The Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission and Water Protection Supply Committee said goodbye to two valuable contributors, as Lauren Farinon and Paul Silva attended their final meeting.

            Farinon is leaving her long-standing post as Rochester’s conservation agent, while Silva chose to vacate his seat on the Mattapoisett Select Board.

            MRV member William “Nick” Nicholson praised Farinon for her efforts over the years, and Chairman Vinnie Furtado and Vice Chairman Henri Renauld echoed Nicholson’s sentiments. Furtado praised Silva for his “yeoman’s effort with the budget” and offered his thanks, while Rochester Town Counsel Blair Bailey called him “one of the best treasurers” with whom he had ever worked. Tata & Howard delegate Jon Gregory, a regular presenter/reporter for engineering at MRV meetings, said both Farinon and Silva have made invaluable contributions and will be sorely missed.

            David Pierce, member emeritus, said he worked many years with both Farinon and Silva. “I think of both of them doing such important work for our committee,” he said, praising their professionalism and “seriousness of purpose…. I hate to see old friends move on, but that appears to be part of life.”

            “You guys have been fantastic; this has been one of my favorite committees to work with,” responded Farinon.

            Silva volunteered to assist the new treasurer, while Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Lorenco has volunteered to take Silva’s place.

            Meghan Davis volunteered to take over for Farinon as clerk for both the MRV Water District Commission and the MRV Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee.

            Gregory presented to the committee charted information comparing the drought late last year against averages in the bodies of water supplying the MRV Water District. He described a “nice recovery,” on average a foot below the 25-percent line as things picked up from December to March.

            “If you took the readings over the winter, we’d be on that 25-percent line,” he said, but noted that data from the unusual early spring drought is not yet available.

            The Treasurer’s Report to the commission included $58,760.80 in total invoices for the month of May; total monthly chemical purchases of $473.50; Tata & Howard monthly invoices totaling $6,257.66; and Town of Marion quarterly payment of $42,969.80. There were no electrical charges for the month.

            It was thought that a $5,000 Tata & Howard check would need to be voided and rewritten to the Town of Fairhaven, but Renauld located the check before the meeting ended, and the commission voted to approve signing and sending.

            Wendy Graves, the Finance Director/Treasurer/Collector and Interim Town Administrator of Fairhaven, volunteered as the district commission’s new treasurer. Until recently, Graves was also the part-time treasurer for the Grafton Water District.

            The MRV voted to approve for the remainder of Davis’ appointment to September, when the MRV annually reorganizes.

            In his Koch Separation Systems update to the district commission, Gregory said some glitches were taken care of, that operators are tweaking ozone levels, and waiting on lab results. He said he will get the report and summarize the findings.

            Gregory suggested an FY22 engineering agreement for Tata & Howard not to exceed $30,000 to cover fees such as task and/or operations-type work. The funds are in the MRV’s budget, according to Renauld. Silva suggested what he called “a fair percentage increase … whatever the board feels is reasonable.” The MRV voted not to exceed 5 percent.

            In his Tata & Howard report, Gregory discussed chemical bids including potential one and three-year bid options. The preference was to keep the one-year because three-year bids amidst difficulty forecasting could result in inflated bids. The MRV will go with one-year chemical bids.

            In his treatment plant report, Renauld said, “It’s a little busy,” citing a humidifier motor fail that was fixed by an electrician, a rescheduling, and a coliform hit on a pilot skid; however, the next water samples came back clean. There was also a manual valve problem.

            Jeff Furtado’s Treasurer’s Report to the committee included $2.80 in bank interest, payments of $251.72 to Watling, $50 to Blair Bailey, and $7,064.09 to Tata & Howard. The ending balance for June 1 was $226,504.12. Expenditures since June 2020 have been $45,245.41, and total income since last July is at $85,735.73.

            Committee Chairman Vinnie Furtado reported new invoices of $221 and $153 to Meghan McCarthy through April, $3,436.29 for Tata & Howard, $251.72 for Watling, and $50 for Bailey. The committee voted to accept the Treasurer’s Report and pay the new bills.

            Gregory requested tabling the review and vote on the Tata & Howard engineering agreement until the MRV’s July meeting. Farinon questioned if the agreement had ever been formalized, and Gregory acknowledged that may in fact be the case, but it will be done. The MRV voted to table the engineering agreement to the next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 3, at 3:30 pm (committee) and 4:00 pm (commission).

MRV Water District Commission/Water Protection Supply Committee

By Mick Colageo

            Several abutters gathered for the June 7 Zoom meeting of the Marion Planning Board for the express purpose of attending a scheduled public hearing with applicant My Generation Solar, which applied for minor site plan review and a special permit for construction of a 610 square-foot, ground-mounted solar array in a Residence B zoning district at 8 Quails Crossing.

            The abutters were disappointed to learn that the public hearing would only be opened in order to continue it to the board’s next meeting on Monday, June 21. Planning Board Chair Will Saltonstall explained that, due to a mailing mishap, the abutters were not properly informed of the details of the case in a timely manner and that a continuance is appropriate.

            Prior to the meeting, the abutters in attendance had sent the Planning Board and the media an organized response, noting their intention to contest the special permit. The response said that abutters’ notices were not received within the 14 days of the public notice but as recently as two and three prior to the June 7 public hearing.

            The letter sent by abutter Susan E. Mattson of 571 Front Street read in part: “It has been contentious, beginning with the construction of the large space metal building, the clearing of the trees, and finally the proposed installation of ground mounted solar panels. The abutters knew nothing of this until we saw the Legal Notice in The Wanderer.” Ten photos including the metal building, houses on the abutting properties, and multiple views of the plantings intended to screen the project were attached to the email.

            Attempts made by abutters to engage the board in discussion were determined to be inside the subject matter of the case and were rebuffed. A further attempt to discuss process was allowed, and Saltonstall encouraged the abutters to submit any information including studies referenced in their response to the Planning Board for its consumption ahead of the June 21 continued public hearing.

            The Planning Board reorganized, and Saltonstall remains chairperson. The vice chair will be Eileen Marum, and Joe Rocha will be clerk. The two new members will be delegates to other committees, as Alanna Nelson will represent the Planning Board to Marion’s Community Preservation Committee and Jonathan Henry will represent the board to the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District. Marum made the nomination, citing Henry’s prior experience with SRPEDD. “It will give us more power with SRPEDD,” she said, pointing out that board member Norm Hills already represents the Select Board to SRPEDD.

            In other business, the board voted to approve payment of $4,096.83 to Beals & Thomas for its review of a subdivision project.

            Per Hills’ request, the board’s next agenda will include peer review information due May 28 and rules and regulations for board discussion.

            Marum pointed out an error on Page 10 of SRPEDD’s annual report in which a photograph of the Osprey Marsh Landing trail was listed as being in Mattapoisett. The Sippican Lands Trust Osprey Marsh trail is in Planting Island Cove in Marion. Marum pointed out that Stanley Bradford built the path and that Jim Bride of the Sippican Lands Trust made sure construction included handicapped access. Marum told the board that Town Planner Gil Hilario said he would contact SRPEDD about the error.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, June 21, at 7:00 pm.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

            Whoever replaces Laurell Farinon as Rochester’s conservation agent is going to hit the ground running after the mitigation plan proposed by A.D. Makepeace at the Morse Swamp Reservoir was continued to July 20.

            “There’s a lot of moving parts on this one,” Farinon told the Rochester Conservation Commission during its June 1 meeting, shortly before ConCom voted to request $11,500 to hire peer-review consultant LEC Environmental.

            The Wareham-based cranberry company filed a Notice of Intent in response to an Enforcement Order issued by ConCom on December 16, 2020, for restoration and replication of wetland resource areas at the Morse Swamp Reservoir at 0 County Road.

            Brad Holmes of A.D. Makepeace and Bill Madden of G.A.F Engineering appeared before the commission on June 1, and Madden summarized the state of conditions as agricultural uses including a water supply reservoir for cranberry operations, uplands and wetlands, and affecting areas including a bank, land subject to flooding, and land under water.

            He presented A.D. Makepeace’s mitigation proposal in five drawings, explaining that A.D. Makepeace believed it was engaged in an exempt activity when dredging and cleaning the water supply at the site.

            “In the process of conducting those exempt activities, they stubbed their toe a little bit on the way and they did a couple of things that were really outside the scope of any exemption,” said Madden, referring to the casting of dredge spoils onto a bordering vegetated wetland, depositiing mineral soils on bordering land subject to flooding, and altering an inland bank.

            Madden said most of the mitigation will consist of removing material cast upon those areas and bank repair.

            “I think it’s important to note that it was an exempt activity that they were undertaking that led to the alterations of resources areas that didn’t enjoy the same level of exemption,” he said. “What remains to figure out is what do we actually do with the rest of the project?”

            When asked for comment by new ConCom Chairman Chris Gerrior, Farinon took issue with Madden’s assertion that the activities at the site were exempt and suggested it would make most sense to put the island back where it was. She recommended that ConCom prioritize the peer review.

            Mark Manganello of LEC Environmental attended the meeting and said the peer-review billing would come in two phases at $6,500 and $5,000.

            The site is in an Eversource right of way, so Madden said there is a limitation on what can be replaced. The piles of gravel on the site would be removed from the site. Hand labor will be required for a thorough completion of the removals.

            Holmes said the plan will include a step-by-step narrative that, once an Order of Conditions is issued, would help move the project forward.

            Vice Chairman Dan Gagne recused himself from participation as a commissioner.

            A public hearing was held for an NOI filed by Middleboro-based DBT Investments for proposed grading and landscaping associated with construction of the single-family home at 22 High Street. The proposed work would occur within 100 feet of a bordering vegetated wetland and bordering land subject to flooding. Debris within the 25-foot no-disturb zone would be removed.

            The plan is to raze an existing structure on the half-acre property and replace it with a new, three-bedroom house including a Title 5 septic system and a new well. Farinon asked about the well on the site and the ditch that has been dug in an eastern direction toward the buffer zone to the wetlands. Beau McMahon, the applicant, stated that the mudding was run through a mudder to prevent runoff and understands it to be outside the buffer zone.

            Challenging the survey information in the proposal, abutter Kimberly Ashley of Old Tuck Cranberry Corporation told the commission that she will be disputing the survey and pointed to the deeds from 1884 and 1902.

            Ashley asserted that Old Tuck owns up to the 100-year flood mark that borders the project and that the dewatering pit on the site plan would sit on Old Tuck property. Ashley also said the 3:1 slope proposed will push fill onto Old Tuck property.

            The case was continued to July 6.

            ConCom voted to request an amended Order of Conditions for the paving of applicant Nick Araujo’s driveway at 67 Old School House Road. Picking up on an old filing, Stevie Carvalho of Farland Corporation appeared on Araujo’s behalf seeking feedback under the category of request for Determination of Non-Significance.

            As explained by Farinon, an existing permit allowed for Araujo to improve what she considers a somewhat “dense” and “partially impervious” driveway, which measures over 500 feet long and between 10 and 12 feet wide and construct it within 100 feet of a bordering vegetated wetland.

            The original filing included improvement to the driveway, but so much time had passed that a replication area had to be cut away from the roadway. After discussion, the current plan to pave the driveway was considered to be of significance to the membership, and a unanimous vote requested an amended Order of Conditions. That will necessarily include a new public hearing with a notification of abutters and new documentation needing signatures recorded at the Registry of Deeds.

            In a continued NOI public hearing, Eric Las of Beals & Thomas Inc. updated ConCom on the perimeter road project by Snipatuit Road Solar, LLC. Las outlined proposed installation of portions of 4.6-megawatt solar array within the 100-foot buffer zone to a bordering vegetated wetland, discussed the plan to widen the access road and upgrade an 18-inch metal culvert to an 11.5-foot wide stream restoration featuring a timber-span bridge crossing.

            “What a pleasure it is to see a very thorough, presentation…. What a pleasure it is to see somebody do their job really well,” said Farinon, noting that Las “presented the whole project and not just the parts they want you to pay attention to.”

            Gagne also recused himself from the Snipatuit Road Solar, LLC, which was continued to ConCom’s July 6 meeting.

            Bendrix Bailey, applicant in a NOI filing for construction of a 700-foot long, 20-foot wide, recycled-asphalt roadway to access a single-family house lot at 0 Gerrish Road, asked for and got a continuance to Tuesday, June 15.

            In other business, on May 24, ConCom conducted three interviews to fill the job of conservation agent soon to be vacated by Farinon and recommended two of the applicants to the Board of Selectmen for further interview.

            ConCom is looking for two new members, as Gagne pointed out that five members currently serve on a seven-member commission. Town Counsel Blair Bailey said the quorum will remain four, but the number of members in attendance can play a role on applications and projects passing if ConCom cannot act. “We’re losing a lot of institutional memory,” he said, alluding to Farinon’s impending departure.

            The next meeting of the Conservation Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, June 15, at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo