Eileen Marum studied public policy and has already made her mark on Marion by drafting its marijuana bylaw, among others. Now, she is running for a third term on the Planning Board to continue that work.

Besides her academic background, Marum believes her punctuality, confidence, solid preparation, communication skills and issue analysis using her scientific background make her a good candidate for the board.

She was a nurse anesthetist for 30 years, and got her degree in her 50s from Smith College.

“I speak out and say what I think, and I speak from knowledge,” Marum said. “I will read research papers if there is a topic I don’t understand.”

In making Planning Board decisions, she likes to refer to the Master Plan, as it “responds directly to public input.”

To support seniors, she believes Marion needs low-impact condo options with space for social, civic and physical activity.

She thinks the town should consider converting large homes in the Village to several apartments for good access to amenities, improve sidewalks, and hire a handyman to perform minor repairs for seniors.

She would like to see work begin on a usable cluster bylaw, which governs the density of developments. 

To improve the town’s financial standing, Maurm proposed a solar installation on the landfill, a project which was just approved in late March.

Her priorities for development include avoiding wetland areas and not putting stress on the sewer or school system. She was in favor of a solar array that had been proposed for 78 Wareham Road, but it was withdrawn by the owner.

Marum previously lived in Mattapoisett and moved to Marion in 2010. She has a daughter and three grandchildren in Connecticut. When not at or preparing for meetings, she helps out with the Sippican Lands Trust or Marion Natural History Museum.  She walks outside every day that it isn’t snowing or raining.