The River Junction, the recently rebuilt tavern that sits at the site of the old Gilda’s at 27 Wareham Road (corner of Route 6 and River Road near the Wareham town line), got approval on a state-mandated correction to its alcohol license during a brief, public hearing held by the Marion Select Board on December 29 at the Town House.

            “This is an administrative action only and does not change the setup, layout or previous request,” explained Town Administrator Geoff Gorman to the board.

            The board approved an application for an Alteration of Premises to an existing, on premises license for the sale of all alcoholic beverages, per the request of the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Commission (ABCC.) The information in the original application filed by the owners did not match the other information on the premises, so a public hearing was necessary to correct the documentation.

            No comment on the case was forthcoming from the board or the public during the public hearing.

            In other actions, the board voted to accept an anonymous, $150 donation to the Harbormaster Department.

            The board approved three Water/Sewer commitments: $1,322,932.31 (quarterly billing December 19, 2023), $155 (sewer-reconnection fee December 19, 2023) and $1,241.60 (final readings December 20, 2023.)

            Gorman publicly recognized retiring Finance Director Judy Mooney, whose final day on the job was on December 29, the day of the meeting. New Finance Director Heather O’Brien, whose finance background is in the business world, has spent the last few months working with Mooney to learn the ropes.

            The Select Board entered executive session under state law for Purpose 3 for strategy for negotiations with nonunion personnel (the town administrator) and/or to conduct collective-bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel and did not return to public session.

            The Marion Select Board scheduled its first regular meeting of the new year on Wednesday, January 3 and has also scheduled a special meeting for 12:00 pm on Thursday, January 4. With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 15, the board has also set its second regular meeting of 2024 on a Wednesday: January 17 at 6:00 pm. Until further notice, the Select Board is meeting in the conference room at the Town House Annex Building (Main Street entry.)

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo

The Year 2023, as displayed this week with 49 of our 52 Wanderer covers, saw Mattapoisett residents and the town’s water-treatment plant survive an EF-1 tornado that left a spectacular damage path north of I-195.

            The short-lived twister uprooted many trees, taking toolsheds (and at least one generator) with them and blocking roads. A hot tub even flew over a shed and landed across the street multiple properties away from its home. One resident told The Wanderer that his cell phone received an emergency signal and in 30 seconds, the forest had landed in his front yard – sideways.

            Towns are still collecting from insurance companies on damage to public property.

            Speaking of the water-treatment plant, the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission took significant steps toward the 2024-planned installation of a state-of-the-art filtration system in the plant that feeds five MRV member communities.

            Concerned about the potential loss of control of the water produced in its own lakes and ponds, officials in member town Rochester took issue with a deed restriction orchestrated by the Buzzards Bay Coalition that the latter says is meant solely to protect water supplies. Rochester water officials have long disagreed with the state’s redistribution of its water to the City of New Bedford, with no say in the matter nor compensation due Rochester.

            Meantime, Rochester has appointed committees to study feasibility and construction in hopes of making major upgrades to its Fire and Police stations affordable to the town’s taxpayers. Two steps taken that are meant to lower costs: Rochester became the first municipality in the state to opt out of the state’s Green Communities program and has also opted out of building according to the stretch code.

            Upon complaints, Rochester’s Plumb Library no longer hosts a Tri-Town Against Racism Little Free Library, but word on the street is a new location is being considered by the community-based group.

            In Marion, site preparation began for the construction of the new harbormaster’s headquarters, while design continues in preparation for a new DPW operations center at Benson Brook.

            Nitrogen, a threatening word in harbors, became a scary one for Tri-Town homeowners who have apparently, for the time being and because they reside on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal, been spared a mandatory upgrade to their home septic systems. Albin Johnson, a founding member of the Marion Board of Health, is pushing to get that town to rescind its bylaw requiring denitrification technology in any new construction.

            A second young sailor with local ties who crossed the Atlantic on a solo journey survived an attack of Orca whales in a follow-up sail that had just left Portugal for Greece. Locally, hundreds cheered as Arabella, a 38-foot wooden sailboat built in western Massachusetts, set sail out of Mattapoisett Harbor.

            Among many significant losses, the community will most remember WWII veteran and centurion Howard Tinkham, a cranberry grower whose donations of hundreds of acres of land have been key to the Tri-Towns’ water-conservation effort.

            Finally, The Wanderer wishes happy 2024 to all retirees from public service in the Tri-Towns, including former Mattapoisett Schools Principal Rose Bowman, Marion Finance Director Judy Mooney and longtime Rochester Select Board member Woody Hartley.

By Mick Colageo

            Rochester’s Select Board on Tuesday night approved a Special Town Meeting warrant with a wider variety of articles than most annual town meetings have.

            The first of the 10 articles on the January 22 warrant (7:00 pm at Rochester Memorial School, 16 Pine Street) will accept a law that mandates the town boost the pay of any town employee who is away serving in the military “to receive pay without loss of ordinary remuneration as a public employee” during this service.

            Police Chief Robert Small said he has one employee now serving in the National Guard at the United States’ southern border. Accepting this provision will allow him to pay that town employee to make up for what money he is losing as a military employee. Finance Committee Chairman Kris Stoltenberg said his board is also recommending this article.

            Article Two will seek to amend the town’s senior tax work-off program by increasing the amount of tax liability that may be abated through a work-off to $1,500. The previous limit was a $750 abatement.

            Article Three would transfer $400,000 from the town’s Stabilization Fund to “improve various roadways in town.” Stoltenberg said the Finance Committee favors the move but would like to know about what the Highway Department will spend the funds on.

            Article Four would transfer $54,380 from Public Safety Facility Feasibility Study funds, as this part of the planning process has been completed, to Public Safety Facility design funding.

            Article Five would transfer $30,000 from free cash for the cost to hire a temporary employee or a consultant to fill unexpectedly sudden vacant positions. Town Administrator Glenn Cannon explained people have been hired in this fashion to cover vacancies in the treasurer’s and town clerk’s office through other town funds. The purpose needs its own funding source.

            Article Six would transfer $21,270 from Capital Improvement Funds for a variety of town expenditures, including $7,000 for Counsel on Aging walkway repairs, $5,000 for a Council on Aging walk-in cooler and roof and $3500 to hire a consultant to review and revise Planning Board rules and regulations.

            Article Seven will authorize the Select Board to file a Home Rule Petition to allow Fire Chief Scott Weigel to remain in the position past his mandatory retirement age. Weigel turns age 65 in April. Cannon said the chief wishes to stay on to see the completion of the Public Safety Facility project.

            Article Eight will change a town bylaw so that the Select Board has greater control over Council on Aging hiring decisions. The bylaw currently reads the COA shall appoint its employees. The change will allow the COA to follow the same hiring procedures and policies as other bylaw employees. Cannon explained that police patrolmen, librarians and the COA workers are the town’s only non-bylaw employees.

            Article Nine would add one parcel to the town’s Smart Growth Overlay Distinct, which covers the Routes 58 and 28 end of town and must be altered because the owner of a liquor store there wishes to move his establishment to land that the overlay district does not yet encompass.

            Article Ten would authorize the town to seek legislative approval to grant a liquor store license for that new Smart Growth Overlay Distinct property. Cannon explained the town was granted one more liquor license than the town was allowed for the district. Now that license must be deemed allowable on the additional parcel.

            In other action, the board voted not to exercise its right to purchase land being taken out of 61A agricultural land protection at 0 Bishop Road. The property is being planned for a two-lot subdivision.

            Cannon announced a Tri-Town Selectmen’s meeting will be held at the Mattapoisett Fire Station next Tuesday at 5:30 pm and will begin with a tour of the station.

            The next regular meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, January 16, at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco