The specter of spiking flood insurance rates and incorrect FEMA maps has caused many coastline residents in Mattapoisett to suffer sleepless nights. Residents have watched anxiously for any bit of news that would indicate the postponement of the Biggert-Waters Act, an act that would increase flood insurance rates. In spite of heavy lobbying at the state and federal levels by cities and towns impacted by this new law, it now appears that the Senate and the White House will not support any delays.

A January 31, 2014 report authored by Jeb Killion, Congressional Liaison, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency/Region I reads in part: “The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be moving forward with the Plymouth County Flood Insurance Rate Map process, but the process will be delayed somewhat because FEMA needs time to review the comments and appeals that have been submitted.” However, the delays noted will not include Marion, Mattapoisett, and Wareham.

An e-mail dated February 3, 2014 from Colleen Bailey, Flood Hazard Mapping Coordinator, Massachusetts, DCR Flood Hazard Management Program to Scott Shipley, Building Commissioner for Marion (and shared with Andy Bobola, Mattapoisett Director of Inspectional Services) states: “The map delays you are reading about do not affect Marion, Mattapoisett or Wareham. The map updates for the three Buzzards Bay communities were a result of a correction to the flood zone due to an error with the LiDAR. They are still going effective in a couple of days (2/5) and there’s no plan to delay them. The delays … being discussed are to the RiskMAP updates that they received for Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth (and actually a small part of Norwell). There was a new coastal study performed, and Marshfield spearheaded an appeal (along with Scituate and Duxbury) that FEMA did not feel was valid, so the appeal went to the new Scientific Resolution Panel (SRP) which is going to make a decision on it. Because of town meeting schedule in Massachusetts, all appeals have to be resolved and incorporated by about early December. If that can’t happen for one reason or another, then they have to delay the maps by a whole year. If FEMA can’t meet certain dates, then they have to delay the maps by a year because they MUST have the typical annual spring town meeting months contained within that 6 month compliance period (that occurs after the Letter of Final Determination is mailed out). In the case of Marion, Mattapoisett and Wareham, since it was only three communities and it had been confirmed that all three communities were having fall special town meetings, they were able to get the maps adopted that way. But that’s pretty rare for Massachusetts, and the more communities that are involved, the more likely it is that they have to encompass spring town meeting into the compliance period since not all communities have a fall town meeting. So for now… you should still be using the July 2012 maps. As of Wednesday, you should be using a combination of July 2012 and February 2014 maps. As far as insurance rates go, there is NO 4 year delay to the Biggert Waters Act as of today. The Senate voted for a 4-year delay last week but it has not been voted on in the House yet. Rumor on the street (ok, in the newspapers!) is that the House does not support a 4 year delay. From what I’ve read, they do not support any delay (or at the most, a 6 month delay). And the White House appears to side with the House on this one.”

Bobola said that the FEMA maps the town received were generally correct and did not sweep into flood plain status parcels of land and homes that historically had not already been included. Flood level elevations were changed for some properties however. FEMA had inadvertently omitted several sites. Those sites were undeveloped non-residential intersections. He said the intersections were Brandt Beach Road, Highland Avenue, and Mattapoisett Neck Road and needed to be added to the flood plain maps. This required the Planning Board to accept the map edits and then, via town meeting vote that took place last fall, accepting all FEMA mapping for the town. Voters needed to accept the FEMA maps or risk not being part of federal emergency funding in the future. Voters did accept the FEMA maps.

Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Gagne will meet with town department heads on February 6 to identify public assets located in flood plain areas to assess procedures for protecting and securing them in the event of a weather emergency. Gagne said that the town had received a grant from FEMA for planning purposes, to identify and prioritize culverts, bridges and roadways that are at sea level and therefore, in the bull’s eye for flooding. This meeting will not be for the purpose of trying to resolve homeowners’ concerns about soaring flood insurance rates.

Charged with the responsibility to review insurance rates and flood plain map issues is the Mattapoisett Flood Plain Committee. The members of this new committee are Carmelo Nicholosi, Al Memino, and William Cantor. Gagne said that the committee members were appointed by the selectmen to look into these issues, have met several times with him, and are staying apprised of other actions taking place in surrounding cities and towns. He said they are moving forward concurrently on insurance and map issues. Recently the group learned that a Massachusetts Congressional delegation is behind a bill that has passed the U.S. Senate. The bill’s title is Grimm-Waters-Richmond Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act and also known as the Menendez-Isakson bill for two leading senate sponsors. Gagne has a full copy of the bill and the cover letter. It is important to note that the letter was sent to Honorable W. Craig Fugate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, located in Washington, DC and was signed by Senators Warren and Markey along with Representatives Keating, Neal, McGovern, Tierney, Capuano, Lynch, Tsongas, and Kennedy. That letter beseeches the agency to review the FEMA map problems and suspend enactment of the Biggert- Waters Act until further study could be completed.

Gagne said it is important for all voters to speak up regarding the multi-faceted issues surrounding flood plain changes and soaring insurance rates. He said that the ultimate impact of rising insurance rates is that everyone will feel the pain, not just those living along the coasts. Mike Gagne can be reached at mgagne@mattapoisett.net, Jeb Killion may be reached at Jeb.killion@fema.dhs.gov, and Colleen Bailey may be reached at A.Colleen.Bailey@state.ma.us or 617-626-1446.

By Marilou Newell

With yet another winter storm swirling around the region, Mattapoisett’s Planning Board decided to suspend work on by-laws until their next meeting – scheduled for Monday, March 3 at 7:00 pm – to allow for public input. The snowy weather equated to empty seats on this evening. The board has been editing to improve language and to streamline the by-laws for ease of use by the public. So far, they have worked on by-laws covering signage, commercial parking, screening, common driveways, and trailers.

The two agenda items were then quickly dispatched. The first item was a discussion regarding questions posed by the Conservation Commission with respect to a driveway located off Nantucket Drive on property developed by D & P Builders. The Conservation Commission questioned the ‘as built plans’ which show the driveway passing through Lot #1 versus Lot #2 that had been the original plan. The board discussed that this was merely an easement to allow for emergency vehicles. They asked Planning Board Secretary Tammy Ferreira to let the Conservation Commission know that the plans are acceptable as submitted.

The second item was a hearing with John Folino of 65 Mattapoisett Neck Road. Folino was seeking approval of his request to have lots 13, 14, and 15 joined as one parcel. He plans to either build a new home on the newly reconfigured property or renovate the existing home. Folino has discussed the matter with Andy Bobola, Inspectional Services Director, who concurred that by joining the parcels as one unit Folino would have sufficient space to build a new home if he decided to do so in the future. The board members approved his request. He was advised to submit the revised property map with the registry of deeds within 60 days.

Due to the upcoming President’s Day holiday, the next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, March 3 at 7:00 pm.

Expect some joint events between the Rochester Land Trust and the town of Rochester at their open space properties in the near future.

At a meeting of the Conservation Commission Tuesday evening, Rochester Land Trust President Halima Tiffany was on hand to discuss future events to celebrate the opening of several properties that are currently either in the process of opening or that have recently opened.

Tiffany mentioned potential events at both Doggett’s Brook and Leonard’s Pond, which are currently being worked on, as well as possible events at Mary’s Pond. She hinted at potentially having some sort of kayak/canoe events at the ponds and said she hoped the events would help create awareness about some of the joint projects between the trust and the town.

“[The events] would be something nice to have,” said Tiffany. “We were just thinking with partnership with the town, we’d like to host some of these activities.”

“The next step is town participation,” she later added.

Town Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon said that there’s still some work to be done at both Doggett’s Brook and Leonard’s Pond, and she was looking forward to any future events that may be in the works.

“I think it’s exciting,” said Farinon. “It’s just building upon what we’ve already been working on.”

In other news, the board voted unanimously to have a peer engineer review 25 amendments to an Order of Conditions for a proposed addition by Shawmut Associates at their recycling facility at 50 Cranberry Hwy. in Rochester.

Even though Shawmut Associates already have an Order of Conditions approved by both the Rochester Planning Board and the Conservation Commission, they want to make some changes to the plans, and the Conservation Commission would like to see the changes reviewed by a consultant before issuing a final approval.

Farinon said that it would cost $1,000 for the engineer’s review and that the work would be done upon payment from Shawmut Associates. According to associates from Green Seal Environmental on behalf of Shawmut, the changes mostly involve storm water retention at the site.

Also, the Commission discussed the current first phase of the town forest/Old Colony forest management project, which started Monday. Farinon said that she hadn’t heard many complaints from abutters, and that weather permitting, that phase should be done within the next few weeks.

“Things are moving along really nicely,” she said. “We haven’t had much as far as complaints at all.”

Initially, several neighbors had voiced concern about the project, but after some consideration, the Commission and the forest management consultant, Phil Benjamin, decided to do the work in small phases so as not to upset abutters.

Farinon also announced that the Commission would be keeping a “level-funded budget” for fiscal year 2015 per request of Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

By Nick Walecka

A full agenda Tuesday evening for the Marion Board of Selectmen included a discussion of the bids for replacement of an existing water tank at Great Hill off Point Road in Marion.

Options include a pre-stressed concrete tower or a fiberglass one. The height, number of gallons contained, and other details are yet to be determined.

At a prior BOS meeting, the board signed a contract with Tata and Howard for the design phase to replace the Great Hill Water Tank. The tank will be reduced in size by one half and will be used for fire hydrant pressure. The town meeting of 2011 approved the design phase. At the meeting, the proposal for design was at $93,000, according to Town Administrator Paul Dawson. At issue is whether the tank will be replaced by a pre-stressed concrete structure or a fiberglass tank. The water committee, along with the Board of Selectmen and the Town Administrator, will determine the outcome.

Next up was a discussion of the Roadway Improvement Program. Dawson said that Phase 1A will begin in the spring with letters going out to residents in the impacted areas – including Ryder, Spring and Front Streets – noting that some disturbances will occur in driveway entries and asking residents for the ‘ok’ to disturb those areas.

“We plan to have a public meeting for all abutters in the area so they know what is coming,” said Paul Dawson, Town Administrator.

Next up was a discussion of the FEMA flood maps. “Marion and Mattapoisett have adopted the maps as presented,” said Dawson. “Other areas in the state asked for a delay of implementation, and that issue is ongoing.”

In other news, the main reading room of the Marion Music Hall is being painted.

Selectmen Steven Cushing announced that he will seek re-election as a town selectman.

“My interest, among many, is to see that the town hall use issue is resolved,” said Cushing.

The board issued a one-day alcohol license to VFW Post 2425 for a ham and bean supper to be held from 6:00 to 10:00 pm on February 15.  Also, another one-day all-alcohol license was approved for VFW Post 2425 to hold a spaghetti dinner on February 22 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

Lastly, the board appealed to the public for volunteers to sit on town boards, noting that they meet twice a month and that they need people to stand up and come forward to help the town. To apply to serve on a board, contact the Board of Selectmen at the Marion Town House.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry