The Marion Energy Management Committee met on Monday in part to review its October 18 audience with the Select Board.

            In a rare opportunity to be heard where it concerns the committee’s accomplishments on behalf of Marion and state its case for an influence on the energy decisions facing the town’s two major municipal construction projects, several members of the EMC took turns to report to the Select Board.

            The Select Board was admittedly impressed by the work that the EMC has done to procure $691,667 in Green Communities grant funding for the town.

            As a volunteer committee appointed by the Select Board, the EMC is eager to continue reporting its work in hopes to strengthen its influence on municipal construction.

            “It seemed like they were open to our achievable ideas, as long as we are willing to do the work. … I appreciated that invitation,” said member Alanna Nelson.

            EMC member Eileen Marum agreed the committee should report to the Select Board on a regular basis.

            “I think quarterly is going to be a challenge; every other month I think is too much,” said EMC member Jennifer Francis. “I don’t want to go there without having substantive stuff to talk about.”

            “We could move forward with a quarterly planning. Part of what I sense is going on here in the last year is we’re ready for other responsibilities,” said Nelson. “I say let’s aim for February and put an agenda item on specifically what we’d like to be talking about in January.”

            EMC member Tom Friedman suggested the committee send a representative to explain the Stretch Code. “The sense I got from them is that’s the kind of thing they’d like to see us coming forward with,” said Friedman.

            EMC Chairman Christian Ingerslev said the Stretch Code would necessitate town-meeting approval.

            “We could translate it, and I think it’s a really good idea to have a focused topic,” said Francis.

            The other main issue the EMC wants to follow up with is expert grant-writing help. Francis said that Facilities Manager Shaun Cormier has done some grant-application writing, but that “there’s no one looking for new money.” The EMC will also look to SRPEDD and Green Communities for further guidance.

            Reminded by Ingerslev that the committee was tasked by the Select Board to get an estimate for cost of solar on the DPW roof, Francis suggested that the EMC procure copies of Will Saltonstall’s architectural drawings and get a couple of bids.

            Ingerslev asked, “Does anyone here know him?” Laughter ensued.

            Francis talked about a recent conversation she had with Select Board member Toby Burr, whom she said “had so many questions” that he “didn’t feel like he should ask them all (during the EMC’s report to the board on October 18.)

            “He sounded very engaged and interested,” said Francis. “We went over a lot of stuff and it was good.”

            Bill Saltonstall suggested that some aggregation agreements are that had been in place in Marion are now run out and that there should be an opportunity to pick a new electric company or aggregator.

            “This isn’t saving energy, this is just saving money,” he said. “We could play a role in that. It goes way beyond what I’ve been doing, but it seems like there’s a hole in the system there.”

            Nelson recommended the EMC get all the information and make a strong proposal to the new town administrator.

            The EMC is still looking at net-zero energy consumption where it concerns the new Marine Center and the new Department of Public Works headquarters.

            Ingerslev noted that the roofs are being designed to carry solar power.

            The upgrading of outdated temperature controls at the Wastewater Treatment Plant is on Saltonstall’s radar for a grant application. Saltonstall said it fell off the priority list behind three applications that were ready to go.

            “We’re halfway through 2023 fiscal year,” he said, noting that six or seven months of clean-energy performance at Taber Library will count toward helping Marion reach the 20% energy-reduction that Green Communities holds as its standard.

            The Music Hall was rejected for a Green Communities grant for the same kind of work as the library. That is now being paid for by the Sippican Historical Society with funds from a Music Hall endowment, according to Saltonstall.

            Marum said she wants to look at the Wastewater Treatment Plant to pursue energy and water savings, but Saltonstall suggested the committee wait until the next Green Communities report is submitted. He would like show the committee comparative numbers for energy consumption in all town buildings.

            Saltonstall submitted a Mass Energy Insight report to a representative of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), but told the committee that once corrections were made, the report is complete. A town authority will sign off on the report and submit it during the first week of November.

            “I feel that they’re good now,” said Saltonstall. “I think, in the course of (making corrections), I lost a little in the energy-reduction. I think it went from 18.7% to 18.2%.”

            Energysource is reportedly auditing the EMC’s changeover to heat pumps (electric instead of oil-burning) in three locations: Cushing Community Center, Fire Station No. 1 and Fire Station No. 2. “If we don’t get (state-sponsored grant funding for) all three, it’s very likely that we’ll get at least two,” said Saltonstall.

            The committee discussed the meeting schedule for 2023 and is sticking with the fourth Monday of the month at 5:00 pm via Zoom.

            According to Francis, Jonathan Howland has expressed interest in joining the EMC.

            The final scheduled meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee for 2022 will be held on Monday, November 21, at 5:00 pm via Zoom.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Mick Colageo

            Three cases came to completion, resulting in favorable decisions by the Marion Conservation Commission during its October 12 public meeting.

            Rick Charon from Charon Associates represented J. Patel, K.K. Brothers Corporation, in their Request for Determination of Applicability for the upgrade of a failed septic system at 664 Mill Street, described by Charon as a package store at the corner of Congress Road and Mill Street (Route 6.)

            As Charon explained, the so-called “micro-fast” septic unit experienced mechanical failure, as did the pump chamber. The applicant dug up the leaching field, finding no problem, but mechanical components need replacement.

            The existing septic system had not been maintained for a long time so the proposed plan is to replace the existing secondary unit, the pump and electronic controls, with a new Singulair brand 96N STU unit featuring denitrification technology. Just the chamber and leaching field would remain.

            Commission Chairman Jeff Doubrava said members visited the site and asked about the town sewer line. Charon said Mill Street in that area only has septic. Charon said he is waiting on George Heufelder, the Cape Cod-based engineer who reviews all Marion septic applications. Charon told the commission he sees no possibility that Heufelder would require replacement of the leaching field, which is “working fine.”

            ConCom members Emil Assing and Shaun Walsh voiced their support for the proposal, but Walsh joined Doubrava in his utter surprise so close to the Wastewater Treatment Plant that there is no access there to town sewer.

            Charon said that even if tying into sewer were possible, digging into state-controlled Route 6 would be very difficult. Converse Road, he said, would be another matter.

            After the public hearing was closed, ConCom member Ethan Gerber motioned a Negative Box 3 Determination because the alterations to the area would be minimal, and the wetlands would not be affected by the activity. The commissioners voted unanimously to green-light the project as presented by Charon.

            In a continued public hearing, Deb Ewing once again represented The Cove in Marion Trust in its Notice of Intent to conduct proposed maintenance of vegetation at Jenney Lane.

            Doubrava summarized the continuance on the basis of a concern with having a member of the town signing the NOI as the owner. He said Town Counsel Jon Witten advised him that he could sign the NOI on behalf of the commission.

            Ewing reported that the day before the meeting, the Cove members deposited 17 more turtle babies. “We put them in the wetlands area, so that’s not an area we want to mow,” she said.

            Per the motion outlined by Walsh, the commissioners voted an Order of Conditions for the proposed maintenance of vegetation with the exception of the proposed mowing of 3,094 square feet of bordering vegetated wetlands.

            “I just don’t see the necessity for it,” said Walsh, referencing his study of box-turtle habitat. Buffer-zone mowing was covered in Walsh’s proposed motion for approval.

            Mariano and Leah Garcia-Blanco filed a Notice of Intent for demolition and various site improvements to an existing residential house lot at 18 Sippican Lane.

            Represented the applicants, Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering told the commission that an ANRAD had been filed on the property several months ago that confirmed all the resource areas on the site.

            The Blancos proposed a 920 square-foot addition to the existing house, a detached garage to the rear, along with reconstruction of an existing tennis court to make it slightly smaller and relocation of a bulkhead to the opposite side of the house. A fountain and benches will be removed and an existing septic tank and pump chamber will be replaced. The new septic system will feature denitrification technology.

            The construction, said Grady, will fall below the 10% threshold for riverfront activities.

            Based on his site visit, Assing said the applicants seemed to try to keep as much work as possible out of the riverfront area and recommended the commission vote to issue an Order of Conditions with prevention of pollution and protection of wildlife habitat. The vote was unanimous.

            Asked for comments to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding an application filed by Martha Collins-Gray and Robert Gray regarding an ongoing Order of Conditions at 114 Front Street, the commissioners agreed that a Request for Determination of Applicability filing is in order.

            The commissioners also voted to accept the Restoration Plan proposed at 122 Register Road.

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26, at 7:00 pm.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

For over a year, the Marion Affordable Housing Trust has been editing the Housing Production Plan for the community. In partnership with the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), the plan will stand as a roadmap to aid those seeking affordable housing options in Marion.

            On October 11, Tobey Ast, Norm Hills, Nancy McFadden and Chairperson Terri Santos met to finalize edits to the production document.

            With the 120-unit, Heron Cove 40B housing project on the horizon, the Town of Marion, Santos noted, will reach 11-percent of all housing stock as being “affordable,” a number slightly above the state’s suggested 10 percent.

            But that doesn’t mean the work stops for this committee.

            Santos said that of their stated goals for rental and real estate, down-payment assistance plays a part in the overall housing scheme.

            Also noted was the importance of continuing the pursuit of affordable units, given that agreements between the town and developer or unit owners oftentimes have a finite “dropout” date, the date when the unit is no longer required to remain affordable.

            Santos mentioned that the Heron Cove units may list for approximately $116,065. She also commented that “any affordable units” are good units.

            Another area of interest for the committee is finding ways to modify or change zoning requirements so that units not currently qualified become qualifiable. Santos suggested that accessory structures, primarily family-related additions, become convertible to affordable rental units. Hills commented that this proposal has been brought before Town Meeting in the past but was not proven acceptable to the voters.

            Another area being reviewed is the possibility of development on town-owned parcels. However, Hills stated such lands are primarily deeded to open space.

            The next meeting of the Marion Affordable Housing Trust is scheduled for Monday, November 2, at 6:00 pm.

Marion Affordable Housing Trust

By Marilou Newell