Would the Rochester Planning Board ever fine the Buzzards Bay Coalition?

            On June 28, the board came close to doing so as it reviewed violations of town Planning Board regulations on Marion Road.

            Approximately two years ago, Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson said the coalition cut trees on 55 acres that it owned on Marion Road without allowing the board to review the project details. What has been done since on the property, which is now owned by a farmer, is an improvement said Planning Board member Michael Murphy. “But documentation to us is still needed,” he said.

            Board members said it would set a bad precedent to let the current landowner off the hook. They said the owner should come before the board to discuss the plan for the parcel.

            The members ultimately decided to send a certified letter to the new landowners, explaining that if they refuse to respond to requests for a meeting or a plan, the panel will start fining them.

            The board indicated the Buzzards Bay Coalition may or may not be the one directly fined this time around.

            In other action, the Planning Board endorsed an Approval Not Required application for a land swap at 332 Mendell Road.

            The owners of a home and the “Arch at the Meadow” performance and event venue at that        address wish to move their driveway to their home lot, instead of its current location, straddling the business and home lots. The board concluded this project does not need site-plan approval.

            The Planning Board will meet next on Tuesday, July 12, at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

The contract extension announced this past spring for Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson is the ringing endorsement that tells all, but the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) prescribes an involved process for a superintendent’s Summative Evaluation.

            In summarizing that process, Sharon Hartley told the Old Rochester Regional Joint School Committee/Superintendency Union #55 during Monday night’s public meeting that Nelson’s review achieved DESE’s goal of exemplary.

            “The School Committee members worked very hard on this process,” said Hartley, impressed with the “most consistency of response that I’ve seen in my time.”

            DESE, Hartley explained, sought one rating out of a composite of ratings in various categories. Nelson exhibited two overarching strengths in his first two years as ORR superintendent: effective communication and the development of relationships between teachers, administrators, school committee members and parents.

            “I set very high expectations for myself,” said Nelson. “To be candid, this outcome only motivates me more.”

            Nelson credited the people around him for making ORR’s successes possible. “It’s really reflective of our collective efforts,” he said. “I’m keenly aware of how lucky I am to be the superintendent of schools here.”

            In a brief version of his Strategic Plan/Vision 2023 Update, Nelson said he is wrapping up Year 4 of the plan. He noted that Dr. Linda Ashley, who is replacing Rose Bowman as principal at Center School in Mattapoisett, will join the force, as summer planning for Year 5 of the Strategic Plan/Vision 2023 begins. No official action was required of the Joint School Committee.

            Before the agenda reached the subject of Nelson’s review, the Joint School Committee voted unanimously on both sides to approve the appointment of Dr. Shari Fedorowicz as the new assistant superintendent of Teaching & Learning for the ORR District.

            The hiring process included an identifying of candidates followed by a round of interviews, then meetings to establish finalists for the job, at which point the vetting process dug deeper with reference checks and site visits.

            The search committee found that Fedorowicz, who has most recently served as director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for Abington Public Schools, emerged as the leading candidate primarily because of her proven track record examining curriculum at all grade levels.

            Search committee members April Nye, Derek Medeiros and Anne Fernandes came away from their effort impressed with Fedorowicz’s ability to listen and develop action plans. Nye was particularly impressed upon her site visit to the classrooms.

            “Collaborative” was the operative word on both sides, as Fedorowicz thanked the hiring committee, noting how impressed she was with meeting the school committee members and students and appreciated their “welcoming” posture.

            “I’m excited about the opportunity and the work that is waiting,” said Fedorowicz.

            Nelson thanked Dr. Jannell Pearson-Campbell, who held the job through the end of the 2021-22 school year. Pearson-Campbell, whose efforts were focused on professional development and information technology aimed at improving literacy, announced her impending departure during the winter months, citing personal circumstances.

            In the final meeting of the JSC for the 2021-22 academic year, chairperson’s reports were brief.

            On the far side of the pandemic, Hartley celebrated the “normal” status of operations.

            District side Chairperson Heather Burke was serving in her final meeting as a committee member and took the opportunity to share the advice to “showcase these students as much as you can. They tell the story of ORR better than anyone else. … Really get those words out and really communicate because that’s what it’s all about.”

            In other business, the JSC unanimously approved three policy changes involving Nondiscrimination policies and procedures, changes to the grievance procedure associated with ORR’s Harassment policies, and a new policy on the harassment of students.

            In one other move, the Anti-Racism Resolution will no longer be coded and placed in any one section but will rather be placed at the beginning of the policy manual.

            Early in the meeting, the JSC broke into executive session to discuss negotiations and to comply with state laws and returned to public session in approximately 53 minutes.

            The next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 29, at 6:30 pm.

ORR Joint School Committee / Superintendency Union #55

By Mick Colageo

            The Marion Finance Committee may meet on July 13 to vet one more item on a list of Reserve Fund transfers approved at its June 22 public meeting.

            Before launching into four transfers from the Reserve Fund, the committee voted to approve one appropriation transfer requiring both FinCom and Select Board approval.

            Sometime during FY22, former Recreation Department Director Jody Dickerson was transferred to the Department of Public Works, a necessary move that worked out famously by all account and was hailed as a solution before current directors were in place for the two departments.

            Town Administrator Jay McGrail explained that the FY23 budget was already approved by vote prior to Dickerson’s transfer so what the Finance Committee was asked to do on June 22 is approve a $40,000 transfer from the Reserve Fund into the Highway Department’s budget.

            The transferred amount does not account for Dickerson’s entire salary, only the amount it took to make the DPW budget whole. The change is reflected on the FY23 DPW budget.

            Finance Director Judy Mooney explained that the budget transfer is only allowed at the end of the fiscal year, thus putting it before the committee at its June 22 public meeting.

            The committee also voted to approve a total of $17,422 in four transfers from the Reserve Fund that Mooney referred to as “cleanup” items.

            The first item was $1,722 for a mailing in accordance with the town bylaw. McGrail said the cost came in $1,700 above the original cost estimate.

            Also transferred was $8,000 to finish up an actuary study. According to McGrail, Marion reached the federal cap after receiving over $1,000,000 in CARES Act funding and was required to hold an audit.       “Judy didn’t get dinged for anything, she did it perfectly,” said McGrail.

            State funding for veterans went into the town’s general fund, said Mooney. The $4,000 requested was offset with veterans’ funds from the state.

            “We just have to have the expense, you can’t mix the expense with the revenue,” she explained. “Chris (Gerrior), our veterans’ agent, put a nice description in there, but I did want to just let you know that even though they estimated this, we really did receive well over the $4,000 that we gave out in General Fund (money.)”

            The Elizabeth Taber Library asked for an increase in its budget to purchase some furniture, but the town suggested a $3,700 Reserve Fund transfer.

            The four transfers left a remaining balance of $47,578 in the Reserve Fund that formerly held $65,000.

            McGrail told the committee that the town was “on the fence” as to whether to bring a fifth transfer request related to the Marine Department, the personnel of which was moved out of their contracts into the town’s Personnel Policy last year.

            The resultant overtime budgeted for FY23 had McGrail concerned with three weeks left in FY22. With a July 15 deadline to have the town’s financial house in order, McGrail suggested a potential special meeting of the committee (via Zoom) in July to vote on a potential Reserve Fund transfer.

            In other business, Committee Chairman Shay Assad said he planned to send a note to FinCom members with thoughts on things he thinks the members should be considering beyond review of the annual budget.

            Assad’s examples included thoughts on an accountability review for Chapter 90 funds for the roads, looking at the school budget in a different way, and an audit committee that reviews audited financials in the management letter. Assad said these are among best practices in some other towns. A September meeting would be held to discuss a potential list of actions and the creation of subcommittees.

            Assad publicly thanked Mooney and McGrail for “exemplary” work on the budget and the teamwork established with the Select Board. “I think we’ve established a really good working relationship,” he said.

            Former Chairman Peter Winters added, “I think we definitely can do more and maybe take some of the burden off Jay and Judy, but they do a great job and it was a good budget season for sure.”

            Toby Burr, the newest Select Board member, appreciated Assad’s welcome to FinCom’s think tank.

            The next meeting of the Marion Finance Committee was not finalized, but the committee discussed a potential meeting on Wednesday, July 13.

Marion Finance Committee

By Mick Colageo

It has been a very long time in coming, but now emerging and advancing forward after years of planning is the repair and upgrades of the Eel Pond Sewer line. In attendance at the June 27 meeting of the Mattapoisett’s Conservation Commission were Mattapoisett’s Water and Sewer Department Superintendent Henri Renauld and from the town’s engineering consultants, Tighe and Bond, Jessica Roberts.

            Roberts gave a nearly one-hour presentation, the Notice of Intent including a brief history of the sewer-line location and concerns that future storms might rupture the sewer line with catastrophic results not only for the town but for the surrounding communities along Buzzards Bay.

            Among the details shared by Roberts, 1,500 linear feet of sewer line will be replaced in parallel, expanding to the existing main but at a greater depth. Directional boring, which was successfully used in the beach community Pease’s Point several years ago, would again be employed to minimize site impact to jurisdictional wetlands.

            Renauld said that 1,340 feet of the existing sewer line would be cleaned and left in place. He said that this project has been flagged by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. CZM’s stated mission is to “…balance human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources.”

Renauld stated that early this year CZM funded the final plan now being discussed.

            Roberts said that environmental impacts to surrounding wetlands that include marsh areas would be exclusively at the entrance and exit areas used for the drilling equipment. Remediation of those areas was also included in the plan.

            There will be no lack of oversight on this project. Involved or to be involved were listed: MESA (Massachusetts Endangered Species Act); NHESP (Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program); MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act); Army Corp of Engineers; and 401 Water Quality Certification (Massachusetts 314 CMR:9 401 for permitting of dredging projects) as well as CZM and Massachusetts Historical Commission.

            Not to be forgotten is Mattapoisett’s Conservation Commission, which will be responsible for jurisdictional areas defined in the Massachusetts Wetland’s Protection Act by way of written construction conditions. Contingency plans were also discussed.

            After the commission asked questions of the engineering team and Renauld, Chairman Mike King asked for public comments of which there were none. The public hearing was closed. King asked for a two-week continuance to give the commission time to prepare an Order of Conditions. Renauld will return on July 11.

            In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Dennis Arsenault for certification that there are no jurisdictional areas on property located at 0 Brandt Island Road received a negative determination. Also receiving a negative determination for a similar request was Jacinto Mendes for 0 Dupont Drive. A RDA filed by Michael and Virginia Morhardt for 10 West Silver Shell Avenue for improvements under a raised residence received a negative determination as well.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, July 11, at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

            On June 23, the Mattapoisett Board of Health met with representatives from a company whose business model is the production of compost from food waste. The operation and processes used to create useable compost products were described by Andrew Brousseau and Tom LeClair of Black Earth Compost, founded in 2011 in the City of Gloucester.

            Brousseau said that the collection of residential waste, which constitutes about 20 percent of the total volume that goes into landfills or is incinerated is handled on a subscription basis. He said that host cities and towns benefit from having food waste gathered by his company because residents would then be able to receive free compost and discount collection pricing.

Mattapoisett Health Agent Gail Joseph also noted that by taking food waste out of the solid waste stream, solid-waste collection costs would ultimately be lowered in correlation to lowered tonnage.

            Brousseau said that in 2011 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection began to limit the amount of food waste that communities were allowed to collect and dispose of either by placement in a landfill or by incineration. He said that by 2030 more restrictions are planned with the goal of trying to eliminate nearly all food waste from the solid-waste stream.

            The Black Earth team explained how food scraps are collected for a small weekly fee to subscribers using Black Earth receptacles with instructions on how to maintain sanitary conditions and control odors, street-side receptacle collection, followed by placement of collected food waste into the composting sheds.

            Brousseau said that host communities will need to dedicate at least five acres of land for food-waste processing. Joseph said that it is yet to be determined if Black Earth would rent the needed acreage from the town’s transfer station property. In fact, Joseph said that although planning now for future DEP restrictions is important, her June 23 meeting with Black Earth representatives was part of a fact-finding mission.

            LeClair said that currently Oxford, Groton and Manchester-By-The-Sea are Black Earth member communities and that the company has been looking to establish processing facilities on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal. He also stated that host-community residential members could pay as little as $2 per week, while non-host communities’ residential members would pay $4 per week, making the case that by being a host community, residents would access free compost and lower processing fees.

            Board of Health Chairman Carmelo Nicolosi questioned the number of trucks per week that might be using North Street, a scenic roadway in a residential area, to reach the transfer station if the town decided to host a plant. He cautioned that residents would be displeased by increased truck traffic in the neighborhood.

Brousseau stated that possibly 10 trucks per week would bring food waste from community members and members in other membership communities, saying traffic would be monitored and complaints addressed immediately.

            Black Earth representatives also said that residents in a host community could dispose of as much brush and leaves as they wished at no cost, as these materials would be needed for the production of quality compost. Landscape companies, however, would not be allowed to participate. Brousseau said that to begin the process Black Earth would need at least 100 preregistered households.

            Nicolosi emphasized that nothing can be or would be done without the consent and approval of the residents and the Select Board. The Board of Health does not have the capacity to incur debt or spend monies without the express approval of the Select Board, he said. Nicolosi added that the transfer station is utilized by a number of other town departments and is planned to host a municipal solar array in the coming months, thus it is unclear if there will be space for a composting operation.

            At Nicolosi’s suggestion, a public site visit will take place on Thursday, June 30, at 10:00 am with Black Earth representatives and any members of the community wishing to participate in further discussions. Member Michelle Bernier thought community engagement would be needed to gauge residents’ level of interest.

            Joseph reiterated in a follow-up that now is the time for the town to educate itself on the topic of food waste recycling in advance of any statewide mandates. “We’ve already removed mattresses and clothing from the waste stream; this will be the next step, but we aren’t doing anything until everything has been studied and approved. It will take time,” she said.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health in scheduled for Thursday, June 30, at 10:00 am at the transfer station at the end of Tinkham Hill Road off North Street.

Mattapoisett Board of Health

By Marilou Newell