Richard Vacca is a biologist, has worked as a quality assurance engineer, and has been an environmental planner in the private sector, as well as town planner and conservation agent for Franklin, Hanson and West Bridgewater. Vacca is also an attorney.

            After Vacca came before the Mattapoisett Select Board on Tuesday night as an applicant for the combined position of Town Planner and Conservation Agent, the board voted to offer him the job.

            During his interview, Vacca detailed his extensive experience working in the public sector since 1995 and before that holding positions of considerable responsibility with such companies as Stone and Webster. He noted that he served 12 years as town planner for Franklin and for the last nine years has held a dual position of planner and conservation agent for Plymouth.

            Vacca shared that for his graduation present from law school he received an appointment working on the Trans-Atlantic pipeline. “I’ve had a good career,” he said.

            When asked about his experience with various state and federal agencies, it was clear that Vacca is fully versed including some experience with international agencies. Of FEMA, he said that he is currently Plymouth’s CRS coordinator, a position that coordinates a community’s verifications and recertifications.

            “I want to take my experience to Mattapoisett,” said Vacca, who recently discovered the southeast region of the state and found it beautiful.

            Select Board member Tyler Macallister asked if he was more knowledgeable in conservation or planning. “I think it’s balanced,” Vacca replied.

            Macallister also asked Vacca to discuss how he handles “back and forth” situations with the public. He said he prefers a single point of contact in complex projects to eliminate competing interests but noted that all parties should be engaged.

            Vacca was told by Macallister that most of the more-buildable lands in Mattapoisett have been developed, leaving what he described as fringe areas primarily in wetlands. Vacca said Mattapoisett is not alone in this regard. “A lot of the work is in buffer zones; it’s important to protect resource areas. I know about wetland replications, but they don’t work well,” said Vacca, noting that prehearing meetings are important for the purpose of gathering details and surface issues that might be problematic to a project.

            Select Board Chairman Jordan Collyer asked Vacca about his experience with master plans. Vacca responded that he had worked on them in the past and found them to be useful if the town was committed to utilizing them; otherwise, they become a “door stop.”

            Select Board member Jodi Bauer had a much more direct question: “Would you stay here until you retired?” Smiling, Vacca said, “You could expect five to seven years.”

            Collyer asked, “If you had to pick Conservation or Planning, which would it be?” “My background is in biology, that’s my focus and my forte,” stated Vacca.

            While describing the Conservation Commission as being in a good place with the services of a consultant, Collyer said the Planning Board is backlogged and that Vacca would have to “right the ship.”

            Later in the proceedings, the board voted to move forward and offer the position to Vacca.

            Unfortunately for Planning Board member Janice Robbins, she missed the interview with Vacca and came forward to discuss the Planning Board’s budget. However, the conversation centered on the dire condition of the Planning Board office absent an administrator.

            “Without an administrator or professional planner, we are in the dark,” Robbins stated. She said the board had not had any real assistance, especially with clerical matters, for a year and that there was no one who could write a decision for approved applications. She pled for a professional planner and clerical assistance; otherwise, “We can’t move forward,” she said. “The needs are substantial if the town wants to move forward.” Robbins noted that legal services have been used to assist in decisions primarily because the Planning Board has had nowhere else to turn.

            Collyer assured Robbins that the Select Board understands the situation and that he feels confident that Vacca is the right person for all that she had mentioned. Town Administrator Mike Lorenco added that clerical help would become available soon.

            The board also met with Lisa Sullivan, the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the Green Communities initiative, to discuss its invitation to Mattapoisett to join. Sullivan said the goal is to make the future cleaner using cleaner energy sources including everything from electric cars to LED lighting, both of which are available to members of the program.

            Sullivan said that 280 Massachusetts communities have signed onto the program, receiving a total of $20,000,000 in grant funding annually spread over the state, that no tax dollars were used to fund grants and that participating towns have enjoyed some $25,500,000 in energy savings.

            Mattapoisett could receive $134,000 in the first year, Sullivan said, for such programs as energy planning assistance, technical assistance and administration funding.

            There are five criteria that must be met, Sullivan pointed out. They include As-Of-Right Siting for at least one of the following: renewable or alternative energy-generating facilities, renewable or alternative-energy research and development facility or renewable or alternative-energy manufacturing facility; 12 months to implement from date of initial application; establishing energy baseline and 20-percent reduction plan; purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles and minimize lifecycle costs on all new construction including implementation of building Stretch Code.

            The Select Board took the proposal under advisement.

            At the beginning of the meeting, the board met with Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer to discuss the numerous roadway and culvert projects facing the town. Bauer said he has approximately $100,000 remaining in last year’s state Chapter 90 funding, anticipates receiving $228,000 for FY23 from the state and another $250,000 that will be asked for at the Spring Town Meeting. The list of roadway projects includes but is not limited to Pearl Street, Water Street culvert and Industrial Drive. A planned overlay project for River Road is also on the schedule but may have to be coordinated with the Randall Lane Solar project to ensure the fresh overlay is not damaged by heavy transport trucks serving the construction site.

            The board met with Lions Club president Valeri Kane, who requested and received permission to have the large tent erected at Shipyard Park on July 6. She also said that Harbor Days will take place on July 16 and 17, and the triathlon is planned for July 24.

            Michael Ward received an increase to his aquaculture license by 0.37 acres near the Brandt Point Marina for winter placement of oyster cages.

            POI Market was continued until such time as the applicant is ready to discuss permitting and licenses with the board. Collyer said that the Building Inspector David Riquinha has been working with the owner.

            The board also appointed Dr. Dunn to the Mattapoisett Council on Aging and Robert Caldas as a civilian EMT/Training Dispatcher.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12, at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

            Jeffrey and Amanda Costa will be able to build their garage and covered breezeway at 47 Cross Road after the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals determined during its March 17 public hearing that a variance allowing greater than the by-right square footage is warranted.

            In deliberating the merits of the request, ZBA member Donald Spirlet said he considers a 1,000 square-foot garage, Rochester’s by-right limit for unattached garages on a lot of the Costas’ size to be “tiny,” and he sees no problem with the project. “I think this is a no-brainer, 1,000 square feet is too small, but it’s the bylaw and we have to deal with the bylaw,” said Spirlet, referring to Chapter 20.40, Section E.2 (7.)

            Owners of the property since 2016, the Costas explained that the current plan was always on their radar, held back only by financial constraints.

            Amanda Costa, who served as main spokesperson for the project, said the plan was based on the lot’s topography, the septic system and well and the back deck and shed.    Proposed setbacks significantly exceed requirements on the 8.21-acre lot zoned as residential with 225 feet of frontage.

            In addressing the hardship prerequisite for the variance, the applicant said the lack of affordability at the outset is what delayed the application to this time.

            The plan calls for a first floor of 1,280 square feet connected to the house by a 503 square-foot breezeway. There was some uncertainty as to the size of the proposed breezeway, but no one took issue. Breezeways do not constitute an attachment for bylaw purposes.

            The garage’s second floor unfinished would be approximately 850 square feet for a total of 2,633 square feet. The garage will measure 32 by 40 feet with a 1-foot overhang all the way around.

            ZBA Chairman David Arancio asked if the Costas plan to make the house a multi-family residence, to which Amanda Costa replied there are no such plans, nor would she oppose that becoming a condition of the board’s approval.

            ZBA member Kirby Gilmore asked if the board had the authority to condition that the property not be converted to multi-family without subsequent approval. ZBA member Richard Cutler said the size of the lot allows the Costas to convert the property by right, but once the applicant enters into an agreement of a variance that is not theirs by right, a condition thereof can require that the property owner file a new application with the board.

            Cutler read the motion to approve including the condition that any plan to convert the property to a multi-family residence be brought back before the ZBA for approval. A unanimous vote of approval followed. With no abutters present in person at the meeting, Gilmore motioned to waive the reading of the abutters’ list.

            Case No. 1163, a variance extension request made by Carl Achorn at 0 Snipatuit Road, was granted a continuance to the board’s March 31 meeting.

            The next meeting of the Rochester ZBA is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Mick Colageo

            Both applicant Christopher Kuppens and the Kittansett Club came away from public hearings with the March 9 Marion Conservation Commission able to proceed with their plans.

            The commission voted to issue an Order of Conditions to Kuppens for his Notice of Intent to construct a driveway, install utilities and perform site grading within the buffer zone to a vegetated wetland at Deer Run. Commission members conducted a site visit on March 5.

            Project representative Brady Grady of G.A.F. Engineering explained while sharing his computer screen displaying site-plan images that the jurisdictional work for the project is the driveway, the utility installation and associated grading to access the site.

            A cul-de-sac at the end of Deer Run accesses an existing pathway that will be substantially eclipsed by the driveway that will run to a house to be located at the rear of the lot in an upland area.

            Walsh said that the wetlands flags that were delineated by Brad Holmes were in a report received by the commission. Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee said he reviewed the flags and was comfortable with the soil information. Walsh said there will be no work on the erosion side of the erosion-control barrier.

            Vice Chair Jeff Doubrava, who was not able to make the official site visit but walked the site on the day of the public hearing, said he had received the soils analysis but did not see on the site plan where the soils were taken. Grady said that the wetland delineation was not indicated on the plan being viewed, but he identified the critical area on the site plan and said he can add that information.

            Doubrava also asked about the paved road in the southeast portion of the property. Grady identified it as a private road with no frontage so the only access to the construction site is off Deer Run.

            Doubrava pointed out that the driveway comes close to the wetland boundary and the significant distance to the abutting house. Grady said the reason the driveway is not planned to be placed more east is installations like the water surface that must be sunk 5 feet into the ground and even the electric and cable 2 feet into the ground would sever the roots to the trees on the abutting property or straddling the property line.

            “My concern is that we don’t come back here in two years’ time and find out that a bulldozer inadvertently clear-cut the site,” said Doubrava.

            Grady said he has discussed the matter several times with the applicant and made it clear that he cannot do any extra work outside the buffer zone without an additional filing with the commission.

            ConCom Chairman Shaun Walsh authored a special condition that any work in the wetlands and/or the buffer zone not specifically authorized in the Order of Conditions voted upon by the commission be subject to an additional filing with the commission.

            The commission voted the Kittansett Club a Negative (Boxes 2 and 3) determination of applicability in answer to the RDA application filed by the golf club and Steve Mann, 11 Point Road for the addition of stone and loam, seed and/or sod to regrade and maintain the existing overflow parking area within land subject to coastal storm flowage and the buffer zone to a coastal bank.

            The commissioners visited the site on March 12 and requested and received some spot elevations to get the picture on what the site will look like when completed, including the proposed parking area.

            The existing overflow parking area is within the 100-foot buffer zone. Proposed minor grading is intended to mitigate puddling that traditionally occurs after rain.

            Two continued public hearings were opened only to be continued at the applicant’s request.

            John and Pamela Lees’ NOI for reconstruction of a single-family house, an inground swimming pool, along with repair of a seawall with associated work at 49 Water Street was continued to the commission’s March 23 public meeting, and the NOI filed by the Marion Trust #1, Michael Craffey trustee, to repair an existing seawall and pier and remove invasive phragmites at 522 Point Road was continued to the commission’s April 13 public meeting.

            Requested for comment to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding Heron Cove Estates waiver requests, Walsh said the project is proposed in the “highest and driest” part of the property, away from any resource areas jurisdictional to the commission. Based on an ANRAD filed in the past, Doubrava said there have been several iterations of the proposed development and wanted to be certain that none of the lots in the current proposal are not in jurisdictional areas.

            In other business, the commission voted to approve a three-year extension to the Piney Point Beach Club’s order of conditions that for the past three years has allowed beach nourishment and work around the clubhouse.

            The commission received notice from Eversource that herbicides will be spread along the company’s major power lines that run from Washburn Park to the intersection of Point and Delano roads and to the Wareham town line.

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, at 7:00 pm.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

            On March 9, the Marion School Committee held the public hearing for the FY23 Marion school budget.

            Handed the controls after opening remarks by Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber outlined the budget in a PowerPoint presentation.

            The foundational approach has been to create a zero-based budget, cost-effective programming and staffing, forecast operational needs, achieve administration and department-based goals and a continuation of an all-funds budget approach.

            The total cost of operating the Marion School District (a member of the ORR School District) was budgeted for $6,700,895 in FY22; that number is going up this year to $6,965,996, an increase of almost 4 percent.

            The $6,965,996 figure encapsulates all operational costs including those related to the Bristol County Agricultural High School assessment. Bristol Aggie is down to $72,646 for FY23 from $126,744 in FY22 based on Marion student enrollment.

            Funding offsets, which are up to $406,963 for FY23 from $244,080 in FY22, include: $134,020 in ESSER funds, $92,000 IDEA Grant, $87,059 circuit breaker, $35,000 building use, $30,000 revolving funds, $21,000 Title 1 Grant and $5,500 state grants.

            Sippican Elementary School’s assessment-based budget for FY23 is $6,488,440, up $158,369 from $6,330,071 in FY22, a 2.5-percent increase.

            The changes that contributed to the increase to a $6,488,440 building-based budget for FY23 include proposed staffing changes that are somewhat but not altogether grant funded. While an interventionist and lunch aide will be grant funded, a formerly 0.6 (part-time) Special Education Early Ed Paraprofessional on full time and a 0.4 increase in a social worker will not be grant funded.

            From Nelson’s perspective, meeting the needs associated with those increases is the top priority. “We’re finally at a point where we’re moving forward in that direction,” he said, noting that the paraprofessional position is mandated but the social worker is not.

            Budget changes not related to personnel include: under Student Services a $27,000 increase for speech-therapy services, decreases of $30,000 (tuition-based programs) and $23,000 (contracted student-support services,) under Facilities a $30,000 decrease for utility costs and under Transportation a $22,000 increase for collaborative education transportation costs.

            Barber broke down the Bristol Aggie assessment, down $64,200 for FY23 based on a three-student reduction with increases of $4,700 for transportation costs and $5,400 in debt obligation. Based on October 1 enrollment, only one Marion student attends Bristol Aggie.

            Chapter 70 (state) aid is projected at $1,041,767 for FY23, an increase in excess of 19 percent over FY22.

            The superintendent’s proposed FY23 assessment for Marion is $6,561,086, a 1.61-percent increase over the FY22 figure of $6,456,815. The committee unanimously voted to approve the budget.

            While noting the many twists and turns that bring the budget process to conclusion, Nelson thanked the committee and those who served on the budget subcommittee. He also had kind words for Marion Finance Committee Chairman Shay Assad, whom he said attended each and every meeting and was “thoughtful and respectful” and provided guidance through the process.

            Marion School Committee Chairperson April Nye thanked Sippican Elementary Principal Marla Sirois and members of the administration and the committee for making the budget understandable.

            In other business, Nelson thanked Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Jannell Pearson-Campbell for her leadership and work in helping the school district respond to the state’s Tiered Focused Monitoring Audit for English Language Learners. Marion was found to be in compliance.

            The committee voted to approve the READS Collaborative capital plan with a limit of $4,000,000.

            The committee also voted to approve a donation of $1,679.74 for school picture funding from Lifetouch.

            Removal of COVID-19 precautions including masking were made to the Student Handbook, along with updates to the school counsel and school committee.

            In her Principal’s Report, Sirois said Sippican has started its Acceleration camp, which will continue into the middle of April. Committee member Nichole Daniel said her daughter is enjoying the program. Math classes are drawing 84 children and English Language 87. Sirois said that some are overlapping participants.

            Sirois also noted the one-book, one-school event during February to celebrate Black History Month, partnering with Tri Town Against Racism and the Marion Art Center via its virtual art show.

            Committee member Mary Beauregard reported on the January 25 meeting of the Anti-Racism Subcommittee, sharing how that each building has a cultural-proficiency team. She noted the Black History Month interactive calendar including activities.

            The Early Childhood Office is developing appropriate curriculum in literacy and creating an environment where students can openly ask questions.

            Beauregard also reported that the Anti-Racism Subcommittee has discussed a potential name change as it has evolved beyond anti-racism “to more of an inclusion of all – people who feel left out.” The Anti-Racism Subcommittee will meet again on March 24.

            The committee entered executive session to discuss collective bargaining and to comply with any law and only returned to adjourn the public meeting.

            The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, at 6:30 pm.

Marion School Committee

By Mick Colageo