placeholder in addition to the work proposed by NSTAR Electric Company (Eversource Energy) appears successful after discussion at Tuesday night’s public meeting of the board concluded with an agreement that Eversource representative Faye Sweatman will coordinate with Verizon New England to make that happen.

            Parker, the Select Board’s resident electrician, sought the extra line to prevent a potential scenario whereby the town would be asked to once again dig up the road when he expects it will eventually be determined that optic fibers presently above ground need to go underground. He wants all the infrastructure done before the road is resurfaced.

            “The pole can’t be pulled out until we get everything underground,” said Parker. “We just want somebody to do it, that’s all. … I almost want to go down and do it myself, it’s so easy.”

            The project being considered will move above-ground equipment below ground but not everything Parker believes will eventually go underground.

            Town Administrator Geoff Gorman clarified for Sweatman that the project has been approved but with the caveat of adding the second line of conduit so the town can avoid an unnecessary excavation. Gorman said that should the project be arranged as requested, no subsequent meeting with the Select Board will be necessary.

            The discussion took place on the heels of a 6:15 pm continued public hearing for a new pole installation on South Street, a case originally heard on May 21.

            The continued public hearing also brought Don Voner of Verizon New England to the Select Board. Voner reported having just visited the South Street site and seeing the pole mark. He said he had been instructed that the purpose of the project is to upgrade Eversource facilities in the area, along South Street.

            Parker said he remained “a little puzzled” to see an additional pole between two existing poles but without a specific application to a service not currently provided. Parker nonetheless made a motion to approve the new pole on South Street.

            Before presenting two hires for the Select Board’s consideration, Marion Police Chief Richard Nighelli took the opportunity to update the board on Tuesday’s statewide outage of 911 emergency service.

            Nighelli said that the town’s 911 service was fully restored and that during the outage, one station was down and the other operational. “For 30 minutes, didn’t have either,” said Nighelli, suggesting that residents make the Police Department’s business line (508-748-1212) a contact in their cell phones. He said this is the second time 911 has gone down in the past three months.

            Nighelli requested the appointment of Kayla Sylvia as a full-time police officer. Sylvia was not able to attend because she was on her honeymoon. The April 2018 police-academy graduate currently serving in the New Bedford Police Department has six years of experience. Nighelli said Sylvia will earn a second degree this year in wildlife conservation. The board approved her hire for the standard, one-year probationary period.

            The board also approved Nighelli’s request to appoint James MacDonald as a part-time “special” police officer. MacDonald works in the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department and has several certifications, including automotive technician and firearms instructor. Nighelli said MacDonald has responded to numerous recent incidents. His appointment becomes effective on June 23 for a one-year probationary period.

            The board also approved the appointment of Robbi Dunn Tracy to the Affordable Housing Trust as an associate member, per the trust’s recommendation.

            Reappointments of boards and committee members also included the upgrade of Conservation Commission associate member Millie Seeberg to that of full, voting member.

            Ever Ortiz, whose application to the Planning Board to operate a car dealership at 13 Washburn Lane drew much in the way of public comment from abutters, was approved for a Car Dealer Class II License in the name of Ever Auto Sales. Ortiz explained to the Select Board that vehicles will be pre-ordered and quickly moved off site, resulting in no more than two vehicles on site at any one time.

            In his Town Administrator’s Report, Gorman said a second annual Employee Appreciation Day will be held on Tuesday, June 25, at 12:00 pm at the Cushing Community Center pavilion. Town Hall will close at lunch time and not reopen until the next morning.

            Opportunities to march in the July 4 Independence Day Parade are still available. Executive Assistant Donna Hemphill reported that four sailors are expected to march, and a World War II veteran will be among those riding in vehicles.

            The Town Fireworks to be held on Saturday, July 6 (rain date July 7). Gorman expressed his appreciation to the Fireworks Committee for successfully putting together the event for a third straight year. He estimated the cost at $67,000.

            Marion’s annual Town Party is scheduled for August 24 at Silvershell Beach; the town is seeking donations to offset the cost.

            Gorman reported that the Department of Public Works and Highway Division are improving parking at the Point Road playground. Features include a painted crosswalk with a flashing crosswalk sign planned. “We are not ignoring their concerns,” he said.

            Select Board Chairman Norm Hills said traffic on Front Street has become dangerous with drivers running lights, characterizing their treatment of red lights as “stoptional.”

            Gorman publicly welcomed Jennifer Stewart to the town’s administrative team and Nicholas Gioni to the town’s labor force at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

            Hemphill noted that Silvershell Beach is open and that parking stickers issued by the Town of Rochester and Marion Guest passes are required year-round, not just in season.

            In other action items, the Select Board approved the First Congregational Church’s request to close Main Street between School and Front streets on July 27 between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm for its annual Summer Fair.

            The board approved Louisa Bergsma as the new manager at the Kittansett Club, 11 Point Road.

            The board approved a change of date on a previously approved One Day Alcohol Beverage License for the Marion Social Club, 44 Pumping Station Road from July 21 to July 14.

            The board approved a One Day Alcohol Beverage License – With a Twist/Katie Massey – Bartender – for the Marion Art Center’s Cocktails by the Sea fundraiser to be held on Friday, July 26, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Tabor Academy, 245 Front Street.

            The board accepted a $100 donation to support fire equipment to the Marion Fire Department from Alice and Harry Curtis.

            The board approved the donation of a 4-inch, Marion Fire Department supply hose to the Farmington, New Hampshire, Fire Department. The hose had been removed from the town’s decommissioned ladder truck. Gorman said the donation will not impact the department’s readiness.

            After its third read of proposed increases to the Music Hall fee schedule, the board approved the policy as printed with one edit to clarify a Marion residency discount.

            Sherman Briggs’ Water Abatement request for $1,722.71 that he had been billed since selling the Spring Street (bike path) property on December 6, 2013, was approved. Parker said there is no meter and the building was demolished. Baldwin Brothers is now at the site and has its own 2-inch main with associated water service.

            Water/Sewer commitments were approved for $155 (sewer replacement May 6), $1,866.48 (final readings May 31) and $853.56 (final readings June 11).

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, July 2, at 6:00 pm.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo

            In saying goodbye to the 2023-24 academic year, the Marion School Committee used its May 23 meeting to say goodbye to Sippican Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Elizabeth Milde.

            Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson called Milde the “utmost professional” in announcing her retirement.

            Citing her teamwork, dedication and encouragement of students to work on developing their own viewpoints on issues, members of the Marion Teachers Association spoke about Milde’s career as a model educator.

            The School Committee approved the following book donations to the Sippican Library in Milde’s honor: “Anna Strong” by Sarah Glenn Marsh (from the Volunteers at Sippican Elementary); “Revolutionary Prudence Wright” by Beth Anderson (from the Marion School Sunshine Committee) and “Her Name was Mary Katherine” by Ella Schwartz (from the Marion Teachers Association).

            Committee Chair April Nye recognized retiring Assistant Principal Peter Crisafulli with the donation of the book, “You Can Change the World: Inspiration for Future Heroes.”

            Nye told the meeting attendees that she was holding off on her year-end chairperson’s report in favor of recognizing Marion’s voters to supporting the school budget at the recent Annual Town Meeting.

            “They always come through for the kids,” she said. “We could not be more thankful to them for always putting the children first.”

            In his update, Nelson recognized the volunteers who helped with the hiring process for new principal and assistant principal at Sippican. He also noted that Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll stopped at Sippican School where she was greeted by the school band and nearly the entire student body. Driscoll was in Marion to see the new harbormaster construction that has been funded in large part by the state’s Seaport Economic Council.

            Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Shari Fedorowicz recognized the work done by faculty and students in the district’s literacy program, also noting Project 351.

            In other business, the Marion School Committee approved three grants totaling over $75,000.

            A Vacation Acceleration Academies Grant in the amount of $33,000 will allow the district to provide a week of instruction before the next school year. A High-Quality Instructional Materials Purchase Grant in the amount of $27,992 will allow programming outside of the operating budget, and a Civics Teaching and Learning Grant in the amount of $16,000 will align with the literacy-based initiative of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

            The committee nailed down its regular meeting dates for 2024-25: September 19, October 24, December 5, January 30, 2025, March 6, 2025, May 8, 2025 and (Wednesday) June 11, 2025.

            The School Committee approved a list of materials to be withdrawn from the Sippican School Library.

            At the recommendation of ORR Administration, the Marion School Committee reupped its annual agreements via the approval of memorandums of agreement, renting space at Sippican Elementary to the South Coast YMCA and Countryside Child Care for the 2024-25 school year.

            The committee heard from Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber, who provided General Operating Financial Report, Food Services and Facilities reports. Nelson would later note he is grateful that the district’s capital requests have been met.

            The committee went into executive session to prepare for negotiations and to comply with state laws.

            The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 19, at 6:30 pm at Sippican Elementary School, and the next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, June 20, at 6:30 pm at the ORR Junior High Media Room, 133 Marion Road, Mattapoisett.

Marion School Committee

By Mick Colageo