Selectmen were harshly criticized on Tuesday for seeking a grant that voters passed on at Fall Town Meeting. The grant will research the feasibility of adding 151 houses in the Aucoot area to the town’s sewer system.

At the Town Meeting in October, voters tabled a motion that would have appropriated $50,000 to obtain a $200,000 grant from the Buzzards Bay and Narragansett Estuary Programs to study nitrogen leaching into Aucoot Cove.

With the grant deadline fast approaching, Selectmen OK’ed the application themselves after learning that in-kind services could be used for the $50,000 required contribution. The in-kind services are to be provided by the town’s engineering firm, CDM Smith, and the Buzzards Bay Coalition. Those entities won’t bill the town for staff hours used to prepare the grant application.

Indian Cove resident Ruth Nicolaci said when Selectmen went ahead with the application they acted against the will of voters. Some Town Meeting voters also objected to the study because it would research adding mostly Mattapoisett homes to Marion’s sewer system.

“What was the justification in doing that?” Nicolaci asked. “If it was not illegal, it was certainly disgraceful.”

Chair Stephen Cushing said the board, acting as water and sewer commissioners, is exploring ways to minimize what may be hugely expensive, federally required upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.

The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the terms of a permit required for the plant to operate. A change in terms could require a multi-million dollar upgrade to the plant. In response to Nicolaci’s statement regarding ignoring the will of voters, Dawson explained that the Town Meeting motion was to table the appropriation request. It didn’t reject spending the money.

Nicolaci was unconvinced by Dawson’s argument.

“It’s a sly technicality wouldn’t you say?” she said.

"There's nothing sly about it," Dawson responded. "We're not spending the cash."