Rochester Town Administrator Michael McCue’s face was rather solemn when he delivered the news to selectmen on February 11 that the projected town revenues are no match for the current proposed school budgets.

With budget season in full swing, the Rochester Board of Selectmen will begin meeting weekly leading up to Town Meeting, as McCue works with the finance team any free moment he can grab, as McCue put it.

“At this point, we are looking at budget requests that our revenue projections cannot support,” stated McCue. He said he has been meeting with representatives from the School department to come up with a budget the Town can afford to support.

“It’s going to be difficult. We are looking at a difficult couple of weeks, couple of months,” said McCue. “We’re looking at perhaps some difficult decisions moving forward.”

Remaining optimistic, McCue said he still thinks the problem is surmountable.

Rochester is looking at a 5.6 percent or $265,000 increase over fiscal year 2015 in its contribution to Old Rochester Regional, stated McCue in response to Selectman Naida Parker’s inquiry.

“Unless I’m missing something,” said Parker, “the requests for increases for ORR and RMS exceed the gross in the budget that we will have this year.” McCue affirmed her statement. “So their budget requests alone are in excess of what we are able to fund,” reiterated Parker.

The numbers are the numbers, said McCue, and the Town is in no position to generate new revenue.

“It’s quite black and white,” said McCue. “We know where our ceiling is and we have no means to exceed that ceiling.”

Also during the meeting on February 11, Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon briefed selectmen on the need to craft an article for the Town Meeting warrant to adopt changes to the FEMA flood plain maps into the Town’s flood zone bylaw.

The only change to the maps affects land at the New Bedford Waterworks and Little Quitticas Pond, said Farinon, and does not have any impact on Rochester residents.

Farinon is tasked with working with town counsel to create an article that Town Meeting members would easily understand and approve.

“I don’t think anybody is going to have a problem with this map,” said Farinon.

Farinon also asked selectmen for support moving forward with a new Open Space Plan, with the current plan set to expire in October 2015.

Selectmen agreed to have the town administrator contact certain town board and committee chairmen to appoint a member to the Open Space Plan Committee, but were hesitant to act on any allocation of required funds that Farinon predicted would cost between $1,500 and $2,000.

Farinon said the state requires towns to conduct a survey to formulate goals and action items for the plan. Selectmen hope to devise a way to distribute the survey to residents without having to spend money on a mailing.

In other matters, the board approved a fortuneteller’s license for Gina Govoni of 75 Walnut Plain Road.

The next scheduled meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is February 23 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

Dale and Laura Briggs of 23 Dexter Road, situated on the Weweantic River, received a Negative 3 determination for reconstruction of a private pier at the February 11 meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission.

David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates described the details of the project as the reconstruction of the existing pier and the removal and replacement of the associated concrete abutments.

The Briggses currently hold the necessary state permits for an existing pier with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Waterways Program. The DEP determined that the project was minor in scope, thereby negating the need to apply for a new permit at this location.

Davignon stated that the applicants also received a list of standard conditions from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and a negative finding from the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Furthermore, the floating dock associated with the pier has a Marion Harbormaster permit.

With all the bases covered for this 61-foot deep-water pier, the commission granted the Negative 3 determination. The applicants plan to return at a later date for permissions to replace a timber walkway across jurisdictional wetlands.

In other business, the Town of Marion – represented by JC Engineering – requested a continuance of its Notice of Intent filing for reconstruction of a 337-foot by 4-foot high seawall at Sprague’s Cove. The hearing is now scheduled for March 11.

Wildlands Trust at 105 Allens Point Road received a Negative 3 determination for demolition work on lands that are in permanent protection status, as gifted by the Watson family.

The residence and septic system currently on the property will be removed and the lot will be remediated and replanted with native species.

Bay Watch Reality Trust/Sippican Woods and Marion Village Estates requested an amended Order of Conditions for Field Stone Lane. The work will include lowering elevations at the end of the roadway and the construction of an emergency vehicle turnaround.

Also, a Stormceptor stormwater management system will be placed at the southeast corner of the roadway.

Architect Peter Turowski received a Negative 2 determination for the construction of a 1,560 square-foot garage and second-story studio located at 94 Piney Point.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for February 25 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House conference room.

By Marilou Newell