A deferral on property taxes for active duty National Guard service members, increasing sewer capacity and a petition regarding waterways funds are among the 17 items registered voter will decide on at Mattapoisett’s Special Town Meeting on Oct. 20.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Old Rochester Regional High School auditorium.

The first item to be voted on is acceptance of a state provision that allows active duty National Guard and Reserve members to defer their property taxes and interest while away from home.

Town Administrator Mike Gagne said a handful of people have requested such help.

“It’s a significant financial hardship,” said Gagne. “It’s the least we can do for these individuals who are on active duty.”

Registered voters will also decide whether to approve an interest reduction in deferred property taxes for senior citizens. Currently, the deferment comes with an eight percent interest rate. If approved, the rate would be reduced to four percent.

“Certainly if you’re in a deferral situation, you’re in it because of economic reasons. We shouldn’t be making that situation worse,” Gagne said.

He stressed that the break would apply only to those who are eligible for the deferral.

The Selectmen are backing an item that would allow them to petition the state to appropriate 100 percent of the boat excise taxes to the municipal waterways fund. The law currently allows for 50 percent and a yearly vote is required for more than that amount.

Over the past two years, the town has approved the transfer of the remaining 50 percent from free cash to be used for the waterways. If Mattapoisett voters approve the item, it will be filed as a home rule petition with the state.

Several sewer items are up for a vote, including an appropriation of almost $186,000 from the sewer enterprise retained earnings to increase the town’s sewer capacity through the Fairhaven treatment plant from ten percent to 18.

“That capacity is already earmarked for existing built homes,” said Gagne.

According to Water and Sewer Commissioner Nick Nicholson, Mattapoisett will have an additional 350,000 gallons of capacity. That will be used for a sewer project on Industrial drive, some areas of Aucoot Road and Cove Street, all of which are already on the water and sewer’s master plan.

Voters will also be asked to approve $22,000 in engineering and design fees, to be taken from the water retained earnings, for the replacement of the water main on Mechanic Street.

The town will be “bundling” repairs on that street so that the sewer, sidewalks and road repairs can be done together.

Moving above ground, the Board of Assessors is asking voters to give them authority to negotiate payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements with commercial solar projects. PILOT agreements, said Gagne, allow assessments of developments that have fluctuating valuation. For example, if solar panels are replaced in 15 years, the assessors will incorporate their value into the overall assessment of the property.

Three zoning bylaw amendments are also on the agenda and were brought forward by the Bay Club, according to Planning Board Chair Thomas Tucker.

Land Planning Consultant Brad Saunders, who has clients looking to develop inside the Bay Club as well as a landholder, wrote the amendments.

“The purpose of all three is to improve the existing ordinance,” said Saunders. “The idea is to increase flexibility.”

One amendment would allow for “zero-lot line lots,” essentially for the creation of duplexes. The amendment would change the requirement to have a side yard between two residences in lieu of a larger side yard on sides opposite the shared wall.

The second amendment relates to a 1.6-acre town-owned site in the Bay Club that was once going to be the site of a water tower. Part of the land is in a limited industrial district which cannot be used for housing.

The amendment would permit a limited industrial district to be used as the open space in a cluster subdivision (a development that allows houses to be built closer together and requires designated open space.) For the 1.6-acres, that would mean two houses could be built on the land rather than one, according to Saunders.

The final amendment asks that “general business” land be eligible for cluster subdivisions as are other types of residential buildings.

The agenda also includes an appropriation for a bike path easement and appropriations for stabilization funds.

For the complete Special Town Meeting agenda, visit Mattapoisett.net.