The Old Rochester Regional School Committee and Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 voted to hire the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) as its consultant to assist them in the search for a new school superintendent during a joint meeting on October 9.

            ORR School Committee Chairman Carey Humphrey said representatives from four different consulting groups recently made presentations before the chairmen of the four Tri-Town school committees, with one clear candidate emerging – MASC.

            “I came in with a slight bit of an attitude because we had to reschedule this particular meeting (with the MASC representative),” said Humphrey. “But I can tell you, his presentation blew me away.” He added, “I was very impressed with them.”

            MASC “checked all the boxes,” said Humphrey.

            Superintendency Chairman Sharon Hartley said remotely via phone that she had reached out to several regional school districts for references on the four consultant groups, and the only ones to reply to her inquiry were ones that used MASC.

            “They all strongly stated that MASC did an outstanding job,” Hartley said, “and they were really satisfied and found a consultant that found a superintendent that met their… particular needs.”

            Humphrey said that MASC came in second out of the four when it came to cost, but MASC had offered to match the best offer,

            “Even if they weren’t matching it… I would still recommend MASC,” said Humphrey.

            ORR School Committee member Jim Muse pressed for an internal search for a candidate before branching out nationally, saying, “We should be looking at an internal search immediately in parallel with that, if in fact we have a highly qualified person internally who wants to apply…”

            The ORR School Committee vote to hire MASC was unanimous, but the Superintendency side vote, although in favor of MASC by majority, had two dissenting votes.

            The next step for the ‘Joint’ is to develop specific criteria for the type of superintendent the school districts seek with the assistance of surveys of students, parents, faculty, and school committee members, and appoint a search committee of no more that 11 members. 

            “Everybody’s a stakeholder, whether you have kids or you don’t have kids,” said Rochester School Committee member Anne Fernandez, acting chairman of the Superintendency Union that evening. “Whatever you are – if you’re a storekeeper, everybody has criteria and the consultant will be driving that train.”

            The goal is to hire a new superintendent by the end of January 2020.

            The next joint meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee and Superintendency Union #55 is scheduled for December 12 at 6:30 pm in the ORR Junior High media room.

Joint Meeting of the School Committees

By Jean Perry

            Marion is close to making a real promise to preserve the historic Town House with a preservation restriction currently in the works that would preserve the historical character of the Town House – the exterior, at least – into perpetuity.

            As a requirement for the Community Preservation Act funds allocated by Town Meeting this past May, the Town House must be placed under a preservation restriction to maintain the exterior character of the historical building.

            Town Administrator James McGrail said the Sippican Historical Society offered its assistance in applying for the preservation restriction and agreed to hold the restriction under its name.

            McGrail presented the Marion Board of Selectmen on October 15 with a draft of the preservation restriction that he said was necessary in order to process the CPA funding to pay for a number of renovations to the building’s exterior.

            The Community Preservation Act, while requiring a preservation restriction for the purchase of historical real property, does not require a preservation restriction for renovations to a historical property, but towns are allowed to require preservation restrictions whenever CPA funds are expended on a historic preservation project.

            The preservation restriction will also qualify the town for further grants related to the rehabilitation and preservation of the Town House.

            McGrail said he forwarded the draft restriction to counsel and had hoped to have the final draft that night for the board to sign, but it was sent to the Historical Society for final approval and McGrail had still not yet been given the OK.

            McGrail specified, though, that the Town House Annex, the rear building constructed not long after the original building was built, would also be part of the preservation restriction, and therefore, could not ever be demolished.

            McGrail said he expects to have that final draft ready for the selectmen’s signature for the November 5 meeting.

            The Historical Commission, according to M.G.L. Chapter 184, must approve the preservation restriction.

            Also during the meeting, Department of Public Works Director David Willet presented his summary of the status of 16 infrastructure projects already in the pipeline. After, McGrail gave selectmen more information about a plan to hire an assistant to Willet, the board voiced its support for the idea.

            McGrail said the position that has yet to be graded but is anticipated in the $80,000 range could be funded equally by the three different DPW budgets: sewer, water, and public works.

            McGrail said there has been a savings in the wastewater department due to the ongoing inability to fill various positions with qualified candidates. In the public works department there has been savings, McGrail said, because the need for seasonal workers has decreased since the town outsourced its curbside trash service.

            “My hope is to reduce some of the consulting costs that we currently incur,” said Willet. “Balancing outsourcing and in-house, Marion’s just got to find its niche in the spot… and I’m trying to find those balances and I think this is one of them that would pay for itself.”

            According to Willet, the DPW this year spent $100,000 on a consulting engineering firm for just one single project.

            “It makes sense to me that that will save us money over time,” said Selectman John Waterman.

            McGrail will submit the idea to the Collins Center for Public Management at UMass Boston to grade the position and then advertise the position. 

            In other business, the board reviewed and approved the prepared list of non-union job descriptions for Marion non-union town employees.

            The selectmen approved the Tri-Town veterans’ agent’s request to establish a Veterans’ Fund to hold donations for additional services for Marion veterans in need of further assistance. The director of finance would approve any disbursements of funds from the account that McGrail said would be nearly identical to the COA Emergency Fund.

            “We have a successful program for the COA for emergency assistance,” McGrail said; said program is managed by the Treasurer’s Office.

            Former Planning Board member Steve Kokkins has expressed an interest in an appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the seat left vacant from the resignation of Bob Alves. McGrail advised the board to hold off on the appointment until he again heard from Kokkins.

            Casey Cole Vieira was reappointed to the Marion Affordable Housing Trust.

            A meeting of the Tri-Town Selectmen has been scheduled for Thursday, October 24, at 6:30 pm at the ORR Junior High School media room.

            The Fall Special Town Meeting will be held on Monday, October 21, at 6:45 pm at Sippican School. All non-football fans are especially encouraged to attend given that there is a Patriots game beginning at 8:30 pm and McGrail regrettably admitted the oversight when he suggested the date months ago.

            “Poor planning on my part,” he said. “But Mattapoisett has theirs as well, so we’re not alone in this.”

            “If the Patriots lose, then it’s going to be your fault because we didn’t watch,” said Waterman.

            McGrail urged the selectmen and everyone else planning to attend to “bring their cell phones” in case a quorum of 50 proves difficult to meet.

            McGrail did promise regular updates on the game if Town Meeting exceeds 8:30 pm, but he is optimistic that Town Meeting might be run efficiently and everyone will make it home in time for the game.

            The next regular meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen has been scheduled for November 5 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

            During the October 15 meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission, Todd Cambra presented evidence that a perennial stream does not exist on his property.

            Cambra, 1098 Walnut Plain Road, via a Request for Determination of Applicability, refuted a perennial stream designation as shown on United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic mapping.

            Cambra submitted photographic evidence and field notes from what he described as “a competent source”, claiming that the stream in question was dry during four consecutive days. The issue involves the proposed construction of a 75-foot by 60-foot garage situated within 100 feet from a bordering vegetated resource area.

            The competent source turned out to be Conservation Commission member Chris Gerrior, whose documentation was swiftly accepted by the commission as they voted their approval via a Negative Determination of Applicability.

            In tandem with this ruling, the commission also issued a Certificate of Compliance for work never begun on the property.

            A Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Laura and Bruce Ouellette, 245 Hartley Road, asked the commission to consider granting a Negative determination for the installation of two concrete pads for a generator and propane tank to service their residence. The closest work was described as being 29 feet from a drainage ditch adjacent to a cranberry bog. A Negative determination was unanimously approved.

            Pedro Rodriquez of Solar Systems MA Project Management LLC for property at 0 Walnut Plain Road and 0 Old Middleboro Road with a Notice of Intent filing was next. The owner of record is Decas Cranberry Company, Carver, Diana Murphy, trustee, and MWH LLC, Braintree.

            There was some concern voiced by Chairman Mike Conway that the signature pages for the property owners did not clearly delineate what properties they owned which, in his estimation, caused the application to be incomplete. He refused to open the hearing.

            Rodriquez, along with Austin Turner of Bohler Engineering, took umbrage to that conclusion, challenging his decision to send them away.

            After about 20 minutes, during which Conservation Agent Farinon and several commissioners pointed out that documents were, in their opinion, complete and that the hearing should be opened, Conway indicated that the commissioners could overrule his decision. They did just that and overrode his dissention with a unanimous vote. The hearing was opened.

            Discussion of the widening of Old Middleboro Road to be utilized for the construction of a 35-acre solar array, and the need to ensure that all abutters be informed of plans to widen the road, led to the hearing’s continuation until November 19.

            In other business, five Abbreviated Notices of Resource Area Delineations by Joe Harrison of SunRaise Investments LLC for properties located at 0 Snipatuit Road, 0 Cushman Road, 0 Braley Road, and two filings for 0 Featherbed Lane were continued at the request of the petitioner until November 5.

            Also continued until November 5, at the request of REpurpose Properties, LLC, was the public hearing for an NOI for an over-55 residential complex, located adjacent to Plumb Corner.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for November 5 at 7:00 pm in the Rochester Town Hall conference room.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell