Marshfield Select Board Approves Utility Poles, Accepts Donations, and Reviews Event Permits
Board also discusses new policy for town property use and recognizes young fundraiser
MARSHFIELD - May 19 and 20- The Marshfield Select Board tackled a full agenda Monday evening, addressing utility pole installations, accepting donations, and approving event permits for local businesses and organizations. They reviewed the budget at a joint meeting with the Advisory Board on Tuesday.
May 19 - Chair Eric Kelley, Vice Chair Steve Darcy, and member Trish Simpson were present for the meeting, which began with pole hearings for three locations in town.
Representatives from Verizon and Eversource presented plans for new utility poles at 280 Foster Avenue and at 1140 and 1143 Ocean Street. The Foster Avenue pole generated discussion about potential safety concerns due to its location at a corner where vehicles frequently maneuver.
"That's my concern is there's no curbing or anything around it," Kelley said about the Foster Avenue pole location.
Mike Walengevich, representing the utilities, explained the pole would be installed in the public right-of-way to address an "aerial trespass" issue where electrical lines currently cross private property.
After hearing from abutters and discussing safety measures, the board approved all three pole installations with conditions, including requirements that reflectors be installed on the poles and that all debris be removed after installation.
"Return the grounds to the original condition, including removing all debris and dirt and sand removed, and install reflectors on the poles," Kelley specified in the motion.
The board also recognized Ruth Mayberg, a young resident who organized a successful bake sale that raised $3,021.30 for the Ventress Library's Hoopla digital service. The fundraiser allowed the library to increase monthly digital checkouts from two to five per patron.
"Your story was very inspiring, and stories of success like what you have done, I think we could all use more of that in our lives," Darcy told Mayberg. "You saw a problem that existed in our community, and you wanted to help other children be able to basically more than double the number of books that they can borrow from Hoopla each month."
The board unanimously accepted the donation, presenting Mayberg with a certificate of recognition.
In other business, the board heard from Michelle Jarvis of Neptune Road regarding the development of a new town policy for the use of town property for events. Jarvis, who owns an event planning and catering company, offered insights based on her experience working with various South Shore communities.
"I own an event planning and catering company, and 90 percent of my job is poking holes in things to make sure that we don't drown," Jarvis said. "I want to make sure that it's very thoughtful and intentional so we don't go into this season and have it all sort of fall apart."
The discussion focused on creating a comprehensive policy that would address various aspects of event planning on town property, including fee structures for residents versus non-residents, photography permits, and coordination with emergency services.
"I think there definitely is a lengthier discussion to do this properly, and I think the best course is to actually go venue by venue with the stakeholders that are going to be in charge of keeping people safe," Jarvis suggested.
Board members agreed to review materials from other towns, including East Hampton, and to meet individually with Jarvis to develop a draft policy.
"I would like to see a resident versus a non-resident change in fee. I think that's important," Simpson noted during the discussion.
The board also addressed concerns from resident Neal Duffy about outdoor seating at the Jetty Restaurant in Brant Rock. Duffy expressed frustration about noise levels and parking issues resulting from the restaurant's outdoor seating arrangement, which was approved by a previous Select Board.
"The continued outdoor activity has negatively affected my neighborhood, my neighbors and myself quite a bit," Duffy said. "They set the bandstand up right on the property line of a residential neighborhood, and it is incredibly disruptive to my neighbors and myself."
Town Counsel Bob Galvin advised that the board could revisit the policy on outdoor seating and potentially make changes. The board agreed to add the issue to a future agenda and to notify the Zoning Board of Appeals about their upcoming discussion, as the ZBA is scheduled to consider a permanent barrier for the restaurant's outdoor area.
Other items approved by the board included:
- One-day beer and wine licenses for Stellwagen Beer Company to serve at Green Harbor Lobster Pound on multiple dates throughout the summer
- A one-day beer and wine license for North River Art Society's annual Festival of the Arts on May 23-25
- An MSBA contract for designer services for the Martinson school project
- Permission for the Molly Fitzgerald Memorial Fund to use the Avon Street parking lot for their annual appreciation dinner on June 13
- The appointment of Trish Simpson to the Opioid Fund Committee
- Acceptance of donations to Veterans Services ($50) and Animal Control ($200)
The board also voted to accept minutes from previous meetings before adjourning.
The next Select Board meeting is scheduled for May 26, which Kelley noted is also the date of the Memorial Day Parade starting at 10 a.m. from the library plaza.
May 20 - Marshfield's Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin presents a series of budget amendments to address an unexpected $750,000 assessment for South Shore Vocational Technical School during a joint meeting of the Select Board and Advisory Board.
The amendments aim to cover the assessment without disrupting essential town services by reallocating funds from various departments and free cash accounts.
"The primary goal is basically to identify areas to find the money necessary to cover the assessment for the South Shore Voc Tech School and the FY 2026 operating budget," Morin explains. "This is basically a modest sum, but it is an important sum and we want to handle it in an appropriate way."
The $750,000 assessment breaks down into $710,000 for the main assessment and an additional $39,000 based on student population.
Morin's proposal includes several reductions to special town meeting Article 6 and annual town meeting Article 3. The proposed changes include:
- Indefinitely postponing a $11,000 vaccine deficit that can be covered by federal funds
- Reducing a $370,000 Unisoft contract request by $30,000
- Removing $284,000 in police accreditation funding that the police chief indicates is not necessary
- Reducing OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) funding from $200,000 to $50,000
- Indefinitely postponing $24,000 for security camera server replacement that is eligible for federal funding
- Indefinitely postponing a $250,000 vehicle lease program that could be achieved through consortium purchasing
- Indefinitely postponing $5,000 for library Sunday hours that the librarian confirms can be funded without additional money
- Decreasing the town administrator salary line by $15,000
- Decreasing general insurance by $20,000 due to premium rebates
- Increasing unemployment compensation from zero to $40,000
Both boards unanimously approved the proposed amendments, which will be presented at the upcoming special town meeting on June 2.
Beyond the immediate budget adjustments, Morin warns of significant financial challenges facing Marshfield in the coming years. The $750,000 vocational school assessment is just the beginning of what could become a much larger financial obligation.
"Next year, it could be double that, depending upon what enrollment looks like at SSVT," says Advisory Board Chair Rick Smith. "By the time that we get out to 2029, it could be somewhere between $2.5 and $3 million a year, based upon the number of students enrolled and filling the seats that we have allocated to us."
When combined with potential funding for the vocational school building that was rejected at a previous meeting, the town could face up to $4.5 million in additional expenses by 2029, representing approximately 5% of the town's total budget.
Morin emphasizes the need for proactive financial planning and collaborative dialogue between departments, boards, and the public.
"The challenges that you're going to face in FY27 are going to require significant cooperative dialogue between departments, advisory board, select board, and everyone," Morin states. "I would recommend that you start engaging in it in July, right after we get out of town meeting because you're facing significant challenges."
These challenges are not unique to Marshfield, according to Morin. Communities across Massachusetts, particularly on the South Shore, face similar financial pressures.
"Your revenues aren't growing as fast as your expenses," he explains. "It's not because you're being imprudent with your funds. It's simply you're facing inflation pressures. You're facing collective bargaining pressures. You're facing pension assessments that are going twice the rate and growth versus what average communities are able to grow their revenues."
Morin suggests that addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive approach.
"There's ways to grow revenues. There's ways to reduce costs. It's going to be a mix of everything," he says. "Being more efficient in a workplace, unions provide great suggestions, in my experience, in contributing to make things more effective. And there should be dialogues with them. They should be involved."
Select Board Chair Eric Kelley acknowledges the difficult conversations ahead.
"There's going to be a lot more that we have to find. And there's only going to be so many places we can find it before we have to start finding it through labor cost reductions," Kelley notes. "We're going to have to have very honest conversations about what's out there so that way we can be frank with one another."
Other key points from the meeting include:
- The town currently has approximately $380,000 in remaining CARES Act/ARPA funds that must be spent by December 2026
- Morin described the budget shortfall as "a failure to communicate" rather than financial mismanagement
- The Advisory Board may review the South Shore Vocational Technical School's budget to identify potential cost savings
- Free cash levels in Marshfield are described as "healthy" and in line with neighboring communities
The town meeting to vote on the 2025-26 budget and these proposed amendments is scheduled for June 2.
Full meetings available via MCM. May 19 Select Board. And May 20 joint meeting.