Mattapoisett Select Board approves Town Meeting agenda

MATTAPOISETT — The formation of a committee to assist a road reconstruction project, a proposed water and sewer building and a $33.9 million town budget are three of the 23 items Mattapoisett residents will vote to approve at Town Meeting on Monday, May 13.

On Thursday, April 25, the Mattapoisett Select Board and Finance Committee met and approved the agenda for the Town Meeting.

Along the way, both boards voted to recommend, or not recommend, each agenda item.

The Select Board voted unanimously to recommend all but two items. Several items, including Select Board salaries, could not be recommended by the Select Board.

No Select Board member motioned to recommend an article that would approve $12,000,000 indebtedness authorized by the Old Rochester Regional School District for the purposes of making capital improvements to regional school buildings.

The same article is listed on the agenda for the upcoming Town Meetings of Rochester and Marion. The Rochester Select Board voted not to recommend the item, while the Marion Select Board voted to recommend it.

In similar fashion, no Mattapoisett Select Board member motioned to approve an item that would form a committee to assist with the road reconstruction project that has generated much debate in the town in recent months.

According to the Mattapoisett Town Meeting agenda, the proposed committee would be made up of seven people: One member each from the Select Board, Planning Board, Community Preservation Committee, Tree Committee and three at-large residents, two of whom are construction, regional planning or project management professionals.

The committee would hold meetings, respond to residents regarding the project, and inform the community about progress made on the project.

The Mattapoisett Select Board voted to recommend the town’s $33,296,565 operating budget. This budget is a 5.1% increase from last year’s $31,691,197 budget.

A 17% rise in debt service, a 34% increase in school transportation costs and a 22% increase in trash and recycling costs drove many of the cost increases.

Mattapoisett residents can also approve the town’s capital improvement plans which total $1,154,800 with $729,800 coming from free cash.

Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Lorenco said the town currently has over $900,000 in its free cash fund. The remaining $425,000 needed for the town’s proposed capital improvement plans would be funded by the Ambulance Reserve Fund, which is used for purchasing and equipping vehicles.

Items listed on the improvement plan include a $360,000 ambulance replacement, $300,000 of road improvements, an $18,000 water heater for both Old Hammondtown School and Center School and $29,000 of fire helmet and hose replacements.

The full Town Meeting agenda will be posted next week, according to Lorenco.

Mattapoisett’s annual Town Meeting will take place at Old Rochester Regional High School at 6:30 p.m. on May 13. All registered voters in Mattapoisett are eligible to attend and vote at Town Meeting.