A public hearing was held during the Aug. 13 Halifax Board of Selectmen’s meeting to determine whether a dog is a nuisance or dangerous dog. The hearing stemmed from a complaint regarding a dog owned by Tabor McSherry.
Halifax’s Animal Control Officer (ACO) testified first. He said that the victim, Robert Wheeler, had a dog run up to him and his dog in his backyard. The offending dog started a fight with the victim’s dog. The dog was taken for a 10-day quarantine.
The ACO said, “from there, I figured the situation was solved and hopefully this wouldn’t happen again. Five days later, on June 24… I got another call… as I was pulling up to the scene I saw two officers… speaking with a female who was the dog walker of Tabor’s dog… I went over to talk to the victim, Mr. Wheeler… I then went and talked to the dog walker.” He continued, “I talked with Tabor on the phone once again and tried to explain to him how two bites in less than a week is a very bad situation to be in.”
The dog reportedly got loose when one of the prongs on it’s collar broke off allowing the dog to get free. The dog was described as a tan and white mixed hound approximately 50-60 lbs. He is also described as being “fairly muscular” and “lean.” Selectmen Chair John Bruno asked the ACO what his impression of the dog was upon handling him. “I could tell that he was dog aggressive… was looking to initiate the fight with the dog… but when I had custody of him he didn’t seem aggressive to me at all, seemed very good on the leash with me… overall was very good with people; didn’t seem aggressive to any of the officers on scene.”
Wheeler described the incidents as a “horrific attack” and said that the dog tried to rip his dog’s face off. He further stated that he no longer likes any dogs and is very fearful of them now. He said that the nurse at the Minute Clinic he went to told him he should go to the hospital due to injuries sustained to his arm.
Wheeler called the dog “vicious” and said it came directly into his living room. Selectman Jonathan Selig asked if he felt the injuries he sustained were from breaking up the fight between the dogs or the dog attacking him primarily. He said, “Either way, I still got bit.” He went on to say that he now stands in his doorway daily worrying if the dog is coming.
Town Counsel showed Wheeler a picture and asked him if it was an accurate photograph of what his arm looked like following the attack. He confirmed that it was.
McSherry, who has had the dog since February, testified next. “On the day of the first incident the dog was with the dog walker and had brought the dog into the backyard – it is a fenced-in back yard… she forgot to latch the gate which is how the dog initially escaped… so my dog went straight down the street and attacked his dog from what I heard. I wasn’t informed about the incident until about 8 o’clock that night,” McSherry said. He explained that on the day of the second incident, he picked up the prong collar from the Police Station. He also stated that he had hired a new dog walker. “Unbeknownst to me… that collar was broken so as soon as he went out the door that collar came right off of him and he took off down the street and attacked that same dog again,” McSherry said. Asked what type of dog he is, McSherry said he was a rescue but he believed he is a pointer. Bruno asked if he was licensed and was told he was not.
Bruno also asked McSherry if he has taken any steps to stop this type of event from happening again. McSherry responded that they have a new protocol now including wearing a harness and using a double-ended leash that latches to both the collar and harness. Selig asked if there were any other incidents regarding the dog and he said that an unleashed dog ran up to his dog and bit him in the face. He cited that since then, the dog has been apprehensive toward other dogs. Town Counsel confirmed that the only people who walk the dogs are McSherry and the new dog walker. Town Counsel also confirmed that the dog is typically friendly toward people, including children.
The current dog walker who was involved with the second incident also testified. She said that the dog was very comfortable with her despite it only being the second time she had met the dog. She said that the collar broke allowing the dog to get free and take off and eventually into Wheeler’s open door. She said that in addition to the double-end leash, she also keeps a leash wrapped around her waist. They asked her about her certifications and were told that she is a dog trainer. Selig said, “do you consider this dog to be reactive to all dogs?” She called him “more dog selective” meaning the dog can get along with some dogs but not others. She was asked in her opinion if the dog posed a risk and confirmed that she didn’t believe it did. Selig also asked her if she was bitten when separating the two dogs and she confirmed that she was.
The Animal Inspector, Brian Kling, spoke next explaining that he is the one who manages the quarantine which he said is strictly to vet for rabies. He said that the animal shelter, where the dog was staying, is akin to a prison for humans and noted that some dogs react poorly to being housed there. He said that it can cause them to be aggressive upon release, but he said he didn’t experience that.
The responding officer to the first incident also testified. He shared photographs he took when responding to the incident. He also shared that Wheeler was in fact bleeding.
Bruno explained they have three options. One, decide that the complaints should be dismissed. The other two options were to determine whether the dog was a nuisance dog or a dangerous dog. According to Bruno, nuisance refers to “activity which arises from unreasonable, unwarranted, or unlawful use by a person injuring the right of another and producing material annoyance, inconvenience, and discomfort.” Town Counsel said that deeming a dog a “nuisance” allows the Board to make a number of determinations regarding actions that must be taken. Deeming a dog a dangerous dog, on the other hand, limits which actions can be taken with the most extreme being that it is put down. Demanding that the dog be kept confined to a structure also falls under the dangerous category. “Nuisance you have a wide range of discretion,” Town Counsel explained.
Town Counsel said that the court would ask that the Selectmen “apply common sense.” Bruno said that his definition of a dangerous dog would be one that can’t live in society without extreme measures taken, up to and including euthanasia. Bruno said, “I think that this particular dog sounds to me that it needs some additional socialization and training.” He further said that he would like to declare the dog a nuisance dog with certain conditions that go along with that, most of which he said are already in place since the incident. Selig agreed with Bruno’s assessment. Selectman Thomas Pratt, however said that he believed the dog should be treated as a dangerous dog due to the two incidents happening in quick succession.
Bruno made a motion that they declare the dog a nuisance dog. Selig seconded it. Bruno and Selig voted in favor of the motion while Pratt voted against it. Majority won and the dog was declared a nuisance.
The ACO said that regarding conditions, he would recommend the double leashing and possibly the waist leash as well. He also said that a muzzle may want to be considered. “I think confining this dog to the property is a little extreme, especially for the type of breed that this is… it needs to be walked… get that exercise,” he said. He also recommended dog-on-dog training to remedy aggression toward some dogs. Kling also spoke again saying he recommended a minimum of a 6 ft. fence in the yard as well as having a backup dog walker that knows the requirements and how to handle the dog.
Bruno said, as part of the order, he would like a written plan for additional training for the dog. He also advocated for the triple leashing as well as a muzzle for a determined amount of time. Selig said his three things were the triple restraint, the 6 ft. fence, and a plan for a trained professional backup dog walker. He said he didn’t see a reason for a muzzle. Kling said, “muzzling the dog while the dog is out in public is a good short-term answer.”
The Selectmen voted to declare the dog a nuisance dog who has to be triple-restrained when off the property, including a muzzle. Secondly, the yard must be enclosed entirely by a secure 6-ft. fence, at a minimum. Thirdly, a written training plan must be submitted by the Selectmen’s next meeting. The dog must also be licensed in the town.

The Halifax Conservation Commission met on Tuesday, August 13. Chair Alan Dias was joined by Co-chair Kathy Evans and member Edward Lane.
A public hearing was held for a stormwater management permit at 265 Monponsett St. The request was filed in May by JDE Civil Inc. on behalf of the applicant Thorndike Development. Thorndike Development plans to build a 3-story, 30-unit 55+ senior housing facility. The building is set to be built beside the new senior center which will be gifted to the town by Thorndike. New pickleball courts, a pool, a pool house, and associated parking garages are also included.
President and principal engineer at JDE Civil, Gregory Driscoll, gave a presentation on their plans. He said that all other necessary boards and commissions had reviewed the plans and provided comment. Pat Brennan of PGB Engineering said he reviewed the plan for both the Conservation Commission for the stormwater management and the Planning Board for the site plan review. He said that all his original comments have since been addressed by JDE Civil.
Several members of the public were concerned with the project resulting in flooding for them after efforts were already taken on their behalf to remediate existing flooding. An abutter asked if she could expect flooding after installing her own French drain and was ensured there wouldn’t be any.
Joseph Tonello, who owns 284 Monponsett St. (Shelby Plaza), asked how many bedrooms there would be in the planned building. He explained that the amount of water going into the building and subsequently returned to the draining ditches was determined not by bathrooms but bedrooms. He was told there would be 24 one-bedroom units with the rest being two bedroom.
Patricia Sullivan said that Halifax Meadows did a big water diversion project a few years ago. As a resident there she was looking for assurance that this project wouldn’t cause a problem to resurface. Driscoll said that no problems should reoccur and added that the plans were in accordance with DEP regulations and the Water Protection Act. Still another resident asked if the new project would be raising elevations. Driscoll said, “we are raising some portions of the site.”
Dias asked for an explanation of some of the basics of stormwater for the sake of the public. Driscoll explained, “a detention basin would be a basin that just holds the water; it doesn’t allow any water to recharge into the ground… an infiltration basin… is designed for water to infiltrate to the bottom and recharge the groundwater table.” Brennan added, “the main thing is that you cannot increase post development runoff off site; the other thing is that you are supposed to kind of mirror what happens today with what goes into the ground now – you basically have to put the same amount back into the ground in post development… obviously when you pave a site you’re blocking it from going into the ground so you have to put these artificial… either they’re open air basins or sub surface infiltration basins. That’s the mechanism to get that water back into the ground.”
Dias told Driscoll that he didn’t feel that the plan was complete enough to close the hearing. “In my conversations with the Health Department, there were still some issues to be resolved,” Dias said. He suggested that they continue the hearing. Following Dias saying he believed the Conservation Commission was the final town board to give approval, Amy L. Troup spoke saying that the Planning Board had not yet approved the site plan. The Conservation Commission voted to continue the hearing to August 27.
They also held a hearing for a stormwater management permit for the proposed project at 266 Monponsett St., across the street from the previous one discussed. Brennan spoke saying that while the previous project retained approximately 75,000 cubic ft. this project is retaining around 8,000 cubic ft. Dias confirmed that the Fire Chief asked for specific changes that were included in the plan.
Tonello asked what the elevations are “today” on the property “before you start filling stuff.” He was told 73 ft. “My system though is 5 ft. above the parking lot; I just had it replaced and there is no way there’s only 3 ft. from the top of my system to the existing property there right now,” Tonello said. He continued, “I stand on your property, my septic system is over my head – I’m a lot taller than 3 ft.” He noted that his system cost $180,000. Tonello added, “I’m not here to stop this, I’m here to make sure it doesn’t impact me.” Dias said that sometimes the elevations can be off a foot because the computers don’t “take a shot every 25 ft.” Dias asked Brennan if he was comfortable with the plan. Brennan said, “all proposed impervious surfaces on site will discharge to those infiltration systems.”
Dias asked Driscoll how they planned to address the number of trucks that it will take to complete the plan. Dias said that he estimated that it would take over 700 trucks to fill the site and another 300 for the development. Dias also said he had spoken to the Police Chief and there were concerns. “We can’t have half a dozen trucks backed up… that’s going to cause a major problem at that intersection,” Dias told Driscoll. He did note that the issue was likely outside the purview of the Conservation Commission.
Brennan said that they had submitted a plan from the traffic engineer that showed solar operated blinking yellow lights at the crosswalk and advanced warning signs saying that there is a crosswalk ahead. “They’ve committed to installing that infrastructure to make that a safer cross there,” Brennan said. The Commission voted to continue the hearing to August 27.
The Commission also interviewed Paul Doucette to fill an opening on the Commission. They voted unanimously to send a letter to the Selectmen informing them of their recommendation to appoint Doucette.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Monday, Aug. 5. Alyssa Papantonakis from the Old Colony Planning Council presented an update on the 2017 Housing Production Plan. Selectman John Traynor said that a similar presentation was given at the library and was met with “great enthusiasm.” Papantonakis described the Old Colony Planning Council or OCPC as “a regional planning agency created in 1967 to improve the physical, social, and economic conditions of the district.” She explained affordable housing and said that a household is considered “house burdened” if they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing-related costs.
She said that households qualify for affordable housing if they are at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income. According to Papantonakis the median income for a family of four in Plympton is $97,800. “If under 10 percent of the housing stock is affordable, local zoning boards of appeals can approve affordable housing development proposals under flexible rules,” she explained. Plympton is currently around 4-5 percent. From 2000 to 2020, Plympton’s population grew 11 percent. She also said that 22.8 percent of owner-occupied homes and 45 percent of renter-occupied homes are house burdened. Papantonakis went over a “menu” of possible solutions.
Selectman Mark Russo asked if anything set Plympton apart from other towns in terms of their needs. He was told that Plympton’s topography and wetlands as well as its small size sets them apart. It was also said that compared to neighboring communities, Plympton has a high subsidized housing inventory (SHI) at around 5 percent. Russo also asked, “when we get our accessory dwelling unit program really built up, will an ADU [Accessory Dwelling Units] count toward the 10 percent of stock?” He was told that in the State’s most recent iteration of the Housing Bond Bill, ADUs are allowed to built as of right in single-family zoning districts.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy asked, “Where would you say we’re at as far as the ADUs and the timeframe – like say we wanted to apply for a technical assistance grant to get your help with maybe looking at what we have in place for our ADU bylaw, maybe along with this housing bond bill if that language is in fact implemented, and seeing about a way that we could make better use of it, like actually get our residents to understand what they might be allowed to do with their property.” She continued, “There are people here in town that maybe aren’t even aware that we have some of these regulations in place to assist them if maybe they have a family member who needs to downsize and maybe they want to come live with them.” She was told that Mass Housing Partnership (MHP) might have something available to help with that. Papantonakis also mentioned the District and Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) which becomes available once a year. Dennehy noted that they have taken advantage of DLTA in recent years.
Regarding the plan, the Selectmen were told that the plan would not be adopted until accepted by the Planning Board. “If you’re looking for technical assistance or other support for ADUs or any of this, having an adopted Housing Production Plan is additional points,” one of the representatives from OCPC said.
The Selectmen also reviewed the Code of Conduct for boards and committees and considered it for adoption. Dennehy explained, “the idea was to give boards and committees, in particular, but also department heads to give them some tools that they could use that if they were encountering a difficult situation, either with a member of the public or an employee, something of that nature; it would just be another tool in the toolkit to have something concrete to point to and utilize for documentation purposes.” Dennehy further said that she hoped it would be a reminder to people that “we are on the same team.” She told the Selectmen that she was looking for approval of the concept from them, noting that she planned to get feedback from boards, committees, and department heads before finalizing the document.
During her update, Dennehy said that Selectman Dana Smith donated a P.A. system for the Townhouse. Dennehy said that Area 58 would assist in getting it up and running. “Our people in the audience should hopefully be able to hear us and we should be able to hear them… so big thank you to Dana for setting us up with that system,” Dennehy said.
Dennehy told the Selectmen that Erik and Katrina Player resigned from the Recreation Commission leaving two open positions. The Selectmen also voted to appoint Deborah Batson to the Council on Aging Board effective August 5 through June 30, 2027.
The Selectmen ended their meeting with their raves. Traynor said that the Recreation Commission came to the library on Saturday. “It’s just amazing, the work they have been doing,” he said. He said that the Commission is hoping to get someone to fill the open positions that has experience with construction and project management. He said that they are working on a walking trail around Holt Field that will be accessible by a wide array of people. Selectman Mark Russo said his rave was for some progress by the OCPC on housing as well as the progress on the Code of Conduct. “And actually the one I’m really excited about is Town Counsel coming to the next meeting and updating us on some ongoing litigation,” Russo said. Dennehy said that her rave was for the community liaison for Eversource who pointed her in the direction of a grant opportunity that allows for Eversource to donate $2,000 toward National Night Out in partnership with the Firefighter’s Association.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, July 23. They began by entering into executive session to discuss negotiations with the Assistant Town Accountant as well as to discuss strategy with respect to litigation involving Morse Brothers. After returning to open session, the Selectmen approved a Memorandum of Agreement with the Assistant Town Accountant for a temporary pay increase while they are without a Town Accountant in the office.
Selectmen Chair John Bruno said, “We were made aware recently that Morse Brothers had started or were engaged in trucking what we think is sand, gravel, or some such thing off of their property over the last week or so, couple of weeks, I guess. Once we were made aware of that we discussed with Counsel what to do and the result of that is that the Board has issued a letter to Morse Brothers constituting a cease-and-desist order and an assessment of a fine for multiple violations of the town of Halifax’s soil removal bylaw.” He noted that the letter, which he read during the meeting, had been sent on July 18. A portion of the letter read, “the recent earth removal was not authorized by the soil removal permit because Morse Brothers had already removed almost all of the soil authorized by the soil removal permit. By letter dated May 3, 2024, Attorney Rosenberg stated that 19,908 yards of sand/earth had been removed from the property during the period of February 12, 2024 to April 5, 2024.” The letter also noted that the total earth removal allowed by the bylaw was plus or minus 20,000 cubic yards. Bruno told those assembled that they had been advised by Counsel not to discuss the matter any further in open session.
“Almost a year ago, the Selectmen… reinstituted the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee with a charge to review Zoning Bylaw taking into account all kinds of issues… including the potential for the MBTA Zoning that we do need to address by the end of the year,” Bruno said. He complimented the Committee, including the Building Commissioner and Town Administrator on their work on the large task. He said that he anticipated them having their recommendations ready for the next Town Meeting. Town Administrator Cody Haddad said that there were some “changes of substance” and noted that they would try and hold some public workshops to explain.
Library trustees appointed
The Selectmen met with the Library Trustees for some appointments. The Board spoke with Tina Palmer and Holly Dillon regarding their appointments from now until the election in May. Both spoke to their many qualifications before being unanimously appointed by the Board. “That’s two fantastic resume’s right there,” Bruno said.
Government study committee
The Selectmen also discussed the Government Study Committee that is being created to review the town’s governmental structure. Haddad read, “the Government Study Committee shall consist of seven members, five of which shall be voting members, one representative from the Board of Selectmen, four other members at-large appointed by the Board of Selectmen, the Town Administrator and Town Counsel; the Board of Selectmen representative shall serve as Chair of the Committee. The Selectmen are taking talent bank forms for consideration during the first Board of Selectmen meeting in September.
ARPA funds change
Haddad addressed the need for a change in the allocation of ARPA funds for Silver Lake. “The Board had previously allocated $463,380 to fund Halifax’s portion of air conditioning at Silver Lake that was initially supposed to install air conditioning at both the Middle School and the High School; they have gone out to bid on that project and that has come in over budget by $262,980 and that’s actually only going to do half of the AC at the Middle School,” Haddad said. He also said that there was another project to install a rooftop unit on the High School cafeteria. Halifax funded their portion of over $100,000 during Town Meeting; that project came in at a deficit. He asked the Selectmen to move the money around to better meet the needs of the projects though he noted that there was no net increase.
Summer Intern
Haddad told the Selectmen that their intern, Eva Chapman, created a monthly newsletter in order to assist with transparency with the town. Chapman is a rising high school senior. She did an interview with Town Accountant Sandra Nolan upon her retiring, among other stories. She said she was also hoping to come out with a video newsletter. Chapman said that she is also trying a new initiative to highlight different local businesses.
Summer Smash!
Before adjourning, Selectman Jonathan Selig said that the 20th annual summer smash softball tournament, which he called one of the largest in Eastern Massachusetts, would be occurring during August 2, 3, and 4. He warned residents that there would be a lot of people in town during those days. “It’s a lot of fun but so the residents are aware, the school lot will be very full; we’re kind of the crown jewel of town softball tournaments,” Selig said.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, June 25, holding a joint meeting with the Parks Commission to discuss operations at the town beach and boat ramp.
Parks Commission member Michael Schleiff gave a presentation on plans received from Grady Engineering for potential upgrades, repairs, and new amenities to be added. Schleiff also addressed the fee for illegal parking at the beach and boat ramp. He called the $15 fine “antiquated” and recommended raising the fee to $50. Police Chief Joao Chaves was also present to answer questions regarding enforcement of the parking fines. Schleiff also said that they haven’t yet been able to fill the parking attendant position. The Commission voted in favor of raising the fine. In addition to the rules around parking, there are also no wake zones in force for up to 300 ft.
The Commission also discussed some problems they’ve faced at the beach including the portable restroom being knocked over. Potential solutions include either removing it or chaining it to the fence. They also showed an image of all the trash that had been picked up at the beach. They said that it appeared that some people have been using the barrels there for their household trash.
Chaves and the Police Department gave a presentation regarding the beach and boat ramp. They acknowledged the frustrations of the residents and said they understand their position. As a result of the issues, several of the town bylaws will be revisited and revised. The Police said that they have enlisted the help of the environmental police.
The Rte. 58 State Boat Ramp is run by the State and the Department of Fish and Game. The Police said that any car found there not to have a boat trailer or being used to launch a kayak or similar boat can be cited. The intended purpose of those parking spots is for taking boats in and out of the water. A resident asked why they can’t do that with the 4th Ave. Beach. He said that his property directly abuts that area and there ends up being a lot of jet skis on or near his property. He was told that the change would require a bylaw revision.
Regarding the Holmes St. beach, the Police said that the sign needs to be amended as it isn’t clear who can and cannot park there. For Lingan St., the Police said that the beach is the busiest it has been in nearly two decades. Individuals wishing to buy a one-day pass, can get one from the Selectmen’s office. The Police noted that many people were just accepting the $15 fine and that increasing it to $50 should help to derail that behavior. The Police also made it clear that they have no authority to tow cars off private property. They said that the property owners would need to contact a private towing company. They also said that, unlike in other communities, there is no enforcement in the town’s bylaws for public consumption of alcohol.
A resident asked what it would take to make a Halifax resident-only beach. Selectmen Chair John Bruno said, “If anything, that would probably be a bylaw change so we would have to get that through Town Meeting, but we can look into it.” Haddad said, “Again, it goes back to an enforcement issue.”
Many residents took to the microphone to express concerns or offer proposed solutions. One resident said that enforcement of regular hours at the beach and ramp would be useful. Another requested that Morse Brothers close the gates to their property to prohibit access there. One resident expressed concern that the jet skis parked along the street could prohibit emergency vehicles from accessing the area were there an emergency. A new resident to the town said that all of the various signage at the beaches and boat ramps is very confusing and had left her unclear of what the rules are.
The owner of 550 Tavern spoke saying they just completed some extensive renovations to the wedding facility. She said that the jet skiers were “clearly exceeding” the speed limit “by probably double.” She said that during a wedding rehearsal the previous week, there were 13 jet skiers close to the shore and the resulting noise left the bride in tears. Of the need for a parking attendant, she also said that she had “loads of staff that would love to monitor a parking lot for $17 an hour.” The business owner said that there was one occasion last year where the jet skiers were yelling “don’t do it, don’t do it” at her clients that were getting married.
Resident Dave Mascio offered to spearhead the volunteer effort to get people to take turns monitoring illegal parking.
The Selectmen also dealt with some old business including holding their meetings at various locations in town. Bruno said, “What we did last year, we did what we called road shows… tried to have Selectmen’s meetings in different locations in the town, for two reasons – one to get us out of the building and the second to kind of provide a little more exposure to groups.” He continued, “It worked well, the only problem is we don’t have the facilities necessarily to do that in regular Selectmen’s meetings so I’m making a proposal that the Board of Selectmen sponsor… individual meetings of the various departments and committees in other parts of the town – the recycling center comes to mind, maybe the Highway Barn… and it would be a ten- minute meeting at this particular place… and we’d have some exposure on Area 58.”
Bruno also told the Selectmen that they had an inquiry from Plympton asking about regionalizing an IT department. Haddad said that he felt that Halifax needed to strengthen their own IT department before proceeding with any kind of joint department. He did note that he has a meeting with Plympton in July to discuss regionalization of various departments, etc. The County is also exploring possible regionalization of areas such as pond management.
The Selectmen reviewed a policy on the lighting of Town Hall. “This is just to make sure that we have a consistent policy since we’ve gotten requests recently; this is something that has come up new… the policy that’s proposed would be – may be lit up in honor of heritage and history months declared by the federal government; all town applicable laws have to be followed; requests have to come to the Town Administrator,” Bruno said. The Selectmen voted in favor of the policy.
Bruno explained a new policy that requires that town volunteers undergo certain trainings. He noted that it would be especially useful for those boards and commissions that require some technical expertise.
The Selectmen also discussed establishing a seven-member government study committee. “The whole purpose of it is to have a group, a committee, dedicated to evaluating our current form of government and making recommendations for changes, if any,” Bruno explained.
The Selectmen approved three separate one-day liquor license requests for Tipsy Mermaid, LLC for July 14, August 11, and September 9 for the Farm at Raven Brook. The Police, Fire, and Board of Health had all previously signed off on it.
The Selectmen acknowledged Town Accountant Sandra Nolan with a plaque for all of her years of dedication to the town. Nolan is retired as of the end of June. “She’s done a wonderful job for us and it’s a well deserved retirement,” Bruno said.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, June 18. Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas O’Brien appeared before the Board to present an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) check for Silver Lake High School HVAC improvements to the cafeteria. Selectmen Chair Eric Crone said that the current rooftop unit has outlived its life expectancy at 20 years old.
O’Brien noted that Kingston was his hometown and said he was neighbors with Crone during his time in town. Referring to Plymouth County, O’Brien said, “our community under CARES Act received twice as much as communities outside of Plymouth County because we took all the funds and funneled them back to our communities.” He also said that Kingston is now the eighth community out of the 27 to use all of the ARPA money allocated to them. He reviewed some of the highlights of ways in which the CARES and ARPA funds had been used in Kingston.
The Board also authorized a letter of support to the EEA for the Housing Production/Housing Needs Assessment Plan update per the recommendation of the Town Planner. The grant request is for just over $44k. The updated plan allows for the town to apply for various housing grants.
Former Police Chief Maurice Splaine was seeking two grant application authorizations for the Police Department. One is for the Department of Mental Health clinician position and another for federal funding for an officer position. Regarding the clinician position, Town Administrator Keith Hickey said, “respectfully, understand that if we are fortunate enough to be awarded this grant, we would have to be going into a fall town meeting looking for some additional funding in some manner to address the 25 percent salary cost share and the benefits as well so that’s the responsibility that the community would have to be absorbing.” The Chief also said that the mental health clinician would be a shared resource with any other neighboring communities that were interested. He also confirmed that were the town to have to absorb the cost in the future it would be in the ballpark of $60k to $100k per year.
Selectman Kimberley Emberg said, “Given the budget constraints we’re about to face this year – that’s my only hesitation is adding anything this year. I think this is a great program. I support it, in theory. This year, it’s really hard for me to add anything knowing that we’re going to be pushing up against the levy limit and looking at potentially an override that we discussed at Town Meeting.”
The Chief said that were he to go through the process and then turn it down were it accepted, it might jeopardize future opportunities. Emberg asked if they would be better off waiting a year. Ultimately, however, the Board did vote to support the Chief applying for both grants.
Crone said that the Board needed to address whether to establish a public safety committee or working group for the Pembroke St. Police and Fire Station expansion per the Fire and Police Chiefs. The recommendation is that the committee include both chiefs as well as the Town Administrator, the Building Inspector, one Selectman, and one Finance Committee member. Hickey explained that they were seeking to form the committee now, so they could pull together a proposal as quickly as possible. The previous committee’s Chair Sandra MacFarlane spoke saying that they were disappointed to learn that they were being disbanded and felt that they were “pushed aside” at Town Meeting. The Selectmen voted to create the new committee with the addition of a Capital Planning Committee member and a former member of the previous committee.
The Selectmen also appointed a Tax Title Custodian. Emberg said the former Treasurer resigned from the role leaving a pile of tax title properties.
Hickey said that one problem in the past was the position has complete control over which properties get sent to auction. After speaking with Counsel, Hickey said that a neighboring community brought forth a bylaw that outlines a check and balance for the process.
Hickey also advocated for not having a volunteer named to the position due to its importance and complexity. Current Tax Collector Ken Moalli spoke saying that he hoped to achieve a AAA credit rating and it wouldn’t be possible without dealing with the tax title custodial work. “I have no agenda here other than to reduce the receivable that we have,” he said.
The other applicant, Jim Franklin, spoke saying that he felt that him coming in as a “third party independent” candidate would be helpful. He said that establishing a “repeatable process” was necessary so that it wouldn’t need to be thought about in the future. Emberg asked if he saw serving on the Conservation Commission as being a conflict. Franklin was adamant that it was not.
While deliberating on the two applicants, Crone pointed out that the position served at the pleasure of the Board and at any time, they could reappoint someone or appoint someone new. They voted 4-1 to appoint Franklin as the new Tax Title Custodian.
The Board discussed creating a working group to investigate the possibility of a privately run transfer station. The proposed group would consist of a Streets, Trees, and Parks Superintendent, a Building Official, a Planning Director, Town Administrator, one Selectman, and one Planning Board member. The Selectmen voted to create the working group.
Crone provided an update as the liaison for the Silver Lake safety issue at the intersection of Rt. 27 and Lake and Station Streets. “There have been more accidents. There have been several and the owners of Nino’s have a great cam… a professional Ring cam, so they’ve provided some video to our public safety,” Crone said. He also described a fairly bad accident that included injuries. “We’re going to be applying for some grant money… there’s been some look into a traffic light… the preference seems to be for a round-a-bout, not a rotary, but a round-a-bout,” he continued.
The Board also unanimously voted to approve an agricultural fair on September 29 on the lawn of the Town House.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Monday, June 3. They began the meeting with a license renewal for the town of Plympton’s cable. Selectman Mark Russo said that federal and state law mandate that they hold a public hearing to ascertain the community’s need for continued cable services.
Russo explained the role of Area 58 before proceeding with public comment. “Public access TV in Plympton is funded by a small percentage of revenue from the local cable company. The funds are used to establish a cable studio which we call Area 58 Community Access Media; it’s a nonprofit organization and the way these things are set up it is separate from town government and therefore has more freedom from perceived or real oversight,” Russo explained.
Marilyn Browne, chairman of the Finance Committee spoke saying, “I know how critically important it is for people to be informed and not isolated and I think that this program offers that opportunity for people who may be ill or weather related incidents and they can’t get out and I just think it’s very critical that we keep it up and keep people informed.” Kimberly Russo spoke next saying it was needed for history. Russo said, “We’ll have it forever… we use it to settle a lot of arguments in town… so I think we need it.” Colleen Thompson, Director of Elder Affairs and member of the Town Properties Committee said, “I do believe this is very important to the town.” She noted that they recently held a well-attended forum in town on the importance of new buildings, but said that those that couldn’t attend were able to watch it back.
Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy also spoke saying that she felt that it was ultimately about transparency and noted that she hoped for a beneficial contract between the town and the company. Russo said that he came up with a list of reasons why cable access was necessary. The first on his list was that despite the number of volunteers, etc. in town, they are a small community with limited expertise in broadcasting and publishing. Russo said that they also offer a training program. He also noted transparency and the elderly population as being two additional reasons to continue with Area 58. “Area 58 is a shared service, it combines the cable access activities of Plympton, Carver, and Halifax… it is a beautiful example and maybe one of the best examples of shared services and how dynamic that model can be because in my heart of hearts, I ultimately believe these small towns that are so strapped financially – one of the main ways out of it, is finding additional ways to share services,” Russo said.
Executive Director of Area 58 Rich Goulart also spoke. “We’re just starting really in what we can do for the town, I would really love to see more and more people really come in and do the public access side of things and really start producing their own programs on any of their own interests, we’ll do everything we can along the way,” he said. He also said that they would continue to do what they could for the government including the schools. Goulart said that they do what they can to get things posted to YouTube as well as their own channel.
The Senior Manager of Government Relations for Comcast, Michael Galla, also spoke saying they are happy to work with the town to get whatever they need with relation to Internet and fiber. “I just want to let everyone know we have our internet essentials plan; we have two plans available, one for $9.95 per month and one that’s a little higher that offers two different speed tiers; it does allow for people to get access that are lower income,” he explained regarding seniors and others that may be in need. Selectman John Traynor asked about the qualifications and was told that they are income based and take into consideration things like whether or not they are on social security. “It’s not very cumbersome,” he said.
The Selectmen closed the public hearing before moving onto a departmental update from the Town Accountant Lisa Hart. “I’ve begun setting up FY25… I did set the Special Town Meeting articles have all been done… the money that was approved from the schools from general stabilization and the line transfers.” She also said that she can’t officially close the books until roughly September or even October.
The Selectmen discussed with the Accountant the DOS database system employed by the town for presentation of financial information. Russo said, “If we could present it in a more vibrant way, I think that would be very helpful.” Traynor agreed saying that if they could have a technology person to turn to, it would greatly help with such things. Russo said, “we just need to fund that position and that might just be one of the ones for a shared service.” Traynor proposed using Silver Lake’s technology department potentially.
The Board also discussed pricing for mosquito and tick control on the fields in town including Holt Field. Dennehy went over the pricing structures for some of the different companies. The cost for spraying Harry Jason Park was significantly greater due to the larger acreage. Traynor said he would like to talk to recreation first. “So they’re building that walking path but we have to get it so it’s a walking path that’s usable by seniors and disabled people, but I don’t know what the cost of that is,” Traynor said. Dennehy said that there were no plans to pave that walking path until they get further into the town campus-wide projects. Dennehy noted that Plymouth County Mosquito Control can come and do the spraying from the back of the truck. She said that the substance that is sprayed is different than that from private companies and often doesn’t reach the back of the property. She also told the Selectmen that aerial spraying is outside of their purview. Russo said that his preference was to begin with hiring someone to spray Holt. Regarding the walking path, he said that he is more than glad to do fundraising to ensure that an accessible pathway at Harry Jason Park is created. The Selectmen voted to have Oh Deer conduct spraying twice a month through early September.
Dennehy provided a Town Administrator’s update. She said the town was working with the Old Colony Planning Council on a road safety audit on the intersection of Rt. 58 and Center St. “They’ve done some preliminary traffic counts and things of that nature,” she explained. “It’s a dangerous intersection,” Traynor added. She also said that the Green Communities Grant application she applied for to finish out the work on the library heating system is still pending. The application is for just over $240,000. Dennehy also said that $36,720 for another HVAC rooftop unit at Dennett Elementary School was earmarked through Senator Susan Moran. Another $5k would be going toward a lease agreement on a new police cruiser.
The Selectmen ended their meeting with their raves for the past few weeks. Russo said that “transparency and civility in town government” is a sub-context that got him started in local government and that he enjoys seeing it furthered. Traynor agreed about transparency and said that he feels that communication is vital.
He also raved for the Memorial Day Committee. “So far, all of the feedback I have heard is very positive so looking forward to next year,” Traynor said. Selectman Dana Smith agreed and said his rave was also for the Memorial Day event. “It’s just a great event,” he said.