Rochester’s Select Board Tuesday focused its attention on filling the three town hall positions recently vacated by retirements: Town Planner, Town Accountant, and Police Captain.

            Discussion began with its review of a request from the Freetown Town Administrator to share a Town Planner, as that nearby town currently does not have its own. The board responded rather cautiously to the suggestion after Town Administrator Cameron Durant expressed his reservations about such a plan.

            “I’m not advocating for this,” Durant said, adding that it is too soon to know who Rochester’s Town Planner will be and when he or she will be picked. “We are interviewing a candidate for the position this Friday,” he noted.

            He advised that any regional agreement of that nature would have to be approached carefully. “Regionalization is great when it is for cost savings,” he said. “My concern will be that the smaller town doesn’t get the smaller end of the draw in the deal.”

            The board, as a result, took the cautious approach of deciding to ask the Freetown selectmen to send a representative to meet with the Rochester board on the issue.

            In the search for a town accountant, Durant expressed reservations about the pay rate that the job posting for the position features. The current proposed salary range is not attracting any candidates, he said, and the town may have to raise that salary offering.

            “Fifty-five thousand dollars is not getting anybody,” Durant said. “People answering the posting say it’s not enough. We have to think about our salary range and put more money aside. Certification for this job is a multi-year process. It’s not, you attend a seminar and you’re certified. It’s a more complicated job.”

            Selectman Adam Murphy said to run a $28 million operation such as Rochester he would like to see what talent pool the position attracts before establishing a salary range for it.

            Durant disagreed. “We have to come up with a rough, do-not-exceed amount to have a comfortable conversation with any candidate,” he said. The board ultimately agreed to allow Durant to explore options such as hiring a consultant for the town accountant job on an interim basis.

            On the subject of Police Department personnel, Durant noted the town is in a similar financial bind. Police overtime, and its price tag, are trending upward, he said. Here too other ways to address these costs need to be explored, he said. Murphy suggested a new officer position should be created to cover what overtime work by other officers usually cover.

            In similar action, the board appointed its representatives to the search committees for the three vacated positions. Brad Morse will serve on the Town Planner and Town Accountant search panels. Adam Murphy will serve on the Police Captain Search Committee.

            The board also announced it will be issuing a citation to Captain Don Kemmet in honor of his recent retirement from the Rochester Police Department after 26 years of service.

            The board hosted newly-elected state representative Mark Sylvia’s presentation of a Massachusetts state flag to the town and the introduction of his legislative director, Betty Benedictus.

            The board approved a request to extend its hearing for the Rounsville Road Eversource poles to its February 18 meeting.

            The board tabled a request from town clerk Margorie Barrows for potential dates for the 2025 Annual Town Meeting and the Annual Town Election. Murphy cautioned that acceptable dates for the town meeting need first to be cleared with the venue, Rochester Memorial School, and the date cannot conflict with the Marion Town Meeting as he will need to attend that meeting as town Harbormaster.

            The board reviewed the town’s agreement that lends Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School a School Resource Officer from the Rochester police force. Durant said the current concern with this agreement is who pays the officer’s salary for sick days and training, Rochester or the school. He told the board to expect new language for this agreement and a new pact to establish an SRO at Rochester Memorial School at the next select board meeting.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, February 3rd at 6:00 pm at 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Rochester’s Planning Board Tuesday endorsed an Approval Not Required (ANR) application for the construction of three single-family dwellings on two-acre lots on High Street at Forbes Road but not without push back from board based on its closeness to Connet Woods.

            Connet Woods is designed as a regulated subdivision, Planning Board Chair Arnold Johnson said. Therefore, the board wanted the developer to agree that the High Street lots would connect to that development’s roadway before the panel would endorse the ANR. The developer’s lawyer, Attorney Peter Teitelbaum, said his client disagrees with this as a condition for the ANR and that, in fact, such a condition is not necessary for granting one.

            Johnson admitted that the town council has informed the board this condition is not required for an ANR. “But my question is that there will be no safeguards on your application that you will put this on your plans,” he said. “Some poor guy applying for a home here will not get what he wanted. Or the Connet Woods homeowners’ association will complain.”

            Teitelbaum said this road connection is something his client, Sarajon Realty, will consider but only after other avenues are explored and the subject is discussed and researched, through “a process, a very circuitous process,” he said.

            Board member Ben Bailey warned Ttttlebaum that the town will remember his client’s current irretractable attitude when other permit requests come the panel’s way in the future, and that may affect those decisions. “No one will forget,” Bailey said. But Teitelbaum did not budge from his stance as the board approved the ANR with one abstaining vote, from chair Johnson.

            In other action, the board continued until its January 28 meeting its site plan review special permit hearing for a new Eversource Energy substation at 214 Rounsville Road, upgrades necessary to interconnect distributed generation facilities in town. The panel also continued until that date its Definitive Subdivision plan hearing regarding dividing a 28-acre parcel and at 386 Snipatuit Road into a two-acre lot with frontage on Snipatuit Road containing an existing home and outbuilding and two new lots with frontage on a new roadway to be named Peter Crapo Cartway. In both cases, Johnson said the board is awaiting peer review engineering notes from Ken Motta of Field Engineering.

            Zoning Bylaw Review Committee members Richard Cutler and Mark Wellington asked the board to reconsider its vote against recommending the new accessory dwelling unit bylaw that will be voted on at the January 27 Special Town Meeting. They argued these new regulations would mean important protections for the town in the face of impending state regulations allowing these units by right. 

            Johnson responded it was too late legally to do so, and the board has not changed its mind. He said the board can’t re-vote the recommendation without re-advertising the hearing. Plus, the state is making these new regulations something that towns can find a way around. “The state keeps moving the goal post every time they see towns’ draft regulations seeking a way around them,” Johnson said.

            “If we have nothing of our own, then we will have the state rules and nothing we can about them,” Cutler unsuccessfully argued.

            The Rochester Planning Board’s next meeting will be Tuesday, January 28 at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

On January 14, immediately at the commencement of the Select Board meeting, member Jordan Collyer asked to make a public statement. Speaking from prepared notes, Collyer said he wanted to dispel rumors regarding whether or not he’d be running again in the upcoming spring elections. He confided to the public that he was a recovering alcoholic and that earlier statements he may have made regarding not seeking reelection was probably frustration fueled by alcohol. Now, after a year of sobriety and being supported by many townspeople, he said he wanted to continue serving the community. Collyer thanked family, friends, and others for their support. Collyer has been a Select Board member for 21 years.

            Returning to the agenda, the board met with the town’s engineering consultants VHB regarding the village roads reconstruction project. Coming to the conference table was VHB’s Greg Russell and arborist Paul Sellars. For an hour, the consultants provided details highlighting the condition of trees along the Main Street, Water Street, Beacon Street corridor. Each tree was given a thorough investigation and graded as to the expected lifespan and current condition. Many of the trees evidenced severe soil compaction from foot traffic and root fungus. Many of the trees in question have burst up and over existing curbs with possibly compromised root systems. Sellars also commented that the trees lack critical root zones.

            The consulting firm also studied whether or not placing utilities underground was a viable option. Given that gas, water, and electrical equipment needed sufficient spacing, the likelihood of placing those systems underground seemed dim.

            On the topic of rerouting some village streets to one-way use only was reviewed but did not impact the number of trees that will need to be removed. However, it would allow for a modest increase in the number of parking places along Water Street.

            Town administrator Mike Lorenco said that the road project will also include the replacement of fresh water systems. He said the plan is to use state and federal grant funding. All in at this point, Lorenco said the road project is now estimated at $17,000,000 before adding in any contribution the town may have to fund for upgrades to the public water system.

            The project remains at 25-percent design completion. A public meeting will be planned for the spring to continue hearing from the public and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the funding source.

            Collyer asked that the board meet for a working session to ensure all aspects of the project have been fully vetted to their satisfaction, “I want an entire meeting to discuss what was presented tonight.” All were in agreement. The project remains on the TIP schedule with a project construction start of 2028.

            Earlier in the evening, the board met with two candidates for the position of building department director. Coming before the board were William McGrady and Brandon Moroney. McGrady listed among his accomplishments being a certified building inspector and educator, knowledge of FEMA regulations, and a desire to assist the public. Moroney said he has always worked in the building trades and works part-time as an inspector in Lakeville and Raynham. As the meeting drew to a close, the board voted to offer the position to McGrady.

            Other action taken by the board on this night were the appointment of Nancy Duff to the Old Colony School Committee and the appointment of Mike Hickey to the Capital Planning Committee.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board to be announced.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell