By Mary Chasse, Neighb News Correspondent
At its meeting on Tuesday 10/12 the Acushnet Selectboard discussed options for speed prevention on Slocum Street, and some fee changes for permits.
The board first appointed resident Eric James to the Beautification Committee. The board also appointed Thomas Whitehead to the Zoning Board and the Agricultural Commission as an alternate.
The board then met with Police Chief Chris Richmond about the updates on Slocum Street. Mr. Richmond said the speed on that street has always been an issue and they have been having police monitor the area. Chief Richmond said they have also added one speed sign for now while they wait for the new sign to come in from the supplier.
He said the new speed sign is still 3-4 weeks away from arrival but it is solar powered unlike the current sign. Although the current sign is old, it has been making people aware of their speed and has slowed down a lot of cars on the street, which is helping.
Chief Richmond also said he would also like to add permanent signs to the street.
The board voted unanimously to transfer funds for the signs.
Chairperson David Desroches told Chief Richmond that at the last Selectboard meeting a few residents brought up the possibility of adding a four way stop near Slocum Street and Nye Avenue.
Chief Richmond said he has done some research and the ability to put a stop sign there would be limited. He explained that it is prohibited to add a stop sign as a form of speed control. To get a stop sign, there would need to be a traffic and speed study. He said the speed on the street is currently only 25 mph and he is worried that if a speed study is done the state may increase the speed limit.
Mr. Desroches agreed and said he is happy with the progress they are making with the speed and permanent signs, as well as police monitoring. He said it is a good start.
In another matter the board met with Director of I.T. Chris Oliver about applying for community compact grants. Mr. Oliver explained to the board that some technology in town needs to be upgraded. The grants are competitive state grants and would be no cost to the town.
The board vote unanimously to apply for the grants.
In other business, the board decided to adopt a new online payment system called Invoice Cloud. Town Administrator Julie Hebert said it allows residents to pay town bills online and it is much more user friendly than what they are currently using.
Ms. Hebert also said that she was able to get Invoice Cloud at a lower price than previously expected. They will be ready to start using the new service when the bills come out January 1, 2022.
The board voted unanimously to sign the contract with Invoice Cloud..
In another matter Mr. Desroches informed the board that they received a memo from Building Inspector Jim Marot about making some changes to some permit fees. Mr. Desroches said Mr. Marot would like to increase paper applications by $10 because they take longer to process. He would also like to increase building and electric permits, as well as battery storage for solar by $20 more.
The board voted unanimously to raise the fees as recommended by Mr. Marot.
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