Rochester Selectmen Woody Hartley and Brad Morse were in fundamental disagreement during Monday’s public meeting whether negotiations with the First Congregational Church of Rochester over two acres of land between the church building and Town Hall should be kept under the wraps of executive session or be brought out into the open.

            “This isn’t the right place to debate this,” said Morse.

            “It is the right place to debate this,” said Hartley.

            Citing a $10,000 negotiating gap that could cost the Town Hall an opportunity to “almost triple” the size of its land footprint, Hartley expressed his frustration in open session on Zoom.

            “I want to know what’s going on here. We didn’t have an executive session tonight. I think it’s time we talk about this stuff in public session,” he said. “That’s unhealthy, not the process we should be using. We’re basically mandated to buy that property.”

            Hartley was alluding to a Town Meeting vote on June 22 that authorized Rochester to spend up to $160,000 for the land, a purchase that would in turn enable the church to make needed upgrades to its building.

            “We haven’t had a formal response to our offer except in the press… I guess it’s over… It should still be in closed session, but they’ve opened the door,” said Morse, referencing the church’s comments in a recent newspaper report.

            Richard Cutler, attending the Zoom meeting on behalf of the church, said, “The last offer presented to the church through me was through email; the response to that email is another email.”

            Chairman Paul Ciaburri assured Cutler that Rochester can make its offer formal on paper.

            Morse insisted that the matter should remain in executive session, but when pressed said he offered the church $150,000 for the land because Rochester had received a written appraisal of $125,000 and the church had received an appraisal for $160,000.

            Hartley said that the original appraisal between $155,000 and $162,000 in April was established before the selectmen voted to bring the matter to Town Meeting, “and that was really the basis of moving forward. It’s what it’s worth to us for the future.

            “One more time: The ($150,000) offer we made most recently was the exact same offer that was a month ago rejected. We asked the seller to provide additional information to prove it’s a buildable lot, yet we offer the same price. That’s why I was opposed to it… When the townspeople supported it overwhelmingly – nary a question – I just don’t understand why we’re holding this up for $10,000… we may never get this chance again.”

            Ciaburri countered, “You could argue that the other way, that the church is (the party holding up the negotiations).”

            Morse still considered the offer generous considering the appraisal Rochester obtained at $125,000. “(Regardless)… based on where our appraisal came in, we didn’t even split the difference.”

            Town Counsel Blair Bailey was away and not in attendance at the meeting.

            The board did agree to set a Special Town Meeting for November 16 at 7:00 pm at Rochester Memorial School.

            In her Town Administrator’s Report, Suzanne Szyndlar said the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has allotted Rochester $301,662, approximately $300 less than last year. “At least we’re getting some Chapter 90 allotment,” she said.

            Szyndlar reported having completed a Chapter 40 update to the state Department of Housing and Community Development for the Cranberry Highway Overlay District. She said the town will not receive $350,000 in zoning payments unless six conditions are met, including pedestrian improvements and connecting the district to each of the two nearest bus stops. “The developer will take care of it,” she said.

            Ciaburri reported on his trip last week to Franklin and announced that Rochester was given 12,400 N95 facemasks, 600 face shields and 80 sets of goggles through Mass Emergency Management and FEMA.

            In the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, Ciaburri said that “people should shelter in place” and that the Council on Aging building will only be used as an emergency shelter as a last resort in the event such as a direct hit of a hurricane. “If we have to (use the Senior Center) we will, but we prefer you shelter with your family and friends. But, if need be, we will do what we have to do for the citizens of the town,” he said.

            Hartley asked about holding meetings at the Senior Center, similarly to how Marion has begun holding meetings at its Music Hall. “The technology has been a challenge at every one of our meetings. I think they’re having a lot of luck,” said Hartley.

            Szyndlar explained that phone service has been an ongoing problem with hybrid meetings at Town Hall that was not a problem at Rochester Memorial School. “Comcast doesn’t have the bandwidth we need; I’m starting to look into moving over to (Verizon) Fios,” she said.

            Bailey’s ongoing efforts to research and improve the remote-access audio for meetings held at Town Hall will yield new equipment.

            In other business, the selectmen unanimously voted to sign the 2020 State Primary Election warrant.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, September 7, at 6:00 pm.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo

            The weather could not have been finer, the arrangements were perfection, and the decisive manner in which Mattapoisett’s first outdoor Town Meeting conducted the business at hand was brisk.    August 17 will go down in the town’s history for not only being the first time Town Meeting was held outdoors, but also for the need to keep the business of the people focused strictly on the operating budget and associated fiscal necessities – nothing more.

            In the weeks leading up to Town Meeting, individual departments were asked to cut expenses wherever possible and sharpen their pencils on all line items as the uncertainty of revenue at all government levels remained high. Such are these times where COVID-19 restricts nearly everything.

            Also leading up to the brief, 80-minute Town Meeting, Town Administrator Mike Lorenco, along with Old Rochester Regional School District officials, prepared every detail right down to the movement of attendees in and around the enormous tent that had been erected near the outdoor track. Chairs were positioned for maximum distancing and all attendees were required to wear face coverings. Plymouth County Mosquito Control had sprayed the area, adding to the layer of protection warranted by the potential threat of mosquitoes carrying the EEE virus. It was all systems go after many weeks of delay.

            The Town Meeting Warrant contained 11 articles, dealing almost exclusively with the financial business of the community. All articles were passed by either a unanimous or a two-thirds vote by the 70 attendees.

            Yet there were questions that arose from the voters with the singular word “hold” singing out for articles that dealt with salaries for the Police and Fire departments, Highway Department, Council on Aging, Tax Collector, the Assessors office, and the allocation for Street Lighting.

            Returning to those articles where a “hold” had been requested, Penny Carlstrom questioned salary increases. Carlstrom said that it appeared raises were as much as 9.8 percent. Lorenco said, “Everyone got two percent; some contracts were more but none got over three percent.” He said that in fact there was a freeze on new hiring and that vacancies were left unfilled at this time to try and hold down expenditures. Lorenco said of the current fiscal climate, “…a nine percent increase would be obscene.”

            Regarding what resident Jodi Bauer questioned, the appearance of a $58,000 increase in salaries paid in the Assessors Office, Lorenco said that an employee who had been working in that office did not have his salary allocated to that office. The employee had been effectively transferred, thus his salary was also transferred to the correct department.

            Bauer also questioned an unfilled clerical position in the Fire Department. “That will not be filled at this time,” Lorenco responded. “The Fire Department will use some federal CARES Act funding, but the (administrator) there and at the Board of Health are frozen… I don’t think the town would want to hire now.” Regarding a big-ticket item that is an annual line item, Lorenco said, “We also cut two police cruisers.”

            On a positive note, Bauer acknowledged that the new LED street lighting program was saving the town money and applauded that effort. Savings have been estimated to be $35,000. Lorenco said that town buildings would also be switching off traditional blubs for LED lighting, a program that will incur no costs to the town.

            Town Meeting attendee Donald Carlstrom rose to speak, saying he had a more general concern – rising property taxes. He questioned the $29,000,000 operating budget being proposed for FY21, saying that when planning the budget, the process should be “backed into” based on revenue. “We need to look at the revenue side before building budgets… a lot of people will have to give up their homes,” he said.

            Selectman Jordon Collyer said that of the approximately $1,100,000 budget increase, some $400,000 represented interest on debt and principle that had been planned for. Collyer noted decreases in the OPEB stabilization fund by $215,000. Lorenco said that, to date, of the estimated $9,000,000 needed to fully pay for post-employment benefits, about one-third is now in the fund. Collyer said that schools came in around $415,000 of that proposed budget increase, but that on the general operating side of the budget, “…everything is level or net-zero.” Selectman Paul Silva said of Article One that elected officials were not receiving an increase with the exception of the tree warden – an increase of $160 was being requested.

            “The town hired me because of my background in finance,” said Lorenco. “I pledge to the Town I will look at other avenues of revenue not on the backs of residents; this is part of the reason I was brought in, to do that. This is a bare-bones budget; we cut vehicles, we cut people, there’s no fluff. I will do my best not to add (burden) to the taxpayer.”

            Deborah Abelha asked why the schools did not have to provide a line item budget but were simply a singular appropriation. “They get away without a line item budget. They don’t tell us where it’s going. I want to know is there a way we can change that,” she said.

            Former town administrator Mike Gagne responded, saying, “In fairness to the schools, they have been very open to the Finance Committee, reporting a line-by-line budget.” Silva also responded, saying, “Anyone can attend the school committee meetings and see the budget; it’s an open public meeting. Attend the meetings.”

            Earlier in the meeting moderator Jack Eklund acknowledged several new employees who have come on-board as department heads since last year, replacing those who are retiring. Those noted were Library Director Jennifer Jones, Board of Health Agent Kayla Davis, Public Health Nurse Emily Field, and Lorenco.

            ORR School District ambassadors Grace Picewick, Jillian LeBlanc, Colleen Carrol, and Madeline Dugas were on-hand to help usher and assist attendees.

            Also attending the meeting was Lauren Rosa from the US Census Bureau, of whom Eklund said wanted to remind people of the importance of completing the census form, given its impact on funding schools, hospitals, roadway projects, infrastructures, and food programs to name a few.

            To view the full warrant, visit www.mattapoisett.net.

Mattapoisett Annual Town Meeting

By Marilou Newell

Girlie the mule and Tick the horse nearly drowned in mud on Sunday at Merrow Farm on Converse Road before the Marion Fire Department and a host of rescue assistants came onto the scene.

            “We are pleased to report that both animals are recovering and doing well at this time,” said Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony in a press release issued by the town. “I’d like to commend all members of the department who worked in this effort to save them. I’d also like to thank Plymouth County Tech Rescue and Mattapoisett Fire for their assistance. All parties worked cohesively for a positive outcome.”

            The call came in at approximately 5:00 pm on August 17 with the report of a horse and mule stuck in mud. Firefighters found the mule and the horse neck-deep, and both animals were experiencing labored respiration.

            Joined in the effort by Animal Control Officer Susan Connor, Marion firefighters and the animals’ owners dug as much mud as they could from around the animals to alleviate the physical pressure.

            The Fire Department used a winch from its brush breaker, along with pulleys, straps, and a sling to pull the animals from the mud. Both the horse and the mule escaped without injury. A veterinarian evaluated them at the scene.

            The three-hour ordeal came to a successful conclusion thanks to technical expertise provided by Connor and Washburn Stables. Their guidance helped prevent injury as the animals were slowly pulled from the mud.

            Responding units included C-1, C-2, A-1, E-1, S-2, Breaker-127, and Plymouth County Tech Rescue. Mattapoisett Fire Rescue provided station coverage, and the Plymouth County Large Animal Rescue Team was activated and arrived on scene near the end, and personnel cleared at 8:00 pm.

Town of Marion Press Release

            Words could not describe the destruction to wetlands along parts of Buzzards Bay and all of Mattapoisett Harbor, should the Eel Pond forced main become compromised. That possibility has been discussed for years when considering what can be done to improve the infrastructure for flow of sewage from Mattapoisett to the Fairhaven treatment facility via the Eel Pond forced sewer main.

            Natural tidal shifts and storms have been shaping and reshaping the seabed in and around what’s known as the Eel Pond breach for decades. There have been concerns over the exposure of the forced sewer main, built in 1977 across the breach, almost since the beginning. The 12-inch-wide sewer line stretches 1,400 linear feet across the channel. After receiving a grant in the sum of $119,486 from Coastal Zone Management, an up-to-date study now brings improvement options into focus. Building on studies that took place between 2001 and 2017, engineering firm Tighe & Bond held a public meeting on August 5 to announce its findings.

            Part of the presentation delved into the history of the environmentally sensitive wetlands associated with Eel Pond, wetlands that have recently been part of Phase1b of the bike path with the construction of a massive pedestrian bridge. Studies prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for the recreational path project were incorporated into the Tighe & Bond evaluation. All technical input pointed to the necessity of running a new sewer line sooner rather than later.

            “We expect the Eel Pond inlet to continue shifting south-southwest over the next 50 years as its done for the past 50 years,” the engineering team advised. They determined that a new sewer line at least 16 feet below the surface was needed.

            The engineering team detailed various construction options from spanning Route 6 where the Mattapoisett River crosses the highway to various themes on crossing the marshlands surrounding the pond and the barrier beach at Goodspeed Island. Only one plan was believed to be the most viable, while all plans presented constraints.

            Plan 1 would send the sewer line over the existing Route 6 bridge for a cost estimate of $4,381,000. Plan 2 is an open-cut excavation plan with a cost estimate that was not disclosed, as this plan is not being seriously considered given the wetlands impact.

            Plan 3 is a parallel, horizontal-directional drilling option that would require new easements with a cost estimate of $2,210,000. Horizontal Directional Drilling, an electronically guided boring practice, has already been successfully used by the Water and Sewer Department when sewer was introduced along a beach neighborhood in the community. The process “…minimizes wetland and resource impacts,” the study showed.

            And Plan 4, the preferred plan, is a horizontal-directional drill under Eel Pond and the salt marshes using, for the most part, existing easements for a cost estimate of $2,345,000. In all estimates, any necessary acquisition of new easements was not part of the calculations.

            Plan 4 touts as benefits, “lesser impact to resource area, alignments of sewer line less susceptible to long-term coastal processes, allows for deep installation of force main below projected scouring depths, and avoids the bike path currently under construction with a shorter construction period.

            Constraints associated with Plan 4 include, “the need for a larger area for horizontal direction drilling rig setup and pipe pull-back process, the potential for mud fracking, and the need for both temporary and permanent new easements.

            In a follow-up with Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Department, Director Henri Renauld said, “We want to try and stay as much as possible within the easements we have; it’s cost-effective.” Renauld also said that with the remaining grant monies will be the continued coordination between the town’s representatives and such agencies as local boards, Mass DEP, Army Corps of Engineers, Marine Fisheries, the Executive Office of Environmental Protection and Coastal Zone Management, as well as others. He said that moving forward, alternatives would be presented to these agencies in the hope that the final plan will receive additional grant monies by spring 2021.

Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Department

By Marilou Newell