The Rochester Planning Board introduced a new commission comprised of six men and women who are passionate about agriculture at their meeting on Tuesday, April 10.

“It’s so nice of you to volunteer you time,” said Planning Board Member Ben Bailey.

The Agricultural Commission came to fruition after years of planning with the ultimate goal of balancing small commercial agriculture while helping Rochester maintain its public safety and rights of its citizens.

The Planning Board said that they have been approached by several commercial agriculture businesses in recent years with official proposals to build enterprises in Rochester.  However, none of these ideas came to reality because there were no regulations set in place.  That’s where the Agricultural Commission will step in.

The commission will ideally create a set of regulations that commercial farmers must adhere to if they wish to start a business in Rochester. The purpose of setting the regulations would be to protect the abutters of the property where these businesses would be established.  With commercial farming comes loud equipment, traffic, etc. The Commission wants to know their citizens are protected and as content as possible with the addition of these businesses in town.

Both groups agree that the biggest challenge will be finding a balance of bringing new business into town and preserving Rochester’s rural culture and agricultural character.  On one hand, new business would help lower taxes, but the both committees think traffic would become a problem and residents would be upset with noise levels. The Planning Board also worries about the potential for growing storm water problems.

On the other hand, the Agricultural Commission wonders whether or not too many regulations would scare potential businesses off. Both groups recognized that it will be impossible to please all residents, and that they can’t keep businesses out just for the sake of a couple noise complaints. There needs to be a balance.

“We need to make it easier for the agricultural community to do things,” said Agricultural Committee member David Souza.

Since the Committee is in its initial stages, it agreed that the best step to take right now is to define the areas of concern and define what is not wanted in town. In order to draw these conclusions, they will interview local farmers and look to other towns as models. While there are no official dates set in place, the Planning Board said the Agricultural Committee’s first report could happen as soon as the Fall Town Meeting.

In other news, the Planning Board agreed to look into the potential of drafting solar bylaws for the town. The board will look at the towns of Kingston and Dartmouth as models for what they could be looking for, even though the majority of the board feels like solar energy is “unreliable and a waste of money.”

The Board compared solar energy to a phenomenon much like that of cell phone towers, and they worry that after the 20-year leasing period is up, what will happen to the land that was cleared to make the solar farm? If the solar phenomenon is over, irreversible damage could already have been done to the area.

“I don’t think we should get too carried away with it,” said Planning Board member Susan Teal.

The Planning Board also voted to send a letter to the Zoning Enforcement Offer reporting the owners of Sperry Tents are in violation of their site plan.  The business had until April 1 to make revisions that the Planning Board made to their original site plans, and they were unsuccessful in making the repairs.

Lastly, the Planning Board contemplated the idea of downsizing to a five-person board in order to better ensure attendance at all meetings. They will reevaluate after the Town Elections to make the best decision.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Rochester residents are planning several activities in recognition of Earth Day later this month. At the Selectmen’s April 9 meeting, the board approved two efforts to mark the occasion:  a town-wide trash clean up and temporary Rochester Green Ways promotional signs at the 65 trees the group has planted in town.

After some discussion, Nancy Boutin and Wendy Keeler presented finer details on the clean up event – which anyone in town can join. The clean up will take place from Saturday April 21 through Wednesday, April 25 – when Highway Surveyor Jeff Eldridge plans to pick up the trash bags along the roads.

Signups to participate are scheduled for Saturday, April 21 at the Plumb Library from 10:00 am through 12:00 pm and Sunday from 8:00 am to 11:00 am at the Women’s Club, Keeler said.

In addition to the clean up, Susan Adams received approval from the board to allow Rochester Green Ways to place small wooden signs along trees the ad hoc committee has planted over the years. The signs are temporary and will be removed after one week.

In other news, Police Chief Paul Magee came before the board to recognize Officer Rob Nordahl – who singlehandedly lead the effort to restore the police department’s gym room – from cleaning it out, painting the room (with the help of his young children Robbie and Annika), and soliciting the bids for new equipment.”

“He easily put in 40 hours of his own time,” Chief Magee said, noting that the refurbished gym is now used by officers and dispatchers daily.

In the Town Administrator’s report, Richard LaCamera urged residents to avoid any activity that could result in a fire due to drought conditions.

“We are primed for a fire. Please be very careful,” he said.

He also received approval from the board to hire a part-time EMT to provide year-round coverage. He said the town receives 342 emergency calls, including 175 transports per year, and that the income from these incidences is sufficient to pay the $46,000 to fund the part-time position.

Selectman Richard Nunes inquired why the Rochester ambulance does not transfer people to Toby Hospital, relying on Wareham paramedics for the transport.

Selectman Bradford Morse explained that the town could not afford a paramedic – which can administer drugs and officially deliver a new patient to a hospital unlike an EMT – and also does not have the need as only 33 Advanced Life Support (ALS) calls occur every year.

“We’d love to have an ALS, but the alternative works very well,” he said.

• The board approved a bid of $9,640 to repair a damaged roof at the Police Station.

• The Selectmen approved the permit for the Rochester Road Race, which is scheduled for August 11 at 9:00 am.

• LaCamera said the town will be contributing $5,500 to fund a lifeguard at the Marion Silver Shell Beach, which is up from the previous rate of $3,100.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission reviewed a Conservation Restriction submitted by Allen Decker and the Coalition for Buzzards Bay to purchase and preserve about 300 acres of land off Acushnet Road on the
Fairhaven town line.

The Coalition had requested the land be preserved for light recreational activity, such as walking, picnics and bikerides.  The Commission reaffirmed their support for the plan.

In other business, one hearing for the evening was canceled and will be continued at the next meeting, and the Commission voted in favor of a request for a certificate of compliance for Matthew Avery, for a single-family house at 6 Park Place.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission will be on Monday, April 23, 2012, at 6:30 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli