The Mattapoisett School Committee proposed its 2017 budget on March 14. The fiscal year 2016 approved budget was $6,385,750, and the proposed budget increase of $396,485 will set the 2017 proposed budget at $6,782,235. The initial budget increase had been $522,374; however, the committee was able to pare it down by such methods as cutting one kindergarten teacher position.

“We’ve studied the numbers of kindergarten enrollees and found that only three positions are needed,” said School Committee member Carter Hunt.

“On the other hand,” said Center School Principal Rosemary Bowman, “it looks as if we have a sizeable number of first graders and may need an extra teacher in that grade level. However,” she continued, “it will be possible for us to move a teacher already in the school into the first grade instead of hiring someone new.”

School Committee member James Muse asked from where the proposed first grade teacher would be allocated.

“We would look at the other grades and decide which grade would have the smallest classes if we took one teacher away,” Bowman explained.

A sticking point for the next school year calendar emerged during the academic calendar update for 2017.

This year, the draft school calendar for 2016/2017 again proposes to keep Good Friday as a regular school day for a third year in a row.

“I understand that there were quite a few students absent that day,” said School Committee member James Higgins as the committee mulled returning the day to a day off. “We can’t test on that day anyway, because the School Board won’t allow us to, and with so many students absent….”

Hunt offered a different view. “The students can take the day as a religious holiday as their prerogative, but I don’t support taking it off just because we can’t test that day. There are 179 other days for testing during the year.”

Muse added, “I look at it as a day of quality learning. Do we take that day off and add another day at the end of the year, or do we leave that day?”

The committee was unable to come up with a good solution to the issue and moved on to other topics.

Lastly, Bowman reported during her Principal’s Report on the new “Breakfast Program” that began at Center School on February 23. After a four-day trial run, the breakfast was such a hit that the program became a permanent feature effective February 29. The breakfast, which offers such healthy options as cereal, smoothies and fruit, hosts an average of 34 students per day.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for April 11 at 7:00 pm in the Center School cafeteria.

By Andrea Ray

During a Notice of Intent hearing at the March 9 meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission, commission member Jeffrey Doubrava questioned Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering, Inc. on how effective breakaway walls would be if used on new construction proposed at 20 Front Street.

The applicant, Ann Severance, is planning to raze the existing home and build a new house on the site. Located in a coastal flood zone, the architect designed the new structure with breakaway walls around the slab on the seaward side, Grady explained.

However, Doubrava thought the property fell under coastal zone A, not AE as shown by Grady. Furthermore, Doubrava wondered why breakaway walls were only planned for the seaward side of the building.

This prompted Doubrava to question whether the breakaway walls would be functional.

“It appears the walls wouldn’t work as they should,” Doubrava said. He felt that the breakaway walls would simply float the crawl space and leave the house to possibly “explode” during a storm event.

Commission member Steve Gonsalves thought otherwise, saying, “I’m sure the architect has worked with the codes.” Grady acknowledged that to be the case.

Gonsalves hinted that the Conservation Commission shouldn’t be pondering building codes. Doubrava said, “We have a separate obligation to make sure it is designed properly.” Chairman Norm Hills agreed with him.

On another matter related to the application, Doubrava asked if wetlands delineations had been updated. Grady said that those had been done three or four years ago. Doubrava asked, “Why would you do a NOI and not do a wetlands delineation?”

“In my opinion, the existing flags looked reasonable,” said Grady.

There was little discussion during their ruling on the application as the commission agreed to issue an Order of Conditions that included protection of wildlife habitat, placement of boulders along a ‘no touch zone,’ and delineation of wetlands.

Michael Campagnone of CLE Engineering represented his clients Greg and Nancy Johnson, 406 Point Road, in their Request for Determination of Applicability for the installation of a new septic system.

Campagnone said the home would have a system capable of handling four bedrooms and that two Board of Health variances would be needed given the groundwater separation issues and position of the new system. Campagnone also said the new system would meet the requirements of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

The commission gave a Negative 3 ruling to the applicants.

A continuation was ordered for a RDA requested by Nicholas Mitcheson of 18 Wilson Road. Mitcheson plans to build an 18- by 26-foot addition with two floors of living space.

The property is located in an AE flood zone, Hill noted, causing him to question the proposed height evaluation of the addition as well as the size.

Mitcheson said he had been told that, as long as the project stayed below 50 percent of the assessed value of the home, newer height evaluations for flood zone buildings were not applicable. Hills was unsure and requested that the applicant return with more conclusive documentation including the assessed value of the property. The hearing is continued until the next meeting.

In other business, the commission offered their comments to the open space survey drafted by the Master Plan Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Subcommittee. Hills said the plan did not address jurisdictional areas and also needed language to address invasive plant species that thickly cover much of Marion’s current open spaces. The commission members also felt the draft was too long.

The next meeting of the Marion Conversation Commission is scheduled for March 23 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Marilou Newell

A hiking trail at the Rounseville II Preserve located off Mary’s Pond Road that was damaged by illegal ATV use will be enhanced with a series of bog bridges that will stretch across some of the affected areas, making them passable again by foot.

Eric Boyer of the Wildlands Trust, Inc., custodians of the preserve, told the Rochester Conservation Commission on March 15 that even though there were always some damp areas scattered throughout the trail areas, at one point it was at least possible to “hop island to island” to traverse the trail through muddy sections. But now, ATV wheels have exacerbated those areas and water has begun to pool.

“The ground is all ripped up … maybe a couple inches deep and water is collecting in there,” said Boyer. “I’m looking to remedy that.”

The Wildlands Trust filed a Request for Determination of Applicability with the Conservation Commission to install a series of simple foot bridges called bog bridges that are constructed of wooden planks.

Each bridge will consist of 4 inch x 4 inch x 8 foot legs and a 2 inch x 8 inch x 8 foot top. One section will have two such bog bridges attached side by side for wider access. The damaged stretch where the bog bridges will be placed is an un-continuous 150-foot section. All materials will be hand-carried in.

“They can easily be adjusted or moved,” said Boyer. “It’s not like a boardwalk.”

Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon said it would do more harm to leave the land as it is and allow people to continue to walk through the muddy areas, worsening it further over time.

The commission issued a Negative determination, meaning the project will not adversely affect the resource area and no Notice of Intent is required.

Farinon said illegal ATV use on Rochester trails is an ongoing problem, especially at the Doggett’s Brook property. She said ATV use on protected lands is a regional problem, as well as a local one.

Also during the meeting, the commission granted a Negative determination for Clean Energy Collective’s RDA for the trimming of tree branches and the removal of some trees along Perry’s Lane as the project to construct a solar farm on adjacent land in the Town of Marion begins.

The Fire Department requested enhancing the access road for emergency vehicles and Tree Warden Jeffrey Eldrige pre-marked the limbs and trees to be removed.

The commission’s only concern was swift removal of any cut trees and limbs, placing a condition that none of the materials will be stored or thrown into the surrounding wetlands.

Before adjourning, the commission addressed some concerns over a recently constructed boat ramp access enhancement, which was also intended for erosion control, a project of a local Eagle Scout. Some residents have complained about the aesthetics of the paved way that slopes to Mary’s Pond for handicap accessibility to the water and boat launching.

Farinon told the commission that the work done was the plan that the commission approved, but the site will be monitored for erosion and possibly enhanced.

“It’s a subjective thing,” said Farinon. “Some people look at bank stabilization projects and don’t like them because it doesn’t look as natural.”

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 5 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry