The Selectmen called in various town department heads on Tuesday night for updates on their operations. The leaders reported growth in a number of areas as well as the services they provide to town residents. Here's what they had to say:

Building Department

Building Inspector Andy Bobola said the warm winter seems to have contributed to a steady stream of new permits, including those for new house builds.

He said revenue from new growth numbers are approaching the $250,000 mark.

“There’s no slowdown,” said Bobola. “We look forward to a very busy summer.”

He also said the senior work off employees have been a big help. The program allows senior citizens to work for the town in exchange for a reduction in their property taxes.

Bobola said he hopes to employ senior work off helpers to enter past permits into a database that will hopefully come online soon. That database will also allow inspectors to check permits using tablets while they are in the community.

Council on Aging

Council on Aging Director Jackie Coucci was praised for doing a lot on a “shoestring budget.”

Coucci said the COA’s motto is “’Live longer stronger’ and that’s what we’re trying to help everybody to do.”

Exercise classes are a ht, to the point that many are at capacity, she said.

“One thing I’ve noticed about this community – people here are very interested in making themselves stay stronger, healthier, want[ing] to be educated,” Coucci said.

On the service side, many seniors take advantage of rides offered through the COA and Coucci said people often contact her, asking for services for their friends, family and neighbors.

“It’s not just a senior center, it’s a service center,” she said.

Mattapoisett Library

Director Susan Pizzolato said the Mattapoisett Library is three-quarters of the way through a busy year, and has maintained a “robust circulation.”

A number of services are offered, including one-on-one tutoring for adult literacy as well as computer usage.

“There’s quite a breadth of things that we try to do for the public,” Pizzolato said.

The library is also open on Thursday nights exclusively for scheduled town, club and nonprofit meetings.

Town Administrator Mike Gagne praised Pizzolato as a leader in town who reaches out to help other departments.

Fire Department

Fire Chief Andy Murray said calls are up 100 percent since 2000. He said all areas, from fire calls to false alarms have grown, with the latter probably due to more carbon monoxide detectors.

Murray said his department has been involved in a number of training opportunities over the past year, including regular drills, a Medflight class and rapid intervention training. Community outreach will also continue to be an important part of the fire department’s work, such as a safety session to help educate residents who live in older homes in the Village to prevent fires from spreading.

The chief also said 16 members of the department are also about to begin a weight loss and fitness challenge.

“I always try to stay creative to keep guys interested,” he said.

Police Department

Police Chief Mary Lyons said an EMT was added to the day shift since some calls take ambulances out of town and even out of state.

On the police side of the department, Lyons said eventually more full-time individuals will be needed as it’s hard to find and keep part-time employees.

Treasurer/Tax Collector

Treasurer Brenda Herbeck said reporting proof of insurance required by the Affordable Care Act has caused “angst” in her department.

“I think it was very confusing. Each town had to figure out how they were going to do the reporting,” she said.

Those reports are going out soon so people can do their taxes she said.

Another time consuming responsibility is the senior work off program, said Herbeck. This fiscal year, 87 seniors have participated in the program, from working at the town clerk’s office during Tuesday’s primary to trimming trees for the tree warden. About $45,000 is set aside for the work off program.

Although seniors never receive any money for their work, it is credited to their tax bill, and the treasurer’s office does still have to file the information with the IRS, create a pay stub and W2s. Herbeck said some other department heads were interested in speaking about the current policy.

Herbeck said there is additional work involved but no need for additional staffing.

Selectmen Chair Jordan Collyer suggested a focus group come together to discuss the program, but was in favor of it.

“It’s a small town perk and a small town benefit,” said Collyer. “I’m sure there’s more benefits than there are challenges.”

Water and Sewer Department

Water and Sewer Superintendent Henri Renauld said his department is working on a water main project for Route 6 set to begin in April as well as a feasibility study for relocating the poorly situated sewer main off of Good Speed Island.

He is also waiting on bids for water main replacements of Pearl Street, Cannon Street and lower Barstow Street, all of which are on the Highway Department’s plan for roadwork this summer.

Assessors Department

Principal Assessor Kathy Costello said she is proud of what her department has done with PILOTs (payment in lieu of taxes) for commercial solar projects in town.

“It directly relates to the taxpayers. I’m really proud of that,” said Costello.

The PILOT agreements will net the town $150,000 in additional revenue, according to Gagne.

She also said the town’s GIS program has been a helpful interdepartmental tool and has saved her department a lot of time.