That was the message put forth by Selectmen last night as the board sided with the Board of Public Works’ recommendation to form a committee to put together a plan of action for repairing town seawalls. 
    The Board of Public Works, along with DPW Supt. Jeb DeLoach and town engineer Rod Prococcino, met with Selectmen and State Rep. Frank Hynes, D-Marshfield, to give an overview of what needs to be done regarding seawall repair. BPW member Bob Shaughnessy said the board had been conducting research since February to determine the extent of seawall damages and the cost for necessary repairs. 

    DPW Supt. Jeb DeLoache gave a presentation with the short-term and long-term costs of repairing the seawalls. A full overhaul and repair of the walls, which cover 2 miles in length, would cost $48.7 million, while the cost for immediate repairs to seawalls, jetties and stairways will cost $3.5 million.

    Recognizing the issue is beyond the scope of the public works board, Shaughnessy encouraged the formation of a comprehensive committee with representation from various town boards to help put together a plan of action for the seawall repairs. He said the committee would work to implement and carry through a 10-year plan for the necessary repairs, which would cost an estimated $11 million. 
    "We need to put together a comprehensive plan and strategy to implement and review," he said. 
    Shaughnessy said it’s been upwards of 60 years since the seawalls were last repaired. He said through research, board members determined in addition to funding, issues of ownership need to be discussed before the walls can be repaired. He said some areas of the seawall might be privately owned while others are owned by the state. Shaughnessy said the structure of the walls must also be assessed to determine how the make repairs. 
    "What need to look at it from an engineering perspective," Shaughnessy said. "We need to look at what is in front, what’s behind and what this will look like in the end." 
    Selectmen Chairman Michael Maresco said he expects that the cost for the repairs should be shared by the town, federal and state governments. 
    "We understand our role in this, but it’s important that we be aggressive in securing federal and state funding for these repairs before it becomes a crisis," Maresco said. 
    Hynes said state funding for seawall projects throughout the state has been low in past years. He said the state Committee of Recreation and Conservation has only $8 million secured for coastal improvement projects throughout the state, and that Marshfield is competing for funding along with other coastal communities. 
    "It seems to me that Marshfield is doing what many other communities have been doing as of recently, and that is looking at these coastal issues comprehensively," Hynes said. "It’s not an easy issue, because however you slice it you’re talking about a significant amount of dollars." 
    Shaughnessy acknowledged Hynes’ comments, saying that while Marshfield has two miles of seawalls, the town is forced to compete with neighboring communities like Scituate, which has five miles of seawalls. Hynes said the state allocates funding to communities according to many factors, including private vs. public ownership of the seawalls, structural need and the degree to which a town’s property tax base depends upon properties neighboring the seawalls. 
    Selectman Patti Epstein said she’s concerned about the lack of state and federal funding, saying she feared the town may be forced to wait until it’s too late before emergency funding can become available to repair the walls.

    "It seems to me we need to have a substantial problem in order to qualify for any state funding," Epstein said. "It feels like we’re between a rock and a hard place." 
    Maresco asked public works board chairman Joseph Lambert to put together a seawall subcommittee, complete with membership and a mission statement and to plan to meet with selectmen next month.. 
    "We’re at a very critical stage," Maresco said. "We need a committee to look at these issues."