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Two FinCom vacancies filled

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
The Board also met with members of the Finance Committee for the appointment of two vacancies on the Committee. Both open terms expire in 2025. Frank Johnston told Selectmen that he was recently retired and had been attending meetings of various towns and committees to figure out what would be a good fit for him. He said that he spent 44 years managing a large environmental firm which familiarized him with bidding, contracts, operating budgets, labor, etc.
Jim Walters went before the Board next and told them that he and his wife moved from New Jersey two years ago. He said that he wanted to help after what happened with the resignations of the two Selectmen. He said that he checked a lot of boxes on the Talent Bank Form. Walters said he is the Director of Programs for State and Local Government for a cloud computing company and has extensive experience writing grants. The Selectmen voted to appoint both Johnston and Walters to the vacancies on the Finance Committee.
Chair John Bruno said they had received correspondence from the treasurer of the Halifax Mobile Home Estates. Bruno summarized the letter saying that for many years, the Mobile Home Estates had been fully occupied at 430 homes, however, that as of December of 2021 one of the homes was demolished in a house fire. They asked for the necessary changes to be made to the fees paid to the town.
Bruno requested of the other Selectmen that on one of the off Tuesdays per month, they establish Selectmen’s office hours where residents can come and discuss any concerns that they may have. The first Tuesday of every month was decided upon from the hours of 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the third Tuesday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.. The first hour will be on Dec.6.
The Selectmen dealt with several recycling abatement requests including one for a home where a resident had passed away and the son didn’t realize he had to request an abatement. In the aforementioned case, the Selectmen voted in favor of abatement.
The Selectmen had an appointment with Steve Littlefield, who is the acting Veteran’s Agent. “He is now looking to fill the vacancy on a permanent basis; he has done a wonderful job on the Veteran’s ceremony,” Acting Town Administrator and Town Treasurer Sandy Nolan said. Littlefield was previously the Assistant Veteran’s Agent. Littlefield noted that he will soon be stepping down from active military service. The Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint him through June 30, 2023.
The Selectmen also met with Susan Hill, the Vice Chair of the Halifax Fireworks Committee. “We have decided to forgo our craft fair in December because of a lack of vendors,” Hill said. Hill said that they had been approached by someone requesting to be a multi-year sponsor of the fireworks display. She said they are considering doing a craft fair in the spring.
Council on Aging Director Darlene Regan met with the Selectmen as well regarding a few issues. Nolan said that Regan was hoping to hire a van driver at Step 4 rather than Step 1 due to the qualifications of the particular driver. Regan explained that they had lost drivers in the past due to the salary range. Regan said that the driver in question is GATRA qualified. The Board voted to hire the driver at Grade 2, Step 4.
Regan also requested that the receptionist title be changed to administrative assistant calling the former title “antiquated.” She also said that administrative assistant better suited the tasks being fulfilled by the role. Selig said if it was just a name change, then he saw no harm in it. His concern was if there was a grade change associated with the title change. The Selectmen passed a motion to change the job title name from receptionist to administrative associate. Regan also said that the Outreach Coordinator position is not truly defined as clearly as it should be, based on the community’s needs. She told the Selectmen that she rewrote the job description as Human Resource Service and Case Worker. Bruno asked if they could hire for a position that doesn’t exist yet in the bylaw. Nolan said she would need to propose the position to the Wage and Personnel at the public hearing in January and then it would need to be voted upon at town meeting. Bruno asked if he could take it under advisement so that he could gather more information before deciding.
The Selectmen also had an appointment with Municipal Environmental Law Attorney Richard Hucksam regarding a proposed condominium complex of 200 units on 25 acres. Hucksam, who is representing the town, said that Mass Housing wants the town to submit comments on the project. “At this point, in my view, the very best thing we can do is get from the various town boards and officials all the comments that we can about the project,” Hucksam said. Bruno asked if those contained abutter comments and was told that this was really for town officials to submit. Hucksam said that they would have a problem not going through the 40B process. Chapter 40B Housing is a Massachusetts program that enables developers to overrule local zoning bylaws in order to increase the number of affordable homes in certain municipalities. “Does our ZBA not have as much bargaining power because it is a 40B?” Selig asked. “In one sense it has less bargaining power because if you’re just dealing with zoning bylaw, it has criteria that have to be satisfied and that’s it unless there’s a variance granted and the variance standard is very strict under Mass law,” Hucksam said. He continued saying that 40B pits the local concerns against the need for affordable housing. “They’re going to be balanced against each other and that’s where the more the town can establish that there are real issues… during the hearing process the better position its in to have some kind of control over what the project ends up being,” he explained.
There was a conversation on the Building Inspector certification. “I’ll say that we have received several letters relating to this issue, I’m not going to read them all because some of them go on for four pages, but they will be part of our public record,” Bruno said. Bruno summarized the issue saying that they don’t have complete certification for the Building Inspector. “We’ve had a couple of concerned residents reach out wanting to point out to the Board that our Building Inspector had not received all of his… certifications yet. I spoke to Mr. Perry, our Building Inspector and he told me that it is in the works,” Selig said. He further said that they have on record an extension request from the Building Inspector. He said that the State would rule on the extension of time request. Bruno asked James Perry how close he was to being certified and was told that he needs to complete a fire test. Perry confirmed that taking that test would be enough to certify him as a local Building Inspector. He would need three more sets of tests to become Building Commissioner. Perry said they do have a Commissioner out of Bridgewater who signs certificates of occupancy alongside Perry. Perry said, “just for the record, my predecessor also received an extension of time.”
Bruno said that they received an email of a donation of land at 0 Hill St. to the town. “Maybe we can find a use for it someday,” Bruno said. The Board said they were in favor of adopting the small land parcel pending it passing at town meeting.
Selig provided an update on the Holidays in Halifax planning saying that traditionally it is the second Saturday in December. The plan is to have the event from roughly 4 pm to 8 pm on December 10. He said that there would be an ice sculpture, hayrides, Silver Lake carolers, and food trucks. There will also be balloon animals, jumpy houses, and Santa.
The Selectmen also dealt with a complaint of an open meeting law violation at one of the Selectmen meetings that were run when just Selig was at the helm on October 25. The complaint stated that he accepted meeting minutes from the October 11 meeting without a quorum. Town Counsel recommended that the two new Selectmen watch the recording of the meeting and then approve the meeting minutes.

 

Halifax Town Administrator interviews

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Halifax Selectmen select Haddad as next TA
Halifax hired Bernie Lynch of Community Paradigm Associates to find and vet candidates for the open Town Administrator position. A screening committee was also created that included the Town Accountant Sandy Nolan, the Town Clerk Sue Lawless, both the Fire and Police Chiefs, and three citizens-at- large. “We had those folks act as our first pass through with the help of Bernie as well,” Selectman Jonathan Selig explained during the Board of Selectmen meeting on Friday, Nov. 18.
Selectmen John Bruno and Naja Nessralla joined Selig and Lynch to interview the three finalists.
Edward Swartz was the first candidate to be interviewed. Swartz said that at 27 he was elected as a City Councilor for Taunton. “It was instilled in me, at a young age, to get involved,” he explained. He said that he moved to Dighton in 2000 when his children were young. “In Dighton, for 17 years, while I was the Chairman of the Finance Committee, we didn’t have a Town Administrator, so I acted as a quasi-Town Administrator,” Swartz said. He said he is very loyal having spent a decade or more with a few of the companies he has worked for, having been at the most recent one for the last 17 years. “I live by a motto of always look at what we can do, not what we can’t do,” Swartz told the Selectmen.
“I find, and I found it in Dighton all the time, the towns underutilize their opportunities of what they can get from their State legislators because they just don’t know how to proceed with it and they control a lot of what goes on with the grants,” Swartz said. Swartz also said that he is all about community involvement. “I love events, we have tree lighting ceremonies I always attend… doesn’t matter what parade,” he said. He also said that he is a runner and is involved in a running group out of Abington. “Going to events, getting to know people, that’s who I am,” he said.
Asked about how he would handle criticism, Swartz said, “When you put yourself out there as an elected official… whether it was in 1995, 2015, or here in 2022, the only thing is people are a little more vocal about it now and we have social media… you don’t get yourself into social media wars… I’m going to look you in the eye and we’re going to have a conversation.” Swartz added that he sees social media as a tool to relay factual information about what is going on in the town.
The Selectmen told Swartz that one of the roles fulfilled by the previous Town Administrator was Chief Procurement Officer which they noted required some schooling. Swartz said, “I took the first class… and I have plans to take the next one.”
Selig asked Swartz how he intended to maintain the small town feel of Halifax while also keeping growth in mind. “In order to keep the balance between residential and commercial taxes, you have to involve growth, you have to find a way to bring the right commercial into town in the right locations,” he answered.
Cody Haddad, the current Assistant Town Administrator in Dartmouth, was next to interview. He said that prior to that he was the Director of Development and Grants. “I’m ready to make the step to be a Town Administrator. It’s important for me to find a good fit; not just for me to be a good fit but also for the community to find me a good fit,” Haddad explained. He continued, “When I look at Halifax and I look at some of the projects you have upcoming, I think this is somewhere I can come in and be very successful.” He referenced the recent instability in Halifax and said that he feels that Halifax is the kind of place where he could put his roots down and stay for twenty plus years.
Haddad noted that he oversees affordable housing in Dartmouth and said that he helped to improve the Capital Improvement Plan there as well. He said that were he to be hired in Halifax, he would look to update the Master Plan. Regarding the Master Plan he said you need a “tool of some sort where you rank the items and say these are the items that we’re going to pursue. Not because we think the Highway Department is more important than the Police Department or anything along those lines, but this is where they rank, and we have a process… so the items get funded.” He also said, “I view it really as a strategic plan for the town… it sets the goals, the guidelines for how departments should work. Select Board goals is another important strategic plan based off of that. Your compensation and classification study is something that needs to be done,” Haddad said. He said he would also focus on recruitment and retainment of staff, noting that he recognizes that the town is limited in what they can pay.
Haddad was asked about his grant experience which he described as “quite extensive.” He said, “When I came in the town would average, on a good year, a million dollars in grants. Since I’ve overseen the grants in the town, 3 million is what we’re averaging and that’s completely me.”
“My management style is very open door,” Haddad said. He continued, “I’ve been very successful in Dartmouth of creating that atmosphere where staff and department heads have issues, I’m the one that they come to… they come to me with issues and we’re able to talk through them… I’m a big collaborator so I think teams on almost everything is very important.”
Haddad said that better communication with residents is vital. He said that in Dartmouth he launched a separate website that he referred to as “an engagement portal.” He explained, “It was an opportunity for the public to engage with the town. We would post updates on projects… it was a place you could go and still can go to get factual information about things going on in the town. What happens, lots of times, is misinformation gets out there and then that’s it once it gets out there, it’s really hard to control.” He said that there was a spot on the website called “what the fact” where people could post questions about things in town and himself or the Town Administrator would respond within 48 hours. “One of the things I like to say is if I don’t know the answer, I’ll get you an answer,” Haddad said.
Asked about his experience with collective bargaining he said, “I’ve really been involved with collective bargaining entirely from doing research in other communities, looking at contracts, costing out contracts – that’s one really crucial thing that you have to do before you even bargain. Looking at what the town can the town can afford, first… so we don’t get in a bad position where we offer something and then the town isn’t financially in a good spot…. I’ve actually been at the table leading negotiations with the unions – we have 11 unions in Dartmouth.”
Rebecca Meekins was the final applicant to appear before the Board. “I grew up with a mother who served as town councilor for the community that I grew up in in Vermont. So, it’s sort of always been in me… I like to say that I was born with the public servant gene,” Meekins said. “This is the career that I intend to pursue until I’m done,” she continued. Meekins said that she has served as the Assistant Town Administrator in Grafton and currently serves as the Assistant Town Administrator in Northborough. She said that her time in Grafton was largely finance based saying she was responsible for putting together the annual operating budget as well as the five-year capital plan.
Regarding her wanting to take a job on the South Shore when she currently works in central Massachusetts, she said her parents recently moved to Kingston. “My wife and I recently started a family and it’s amazing what having children will do to your worldview… and we are looking to move up here and get closer to family,” she explained.
Asked about community involvement, Meekins said, “Part of the reason that I love doing this work is that you really get to immerse yourself in a community. In seeking to become a Town Administrator it’s not about a steppingstone for me, it’s about developing a long-term relationship with a community and its members and seeing the fruits of my labor come to fruition over time.” She said she looks forward to coffee hours at senior centers and participating in public input sessions for various projects. She said that she doesn’t want to sit behind a desk and noted that she loves that every day is different, and you get to interact with many different people including legislators.
Bruno asked about grant writing and human resources saying, “In our town we have some holes in our process.” He said he believes Halifax loses a lot of opportunities in terms of grants. He also noted that problems sometimes arise in town due to a lack of a human resources department. With respect to the human resources issue, Meekins said the town she is in now doesn’t have a human resources department either, so she is familiar with how to handle those things. “Classification and compensation, I think, is incredibly important so that the staff understand that there is a fair and equitable way that this has been decided, that there is a process,” she said. Selig then asked about retention given a limited salary value. “I don’t think there’s a municipality in Massachusetts that hasn’t faced that challenge as of late,” Meekins said. She said that she believes in being transparent about salary ranges and steps at the beginning when hiring. She also noted that she believes in being creative in the steps taken to retain people.
Meekins said she was certified as a procurement officer. “Ninety-five percent of grant writing is just knowing that the grant exists. I like to think of myself as fairly tapped in. There are a lot of financial resources floating out there right now particularly coming out of covid,” she explained. “The Community Compact Program, I do believe will be continued by the new administration… that’s an incredibly valuable resource for cities and towns to be able to implement best practices in a variety of services,” she continued. She said she was able to secure the ADA grant in the town of Grafton. “The great thing about that grant is that once you complete the self-evaluation plan, you then become eligible for construction money, construction grants. We can identify all of the infrastructure problems we have but if we don’t have access to funds to improve it, that doesn’t do us any good… Every year you can apply for up to $300,000 from the State to make those improvements,” Meekins said.
Asked how quickly she could start, she stated that there was a relocation aspect involved as she would need to buy a house and move her family. “I am here because I am very interested in the opportunity to relocate,” she said. Asked what she sees as the role of the Town Administrator she said to the Board, “I am carrying out your vision.” Bruno asked how she would handle disagreement with the Board. She said, “I believe in civil disagreement; I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think that’s somewhat lost on people especially these days.”
Asked about her views on social media, she said that she had conflicting feelings. She noted that in larger towns that have staff available to be dedicated to answering questions on social media, she felt that it could be useful. For smaller communities, she said it was best used for one-way communication.
The Selectmen conferred with one another before making a decision toward the end of their meeting. “I think anyone would be fortunate to have any one of the three of them,” Bruno said. Bruno said that he felt that Swartz might be the best fit. Selig said, “those were the best three interviews I’ve seen for a Town Administrator on this Board.” He continued, “It comes down to flavors of ice cream.” Selig said he was leaning toward Swartz or Haddad with a slight advantage to Haddad. Nessralla stated his preference for Haddad as well. The Selectmen voted unanimously to hire Haddad pending contract negotiations.

 

Dennett kids score above state MCAS average

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The Plympton School Committee met in person at the Dennett Elementary School on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch gave a presentation on the results of the 2022 MCAS testing. Lynch said that data was provided for Grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 for both math and ELA but noted that the science data was for just Grade 5. No test was administered in 2020, a half test was given in 2021, and in 2022, all students took the full test. Lynch said that 52 percent of Dennett students are meeting or exceeding expectations in English Landuage Arts compared to 41 percent State-wide. In math, 50 percent of Dennett students are meeting or exceeding expectations compared to just 39 percent across the State. The school’s science scores were significantly higher than the State average. Lynch called science a “bright spot” for Plympton.

“The goal here at Dennett and across the District is to try and move that number back to where it was in 2019… the goal is to get to 70 percent meeting or exceeding,” Lynch explained.  He further explained that while high achievement was noted for Dennett students, slower growth was also observed. The implementation of Collaborative Literacy in Grade 5 was among the programs instituted to ensure continued growth and improvement. A math interventionist and reading tutor is also part of the Dennett team as is a student support team who identifies students who may need increased interventions and progress tracking.

Superintendent Jill Proulx also provided an update to the Committee saying that the Admin team met with building principals regarding interventions and said that it was an important reminder of the role of data in identifying students that may need additional supports including those that are not on an IEP. She also said that herself and Lynch met with building principals, assistant principals, and local Police and Fire Departments regarding emergency support plans.

The Committee voted to join litigation against Juul Vaping for marketing its products to minors. Many other school districts, municipalities, and states have also joined the large-scale settlement. Silver Lake Regional School Committee voted to join during their last meeting as did the Halifax Elementary School Committee.

Chair Jon Wilhelmsen touched on some of the unfinished business including the ongoing issue of dog waste being left on the fields at the Dennett. Wilhelmsen summed up the problem saying, “new signs, no change.” The Plympton Police Chief has been approached regarding placing a large-scale sign by the school’s driveway. If that doesn’t yield results, the issue will again have to be revisited. Regarding the additional rubberized surfacing at the new playground, Director of Business Services Christine Healy said, “we’re on pause until later this winter to see if going out to bid is the best option.” Regarding the solar project at the Dennett, Wilhelmsen said, ““it’s still going… a bunch of emails going back and forth… trying to negotiate the agreements…. there’s just general disagreement about what should be in the contract.”

Each of the standing committees also provided a report. Committee member Jason Fraser provided the status for Admin Review saying that when they last met, they went over the Superintendent’s goals for the year. He noted that they would be meeting back with her again after the new year for the formative review process. Wilhelmsen provided the update for Negotiations saying, “all contracts are done.”

For Union 31, Superintendent Jill Proulx said that it just came to their attention that the current structure of the Silver Lake special education programs at the elementary schools isn’t allowed for under the Regional Agreement. She said that there are 34 staff members who fall under the special education umbrella in Kingston and two or three each in Plympton and Halifax. Proulx said that one of the first recommendations was to bring the pre-K into the regional agreement. Of the proposed change, Wilhelmsen said, “We voted in principle to support that.” Fraser said that DESE will give the District until June 30, 2024, to implement further changes. Proulx said, “We are working with our attorney and the Department of Education on how best to proceed.”

Fraser provided the Legislative update saying, “Next Tuesday is Election Day… please take the time to go out and vote and thank you to those people who put themselves out there to be candidates.”

Principal Peter Veneto was not in attendance so Assistant Principal Christine Marcolini provided the Principal’s Report saying that student enrollment currently stands at 238. She said that CASA put on a luncheon for staff on October 5 and that parent teacher conferences were held on October 27. Marcolini said, “We had a very successful book fair last week… we are grateful for that.” She also said that the entire staff was led in ALICE training by one of the Police Department’s officers.

Marcolini said that Melissa Ritter, a parent of a Dennett kindergartener, was hired for an open Title I reading position. She also reminded the Committee of the upcoming Thanksgiving feast at the School on November 17.

Healy provided an update on Circuit Breaker, the State’s special education reimbursement program. Healy said there is a threshold of anticipated costs and that once those costs are exceeded the Circuit Breaker kicks in and the school is eligible for some form of reimbursement usually in the 75 percent range. Anticipated costs this year are around $46,000. “We’re waiting for that final release of information, so we have some idea of where we stand at the end of the year,” Healy explained. She also told the Committee that Plympton still doesn’t have any students attending out-of-district vocational so the money that was budgeted there would likely be returned to the town at the end of the year.

Proulx told the Committee that budget season was officially underway. She said that she has asked that principals and directors submit their budget proposals for review by November 15. She also asked the School Committee to begin to think about their priorities and goals for the budget so they can work on those with their building principal.  She also shared with the Committee that homeschool enrollment has remained static for Plympton at the elementary level while increasing by one for Grades 7-12. Finally, she said that while Plympton’s shared cost percentage was previously at 13 percent, it was down to 12.5 percent for FY24.

Before adjourning for the evening, Wilhelmsen shared some important dates to remember. He said that there would be no school for students on Tuesday, November 8 while it would be an in-service day for teachers. There will be early release on November 23 and the Thanksgiving break would be on November 24 and 25. The special Town Meeting will be held on November 30 in the cafeteria of the Dennett. There will be a joint school committee meeting on December 1 and a regular meeting on December 12.

Billings and McKenna recognized for excellence

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MASC Academic Excellence Awards

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met Thursday, Oct. 27. Superintendent Jill Proulx told the Committee, “On behalf of the Mass Association of School Superintendents I’m honored to present two certificates of academic excellence to two graduating seniors each year; this award is given to two Silver Lake seniors who have distinguished themselves in pursuit of excellence during their high school careers. Both Anna Billings and Caroline McKenna, who is here with us this evening, have distinguished themselves in terms of their three-year cumulative averages and both are in the top percent of the class of 2023.” Of McKenna, Proulx said she participates in field hockey, band, marching band, jazz band, drama, National Honor Society, and the Journalism Club. She also works at CVS and volunteers at the Kingston Public Library. McKenna’s father, who was also in attendance, thanked the school and the school system for all they have done for his children.

Reorganization

Committee Chair Paula Hatch let everyone know that Chris Eklund had rejoined the Committee. “We’re thrilled, he’s been very generous with his time,” Hatch said. He is filling the position of Leslie-Ann McGee who resigned from her seat. Hatch said that Eklund had been added to the negotiations subcommittee since he had previously served on it. Committee member Jason Fraser nominated Lukasz Kowalski for the now open position of secretary. Committee member Summer Schmaling seconded the nomination, and the Committee voted unanimously to appoint Kowalski as secretary. Fraser joined the school start time subcommittee.

Approval for Seaview Learning Academy

Hatch brought up some old business from previous meetings regarding the District’s approval of a school at Camp Norse in Kingston. Hatch said that they were now in possession of all the items required on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) checklist. Schmaling made a motion to approve Seaview Learning Academy to operate within the District and the Committee voted to approve it.

Charles Demeulle Memorial Bench

Jeanine Nastar, an educator at Silver Lake Regional Middle School, spoke regarding the untimely passing of student Charles Demeulle in June. She called it “the saddest reason I have ever reached out to our school community in my entire life.” She continued saying, “Through the generosity of the staff and the Silver Lake Regional School District, we brought the Demeulle/Riley family food, we sent flowers to memorial services, we gave the family over $1,000 in gift cards to local establishments and stores, and still had leftover money to a more permanent celebration of his life.” A student reached out in August with a suggestion for a more permanent reminder of her schoolmate. “This was by far the most painful, beautiful, rewarding, humbling fundraiser I have ever done,” Nastar said. She said that Demeulle “presented himself in the most positive way he could every day” despite a number of physical and emotional struggles. “He was kind, he was grateful, and he was fragile,” Nastar said. “We have raised over $2,000 for a memorial bench to be installed by Quincy Memorial; our hope is to invite the entire school community for a brief dedication ceremony in November,” Nastar continued.

Principal’s Report

High School Principal Michaela Gill said that the school has secured a flight to Disney for the out of State field trip for the music program. “It’s good to have that tradition back on the calendar,” Gill said. Gill also said it was requested last month that she share with the Committee the school’s protocols and responses when incidents involving bullying or harassment are reported. “There are actually very few substantiated bullying incidents in the last six years,” Gill told the Committee. She continued, “I would say though that there are many more cases of substantiated civil rights violations, discriminatory behaviors, and harassment.” She said that per the handbook these offenses are suspendable. “It’s not just about prescribing discipline, it really is about helping the student grow and learn from that experience which is why discipline is often progressive and you may not necessarily get a suspension the first time,” Gill said. She also said that they have begun focusing on restorative justice in the last few years.

MCAS Presentation and Results

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch provided some MCAS results for Grades 7-12 as he has done at all of the recent elementary school committee meetings over the last month. He reminded the Committee that in 2020 no test was administered, in 2021, a half test was administered, and in the spring of 2022 the full test was given.  Regarding the State-wide assessment following the pandemic, Lynch said, “There’s been some progress in math, ELA scores declined, and science scores increased slightly.” Lynch said that 43 percent of Silver Lake students in 7th and 8th grade are meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 41 percent State-wide. “Our goal really is to make more progress toward our students meeting or exceeding expectations… our goal is to make progress against sort of the setback we’ve seen over the last three years due to the pandemic and absenteeism,” Lynch continued. He said that the State assesses students on not only achievement but also growth. He said that Silver Lake had slightly lower growth in ELA at the Middle School compared to the State overall. Lynch said that 60 percent of Silver Lake high school students are meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA compared to 58 percent State-wide. He said that they had lower growth in ELA compared to State-wide.

For math, 43 percent of Silver Lake middle school students are meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 39 percent State-wide. The Middle School has slightly higher growth and achievement in math compared to the rest of the State. Sixty-one percent of Silver Lake high school students are meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 49 percent State-wide. Lynch noted that the District’s goals do not focus solely on test taking and enhancing test scores.

At Silver Lake, students in Grades 5, 8, and 9 took the Science MCAS. For Silver Lake eighth graders, 45 percent of students are meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 42 percent State-wide. For Grade 9, 46 percent of students are meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 49 percent State-wide. He said that this was the first year of the Next Generation Assessment in physics for those Grade 9 students.

Committee member Gordon Laws asked what the time frame was for the goal of having 70 percent of students meeting or exceeding expectations across all content areas. He further asked how realistic it was to expect that. “It’s ambitious; the goal is for the results that we receive in the fall of 2024 to reflect movement in that 70 percent goal,” Proulx said. “Statistically how likely is it? I think more importantly is that we set the goal and keep working until we reach it,” she continued. Regarding MCAS Proulx noted that it was not the only measure of a school’s success or a child’s potential. Laws noted that across a number of different careers, test taking is mandatory and said that he doesn’t believe that the school needs to apologize for focusing on test results.

Superintendent’s Update

Proulx said that the administrative team met regarding the role of a support team to provide interventions and supports for students who may be struggling. She also said that herself, Lynch, the building principals, and the Police and Fire Departments from all three towns met to review their emergency response plans. Proulx noted that the budget timeline has been released. She said that in January, herself and Director of Business Services Christine Healy would present the preliminary FY24 budget to the School Committee. In February, the public budget hearing will be held and in March, the School Committee will be voting the FY24 budgets prior to them being voted on at the various town meetings. She also told the Committee that homeschool enrollment has decreased overall since last year. Regarding FY24 assessments, Proulx said that Halifax has remained steady, Kingston’s has declined, and Plympton’s has increased slightly. Regarding shared costs, Proulx said that Halifax’s percentage has decreased, Kingston’s has increased, and Plympton’s has decreased.

Migrant Students from Kingston

Schmaling asked Proulx if she could address the news that an estimated 20 students would be entering the school district from Kingston. Though not explicitly stated, the assumption was that these students are English Language Learners. According to The Boston Globe, a group of over 100 migrants, most from Haiti, have been housed in a hotel in Kingston. That group is thought to include 64 children with an estimated 20 of them being school-aged. Proulx said that DESE is working with her on ways that they could potentially assist the district with the large influx of students. Schmaling expressed concern that the District would not receive enough financial support to offset the burden. Others on the Committee said that they heard that the number could be nearly double the 20-student estimate. Hatch said that she assumed that by the next meeting she anticipates them having a better idea of where these students will land.

Reports of Standing Committees

Ashley Ferreira spoke on behalf of the Silver Lake Education Association (SLEA). She spoke about how data is used for intervention purposes. “Me as the junior coach, I’m looking at students who have one or more F’s… how can we help these kids because one F turns into two and there’s a snowball effect. Two or more F’s and the kids are not engaged in things because they can’t,” Ferreira said.

For CTE, Fraser said that Elliot Glass had his advisory dinner the week previous. “It was in the lobby of the high school; it was like walking into a completely different building,” Fraser said. He further said that a CTE meeting would be held in mid-November to start talking about some different possibilities for expanding CTE in the future.

For PAC, the October meeting was said to be mainly housekeeping. They discussed the audit which was described as very clean as well as the reorganization of the subcommittee.

For SAFER, Fraser said that they looked at the air handler which he said is part of the original CTE building from 1976. He said that replacing it would provide better air quality for that wing of the building. He also said that they would be holding a tri-town meeting in early December where they would be advocating for new HVAC systems in those areas of the building.

For the School Start Times subcommittee, a website is being created to educate people on school start times. There is also a survey for Grades 7-12 that may be sent out.

The update for Union 31 included the assumption that the preschool would be added to the regional agreement umbrella. “We met with DESE… they were pleased to hear it,” Hatch said. Proulx added that a waiver would allow for the District to continue to function in the same way that they have been since 2004.

‘Trees for Troops’ event approved

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The single-person Halifax Board of Selectmen held a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Selectman Jonathan Selig sat with acting interim Town Administrator Sandra Nolan. 

The Board had an appointment with a representative from The Farm at Raven Brook regarding some one-day liquor licenses. The Farm at Raven Brook is a Christmas tree farm in Halifax that will be holding a Trees for Troops fundraising event on Friday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 27. The event will include some local businesses including food trucks and breweries. The breweries involved include Barrel House Z, Black Hat Brew Works, and Article Fifteen Brewing. Representatives were on hand from Black Hat Brew Works and Barrel House Z and one day liquor licenses were approved for them from 11am to 3pm on November 26 and November 27 respectively. While no representative was present for Article Fifteen Brewery, the liquor license was approved contingent upon Fire and Police approval for Friday, November 25 from 11am to 3pm. “I wish you good luck; it’s nice to see local businesses planning events like that,” Selig said.

Selig said that there was a name change to the weekday entertainment license as well as the common victualler license for Lyonville Tavern. The new name is Nonnie’s Italian Grille. He explained, “This project… has already kind of been started, so this is kind of cleaning up the name parts of these changes.” The live entertainment license is for Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Selig said that he had an update from the Veteran’s Agent Steve Littlefield regarding the Veteran’s Day ceremony. Selig said, “Just a reminder to everyone to keep their calendars open for Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. at the front steps of the Town Hall; that will be where our Veteran’s Day ceremony will take place.” He continued, “I’m sure, judging by our last Memorial Day Parade, Steve does a great job with these. So, again, if anyone’s in the area and would like to pay respect to our veterans on Veteran’s Day.” 

Selig also had an appointment with Jeremy Gillespie regarding a potential appointment to the Beautification Committee. “We’ve got to grill you a little bit,” Selig joked. Gillespie, who has lived in town for over three years, said he does try to make it to Town Meeting when he can. Asked what he thinks of Halifax, Gillespie was quick to respond, “I love it.” Selig also asked Gillespie what special talents or skills he felt he could bring to the Town’s Beautification Committee. Gillespie said, “knowing how to plant and maintain landscaping.” He also said that he is well versed in putting messages out on social media. Gillespie also said that he didn’t foresee the time commitment necessary to be a problem. Selig appointed him to the Beautification Committee for a term ending June 30, 2023. 

Before Gillespie left, a member of the public asked, “what does the Beautification Committee do?” Selig said, “Well Jeremy, would you like to field your first question?” Gillespie who said he had only been to three or four meetings thus far responded, “They maintain some of the public gardens out here through various donations and organize the clean-up days in the fall and spring.” He added, “That’s all I know right now. Hoping to find out more.” Selig jumped in saying, “Essentially, they are charged with making Halifax even more beautiful.” Nolan added that they have an Adopt a Planter program. 

Before adjourning, Selig said that the next regularly scheduled Selectmen’s meeting is November 8. “That, as you know, is Election Day. We’re going to wait and have our meeting November the ninth – a special meeting… we’ll have our full Board of Selectmen and will be able to start moving things along,” he explained.   

Plympton is one step closer to PayT

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Todd Koep, a Municipal Systems Coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), gave a presentation on Monday, Oct. 24 to Plympton residents on Pay as You Throw or PayT. He said that Plympton averages 1,926 lbs. of trash per household per year whereas the average across the State was 1,066. “[The] current system is a flat fee so if you dispose of 1 bag a week, you pay the same as someone that disposes of 10 bags per week,” Koep told the audience.

Koep said that PAYT is unit based just as other utilities like electricity where you pay for what you use. He called the program “a waste reduction strategy” saying it helps with recycling and reusing since it forces people to take a harder look at the trash they generate.

He said that residents would be given either a 15- or 33-gallon bag of trash. There would be a fixed cost for the operation of the transfer station. “To cover those costs, you have an annual fee… what we’ve kind of come to the conclusion is a $45 fee for seniors and a $65 fee for  otherresidents,” Koep said. The larger bag would cost $2.50 while the smaller bag would cost $1.50. “The bags are set to break at a certain weight and that’s because the bags are priced by weight,” he further explained. The bags would be sold at local retailers frequented by residents including Stop and Shop, Walmart, and local gas stations. He said the only caveat would be if you were to remember needing the trash bags after regular operating hours for those establishments.

Koep likened the smaller bag to the size of a typical kitchen trash bag. “I have 3 adults, a 9-year-old and a dog in my household and I go through one small bag every 2-3 weeks and I’m not the world’s best recycler,” he explained. The larger bag was labeled as being “half the size of a contractor bag.”

“There are a lot of benefits to going Pay as You Throw,” Koep said. Waste reduction including increased recycling, donating, and backyard composting was listed as a major benefit. Leveling the playing field was another huge benefit explained by Koep.

Some of the perceived challenges Koep named were public perception that the fee is a tax, adverse effects on low-income households, increases in illegal dumping, and higher administrative costs. He said that the fee is not actually a tax and noted that sticker fees would be increasing regardless of whether the program was adopted. He also said that waivers for low-income households, veterans, and seniors would be available. Regarding illegal dumping, Koep said that studies have not shown the program to increase illegal dumping. Finally, he said that higher administrative costs are offset through the savings from reduced disposal.

KOEP said another acronym that residents might see is SMART or Save Money and Reduce Trash. “Residents reduce their waste, the town pays less for disposal, and the State generates less trash,” Koep said. He further said that the State goal is 30 percent waste reduction by 2030.

Following his presentation, Koep opened things up for questions. Selectman John Traynor asked for clarification regarding the dollar amount per ton of trash. Koep said it was around $104 per ton of trash. He said the dollar amount for PET plastic is $185 per ton. Koep said there is always going to be a rate for contamination in glass and plastic bottles, usually around 10 percent. He said that the rebate averages out to about $27 per ton.

Traynor said that PAYT was economically advantageous, fairer, and environmentally conscious. He noted that the hard work would be making sure the general public was well-informed on the benefits and that any misconceptions were corrected. “All you’re doing is switching the color of the bag, yeah, it’s going to be a little bit more, but you’re going to be saving overall,” Koep said.

“If there’s feedback out there that we haven’t heard, I’d really like to hear it, before we vote it,” Traynor said. Asked his opinion on the program, Selectman Mark Russo said it wasn’t the right forum for him to discuss his thoughts. He said that the issue would be on the agenda at the November 7 Selectmen’s meeting and that a vote was possible at that time. Russo urged residents to get educated on the issue prior to that meeting. Selectman Christine Joy seconded Russo’s thoughts.

Someone asked about waste oil deposit since Plympton used to have it but no longer does. The high cost was cited as the reason for stopping the program.

BOS Approves STM Warrant

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, Oct. 17.

Tom Millias, who serves as the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner and oversees zoning determinations and zoning enforcement, attended the meeting to provide an update on the Building Department. Selectmen have been continuing the tradition begun last year of inviting various department heads to attend different meetings to get an overall sense of what is going on in the town. “We continue to be quite busy with permit applications… despite the high cost of materials,” Millias explained.

Millais turned things over to Kathy Cannizzo who acts as an Administrative Assistant as well as dealing with zoning determinations and enforcement to elaborate further on zoning issues.  “One item we continue to pursue is signs,” she explained. She said that no sign should exceed 6 sq. ft. of area without a signed permit from the Planning Board. She also said that no property should have more than three commercial vehicles without a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. “We’ve also been dealing with a lot of preexisting houses looking to add on,” she said. “We’ve been dealing with a lot of older lots that have suddenly and recently been put on the market,” Millias added. He said that following the chain of title to determine what needs to be presented to comply with the new bylaws has proven challenging.

“One of the items I would like to touch on… is with dog kennels. We are in the process of putting in some observations and suggestions to the Zoning Bylaw Committee,” Millias explained. He said that the zoning section of the bylaws and the municipal section of the bylaws conflict with one another that presents a problem. Selectman John Traynor asked if they could identify those conflicts and ask the Bylaw Committee to address them. “I’m in total support, Kathy your knowledge of the zoning bylaws just staggers me,” he said to Cannizzo. “Me too,” Millias said concurring with Traynor.

“We are engaged, and we are involved, and we have been dealing with quite a few things,” Millias said of the enforcement. Selectman Mark Russo asked what kind of feedback is received when they speak to residents about enforcement. “A lot has to do with how you approach people; I’ve never been a guns blazing kind of guy – that’s counterproductive,” Millias said. He continued saying that most residents are receptive and do their best to cooperate. He credited Cannizzo with having a pleasant demeanor about her that helps ease the tension.

Town Administrator Liz Dennehy went over the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting that will be held on Nov. 30. Article 1 is for the acquisition of Turkey Swamp. Article 2 is put forth by the treasurer to afford her the ability under Mass General Law to setup payment plans for landowners. Article 3 is for the unemployment line which is budgeted at only $1,000 annually. Dennehy said that the estimated amount needed is $21,000. Article 4 looks to exempt the Fire Chief from Mass General Laws that require he be under 65 years of age. She said the article is to allow him to retain the position through age 70. Article 5 is a housekeeping article for the wage and personnel bylaw. Dennehy noted that it wouldn’t affect anyone’s benefits. Article 6 is from the Assessor’s office to transfer from the overlay surplus fund to reduce the 2023 tax rate. Article 7 is from the Town Properties Committee to replace or repair the roof at the Old Townhouse. The Selectmen voted to recommend the articles. The Selectmen also voted the approval for the posting of the warrant for the Nov. 8 State election.

Also on the agenda for the evening was the approval of the Conservation Commission’s Acceptance of two different deeds for two pieces of land located off Prospect Rd. The lands were gifted by Curtis Shaw and Robert Sarofeen. Chair Christine Joy asked if they abutted Two Brooks Preserve and was told they were in that general area. Dennehy said that the acquisition of the land would help the town in their overall footprint of protected lands. One of the lands is referred to as Cob Fresh Meadow and is 1.5 acres. “The Curtis Shaw land is known as Sampson Fresh Meadow,” Dennehy said. “So, both of these lands are going to help make connections with Two Brooks Preserve,” she continued. The Selectman voted unanimously to accept the land that was gifted.

Among her Town Administrator’s updates, Dennehy said she met with the Finance Committee to discuss some potential changes to the budget process. She said they would be meeting on November 14 to vote their recommendations. She said that at the November 7 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, the Town Moderator would be in attendance to iron out the language for the motions at the Special Town Meeting. Dennehy also said that the heat pump system work that was done under the Green Communities Grant is nearly done, noting that it would be able to be closed out almost as quickly as it was opened.

Russo led off the raves with one for the foliage in October calling those lucky enough to witness it “quite blessed.”

Traynor said his rave was similar noting that his grandniece got married outside at Perkins Farm.  “Looking across the pond toward Main St. with the foliage in the background, it was something like you would see in Yankee Magazine, it was beautiful,” he said.  “

My rave is for Liz and Chief Ahl with managing the strike,” Joy began. “This has been so much time and energy around the clock, really managing a very big situation,” she continued. She said her second comment was more of a warning as a coyote went after her and her dog while walking. “You just need to be aware of your surroundings.”

Curriculum subcommittee woes

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The Halifax School Committee met in-person on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.  A member of the public asked to speak during the public participation portion of the meeting regarding Chair Summer Schmaling’s request during the previous meeting to form a subcommittee to review curriculum. “Isn’t there a position held by someone in the District to work on and understand curriculum?” they began. They continued, “You gave an example of a writing prompt regarding the Christopher Columbus holiday as a reason for you to look at the curriculum. You were aware of the whole assignment, correct? That it was an opinion piece, and the students were able to state their own opinion?” They concluded, “Finally, I am greatly concerned with your statement about School Committee members being on opposite sides of the spectrum – I am not sure what spectrum to which you are referring; I have heard you state that you were one of the more conservative members of the Committee. Please be more clear in what you mean as the School Committee is not supposed to be elected based on your party affiliation.”

School Committee member Karyn Townsend spoke as a parent rather than as a Committee member regarding the assignment in question in which students were asked to write about Columbus Day. She said that after requesting further information about said assignment, she found out that it was a “persuasive essay” and said that samples of writings were provided from those stating that Columbus Day should be celebrated as well as those that felt that it should not. “Just as a fellow concerned parent, I just wanted to make sure that we were aware of what the actual prompt was that was given,” Townsend ended her statement.

A member of the public asked Schmaling if the meetings of the Curriculum subcommittee that was facing so much scrutiny would be publicly posted. She was told that an answer could not be given at that time but that they would try to have one by the next School Committee meeting.

Still another member of the public, who said he has been working in public safety for many years, also asked to address the School Committee, this time regarding school safety and security. He said he is part of a team that creates plans to address things like active shooters. He implored the Committee to read the aftermath report regarding a recent school shooting. He left the Committee with a packet that he said might be best read during Executive Session.

Superintendent Jill Proulx told the Committee, “the Mass. Association of Superintendents has sent out a memo regarding Juul Vape litigation… the case seeks to hold Juul and other companies producing vaping products financially responsible for enticing adolescents to begin vaping and for the resulting harm to young people because vaping impacts the educational environment, the plaintiffs seek damages for school systems in the form of vape detectors and curriculum.” The case is scheduled for trial in San Francisco in November. Participation requires a vote from the School Committee. “Education is always the best way to curb behaviors,” Committee member Lauren Laws said regarding her opinion on participating in the lawsuit. Laws said that while it isn’t really an issue in the elementary school it certainly is in the middle and high schools. She stressed the importance of educating the students starting from an earlier age. Asked if she had an opinion on the issue, Superintendent Proulx said that it was hard for her to say without having access to what the curriculum would entail. After some discussion, the Committee voted to participate.

Reports were given for the standing committees. For Youth and Recreation it was reported that fall and winter basketball will be starting the last week in October for girls and shortly thereafter for boys. The school is looking for two more bids for the tennis courts project. It was also reported that after school programs are at capacity. There is hope that an after-school art program would be starting soon.

Townsend reported that the PTO discussed the continued need for a school psychologist. Another update from the PTO was that the Halifax Teacher’s Association was looking forward to holding the Family Fun Night this year. A representative from the Boosterthon attended the most recent PTO meeting to provide an update on the curriculum. Townsend said that some parents expressed concern regarding the need for more social and emotional learning. She said, “the social and emotional learning for the Boosterthon by the PTO was lessons about gratitude, stewardship, bravery, perseverance, and wonder and then I did ask the Boosterthon rep as well as administration to make sure they shared all relevant materials with parents.” A bookfair will be held in October and the Mingle and Jingle in December.

Principal Kayne Beaudry provided a Principal’s report. He gave an update on the after-school program saying that an art program was “in the works” and that they were also looking to get a S.T.E.M. program up and running as well. Beaudry said that current enrollment is at 561. “We had open house on September 8.  It was a great turnout, we had great weather – lots of positive feedback from families and staff,” he told the Committee. He said that the Boosterthon raised just over $30,000. He also said that October is Bullying Prevention Month and noted that students and staff work on lessons focusing on refusing, reporting, and recognizing bullying as part of the social and emotional curriculum.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch provided an update on MCAS testing. He said that State-wide, math scores were improved while English Language Arts (ELA) scores were declining slightly for Grades 3 and 4 while they were improving slightly for Grades 5 and 6. Science scores were up a little bit. “DESE [Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] commented on how much student absenteeism remains a challenge across the Commonwealth,” Lynch said. Regarding Halifax specific results, Lynch said, “58 percent of our students in Grades 3-6, they met or exceeded State expectations.” Halifax performed better than the State average in both ELA and math. Lynch said that the greatest decline in performance for Halifax was in math. Regarding science, Lynch said, “our students did particularly well in Halifax with 67 percent of students in Grade 5 meeting or exceeding expectations compared with 42 percent State-wide.”

Principal Kayne Beaudry spoke to what next steps will be taken to ensure continued improvement in Halifax on the MCAS testing. He said they have tiered supports for literacy that are in the works. He also thanked the Committee for supporting a full-time math interventionist.

Proulx said that principals have been asked to start soliciting input from their staff to build their budgets. She further said that principals have been provided with an outline requesting that they include “an overview of how their requests align with strategies for district improvement and school improvement goals, budgeting priorities for the upcoming year and the rationale, staffing including current class sizes and anticipated class sizes, requests for additional staffing and rationale, if necessary, etc.” Proulx also asked that the School Committee start thinking about their priorities for the FY24 budget. She outlined the budget timeline saying that the budget is typically approved by the School Committee by March ahead of the May town meetings.

Regarding assessments, Proulx said that Halifax’s Silver Lake percentage remains the same for this coming year, but their shared costs assessment has gone down by nearly 2 percentage points.

Before adjourning, Schmaling reminded everyone that November 14 would be the next School Committee Meeting and a joint School Committee meeting with the rest of the District would be held on December 1.

Search begins for new Halifax TA

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The one-man Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Selectman Jonathan Selig began the meeting with the tedious task of approving minutes, warrants, bills, payments, and recycling abatements.

Town Administrator Search

Selig told those in attendance that they had formed the Search Committee who will be reviewing candidates for the open Town Administrator position. Town Accountant Sandra Nolan is currently filling in as an interim acting Town Administrator until the position can be filled on a permanent basis. Town Clerk Sue Lawless will be serving as the Chair of the Search Committee. Other municipal employees serving include Police Chief Joao Chaves, Fire Chief Mike Witham, and Nolan. Three citizens- at-large will also be serving. “It’s… a common practice to have both people in Town Hall as part of the Committee and then outside of Town Hall as well,” Selig explained. He said the three citizens that would be serving are Mel Conroy, Frank Johnston, and Candy Kniffen.

“Our post is live now; the ad is out and being advertised as we speak for our new Town Administrator; it will remain open for four weeks. After that time, the Sub-Committee will gather those resumes, look through, screen them, then after that screening process, hopefully whittle them down, bring in some folks for interviews and then whittle them down again to hopefully present to the Selectmen,” Selig explained of the process and the role of the Sub-Committee.

Veteran’s Day Celebration

Selig said that the town’s Veteran’s Day celebration will be on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. “If you forget, just remember 11,” Selig joked. He said that more details will be to come from acting Veteran’s Agent Steve Littlefield.

Election Updates

A number of appointments were made for election day workers. They included Pamela Adduci, Frederick Corrigan, Anne Hodge, Robert Kniffen, Dorothy Lamoureux, Hope McIver, Christina Palmer, Linda Saviano, Sarah Sloat, and Karen Thompson.

Selig provided an election update saying that they do now have candidates for the two open Selectmen positions. For the term expiring in 2025, there is one candidate, John Bruno. For the term expiring in 2024, there are five candidates – Dennis Carman, Mary Gravinese, Dave Mascio, Najwa Nessralla, and William Smith. Selig said, “I would like to personally thank those guys and gal for taking the time to get into the race. It’s not an easy thing to do; I think they deserve our appreciation and our credit; it’s not always easy to throw your hat in the ring and put yourselves out there so good luck to all of the candidates.”

Selig also voted to approve early voting for the Nov. 8 Selectmen’s race. Dates for early voting include Saturday, Oct. 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m, Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the week of Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The week prior to the election the hours will be Saturday, Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the week of Oct. 31.

EV Charging Station and ADA Ramp

“Some exciting news, we now have an electronic vehicle charging station that will be here at the parking lot at Town Hall… we hope to have that up and running next week,” Selig said of the new EV charging station. He said it will be on a card system.

Selig also provided an update on the ADA ramp at the Town Hall. “It was taking up our main stairway, we’ve been able to move it over to our permanent home,” Selig said. He thanked Scott Materna and the building crew and said he was happy to provide better access to the Town Hall.

Nolan said that the lining of the handicap spots in the parking lot would be happening soon as well.

Plympton seeks solar moratorium

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, Sept. 26. Christine Joy was not in attendance.

The Board approved early voting hours for the November election. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy went over the Board of Selectmen sponsored articles for the Special Town Meeting on November 30. Two of those articles are for acquisition of the Turkey Swamp parcel. Another is for the Fire Chief age restriction cap extension. It is currently capped at age 65 and the town is looking to petition the State to extend it to age 70 for Plympton’s Chief. Another is a simple Wage and Personnel bylaw which was described by Dennehy as “minor housekeeping.”

Yet another was for a temporary solar moratorium through July 1, 2023. “For all of the existing ground mounted solar projects, all of those were grandfathered in under the old bylaw,” Town Properties Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said. Dennehy said that there were no problems with existing projects, but rather the amount and frequency of the projects has led to the desire for a temporary moratorium on them. Selectman John Traynor said he would like an opportunity to evaluate the environmental impact of these projects.

Dennehy said the application she submitted for a Community Compact grant for just over $25,000 for technical assistance in developing an emergency preparedness plan was approved. She said they would not be eligible for funding of the updating of the Capital Improvement Plan. She said they may want to consider an article at town meeting in May to create a five-year Capital Improvement Plan.

The Selectmen ended with their rants and raves. “For Liz and the late in the week report she sends sort of giving background on agenda items… it really is tremendously helpful to have that information and have the weekend to think about and digest that,” Russo said. Traynor said he was approached by a CASA member who put him in touch with someone who was trying to find space for youth cheerleading. He said he reached out to Colleen Thompson and the church will now be hosting them for 8 sessions.