How to replace Jay McGrail, Marion’s town administrator of the past three years, was officially addressed by the Select Board for the first time during Monday night’s public meeting at the Police Station.

            McGrail won the job as Middleborough’s new town manager on October 11 with a unanimous vote of its Select Board. His final day working for Marion will be Friday, November 11.

            “I’m most proud of the team we have built,” said McGrail, who was effusive in his praise of Finance Director Judy Mooney, whom he touted for the interim role of town administrator following his impending departure from the Marion job. “I’ve worked with Judy hand in hand, every single, solitary day for three years. There’s nothing she hasn’t done.”

            The Select Board enthusiastically agreed with McGrail about Mooney’s performance and voted unanimously to name her the interim town administrator.

            In the immediate, the board also voted at McGrail’s recommendation to retain Bernie Lynch, founder and managing principal of Plymouth-based Community Paradigm Associates, to conduct a job search at a cost of $9,500.

            McGrail said Lynch’s initial steps will be calling the three Select Board members for initial guidance, then hold discussions with all Marion department heads. He would present a complete package for the board’s consumption at its November 1 meeting, then post the job that night or the next day. On November 1, it is anticipated that the Select Board will appoint a screening committee for the first round of applicants.

            Select Board member Toby Burr sought to confirm that the process is “not ironclad,” to which fellow member Norm Hills replied, “There’s a lot of flexibility.”

            Middleborough will be McGrail’s second job in the general role, and at 72.2 square miles (second in Massachusetts only to Plymouth) not only is Middleborough geographically nearly three times Marion’s size, the landlocked community that dominates Route 495 between Wareham and Route 24 has approximately five times Marion’s population at over 25,000.

            Atop that, the operations model of town manager will place McGrail in greater authority that he has had as town administrator in Marion.

            McGrail begins his new job on November 21.

            The board also voted to approve a contract amendment drawn up by Town Counsel Jon Witten that covers the timeline of McGrail’s departure.

            Marion’s Energy Management Committee prepared long and hard to use its 6:15 pm appointment with the Select Board to spread awareness and of its work and successes, to stress the need for a municipal grant writer to sustain its work and to urge the board to consider its recommendations to use the two, ongoing, major municipal construction projects as opportunities to make Marion a leader in what the EMC insists must be a locally driven revolution away from fossil fuels.

            Led by Chairman Christian Ingerslev, several EMC members including Jennifer Francis, Tom Friedman, Eileen Marum, Alanna Nelson and Bill Saltonstall all reported to the Select Board on various projects undertaken in recent months by the committee.

            Saltonstall gave a brief synopsis of the town’s progression to become a state-recognized Green Community, highlighting Marion’s five-year reduction of municipal energy use by 18.7%, nearly reaching 20%, a number that triggers more grant-funding opportunities with the state agency.

            To date, Green Communities grants coming into Marion total $691,667. Francis credits the efforts of former Town Planner Gil Hilario, who regularly attended many municipal public meetings as the town’s unofficial remote-meeting manager.

            Hilario’s research into grant-funding opportunities was lauded by Francis, but in the throes of the Covid pandemic, the departure of Lockheed Martin and major municipal and private construction projects, McGrail’s intentions to split grant-writing duties with new Town Planner/Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee have not been able to match Hilario’s allocation of time.

            “There’s a lot of opportunity coming down the pike, and if we’re not ready to go, we’re going to miss the boat,” said Francis.

            In response to the committee’s concerns regarding communication with the Select Board, Chairman Randy Parker encouraged the EMC to make regular appearances before the board and delved into discussion about the Department of Public Works construction and its capacity for solar, highlighting opportunistic points at which the EMC should prepare to interject energy-related proposals.

            In reporting long-term cost savings via the replacement of oil and gas-burning systems with electricity, the EMC concluded its report by tossing a question to the Select Board.

            “This has to be the decade that we pull back from climate change, and it has to start at the local level,” said Ingerslev. “What can the committee do to assist the town? We work for you.”

            “You’ve given us a lot to think about,” said Hills, indicating that a proper answer would take some time to formulate.

            In a 6:30 pm appointment, DPW Interim Director Becky Tilden and Jody Dickerson reported on staffing updates, announcing that in the wake of departures of the town’s plumber and mechanic, Andrew Leconte has been moved into the mechanic’s position and Heath Harriman is now a DPW foreman.

            McGrail credited Tilden’s leadership in the recent purchase of a street sweeper and dump truck.

            His update on the DPW Building Committee during his Town Administrator’s Report rebooted discussion with EMC members.

            McGrail also announced the timeline of a hire for the Board of Assessors in the wake of assessor Catherine Gibbs’ passing. A joint appointment with the Select Board will be made. The application deadline for the job is November 10. Interviews will be conducted in joint session on November 15, and a joint vote is planned for December 6.

            The Select Board also voted to approve: to formalize a winter-maintenance agreement for up to 13 private roads, Steen Realty’s installation of sub-metering at Marion Village Estates, the Marion Library Association Agreement, the Warrant for the November 8 General Election and designation of Chief of Police Richard Nighelli to assign a detail.

            In attendance, developer Ken Steen explained that the submetering is not being done for billing purposes but to “monitor consumption … savings and conservation. … Otherwise, there’s just no way that we can do it.” Installation will take place with oversight from the DPW.

            The town will hold a Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, November 11, at Old Landing with Marion Technical Sergeant Randy Gibbons as guest speaker.

            The Town House will close on Wednesday, November 23, at 12:00 pm and remained closed through the weekend per union contract. The Transfer Station will also be closed on Friday but will reopen on Saturday, November 26.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, November 1, at 6:00 pm at the Marion Police Station on Route 6.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo

               The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals started its October 13 meeting by honoring one of its veteran former members.

               Kirby Gilmore, 77, retired this year after 42 years of service on the zoning panel. Last Thursday, he was awarded a certificate of appreciation, “for many years of Community Service and Dedication to the Town of Rochester and its residents.”

               When he accepted the certificate from ZBA Chairman David Arancio, Gilmore was humble yet obviously proud. “I started in 1980 on this board as an alternate,” he said. “I served a lot of years. It’s just nice to see other people stepping up to volunteer.”

               In an obvious nod to his successor on the board, newly appointed full member Donald Spirlet, he said, “You’ve got good people now.”

               The board then turned to a public hearing that attracted several neighbors of 635 Mary’s Pond Road. Surprisingly, the neighbors were there to support, rather than oppose, Rochester firefighter/paramedic Patrick Flanagan’s request for zoning variances to erect a 24×40-foot addition to his home for his elderly parents and a 36×70-foot garage on his small, 1.1-acre lot.

               Flanagan said his plan is to move his mother and father to his home address because they are in their sixties and seventies (respectively) and in failing health. He said he wants to avoid sending them to a nursing home. “I’ve seen how the system treats seniors,” he said. “I don’t want that for them.”

               He also wants to install a prefabricated, Hansen-style, barn-like garage with a metal roof to store his boat, which is now in storage elsewhere and his tools. He said he would like to work on his boat in the wintertime and pursue his hobby of fixing cars.

               The addition will be closer than the 40 feet from the side-lot setback that is allowed in the zoning bylaw, approximately 29 feet back instead. Flanagan said his lot is very narrow on the west side of the lot because of the property’s configuration.

               The garage will be larger than the 1,000 square feet that the bylaw allows for an accessory structure.

               The ZBA unanimously approved the variance after neighbors in the hearing room voiced their support.

               Bob St. Orange of 627 Mary’s Pond Road said he was there to say “I have no problem with his plan.”

               Even ZBA member Jeffrey Costa, who recused himself from voting on the variances because he is also Flannagan’s abutter, said, “I have absolutely no issues with this plan.”

               Neighbor Melissa Dougall added, “I think it’s a great idea. He’s a good neighbor.”

               When motioning his approval vote, zoning panel member Richard Cutler said, “We call this an in-law apartment. And I’d like to see more of them. It would help a lot of people.”

               “No neighbors are complaining,” Spirlet said. “It all looks good to me.”

               The variances were approved with the conditions that the dwellings will not be converted into a multifamily house, no on-street parking, no commercial use and in the case of the variance for the garage, no housing of animals.

               Meanwhile, a hearing into a project at 0 Quaker Lane on the October 13 agenda was continued until October 27 at the request of the petitioner’s attorney. Variances at that address are being requested for the construction of a single house which does not meet minimum lot requirements. Several attendees who were obviously there for that hearing swiftly exited after the announcement.

               The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals will be held on Thursday, October 27, at the town’s office building, 1 Constitution Way, also accessible via Zoom.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco

Issuing Enforcement Orders when property owners fail to abide by Orders of Conditions issued by a Conservation Commission or otherwise overstep established rules for the permit they received is one of the more difficult aspects of serving on such a municipal vetting board.

            Other times, complaints received by a commission will be investigated and, if necessary, action taken. Many times, it is a simple misunderstanding on the part of the property owners.

            During the October 11 public meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission, standing Enforcement Orders were reviewed with contract environmental agent Brandon Faneuf. The good news is that most are in some stage of seeking compliance. When posting the agenda and discussing an EO, the commission publishes the last name only of the property owners.

            A property located at 11 Meadowbrook Lane owned by Miranda is pending a filing, and 6 Dupont Drive owned by Talty is awaiting confirmation that a shed has been fastened as required by the state Wetlands Protection Act.

            “Things are looking good,” stated Faneuf of 41 Cove Street, owned by Sylvia, for support beams for a new home planned on the barrier beach.

            Shore View Avenue, owned by Barboza, and represented by David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone Inc., is pending further details from Davignon.

            Property at 0 Dupont Drive, owned by Granahan, was reported by Faneuf as having had a percolation test completed, while Pico Beach Road, owned by Franceschina, was found in need of next steps. A complaint had been received that cutting along a barrier beach had taken place.

            Faneuf said it was coming up on a one-year anniversary since Franceschina had been asked to attend a meeting to explain why trees and other vegetation had been cut down without commission oversight and permitting. While the property owner did attend a meeting with assurances that he would file for a permit, nothing has been forthcoming, it was noted. Commission Chairman Mike King said Faneuf was to send another letter explaining that the next step would be MassDEP involvement.

            And, lastly, a new complaint for tree cutting at 26R Pine Island Road will be represented by Davignon at an upcoming Request for Determination of Applicability submission.

            In other business, a Certificate of Compliance was issued to Scott Goddard, 50 Howard Beach. Two requests for Certificates of Compliance for lots on Brandt Beach Road filed by Ralph Cotellesso and Stephen Napolitano were vacated, given that no work was done. New Orders of Conditions have been issued.

            Before adjourning for the evening, commissioner David Lawrence asked that people remember not to put grass clippings, leaves and other organic materials on other people’s property.

            There will not be another meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission until Monday, November 14.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell