While Article One garnered a large piece of the meeting, Article Two General Operating Budget was swiftly and unanimously (by both the board and the committee) supported at $32,405,674.Īrticle Three asks voters to appropriate $204,000 for OPEB liabilities, Article Four $160,000 appropriation for the School Assessment Stabilization Fund, Article Five to authorize Departmental Revolving Fund expenditure limits, Article Six $45,000 for Cyclical Annual Property Revaluation and Town Mapping, Article Seven $4,500 for actuarial analysis of the Town’s OPEB liability, Article Eight Personnel Schedules and Article Nine Acceptance of the Capital Planning Committee report. The proposed compensation in Article One reads: Moderator $290 up from $282 Board of Selectmen Chairman $5,945 up from $5,829, Board of Selectmen members each $5,358 up from $5,253, Assessors each $5,358 up from $5,253, Town Clerk $75,000 up from $71,400, Board of Health each $678 up from $696, Highway Surveyor $87,500 up from $80,000, Mattapoisett School Committee each $692 up from $687, Water/Sewer Commissioners each $678 up from $692, Tree Warden $10,500 up from $10,083, and Herring Inspector $988 up from $968. The Select Board voted unanimously for Article One. When the two groups voted whether or not to support the pay increases in Article One, the Finance Committee members were all in favor, except Donoghue. Regarding the town clerk’s requested increase of $3,600 to a salary of $75,000, Lorenco said Heuberger’s current salary of $71,400 was in line with other communities. Why aren’t we looking at that?” she asked. I was told we don’t have the people to do the work. “I went to Town Hall and said the streets aren’t being cleaned. “Yes, increases should be based on merit,” said Lorenco, adding that Bauer “was at the low end.”ĭonoghue was steadfast in her belief that it appeared as though elected officials were getting more. Lorenco said that Garrett Bauer had been looking at salaries paid in private industry as well as other towns to compare. Town Administrator Mike Lorenco noted that Bauer holds a CDL license and that when necessary, “…is in the ditches doing the work.”Īlso adding her support for the increase was Select Board member Jodi Bauer. “If we had to look for a qualified person, we’d be paying more,” he said. He runs a good ship,” said Collyer, noting that during bad weather, roads remain open, that Bauer has a degree and that market rate for a job such as his ranges between $90,000 and $95,000. “Garrett took a haircut, we gave him a reduced rate. The board and the committee had already reviewed budgets with all department heads leading up to the meeting, but Finance Committee Chairman Pat Donoghue questioned Bauer’s requested $7,500 increase, which would bring his salary up to $87,500.ĭonoghue asked, “What message are we sending the other town employees? I’m troubled by this.” Member Kevin Geraghty said that the salary was originally set at a lower level than that of former surveyor Barry Denham, who had held the position for over 20 years. The meeting established which articles the board and the committee would support or decline support during the May 8 Town Meeting. The sticking points were two pay raises being requested, one by the current Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger and the other by the Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer. It took some time on April 20 for the Mattapoisett Select Board and Finance Committee to review Article One, Elected Officers’ Compensation. Now with this resolved, plans are underway for opening the security gate and letting the public, at long last, enjoy the pathway from Fairhaven to Mattapoisett village. This comes after the April 20 Select Board meeting in which Collyer railed against “name calling” on Facebook that he said, “wouldn’t solve anything.” He said that language and specifically the word “maintenance” without a definition as to just exactly what maintenance might mean in this context was the problem. I can’t speak for the board, but I’m comfortable with it,” said Collyer. “The board plans on meeting Thursday (April 27 at 6:00 pm) to review the MOU. Select Board member Jordan Collyer, who has taken the lead on dealing with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on the Memorandum of Understanding, told The Wanderer on Tuesday that they have received an acceptable MOU. It was received as good news when on April 25, three business days after the Mattapoisett Select Board meeting held April 20, it was learned that Phase 1b of the Bike Path is to open.
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