Affordable Housing Trust Clerk Susan Miller proposed a novel idea for spending affordable housing trust funds – improved security cameras for homes within Sippican Woods, where there recently has been some car break-ins.

            Miller at the October 14 meeting at the Police Station conference room said that some alleged burglars have learned to conceal activity on ring cameras. She said maybe the AHT could finance improved security and stop some break-ins.

            The AHT made no decision on that idea but indicated it might be a conversation for a future meeting.

            Prior to Miller’s proposal, AHT Chair Terri Santos said the 78 Wareham Road condominium development has decided not to develop affordable housing there but will pay the town in lieu of affordable units. The project is still in the permitting phase and is proposing 40 detached units.

            Santos, citing her conversation with Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman, said that estimates reveal the town could receive as much as $150,000 from the developer.

            Trust members asked what the Affordable Housing Trust should do with the money. 

            “That’s what we have to figure out,” Santos said. She said the earmarked money is not as restrictive as Community Preservation Committee money.

            Santos said money can be funneled toward mortgage assistance programs and funding toward first-time homebuyer programs. The AHT will investigate MIller’s idea of whether it can help homeowners with better security measures.

            In other business, the AHT mentioned a makeover to the web site and is mulling over whether it should hire a professional or look for a college intern.

            Santos at first resisted the Chair position, saying she will be out of town for some meetings, but AHT members agreed to help run meetings when needed. Toby Ast volunteered and was voted in as the Vice-Chair, and he will also continue to serve as the Community Preservation Act representative for the AHT.

            Associate Member Roberta Dunn Tracy was elevated to full member status so now the board is seeking an additional associate member. Members said that applications have come in so they should fill that role soon.

            The next meeting of the Marion Affordable Housing Trust is scheduled for Tuesday, November 11 at 6:00 pm in the Marion Police Station.

Marion Affordable Housing Trust

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

            Rochester’s Select Board Monday questioned Old Colony Vocational-Technical High School officials on the $288 million plan to construct a new state-of-the-art facility on the North Avenue campus that could require a debt exclusion override to fund.

            Town Administrator Cameron Durant began the discussion with Principal Aaron Polansky, school Business Manager Sarah Griffith, and technical consultant Walter Hartley, Jr. by summarizing the two questions being asked by the community. What is the rationale behind repair versus new building? And what will new operational costs be for a new building?

            The state School Building Authority’s reimbursement for the new school’s price tag is projected to be $129M. But the share of the remaining costs among district members (Acushnet, Carver, Lakeville, Mattapoisett, and Rochester) is approximately $159M. As a result, in Rochester, two warrants will be up for a vote at the November 18 Special Town Election that will also be district-wide. One warrant will ask all district voters to approve the new building plan. The other will be the town’s question seeking approval of a debt exclusion override to fund its share of the new construction.

            Hartley responded to Durant by pointing out any renovations costing 30-percent or more of a municipal building’s assessed value will require the entire facility be reconstructed to meet expensive full accessibility standards, and this will lead to the requirement that it meet all other modern building and safety codes. Old Colony’s assessed property value of $17,029,600 would trigger that. These upgrades would still be complicated and expensive.

            Select Board Chair Adam Murphy then asked what he considered his most important concern. What if the district-wide question to build a new school doesn’t pass? Is there an alternative plan to address serious building deficiencies? Will the current building have to lock its doors?

            Hartley said the school will not have to close its doors, but the building doesn’t have another 20-year life span. He said on November 19, a new planner for a new design will have to be found. Polansky agreed that district officials will have to figure out renovation and upgrade costs on November 19 if the building plan is voted down. There is no alternative plan, he said. He added that his first priority would be replacing the school’s deteriorating water tank. Both men said this type of planning would be long, complicated, and just as expensive. Griffith described such planning as a matter of a lot of what-ifs and unknowns. Polansky said that while operational costs will certainly go up with a new facility, the school will be very ‘collaborative’ with district members over how these new plans will be made.

            Murphy then emphasized that Rochester voters need more information to make an informed decision on November 18. He strongly recommended that in time for the district-wide election official prepare a visual presentation of the timeline for a new building and/or necessary renovations, and the costs to the town and the taxpayer. Polansky said he could do that. He noted Old Colony will host a presentation of the plan at the school on October 27 and has visited area senior centers with that presentation.

            In other action, the board approved the contract to repair the Highway Barn to Lepage and Sons Roofing for $128,750. Durant noted this is good news because the annual town meeting appropriation for this use was $200,000.

            Durant announced the SEMASS PILOT payment for September 2025 is $423,634.

            Durant’s noted his FY27 Budget Letter to department heads will ask a deadline to receive all budget proposals of December 5.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, November 3 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

            The Joint School Committee of the Old Rochester Regional District met on October 9 and passed new policies on school nutrition and access to career technical education information.

            In a meeting that reviewed a variety of school-system goals and new and revised school policies, the 18-member committee that joins the nine-member ORR School Committee with the nine-member Superintendents Union #55 (three delegates each from the Rochester, Mattapoisett and Marion school committees) approved two new federal and state mandates that Superintendent Michael Nelson said needed to be put in place right away.

            The first of these policies is that the ORR District will now provide meal modifications, at no additional cost “for students with disabilities or other special dietary reasons that restrict the student’s diet, on a case-by-case basis, per (United States Food & Drug Administration) requirements.” ORR’s Policy Subcommittee reviewed and recommended the policy at its September 25 meeting.

            The second new policy adopts the state Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy that ensures that middle school (junior high) students are made aware of information on career technical education. This new policy applies to sharing information on schools and programming available in their district, regional, agricultural and other public high schools. (Mattapoisett and Rochester students are eligible to attend Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School, and Marion students are eligible to attend Upper Cape Technical High School.)

            Even though this was the first reading of this policy, Nelson said, it needed to be approved locally and submitted to the state for its approval by November 1. “However, ninety-eight percent of this, we already do,” he added.

            The remainder of the JSC meeting focused on revising and reviewing a variety of other policies. The committee debated longest over an updated policy that staff may not organize raffles while acting as employees. Rochester School Committee member Matthew Monteiro noted the policy should specify that staff may not conduct such activities “at school.” A staff member may, for instance, play Keno on their own time, he said. Nelson said he will refer this policy to the school legal counsel.

            The Joint School Committee/Superintendents Union #55 announced its next meeting will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 6:00 pm in the media room at ORR Junior High School, 133 Marion Road (Route 6), Mattapoisett.

ORR Joint School Committee

By Michael J. DeCicco