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Hampden PD seen as example for new Plympton police station

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The Plympton Public Safety Building Committee met Wednesday, Feb. 8, starting with Daniel Palotta from P-3 in Norwell discussing his and Police Chief Patrick Dillon’s visit to the Hampden Police Station, which was built about six months ago.

The Hampden station is roughly 7,000 square feet in size. Palotta said, “We asked if we could bring the chief to see a police station that was smaller than we had considered to be utopia for Plympton yet served a similar police population.” Palotta continued that Chief Dillon was impressed with the Hampden station.

According to the Finance Committee, Plympton cannot afford to go over $3 million for the cost of the police station. Palotta expressed that it would be better to go below this.

Hamden paid $3 million for their police station, but Hamden had a 911 dispatch center on site. Since Plympton regionalizes their emergency dispatch to the Regional Old Colony Communication Center in Duxbury, this won’t be necessary and should cut costs. Palotta says it may cut cost in space, but will certainly cut costs in terms of IT.

Palotta had a designer draw up something similar to the Hampden Police Station for the committee to look over. He said that with all this in mind, coming in on budget is possible, but they’ll have to build the station on flat land and there will probably have to be less parking.

As far as flat spots go, it was determined by P-3 that the most practical and cost efficient spot would be between the baseball field and the back of the town hall. The committee admitted this spot was never considered ideal, especially from a traffic perspective.

Board of Health Chairman Art Morin says, “In talking with the highway surveyor, I see a problem with the way we have it now and people coming in and out of the town hall and the police department coming around if they have an emergency.” The proposed location seems as though it would make the problem worse.

However, creating new entrance ways would add to the cost of the police station. Palotta says he can’t promise the budget with that. He further added that Hamden’s site was on flat land with a wide entrance.

Chief Dillon said that the parking lot has been a hazard in all of his 15 years with the Plympton Police Department. “We have lights and sirens to warn people. Do I like it? No. Can we live with it? Yes, We need a new building.”

Palotta told the committee that this was significant progress getting the cost down to the $3 million. He says, “Dighton’s police station costs $4.5 million and is not much bigger than this.”

One thing to note is that Hampden’s police station did not include any sprinkler systems. The committee was under the impression that this was mandated because the cells are considered residential. At the Nov. 30, 2016 meeting, the committee tried discussing ways to cut cost on the sprinkler system by potentially using one tank for both the police and fire station.

Hampden however does not keep anyone arrested overnight. This was a way to get around the sprinkler requirement because the station was not deemed residential. According to P-3, the building inspector would also have to agree with this assessment.

The issues will continue to be discussed at the next meeting on Wednesday Feb. 22.

Selectmen say dog is a nuisance “nuisance” dog.

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On Monday, February 13, 2017, the Plympton Board of Selectmen held an abbreviated meeting in order to hold a dog hearing.

Jane Schultz, a resident of Plympton walked her dog on what Schultz described as their typical route on Ring Road. Schultz says, “We walked to the transfer station and back (home).” Her chocolate lab was on a leash.

Then, a Staffordshire, not leashed, approached Schultz and her dog. Schultz said that at first, she had no concern about the dog coming over. The dog then attacked her chocolate lab, biting its neck.

At the selectmen’s meeting Jan. 30, Schultz told the board that the Staffordshire was only about 40 pounds compared to her chocolate lab’s 80 pounds, however she described the dog when attacking as “strong, vicious, and muscular.”

Schultz told the board at the hearing that it was very difficult to get the Staffordshire separated from her dog. She later found blood on her dog’s coller and called the Kingston Animal Hospital, where she spent about $200 in medical bills.

Caitlin Chapel, the owner of the Staffordshire, also attended the dog hearing and was extremely apologetic. She said that she usually has work at 5 a.m. and lets the dog out in the morning. That morning, she didn’t have to be in until 8.

Chapel says that her dog, Ruby, has social issues with other dogs, but gets along great with people. She also says Ruby sleeps with her 4 year old daughter every night.

Ruby was behind on shots and Chapel took full responsibility for that. Chapel plansto take her dog for her shots the day after the hearing.

After the incident, Animal Control Officer Frank Bush immediately  enforced a 14 day restraining order on the Staffordshire which retrains the dog to the house unless on a leash.

After hearing both sides, selectmen had to decide if they would declare Ruby a nuisance dog or a dangerous dog.

Bush explained that, “If a dog is deemed to be a dangerous dog, the dog must be muzzled on a leash when off the property.” This leash cannot exceed 3 feet in length. The dog would also need to be in a designated pen when outside on the property.

Chapel strongly contended that a muzzle would not solve the problem and had worries about her dog’s social issues getting worse if confined to a pen. She asks if an electric fence would work.

Bush explained that the law doesn’t allow for an electric fence here. He says, “There’s been cases of dogs getting through.

The Board of Selectmen though didn’t want to take these measures just yet. Selectman Chair Colleen Thompson says, “I’m more inclined to declare the dog a nuisance dog rather than dangerous.”

With a dangerous designation, a muzzle is required by law. Animal Control Officer Bush said, “With a nuisance dog, that’s at the discretion of the board.”

The Board of Selectman unanimously decided to declare Chapel’s dog Ruby a nuisance dog rather than a dangerous dog. They ordered Ruby be permanently restrained and must be on a leash at all times outside.

Chapel thanked the board for their decision. She says she plans to get Ruby training for its social issues and offered to pay Schultz’s dog’s medical bills. Schultz turned down the offer, though, and said she’d rather the money go to Ruby’s training.

Fireworks Committee has two new members

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday Feb. 14, 2017. The board spent the Valentine’s Day evening appointing two new members to the Halifax Fireworks Committee. Selectman Chairman Troy Garron asked Colleen, “How much experience do you have with fireworks? Did you light any when you were younger?”

The questions were casual and conversational. Fiumara laughed and said, “No, just a sparkler.”

Colleen Fiumara is new to Halifax. “We just purchased a home here, and we have two young children who are going to grow up here now.” Fiumara added that she wants to get involved with the town and thinks this is a great way to do so.

Deborah Hogan’s story is much different. She has been a resident of Halifax for the past 23 years. Her children grew up going to the Halifax Fireworks every Fourth of July.

She says, “I’ve loved taking my kids (to the fireworks) growing up. I’ve always loved it and feel like supporting it now on the other end, I have time to do this.”

Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint both Fiumara and Hogan to the Fireworks Committee. Letters will be sent confirming the appointments and they will be sworn in at the Town Clerk’s office in the coming days.

Selectmen also dealt with some issues currently on the agenda, including the flashing traffic light at the intersection of Routes 106 and 36.

According to Selectmen Chairman Garron, there have been several complaints about trees blocking vision for drivers at the intersection. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig and Selectmen Clerk Kim Roy clarified that the main vision problem is when someone is going South on Route 36 toward Route 106.

Selectmen vice-chairman Thomas Millias added, “The biggest problem is coming up to 106; you can’t see.” He also added that the treed area looks to be private property.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig and selectmen decided to have the Traffic Safety Committee take a look at the tree line at the intersection and then proceed after receiving their recommendation.

Once again, Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan attended a dog hearing which had been scheduled for Tuesday night, however, the owner of the offending dog did not come to the hearing.

Animal Control Officer Callahan explained the reported incident. She says, “It appears a dog from 134 Holmes Street escaped from a faulty fence. The dog allegedly followed another dog either biting or scratching the dog in the hindquarters.” She also added that the veterinarian could not determine if the injury was a bite or scratch.

The attacked dog’s owner incurred $300 in veterinary fees and wants the other party to pay the fee. The Board of Selectman agreed to send a strong letter of recommendation urging the dog’s owner to pay for the medical expenses of the attacked dog.

Selectman  Kim Roy said (to the attacked dog’s owner) “Call if the dog gets loose again.” The letter being sent out will also say that there will be strong consequences if an incident were to happen again. Since the incident, the landlord of the Holmes Street property replaced and secured the faulty fence.

Another decision the board made was based around the 2020 census. The federal government wants to have the principal contact for the town’s census declared. For now, Halifax will continue to use Selectman Clerk Kim Roy as their principal contact.

The next Halifax selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28.

Progress on Police Station at Public Safety Building Committee Meeting

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The Plympton Public Safety Building Committee met on Wednesday, January 25, 2017. Daniel Pallota from P-3 in Norwell, met with the committee to discuss a new blueprint for the police station.

The plan presented was for a 6,475 square foot building with a 1,825 sq. ft.  basement. However, the committee seems to be dropping the idea for a basement entirely. To put it in perspective, the current police station is about 2,000 square feet.

As far as material goes, Palotta and the committee talked about how the station might be suited for panelized construction. According to Palotta, the panels are made in New Bedford with workers making $11 per hour. This would save the town money if they were to do this as opposed to a stick-built building that would require a carpenter.

Palotta also indicated that this is a pretty typical way to go about construction in other parts of the country. He says, “Down South (anywhere below New Jersey), virtually all town houses are panelized.

Board member Nancy Butler asked Palotta if the panels are still customizable. Daniel Pallotta said that they are customizable.

This however did not rule out stick built as the specifications and uniqueness of a police station may still make stick built, the more practical option. One thing that did seem to be agreed upon the initial $2 million estimate was never a realistic number.

Palotta reiterated that and though cost is still an issue, Palotta says he thinks he can get the cost of the police station much closer to their original estimate. This was one of the reasons the basement is becoming less likely.

Daniel Palotta also mentioned that the town of Dighton had to go back to town meeting to get an additional $2 million in funds. Cost don’t look like they’ll increase by that large an amount.

Selectwoman, Chair and Public Safety Building Committee Chair Colleen Thompson voiced pleasure with the progress the committee made at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on January 30, 2017. She says, “I believe we’re moving along well.”

Selectwoman Thompson also said that Police Chief Patrick Dillon went out to visit the police station in Hampden, Massachusetts. At the last meeting on Jan. 4, Chief Dillon said, “Hampden, MA dropped three different mod plans and came in budget with a non-mod.

Colleen Thompson mentioned this and said that Hamden paid $3 million for their non-modular building. The Hampden Police station is 7,000 square feet.

The Public Safety Building Committee is working to get the estimated figure for Plympton’s police station. Nancy Butler says, “We need to have the figures by the end of March.”

Daniel Palotta also wanted to meet with Selectmen Clerk John Traynor to run through some of the numbers.

Another issue the committee is still addressing is exact location. Nancy Butler says, “If we’re moving the police station closer to the town hall, what’s happening with parking?” The parking lot already has some issues with car accidents especially with the baseball field in the spring.

The next meeting for the Public Building Safety Committee will take place on Wednesday, February 8, 2017.

Assistant Assessor: salaried or hourly?

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met Monday, Jan. 30, and much of the meeting was spent discussing the ongoing issues with reporting hours for the Assistant Assessor position.

Members of the Wage and Personnel Board and the Board of Assessors attended and debated the merits of whether or not Principal Assessor Deborah Stuart should be paid as an hourly or salaried position. Currently, Stuart is paid a salary.

Barbara Gomez, Town Accountant, expressed concern that Stuart’s personal payroll reporting is not compliant with town and state protocol. She says that the Principal Assessor’s hours haven’t been reported on the payroll since June 30, 2016.

Deborah Stuart is a state retiree. Gomez said, “Chapter 32 Section 91 (M.G.L.) says a state retiree cannot work more than 960 hours per year.” The Board of Assessors wants the Principal Assessor position to be paid hourly rather than as a salary because it avoids this problem.

Assessors Chairman Ethan Stiles attended and asked for the position to stay as salaried. He believes it makes sense for certain jobs to be paid on an hourly basis, such as an attorney, as he himself would, but contends there’s a certain expectation with other positions. Stiles says, “When we’re dealing with department heads and supervisors and other persons with substantial discretion and authority, at that point salary is important. The way these people are paid is important.”

The Board of Selectmen were generally in agreement with the Wage and Personnel Board. Selectman John Traynor said, “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just do it hourly; it would clear the whole thing up.”

Overall, the Board believed going to hourly makes staying compliant with the hour requirement much easier. The Wage and Personnel Board also believes this was the best way to make sure Stuart is getting properly paid for the hours she works.”

The issue is still not officially resolved. The position looks like it will switch to hourly, with all members of the Board of Selectmen in favor. This may not be resolved before the annual town meeting.

There was also an update on the paramedic shortage and the possibility of Plympton losing their advanced life support license. The Board of Selectmen is taking the issue seriously. Selectman Traynor said, “The town doesn’t deserve to fall to basic (life support).”

Options are being explored including the fact that Halifax and Carver have reached out to potentially offer assistance. This option is in the exploratory stage though and is not imminent. The Board is working with the Finance Committee as well as Wage and Personnel to find the most practical option to ensure Plympton’s ambulance services do not drop to basic life support.

The Board also addressed safety concerns over the wooden bridge at Winnetuxet Road. Highway Surveyor Jim Mulcahy said that the bridge is in need of repairs with two columns underneath needing replacement.

Currently, there are temporary bracings and a weight limit on the bridge in order for it to be safe. Mulcahy proposed putting up a temporary no trucks sign for the time being.

Board Chairwoman Colleen Thompson asked for some clarification. She asks, “When you say truck you mean large, commercial trucks, not a pickup truck?” Mulcahy clarified that that was what he was referring to. He also said there are alternative routes for trucks to take. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to put up the temporary signs.

Selectmen also announced that the Town House panic buttons will be fully installed soon. They said that Police Chief Patrick Dillon said they should be fully installed throughout the building in about three weeks. The police department is also working on getting the library coverage as well.

Jane, a resident of the town attended the Board of Selectmen’s meeting where the Board heard of her dog being attacked. A 40 pound Staffordshire attacked her 70 pound Chocolate Lab.

The owner said that although there was a significant weight difference, the Staffordshire was strong, aggressive, vicious, and very muscular for its size. The attacking dog was unleashed and at first came over in a friendly manner before attacking her dog’s throat.

Currently, that Staffordshire is under a 14 day restraining order, which means the dog cannot leave the owner’s house, or a fenced in yard unless on a leash. The Board of Selectmen will hold an investigative hearing at the Selectmen’s meeting on February 13, 2017.

The Board will next meet Monday, Feb. 6.

BOH says property unfit for human habitation

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The Plympton Board of Health met on Tuesday, Jan. 24, spending much of the meeting speaking with Atty. Tim Frawley, representing the owner of two Center St. properties, 157 and 163.

The Board detailed their concerns about the properties owned by Dana Chiles, starting with 157 Center St.  Chairman Art Morin said the board was looking for an update on that property’s manure piles, rats, and housing code violations.  The Board also noted the owner is behind on his promises to fix several violations at the property. Health Officer Cathleen Drinan told Chiles’ attorney, “You will be ordered again to have the septic system inspected.”

Town Council wants this inspection done as well, Drinan said.  Atty. Frawley told the board they are going to get the Title V inspection as required.

Health Administrative Assistant Cathy Ferguson reminded Frawley that the Title V inspector needs to see the Board of Health first.  “Please keep in mind that whoever they decide to do the inspection must come to me or they will receive a $1000 fine.”

Frawley addressed other concerns the Board has cited, including smoke and C02 alarms. Health Officer Drinan however was not happy with the progress, citing broken contracts and missed deadlines getting the property up to code.

Drinan and the rest of the Board reiterated that the property will go into default if proper inspections and repairs were not completed by Friday, Jan. 27, 2017.

The Board of Health deemed the property at 163 Center St. unfit for human habitation on Dec. 12, 2016. Frawley said he was at the property the other day and it “seemed like a nice place.” He said he believed many issues       had been already addressed.

Procedural issues took up a lot of the discussion though. Atty. Frawley took issue with the term “unfit for human habitation.” He said, “This property was first inspected on Dec. 12 and at that time was deemed unfit. However, there was no notice,” Frawley said; and no inspection report given until three weeks into the New Year.” He went on to say that the CMR (Code of Massachusetts Regulations) has very specific protocol about notice being given on inspections and notifications of violations.

Drinan said that this however wasn’t a full inspection.  “I honored the request of the tenant’s attorney and came back with the building inspector,” Drinan said.  This was for the full inspection. A letter was sent to Chiles Jan. 17, after the inspection. Drinan said she made this request due to lack of faith in the owner.

Chairman Art Morin said the Board of Health has had problems with Chiles in the past. Morin said, “I think the board experience has been very frustrating to try to get a letter to Mr. Chiles. We have grounds, we have history there…He lost 44 Prospect (Road) to an auction today. By the way, he can’t dump trash on that property anymore.”

Morin and the board expressed frustration with the owner. “All we’re looking for are things to be taken care of. I don’t think that is a big deal.”

The board wants repairs, Morin said, “If you got a broken, window fix it,”  Frawley said he understood, but the property is a business and is being kept in good condition.  It has horse stables and a viewing area open to the public.

Cathleen Drinan disputed the fact that the property is in good condition and maintained there was an issue with rotten windows. Drinan said although they were fixed, they were done poorly. “The new window sills are actually preventing the windows from being closed.”

Frawley told the board that there have been a lot of repairs done since Drinan last visited the property. Morin said that if this is the case, they should schedule an inspection with the building inspector.

Morin noted that illegal trash dumping on 44 Prospect Rd. should end as the property sold at auction for $220,000 and is going to be taken care of.  However, if it’s not, the police will be called.

The next Board of Health meeting is Feb. 7.

Halifax settles in with dispatch regionalization

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On Tuesday January 3, 2017, the town of Halifax officially transitioned their 911 emergency dispatching to the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (R.O.C.C.C.) located within the Fire Department in Duxbury. Halifax became the third town to switch over to the regional dispatch center, joining Duxbury and Plympton.

Previously, Halifax ran their own emergency dispatch out of their police station. Police Chief Edward Broderick is already noticing a positive difference since switching to a regionalized system. “Before, there would be only one dispatcher taking the call at the station. Now, there’s someone assigned to that call while another person also working at the R.O.C.C.C. listens in on the call. Once they get enough information, they are identifying the location where emergency service is needed,” Broderick said.

On average, this delegation of tasks allows police, fire, and paramedics to get to the scene of the emergency 20-30 seconds faster. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros explained, “That 20-30 seconds we save here is crucial. How quickly an ambulance and personal can arrive at the scene saves lives and makes a better service for the people of Halifax.”

Chief Broderick also said the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology has been very helpful so far for his officers. “Officers are able to get better information from the R.O.C.C.C. on the ground based off the mapping technology they have available to them.”

It’s also worth noting, that since switching over from dispatching out of Halifax to the R.O.C.C.C., none of the dispatchers in Halifax lost their jobs Fire Chief Viveiros said, “We had four full time dispatchers before switching to regionalization. Three of them are now working at the communication center in Duxbury. One of them retired, but there were no job losses or lay-offs.”

Duxbury Fire and R.O.C.C.C. Captain Robert Reardon is proud that the Regional Center has helped smooth over that transition in Halifax. He said, “It’s been great being able to get these dispatchers over here at the R.O.C.C.C. I must say we do have very rigorous standards here and those dispatchers must be trained and meet our standards, but it’s gone well and it’s nice to have them here.” Captain Reardon also added that they hired a dispatch supervisor from Halifax as well.

Halifax’s contract with the Regional Old Colony Communication Center will run for five years, until 2022.

Plympton signed their five year contract with the R.O.C.C.C. back in 2013. Previously, Plympton ran their dispatch with the State Police in Middleborough.

Chief Dillon says that three years into the agreement, his initial thoughts have been proven correct. “It’s (the dispatch) a lot more streamlined and safer. It’s allowing us to make more effective use of the technology.”

The technology being referred to includes things like GIS and the use of close circuit security at the police stations. The cameras allow those at the dispatch center to respond at the stations in case of emergency. There was a monitor right inside the control center at the R.O.C.C.C. that showed the front lobby of the Halifax Police Station.

In regards to GIS technology, Plympton Police Chief Dillon is pleased with how the technology helps his officers. He says, “Not everybody marks their house clearly or their mailbox or anything they can see, so that aspect is helpful.”

Dillon said another example of R.O.C.C.C.’s technology gives is the ability to access and enter various amounts of information at once. He said, “If we were to go to a three car motor vehicle accident, what we used to have to do is my officers had to type in each registration plate one at a time.” Now, they call it in and the dispatcher can run and backfill all that information for them.

Captain Reardon also took some time to explain how some of the GIS technology works. He said, “The dispatchers working are often using multiple computers and monitors at the same time.” One monitor uses the GIS technology provided within Google Maps. This allows dispatchers to gather aerial and zoomed in views that help public safety officials in Halifax, Plympton, and Duxbury all do their job in the most effective and safest way possible.

Both towns also expressed there being significant state funding benefits for switching over to regionalized emergency dispatch centers. Both Chief Broderick and Chief Dillon said that regionalizing 911 dispatches is something that states are providing grant money for towns do this.

The state wants towns to get away from localized dispatches in general. In fact, this is creating opportunities for the already existing regional dispatches like the R.O.C.C.C. to continue to grow. Captain Reardon said, “We are absolutely trying to grow. There’s nothing official yet, but we are in talks with Rochester about potentially adding them on to our dispatch.”

Ambulance staffing concern: Town could lose Advanced Life Support status; drop to Basic level

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Monday, January 23, 2017. Fire Chief Warren Borsari brought to the board’s attention a serious staffing issue currently occurring with the town’s paramedics.

According to Chief Borsari, the Fire Department is having problems staffing ambulances. He says, “We’re having issues retaining certified medics for a number of reasons including there being opportunities for advancement in other municipalities.”

He went on to say that the base pay for a Plympton Paramedic right now is $12.40 per hour. On January 1, 2017, Massachusetts, minimum wage increased to $11 per hour. With this in mind, the current pay Chief Borsari said is causing retention problems.

Chief Borsari says, “The minimum wage at $11 is making this (leaving) an economic decision for our paramedics.” He went on to propose that paramedic wages be in the $16.50 to $21.88 per hour range.

Typically proposals for pay increases are heard before Wage and Personnel rather than the Board of Selectmen, Wage and Personal was involved, but this staffing shortage is serious enough that Chief Borsari feels the guidance of the Board of Selectmen is necessary. The Fire Department is in danger of falling below state mandates for the number of paramedics needed on duty at a single time.

If that were to happen, Plympton would be at great risk. Chief Borsari told the board, “I discussed the risks with you and the risk is that we will have to drop to the basic life support. Most calls today are advanced life support.”

Borsari cited examples of what constitutes basic life support and there weren’t many. Things like a twisted ankle or an abrasion are categorized as a basic life support call. Chief Borsari continued, “Any altered mental status is advanced life support, and that’s dehydration, it could be a sugar problem, or a medication problem.” It’s also worth noting that any chest pain is considered cardiac until proven otherwise.

The board had previously asked the fire chief if any other towns in the area only have the basic life support system. He said that there aren’t any local municipalities without the advanced life support system,in fact, there are just a few communities in Western Massachusetts relying only on the basic system.

Selectmen had been made aware of the issue when the Chief reported to the board last fall, and had begun to run some numbers on what a pay increase would look like prior to the meeting. Specifically, Selectmen Clerk John Traynor took some time to assess the cost. This assessment also took into account raising the wages for basic EMTs who are currently paid $10.40 per hour.

Traynor answered, “If we were to go to a rate of $16.50 and a paramedic to $19…annual cost would be $311,000.” He also ran numbers on rates that more mirror the wages in Halifax. He says, “If we look at something closer to Halifax, it would be $18 for basic and $23 for the paramedic.” That would cost the town $358,000 annually.

This will add cost to the budget and is something the board needs to address. Selectperson Christine Joy also pointed out that there’s a revenue risk associated with falling below state mandates for the advanced life support system. She told her board, “It seems like if we don’t move in this direction and we’re not able to provide service for these advanced calls, we’re going to end up losing money and this will be even more in the red than we currently are.”

Traynor acknowledge that it’s something the boards needs to tackle, but it wasn’t something that could be solved in one night. Finance Committee input as well as more Wage and Personnel input are both necessary.

Selectmen later moved on to updates on some older business. Specifically, plans for handling and complying with the new Public Records Law were considered.

In July of 2016, Governor Charlie Baker signed Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2016, “An Act to Improve Public Records,” which became law on January 1, 2017.

The bill sought to improve access to public records by requiring towns and cities to have an electronic system in place where public records can be requested and sent out via a public records officer. The public records officer has ten days to produce the requested material or to give an answer why they cannot be produced within the timeframe and to give an estimate of when the records can be made available.

During the previous Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Monday, January 9, 2017, Town Clerk Tara Shaw presented a walkthrough of the electronic system she had put in place. She was also looking for ways to streamline the process because of the sheer amount of work required by the new law in addition to her responsibilities as town clerk.

One solution that will be implemented is simply putting as much information online as possible. The more information that is there, the less request there should be. Tara Shaw also says this will help with the public records request process because in many cases, sending a requestor a link to something that has already been made public should suffice.

One solution that Shaw and Traynor looked into was software that streamlines the process. According to Traynor, this would be a custom access database that self maintains public records.

Shaw says, “Right now, we are using four different programs.” She also mentioned that using one would streamline the process and make it easier for others besides her to use as well.

Starting this database would require funding. However, Selectwomen Christine Joy says, “This may fall under a technology grant.”

Though she’s using four different programs for this public records process, she did say that the Virtual Town Hall’s features for the town’s website have proven useful.  Traynor suggested Shaw run a class on how to use Virtual Town Hall for the departments and she is willing to do this.

Shaw and the board also made progress on determining some of the secondary records access officers. They will be responsible for the public records for their respective departments.

For the school department, Peter Veneto, the principal at Dennett Elementary School will preside as the secondary records access officer. The police department will use Administrative Assistant Leanne Cashman and the fire department’s records will fall under Fire Chief Warren Borsari.

As far as the concern over needing another public records officer, Tara Shaw acknowledge last meeting there really wasn’t room in the budget for even a part time position. The finance committee was in attendance for some of the meeting though and suggested putting funds in the reserve fund for the Public Records Law rather than hiring new permanent staff.

The Finance Committee discussed financial planning materials from the Collins Center Group that are intended to help with the town’s budget.

According to the Finance Committee, this year’s budget in particular is expected to be tight. There are many capital requests coming in and.priorities  need to be set.

Selectmen said that progress was made on the job description for the position of Town Administrator. It’s making progress but does still need more work.

Who owns that septic system?

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The Plympton Board of Health met on Tuesday, January 11, 2017. In addition to discussing a number of routine health and safety issues throughout town, the board also heard from the landowner at 39 Ring Road.

The landowner came in with building plans for the Board of Health to look over. She also presented the board a map of the current property.

While looking over the map, the first concern Board Chairman Art Morin expressed was over the distance between the property and the soil absorption system (SAS). According to the map, the distance between the well and the SAS looked to be about 50 feet.

Morin said, “Massachusetts law requires a well be 100 feet from the SAS. Plympton regulations, we require 200 feet because of the soil conditions.”

The landowner planned to use a different septic system, however, there was confusion over who owns the septic system on the property.

According to 39 Ring Road’s owner, the septic system fully belongs to her and is on her deed to the property. The problem, though, is that the owner of neighboring 41 Ring Road claims that the septic system is an easement between 39 and 41, meaning the owner at 41 Ring Road can legally use the septic system.

The confusion lead to there not being building approval at this time. Morin asks, “Does this have to go to land court?” This plan needs to also be sent back to the building department before any lot combinations (if easement) or septic approval can be put in place.

Besides this land dispute, the Board of Health discussed several other health and safety issues going on throughout. One thing that was approved was the repair of a septic system on 37 Maple Street. 

The resident was in attendance and was told the permit fee for the septic system’s repair will be $150. She will choose her installer and can then have the permit issued.

Chairman Morin gave his board an update on the continuing trash problem at 4 Mayflower Road. Morin said that the town was contacted by a gentlemen in regards to improving the condition of the property.

Morin says, “He was contacted by the lender to go to 4 Mayflower and give the lender and estimate on what it would cost to bring that property up to good condition.”

When speaking with the gentleman, Morin was told that the estimate would include the cost of removing the large amount of trash on the property. He also brought up sanitation issues with the pool.

Morin says, “The swimming pool is a breeding ground for mosquitos. There’s only a little bit of water at the bottom. There are frogs and other such things in the bottom of the pool.”

Health Officer Cathleen Drinan had concerns as well. She says, “The fence is collapsing.” There’s also floors inside the property that seem ready to give way.

The Board of Health ended the meeting by hearing approval for a few other permits. Most noticeably, they decided to renew the food permit at Dennett Elementary School. The board also voted unanimously to waive the permit fee.

The Plympton Board of Health will meet again on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.