Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail addressed a joint session of the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee on February 12 to hear the Fiscal Year 2021 budget requests from the Town’s Fire and Police departments and the Department of Public Works.

            After a 90-minute meeting with the school department early last week, McGrail told the joint session that FinCom member Charlie Larkin will receive from the school department the five-year financial information requested before Superintendent Doug White retires (June 30).

            “The only thing I’d add is the idea of FinCom and all of us, we’re trying to be supportive, we’re trying to be available for analysis, we’re trying to be transparent and do our job and report into the townspeople what we found at ORR,” said Larkin. 

            “The focus,” said McGrail, “would be five years of spending and revenue at the district and how trends have grown and changed over the five years.”

            Larkin added, “by business segment,” to which McGrail agreed. 

            “It was a good meeting. We made it pretty far, and they should have something to you… within a week,” said McGrail.

            Mattapoisett and Rochester are not involved at this point, but the ORR School Committee will be involved next.

            “The idea is (the other two towns) would get involved at some point,” said Larkin. “Let’s get Marion’s house in order, how we would approach it, get some feedback, and let’s go.” 

            “We’re just getting on board with what we’re all trying to do,” said McGrail.

            Citing the June 30 expiration of the collective-bargaining agreement, Marion Chief of Police John B. Garcia estimated a two percent increase earmarked at salaries for sergeants and patrol officers. McGrail noted that Mattapoisett pays to have a police officer at ORR as the sending community. The money Marion pays Mattapoisett has been moved to become part of the assessment. 

            In light of the fact Marion does not have the funding to place a police officer at Sippican School, Garcia was asked how the police department manages security there.

            “What we have done in the last two years is we have a designated school resource officer — we’re required to by law… but to have a greater presence in the school we have officers that go in at recess, they have lunch with the kids once or twice a week,” Garcia said. 

            Not including Garcia, there are 15 full-time and five part-time officers.

            “Typically, we have three people on a shift, one person on the desk and two people on the road,” said Garcia. “During the day, we have the lieutenant and me. There’s two additional people on the road.”

Asked how the department forecasts overtime, Garcia said he looks back over the past two years to see in the computer system what the spending has been.

            FinCom Chairman Peter Winters noted that overtime was high last year to cover the shifts of an officer out on disability who has since retired. Winters asked Garcia if he foresees a resulting reduction in overtime.

            “No,” answered Garcia, explaining, “I started out the beginning of the year (with) the full complement, and we were doing really well with staying in the under. We were underspending that particular line (overtime). Then I had two officers resign,” said Garcia, who said he is filling the shifts mostly with overtime. “When we get to the end of this year, it may be difficult.”

            Marion Police Department is in the hiring process. One hire, assistant harbormaster Peter Bourgault, is in the academy and therefore cannot yet serve the town.

            “We have a couple of candidates that have the full-time academy (credential) so, if they work out with the pre-screenings and the background investigations, that’ll be a huge savings to the community because we’ll be able to get them in the field training and get them to work as opposed to sending them to the academy for 24 weeks,” explained Garcia.

            The town is required to pay officers’ salaries while training at the academy and pay for their academy training. 

            Winters asked how many vehicles the department has. Garcia answered nine and said old vehicles are declared surplus. He prefers to trade them in to bring down the expense of new ones.

The animal-control officer falls under a separate budget. Her prior stipend is now part of her salary. She is also provided one of the department’s nine cruisers and carries a firearm.

            “We’re no longer doing stipends as part of our policy,” said McGrail.

            The uniform allowance increased because she is now fully outfitted as a patrol officer. Typically, an officer has three to four uniforms including winter and summer outfits. Jackets and raincoats cost up to $350.

            Garcia was asked about the information-technology (IT) support he performs at the police station. He may be retiring, according to McGrail, so the town is looking into part-time IT support for Town House and Police.

            “I’ve taken college courses in networking and it was just an interest, something I had done on my own,” said Garcia. “We’re not going to be getting another officer to be doing that.”

            Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony addressed the joint session next.

            Jackvony reported stability in general expenses for maintenance of the station and vehicles. He reported an increase of approximately $2,000 to $5,200-5,300 in the cost of improved technology in keeping up with the needs of connectivity and electronic reporting to the hospitals.

            More significant increases come in salary and wages, uniforms and training.

            “The town’s new personnel policy did drive some of the cost increase. We found that our paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, our lieutenants and CPNs were underpaid,” said Jackvony. “We need to remain competitive. As most of you know, the Fire Department is staffed entirely by per-diem help. We need to absolutely remain competitive because, if we don’t pay near the top wage for a paramedic, they can work in Carver, they can work in Mattapoisett, they can work in many other places.

            “Most of the paramedics and EMTs work full time in other locations such as Bourne, Cohasset, Easton – they’re all around the state, and they work with us per diem. We have to remain competitive, and that’s what kind of drives our numbers here.”

            The largest increase comes in Jackvony’s request for one additional full-time fire inspector/lieutenant, who would be trained as an EMT.

            Jackvony reported that, in 2009, the Fire Department handled 512 calls. In 2018, there were 1,546 calls, and in 2019 it was 1,248. Weekdays are busiest and between the hours of 11:00 am and noon. Last year there were 195 “overlapping” (mutual-aid) calls, and 15.2 percent of the calls were simultaneous. Any calls to outside towns for an ambulance result in a loss of revenue for the town.

            Currently, the Fire Department schedules out 336 hours per week with per-diem help for the ambulance at 48 hours per day staffed with a paramedic and a basic EMT. The department staffs paid, on-call firefighters at 66 hours per week. In the summer, those hours will increase to 82 hours per week.

Acknowledging the question as to whether Marion could staff the newly requested position with part-time help, Jackvony answered in the negative.

            “If we added 40 more hours, we’d be staffing 458 hours per week with part-time help. And I cannot do that and maintain under 20 hours a week. We know by (Massachusetts) state law, if we go over 20 hours a week for any employee on a regular basis, naturally we have to offer sick time, we have to offer vacation, we have to offer pension, health care.

            “It’s really not practical,” he concluded. “We’re kind of in a Catch-22 with our scheduling.”

            In 2019, Marion Fire lost 13 members. Marion hired five over the same period. The town is recruiting paid, on-call firefighters and has six candidates, five of whom live outside Marion. The timeline to train and get into the workforce is two years.

            Jackvony blames attrition on towns across the United States, including Marion, being overly reliant on aged firefighters.

            “We’re just at the point where we cannot continue that trend,” he said.

            According to Jackvony, the majority of Marion’s on-call firefighters work another full-time job during the day and come to work at 5:00 pm.

            State law states that towns must assemble four firefighters before engaging a fire. “We don’t role an engine unless we have at least three people on it,” said Jackvony. “We need to maintain that two-in, two-out before we can begin operations.”

            It’s during the day when Marion has been overly reliant on aged firefighters, said Jackvony.

            Marion has not raised its ambulance fees since 2013.

            Marion Fire generated over $16,000 in revenue last year. A basic life-support call costs a Marion resident $815, compared to nearby towns that bill $1,100, $1,200 and $938. For advanced life-support calls, Marion bills $1,157, compared to nearby towns that bill $1,400, $1,850 and $1,480.

            Marion had 810 medical calls and 438 fire calls in 2019. There were 38 mutual-aid-received calls and 55 mutual-aid-given calls, the majority medically related. Many calls do not continue with transport, and those calls cannot be billed. The collection rate on billed calls is approximately 90 percent, according to McGrail.

            Medicare and Mass Care costs are capped at $395 for basic medical; those calls account for 60 percent of the total. Only 15 percent are billable to third-party insurance companies, and 25 percent non-pay and non-collectible according to Jackvony. Raising rates would only affect the 15 percent billable to private insurers.

            Most transports are taken to Tobey Hospital in Wareham. Cardiac calls are transported to Charlton Hospital in Fall River, and trauma calls to Rhode Island Hospital.

            The Department of Public Works also reported, with highway, sewer and water departments reporting separately.

            The highway report was given first.

            For David Willett, director of Public Works, the “elephant in the kitchen” facing Marion’s DPW is the $420,000 price tag on curbside collection. He credited office manager Becky Tilden, highway foreman Joseph Ayers and utilities manager Frank Cooper for their work putting together his presentation.

Having noted a $75,000 place holder cost for paying for rubbish disposal, Willett presented a table showing the number of man-hours based on a 7.5-hour workday to perform the duties. In July, 16,978 man-hours were available. In January there were 15,297 man-hours available. In July, cemetery service and trash recycling are considered A-level services, according to Willett.

            The table, he said, is not an all-conclusive document, but is a recurring exercise with the value of illustrating where the money is being spent.

            Selectman John Waterman concluded that, because the DPW is down a person, by outsourcing trash pickup the town has freed up a net of 4,000 personnel hours.

            Willett was happy to announce the success of the addition of modern equipment for pavement repair. He is also looking to manage the MS-4 permit (storm-water control) by running a program with internal resources and interns from Mass Maritime Academy. He hopes to cut the $107,000 expenditure as outsourced in half.

            Citing 10 percent increases, Winters asked if anything can be done to decrease water and sewer rates. Having been on the job 10 months, Willett said he has yet to gain a feel for where that can be accomplished.

            Waterman expects Marion will get some state money in the next year.

            McGrail said water will add no capital expenses in FY2021.

            Willett said depreciation will require investment. “We’re always looking for savings,” he said.

Contracted services, he said, requires investment in improved safety practices. The sewer workforce, according to McGrail, has doubled in size to four people.

            Regarding the next meeting, Winters noted that February 26 is Ash Wednesday, but McGrail has secured commitments from the ORR and Sippican School Committee and indicated that, as long as there is a quorum, it would be better to move forward.

            The next joint session of the Selectmen, FinCom and ORR and Sippican School Committee will be held Wednesday, February 26.

Marion Board of Selectmen Joint Session with Finance Committee

By Mick Colageo

            On February 6 the Mattapoisett Finance Committee continued their discussions with department heads on the current state of their respective areas of responsibility, including current spending levels against the 2020 budget. Keeping the process forward moving towards the building of the 2021 budget, one last time before retiring, was Town Administrator Mike Gagne.

            Fire Chief Andrew Murray said that with the promise of a modern and safe, brand-new fire station, recruitment for on-call firefighters has proven successful. Seven new firefighters had been brought onboard, he said. Expenses for sending on-call firefighters to the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy are paid by the state, Murray explained. The recruits began the 20-week course in early February. Bidding for the new fire station has begun, he said, with a projected groundbreaking sometime in March.

            Murray said that the number of calls the department had received was down from the previous year, “…for the first time since I’ve been here,” noting that the drop was primarily a result of fewer weather-related incidents.

            Regarding staffing, Murray said that the station is now manned seven days a week between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. “Evenings aren’t as much a problem because most on-call firefighters are back in town,” from jobs out of the community, he explained. The fire department currently has 31 on-call members.

            FinCom member Paul Amoruso asked Murray if he had a five-year capital-needs plan. Murray said he did but discussion on that point did not take place. 

            However, the issue of new engines was brought up by FinCom chairman Pat Donoghue. Murray said engines would be in future budget planning. He said the department had been hindered in acquiring more up-to-date apparatus, “…because the station couldn’t handle it.” 

            Donoghue thought the public might question more spending on the heels of building a new fire station, but Murray pointed to the inability to replace out-of-date engines due to the current station’s dimensions. For fiscal year 2020 Murray requested $18,000 for vehicle repairs for the aging fleet. As of now $16,568 has been spent.

            In his report, Murray listed 592 call responses, which included 23 fire-related calls, 89 rescues, 77 hazardous-materials calls, 149 public-service calls, 47 good-intent calls – calls canceled while in route, 195 false alarms, and eight weather-related responses.

            Library Director Susan Pizzolato presented a five-year strategic plan as part of her packet of departmental data. That plan, she wrote, was critical to ensure that the library meets the expectations of the 21^st century patron whose needs are, “…relational rather than transactional,” requiring the staff to be, “…responsive rather than passive, and creative and collaborative in its approach to literacy in all forms – reading, digital, financial, civic, and cultural.”

            Specific strategic goals Pizzolato listed were to maintain a safe space, providing information in a variety of formats that support and promote citizenship, maintain a wide range of materials for reading, listening, viewing for pleasure or learning, and offer the community access to up-to-date technology.

            Pizzolato said a new position that was added to the 2020 budget serves a dual role: one as children’s department director and as assistant to the library director. Another position filled was that of a professional part-time library technician, as well as a full-time reference staffer.

            A full staff, Pizzolato stated, meant that the library has been able to offer more programming for all age groups and an Improved collaboration with the schools, especially in the area of health and social concerns of teens, family literacy and resources for out-of-school students.  She said that she is meeting with the Board of Trustees to develop a succession plan moving forward. Pizzolato has announced her retirement for the end of the fiscal year.

            A facilities committee was formed to address and manage the library’s structural and mechanical needs, Pizzolato said. And the demands on the structure continue to grow with 75,000 visitors, over 400 programs, 111,000 items in circulations and since the beginning of the fiscal year 273 new cardholders.    

            Pizzolato noted increases to maintenance agreements from $11,000 to $12,000 and other modest increases from SAILS library services $23,000 to $24,000, with library materials increasing the most from $77,000 to $82,000.

            The library proposed operating budget worksheet was also presented with a grand total of $554,043 for FY21 versus $540,523 for 2020. 

            Mattapoisett Council on Aging Director Jackie Coucci also met with FinCom. In her budget narrative she wrote, “The FY20 budget originally planned for a part-time front-desk clerk.” She said that position had not been filled to stay within budget amidst the need for more driver hours and union-contract increases. Currently, senior tax work-off residents cover the front desk and Coucci has been generally pleased with the service. She stated that she will reassess front-desk coverage in the 2021 budget. COA is planning to expand its operating hours.

            Coucci said that the formula grant issued through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs has been based off census figures from 2010 and is currently at a rate of $12 per resident over the age of 60. But that rate is subject to change, she explained, based on legislative action. She said that the 2020 census will likely confirm an increase in the number of seniors living in Mattapoisett, but the town’s share may remain unchanged if legislators reduce the rate. In the absence of guarantees, however, the COA may be looking for new funding sources to maintain programming, Coucci said.

            And with a vast range of programming under the COA umbrella from rides to medical appointments to assistance with financial matters and keeping people safe in their homes, the demand for services has never been greater, Coucci remarked. 

            One COA program in high demand is F.I.S.H., Friends In Service Helping, an all-volunteer group providing transportation for medical appointments, as well as transportation provided by the COA. The value offered by the volunteer program is estimated to be $9,792, while the COA drivers cost approximately $8,596. Also mentioned was S.H.I.N.E., Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone, a program providing free health insurance information and counseling to seniors and caregivers and tax-preparation services by volunteers of the AARP Tax-Aide program.

            Events and programs sponsored by the COA throughout FY20 have been arts and crafts, educational, entertainment, and fitness offerings. In the latter category, data shows an average of 207 people regularly served each week. Coucci also noted that the COA has logged in 48 home visits in 2019, 39 of which in the past four months.

            The COA FY20 budget allocation was $186,843. Coucci stated the spending pace for the department is to remain at, or below, the budget figure.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee is scheduled for February 13 at 4:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

By Marilou Newell

            On February 11, Freemin and Jodi Bauer came before the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen to inquire as to the status of town-owned land that could be developed for a dog park. The Bauers have sought public and municipal support for a dog park on public lands as well as some funding. They said that fundraising over the last few years, in part generated for annual doggie-walk-a-thons, has generated over $40,000, but that sum fell $10,000 below the amount needed in order to apply for grants. A Community Preservation Committee grant had failed at a 2018 town meeting, but interest in the project never waned according to the selectmen.

            Selectman Paul Silva wondered aloud, “What happened to the original site we were looking at?” Town Administrator Mike Gagne reminded Silva that the warrant article for the CPC grant had failed on town meeting floor. That warrant article included a site next to the Police Department off of Church Street. Abutters had raised concerns about the spending and the location during that forum, Bauer said.

            But the selectmen believed the project would be a benefit to the community. “I was disappointed the first time it went to town meeting,” said Silva. Selectman Jordan Collyer suggested the town consider the former Holy Ghost grounds on Park Street for the one-acre dog park, as well as consideration of property recently obtained by the town adjacent to Old Hammondtown School. But, Collyer noted those were not the only sites. The selectmen asked Gagne to have both parcels surveyed. Collyer volunteered to take a walking tour with the Bauers of both properties. 

            Silva said, “It’s up to the board to say if we are going to move ahead,” with a public dog park. He also concluded, “No matter where you put it, someone will complain.”

            A hearing was held with members of the Mattapoisett, Rochester and Marion herring inspectors David Watling and Robert Martin, along with Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jay Macintosh. The inspectors reported that herring numbers have risen to over 18,000 against the last count, which found only approximately 5,000 fish in local rivers and streams. 

            The team discussed new fish ladders for Mattapoisett with Macintosh, suggesting fiberglass versus traditional wooden ladders. He said he would ask the Town of Wareham if Mattapoisett could borrow several from their surplus to test their efficacy. Macintosh, who hails from Wareham, also said that counts in Wareham were strong.

            Staying with the theme of saltwater bounty, Mike Ward met with the board requesting an increase in his aquaculture acreage from two to four. He said he needed the extra acres to make navigating around the submerged equipment easier. Ward’s grant is located in Nasketucket Bay west of Mattapoisett where weather can hinder easy maneuvering around the site. He said that due to the active energy systems in the area his oysters are “fat.” When asked if he was happy farming the area he responded, “Yes,” sharing that he had sold 37,000 so far with good reviews on the shellfish quality.

            Discussion expanded to include thoughts about Mattapoisett’s Eel Pond, an area, Collyer said, that once produced high volumes of shellfish but in recent years has remained closed due to water-quality issues.

            The board asked Gagne to gather water-quality reports based on a suggestion he offered that the area might support aquaculture, thereby aiding in removing nitrogen from the pond. The selectmen also said that they would schedule an annual meeting with all aquaculture stakeholders to discuss best practices and to air issues and other matters related to the industry. Mattapoisett currently has the largest acreage in the state identified by the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries for aquaculture activity.

            Earlier in the meeting, the selectmen asked board secretary Melody Pacheco to create a calendar showing the dates of all events various organizations are seeking to hold in Mattapoisett. Silva had previously expressed concern that the village neighborhood carried a burden in not having full access to private property during the outdoor seasons due to special events. While he is not suggesting denying permits, he said he needed all of the dates. Annual road races, Lions Club events at Shipyard Park, religious gatherings at Ned’s Point, exercise classes, square dancing, and the Memorial Day boat race were just some of the more than 40 events seeking permissions.

            The selectmen said they also plan to draft a policy on times of the year when permission to use public-parking areas such as Barstow Wharf could be granted for special events such as a wedding. They were concerned about the public’s ability to use the parking area during peak beach season.

            Gagne read an email from the Mattapoisett Historical Commission requesting the board’s support for submission of an application to National Historic Register for Center School. The board voted to support the application contingent upon confirmation that by gaining the historic designation the town’s ability to make needed alterations would not be impeded, that use restrictions would not be an obstacle, and that the town could withdraw from the program if it deemed too many restrictions encumbered use of the town-owned structure.

            Gagne reminded the public that voter registration ends on February 12 and that early voting in the Presidential Primary will take place at town hall between February 24 and 28. Parking in the vacant lot next to Town Hall is available.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for February 24 at 5:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen

By Marilou Newell