The Halifax Beautification Committee announced at last Tuesday’s selectmen meeting that the committee is hosting a town clean up day Saturday, April 28 at 10 a.m.

Anyone that wants to help can meet the Beautification Committee at the front porch of the town hall. T-shirts as well as gloves and trash bags will be provided for anyone who wants to help.

Committee Chair Amy Troupe asked that for their own safety, volunteers wear long pants and long sleeves under the t-shirts. The Highway Department said people should not touch any needles or sharp objects found. If they are found, the volunteer should call the fire department who will remove them from the area.

Troupe is excited about the direction of the committee going forward. She said, “We have enthusiasm and a full committee.” Besides the committee, Troupe said the local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops have committed to helping on clean-up day.

The Committee has also been in contact with the Plymouth County House of Correction, however, nothing has been confirmed because the corrections facility is unsure they have the inmate personnel to commit.

The Beautification Committee is also looking for help beyond clean-up day. They are asking that people consider adopting an area in town to keep litter-free.

“We’re hoping to get people involved, take an area, and adopt it,” said Troupe. The Committee is hoping that person can clean-up their designated area two or three times per year.

According to the committee, nips have been the most found item in terms of littering. Selectwoman Kim Roy wondered if the Selectmen had any power on whether or not to sell nips in town. Town Administrator Charles Seelig was unsure. He brought up the idea of potentially increasing their deposit value from the current five cents.

Dog Hearing Continued

Kimberly Mahoney’s dog hearing that originally began on February 27 continued last Tuesday and remains unresolved.

Because of work obligations, Mahoney was not able to attend this week’s dog hearing. The Board of Selectmen asked that she contact a trainer as an attempt to curb her dog’s aggressive behavior. Mahoney contacted Tracy Marzelli of Middleborough as a potential trainer. Marzelli attended the Selectmen’s meeting.

Marzelli said that due to personal issues, she has not had a chance to meet Mahoney’s dog. She said she’d want to meet the dog and make an evaluation about the bite based on the Dunbar scale. The Dunbar scale measure dog bites on a scale of one through six. Marzelli said a six almost never occurs and is only used if the victim dies. A one would be an air snap from the dog.

“It gives an idea of why dogs bite,” said Marzelli. “Dog don’t bite for no reason, we just don’t always understand.”

Marzelli said she plans to evaluate the dog, but not in its own home. She said doing so puts the dog in a territorial situation and can set up the dog for failure.

“I can rehab almost any dog,” said Marzelli. However, she said the dog owner needs to be able to commit to the follow-up time and training after she’s done. If the owner is uncapable of carrying out the plan, Marzelli said she will recommend putting the dog down. She said she’s only had to make that recommendation once and doesn’t make them lightly.

The Board of Selectmen is giving Marzelli sometime to evaluate the dog. The hearing will continue at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, May 1.

Other News

• Maria Matthews-Forte was appointed as town matron. A matron is responsible for the supervision of a woman or minor when they are arrested. Roy was pleased with Forte’s background. She said, “Your resume is so impressive with your mental health background and substance abuse.”

• Warren Gardener was approved for four unregistered vehicle permits. Gardener’s property is zoned as industrial.

• A contract memorandum of understanding was approved between the Board of Selectmen and the Highway Department. Seelig said the memorandum means that if the two percent raise is voted for at town meeting, the contract will be signed by the Selectmen.

The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Tuesday, May 1. Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.

A second recreational marijuana company is showing interest in a Halifax facility, said Town Administrator Charles Seelig at last Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

Hono East reached out to the board to gauge interest for a recreational growing and retail facility but haven’t proposed a location. According to Seelig, Hono East wanted to know if there was any interest before making a formal detailed proposal.

The only details provided were the town would receive a two percent community impact fee and the size of the proposed facility. Hono East is looking to create a 20,000 square foot facility for both growing and selling at retail.

Four Daughters, the other facility applying included a larger fee at three percent. Their proposal does not include a retail facility.

Selectmen Troy Garon and Thomas Millias said they are not “big fans” of a retail establishment. Millias said he’s not satisfied with a two percent impact fee when the other proposal is offering three percent.

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Dog Hearing

The dog hearing for Kimberly Mahoney that originally began on February 27 resumed after delays from two separate winter storms. According to Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan’s statement, the victim said the dog was loose from a metal tether and barking. When the victim crouched down, the dog bit the man on the arm.

Selectmen left Mahoney with several requirements for her dog. She needed to get a dog license and have the dog vaccinated, which Mahoney and Callahan confirmed was done. Selectmen also want a kennel built and for Mahoney to be the only one that takes the dog outside. When she takes it outside, the dog is supposed to be muzzled.

Due to the weather, Selectmen said it can be lenient about the outdoor kennel requirement. Where the Board said it can’t be lenient is with the dog being muzzled. According to Mahoney, she is the only one who takes the dog outside, and Callahan confirmed she hasn’t seen the dog outside during any of her patrols of the area. However, Mahoney admitted the dog only wears a muzzle during the day.

“This was not the agreement,” said Selectwoman Kim Roy. Mahoney said the only reason the muzzle wasn’t on at night was because her dog would bite at it instead of going the bathroom. She said her dog was uncomfortable. All three selectmen agreed the dog needs to be on a muzzle.

The Board of Selectmen are giving Mahoney two more weeks to be compliant with its requirements. Roy said, “We wanted to give you an opportunity to let the dog have a normal life among others.”

Other stipulations include reaching out to a trainer, having them assess the dog’s aggression, and giving an estimated time table of how long the training might take. Callahan gave Mahoney a suggested contact for a trainer she knows has done great work with other aggressive dogs.

Selectmen will continue this hearing to Tuesday, April 24. This will be the last continuation of the hearing,

Selectmen Chair Thomas Millias said, “We can’t go on indefinitely with this.” He said the board will be forced to make a tough decision if requirements aren’t met  and the dog will be euthanized.

Franklin Street

Solar Array

Keith Akers from Syncarpha Solar came to the selectmen’s meeting to discuss the solar array project at Franklin Street. Akers said compared to other projects, this one isn’t large for them. He estimated installation of the panels taking about five months.

Akers said, “The construction project isn’t too disruptive.” He added the project could take less than five months to install, but he wanted to be conservative with his estimate. The largest part of the construction will be the clearing of roughly 11.5-12 acres of forest.

Seelig said Selectmen will see what progress has been made with the project on May 8, 2018. This will give the town time to write a town meeting article if they decide to do so.

Other News

• The Halifax Board of Selectmen finished union negotiations with firefighters, police officers, sergeants, and highway and cemetery employees. Seelig said all four unions agreed to a two percent raise.

• Warren Gardener’s multiple unregistered vehicle permit hearing will continue after the Planning Board has an opportunity to review it. The permit is for an industrial zoned property, so the permit might grant up to seven or eight vehicles if approved.

• Linda Braga resigned from the Finance committee. The Board of Selectmen will wait until after annual town meeting before seeking a replacement.

The next Halifax Selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24.

Edward Flaherty, presenting information for a potential solar panel array at River Street, came in to discuss this Massachusetts DOER-run initiative at Tuesday’s Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting.

In providing details for the project, Flaherty said the array will be 25 acres in size and consist of 20,000 solar panels. “This is average size for the Commonwealth,” he said.

Selectmen Chair Thomas Millias asked about fencing for the panels and the type of security it would have. According to Flaherty, there will be a six-foot fence around the panels with barbed wire at the top. The fence will be secured with a padlock and there will be 24-hour video surveillance.

The solar array is expected to be relatively low maintenance. Flaherty said, “It’s low profile, doesn’t make any noise.” He said someone coming for maintenance once a month would be considered a lot.

Flaherty has met with Fire Chief Jason Viveiros about the project. He said they have discussed certain requests and said he would make any accommodations that Viveiros considers necessary.

Fire Department Update

The Board of Selectmen approved Viveiros approaching the state about a modification to a grant the fire department received for training purposes.

According to Viveiros, the idea here is to explore if creating a shared training program for Plympton and Halifax residents would be beneficial to both towns. This idea came from results of Municipal Resource Inc’s study of the Plympton Fire Department, which included recommendations for some shared services such as training.

Viveiros said he’s proud of the Halifax Fire Department, but by looking at the study of Plympton’s department, he’s been able to use some of those results and apply them as comparison benchmarks for Halifax. He said it makes it easier to review where Halifax might need some improvements as well.

There are no plans, or anything guaranteed at this time. Vivieiros and the Board of Selectmen said they want to explore this with an open dialogue.

Dog Hearing

The continuation of the dog hearing for Kimberly Mahoney’s dog has been postponed until April 10, 2018.

Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan provided selectmen with reports including the recent dog license and vaccinations. It took Mahoney three weeks from the initial February 27, 2018 hearing to get the dog licensed and vaccinated. Selectman Kim Roy said she was frustrated that it took three weeks for this to happen because of how stern the Board was with Mahoney at the last meeting.

The kennel the Board asked for also hasn’t been built, but selectmen were understanding about this because of the weather. Mahoney had damage to her house that needed to be addressed first.

Callahan, who wasn’t able to attend the initial dog hearing said since the incident, people who wished to remain anonymous came forward alleging various incidents but had nothing concrete.

Selectmen asked Callahan if she’d seen the dog out on the property alone. Callahan said she hasn’t seen the dog out at all. She said there has been some heresay of others saying they’ve seen the dog out at 9 p.m., but right now it’s only heresay.

Other News

• According to Highway Surveyor R. Steven Hayward, the Selectmen said this week’s storm will put the town over its snow and ice budget. Halifax will need an article at special town meeting to address this.

• Silver Lake Regional School District approved its school budget. They removed another $14,000 from the budget. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said, “This is not the level we were hoping for…we’ll see how that plays out.”

• The Recycling Department received a $20,000 grant. Funds can be used for public outreach materials to reduce contamination between things that can be recycled and things that can’t. LED lightbulbs was an example that Seelig gave. Seelig said, “If they break, other materials become contaminated with mercury.”

The next  meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Tuesday, April 10.  Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen discussed the possibility of extending the town’s moratorium for the sale of marijuana until June 30, 2019 at its meeting on Thursday, March 8.

This extension was discussed due to a lack of progress from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission regarding how the new industry will be regulated. Selectman John Traynor said, “They haven’t figured it out at the state level, so we have to wait to figure it out at the town level.”

According to Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo, this proposal most likely protects the town from facilities opening for now but said there’s a slight chance for problems. When attending a meeting, Russo learned it’s still uncertain an extended moratorium protects the town if the state takes action in the meantime.

“There’s a slight chance this won’t protect us,” said Russo. “It’s unlikely, but possible.”

All three members of the Board of Selectmen agreed that an extended moratorium is the best option for the time being. Any extended moratorium would have to be approved at Plympton’s annual town meeting. The article would essentially be a change to the zoning bylaw governing the current moratorium.

Police Station Construction Update

Dan Palotta, the project manager from P-3 LLC that the town hired for the construction of the new police station, proposed that the Board of Selectmen formerly sign the construction contract notice of award for the project.

According to Palotta, the state requires that the town must award the contract to the “lowest responsible bidder” as long as references check out and the project doesn’t come in over the town’s budget. Palotta said, “We will build you a building in the appropriation you made.”

When discussing the building inspection process, Public Safety Building Committee Chair Colleen Thompson asked if having the town’s building inspector check in on the construction is considered a conflict of interest.

Palotta said it’s not a conflict of interest because he isn’t the one responsible for the formal inspections. For this type of project, Palotta said it’s the responsibility of the designer to inspect and send updates to the building department.

The building is going to cost $375 per square foot. At this price, Palotta said, “You’re going to have a 21st century police station, something I don’t have to tell you has been needed for 20 years.”

Earth Removal Update

Linda Letty and Amy Cronin wrote a draft for the town’s earth removal regulations. Russo said he wants to get some expert opinion before finalizing the draft.

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said her only concerns were with the cubic yard threshold being too restrictive and there being activities in the draft that may not be eligible for exemption.

Traynor agreed with the concerns over the threshold. He said, “I was having trouble envisioning 300 cubic yards.

• Selectman Joy said she’ll have the annual town report completed by the Board of Selectmen meeting on March 19. The report is due on March 21, so the Board will be able to discuss any last-minute changes at that meeting.

• Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said she completed the town’s green community application, which was audited by the private company, Energy Source. Dennehy said she worked with a state official on several specific projects in the application including LED lights for Dennett Elementary School. She said, “you can apply for up to $250,00 every year.”

Disagreements between the Halifax Board of Selectmen and two of the town’s representatives to the Silver Lake Regional School District were discussed at last Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

The Board of Selectmen along with the Finance Committee have worked on a budget that cuts $400,000 from the Silver Lake budget. Town Administrator Charles Seelig has said at several meetings that unexpected increases to the special education budget, especially at the elementary school level, are having an impact on other departments in Halifax’s fiscal year budget.

According to Seelig, another budget proposal was brought forward by two of the town’s representatives that they say cuts $291,000 instead. Seelig said this, however, is not a true cut because this only fixes an error from the previous budget. He said it doesn’t actually cut new funds compared to last year’s fiscal budget, but just makes a correction.

Selectmen Vice Chair Kim Roy said she was disappointed with the two representatives’ position on the budget cut. She said that they don’t only represent what they personally want for the school, but the well-being of the town as well. “This is the year of the need, not the want,” said Roy.

Selectmen Clerk Troy Garron said that representatives need to keep in mind what its residents can afford to pay, including low income residents who might not be able to afford a larger budget.

Selectmen will continue to work with the Finance Committee and its representatives to the Silver Lake District. Seelig reiterated that there’s still time to get a budget done. He said, “We still have two and a half months before Town Meeting.”

Dog Hearing

Selectmen held a dog hearing for Kimberly Mahoney’s dog, that got loose and bit a man at the liquor store across from her house.

According to Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan’s statement, the victim said the dog was loose from a metal tether and barking. When the victim crouched down, Mahoney’s dog bit him on the arm.

The dog was not licensed and had not received a rabies vaccine. Mahoney said she was cited and fined by Callahan for not having the license or vaccine for the dog.

Roy called Mahoney’s actions “irresponsible” and based on her initial feelings, she was leaning towards the dog being euthanized.

Mahoney said she believes her dog was just scared, but said that isn’t an excuse for her to bite. “She’s typically afraid of men,” said Mahoney.

According to Mahoney, she’s had the dog since it was six weeks old. Being almost two years old now though, the German Sheppard-Pitbull mix has remained “aggressive.”

Mahoney said she doesn’t feel comfortable bringing the dog to the vet because of how the dogs reacts around other dogs. She’s also worried about how the dog will react with other people now too, but said this “aggressive behavior” has only been directed towards strangers.

She said the dog has never been aggressive towards her or her five children. “If you saw her with the baby, you’d think they’re best friends,” said Mahoney.

Neither the victim nor Callahan were present for the first hearing, so Selectmen are delaying a decision for two weeks. In the meantime, the dog must wear a mussel at all times when outside or when other people visit Mahoney’s house. Mahoney is also the only one allowed to take the dog outside. Her children are forbidden from doing so.

South Shore Community Action Council

Jack Cocio, the CEO of the South Shore Community Action Council came to the selectmen’s meeting as a reminder to the types of services the organization provides.

According to Cocio, the organization spent $287,184 this past fiscal year on services for low income residents including low income heat assistance, weatherizing homes, income tax assistance, and providing food.

In Halifax alone, Cocio said 152 pounds of food have been distributed. “I would like to see more residents take advantage of this; it’s a really good program,” said Cocio.

Some funding for this organization is usually provided via approval at Town Meeting. Roy said given this upcoming fiscal year’s budget constraints, she’s unsure the town will be able to fund as much as they usually do, but said they will do what they can.

Garron said residents can contact the Council on Aging for more information on South Shore Community Action Council.

Other News

• The Board of Selectmen appointed Leonard Tecino to the Capital Planning Committee.

• Stacy Varao was appointed to the Holidays in Halifax Committee. Varao said, “This type of committee is up my alley. I’m passionate about the holidays, it’s positive.”

•Selectmen approved Robert Bergstrom’s live entertainment permit for Mud Fest on June 10, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Numerous potential bylaw and permitting changes were discussed at  Tuesday’s Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting with members of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board, including tying zoning permits to the property rather than the person.

Currently, when a special zoning permit is issued, the permit is issued to the owner of the property. However, if that owner sells their property, Town Administrator Charles Seelig said the next owner has to go through the zoning process again.

Since, the previous owner has the permit, Seelig said that owner has certain rights that the town cannot “unilaterally” take away. He said, “I think we can no longer tie the permits to the person; they have to be tied to the property.”

According to Seelig, no bylaw change is needed to make this sort of change. No changes are being made tonight, but Seelig said he’s willing to set up an appointment for the Zoning Board of Appeals and/or the Planning Board with Land Use Counsel for further discussions.

As far as bylaw changes, the three boards talked about ideas for changes to live entertainment events permits, affordable housing, and multi-family housing.

Live Entertainment Events

As of right now, the town has nothing in its bylaws that specifically allows for live entertainment event special permits. The court case surrounding Mud Fest however, brought about a potential willingness for both sides to allow for these events to go forth with some stipulations.

The Zoning Board of Appeals asks that these events have a minimum lot area of 5 acres. Additionally, a minimum of two events per calendar year was another stipulation Seelig suggested.

Selectmen Vice Chair Kim Roy asked if the Board of Selectmen have a right to say no to an event approved by the Zoning Board. Seelig said the Selectmen would only be able to do this with good reason, that there is a present danger to public safety that was overlooked in the initial approval and that this safety issue cannot otherwise be fixed.

Affordable Housing and Multi-Family Housing

Regarding affordable housing, the Zoning Board of Appeals discussed duplexes as an option. Members of the Zoning Board said that compared to other multi-family homes, duplexes are easier to code for the proper fire zoning.

Changing in-law apartment bylaws to apartment bylaws was also discussed. However, there were concerns among the boards over in-law apartments creating illegal sublets. In-law additions in Halifax are not allowed to have a separate kitchen area for this reason. Seelig suggested tying a periodic inspection to an in-law apartment special permit to ensure compliance.

Seelig said he’d also like to see the stipulation requiring multi-family development buildings to only allow one building per lot. He said he has not heard a good reason for why this exists and that Halifax is the only town in Massachusetts with this written in its bylaw.

Selectmen Chair Thomas Millias described the current law as “arbitrary”.  The stipulation has existed since the ‘90s.

No changes were made on Tuesday as bylaw changes need to be voted at Town Meeting. Discussions will continue at future meetings.

River Street Marijuana Growing Facility Update

Selectmen Chair Thomas Millias said he’d like a draft of a community host agreement for a potential future public forum for the marijuana growing facility that could come to River Street.

The potential facility is not a retail shop, but a growing and processing facility. Millias said he didn’t vote for marijuana’s legalization and doesn’t believe anyone on the Board did either, however the board is considering the facility because of the revenue a community host agreement would bring to the town.

Millias said, “It’s a significant amount of revenue that we otherwise couldn’t replicate.”

Unregistered Vehicle Special Permits

Derek Dowling and Oscar Magnuson came before the Board of Selectmen asking for special permits for unregistered vehicles.

Dowling was seeking a 6-month permit for a 1997 Ford F350 truck he’s working on at his property. One neighbor in attendance said he didn’t have a problem with one vehicle. However, Dowling said this would not be the last time he’d be working on a car.

This raised concerns from the Board of Selectmen and others in attendance that the repairs are commercial in nature. Dowling disagreed, saying this wasn’t for commercial use. He said, “I have five registered vehicles on different properties.”

The Board of Selectmen approved the permit for one vehicle. Millias said that in order to stay consistent with other special permits, Dowling will have to put up a fence so that the unregistered vehicle isn’t visible from the property.

Dowling expressed displeasure with the process saying that the community he lives in isn’t a “white-picket community.” Selectmen Vice Chair Kim Roy said, “That’s a terrible thing to say.”

The Board of Selectmen voted to grant the six-month permit for only this one vehicle and that Dowling must put up a fence. Because of the frost on the ground, Dowling is being given 60 days to put up fencing.

Oscar Magnuson also requested special unregistered vehicle permits, but he asked for two permits. Magnuson said he’s taking two unregistered Ford Rangers and building one vehicle out of them.

Jim Gray, one of Magnuson’s neighbors at Hillside Avenue, said he had no problem with this.  The cars will be in the backyard which neighbors said isn’t visible from the front of the property. The Board of Selectmen approved his permits for 6 months.

Other News

• Scott Materna was introduced as the new building maintenance director. The Board congratulated him, and Roy described the town as a “family environment.” She said, “If you need anything, let us know.”

• The Board of Selectmen voted to disband the Master Plan and Open Space Committees.

• A yard sale for Boy Scout Troop 39 was approved by the Board of Selectmen. It will take place on June 16, 2018 on the Town Green.

The next Halifax Board of Selectmen Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 1, 2018. Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.