In Marshfield, Town Meeting voters approved articles for the dog park project, and completed the Special Town Meeting warrant. But due to articles on the Annual warrant remaining, Town Meeting will continue tonight.
The $106 million dollar budget was approved, with no layoffs or furloughs, according to Town Administrator Michael Maresco.
“It’s been great, we got a lot done. People had a chance to ask the types of questions that they wanted,” Maresco said of the first night. “We had a big Special Town Meeting, which took up quite a bit of the time. That was important, we had the free cash article to take care of a number of projects, then we got through the main budget, which is really why we have Town Meeting.”
Voters approved a transfer of land for the dog park project. By a standing count, the motion met a two-thirds majority – 181 to 67 (73 percent to 27 percent).
Select Board Vice-Chair Steve Darcy said it will be a great amenity for the town.
“So I’ve been joking a lot lately that we started this project in my 20’s and it will finish in my 30’s, hopefully,” said Darcy. “We have great supporters in town and a great team. There’s been a lot of road blocks and obstacles in the way. They never gave up, they kept persevering and pushing ahead. It means a lot, because we had a high bar to clear tonight, we needed a two-thirds vote and it was tight. We needed every supporter to show up that did, so it means a lot.”
This iteration of the project has been about four years in the making. A 2020 Town Meeting approved a land donation from VRT Corp. for the initial site. Voters approved $50,000 in CPC funding for the project off Commerce Way at that meeting.
A Fall 2021 opening date was the initial goal, but due to construction costs and grading that was needed at the original site, the Friends of the Marshfield Dog Park honed in on a new location. The new location would be at 89 Rockwood Road, next to the Boys & Girls Club.
Voters at Monday’s Town Meeting also approved was an article for $175,000 dollars in CPC funding for the park. The Stanton Foundation has awarded a grant of $225,000 to help defray construction costs.
“The next step is now that we’ve secured the additional funding that we need, we can go out to bid, and go out to bid in the spring,” said Darcy. “The market is hot right now, so we may have to go back out again in the fall, and see if prices come down a little bit, that’s where we are right now.”
By a 97 to 62 standing vote (61% to 39%), voters approved using $900,000 left over from the Senior Center project for Town Hall renovations. This would include expanded seating in the Select Board’s Chamber, new bathrooms, and updated media equipment.
Voters approved an article for $3 million in emergency repairs for the repair of the Plymouth Ave. sewer force main.
The town approved a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement for roughly 5,000 solar panels that could be placed above car ports at the Marshfield Fairgrounds.
Voters approved an article for Marshfield to join the South Shore Vocational Technical School District. The vote needs approval from the other eight member towns, and will need further approval at a Fall Town Meeting.
Article 10 for a Harbor Park Trail atop the dredge spoils berm was passed over. Article 4 at the Special Town Meeting to use unexpended funds from the Spring Street water main project to pay for the replacement of water mains on Surf Avenue was passed over.
As the budget discussion continued past 10:15 p.m., Town Moderator Don Gibson asked voters if they would consider suspending the rules that no new business would be considered after 10:30 p.m. By a 54-33 standing count, the motion to suspend failed to reach a two-thirds majority, and the meeting was continued.
Remaining articles include nearly $4 million in capital projects, changing Select Men to Select Board, and CPC articles.
Marshfield Town meeting resumes tonight at 7 p.m. at the High School. A copy of the warrant can be found here.
