Boaters will have 90 not 120 days to pay for their moorings this year following a vote by Selectmen on Tuesday night. The decision was part of a larger discussion about the town’s marine rules and regulations.

About 18 months ago, the Marine Advisory Board, whose members are appointed by Selectmen, were charged with updating the guidelines, but a draft has yet to be finalized.

One change Selectmen have wanted to see is an earlier and shorter billing cycle for moorings.

“It seems like groundhog day every time we talk about bills,” said Selectman Jordan Collyer.

Previously mooring holders had 120 days from the Feb. 1 mailing to pay their bill before losing one of the town’s much sought after moorings. That means boaters on the waiting list may not receive an assignment until late spring or early summer.

Collyer was in favor of reducing the cycle to 60 days while Selectmen Tyler Macallister and Paul Silva wanted to ease bill payers into the new process by moving to 90 days. Macallister and Silva voted in favor of the new schedule, while Collyer opposed it.

Selectmen also said bills will be mailed Dec. 1 for the 2018 boating season.

Collyer also wants to see billing streamlined with mooring numbers matching mooring sticker numbers.

“We have created unnecessary work by mismatching stickers,” he said, noting that Marion streamlined the process 20 years ago. No decision was made on that front.

Also up for discussion was the state of the Marine Advisory Board and the rules and regulations.

Selectmen decided that nine members on the board is too many to get anything accomplished, in part, because it increases the quorum. They suggested moving to a seven-member board for now, possibly five in the future.

“Anything to finally get these rules and regulations,” said Silva. “If we could speed it up by having fewer members, I’m all for it.”

The group decided to keep the number of alternates at three, appointing existing alternate Ed Van Keuren to an open spot on the Marine Board and adding former harbormaster Horace Field as an alternate.

That board now has a firm deadline as well. Selectmen voted to have the regulations revision by April 1 and to have the guidelines approved no later than July 1, even if they’re the ones who have to update them.

In other news

New officer: Christine Tavares has been appointed as a permanent, full-time officer. She already attended the police academy and has experience in the area. The new position was approved at Special Town Meeting.

Clean Energy: A new program called Clean Energy Community has chosen Mattapoisett as one of two towns in which to pilot its new program. Clean Energy will look at reducing electricity use throughout the town, and someone will further explain the initiative at the Selectmen’s Jan. 24 meeting.

Drought still in effect: Don’t go watering your lawns just yet. The area is still in a drought. “Things have not changed because we’ve had some rain and some snow,” said Town Administrator Mike Gagne.