Selectmen from Rochester, Marion, and Mattapoisett met Wednesday at Old Rochester Regional High School, and the main issue discussed was the proposed ORR District budget for fiscal year 2014.

According to Superintendent Doug White, the district is awaiting the decision of state officials to see how much the district will receive before they implement their proposed budget, passed during Town Meetings last month.

“The whole process puts us behind the 8-ball,” White said.  “We’re concerned about the amount of money coming in.  It’s very important to us that we build our budget.”

Currently, the district estimated funding from the state would be $2,739,000, while the Governor’s budget is $3,333,082, the House budget proposal is $2,868,513, and the Senate budget Proposal is $3,017,802. There could be a gap in expected aid and actual aid.

The schools proposed spending budget currently is $16,854,574, and that includes the School Choice program, which was a topic of conversation among the members present.  White was adamant that the program, which allows a certain number of students from other districts to attend schools within this region, is pivotal in keeping the current curriculum in place.

“We’ve been looking at this budget and looking at what is necessary to provide high-quality education in this region,” White said. “We still have an ability to change our number if need be.”

White said that depending on what the state decides on, the district might have to borrow money from the district’s Excess and Deficiencies Account, which is basically a savings account for the district’s schools.  He said that the amount would like fall between 3 and 3.5 percent of the total in the account, which currently has about $839,000 in it.

White also mentioned the possibility of a potential six layoffs within the district should they have to make up for money they initially expected from the state but that now is not likely to come through.

“There are many districts across the state with the same problem,” said White, while fielding questions from many members of the Boards.

Rochester Town Administrator Richard LaCamera expressed concerns that the individual towns would struggle to come up with the extra money should Patrick’s proposal change from the initial Governor’s Budget Proposal.

“I’m just raising a red flag,” LaCamera said.  “It’s going to be a serious problem next year.”

White added that the Patrick administration is expected to take action by the end of June.

By Nick Walecka

The revival of the property at the old Frigate Restaurant on Route 6 in Marion was discussed at the Marion Planning Board’s meeting on Monday evening.

The property was acquired by Arnold Johnson of Johnson Family Investments of 806 Mill Street c/o Mill Street c/o GAF Engineering/Anthi Frangiadis Associates.

Johnson addressed the Board and said the project would include a produce market and an ice cream window, with picnic tables to the rear of the property for consumers.

Abutters attended and weighed in with opinions regarding the ice cream window, which is part of the proposed project. The property abuts the rear of Old Sheepfield Road, part of the Old Knoll development. Abutters include those from the Old Knoll area and those abutting on Route 6.

At issue was a conflict of interest between the Marion town engineering firm, Field Engineering, and the fact that Johnson is the Chairman of the Rochester Planning Board. Field Engineering also represents the town of Rochester.

“To avoid any sense of impropriety, and to make sure that everything is as it should be,” Marion Planning Board Chairman Pat McArdle said, “we will look to town counsel to provide an opinion on all the issues involved in the project.”

The Board agreed to hire another firm, but have them look at the report by Field Engineering to reduce the overall cost of determining storm water runoff, water drainage, traffic flow and parking at the site. Using common sense, McArdle said that most of the report could be used, unbiased, due to the actuarial nature of the existing report.

Board member Ted North brought up a number of questions regarding the bylaw and asked to have town counsel respond to the questions. At issue was whether the Zoning Board of Appeals contemplated the fact that food would be consumed outside the building at picnic tables behind the establishment.

An issue raised by an attendee was that the size of the building, if it didn’t succeed as a produce market, was perfect for a convenience store, such as Tedeschi’s, to move right in and occupy the site. Many abutters attended the meeting and spoke against the ice cream window portion of the site plan.

In other news, the Board agreed to the send the map for the solar overlay project which was approved at Town Meeting last month. The Board approved to have the project given to GAF Engineering c/o Bill Madden. No estimate has been received as yet. The Board voted to give GAF the project to estimate the cost.

A public hearing was held for a Special Permit for Will Saltonstall, Allens Point LLC at 380 Wareham Street c/o Saltonstall Architects to allow construction of an addition to an existing structure. The setback, according to town bylaws, is 50 feet and the requested setback is 32.6 feet. The applicant cited various abutters, whose setbacks have been approved by the Board at much less than what was requested. The Board closed the hearing and took it under advisement.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

Water is precious, and that fact was brought forward at Tuesday’s meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen. Patrick O’Neil, of Tata & Howard, the town’s engineering firm, told the board that Marion’s state water permit of 20 years expired in 2011 and has been extended until November of 2014.

At that time, the state will issue a renewal, with conditions around the amount of water the town will be able to draw from the Mattapoisett River Valley, the main source of the town’s water supply.

“This is a sustainable water issue and the state is asking how this pumping of water from the aquifer in and around the valley is affecting water flow and fisheries,” O’Neil said.

Currently, Marion has a water restriction with residents with even-numbered houses watering on certain days and odd numbered homes on another. O’Neil hinted that, in the near future, watering might only be permitted on one day a week.

“The state seeks to reduce water usage that impacts stream flows and fish population,” he said. Another alternative suggested by Selectman John Henry was looking into a desalinization effort. “We have all the water we’d ever need right here in the harbor,” said Henry, citing a recent successful desalinization effort in Dighton to help Brockton with its water woes.

The goal, according to O’Neil is to have each household of 2.6 people to consume 65 gallons of water per day.

Another issue brought out by O’Neil is that cranberry bogs and other agricultural activities have the right to divert water from the river valley to flood bogs for picking. That water is not regulated and the amount diverted is not known and the impact on the rivers, streams, and fisheries is also unknown.

A second water issue was on the agenda for the meeting, that of the possibility of offering a separate water meter to residents who use water for irrigation on their property. The goal was for residents to pay only for the water used for plantings and flowers and not be charged for sewer usage, because it was outside watering. After the presentation by Tata & Howard, the board voted to table the “second meter” issue until 2014, when news of the new water restrictions by the state will be presented.

Next up was a presentation by Fire Chief Thomas Joyce and Lieutenant Ryan Miller regarding the state of the Marion Emergency Management Service. The state recently upgraded response times for 911 medical calls from approximately 5 minutes to one minute. Because Marion relies on individuals coming from Wareham and other communities, the response time fell below state standards.

Joyce also noted that Marion needs more trained paramedics and education to move EMTs up the ladder to become paramedics.

Chief Joyce offered several options, including giving up the town EMS service and putting it out to bid to a commercial operation. Selectman Henry said that several towns are also grappling with the new state requirements and that the town had to tackle the issue, either through a special town meeting or the fall town meeting on October 28. Monies are needed to bring the department up to state standards. Information on the amounts were not available at press time.

In other business, the board denied water abatements to residents at 11 Pitcher Street, 382 Point Road, 16 Wilson Road, 929 Point Road, and 221A Wareham Street.

The board approved street closures for the Town Block Party to take place on August 24, with a rain date of August 25 and for the First Congregational Church summer fair on July 27.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

Rochester is already making plans for its next Town Meeting, likely taking place in the fall, as the Conservation Commission voted on Tuesday to put forth an article asking residents to pass the Community Preservation Act.

The CPA is a state law passed in 2000 that allows communities to establish a local fund to support affordable housing, parks and recreation (including athletic fields), open spaces and historic resources. Those municipalities that do adopt the act – currently 155 across Massachusetts – also receive matching funds from the statewide Community Preservation Trust Fund each year.

Rochester defeated the measure in 2006, but Conservation Commission Chairman Rosemary Smith is hopeful in 2013.

“I’m excited about this,” said Smith. “There are a lot of projects in town that could use the funds. This is money that we’re missing out on.”

Participating towns and cities raise CPA funds through a surcharge on property taxes. Smith said that the Rochester article would ask voters for a 1.5 percent increase (3 percent is the maximum), an average of $47 per homeowner annually.

Elsewhere on the agenda, Commissioners authorized Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon to apply for a $20,000 mini-grant to initiate protection of the McCarty Property on Buzzards Bay.

The Commission also briefly discussed the flood plain bylaw revision, which will come before Rochester at its next Town Meeting.

The previously scheduled meeting for July 2 has been canceled.

By Shawn Badgley

Rochester Selectman Richard Nunes made clear Monday night his disappointment with the Old Rochester Regional School District’s 2014 budget, while calling the Rochester Memorial School’s recent decision to fund Full-Day K “disturbing and shocking.”

Rochester Town Meeting approved the ORR School District’s $4,418,858 request last month. Voters in Marion and Mattapoisett did the same with similar assessments. But in his report Monday night, Rochester Town Administrator Richard LaCamera lamented the shortfall in expected state aid for education after Massachusetts House and Senate votes and its potential impact on local schools.

“There’s concern in all three towns,” said LaCamera, announcing a June 19 Tri-Town Selectmen meeting at ORR. “The budget needs to be addressed now. We can’t just kick it down the road.”

Nunes was even more blunt.

“The superintendent proposed a budget based on assumptions about state aid, and how many weeks did they have to change it?” Nunes asked, referring to ORR School District Superintendent Doug White. “They had a month. They could have changed their figures to be more reasonable, but they decided to stick to the highest number. Now, they’re scurrying around to find more revenue to keep their inflated budget.”

Later in the meeting, during New Business, Nunes said the RMS Committee’s vote earlier this month to fund Full-Day K was “news to me and news to everybody.”

Board of Selectmen Chair Naida Parker suggested they invite RMS Committee representatives to a meeting for discussion.

“I guess we could,” Nunes said. “Up to this point, there has been no discussion about how to fund Full-Day K. Where are the funds going to come from? It’s a month after Town Meeting, when the budget was already set. And now there’s going to be a surprise increase in the RMS budget? There’s data behind this budget, line items for everything. At Town Hall, all of our money is allocated to the time, to the penny.”

In other school news, Parker told officials she had received a letter of resignation for personal reasons from newly elected ORR School Committee Member Derek Medeiros, effective immediately.

Elsewhere on the agenda, the Selectmen signed off on Municipal Health Insurance Reform and the Police Contract, while tabling the Longevity Pay Policy to work on the document’s language. In addition, LaCamera said that Rochester has “gotten nowhere” on receiving a safety assessment for the Cape Flyer Rail from the MBTA.

The Selectmen also authorized Rochester to undertake negotiations with DG Service Company on a new HVAC system for Town Hall. The Mattapoisett company bid $46,833.

Finally, Parker reminded the town that noon on June 24 is the deadline to request an absentee ballot for the June 25 statewide special election.

By Shawn Badgley

The evening’s business for the Mattapoisett Planning Board was quick, but two important issues were discussed.

Board Member John Mathieu shared a recent conversation he had with Grant King, principal planner for SRPEDD. Mathieu had requested specific information from King on the amount of acreage in town that is either fully protected or in a limited protection status in an effort to help with land use planning. King reported that of the 11,000 acres that constitute the entire town, approximately 3,000 acres fall into a protected category. That represents 28 percent of the total. Mathieu said that his next question to King will be how much of the remaining acreage is considered unbuildable wetlands. Once those two categories have been established, the Planning Board can begin the long and complicated process of re-zoning considerations of some spaces for revenue growth.

Board Member Karen Fields asked if having so much land in a protected status would eventually impact the tax base. Both Mathieu and Member Ron Merlo replied that it has already negatively impacted the town’s ability to increase revenue.

Merlo wanted to remind residents that the public survey regarding open space needs of the community is on the town’s website. The town is seeking public input. In the absence of public consensus on land use, boards and committees involved in the process will be missing a critical element in making decisions that will impact the town for many generations to come. Merlo wants the public to know their input is absolutely necessary.

In other business, Brian Grady representing Michael Solimando regarding Appaloosa Lane came before the board to discuss the upcoming roadway and drainage project at this location. The board will provide Grady with text so that Solimando with his legal team can craft a homeowners’ trust. This trust will bind the owners to provide financial support of Appaloosa Lane for road maintenance into perpetuity. The road will always remain a private roadway. Having a trust will help to ensure the safety of the road for the residents and abutters with property located there.

The next Planning Board meeting is scheduled for July 1 at 7 p.m.

By Marilou Newell