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

            In early 2020, the Mattapoisett Planning Board began working on a solar bylaw that would put in place regulations on various sized solar arrays. From studying solar bylaws in other communities to attending conferences on the topic to working with legal teams, former Planning Board administrator Mary Crain and Planning Board member Janice Robins drafted several versions for the full board’s review and consideration. But there have been fits and starts.

            Crain stepped away from her position, and then there was the pandemic. This basically left Robbins pushing forward alone. With each edit, the full board would provide comments, but the task of writing the bylaw was primarily left with Robbins.

            On March 9, the Planning Board held a public discussion to give residents the opportunity to vet the latest draft document that had been made available on the town’s website for many weeks.

            Upon opening the discussion, it didn’t take long before Russell Chase questioned several parts of the text. “You shouldn’t be considering kilowatts, you should be considering space,” he stated.

            Administrator of Assessing Kathy Costello supported Chase’s comment. “He makes a good point that limiting the kilowatts doesn’t accomplish anything. It kinds of penalizes a landowner as panels get more efficient, and you can produce more in that same amount of space. I don’t think there’s a reason to limit kilowatts,” she said.

            Robbins said in response that state guidelines had been used to draft the bylaw. “The intent was to control commercial arrays, not residential.”

            Costello then expressed concern that the latest draft was too restrictive and could result in revenue losses in the future. Costello has been vocal in her opinion that P.I.L.O.T. programs (payments in lieu of property taxes) brings new income to the town. She was instrumental in securing a Home Rule Petition for Mattapoisett that grants the town the authority to negotiate P.I.L.O.T. programs with solar developers. The request was passed by the legislature in July 2020.

            Costello said, “We need to look at Mattapoisett as Mattapoisett and take a hard look at what we are planning, not killing possible revenue. Ninety-four percent of the town is residential, we need commercial development.”

            In follow-up correspondence with the Wanderer via email, Robbins stated, “The board has supported the idea that individual solar systems which service a residential property would not be subject to site plan review especially since they would be classified as small scale systems…I believe the current law on solar requires that towns permit solar installations subject to reasonable regulations.” She also noted there was more work to be done on the draft and welcomed public input.

             Costello commented that she was “shocked” no one from the Planning Board had included her in discussions on the matter. Robbins noted that public notices listed it as an agenda item for months and was “surprised” that Town Hall didn’t know this was being developed.

            In the end, it was determined that a public hearing on the solar bylaw previously planned for March 21 at 7:00 pm would go forward, providing another opportunity for the public to weigh in. It was also decided not to bring the bylaw to the May Spring Town Meeting.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for March 21 at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

            The Marion Finance Committee held its final department interview for the FY23 budget season on March 9, taking on the Department of Public Works.

            The DPW covers a lot of ground between water, sewer and highway, but Director Nathaniel Munafo’s more complex challenges come on the sewer side, where projects large and small add up in a town with an aging infrastructure and plans for dramatic residential growth.

            One of the more subtle issues is the future of sewer among approximately 450 homes in the town’s sewer-user area that have grinder pumps. The homes are located in three specific locations off Converse, Dexter Beach and North Marion and are dealing with failing grinder pumps that were installed during a time when Munafo says that gravity pumps were more expensive.

            Residential pump repair will see a proposed increase from $60,000 budgeted for FY22 to $80,000 for FY23. The town is responsible for the maintenance of grinder pumps, which are largely outdated and at this point more cost effective to replace rather than repair.

            FinCom Chairman Shay Assad asked how many pumps fail on an annual basis. Munafo estimates between 40 and 50 fail per year. In FY21, reported Munafo, the $60,000 pump-repair line item was overspent by $9,228. As of December 31, 2021, the same line item was on track to be overspent by $20,000.

            “That’s how we came up with this number for FY23, to at least match what we’re doing right now,” said Munafo.

            Select Board member John Waterman said the town is trying to come up with a policy that will get the town out from under an increasing cost.

            “We’re looking at a number of options to recouping our costs in the short term,” said Town Administrator Jay McGrail, who confirmed that the item will be on the next agenda of the Water/Sewer Commission.

            Waterman said there was a mismatch between the financing (via 30-year betterments) and the average 15-year life of the grinder pumps. FinCom member Peter Winters said that home sales should pay off betterments and free the town of further obligation in those cases.

            A grinder-pump core costs approximately $3,000, but a full installation costs between $8,000 and $10,000, according to Munafo.

            Waterman believes a pump station might be built for the cost of 48 grinder pump installations.

            Sewer engineering will see a $10,000 increase (from $30,000 to $40,000) in preparation for NPDES permit renewal and grant applications. The permit that governs how the sewer system discharges is up for renewal.

            Munafo said a federal BRIC grant application for $10,000 would result in the hire of the Woods Hole Group to help write the grant application for the Environmental Protection Agency. If procured, the grant would offset 75 percent of the construction for the Front Street pumping station.

            Under the proposed budget, Marion’s property maintenance line would increase by $3,500 (over 32 percent) due to a flat-roof maintenance agreement for the WPCF/DPW office. This is a Hazard Mitigation Plan priority and is recommended by the Facilities Department in the wake of leaks through the 15-year, flat rubber roof.

            “In other years we’ve kind of put that off in the contract-services line,” something Munafo said could no longer occur.

            Munafo proposes $60,000 in FY23 sewer testing, a $14,000 or 30 percent increase over the $46,000 budgeted for FY22. Additional testing, he said, is tied to administrative orders to test for nitrogen after the lagoon project is wrapped up in May. Testing in the lagoon will increase from a quarterly to a monthly basis.

            “It’s very complicated, a lot of hard work goes into what is being done up there,” said committee member Fred Mock, who spoke about birdwatching with his father 40 years ago at the Wastewater Treatment Plant site, noting that at the time there were only the “sewage ponds.”

            Other notable budget increases on the sewer side include $7,000 to repair motor vehicles, a 100- percent increase over the $3,500 that was budgeted in FY22; current FY22 spending (as of March 9) is $4,581.61.

            “We’ve doubled that line. The reason we’ve done that is the two sewer vehicles we have at the moment are both fairly old, and we’ve been seeing significant increases in the cost of repairing the vehicles,” said Munafo. “We’re seeing that in the Water Division’s vehicles … but we’re also seeing significant increases from the motor-vehicle companies in how quickly they’re able to respond both for parts and for new vehicles.

            “The two F-550’s that the Highway Dept. purchased last year … we don’t even have a production date as we sit here at the moment. … We want to make sure we have enough money to keep these trucks on the road.”

            Munafo’s PowerPoint presentation on the Water Division budget included current FY22 spending at $6,160.20 and counting, almost all of which was earmarked for Truck No. 12. A capital request to replace that truck could take over a year to be realized, according to the report.

            Alternate committee member Ann M. Iannuzzi was impressed with the amount of information that DPW employee Becky Tilden shared in the process.

            Proposed water-system repairs include: an increase from $20,000 budgeted for FY22 to $50,000 for FY23. Munafo explained it as a net reduction of $35,000 because the increase takes the place of a $50,000 Hydrant Replacement capital item, while $15,000 was taken out of Well Exploration to help offset the line item.

            McGrail opened the meeting by summarizing revised budget information including lower-debt numbers from Bristol Aggie. He also noted that the Tri-Towns came to an agreement to support Old Rochester Regional High School’s outdoor-track repair project. A $125,000 assessment has been added to Marion’s budget proposal to reflect that, and McGrail said the town was only tweaks away from achieving a balanced budget “fully loaded” and getting ready to present as the final budget.

            The Finance Committee was scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss its FY23 budget overview and make recommendations to the Select Board. The next meeting of the committee has not been scheduled.

Marion Finance Committee

By Mick Colageo