ROCHESTER —  In her Town Administrator’s report at a Sept. 3 meeting, Suzanne Szyndlar mentioned that the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library recently received a grant for around $17,000.

The funds come from the estate of George Church. Plumb Library received some of the funds in 2010, with a promise that the rest would be paid when the estate was settled. Some donors specify where funds should go, but Hurch did not, so the funds will be used for general expenses.

Selectman Woody Hartley also had a request for the next meeting: that the Selectmen compile a job description for an appointed Town Clerk.

Rochester voted at the last Town Meeting to hold a town-wide election on whether to make Town Clerk an appointed position. That vote will happen this spring. 

“It will be a quick turnover after the next meeting happens,” if voters decide they want an appointed clerk, Hartley said. 

“It’s on the warrant, so we need to talk about it,” Chairman Paul Ciaburri said.

Selectmen also made an exception to an old Town Meeting rule that prohibits motorboats on Snow’s Pond. The Snow’s Pond Association will now be allowed to have an expert perform an aquatic weed survey to see which species of invasive weeds are in the pond so that it can treat them. 

Town Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon explained in a follow up call that the motorboat would make the process “at lot more expeditious.”

The state Department of Energy Resources Green Communities Division awarded Rochester a grant for $8,585 for the auditors, building inspector tasks and zoning changes involved with making the town a green community. 

In the past, the town secured a grant from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District,  who will still be involved with the process as a technical assistant. 

The town has an October deadline to apply for the environmentally-friendly status.