The Rochester Planning Board Tuesday night approved a $805,000 surety bond for the developers of the massive Village at Plumb Corner housing project to begin Phase II of the construction process. First, however, the board chided the project’s technical consultant, Brian Wallace, over what has not been done to the panel’s satisfaction in Phase I.

            “Stuff we ask for, we never get,” Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson complained. “Stuff you want, we make it happen.”

            All paving isn’t finished, and the Community Building that was supposed be part of Phase I has not been constructed, Johnson elaborated, and work on the Countryside Child Care playground relocation has not started.

            The board also chided the developer’s use of the word “substantially” complete in its request to move on to Phase II. It is the board’s responsibility, not the developer’s, to decide when work is “substantially” done, Town Counsel Blair Bailey said.

            “We have done quite a bit of work over the last year,” Wallace responded, noting the work has been done at a steady pace. “But there are a lot of moving parts.”

            Wallace promised that construction of the community building will be done and ready for an occupancy permit around August 31, and the playground will be relocated around late August or early fall.

            “That Community Center foundation should have been done first,” Johnson responded, noting this was agreed upon as part of Phase I.

            The board then agreed that its consulting engineer, Ken Motta, would review the site work in order to prepare a full punch list of everything that must be completed before Phase II begins.

            In other business, the board announced it has received the draft decision approving the Countryside Child Care playground relocation plan. It delayed voting on the decision, pending input from Motta and Town Counsel Blair Bailey.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, June 28, at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Planning Board
By Michael J. DeCicco

The June 2 meeting of the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission was broadcast in a hybrid format and uploaded to the ORCTV’s Vimeo page. On the agenda was the ongoing construction of a bike path between Creek Road and Jenna Drive on Point Road.

            The path passes through the Marion town layout, as well as private property and conservation land. The path requires a number of trees to be cleared, which in turn requires police supervision along populated streets in order to ensure no falling debris results in injuries or property damage. Or as MOSAC Chairperson John Rockwell more concisely put it, to avoid anyone “getting whacked.”

            It was brought up that falling limbs or other mishaps could result in outages along streets that have power lines, so any crews working in those areas should take extra care. The commissioners discussed various options for tree-removal companies, as well as the delays and increases in cost that have come about as a result of the pandemic. Gas prices in particular were cited as problematic, especially regarding the transportation and disposal of the felled trees.

            Rockwell suggested looking into selling the lumber to offset the cost of removal and suggested a mill might have use for the trees. Again, the cost of transportation was brought up as a factor, as well as how large the trees were, as some equipment was deemed unable to handle logs of a certain girth.

            In addition to police details and cutting costs, the commissioners discussed patterns and nesting behaviors of local birds in order to ensure clearing the trees won’t disrupt their activities.

            A question was raised by MOSAC member Debbie Ewing on behalf of Karen Gregory of the Marion Council on Aging, seeking information on work programs. Rockwell told the group that the Senior Work Group has previously assisted in the maintenance of trails and other natural areas by facilitating the removal of fallen branches, debris or litter. He had high praise for the program, stating it is a great way to get exercise while helping the community. The program requires support from both the Council on Aging and MOSAC. A member of MOSAC is present during outings.

            Discussion then moved on to grant updates. Rockwell informed the commission that they were successfully funded at the May 9 Town Meeting through the forestry grant for their survey work. As the grant money initially had a spend-by date of June 15 and the commission wouldn’t have authorization until at least July, the request was resubmitted, and Rockwell was assured that MOSAC is in the front of the line.

            Next on the agenda was the Open Space plan, specifically the criteria used to determine and declare “open space.” The current criteria was set by a local survey taken in 1994, as applying for certain grants required set parameters. The commission suggested it is time for an updated set of criteria, and seeing as it’s been nearly three decades since the last survey to create such things, a new survey was suggested.

            The sticking point discussed was distribution, as nowadays paper surveys are not likely to generate much of a response, and digital surveys still require a method of distribution in order to get the word out to citizens. Still, a survey was landed upon as the best way forward. That way, the matter of why a particular area is declared open space is left up to the people it impacts the most.

            “It’s not our board saying this is important, it’s the citizens of the town of Marion saying this is important,” Rockwell voiced, supporting the survey wholeheartedly.

            The next meeting of the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission was not set at adjournment.

Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission

By Jack MC Staier

            On Tuesday afternoon, Tata & Howard engineer Jon Gregory presented a $315,000 services agreement for the design and bidding of the Mattapoisett Water Treatment Plant upgrade that the engineering firm has been working on for years with the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission.

            “We’re ready to go ahead and execute this agreement,” said Gregory. “This is the full-scale design and bidding services agreement for the plant upgrade.”

            Gregory summarized the agreement as split into two projects: procurement (a means to purchase the ultra-filtration equipment approved by the commission for installation at the plant) followed by the overall full design of the upgraded plant, including specifications for the installation of the new Puron filtering system and all associated upgrades.

            Some aspects of that phase include subsequent work and subcontracting with an electrical engineer and a structural consultant for the storage of “hefty” equipment in the loft area. The agreement includes all the piping, submitting of applications with the state Department of Environmental Protection for its approval and working with vendors.

            “Senior-level staff will be working on this,” said Gregory, who on June 6 submitted the agreement for the commissioners’ review.

            “I just want to interject to the group, there is a large amount of work to put this project together … the cost seems justified. I have no issues with this at all. There are a lot of opportunities to upgrade the plan,” said Commission Chairman Vinnie Furtado.

            Gregory clarified that there will be a separate piece that involves the actual construction.

            The commission voted to approve the agreement, putting the project into motion.

            The commission unanimously voted to approve an amendment adding $5,000 to the FY22 Tata & Howard (general) Operations Engineering Agreement.

            “We exceeded the scope,” said Gregory in detailing the reasons for the request, including the coordination of meetings, technical assistance during the boil order and preparation for Town Meeting for plant upgrades. He said the $5,000 will get Tata & Howard through FY22 with a new, not-to-exceed fee of $35,000.

            Gregory did not see any reason why the overage should carry over to the Tata & Howard FY23 Operations Engineering Agreement, which will not exceed $30,000. “At present we feel that the present scope will cover FY23,” said Gregory. Bailey said he has no issues with the document as presented by Gregory. The commission voted unanimously in favor of the FY23 agreement.

            Addressing the MRV Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee, Gregory said that the Tata & Howard FY23 Hydrologic Monitoring Engineering Agreement is not to exceed $35,000. The committee voted to move forward with the agreement and authorized Vinnie Furtado to sign off.

            The committee approved the purchase of two level loggers at a total cost not to exceed $1,600.

            The MRV will soon be advertising for part-time bookkeeping help.

            Vinnie Furtado collaborated with respective commission and committee treasurers Wendy Graves and Jeff Furtado on a job description and invited suggestions from both memberships.

            As a starting point, it was agreed that the contracted bookkeeper would spend approximately five hours per month on regular duties pertaining mainly to the committee and some to the commission, prepare an annual report and also participate in budget meetings.

            Monthly invoices for the commission totaled out to $90,478.08, including a bill from the Town of Mattapoisett for its fourth-quarter (FY22) payment of $43,432.49 for salaries and wages.

            Committee Treasurer Jeff Furtado reported a total account of $266,733.02 minus $150,000 encumbered for the MRV land protection partnership for a net total of $160,733.02.

            The next meeting of the MRV Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, at 3:30 pm with the MRV Water District Commission meeting to immediately follow at 4:00 pm on the same Zoom call.

MRV Water District Commission/Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee

By Mick Colageo

            In updating the Rochester School Committee on the town’s School Improvement Plan during the committee’s June 1 public meeting, Rochester Memorial School Principal Derek Medeiros identified pillars of the larger district’s overall Strategic Plan 2023.

            He focused on project-based learning and opportunistic implementation of what he called the four C’s. By working together on projects, children learn how to collaborate, think critically and communicate.

            The Old Rochester Regional School District’s plan is a “Theory of Action” that outlines how to provide life and career skills for its students via “rigorous and relevant curriculum” and “multiculturalism, diversity and global awareness” using “evidence-based approaches.”

            How that applies to elementary-school students is through project-based learning opportunities provided by teachers, specialists and administrators with experiences designed to target content and process according to age.

            Medeiros said he and Assistant Principal Charles West will work on evaluation of lesson plans and results.

            A key, 21st-century skill learned during the pandemic was becoming proficient in Zoom technology. Coming out of the pandemic, Medeiros talked about various ways in which the pandemic impacted progress in key social areas.

            In pointing how well RMS students acclimated back to normal life in school, Medeiros credited teachers, saying that, “None of that happens without relationship building.” Students were comfortable asking questions and taking direction.

            “That was key for us because we knew that hybrid and Zoom was definitely going away,” he said.

            Another pillar Medeiros identified was training in “responsive classroom” programs designed to evaluate students’ needs and address areas that need support. Panorama survey and Kaleidoscope are two tools that teachers use to measure data and identify areas of need.

            Late in the meeting, Medeiros updated the committee on RMS’s literacy campaign, outlining the process and interaction with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE.)

            Fire and evacuation training has been done with the guidance of the Rochester Police Department. Teachers are being trained to make sure certain doors are closed at certain hours, all part of a strategic plan to ensure safety at a volatile time. Training occurs under the acronym “ALICE,” which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

            Committee Chairperson Sharon Hartley discussed school safety and security, pointing to renovation of the RMS entry. “To see the effort that goes into that when you walk into our main office … knowing that our school leaders and our office personnel are monitoring” illustrates the commitment to safety, she said.

            Hartley opened the meeting with a moment of silence for the affected families and community around the tragic shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

            “It takes a toll on the heart. I know my heart aches for all those families impacted by the tragedy in Texas,” said ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson. “I think Mr. Medeiros did a nice job of explaining some of the work we’ve done recently, and although an event that happened in Texas is a reminder our efforts have been ongoing … ALICE training is probably the least-fun type of work that we do.

            “We understand the different perspectives on it, but we also want to make sure our staff members and our students are as prepared as they possibly can be. … I don’t have a doubt in me that our staff and our educators will do everything they can in those type of moments to make sure that student safety is their primary focus.”

            RMS has double doors, noted Nelson, along with many security cameras and an updated alarm system. “We’re fortunate to have those resources out of our operating budget,” he said. Nelson encouraged people who see things to reach out, ask questions and find out who anyone is that is not readily recognized.

            ORR’s Vision 2023 is in Year 4 of a five-year program, and come August or September the district will start planning for its next improvement cycle. RMS is classified as an update, being in Year 1 of a two-year plan.

            Early in the meeting, Hartley said she was happy and sad to recognize three retirements: Jane LaRue, who spent 18 years in food service at RMS; Kris Mathieu a third-grade teacher for 18 years; and instrumental music teacher Christine Williamson.

            The committee voted to approve two leases, one being with the Countryside Child Care Center at the same rate as the 2021-22 academic year. The other is with the Southeastern Massachusetts Education Collaborative (SMEC) to renew the leases from the past year that comprise a “strong partnership,” according to Nelson. The request is for two full-size classrooms and one smaller space.

            The committee approved the donation of a mural from Mathieu that will have a home at a donated tree.

            “I really feel like the kids need to see these positive messages given to them,” said Mathieu, who talked about greeting each and every individual child at school and thought the mural would add to that sense of belonging.

            June 1 was the final meeting of the committee for the 2021-22 school year and the last half day of system-wide professional development.

            During subcommittee reports, member Jason Chisholm reported from the ORR School Committee that member Joe Pires suggested the committee work to make the community aware of what constitutes membership on the school committee and what the committee does.

            Robin Rounseville reported on behalf of the READS subcommittee that DECA (ORR’s business club) was award $1,967 in grant funding, the “Light a Fire” music program was awarded $1,000, and the Garden program was funded $2,000.

            The committee voted to reaffirm Hartley as chair, upon which she emphasized the importance of maintain its team spirit. “We all have a flame, and everybody makes the difference and inspires us,” she said. The committee voted for Rounseville as vice chair. Diana Russo was voted as committee administrator and Russo and Toni Bailey as recording secretaries.

            RMS will once again be represented on the ORR School Committee by Jason Chisholm. Hartley and Rounseville will continue to represent Rochester on the Joint School Committee, and Rounseville will stay with the Tritown Education Foundation while Hartley will remain the town liaison.

            Chisholm will serve on the Equity Subcommittee. Nelson will continue with READS and Anne Fernandes will stay with SMEC. Kate Duggan will stay with the Early Childhood Advisory Council.

            The Rochester School Committee entered executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining and to comply with the provisions of any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements and only returned to public session to adjourn.

            The next meeting of the Joint School Committee will be held on Thursday, June 23, at 6:30 pm, and the next meeting of the Rochester School Committee will be held on September 1.

Rochester School Committee

By Mick Colageo