Greater New Bedford Garden Club Scholarship

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The Greater New Bedford Garden Club is offering two $1,500 scholarships to residents of the Greater New Bedford area who are high school seniors graduating in June and who are planning to attend a four-year college and pursue a degree in horticulture, landscape design, agriculture, forestry, conservation or environmental science.

            The goals of the Greater New Bedford Garden Club are to offer educational and inspirational programs and to encourage the advancement of gardening, flower arranging, horticulture, the beautification of the community and the conservation of natural resources. Scholarships are given out each year as a way to support and support these objectives.

            The scholarship applications and requirements are available to high school seniors in the guidance offices of local high schools.

            The deadline for applications and required paperwork is April 1 and must be postmarked by that date. For further information, contact virginiasheehan427@comcast.net.

Prescription for Frustration

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            His wife owned a black 1953 Ford convertible in pristine condition that she rarely drove. I bought it for the princely sum of $600. I was 16 years old. I proceeded to sully its condition in various ways popular back in the days of little deuce coupes and candy red paint. In fact, I painted it bright red, which I neglected to ever polish. Regrettably, I didn’t take very good care of it, and I sold it before it wore out. But that is another story for another time.

            To get to my point: Mrs. York was a lovely lady who kept a fine home and assisted her husband, old Dr. York, Mattapoisett’s town doctor who kept better care of me than I did of his wife’s Ford. His practice was in their house. The examining room was just off the front hall by the front door opposite their living room. If we needed a doctor, he’s the first one we’d call, and he’d say come right on over.

            Come to think of it, getting an instant appointment may be because he spent his nonworking hours hanging out in Dad’s barber shop. Anyway, if he was too busy, Mom would call Dr. Tilden from Marion. He made house calls, bringing along his little black bag filled with assorted remedies.

            As an adult, I had an Indian gentleman with a thick accent. I could never understand him, but I liked him. He was very professional, always wore a white coat and was always right with his diagnosis, never equivocating, just like Dr. York and Doctor Tilden.

            All three knew exactly what pill to prescribe without the use of a reference book or Google and could predict, nearly to the day, when I’d be well. Things have changed. Now I have multiple doctors. They are all nice and I can understand them, but they rely on computers for many things which presumably eliminate mistakes and make the patient’s life … mine … easier.

            Recently I have been plagued by a nasty, pinched nerve in my back, necessitating a trip to our Primary Care Practitioner who is very professional, and I like her. She does not practice in her home nor makes house calls. So, raging in pain, I drove the 17 miles to the medical center, in the rain, walked the length of a football field to the building, in the rain, and another long distance to a waiting area before I was led to an examining room, my pain increasing evermore acute since I left home.

            After explaining why my blood pressure was so high, I showed her where my back hurt. She knew right away what to do … consult the computer for a remedy. “I’ll send a prescription right over to the pharmacy.” No paper prescriptions here. No chance for a mistake. I made sure to remind her to send it to my local pharmacy not my mail-order one. And “I’m sending you for some x-rays,” she said, walking out the door as my allotted 15 minutes expired.

            After the x-rays, it was now late Friday. I settled in for a long night of pain, knowing the prescription would not be ready until the next day. In the morning, I drove to the pharmacy to be told, “Our computer had no record of a request.” Experience told me it was sent to the wrong pharmacy. I was right. Just about then, the computer in my pocket rang with an email message saying that the mail-order pharmacy had received my order and it would be ready in eight days. Suddenly my pain got a lot worse.

            A call to the doctor’s office was met by … wait for it … a computer voice saying the office was closed. Finally, the local drug store’s computer talked to the mail-order pharmacy’s computer, who must have talked to the on-call doctor’s computer, and my pills arrived for my retrieval many painful hours later.

            By the way, the x-rays that were taken on Friday were not read until Monday. The pills that would have taken eight days would have cost 79 cents with free delivery. At the local pharmacy, they cost $8.50, and I had to pick them up.

            Life is so much easier these days. Don’t you agree?

            Editor’s note: Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and retired newspaper columnist whose musings are, after some years, back in The Wanderer under the subtitle “Thoughts on ….” Morgado’s opinions have also appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.

Thoughts on…

By Dick Morgado

One More Time for Bylaw Changes

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            The proposed bylaw changes for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting will be trotted out to one more Marion Planning Board meeting, according to Chairman Norm Hills.

            The draft summary of changes reviewed during the board’s February 21 meeting was nothing the members had not heard before, but Hills solicited questions and got some.

            Board member Andrew Daniel told the board he drove around Marion, trying to cover every road, in order to gather information on the placement of signage by contractors working on private properties. Noting that public domain extends back 10 feet from the side of the road, Daniel articulated concern that contractors’ signs might not be visible if forced 20 feet in the yard.

            “It’s just not where you’d put them. I don’t want it to be where the town employee is picking up these signs because they’re on the roadside of people’s homes where the contractors are working,” he said. “A lot of them, that’s the best advertisement these guys can get.”

            Having brought changes to the board for the members’ review, Hills said he would have to go back and look at the unchanged bylaws to confirm the information Daniel sought.

            Daniel also said he thinks removal of signs by town employees should be more specified. Some towns, he said, designate the zoning-enforcement officer. Hills said the phrase means an employee of the town’s Department of Public Works and suggested “DPW” be added to specify which employees might be removing an improperly placed sign.

            Daniel wants it more specific, such as at the discretion of the DPW director, but board member Alanna Nelson agreed with Hills’ suggestion, saying any department reorganization could lead to problems with a designation too specific.

            Nelson asked about Bylaw 230-6.2.d.4 on temporary banners, asking if they all must be government sponsored in order to be approved. As an example, board member Tucker Burr said that the Marion Christmas Stroll is technically put on by the town’s businesses and would fall into the category of language needing the attention Nelson sought.

            Hills suggested adding “‘with the approval of the town administrator.’… It may already be in there, okay, because all this is … sections of the bylaws that are changing, not the ones that exist,” he said.

            Burr said 3 square feet for a maximum sign is “really small.” He also expressed concern that language prohibiting trucks parked on properties for the purpose of circumventing the sign limits could wrongfully apply to vehicles on legitimate working deployments. Burr also suggested the bylaw stiffening requirements that people clean up after their dogs in public places is not enforceable.

            Changing bylaws regarding maps, alcoholic beverages and self-storage were also discussed.

            Daniel said that while he favors a nip-bottle ban, he believes the matter should fall not onto the Codification Committee but more so the Board of Health or a citizens’ petition. Hills said the bylaw change was encouraged by the former town administrator (Jay McGrail.)

            Board member Eileen Marum said the nip-bottle problem has been well established among these boards and that the Town of Mattapoisett will put it before voters at its Town Meeting.

            Daniel said he picks up 160 bottles in his annual cleanup effort with his son, and that Styrofoam cups are next on his radar. But he insists the matter lies outside the purview of the Codification Committee as defined by the state.

            Burr called it a substance-abuse and mental-health issue. “I’m just skeptical that at a local level, it would have much impact,” he said.

            Marum reemphasized her belief that such efforts typically succeed when emanating from the local level.

            The board remained divided as to whether nip bottles fall into the Codification Committee’s purview.

            Nelson suggested bringing the matter to other departments in town and seeing what they have to say.

            Hills said the board would put off the matter until its next meeting on March 6. “For the last time,” he said.

            Next up on the agenda was Marion’s Open Space Recreational Plan (MOSRP.)

            “The real reason for putting this on the agenda (is) the Planning Board (and) Select Board have to send a letter of endorsement on the plan,” explained Hills, noting an informational meeting on the subject had been held recently at the Music Hall. The plan remains open for comments until February 28.

            Meantime, Hills drafted a letter to which he does not anticipate significant changes. Marum offered congratulatory remarks on the committee’s letter, calling it a “sound plan that provides the opportunity to assess where Marion is, where Marion would like to go and how Marion might get there. The plan shows how to protect open spaces and recreational facilities that will enhance the attractiveness of Marion, and this was a huge and worthwhile project.”

            “It was a huge project,” said Hills. “I don’t know how many times we’ve been through this and made significant changes. But there’s a tremendous amount of data in there. Appendix E’s got a tremendous amount of data in it.”

            Daniel asked about the ADA (American Disabilities Act of 1990) Committee, of which he is a member. Citing $2,700,000 in state grant funding, Daniel is eager to see the town engage in what the program could yield.

            Marum said a lot of people in town want to know what will become of the Wells gas station on Route 6, along with the sidewalks in town. Marum noted that conditions are poor and Daniel agreed. Marum said a person fell near Tabor Academy.

            Hills noted the village parking study is at a rough-draft stage. He said 260 comments came in, invariably pointing at deteriorating sidewalks otherwise overgrown with plant life.

            New items brought to the discussion table by Hills included the board’s budget, conflict-of-interest training due for completion by board members by February 28 and Citizen Partner Training Collaborative training that will be held on March 18.

            The Historical Commission will resubmit its FY23 application to the Community Preservation Committee; Hills told the board he essentially changed the date and resubmitted the commission’s letter of support.

            Midway through the meeting, an audio transmission problem was discussed affecting those attending live via Zoom, including board member Chris Collings and Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, March 6, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station and live via Zoom.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

Mattapoisett Womans Club

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The Mattapoisett Womans Club invites potential members and interested local citizens to its March 16 monthly meeting, which will feature a program by Morgan Browning.  Ms. Browning is a Mattapoisett resident, the recipient of the MWC’s Continuing Education scholarship, and is a full member of the MWC.  She is also pursuing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  Her presentation will discuss some of the things that can negatively affect students’ mental health, including COVID, and possible interventions to allay the advancement of such negative conditions. 

            At 11:00 there is a social time that starts the monthly meeting, which is followed by the beginning of the business meeting and a luncheon that starts at approximately 11:45 am. Following the luncheon, Ms. Browning’s presentation will begin at 12:30 pm.  Visitors are invited to hear the program. 

Mattapoisett Historical Commission

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The Mattapoisett Historical Commission is pleased to announce that Skelly Preservation Services, in cooperation with the Mattapoisett Historical Commission, has completed a Historic Property Survey Plan for the Town of Mattapoisett. A survey plan serves to guide a community in identifying and documenting community-wide historic resources. Identification and documentation of community resources is the foundation for community resource planning and an up to date inventory is integral to preserving the Town’s historical resources. The existing property survey for Mattapoisett was completed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. It is outdated and incomplete, and it does not meet current survey standards.

            The project was funded by the Community Preservation Act.

            The planning process included reviewing current survey forms and adding historic properties throughout all neighborhoods. Preliminary research identified over 1000 potentially historic properties with approximately 300 priority properties. Prioritization criteria included suggested significance, likelihood of loss, properties never surveyed or those with outdated and incomplete documentation, properties with a high level of integrity which were able to convey historical associations or attributes and areas that highlighted underrepresented communities.

            The Mattapoisett Historical Commission has applied to the Massachusetts State Historical Commission and to the Mattapoisett Community Preservation Act Committee for matching grants of $15,000.00 to hire a preservation consultant to begin the inventory process and complete the inventory forms. Inventory forms are the primary means for recording information on the history, location and appearances of resources. They are digitized in an easily accessible database and are available on the Massachusetts Historical Commission website, (MACRIS.) The information serves as a basis for determining if properties are eligible for listing in the National Historic register. The National Historic Register is a formal recognition of the significance of a property in the nation’s history, culture or archeology. The information is also valuable to homeowners interested in the history of their properties, and it serves to enhance the greater community’s appreciation of its history and culture.

            It is anticipated that this will be a multiyear effort. Phase One will focus on 92 Priority One properties, and it is expected to be completed in one year.

            The Mattapoisett Historical Commission is excited to assist in documenting the rich and diverse history of the town. This history dates back thousands of years to when the land was occupied by Indigenous people to a shipping port in the 1700s and shipbuilding and salt works in the 1800s.

            The Survey Plan is available on the Mattapoisett Historical Commission website, and a copy is available at the Mattapoisett Public Library.

Abutter Objects to Beech Wood Road Proposal

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            Abutters voiced their concerns and dismay that property adjacent to their homes on Beech Wood Road was going through conservation review. On February 27, a Notice of Intent filed by Carmelo Nicolosi for the construction of a single-family home with fill and grading in a buffer zone became a bit controversial when abutter Colleen Gifford, 11 Beech Wood Road, stated that she had been promised by former Building Department director Andy Bobola that the lot in question was not considered buildable.

            “It’s on the record as unbuildable,” Gifford insisted.

            Engineer Richard Charon of Charon Associates, Inc., represented the applicant. Charon detailed the project, including stormwater drainage systems that will reduce runoff into a neighboring lot owned by Robert Goguen at 14 Beech Wood Road. Goguen asked questions that probed the drainage system design, which will include a detention area and redirection of surface water towards wetlands away from Goguen’s residence.

            Charon also noted that the project will be governed by the Wetlands Protection Act for isolated wetlands subject to flooding.

            There was a bit of debate between Gifford and chairman Mike King as King tried to inform Gifford of the conservation commission’s role in this matter. Gifford returned several times to being assured the parcel would never be built on and said, “I don’t want a house in my front lawn.” King said anyone had a right to build on their land saying, “Welcome to America.”

            The project was continued to March 13, pending a response from MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.

            In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Peter Martin, 17 Main Street, for the construction of a 10×14-foot shed received a Negative 2 decision. Also receiving a Negative 2 decision was an RDA filed by Christine Wood, 1 Hilton Avenue, for the construction of a 14×16-foot, three-season room and a 14×10-foot deck.

            A Notice of Intent filed by the Hall Family Nominee Trust, 0 Laurel Street, for the construction of a single-family home received conditioning.

            A Notice of Intent filed by Bay Club Real Estate Holdings, represented by Robert Field of Field Engineering, received conditioning for a proposal to construct a 12-lot, cluster subdivision off Bay Club Drive on property originally slated to be a convention center inside the private subdivision. Field described the stormwater drainage systems necessary for development within a 100-foot buffer zone of a bordering, vegetated wetland.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, March 13, at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

Buzzards Bay Coalition

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Salt marshes across Buzzards Bay are experiencing significant stress from climate-change driven sea level rise, but also a range of factors that include tidal restrictions and nitrogen pollution. This is the conclusion of the report, “Buzzards Bay Salt Marshes: Vulnerability and Adaptation Potential,” released today by the Buzzards Bay Coalition, the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, the Woodwell Climate Research Center and the U.S. Geological Survey. Twelve salt marsh sites in Westport, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion, Wareham, Bourne and Falmouth have been the subject of regular field monitoring which, when coupled with remotely-sensed data, reveal the loss of salt marsh – in some places measuring up to 20-percent over an 18-year period.

            Field monitoring of salt marsh vegetation and elevation began four years ago by the Buzzards Bay Coalition and Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program. “We knew that salt marshes face a number of stressors, and we’d heard from our members that marshes in their neighborhoods were changing, but there was no consistent monitoring to track the health or stability of these critical ecosystems around Buzzards Bay,” explains lead author Dr. Rachel Jakuba, Buzzards Bay Coalition’s vice president for bay science. Salt marshes are important ecosystems that filter nutrients, store carbon, provide critical habitat for fish and birds and protect coastal properties from storm surge. Salt marshes – existing at the interface of the land and sea – are adapted to a fluctuating environment with plants capable of tolerating regular inundation with salt water; however, salt marshes’ natural ability to adapt has limits, which this report documents.

            “Looking at remote imagery of salt marshes all around Buzzards Bay, we documented how the marshes changed over a couple of decades. Marshes with low elevation appear most vulnerable to sea level rise and showed the greatest loss,” said coauthor Dr. Joe Costa, executive director of the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program. “We’ve applied one of the tools used in this report up and down the East Coast. Marshes in the region are facing the same issues as in Buzzards Bay, and researchers are working hard to better understand marsh loss and ways to mitigate it,” added coauthor Neil Ganju of the U.S. Geological Survey.

            The news is not all bad though, as these iconic features of the Buzzards Bay coast are resilient and can migrate landward. “While the headline of salt marsh loss is sobering, these are remarkable ecosystems that when given the room to adapt can continue to flourish. This makes the protection of adjacent lands all the more important,” said coauthor Linda Deegan of the Woodwell Climate Research Center.

            Scientists conducted the research to better understand and document salt marsh change, and the Buzzards Bay Coalition produced the report with the hope that it will be used by municipalities when faced with zoning and permitting decisions near salt marshes; by natural resource agencies capable of undertaking direct marsh restoration strategies such as runneling, thin-layer deposition, ditch management and others; and by private landowners, who might consider preserving the uplands that they own adjacent to salt marshes to allow marshes to migrate – unimpeded by seawalls, roads and buildings – in the future.

            “While much of this loss is attributable to climate change-driven sea level rise, some is due to legacy effects from human-made alterations like the creation of drainage ditches and marshes being altered for development and agriculture. We’re hoping that this research will be useful to planners, policymakers and resource managers trying to mitigate the future impacts of both of those drivers,” said coauthor Dr. Alice Besterman, assistant professor at Towson University.

            A complete copy of the report is available on the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s website at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/about-us/publications/special-reports/ or by emailing info@savebuzzardsbay.org.

Mattapoisett Library March Programming for Teens and Beyond

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Here at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library, we have programs to help you prepare for spring and to ride out the rest of the unpredictable winter.

            Starting Saturday, March 4 at 2 pm, join us as we create Wildflower Seed Balls. Exactly as it sounds, a wildflower seed ball is a ball of wildflower seeds you can toss on to bare patches of soil and watch beauty grow. Fun for all ages. No registration is required.

            The Teen Advisory Board meets the second Tuesday of the Month and will be meeting this month on Tuesday, March 14 at 4 pm. They will be discussing adding to the library of things, new video games and recruitment. New members are always welcome.

            Game Lounge continues. On March 15 from 3:30 pm to 5 pm, all are welcome to play Nintendo Switch on the big screen as well as an assortment of board games. Bring your games or use ours. No registration is required. Snacks will be served.

            Family Jeopardy returns on Saturday, March 18 at 11 am. Bring the whole family for Jeopardy fun. You will be challenged in categories such as Movies, Music, Science and more. Best of all, there are prizes for all who participate, and the winning team will receive the surprise grand prize. No registration is required.

            On Saturday, March 26 at 1 pm, teens and adults are invited to participate in Step-by-Step Acrylic Painting: Bright Birches. Join us as Devin (NivedArt) will teach you all about how to handle acrylic paint. This is a program for all skill levels. Either follow along step-by-step or make changes as we go to customize your artwork. All materials are included – Each participant will receive a large 16×20 stretched canvas to work on and take home. As a bonus, we will continue the community acrylic painting, and all participants will have the opportunity to contribute. When the painting is complete, they will be on display in the library. Registration is required.

            All programs are free and open to the public. If you have any questions or need special accommodations, please contact the library at 508-758-4171 or email mflp@sailsinc.org.

Academic Achievements

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College of Charleston congratulates students who were named to the President’s List and the Dean’s List for Fall 2022, including Sarah Moitozo of Mattapoisett who was named to the President’s List. Moitozo is majoring in Public Health and Sally Butler of Mattapoisett who was named to the Dean’s List. Butler is majoring in Marketing.

            The following students were named to the Dean’s List at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the Fall 2022 semester. From Marion: Jacqueline Elizabeth Barrett, Rachael Fantoni, William Riley Garcia, Daniel Yunhui Hartley, Noah Jared Maxwell, Amaya Catherine McLeod, Sawichaya Phimolmas, Maxwell Cooper Richins, Isabelle Grace Tse and James Darryl Yang. From Mattapoisett: George Barry, Michael Thomas Barry, Danya Hildreth Bichsel, Mary Clare Butler, Anthony James Calderone, Sophia Kelley Clingman, Abigail Sarah Horan, Meghan Mary Horan, Ryu Bao Huynh-Aoyama, Paul Herbert Kippenberger III, Victoria Lynne Kvilhaug, Jack Landry LeBrun, Morgan Luisa Mendonca, Samantha Nicolosi, Carly Angel O’Connell, Aurora Pereira, Ethan Samuel Perez-Dormitzer, Marc Francis Pothier, Gregory J Schneider, Joseph Patrick Sheridan III and Julia Catherine Sheridan. From Rochester; Colby Ryan Alves, Sydney Elizabeth Green, Amelia Ann Isabelle, Colin Michael Kulak, Noah Massaad, Christian George Noble Shriver, Evan Thomas Smith, Hannah Faith Stallings, Ryan Steven Vieira, Jennifer Lynne Williams and Raymond Walter Williams.

            Mattapoisett resident Emma Mello has been named to Husson University’s Honors List for the Fall 2022 semester. During the Fall semester, Mello was enrolled in Husson’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice with a concentration in psychology program.

            Mattapoisett resident Elizabeth Bungert has been named to Husson University’s President’s List for the Fall 2022 semester. During the Fall semester, Bungert was enrolled in Husson’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice program.

            Zachary Proffit, from Rochester was named to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2022 semester at Coastal Carolina University. Students who make the Dean’s List have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher (3.25 for freshmen) for the semester.

Chipping Away at Marine Center Cost

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            The makeup of the Marion Select Board had changed since the last time Tim Sawyer of Yarmouth Port-based Catalyst Architecture/Interiors Inc. was before its members to provide an update on the new Marine Center planned for Island Wharf.

            Catalyst was first involved almost three years ago in what started out as a design-feasibility study aimed at identifying needs, constraints and opportunities at the present site, from which emerged a conceptual design ultimately sent back for major revisions after Town Meeting feedback.

            As summarized by Sawyer during the Select Board’s February 22 public meeting, the conceptual design presented too large on the waterfront. He explained the necessary 19-foot elevation and 6- or 7-foot grade “that lends itself to requiring the building to be substantially elevated.”

            Catalyst responded with a reduced concept of less program area, and “observation amenities were extracted from the project,” said Sawyer, bringing the project down to bare needs. “We got to that reduced design concept in December 2020.”

            The revised design, he said, was produced on a conceptual budget-based design rather than an engineering-based design. By March 2021, Catalyst had produced what Sawyer called “early-level structural engineering narratives” that he considered valuable in establishing a budget. Catalyst was then authorized to develop that design with engineers and is now 99% consistent with the conceptual design.

            Sawyer said there have been a few modifications along the way involving greater detail. He said the project is at a 75% level of (bid-ready) documentation. Several meetings for progress review have not yielded any more significant changes but have yielded a few he considers relatively minor.

            The wraparound observation deck was considered to be not quite adequate for the Harbormaster Department’s views, so a cantilever design off the corner of the building has been added at minimal cost.

            The original design had an administration area, a welcome desk and two workstations. That has been redesigned into separate offices with glass walls.

            The revised project has received the Conservation Commission’s approval, and the next step is a site-plan review.

            Municipal permitting will clear the way for the completion of documents and bidding, with the goal to align bidding toward the end of summer to bring to Special Town Meeting in October.

            The emerging concern during the COVID-19 pandemic was financial, and postpandemic inflation has made estimated construction costs soar from $2,862,000 to a new January 5 estimate of $3,516,500, a $654,000 increase.

            Compounding the impact is an originally anticipated $2,300,000 in funding from the state’s Seaport Economic Council topped out at approximately $1,600,000. The SEC told Deputy Harbormaster Adam Murphy that Marion is already the beneficiary of a disproportionate allocation and that no more SEC funds are forthcoming. All the while, the department has been researching grant opportunities to mitigate the shortfall.

            Finance Director and Interim Town Administrator Judy Mooney pointed out that the first $300,000 granted by the SEC was for the design of the Marine Center, and the remaining $1,300,000 received earmarked for construction. Sawyer countered that the entire $1,600,000 goes to the bottom line.

            In explaining the inflated price, Sawyer said the construction industry is still suffering from the effects of COVID. While the price of wood is getting slightly closer to pre-Covid levels, the cost of steel remains high.

            Due to its required elevation, Sawyer estimated that the new Marine Center will cost $647 per square foot, “not outlandish from what I’ve been seeing,” he said. “A building like this that we had done four years ago … in the $400 to $500 range.”

            Sawyer advised against further shrinking of the currently proposed footprint, citing elevation as the cost driver. He told the Select Board he has “cherry picked” $90,000 in potential savings via materials selection.

            “Because the structure is on the perimeter, the expensive square footage is the foundation,” he explained. “We’ve kind of lost our economy of scale.”

            Select Board Chairman Randy Parker agreed and suggested that there is no aesthetic value to a red-copper roof if the seagulls are going to use it for droppings anyway.

            Sawyer will presumably use March to “button up” all the drawings with a best-case scenario of trying to take bid pricing to a special Town Meeting in October.

            Select Board member Norm Hills found a $400,000 mistake in the estimate. “That makes me uncomfortable. … I just want to hear somebody say there aren’t any more,” he said. He was not consoled by the fact the mistake works in Marion’s favor. “Still a lot of money that we don’t have. … Unfortunately, we have a lot of other demands for money.”

            Select Board member Toby Burr, the owner of Burr Brothers Boats in Marion, recused himself from the proceedings.

            In her Town Administrator’s Report, Mooney led off with a Department of Public Works facility update, noting that the February 13 committee meeting with lead architect Will Saltonstall yielded cost estimates informed by consulting engineer Ken Motta. The committee discussed options to conduct some of the work internally, including water and sewer lines and extending electrical utilities.

            “It was a great meeting, I walked away from there (feeling) comfortable,” said Parker, who said the committee also looked at styles of buildings and was waiting on Morton Buildings. “We’re still within the budget but not by much.”

            Mooney gave a brief FY24 Budget Update before attending the Finance Committee’s meeting that night with the Fire Department. As of February 22, the town was waiting on the Old Rochester Regional School District for a preliminary budget. She said the town is dealing with a budget deficit of just under $300,000.

            Finally, Mooney issued a reminder that the deadline for the Annual Town Meeting Warrant is Tuesday, March 14. That includes citizens-petition articles that must be stamped by the town clerk.

            During Open Comment, Marion resident Barry Gaffey expressed interest in opening land access to the “Kittansett” beach area off Point Road. Hills disagreed, calling the area hazardous. Gaffey is concerned about parking on what he says are private roads in the area.

            Under Action Items, the board voted to approve early voting by mail and in person to be conducted May 1-9 (Monday-Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and Friday from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm), designated Police Chief Richard Nighelli the responsibility to assign police detail for the May 12 Town Election, approval of the Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Restriction Agreement for the Marion Town House, three one-day liquor licenses for the Marion Social Club (Clam Boil on March 26 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Chicken Bake on April 23 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Italian Dinner on May 21 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm and finally approval of a Water/Sewer commitment of $496.48 (final readings February 3.)

            New Town Administrator Geoff Gorman will attend the next meeting of the Marion Select Board on Tuesday, March 7, at 6:00 pm.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo