LETTER: Mike Marotto looks to continue on Duxbury Selectboard

Feb. 22, 2022

To the Duxbury community: 

I am running for select board re-election because I feel strongly rooted in this community and believe that my experience and background is useful to the role.  Also, given that one member resigned (due to a move) and another is not seeking re-election, I believe it would be useful to have some continuity within the board.  

My top priority if re-elected is to work with the select board - and external resources as needed – so that our projects have a clear path to completion: including deadlines, budgeting, and milestones. This can be more challenging than it sounds – many projects are conceived and executed over the course of several select boards, road foremen, etc. 

We've had a lot of turnover over the past several years, there hasn't always been a lot of continuity, and I think we've suffered as a result. After spending a year on the select board and learning more about the projects and challenges we're facing, I have become a proponent of a targeted approach for project management support. We are currently trialing this approach, with Stephanie Magnan (Seam Solutions), who is providing project management support for the salt shed replacement, and recently started helping out with a few additional projects. I believe there are other projects that could benefit from this approach - the use of ARPA funding, exploration and prioritization of other grant funding opportunities, and scoping studies, to name a few.  

If elected, I'd like to revisit this discussion with the new select board – specifically, identifying projects that might benefit from outsourcing project management within the constraints of our current budget, prioritizing new opportunities to explore, and to help the Town see these projects through completion while maximizing our benefit from the existing projects underway.  

There are a lot of challenges facing our community: we are still in the midst of a pandemic, we have rising property values creating an affordable housing crisis, environmental challenges, school challenges, weather- and road-related challenges, etc. I think what we can help manage as a select board is to successfully execute upon the budget approved by the taxpayers, prioritize what can realistically get accomplished using available resources, address routine and unanticipated matters requiring select board guidance and input, and encourage community participation.   

I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage voters to voice their support for a solar array on the Duxbury town property (gravel pit). The selectboard formed an energy committee to explore this, and we feel it would be an ideal use of this property, both in reducing our carbon footprint and providing a financial benefit to the town.  

Mike Marotto is unopposed for election to the Duxbury Selectboard. Courtesy photo

Thanks for reading. I'd welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the town of Duxbury.   

Sincerely,

Mike Marotto

Duxbury