MATTAPOISETT – With nine decisions for residents to make, 62 voters showed up for Mattapoisett’s Special Town Meeting at Old Rochester Regional High School on Monday, Nov. 14.

Moderator Jack Ecklund said that he recognized the usual suspects.

“This is my twentieth year as your town moderator,” he addressed the crowd. “And I’m still seeing the same folks show up every year, by and large.”

The subjects for this town meeting have been described as “pretty standard,” by Town Administrator Mike Lorenco, who stated that there was “nothing too alarming” that would come up.

The town unanimously approved everything on the warrant.

The most debated topic was the approval of $150,000 of free cash to construct bathrooms on the Holy Ghost property, a 7-acre parcel of land off Park Street that the town acquired in 2016.

The property will be on the Mattapoisett bike path when it is completed.

Since the property’s purchase, Lorenco stated that it has remained vacant, though the town has done some work to improve the roof and the siding of the building on the site so that it could remain “structurally sound.”

The request to build the bathrooms came after Lorenco spoke with department heads at Old Colony Regional Technical Vocational High School, whose students provide labor on projects such as this free of charge.

“We don’t have an organized plan from the town, but I believe if we build the bathrooms it will lead to this building being used for good purpose,” said Lorenco.

In regards to the price tag, Lorenco said that, “I’m not building a bathroom for your home. It has to meet the [Americans with Disabilities Act] and code.”

Two members of the finance committee voted not to recommend the article. Finance Committee member Colleen Trahan spoke about why she voted against the project.

“The building on the property is concrete with no HVAC installed and no insulation. It is essentially a concrete shed,” Trahan said. “Those of us that dissented are fully on board with having restrooms on Holy Ghost and on the bike path, but we believe it would behoove the residents of the town to wait for a more complete plan for what the property will become before spending this money.”

Lorenco stated that if the town waits to approve this, Old Colony will move on, and the students will not participate in the project.

“Losing this would put us in jeopardy of paying for labor down the road,” he said.

Residents spoke up with questions about the future of the property.

Bonnie DeSousa stated that she hoped there would be a public hearing about the use of the property.

“There’s no plan, so there can’t be a hearing without a plan,” explained Select Board Member Jordan Collyer. “This was a unique opportunity, and we felt like we should put it in front of the town to decide.”

Liz DeCarlo recalled the 2016 Town Meeting, where she was present to vote for the town’s acquisition of the property. “I was excited when we bought the property and I understood we were going to have a committee to talk about the potential for these acres for recreation. And now it’s 2022,” she said.

Lorenco said that the only plan right now is for the bathroom, “just to get things moving,” but once that’s done, Old Colony wants to look into designing the rest and seeing what the town will approve.

“Any future development would have to be approved by the town,” he added.

In a vote of 48 in favor, 18 opposed, the town approved the project.

Additionally, the town approved Articles 1, 2, 3, and 7, which appropriate sums of free cash that the town has left over after paying other expenses to other funds or projects.

They also approved the town to take back previously approved designations for funds that “they no longer consider necessary.” For example, a grant approved for an emergency generator, which is no longer needed. A full list of these designations can be found on the town’s website.

Residents voted unanimously to accept amendments to the Fiscal Year 2023 plan. The article outlines 13 changes in all, and can be found on the town’s website.

Voters also approved $337,000 from the Sewer Betterment Reserve Fund for payments in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, and to approve $250,000 for road reconstruction on Pearl Street and Oakland Street. Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer stated that these road improvements have been on the project list since 2010.