In the June 16 conclusion of a continued public hearing, the Marion Board of Selectmen voted to award Fieldstone Farm Market one of the town’s five licenses with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) for the retail sale of beer and wine. There was no feedback from last week’s discussion in public hearing. The owner, Arnie Johnson, attended the public hearing, received congratulations from the selectmen, and thanked the town.

            In the event that, for any reason, Town Meeting cannot be held as scheduled (on Monday, June 22), the Board of Selectmen approved a 1/12 budget of $5,259,238 for July 2020, which will be submitted to the state Department of Revenue as soon as possible.

            Chief of Police John Garcia attended the meeting to request approval of student officer Peter Bourgeault to a one-year probationary period as a full-time police officer. 

            Bourgeault is almost finished with his work at the academy. He would have attended the meeting but was attending class, explained Garcia. Graduation at the academy, originally scheduled for June 5, was delayed by COVID-19 to June 19 so Garcia’s request officially asked that Bourgeault be appointed effective June 19. The board approved the appointment, and Selectman Norm Hills asked the chief to convey the board’s congratulations.

            Garcia said that, because Bourgeault will be deprived the regular graduation ceremony with the academy, Marion will hold a private ceremony of its own, limited in number by COVID-19-related restrictions. At 2:30 pm Friday, June 19, a small, private ceremony will include a formal swearing-in of Bourgeault complete with the ceremonial pinning of his badge.

            In his Town Administrator’s report, McGrail with assistance from Town Planner Gil Hilario, procured a $25,000 state grant with no matching funds required for the purpose of an overview of the town’s human resources practices.

            As of Monday, Marion has reopened all municipal buildings except the Public Library, Natural History Museum, and Community Center. McGrail reported no issues. “Everyone’s done a nice job with the masks,” he said. “I appreciate the public’s support… It took us a long time to get to where we are today.”

            The town was ready to sign a purchase-and-sale agreement to sell its property at Atlantis Drive in a transaction scheduled for June 17. McGrail said he was waiting to hear back from the only leased tenant, citing a termination clause in the lease that he needs to follow. Once Marion hits the $500,000 threshold, the town has the right to walk away from the sale. Three other existing tenants have no lease agreements.

            With help from Selectman Norm Hills, McGrail reported having applied for a $300,000 Coastal Zone Management grant – Marion would fund $75,000 from its own coffers – for the design work on a new pumping station at Creek Road. “I’m very optimistic that we will be successful with this grant opportunity,” said McGrail.

            The Town Meeting dry run held on Monday was attended by over 60 people, and McGrail reported having received productive follow-ups from citizens. He said that 250 people will fit comfortably at Sippican School, where Town Meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday night, June 22, using two rooms with single chairs and one room with doubles.

            This Friday, June 19, the town plans to set up an audio-visual system, then hold a dry run to test out all the technology it is planning to use. “Hopefully we’ll be a in a good place by Monday afternoon and we’ll have a successful town meeting,” said McGrail.

            He reported that Town House is 90-something percent complete with its new exterior front. “All that’s really left are the windows,” he said of the project that is expected to take a month to complete. He reported that the Sippican Historical Society’s philanthropy has been a key element in the success of the project.

            McGrail, in a second action item, requested the board to extend committee member appointments to July 15, the date of the selectmen’s next scheduled meeting. “I fully recommend these re-appointments,” he said, noting a year having worked with all affected appointees. The board approved extending the appointments from June 30 to July 15.

            The board also approved the Council on Aging’s request to appoint Helenka Hopkins Nolan to a three-year term, filling an existing vacancy.

            The board voted to accept a $1,000 donation from Cathy and Jim Feeney to the Marion Fire and EMS.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for July 15, when it is anticipated that the board may be able by then to resume meeting in person.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo

            On June 11 the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen approved plans to reopen restaurants to customers by offering them outdoor seating. For most of the restaurants in town, outdoor seating was either limited or not offered in the past. Now with the state’s COVID-19 guidelines expanded to include on-site dining in an outdoor setting, many local restaurants have adapted outdoor spaces for alfresco dining.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco said that site visits attended by members of the Board of Health, Building Department, Fire and Police Departments, along with himself, included review of safety protocols with business owners and their staff, and relevant state-issued Phase 2 reopening guidelines. Those guidelines include but are not limited to tables being six-feet apart, no more than six diners to a table, no customers standing at bars, all customers must be seated, no gathering of unseated customers, directional movement to minimize close contact, staggered work shifts, face coverings worn by all customers and service providers, and hygiene protocols for food handlers. The complete list of guidelines may be found at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/safety-standards-and-checklist-restaurants#social-distancing.

            Lorenco said that where there were concerns with tables being in close proximity to moving traffic, jersey barriers had been positioned. Also, when necessary, restaurant staff vehicles might also be used as barriers to ensure customers park in designated areas and that vehicles move in a single direction.

            Reading to the selectmen from a prepared statement, Lorenco said that officials had met with Turks, Rustico, Oxford Creamery, Golf House (Bay Club), Walrus & Captain, Mattapoisett Diner, Inn at Shipyard Park, and Tastebuds. “The team reviewed the location of tents, table limits and spacing, hygiene and cleaning procedures, and most importantly outdoor safety measures,” he read. Continuing on Lorenco said, “Since much of the outdoor seating will be in parking lots and other high-traffic areas, the team has recommended the use of employee cars to be used as barriers to protect patrons. In addition, the Town has placed five jersey barriers in areas of high concern.” He assured the selectmen that the combined town officials were satisfied with business accommodations for outdoor food service and asked that the selectmen also grant permission for alcohol service for those restaurants with approved ABCC permits.

            The selectmen had stated in their previous meeting that they were eager to give businesses the opportunity to reopen and wished to support those efforts. They unanimously approved all plans before them.

Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen

By Marilou Newell

            In their meeting held on June 8, the Marion Energy Management Committee met over the Zoom platform to provide updates to Marion’s future energy endeavors.

            Town Planner Gil Hilario provided the committee with an update to the Benson Brook Solar Array Project. Drone surveys will be conducted to provide aerial imaging of the site. Hilario noted that the amount of power that can be provided by the site may exceed the amount that was initially proposed.

            Committee Member Bill Saltonstall explained that further increases in potential power could come with the addition of solar panels to the slopes of the landfill. The sloping panels would come as added support to the panels placed on top of the capped landfill.

            “It seems like their setting just used the top portion only, but I am trying to get the slopes used as much as possible,” said Hilario. In a Board of Selectmen meeting, Hilario advocated for the use of panels on the slopes of the landfill to increase output. “If they use the slope, it’s possible they could revise the financial statements,” Hilario added.

            “The Board of Selectmen may be using outdated information,” said committee member Jennifer Francis. “Many capped landfills use solar panels on their slopes.”

            Francis advised the committee to provide examples of other towns that have successfully used solar panels on the slopes of their landfills. “It would be a win-win situation for the contractors and the town,” she said. “They will have more panels, and we will have more renewable energy.”

            Hilario provided the committee with an update on the Green Communities Planning Project that would see the current Marion Community Center heating system replaced with electric heat pumps. The heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer.

            “We thought about the pros and cons, and we felt it was only a small price difference,” Hilario explained. The heat pumps will be used the majority of the time heating the building in external temperatures from 30 degrees and up. When it gets below 30 degrees, the furnace will kick in to support the electric system.”

            Hilario explained that heat pumps are an innovative change that will support a reduction in the town’s consumption of fossil fuels. As the heat pumps rely only on electric power, they can be supported by power generated by solar and wind farms. Amid concerns about having two different units requiring maintenance in the same building, Hilario explained that the heat pumps would use exiting ductwork inside the community center and therefore require little attention.

            Saltonstall spoke before the committee to address broad issues related to the town’s general energy consumption. According to Saltonstall, the average of the town’s electrical cost for Fiscal Year 2018 was $2,500,000. Currently, Marion has accrued $2,100,000 in electrical costs and is trending in the right direction for significant savings. Though the savings are substantial, Saltonstall admitted that the decrease in costs was nowhere near the 20 percent decrease the town had hoped for over the course of a five-year period.

            Saltonstall attributed much of the savings to work being done with Future Generation Wind. The wind farm has paid the town roughly $90,000 per year and $342,000 to the town in energy savings over four years. In addition to the savings, Saltonstall added that Future Generation Wind could assist the town with further energy projects. “As we think of work happening this coming year, we should remember that we can get help if we apply for it,” Saltonstall told the committee.

            In the conclusion of his reports, Saltonstall explained that the majority of the streetlights in Marion had had their existing lightbulbs replaced with more efficient LED bulbs. The more efficient lighting is another step the committee has taken to transition Marion into a greener community. The only streetlights that still need to be converted are located on Front Street. Saltonstall estimated that this left roughly 15 lights in the town that could be updated.

            The committee’s final business addressed the retirement of Chairman David Pierce from the Energy Management Committee. The committee unanimously thanked Pierce for his dedication to the committee and for the work he has accomplished.

            Pierce’s final act on the committee was to determine who would replace him in the role of chairman. The committee nominated and unanimously carried a motion for member Christian Ingerslev to take on the role of chairman.

            “This has been a committee I have enjoyed working with over the years,” Pierce said in his closing remarks. “The movement forward we have made has been so impressive. It has been an honor to serve with you, and I have every reason to believe our work will continue forward. I wish you all the very best.”

            The next Marion Energy Management Committee meeting was not yet scheduled at press time.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Matthew Donato