On April 21, Mattapoisett’s Finance Committee voted to withhold recommending the local school line item in the overall FY23 operating budget in a 3-4 decision.

            Center and Old Hammondtown elementary schools are requesting a total of $7,950,000, an amount the majority of the committee believes deserves further research and discussion. The main question that has been raised by committee Chairman Pat Donoghue is why the local schools’ per-pupil costs are some 40 percent higher than the Old Rochester Regional schools.

            FinCom member Paul Amoruso stated in a follow-up that he has long asked the question why the school committee is in favor of school choice when the town is only reimbursed a mere $5,000 per student against costs that average $20,000 per student. “There is a huge disparity between what Mattapoisett pays per student and what Marion and Rochester are paying. Why?”

            Amoruso said questions have gone unanswered, and while he said he isn’t blaming anyone, the questions need to be asked and answered. “This hasn’t been explained enough by the schools. Are they using school choice to offset the shifting population?”

            Amoruso also questioned why expenses have continued to climb, given that teaching positions have been cut by 25 percent. “Have they added support staff?” He also noted one problem is likely the fact that Mattapoisett has two elementary schools. Amoruso said the majority no vote is an effort to “get Town Meeting and the town to think about what we are doing.”

            “For years I’ve tried to get people to think about this,” said Donoghue. She said that at town meetings she has brought up the increasing expenses of the schools, lack of information and cooperation on the part of school administrations but has done so in segments. Now speaking to what has been described by her as “escalating unsustainable costs” at the local-school level, Donoghue said, “I vote no (to recommend) until such time as we get answers. I can’t support it the way it is.”

            At this stage in the FY23 process, Donoghue believes there must be meaningful dialogue with the voters regarding the disparity in per-pupil costs and other financial matters. In her view, one way to inspire the voters to ask questions during the Spring Town Meeting is by forcing discourse via the withholding of the committee’s recommendation.

            To that end, the committee decided to separate the local schools’ budget line item from the town’s overall operating budget. The mechanics of going through that process during Town Meeting was explained by Town Administrator Mike Lorenco, saying a motion could be made to approve the overall operating budget except for the local school line item. Offering that as a separate item to vote on gives voters a focused pathway to engage one another, the Select Board and FinCom on what has become a high-profile topic.

            Speaking to the matter of working with the schools on future budgets, Lorenco said, “I now know where to find the data; this hasn’t been presented in the past. We need to tell the community we are an outlier (regarding per-pupil costs), but I don’t think giving them zero is a solution.”

            Lorenco said that it would not be prudent to make enemies out of the people they need to work with and that cuts would amount to cuts in such programs as music. He said, “Put it out there, open their eyes and give them a year to work things out.”

            The FY23 local schools’ budget now stands at $7,952,394. ORR is at $6,353,695 and Old Colony $875,719.

            On the plus side, Lorenco said that local receipts are now anticipated to be $31,509,793, which includes local receipts of $1,858,000, Cherry Sheet contributions $1,660,241, $70,000 from the new meals tax and the balance from real estate taxes.

            On Monday, the Select Board met to take a final look at and to approve the FY23 budget, the May 9 Town Meeting warrant and the May 17 Annual Town Election ballot.

             Before those votes were taken, the board met with Capital Planning Chairman Chuck McCullough, who appeared to let the board know that the committee moved to remove what it termed a “convenience vehicle” for the Fire Department from the list of capital expenses to be presented at Town Meeting. Although there is sufficient free cash to fund the request, McCullough said the expense is not necessary at this time.

            The motion read: “Move – to eliminate from the FY2023 Capital Plan, the additional vehicle requested by the Fire Department to be assigned to the Fire Inspector. Apparent benefits of this proposed $50,000 expenditure, as detailed by the Chief, include 1) transport of firefighters to offsite training activities, 2) an additional vehicle to dispatch to public safety summons, 3) for use by Fire Inspector to respond to nonemergency in-Town inspections.

            “The Fire Department has a staff of three full-time first responders with two staff vehicles currently assigned for Department use. Based on the information provided, the Committee classifies this vehicle request as a ‘convenience’ vehicle; an addition to the Town’s fleet that will have little influence on the effectiveness of the Department and minimal impact on the safety and security of the Community. The Committee encourages the Fire Chief to negotiate with other Town Department Heads for the occasional use of other Town vehicles during periods of inactivity to fill the Department needs.”

            The Select Board accepted the change to the draft warrant.

            McCullough went on to share that it was the opinion of the Capital Planning Committee that any unallocated free cash should be used for drainage and other roadway repairs.

            Select Board member Jodi Bauer brought up the capital expense planned for a new Police Department motorcycle to replace the Harley Davidson currently in use.

            McCullough said that the motorcycle had been described as needing replacement due to age and high mileage and that it is a fully equipped emergency vehicle. The Capital Planning Committee views it as a necessity, even though it had scored low on the committee’s list of priorities.

            Bauer said that the department’s motorcycle was purchased via a grant and believes a replacement unit should be funded in kind. She said she has also been looking into electric motorcycles called Zero Motorcycles that might be better suited for the conditions such as beaches, bike trails and wooded locations. In a follow-up, Bauer said that if the town decided to move towards becoming a Green Community, vehicles of this sort could be funded via grants including charging stations.

            The warrant was approved with the replacement motorcycle as listed.

            The board also approved the town’s FY23 operating budget $31,880,274 and the annual Town Election ballot.

            Earlier in the proceedings, Lorenco said that empty seats without candidates exist on the Board of Health, Mattapoisett School Committee (two) and Water and Sewer Commission. He said write-in candidates are an option for the voting public.

            In a follow-up, Lorenco said a winner can be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast. “If the write-in candidate does not accept the position, it would go through an appointment procedure which is different for each elected position,” he stated.

            No new meetings were scheduled by either the Finance Committee or the Select Board at the time of adjournment.

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

The Marion Energy Management Committee would like a response from the Select Board as to the former’s request to redefine the committee’s scope to include the effects of climate change as they relate to short and long-range issues facing the town.

            While that implies a name change, the preoccupation of the membership during Monday’s public meeting was rather with its desperation to be heard where it concerns two major construction projects, the proposed Maritime Center and the proposed Department of Public Works.

            The EMC wants net-zero power in both buildings, and a sense of desperation for relevancy beyond the committee’s ongoing efforts to save the town money through many small upgrades is setting in.

            EMC Chairman Christian Ingerslev said he has been told that the proposed DPW operations building is being designed to hold solar panels, but there has been no news about net-zero energy.

            EMC member Eileen Marum said she has been told the same thing, that the floor would have radiant heat, but that may require fossil fuels.

            “You have the building, you have the plan, but you’re willing to use ancient technology to heat the floor. I think we have the opportunity, we should go net-zero,” said Marum. “The governor wants everything net-zero by 2030, at least 50 percent of it, the other half by 2050. Anything … starts from the ground up, it doesn’t start from the top down. As the EMC, we should encourage them as much as possible to go net-zero, not half and half.”

            While the DPW design is budget based in order to gain voter approval at the May 9 Town Meeting, Ingerslev has come away with the impression that “They’re not going to look at anything that’s going to cost more on Day 1. … I think our recommendations are falling on deaf ears, unfortunately,” he said.

            EMC member Jennifer Francis thinks the message may not be getting out as it should, and she suggested writing letters regarding both buildings. Referencing a recent letter to the Select Board, Francis said, “I don’t think the town is moving in the direction fast enough.”

            EMC member Tom Friedman referred to Article 10 of the Town Meeting warrant on the DPW building, noting that the anticipated $4,500,000 budget for design and construction aims to transfer $1,500,000 from free cash and borrow the other $3,000,000.

            Friedman said the impacts on Proposition 2 1/2 are concerning to the Select Board and to the Finance Committee. “If we could perhaps get some input with financial experience on how to spend more now and pay less later, perhaps make an argument on that ground,” said Friedman, who thinks a leader might be hatched on the Select Board or the FinCom.

            Friedman said that “pragmatists who insist I don’t want another dollar coming out of my pocket if I don’t have to, and the future be damned” exist in too high a number outside of the committee.

            With every passing week that the town’s two big construction projects get closer to the construction phase, the frustration among the EMC membership grows.

            “Anything would be better than what we’ve got, which is lots of crickets,” said Francis.

            Ingerslev said he will write a note to the Select Board seeking a written response to the committee’s request.

            Marum recommended that people listen to Laura Gardner, chair of the Climate Realty Massachusetts project who will appear at the Marion Natural History Museum on Wednesday, May 4, from 10:30 to 11:30 am.

            The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for Monday, June 13, at 5:00 pm.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Mick Colageo

            The Rochester Select Board was joined by the Finance Committee for Monday’s public meeting to vote recommendations on the warrant articles for the May 23 Town Meeting, but their activities were overshadowed by a cloud of concern after Town Planner Nancy Durfee presented on the state’s new designation of Rochester as an “adjacent town” to the MBTA’s South Coast Rail project that will run through Middleboro and Wareham.

            As such, the state is looking at Rochester under Massachusetts General Law 40A, Section 3A as a town inside a zoning district where multifamily housing is permitted by right. As one of 175 communities so designated, Rochester is expected under Chapter 161A, Section 1, to set aside land where 750 residential units can be constructed at a minimum of 15 units per acre.

            “We don’t have water, we don’t have sewer, how would we do that?” asked Select Board member Paul Ciaburri.

            “We would have to build a very significant septic system to deal with this,” said Durfee, pointing out that her presentation is being for the sake of compliance.

            New Town Administrator Glenn Cannon said the town anticipates a lot of push-back on the measure. “Right now, the only requirement is that we present to the board,” he said.

            The reasoning behind the plan is the state’s housing crisis, the need for economic growth and transit development, thus the concept of population density around rail stations.

            The fastest route from Town Hall to the Middleboro/Lakeville Commuter Rail station is 17 miles.

            Durfee said an informational form is due back to the state by May 2; the penalty for noncompliance would be felt should Rochester apply for state grant funding.

            At an average of 4.5 people per unit, a 750-unit residential complex would increase Rochester’s population from 5,517 (2020) by 3,375 new residents (40 percent.)

            The annual cost to educate 1,621 students in the public schools at $13,570 per student would cost the town $22,000,000. It was also estimated that based on 300 gallons of water usage per unit per day, the town would consume an additional 225,000 gallons per day.

            Citing sewer limitations, stormwater, groundwater supply and wetlands impact, Durfee called those figures the tip of the iceberg. The project would require a parcel-by-parcel analysis by an outside organization. Based on Rochester’s Zoning Map, Durfee said there are very few places that the project could be located.

            “It’s a burden that we would have to bear,” she said, noting that it paints all 175 impacted communities with the same brush.

            In 2019, Durfee was working for the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) on the South Coast Rail. The state-funded effort identified 27 communities in the region including Rochester.

            “Development was designed to go where it was needed most and tempered in the towns not to be overly dense. That’s the kind of planning that I believe the state should go back to look at,” said Durfee, who told the Select Board she will update as more is learned. “This is complicated. This remains in flux as communities are now commenting on it.”

            The next hurdle for the town is an Action Plan on how to create and adopt a multifamily district, due July 1, 2023. The plan is to be on the Town Meeting warrant submitted for approval by December 31, 2024.

            The Annual Town Meeting warrant was reviewed by the Select Board in joint session with the Finance and Capital Planning committees, Town Clerk Paul Dawson and Town Moderator David Arancio.

            Article 5, the town’s FY23 operating budget of $24,174,626 was approved for recommendation to voters at the May 23 Annual Town Meeting.

            Article 13 was among the bigger-ticket items, as the Select Board approved the appropriation via borrowing and/or other funding sources of $380,000 to buy and equip an ambulance.

            Article 15 is a $110,000 public-safety feasibility study involving the long-term future of the facilities of the Fire and Police departments. Assistant Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar explained that there is money already in the town’s public-safety stabilization fund. The vote authorized the town to allocate the funds.

            Article 19 will authorize the town to spend $192,000 on six capital projects varying in expense, the most expensive being $82,000 for a fresh-air breathing compressor.

            Article 2, addressing elected official salaries, was tweaked after Select Board member Woody Hartley recommended amending the constable’s rate to $15 per hour. The board approved the measure.

            Article 3, a personnel bylaw amendment, will be subject to revision at Town Meeting.

            Articles 22 and 23, which apply to zoning bylaws including screening for solar projects and tree clearing, will soon be heard by the Planning Board. Any proposed changes will be made at Town Meeting.

            Article 25 would transfer from available funds $200,000 into the Capital Improvements Fund, and Article 24 would transfer from available funds $150,000 to the Public Safety Stabilization Fund.

            When he heard Article 21 proposes the allocation of $49,500 for a dump sander truck and Article 20 the allocation of $41,000 for an Animal Control vehicle, Hartley asked why those are not capital items. Szyndlar explained that as capital projects, those expenses “chew up so much money that other sources (are) always preferred.” Hartley asked if the town should bump up Capital funding to $300,000 next year.

            Arancio, who sits on the Capital Planning Committee, said the desire is to look at more of a three to five-year plan. “But the town has many needs,” he said.

            Article 27 is a Citizens Petition seeking to authorize the town to essentially donate a 4-acre parcel of land on the south side of Perry’s Lane near Mary’s Pond for the purpose of constructing and maintaining affordable-housing units for Rochester seniors and veterans.

            In other Select Board business, the contract for new Building Commissioner Carl Bizarro was approved. Woody Hartley was reappointed to his role as liaison to SRPEDD.

            Pauline Monroe and Mary Bessey were reappointed to the Council on Aging Board of Directors, and the Select Board voted to appoint Sandra Charron to serve a three-year term, filling the seat being vacated on April 30 by Woody Hartley. The Select Board also appointed Patricia Joy to fill the remainder of Patricia Ryan’s term on the COA Board.

            David Hughes was approved by the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School Appointing Authority including Rochester School Committee members and Town Moderator David Arancio.

            In a brief Town Administrator’s Report, Cannon discussed grant applications, noting that Representative William Straus and Senator Michael Rodrigues are supporting Rochester’s effort for a feasibility study for the town’s safety facilities. Cannon also said that interviews for a new library director are complete.

            Arancio publicly thanked Kirby Gilmore, who is stepping down from the Zoning Board of Appeals when his term ends on April 30.

            The Select Board voted to accept the letter of resignation of Dan Gagne from the Conservation Commission, pending acceptance by the commission.

            Old Rochester Youth Baseball’s Parade will be held on Saturday, May 7, on Dexter Lane and Mary’s Pond Road.

            The Select Board entered executive session and did not return to public session. The next meeting of the board was not set before adjournment.

Rochester Select Board

By Mick Colageo