The Town of Halifax Fireworks Event, coordinated by the members of the Fireworks Committee, will be Saturday, June 25, from 5 to 10 p.m. There will be many fun-packed and family-oriented activities to enjoy including a DJ, food vendors, magician, and much more.
This event wouldn’t be possible without the support and funding from residents, guests, sponsors, and local businesses. Everyone is invited to take part as we celebrate our nation’s birthday alongside friends, family, and neighbors.
Volunteers Needed
The Halifax Fireworks Committee is also seeking volunteers on June 25 to assist with setting-up and running activities throughout the day and also on June 26, to help with post-event clean-up. To volunteer, please e-mail Janice Hayward at Janice.Hayward@halifax-ma.org or Susan Hill at Susan.Hill@halifax-ma.org.
The Town of Halifax wants to thank everyone who has contributed to making sure the tradition continues.
Archives for June 2022
Morse Bros. gravel removal plans
The Halifax Selectmen met in-person on the evening of June 14. There was a public hearing for earth removal for the Morse Brothers’ cranberry property. Selectman Alex Meade said, “I remember most of the residents’ concerns were about the roadway itself and dust control. Since then, we’ve had questions about runoff from the trucks so leaking hydraulics things like that. I don’t know if you plan on putting in some kind of catch basin filters in?” “Certainly, we would be willing to talk about that,” the Morse Brothers representative said.
Meade said he would like to have a clear-cut definition of what the expectations are for the road condition as well as dust control. The spokesman said that the earth removal was necessary because the current layout is not conducive to newer ways of growing cranberries. “The things that we are talking about make sense for cranberry production. If we change the property to the new way, it now becomes a highest and best use for that property… there are good things for the town, there are good things for the grower… at the end of the day, we just want to coexist,” he continued.
They showed maps of the property to the residents present for the hearing and said that they were also available at Mass Mapper under Zone 2. Residents spoke about their concerns including home depreciation and the safety of children. One resident said that they already deal with being inconvenienced in September and October but said that was just part of the cranberry business. He said, however, that this was different and would cause disruption for years. Another resident said that he worries about the environmental impact of the properties surrounding the one in question including walking trails leading into Burrage. Another resident asked that the official abutters list be expanded to include more properties. Someone else expressed concern about the ability of first responders to get through to homes given the heavy truck traffic which was described as sounding like an “earthquake.”
The Selectmen agreed to do a site visit and then revisit the project in early August. “I don’t think we are at a point in this project to vote either way,” Selectmen Chair Ashley DiSesa said.
Treatments to Monponsett Ponds
The Selectmen also spoke with Morse Brothers to discuss the treatments to the Monponsett ponds. They said that three weeks ago they completed renovations on a 9 ½ acre property that included new plantings requiring irrigation from West Monponsett Pond. They said they were notified that day that the pond had received a sonar treatment. While there is research on the effects of such a treatment on mature plants, there is no research on the effects to newly planted vegetation. They said it was of “great concern” that they weren’t notified. They said in the past they were given considerable notice from the Town Administrator. Current Interim Town Administrator Ed Thorne said that he would share information he received from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding the effects on immature plantings. The Selectmen also said that they would not move forward with a second treatment to the West pond at this time. A spokesman for Morse Brothers said that they had some plants that were growing as they should and others that are not. “The UMASS Cranberry Station are very involved, Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, they are all monitoring it with us,” he said. He continued, “We are talking about infected food product, and we are talking about a systemic herbicide.”
Fire Chief Search
The Selectmen discussed the search for a new fire chief by speaking remotely with the person hired to conduct the search. They discussed the best way to form a search committee. Selectman Jonathan Selig said that he was slated to be on that committee as well as Police Chief Joao Chaves, the Interim Fire Chief, the Interim Town Administrator, and a still to be appointed citizen-at -large or two. A former Selectman, a Department Head, and the Administrative Assistant for the Fire Department were being considered for the citizen-at-large opening. The company hired to do the search will do the initial screening before sending applicants to the Search Committee for review.
Regarding the talent bank forms for the citizen-at-large, Selig said that the company conducting the search said that it wasn’t necessary for that person to be a firefighter or first responder. They said it might be best to have someone from another walk of life to round out the Committee. Selig said his recommendation would be for the Fire Department Administrative Assistant to be named to the Committee. Selig and DiSesa both said they would like to see Candace Kniffen as she was a former Selectman. Meade said, “I’m not a big fan of having the administrative assistant picking her boss.” The Selectmen voted to have Kniffen and current Library Director Jean Gallant appointed to the search Committee.
Monitoring of Town Beaches
Chief Joao Chaves met with the Selectmen to discuss the flock of both residents and non-residents to town beaches, specifically the one off of 4th Ave. “There was a lot of back and forth on social media, some things that I wasn’t really happy with, that I was informed about that was being said… I thought to have a platform where residents can see the video, kind of know that we are trying to work this problem out, look for ideas to try and mitigate this problem before it gets any worse,” Chaves said. He said that the signage at the beach is terrible. “Some of these fixes, if the town decides to do it, are going to cost the town some money,” he added. He recommended a person stationed at the beach to monitor the use. He pointed out that young people are always looking for jobs over the summer. They are also considering an officer on a boat.
Chaves said that they have issued several parking tickets. A proposal was made to the Selectmen to increase that fee. An officer at the meeting made the distinction that the beach is open to the general public though parking is limited to Halifax residents. The Selectmen asked that the appropriate departments create a plan to deal with the issue and then present it back to them for approval.
Town Hall Rearrangement
Director of Building Maintenance Scott Materna spoke to the Selectmen regarding the plan to rearrange offices in Town Hall to make the ones most visited by the public to be on the first floor. Materna said that multiple departments were upset over the plan for various reasons. Some of the issues include vast filing cabinets stored on the second floor. Materna asked to have the Building Committee involved in the plan. Selig said he would also like to see the Department heads get together. He said he wanted people to feel that their opinions matter. “A building shuffle, personally, I don’t feel like is high on my list of priorities,” Selig said. DiSesa said it might also be best to wait until they have a new, permanent Town Administrator in place.
Fire Department Discussion
Interim Fire Chief Jeffrey Cuozzo met with the Board regarding the hiring of personnel. “Right now, we have 26 firefighters… we average over the years 31.” Cuozzo said that one of their firefighters is currently expecting and therefore in more of an administrative role at the moment. Additionally, COVID and other illnesses have left firefighters out of commission at times. “With that being said, we have shifts to be filled,” he told the Selectmen. The interim contract does not allow Cuozzo to make hires so Selig asked how they could amend that. Cuozzo said that a change didn’t need to be made contractually as the Selectmen could make the final approval. The Selectmen gave him the necessary approval to move forward with hiring up to five on-call firefighters.
Beautification Committee Appointment
The Selectmen met with Colby Silva about her application for the Beautification Committee. She told the Selectmen that she has lived in town for 10 years and would like to have a hand in making the town more beautiful. She said that herself and her children have been picking up trash for years. She was appointed to a one-year term.
Use of Town Property
The Selectmen approved the use of the town green for a Boy Scout bottle drive on Saturday, July 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They also received a request for use of the town roadways for a Harbor to the Bay Bike Ride on Saturday, September 17. DiSesa said that the event hasn’t been held for the last two years due to COVID. This year would mark the twentieth year the charity event has run through the town. Both Police and Fire had previously signed off on the event. The Selectmen agreed to push the final approval off until the July meeting to iron out a few details.
Waste Management Contract
Selig said he would like to see a Committee formed to come up with a long-term solution to what he called “our trash problem.” They agreed to move further discussion on the matter to their July meeting.
Interim Treasurer/Collector
Selig made a motion to make Linda Cole the Interim Treasurer/Collector. He said, “In speaking with all of the different departments – Accounting, Treasury… it came to the conclusion that we need somebody to fill the spot especially in a regulatory way,” he said. He added that he would not want to see the new person that will become the permanent treasurer be overwhelmed by a backlog of paperwork.
Increased Police Presence at Elementary School
Selig said, “Given things today, we figured it would be nice to have a little bit more of a police presence at our Elementary School.” He said they were looking at ways to do so without sacrificing patrols in other portions of the town. Selig said they were considering splitting the position between the School and Police Departments. Chaves said that the Department still needs to review their budget before making any decisions. The Selectmen agreed to discuss the idea further at a meeting in July.
Three from Halifax FD graduate
STOW – State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Deputy State Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier, acting director of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA), announced the graduation of 35 recruits from the MFA Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program. The graduates received certificates of completion at a ceremony held this evening at Bridgewater State University.
Three graduates from the Halifax Fire Department are Anjolina Cronshaw, Michael Fryer, and Alec Thompson.
The 35 graduates represent the 16 fire departments of Acushnet, Berkley, Chatham, Dartmouth Fire District 1, Fairhaven, Halifax, Lakeville, Marion, Medway, Plympton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Rochester, Truro, Wareham, and West Bridgewater.
“First responders are on the front lines of any crisis and these newest firefighters are needed now more than ever,” said Deputy State Fire Marshal Fournier, who is the acting MFA director. “The rigorous training they’ve completed provides them with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to protect their communities safely and effectively.”
The Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training Program is unique in that it delivers a standard recruit training curriculum, meeting national standards, on nights and weekends to accommodate the schedule of firefighters in suburban and rural areas. Bringing the training closer to firefighters means more can participate and allows them more time to practice training skills with instructors.
The MFA, a division of the Department of Fire Services, has offered the program since 2003. To date, nearly 3,000 call and volunteer recruits have graduated.
Today’s firefighters do far more than fight fires. They train to respond to all types of hazards and emergencies. They are the first ones called to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies, ranging from the suspected presence of carbon monoxide to Fentanyl overdoses or a gas leak. They may be called to rescue a child who has fallen through the ice or who has locked himself in a bathroom. They rescue people from stalled elevators and those who are trapped in vehicle crashes. They test and maintain their equipment including self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), hydrants, hoses, power tools, and apparatus.
At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, they learn all these skills and more, including the latest science of fire behavior and suppression tactics, from certified fire instructors.
They also receive training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, and self-rescue techniques. The intensive program involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training, and live firefighting practice.
Basic Firefighter Skills
Students receive classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. They practice first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack. Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple room structural fires.
Graduates have completed 240 hours of training on nights and weekends. Upon successful completion of this program, all students have met the standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001. In addition, they have the ability to become certified to the level of Firefighter I and II and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
Photo cutline:
New graduates from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy are, from left, Anjolina Cronshaw, Michael Fryer, and Alec Thompson of the Halifax Fire Department.
Plympton girls are CYSL Coastal Cup Champions!
BY AMY HEMPEL
SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS
On Saturday, June 18, the Plympton U12 (under age 12) girls competed in the Coastal Youth Soccer Leagues Coastal Cup Playoffs. The playoffs are made up of the top nine teams across the Coastal Cup level groups, 30 teams total, on the South Shore. The Plympton team consisted of a roster of fifteen girls in grades four, five, and six, coached by John Sullivan, Head Coach; Amy Hempel, Asst. Coach; and Keith Sexton, Asst. Coach.
Plympton placed second in the CC1 division and was the 4th seed in the playoffs.
On Saturday, Plympton played their first game against a very strong Marshfield team that went undefeated all season. Haley Peters scored two goals for Plympton with assists from Alyssa Peters and Norah Sanda.
Marshfield matched Plympton’s goals tying it up at the end of the game with just three minutes remaining, sending the game to overtime. At the end of overtime, the game remained tied and went to penalty shots. Haley Peters and Zoe Sullivan both scored on penalty kicks for Plympton and our goalie, Avery Flynn, held Marshfield to just one goal in overtime giving us the win.
On Sunday, Plympton was back again with a game against a strong Hingham team. Haley Peters scored all three goals with help from Plympton’s midfielders Ava O’Hearn, Izabella Canale, and Delyla Lomba. Plympton won 3-0 and punched their ticket to the finals!
In the finals, Plympton faced an undefeated Duxbury team who only let in 5 goals all season. This Duxbury team had defeated Plympton earlier this year, so Plympton knew it would be a difficult game. As the game began, the Plympton U12 girls set out strong and attacked the Duxbury goalie with everything they had. Avery Flynn scored for Plympton on a corner kick early in the first half and Zoe Sullivan had a breakaway goal at the end of the first half to secure the victory for Plympton.
Plympton’s incredible defense consisting of Adelyn Sexton, Lena Spicuzza, Taylor Hempel, Nora Hickey, and Angel Sarras let nothing by them! This group of players held our opponents to just two goals across all three games!
The teamwork, determination, and heart these girls played with were unmatchable! Congratulations to the Plympton U12 Girls our 2022 CYSL Coastal Cup Champions!
Plympton honors Fireman’s Sunday June 12
Plympton’s Fire Chaplain and two firefighters bow heads in prayer.
Photos courtesy of Plympton Fire Dept.
Plympton Fire Department held its annual Fireman’s Sunday June 12 at the Plympton Fire House, led by Department Chaplain Rev. Gary Blume, and included a few words by Fire Chief Stephen Silva, Capt. John Sjostedt, and two prayer readings.
After the remembrance, families who were present enjoyed a small cook out at the fire station.
Wilhelmsen again to chair school committee
The Plympton School Committee met on Tuesday, May 31. They began with a reorganization. Jon Wilhelmsen was once again elected as Chair while Jason Fraser was named Vice Chair and Nikki Mahoney Secretary. In her first meeting on the Committee Kait Johnson was named to Union 31 as was Dan Cadogan. Fraser remained the Legislative Agent. Mahoney and Wilhelmsen remained on Negotiations. Cadogan remained on the Pilgrim Area Collaborative. Fraser and Wilhelmsen were named to Policy and Mahoney to CASA.
Projects Supported at Town Meeting
Wilhelmsen said that the town of Plympton voted to reallocate funds to support several school related projects at Town Meeting. Projects include upgrading the intercom system, moving toward an electronic locking system for doors, renovating four classroom floors, and making paving upgrades. One of the paving projects involves the creation of a pad next to the little garage that sits between the soccer fields and the schools. The pad will provide a space for the dumpsters. A ramp up to the garage will also be added. “It is still possible we will return some funds to the town when everything is said and done in July,” Wilhelmsen said.
Playground Project
Director of Business Services Christine Healy provided an update on the additional rubberized surfacing that is to be added to the new playground. She said the biggest question is what to do with the wood fiber that is currently being used for surfacing. She said she had reached out to the Selectmen and Town Administrator to identify a need for the wood fiber in town. Once an accurate surface area is ascertained, Healy said they will look to get the best pricing possible for the remaining rubberized surfacing.
Solar Panel Project
Wilhelmsen told the Committee that the town made the necessary approvals at Town Meeting to proceed with putting solar panels on the back wing of the school. Wilhelmsen said that they need to confer with the Building Inspector about whether the snow guards can be removed from the roof. Their removal will allow for larger panels which will allow for the greater production of electricity and, hopefully, a lower cost of electricity for the school.
Legislative Update
“We are in the sixth inning of the seventh inning game called the budget season,” Fraser said. “We really benefited greatly from the State budget locally this year,” he continued. As a result, Plympton was able to present a school budget to the town that had a net zero cost increase over last year’s budget.
Fraser said there were two measures that were not included in the State budget that he would like to see returned. The first was the free meals program for students which Fraser said he was hoping would get added back in during Conference Committee. The second was legislation introduced by Senate President Karen Spilka known as Mental Health ABC Act 2.0. Fraser noted the importance of the initiative, saying that children in crisis are facing long wait times when seeking mental health services. Fraser told the Committee that he sent a letter to the State House advocating for them to take up both positions.
Fraser also approached his fellow Committee members about a resolution that he wanted to bring to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). Fraser’s goal is to increase the maximum balance allowed by the Special Education Reserve Fund from two percent of net school spending, as set by current law, to five percent. Wilhelmsen likened it to a savings account specific to this expense. The Committee voted unanimously to support Fraser’s resolution as written.
Principal’s Update
Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto gave an update on the end of the school year proceedings. “Despite the stomach flu and covid’s best efforts, all of our students finished up MCAS,” Veneto said. He told the Committee that June 2 marks the day seniors return to Dennett to walk the halls. Veneto said it was especially bittersweet for him as this year’s seniors were in kindergarten when he started. June 3 will be Future Lakers Day. Veneto said that June 10 will be an especially busy day as it will be ride your bike to school day, field day for Grades K-5, Step Up Day at the Middle School for Grade 6, and the talent show in the evening. June 22 will be the moving on ceremony for Grade 6. He also said that they are aiming to have a D.A.R.E. graduation for the first time in three years. Veneto said that paraprofessionals Kathy Dries and Karen Agnew will be retiring at the end of the school year. He said they will be greatly missed.
Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent’s Update
Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch told the Committee that on June 14 a second student survey will be administered to assess various aspects of social and emotional learning. Parents can opt out of having their child take the survey by emailing Veneto by June 10. “We know these are challenging times and we just want to make sure we are correctly identifying the needs of the students and give them a voice,” Lynch said. He said the second survey will also be used to track the school’s progress in meeting students’ needs.
Superintendent Jill Proulx asked the Committee to approve next year’s school calendar. August 31 is slated to be the first day of school with the last day tentatively scheduled for June 14. There are five potential cancellation days and if all were to be used, the last day would be June 22. Winter break will begin on December 24 and school will reopen on January 3. April break is scheduled for April 17 through April 21.
Proulx said that Plympton supported a number of initiatives for the Regional Schools during their Town Meeting including their share of the school resource officer position, the establishment of a Silver Lake Stabilization Fund, and the refurbishment of the tennis courts. Proulx specifically thanked Fraser and Wilhelmsen for their ability to speak with eloquence on all the school articles.
Proulx said that the COVID testing program will continue through the end of the school year. She said that self-tests will be provided for symptomatic testing for summer programs. By the fall of 2022, the State anticipates that it will no longer offer testing services or programs for schools and districts. Proulx also said that there is an effort in place to try and raise the threshold for chronic absenteeism from 10 percent to 20 percent for the current school year given the unique challenges facing the student body.
Proulx asked the Committee if they would support a 0.2 FTE position for instrumental instruction. She said that it would be funded using grant money. The downside would be that the school would need to figure out how to fund the $14,000 in future years. “Instrumental music is critical for students for a multitude of reasons… I’m absolutely in favor,” Fraser said. The Committee voted to unanimously approve the request. “I think you are going to love the results, I’m hoping,” Proulx told the Committee.
Brownies and Daisies tend the gardens
The Plympton Girl Scouts combined Brownies and Daisies took over the care and planting of the Plympton community gardens last spring. The gardens are made up of varying perennials such as several types of Daylilies, Bee Balm, Fringed Loosetrife, Dense Blazing Star, and Rose Campion. The troop received donations of annuals to mix in for color and texture from John and Sue DeLuca who own and operate DeLuca Greenhouse in Plympton. They also received compost and expert advice from Vicki Alberti of Schoolhouse Farm in Plympton. This year the girls dedicated a whole bed to several varieties of sunflowers that were purchased from Maeve Kinsman, a Dennett Elementary student, who is fundraising to support Ukraine. She has a Facebook Page, Seeds for Democracy.
There are almost 30 girls in the combined Daisy and Brownie troop. They have created a troop sign up genius where each family chooses a few days to water and weed the gardens over the summer. They will be receiving a community garden badge for their efforts.
Scouting has offered these girls many fun and rewarding opportunities. Recently they helped build the Girl Scouts Bridge to Tomorrow float for the Memorial Day Parade!
Daisy troop leaders are Tara Lorenz and Samantha Hickey. Brownie troop leaders are Jill Medas and Heather Sanda.
More TA applicants for Halifax
The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Wednesday, June 8, to discuss the candidates they interviewed a week prior for the open town administrator position. They said that they had received negative feedback from the public regarding the candidates’ lack of experience. On June 1, the Selectmen interviewed Dennis Gallagher, Heather Martin-Sterling, and Ed Swartz. Gallagher is the Director of the Braintree Retirement System and has extensive experience as a town councilor and former member of the Board of Selectmen as well as Finance Committee experience. Martin-Sterling is the current Town Administrator for the town of Berkley for the last two years with previous experience as a Selectman and a background in finance. Swartz, who is in the private sector, has extensive municipal experience in the city of Taunton as a councilor. Swartz also served as Chair of the Dighton Finance Committee prior to them having a Town Administrator making him responsible for the preparation of the town budget.
Bernie Lynch, founder of Community Paradigm Associates, LLC, led the town’s search for a new town administrator. Lynch said, “To get someone that has been a town administrator or an assistant town administrator, there aren’t that many assistants out there – in this region, most of the positions have turned over. The two communities that have assistants that might have been interested and I’ll leave it at that are the assistant from Plymouth – she’s now in Bourne and the assistant from Bourne who’s now in Rochester.”
He continued, “And then in terms of town administrators that are interested in moving – part of the problem that you have is you are, you really are an entry level town administrator position. Who around here is going to move, you might get a department head, you might get a finance person, you might get a planner, but they won’t have been town administrator.”
He pointed out that one of the applicants is a current town administrator despite it only having been part-time and with a couple of years’ experience. “Over the last 5 or 6 years, two-thirds of the communities in Massachusetts have turned over their town administrators; that’s a shocking amount,” Lynch said. He told the Selectmen, “That’s what you’re up against.” He explained that it was the reason they are now faced with some “unconventional” candidates.
Lynch said that if they were to open the search once again, he would need a clearer picture of what they were requesting in terms of qualifications. “I don’t want to speak negatively of the three candidates; I thought they all had pluses to them. The things that I’m kind of hoping we might find – a little bit more grant experience and then certified procurement. I don’t know if those are unicorns right now but those were kind of the two areas where I hoped we might have candidates with a little more experience,” Selectman Jonathan Selig said. Lynch said, “I was a manager for thirty years, I was never MCPPO [Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official].” Current interim Town Administrator Ed Thorne said that he never was either. To answer Lynch’s original question regarding what qualifications they were looking for, all three Selectmen said that they would be fine with the previous experience being that of an assistant town administrator.
Selectman Alex Meade asked how many original candidates there were prior to them being whittled down to three. Lynch said that originally there were 25 candidates of which the Tier Two included a Veteran’s Agent, a Fire Chief, a Finance Committee member, an Environmental Planner, and a Community Development Director. The top tier candidates were the three brought in for interviews.
Lynch asked the Selectmen, “How open are you to increasing the salary?” Meade asked, “What percentage do you think would be fair to draw more qualified applicants?” Lynch said that while there were no guarantees, he felt that increasing to $140,000 to $150,000 might help.
The Selectmen discussed opening the search back up again that night, June 8, for two weeks with a proposed date of July 13 for interviews. “I’m really going to have some remorse if we are sitting here on July 13 and now we are down to two candidates,” Meade said referencing the possibility of one of the current three candidates dropping out of contention. DiSesa said that the Board could elect to choose one of the three candidates currently on the table. Selig said, “Again, I don’t want to speak poorly of our candidates because I think they are all qualified candidates, was there a candidate that checks all the boxes and was a slam dunk, in my opinion, no. Who’s to say the people we bring in are going to check all our boxes so you’re rolling the dice but let’s say we find someone who does.” Selig asked how common it is for a community to repost after being unhappy with a set of candidates. Lynch called it “relatively rare.” The Selectmen officially voted to reopen the search as discussed.
Covid Leave policy
The Selectmen also discussed an updated COVID leave policy. “The question is are we as the town, or as the Selectmen, going to continue with the policy… now that the town isn’t being reimbursed,” DiSesa said referring to the practice of paying employees who are out sick with COVID.
“I don’t want to sound crass, and I care about the people that work for this town but if we aren’t being reimbursed for it than it shouldn’t be on our shoulders, if that’s the State policy,” Meade said. The Selectmen were in favor of ending the policy that allowed town employees to be paid without using their sick time when out with COVID.
Town Accountant Sandra Nolan said that she felt that employees shouldn’t have to use their sick time if they were exposed and told by a department head to go home. The Selectmen agreed that they saw both sides of the argument but that the financial burden to the town to continue the policy would be too great. They voted to end the policy.
Flower & Soul plans June opening
There’s a new guy in town – and he is enthusiastic about opening in Halifax. “I want Flower & Soul to be a part of the community,” Brian Wall said on Friday. His cannabis dispensary is due to open this month and he expects great things.
The building, at 894 Plymouth St., Route 106 in Halifax, has a bright blue and white sign making it hard to miss.
Wall, a finance person, credits the pandemic with part of the impetus to start the business. “We want to educate the customer who is looking for information,” Wall said. All of our Flower clerks will have at least 40 hours of instruction in the products we sell so they can assess what customers want and provide good sales advice as to which products might bring what they want.
Cannabis products range from edibles, concentrates, and flowers to CBD and THC salves and tinctures that deliver relief. Wall said he is all about encouraging small businesses and he buys mainly from small growers with high quality product,
Rich Coward, General Manager and director of operations, said that customer care is paramount at Flower & Soul. On entering the building, clients sign in, are buzzed into the secure area, and are invited to consult with a member of the team.
“Our aim is to provide our communities with the highest quality cannabis products tailored to the needs of each individual we serve. Each soul is unique and deserves a positive cannabis experience.” For those who are familiar with the products and know what they want, they may enter their order at a freestanding kiosk to have it packaged.
There is plenty of parking, and a striking beautiful blue and white interior to Relax Your Mind.
Plympton BOS looks to spend $560,000 in ARPA funds
The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, June 6. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy led the discussion on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. She told the Selectmen that there is approximately $560,000 expected from the County, of which approximately $140,000 has been received. She said that they are also expecting around $312,000 in local ARPA money, of which roughly a third has been received. Dennehy told the Selectmen that a lot of the restrictions had been removed from the local ARPA money. Another $115,000 should be received specifically for roadways. Additionally, $250,000 will be coming in the form of a downtown recovery grant. Dennehy said she was trying to figure out what limitations may be put on those specific funds.
Regarding the funds, Dennehy said that it may be a good idea to select some projects to put into the queue now so that the town can secure their place in line despite not having received the full allotment of the funds just yet. She also said that she felt it best that they use the funding sources available for large scale projects rather than smaller ones. The projects and associated costs discussed include $188,000 for HVAC for Silver Lake Regional, $148,000 for HVAC at Dennett Elementary, $40,000 for pipe lining at the Town House, $125,000 for the replacement of the Town House generator, and $50,000 for entrance upgrades at the Town House. A few smaller projects mentioned included $10,000 for flooring at the Old Town House and $7,500 for interior backroom restoration at the Old Town House. A placeholder was also included for $20,000 for upgrades at the Dennett beyond those being done already with the transfers voted on at the most recent Town Meeting. The other large projects that could potentially be explored are the roofs at the Fire Station and Library and the completion of the roof at Town House. The plan is for the Town Properties Committee to work through the projects and update the Selectmen as appropriate.
Selectman Mark Russo, who said he is enthusiastic about the new generator, asked if the County has a say in which projects can be completed with the ARPA funding. “Yes, they have a very robust approval process,” Dennehy explained. She said that projects get vetted by a couple of different private firms before being approved. She also noted that there is “something scary” about doing a large project without knowing for sure that it will be green-lighted by the County. Selectman John Traynor said that anecdotally he had heard of a few towns being audited after the fact for some CARES Act expenditures. Dennehy said that she believed the funds would have to be spent by 2024. Chair of the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen said, “I feel that there is a sense of urgency to move even though 2024 sounds like a long way away.”
61 Upland Rd./Borrego Solar
There was a discussion of the property at 61 Upland Road that is currently owned by Crescent Moon Cranberry, LLC. Dennehy told the Selectmen that she held meetings with the Project Developer at Borrego Solar, Zachary Farkes and others, to try to figure out a way that should the town amend the agreement to enter into a pilot agreement and allow solar on the property, there would be 60 acres that would be under a conservation restriction. The idea came of a discussion during the previous Selectmen’s meeting where they sought to pursue options to protect the surrounding land from development. They were able to come to an agreement that the remaining 115 acres would also remain in either agricultural, conservation, or passive recreation in perpetuity. Joy said that the new agreement provided her a sense of relief should the town decide to enter into a pilot agreement to have solar installed. “I think it’s a win-win for both of us,” Joy said. “I’m pretty excited about the outcome,” Russo agreed.
North Carver Redevelopment Project
Dennehy and the Selectmen discussed ongoing issues with heavy truck traffic on Montello St. resulting from the North Carver Redevelopment Project. Several residents were on the call for the discussion. Dennehy said she had been communicating with officials from Carver and that based on those discussions, the main trucking company knew they shouldn’t be using Montello St. for heavy truck traffic. She did note that it was possible that some of the non-regular drivers may not have gotten the memo. Dennehy said that signage would be reinstituted, and a police detail would be present during construction hours. She also said that a barrel would be placed in the middle of the road to deter the trucks. “I think we had all hoped it would be an easier fix; unfortunately, we go a few days where things get better and then it starts with the heavy truck traffic again,” Dennehy said.
The Carver Highway Director will be meeting soon with Plympton’s Highway Superintendent to see what they can do financially to assist with fixing the portion of the roadway damaged from the heavy truck traffic. Dennehy also said that the town is actively pursuing getting a consultant on board to look at the big picture impact of the project on Plympton. Joy said that they are working on getting counsel on board as well to make sure that the town is within their legal rights with any action they take. Regarding the police detail, Russo said, “this is one more expense for a little tiny town that we shouldn’t be taking care of.” He did acknowledge that for the time being, it looks as though Plympton will have to use their own Police for the detail.
Residents on the call were urged to share their contact information so that they can be part of a mailing list for residents who want to be kept up to date on any updates on the redevelopment project as they become available. One resident on the call said that he stopped one of the drivers of the trucks and was told that he was being advised to use Montello St. “They obviously don’t listen, and they don’t really care if they are being told by their supervisor to keep using the road,” the resident said.
Town of Hanson Regionalization Opportunity
Jason Fraser, who is a member of both the Plympton Elementary School Committee as well as the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, attended the meeting to speak to the exploration of an opportunity to regionalize with Hanson. Fraser made it clear that he would not be taking a position on the matter that night as either a resident of the town or a member of the School Committees. He provided background on the issue saying that several years ago it was found that Whitman-Hanson had been using an inappropriate formula to calculate assessments. As a result, they ended up applying the statutory method which created a substantial swing in Whitman’s favor of nearly a million-dollar difference on paper. Hanson brought in a consultant and formed an exploratory committee to investigate the feasibility of de-regionalization. They were presented with three options – fully separate from Whitman, remain regionalized only at the high school level, or maintain the status-quo.
Fraser pointed out that should Hanson elect to break completely with Whitman, it would likely cost them substantially both in terms of finances and student services. He also said that the town could face years of litigation noting that when Pembroke left Silver Lake, they faced a decade of litigation. Fraser said that should Hanson wish to regionalize with Silver Lake, all three towns would have to agree to it. Fraser noted that the earliest the separation could occur would be 2025.
Fraser also brought two other matters before the Selectmen. He said that with the help of Town Meeting and the Selectmen, Plympton established a special education reserve fund. He said that he filed a resolution with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) to increase the maximum allowed to be placed in that fund from 2 percent of net school spending to 5 percent. Fraser told the Committee that this would allow more money to be moved into the fund in a year where excess was available so that say a student moves into town mid-year with substantial needs, those could be met without decimating the budget.
He also posed the idea of a revolving fund for the regional assessment. He said that the creation of the fund would be established through town meeting. He said that in his time on the School Committee, Plympton’s assessment has been as high as 10.17 and as low as negative 7. The average assessment in recent years has been around 2.6 percent. “This reserve fund would allow us to level out those peaks and valleys,” Fraser explained. Money could be saved in a year where the assessment was low to be spent in a year where the assessment is high.
Town Administrator’s Updates
Dennehy said that she had a successful meeting at the Dennett to discuss school security including some potential upgrades. She also said that she had a successful department head meeting the previous week which she described as a good opportunity to get everyone on the same page. She said these meetings will be held on the first Thursday of every month.
Dennehy also asked the Selectmen to formally accept the resignation of Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides. During their previous meeting all the Selectmen had indicated that they hoped he would reconsider but he did not. They voted to accept the resignation to move forward with filling the vacancy until the next election.
The Board also voted to approve a use of town property for the Harbor to the Bay bike ride on September 17 pending the necessary sign-offs. They also voted to appoint John O’Connor as a Special Police Officer and Timothy Johnson as a part time Police Officer through June 30, 2023.
Selectmen’s Raves
All three Selectmen shared the same rave for the Memorial Day activities in town. They credited Briggette Martins and Cathy Ferguson for their efforts to make the day a success. “It was incredibly Plymptonian,” Russo said of the parade and other events.