The Town House looks like a meteor landed at its front door, but the project donated by the Sippican Historical Society at a potential cost of $250,000 is one of many moving parts that can or cannot be seen as Marion tries to beat the clock in a number of matters crucial to the community.

            The Marion Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday at the Music Hall, where plans for key events in October and November were rolled out.

            The selectmen voted to close Spring Street between Cottage Street and Main Street from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Saturday, October 17, for the long-awaited unveiling of the Elizabeth Taber Statue.

            Meantime, Town Administrator Jay McGrail talked with Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson and arrived at a plan to hold the November 9 Special Town Meeting at the ORR High School auditorium with the gymnasium and cafeteria as storage spaces.

            “Sippican (School) wouldn’t have enough space,” said McGrail, who said typical attendance for a special town meeting ranges between 90 and 160 people. ORR can host over 100 people. “This will probably be on the low side. If we hit the 60 (or) 70 number at Sippican, we’d have trouble.”

            The meeting will be held at 6:45 pm on November 9, and McGrail said the bylaw says it can be held anywhere in the Tri-Town. ORR is situated on Route 6 just over the line into Mattapoisett.

            Among items on the agenda for November 9 will be discussion and vote on Marion’s withdrawal from the Carver Marion Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District. A town meeting vote is required before January 1 in order to do so.

            Later in Tuesday’s meeting, McGrail would note that the inaugural meeting of Water/Sewer Commissioners is scheduled for Thursday, September 24. The first part will address water and the second part sewer.

            Donna Hemphill appeared before the selectmen at a 4:10 pm appointment to discuss an outdoor Veterans Day Ceremony for Wednesday, November 11. Because the state has opened up, albeit with limits and capacities, Marion is taking its opportunity to do something more. “Donna’s done a great job coming up with a hybrid event,” said McGrail.

            “We can’t do the normal thing,” said Hemphill, but there will be a plan weather permitting for an event at Old Landing. “We’re working on details.”

            In building a presentation around a luncheon for veterans, Hemphill suggested Board of Selectmen Chairperson Randy Parker as master of ceremonies, adding a guest speaker, and laying a wreath.

            The work recently done by Jodie Dickinson and Karen Gregory with lunches at the Council on Aging and the approval of the Board of Health functions to inform how to put together tables at safe, social distance. Veterans planning to attend would respond in advance. The COA will handle the luncheon; Hemphill will organize the ceremony.

            “The main idea behind this is we wanted to find a way to honor the veterans… I think we can pull it off,” said McGrail, who said he will consider scenarios in the event of rain.

            “Rain or shine outside, we would have a number of tents set up,” said Hemphill. “Hopefully, it won’t be too cold. I think it’s important for us to continue the tradition that the VFW set up.”

            As for the Special Town Meeting, the selectmen will vote to close the warrant at their Tuesday, September 29 meeting to be held at Sippican School. The meeting is being held there to accommodate an expected crowd for the joint meeting with the Marion Marine Resources Commission at which the latter will present the Harbormaster’s Facility Feasibility Study. The meeting will also address the MOSAC Open Space article for the Special Town Meeting. McGrail said he will send the draft of the warrant to the selectmen by Friday, September 25.

            In other action items, the board approved several Music Hall-related requests.

            Marcus Monteiro was appointed to the Music Hall Advisory Committee.

            The Music Hall Advisory Committee made requests regarding funds from the Music Hall Endowment Account and from the Music Hall Restoration Trust Account.

            The first request is to set up an account with a minimum of $10,000 and a $15,000 cap in the Town Trust “to take care of things,” said McGrail, who met with Judy Rosbe from Sippican Historical Trust. “We fund an employee through that account… so we know we’ll have the funds.”

            The second request is for an annual contribution of $300 for maintenance from the Music Hall Restorations Trust Account earmarked for annual planting. This is not for town maintenance, but annual capital expenditures.

            The third request is for an amount not to exceed $5,000 to repair the brick walkway out front of the Music Hall.

            All the requests were approved, and any discussion of the area around the Music Hall brings up the issue of the crosswalk on Front Street that ends in the middle of the intersection with Island Wharf Road.

            “The crosswalks need fixing,” said selectman Norm Hills, to which selectman John Waterman agreed. “It makes no sense,” he said, calling it “the crosswalk to nowhere.”

            Discussion ensued as well on the location of the sign outside the Music Hall.

            The board approved the appointment of Minhtram Tran to the Marion Affordable Housing Trust. “Looks like she’d be a big helper,” said Hills, who had met Tran as a member of the Affordable Housing Trust.

            Water/sewer commitments from September 16-17 included $400 for new service, $5,327.68 for quarterly bill, $4,151.41 for final reading. All three were approved by the board.

            Selectmen’s goals that were on Tuesday’s agenda will be shared as an action item in next week’s meeting.

            Marion will hold its first-ever Flu Clinic at the Community Center from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Thursday, October 8. The event was proposed by Lori Desmarais, the new public health nurse. The flu clinic functions as a dry run at a test for COVID-19 inoculation.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, at 7:00 pm at Sippican School auditorium.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo

            The secret sauce to Daniel Gibbs Jr. legalizing his effort to hang a sign for his roofing business on his father’s property at 459 Mill Street was ironically in withdrawing the application for the sign.

            The prior application with the Marion Planning Board, officially filed by Daniel Gibbs Sr. for a Special Permit on the basis of home occupancy, was withdrawn. In its place during Monday night’s public hearing was an application filed by Gibbs Sr. under Sections 230-7 and 230-4.2K of the town’s bylaws for use of a contractor’s yard.

            The approval, which followed substantial discussion with board members and abutter Ryan Cusick of 55 Mill Street, allows Gibbs Jr. to request permission from Building Commissioner Scott Shippey to erect a sign.

            Cusick, who pointed out at the prior hearing that Gibbs Jr. does not live at 459 Mill Street, sought in Monday’s hearing an answer as to the potential for Gibbs’ business with the Special Permit.

            “Can it become an office, a showroom, what are the other parameters? What does it mean?” asked Cusick, who described himself as a descendant of a common grandfather with Gibbs Jr.

            Gibbs Jr. insisted there will be no change in use of the property where he said he stores two dumpster trucks and parks a personal vehicle. There is no shop building, no employees or no materials on site.

            Town Manager Gil Hilario stressed that the Special Permit “does not allow him, development. just the definition.” And the definition gives Gibbs Sr. the ability to seek Shippey’s approval to hang a sign.

            While studying the size, location, and potential impact of the sign as previously proposed, board member Eileen Marum discovered that the selected location is publicly owned property. Furthermore, she cited Section 230-6.2 D1c of the town’s bylaws that limits the size of a free-standing sign in the selected district to not more than 12 square feet. The sign was originally proposed at 20 square feet, a dimension Marum disputed at the time, saying it actually covered 38 square feet and would block the view of drivers exiting Mill Street into Route 6 traffic.

            Marum also pointed out that Gibbs originally wanted lights on his sign, potentially posing a problem for an abutter since the sign will not be out by the street but back on his property.

            Member Chris Collins, meanwhile, stated that he visited the site and said there is already sign up and asked Gibbs Jr. about it. Gibbs Jr. said the sign was related to work being done, but Collings said it had been there all along.

            All matters pertaining to the business sign now fall under Shippey’s purview. Chairperson Will Saltonstall said Gibbs Sr. “will have to provide an application that shows Mr. Shippey he is meeting the bylaw.”

            Cusick also reiterated his problem with the Planning Board’s tacit acceptance of Gibbs Jr. representing the applicant, his father.

            “If (Gibbs Jr.) can provide a legal letter that he is speaking on behalf of the property owner … one has to have the legal right as a property owner,” said Saltonstall.

            Board member Norm Hills noted that, “Engineers do it all the time” while representing their clients at public hearings and it is readily accepted.

            Board member Andrew Daniel made a motion to approve the Special Permit.

            Cusick continued his questioning, focusing on the implications of a contractor’s yard. “We just want to know the legality down the road,” he said.

            After Hills noted that special permits do not transfer to future property owners, the board voted its unanimous approval.

            Daniel also congratulated Gibbs Jr. on the recent birth of his child.

            A continued preliminary subdivision application filed by Todd Zell on County Road took an unplanned turn when it was decided that all parties preferred the road remain unpaved and private.

            Plans for a cul de sac will be altered to a hammerhead shape in keeping with the preference of Fire Chief Brian Jackvony.

            “It almost seems foolish to pave the road, it’s two lots. I would prefer to not meet the town requirements and have it remain a private road,” said Zell.

            Dave Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone Inc. was a busy man at Monday’s meeting, as Zell was among four cases that Davignon represented.

            Davignon had arrived with a plan in place meant to appease Jackvony’s requirements for mobility in and out and, at the same time, use Cape Cod berms instead of curbstone so that the paved road can be 18 feet wide (in keeping with zoning regulations) and not necessarily the 20 feet requested by Jackvony.

            Now it turns out the road will remain gravel and private. Hills recommended Davignon follow up with the fire chief “to make sure he agrees” with the revised plan.

            Hills’ lingering concern was that the town not get stuck maintaining a road that chose not to meet town requirements.

            Davignon also presented on behalf of Dan Crete, whose business Saltworks Marine was a tenant of Marion’s when the town-owned property on Atlantis Avenue.

            A few months ago, Crete bought property at 288 Wareham Street, where he is looking in the immediate to create space for winter storage of boats for one, no more than two, seasons while planning for the site long term.

            “I want to take my time (with long-term plans for the land). We want to keep running the business,” explained Crete, who has customers he would like to service this winter and raise the needed revenue to put long-term plans into place. “We’re a little late with our hat in our hand trying to make this happen.”

            Davignon explained that it is crucial that the project be on Concom’s October 19 meeting agenda in order to procure that winter boat-storage business. He had 85 customers last year.

            On his side, according to Davignon, is Crete’s property is uphill in the flood zone and not in danger of affecting it. No work will be done on the site. A workshop exists across the street from the proposal. The building will be anchored by a dozen 6,000-pound Jersey barriers.

            The Planning Board took no vote, but after many questions, members had no concerns.

            “To clarify, we’re hoping to get the application submitted and have a vote on October 19. It’s asking a lot,” admitted Crete, who hopes for a yeah but also needs a negative vote for planning purposes.

            Saltonstall advised him to complete his application as soon as possible. “Make sure your neighbors are on board so you’re not going to be surprised,” he told Crete.

            The board voted to approve two Approval Not Required (ANR) cases, both represented by Davignon.

            Saltonstall recused himself due to conflict for the plan on Wareham Street by Marion Lands Trust, LLC. Daniel took over discussion of the reshaping of a triangular lot to combine with adjacent land.

            The ANR Plan at 366 and 365 Delano Road saw long-time resident Thomas O. Dexter and recent arrival T. Stephen Downs swap evenly matched, 720 square foot triangular corners of their yards so that Downs could expand what had been a very narrow piece of beachfront.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for October 5.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

            Board of Selectmen Chairman Paul Ciaburri recognizes the need for the Town of Rochester to modernize so it can preserve its past.

            Ciaburri, whose term expires in 2021, was voted during the board’s September 21 hybrid meeting as the Selectmen’s representative to the MBTA Advisory Board. He is also in his 33rd year as Emergency Management director for the town and suggested a process to replace him begin. He has never been paid but has always volunteered to handle the job. “I’m no spring chicken,” he said.

            Town Counsel Blair Bailey said that the job is absorbed in many towns by the fire or police chief. Vice Chairman Brad Morse asked Ciaburri to write down a description of the job and said, “It should absolutely be tied to another (job).”

            Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar noted that the contract of Police Chief Robert Small will expire in June 2021.

            One of Ciaburri’s concerns moving forward is the preservation of archives and documents and said he would like to see the town put $3,500 “back to into putting our ancient documents into these books so they won’t get lost… Some of the old ones are deteriorating and eventually we’re not going to have them.”

            Bailey noted that in New Bedford the clerk’s office does both, making a digitized copy searchable online and also a safe hard-copy archive funded by grant money. Ciaburri suggests Rochester can archive “a little at a time and keep doing it until we’re caught up.”

            Both Morse and Selectman Woody Hartley said that documents at the Annex building are not archived, and all boards contribute to the challenge.

            “It’s come to a head with another problem… we’re slowly losing our institutional memory (people) so documents become more important,” said Bailey.

            The Board of Selectmen addressed its goals as part of Monday’s agenda.

            Hartley was pleased to note the professional codification of Rochester’s bylaws with an outside consultant. Bailey said that the zoning bylaws should be online soon. Hartley also hopes for a preliminary planning meeting on public safety. Morse agreed, and stressed the need to continue building up stabilization funds “so we’re ready for dealing with these things like COVID and who knows what else.”

            Szyndlar reiterated the need to put some seed money in the town’s stabilization fund.

            “We’re financing our own town, that’s a good thing,” said Hartley. “Better to do it this way,” agreed Morse. “Continue to set policy to meet the needs of the taxpayers, that’s our job as selectmen.”

            Bailey cited the completion of the codification “so we know where we are with the bylaws” and discussed buildings, planning ahead for the Annex, and for fire and police. “Looking further down the road, we know we need a fire station,” he said.

            Ciaburri reported that Rochester received a $2,700 grant from Mass. Emergency, an increase from $2,400 last year. The town is using the money to purchase a 6×10-foot box trailer to use for a dispensing site, be it a vaccine in a drive-through program. Ciaburri said the trailer will free up storage space at the Senior Center. A contract is due October 30.

            In her Town Administrator’s Report, Szyndlar told the Board of Selectmen that Rochester is in Phase 4 of the CARES Act, the state reimbursement program for non-budgeted, pandemic-related expenditures. The Phase 4 reporting deadline was extended from October 1 to October 30.

            “Schools are just getting open, there’s still a lot that needs to be done,” said Szyndlar, who referenced a new form that tells what towns can expect by October 30 and also by December 30. It is designed so that the state can reallocate CARES Act funds to more needy municipalities as necessary. The recovery process for any town is not on overnight delivery.

            “I submitted for reimbursement in July, have not received it yet,” reported Szyndlar. She said the state had received 75 percent of its reports, has covered approximately 30 percent of them and has hired extra staff to help expedite the process. “It’s tedious… they question everything,” said Szyndlar, who was happy to note that the state responded positively Rochester answers. “They said everything’s good… Hopefully, we’ll get out first round (of reimbursements) soon.”

            Rochester’s free cash coffers are certified normally around $1,100,000 or $1,200,000 and approximately $500,000 is put back into the town’s operating budget. This year Rochester is receiving $1,687,000. Szyndlar called the amount “a one-shot deal, not a pattern,” saying that free cash should be used to improve the town’s stabilization fund or for capital items not covered by the budget. “If we go to build a fire station, we’ll be in good shape with that bond rating,” she said.

            Individual departments met their deadline last week to submit articles for the warrant for the Special Town Meeting scheduled for Monday, November 16. According to Szyndlar, there was little in the way of the draft. requests, including three from the Highway Department.

            Szyndlar plans to meet with the Capital Planning Committee for its review of the departments’ first request. The Finance Committee will also review the first request.

            On Monday, October 19, department heads will meet, the week following the town will post notice of the Special Town Meeting, and the Board of Selectmen will sign the warrant on October 19. “So (until then) we only have one (Board of Selectmen) meeting (Monday, October 6)… the timeclock is ticking,” said Szyndlar.

            Szyndlar reported a pandemic-related delay with the state’s Department of Public Utilities where it concerns Rochester’s municipal aggregation plan that achieves lower electricity rates for the residents. The town sent letters to the DPU as well as the state Representative William Strauss and state Senator Michael Rodrigues, and both responded. The plan, originally scheduled for April 28, needs DPU approval. Szyndlar said the state anticipates holding public hearings in the fall.

            Rochester has signed off on Right of Entry for repairs and upgrades that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation needs to perform on land owned in common by the tri-towns aka the “Herring Run Project” at the corner of River Road and Fairhaven Road in Mattapoisett.

            Bailey explained that the parcel is a piece of land that belonged to Fairhaven, located off of Route 6 at a bridge near the end of Mattapoisett’s annual boat race. Fairhaven is no longer using the land, and Szyndlar was authorized by the selectmen to sign on behalf of Rochester for the sidewalk work that the DOT needs to do there.

            Except for Morse, who abstained due to conflict, the selectmen signed the Connet Woods road acceptance.

            The SEMASS Resource Recovery Facility (waste to energy) pilot payment to host town Rochester for August 2020 was $313,589.

            The Rochester Democratic Committee’s request for the appointment of nine poll workers was approved.

            The Park and Recreation Department’s Revolving Fund requested $10,000 to supplement its budget, primarily for irrigation.

            In other business, Hartley addressed “tree trimming going on all over town” and said residents have questions as to whether the wood on their properties will be retrieved. Bailey said the work is being done by contractors for electric utilities and suggested calls to Eversource.

            Hartley also said he was happy to see kids back in school, calling the 2020-21 year “much better organized.” Bailey noted the coordination with Fire and Police improving traffic patterns.

            The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, October 6.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo