The Marion Board of Selectmen appointed a new Assistant Harbormaster and Shellfish Officer upon request of Harbormaster Mike Cormier. The decision to hire Adam Murphy was made at the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, February 5 in the Marion Town House.

“I’ve known him for 20 years,” said Cormier. “I feel as though he’s an excellent boat operator and his emergency response capabilities would be an asset to my department.”

The position is both part-time and seasonal. It would last from May through early September and would be from 5:00 to 9:00 pm during the week. In addition to working alongside Cormier, Murphy would also be working at the Fire Department. Selectman Jonathan Henry voiced concerns about possible scheduling problems.

“I wouldn’t want there to be a conflict,” said Henry. “You wouldn’t leave your post to go to a fire, would you?”

Cormier assured the Board that he has firefighters who have worked with him before and the rule is that when on duty on the water, they are not allowed to respond to fire calls. The Board unanimously appointed Murphy.

In other news, Town Administrator Paul Dawson updated the Board on several ongoing projects about town.

First, the Financial Committee has begun their work reviewing the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2014. A copy has been submitted to the Board and will be reviewed over the coming months to make sure everything is precise.

“It’s a complicated process that is by no means complete, but the process has begun and they are well on their way,” Dawson said.

Dawson also informed the Board that the Marion Music Hall lighting project is still ongoing. The building is awaiting the last set of fixtures to arrive so they can be installed. The fixtures are currently on back order.

The project to remove the mold from the basement of the Town House is making progress, according to Dawson. Several town records and documents have been cleared out of the basement to make room for the remediation process. The documents will be sorted through and redistributed to other storage locations.

The deadline for businesses to bid on the remediation project was Tuesday, February 5. Five figures were submitted from five companies. Dawson said by the Board’s next meeting they should have a recommendation on a company to get the project going.

Lastly, Dawson said he is still exploring the possibility of bringing on board a full-time Facilities Manager to help upkeep the 41 buildings around town that need maintenance. He will continue to study job descriptions from neighboring towns to further outline the specification for the job in Marion.

The Marion Board of Selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, February 19 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

In a brief discussion, members of the Rochester Conservation Commission decided to potentially send up to three commissioners to the annual MACC environmental conference on March 2.

In other business, the Conservation Commission issued a Certificate of Compliance for Steven and Suzanne Melloni, regarding the construction of a deck and three-season porch on their home at 40 Nathaniel’s Drive.  The project was issued an order of conditions because construction occurred within 100 feet of the local wetland.

“The construction was done according to the plans and it looks great,” said Rochester conservation agent Laurell Farinon, who recommended the commissioners issue the certificate.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission will be held on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

The Rochester Board of Selectmen voted to appoint a new full-time police officer to the department after the recent departure of a 21-year-veteran on the force.  The decision was made at the Board’s regular meeting on Monday, February 4 in Rochester Town Hall.

Adam Brightman has been working as a part-time officer for the station since 2009, and since then, has made a lasting impression on those who know him in town.  He graduated from New Bedford High School and went on to pursue a Sociology and Criminal Justice Degree from UMass Dartmouth.  He is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree at Boston University.

“He’s always demonstrated a high level of professionalism,” said Selectman Naida Parker.  “He would be an asset to the department.”

For the past five months, Brightman has been attending the Police Academy full-time.  However, instead of the department paying his tuition, he is self-sponsored, which means he is paying for his own way through the classes.  He is due to graduate on February 15.

“It’s a big endeavor to do that,” said Police Chief Paul Magee.

The Board voted unanimously to bring Brightman onto the force full-time.  He will begin on February 17 pending successful completion from the Academy.

In other news, the Financial Committee met with the Board briefly for a basic overview of the rough draft for the town’s budget for fiscal year 2014.

“I can assure you that overall, we are in very good financial shape,” said Town Administrator Richard LaCamera.

The town will see in increase in State Aid, albeit a relatively little amount, in the next year.  In FY 2013, Rochester received $2.2 million from the state.  In 2014, they will receive an additional $18,000.

Funding for the schools is also looking somewhat inconsistent.  Old Colony will receive $55,000 less than they did last year while Old Rochester Regional High School will see a whopping increase of $494,000, which is almost a 20% increase from the year before.

“We haven’t seen this kind of increase in State Aid in six years,” said LaCamera.

LaCamera considered the change in formula in determining State Aid to be a factor in why the numbers are so different.  As it stands now, a school’s state aid is determined by computing 50% of the town’s wealth and 50% of the town’s property evaluations.  LaCamera has requested reports from Superintendent Doug White to see if and where there are any discrepancies.

LaCamera told the Board and Committee that if the numbers hold true in the preliminary budget, he does not foresee any reductions in staff, services or programs at the Town Hall and in the schools.

Furthermore, LaCamera explained that for the second year in a row, health insurance costs for town employees would not be increasing.

“That’s unbelievable,” said Selectman Brad Morse.

An increase in hospital visit co-pays is one reason people are saving money with their health insurance. Having to pay $75 out of pocket is making people think twice about heading to the emergency room.

Also, wellness programs are being promoted throughout town, which LaCamera believes is helping people lead healthier lifestyles.

The renovations to Town Hall will be completed by the end of the week.  The final phase will begin on Wednesday when new windows will be delivered for replacement.

The Rochester Board of Selectmen will meet again on Monday, February 25 at 6:30 pm in Rochester Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Representatives for Cumberland Farms in Marion went before the Planning Board on Monday to address some issues surrounding systemic problems with the store’s HVAC set-up, as well as concerns over traffic back-up and motorist safety in and around the gas pumps.

Manny Paiva, an engineer who spoke on behalf of the company, described problems linked to water condensation that builds up inside the stores, causing puddles inside.  It’s a problem that is not specific to Marion, but has been discovered in several stores across the region.

There was not proper clearance between the condensers and the HVAC systems, causing the condensation inside the coolers.

“The proposal is to take those units, create a small concrete pad, and [move] those condensers,” he said. The units would be masked by tall, native vegetation to improve aesthetics.

  “It was an unforeseen situation when we were originally permitting the site,” said Doug Troyer, an attorney representing the company at the meeting.

“For this location, while it’s unique to Marion, it also contains some of the new styles of interior offerings.  It was not foreseen that the HVAC would cause this problem, but now it has,” he said.

The project, which would require moving the condensers from the roof to the ground level next to the building, would take about four weeks to complete, not including the planting of the vegetation.

The Planning Board voted to deny the proposal so that some members could take more time to research the situation.

In addition to the HVAC problems, Planning Board member Tom Magauran voiced concern that there is an inadequate amount of gas pumps for town residents.  He was speaking in response to correspondence between the Board and the company regarding traffic problems in and around the store.

“I think what’s painfully obvious is that this store has been very successful, much more so than the previous store ever was.  But at the same time, we lost the store across the street.  We also lost the gas dispensing facilities across the street…I honestly think that the amount of volume that’s going through that space, which should have been addressed by this board, clearly illustrates the need in the town of Marion for additional capacity in terms of gas dispensation,” Magauran said.

As a result, vehicle crowding in and around the parking of the Cumberland Farms has become an issue.

 “The traffic flow is awful.  In the summer, it’s brutal,” Magauran said, citing the inability of many motorists to navigate around the lanes to the gas pumps.

 “In all honesty, I don’t feel that system is of adequate capacity of flow for the town of Marion,” he said.

Planning Board chairman Jay Ryder said that, during the planning phase of the station, parking issues were addressed by the board and suggested that creating more parking spaces could alleviate the traffic congestion.

“We did talk a little bit about a one-way circulation coming in from Route 6 from Mattapoisett, going into the pumps one way.  Then we realized people had tanks on different sides of their cars, so that became an issue as far as traffic flow,” Ryder said.

Magauran said that another gas station was required in order to meet the gas needs of the town.  He suggested the old service station across the street could be renovated in order to be an active pumping location for local motorists.

Ryder then asked Troyer to suggest to the corporate office a renovation plan for use of that station and for an easing of the restrictions Cumberland Farms has over that property.

“I think we shot ourselves in the foot trying to be too nice,” said Magauran.  “I’m glad you have a successful store.  Everyone who goes there likes it, with the exception of the traffic flow issues.”

Troyer said he was amenable to the Planning Board’s suggestions and would speak with his corporate clients.

  The hearing was continued until the next meeting of the board, which will be held on February 19, 2013 at 5:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli