Town Meeting voters approved Article 34 on Tuesday, on a 373-360, narrowly establishing a new Community Development and Planning Department to oversee the town’s development and planning efforts.
The move comes in response to the retirement of longtime Town Planner Becky Cutting, who managed multiple responsibilities.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said the new department will be led by a director responsible for a wide range of issues, including economic development, housing policy, transportation, historic preservation, sustainability, open space conservation and neighborhood improvement. The department will also focus on supporting Marblehead’s business community, aiming to increase tourism and help generate new growth opportunities.
Several residents spoke against the change, including resident Bill Kuker.
“We have an Old and Historic Commission, the Historic Commission and the Marblehead Museum. We have a Traffic Advisory Committee. We have a Conservation Commission,” Kuker said. “This is putting too much authority in the hands of one department. I recommend that we shoot this thing down.”
Kezer said the goal of this department is to support the work of all those committees that Kuker mentioned and bring a level of expertise to the table.
“It’s more of a relationship with the boards and committees. It gives them more resources to actually implement their vision and be more effective in these matters for the town,” he said. “We really feel this is important for Marblehead to protect what it has.”
Funding for the new positions, including the director, town planner, grant writer, will come from the municipal budget, COVID relief funds and salaries of positions vacated by retirements, such as the town engineer. The reorganization is expected to be achieved without increasing expenses, as the Department of Public Works will absorb the engineering responsibilities.
The director will also have the authority to appoint additional employees as needed, subject to the Select Board’s approval.
Voters approve restructuring of chief assessor position
Residents approved Article 35 with 427 votes in favor and 291 opposed, moving the Assessing Department and Town Assessor under the supervision of the Finance Director. Meanwhile, Article 38, which sought to change the Board of Assessors from elected to appointed positions, was indefinitely postponed in a 421-337 vote.
The votes come amid ongoing concerns from residents about the fairness and consistency of recent property revaluations and a surge in abatement applications. The board reported receiving around 340 abatement requests, a sharp increase from the typical 90-100 filed annually, and returning $541,000 to about 80% of those who sought them.
Meanwhile, the Board of Assessors placed Chief Assessor Karen Bertolino on paid administrative leave pending an independent audit of the town’s valuation process.
Kezer, who proposed the articles, said during the meeting that placing the Assessing Department under Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin will “improve the services in the assessor’s office” and align with state Department of Revenue best practices. He noted the assessor’s department is responsible for 85% of the town’s property tax revenue and should help Marblehead better catch new growth.
“Municipalities that are financially healthy are capturing every dollar of new growth,” he said.
Resident Albert Jordan voiced support for Article 35, saying, “This needs to be changed for some accountability.”
However, the proposal to make the Board of Assessors appointed rather than elected positions proved more controversial. Some residents expressed concerns about concentrating too much power in the hands of the Select Board.
Voters embrace fee hikes
Voters also approved over 30 fee increases, which are part of a broader strategy to modernize the town’s fee structure and generate additional revenue.
The increases include the following:
— Building Department: Minimum permit fee rising from $30 to $50, re-inspection fee from $50 to $70, and various other fees increasing by $20.
— Plumbing and gas: Fees for services like remodeling and boiler installation will increase by over 60%, with basic fees jumping from $30 to $50.
— Electrical: Cost for electrical services will see a 67% increase, with specific fees for motor installations soaring by 133%.
— Town Clerk: Dog licensing fees will rise, with the cost for a spayed or neutered dog increasing from $15 to $20, and from $20 to $25 for an intact dog.
