Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

You are here: Home / Archives for Kristy Zamagni-Twomey, Express Correspondent

Plympton Selectmen seek OCPC traffic advice

By

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, March 8. Several representatives of the Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC) were invited to attend the meeting by Selectman Christine Joy to provide technical assistance regarding the safety zones that had been brought forth by the Selectmen and voted through at town meeting. The zones reduce speeds at certain problematic intersections in town.

Bill McNulty with the OCPC spoke about what they could do to provide assistance including advice regarding sign placement. He said that they can collect data to interpret what kind of effects the signs are having. Much of the technical assistance provided by OCPC has to do with speed limits. They can place tubes in the road that will record traffic volume, speed, and type of vehicle. McNulty also said that they could explore possible traffic calming techniques including narrowing travel lanes. He said that narrowing travel lanes has a “demonstrative effect on lowering speeds.”

Selectman Chair Mark Russo noted that the signs posted thus far alerting drivers to the reduced speed zones have not helped slow down traffic. “We’d like all the help we can get; the two areas where we established the safety zones are just hellaciously uncomfortable,” Russo told the OCPC representatives. Russo also said that he was interested in possibly reducing truck traffic or having a truck exclusion. McNulty said it was a possibility but that an alternate route would have to be available to trucks in order to gain approval from MassDOT. “We’ll look at the traffic pattern and identify the best alternate route for trucks,” he explained.

Joy said that any of the recommended work could eventually become a TIP project or a Transportation Improvement Program with federal funding. She noted that the data, etc. collected by OCPC would be helpful.

Next, the Selectmen looked at some possible town meeting articles. Chair of the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen spoke to several related potential articles including the largest and priciest of which – a roof replacement at the Town House for an estimated $500,000. Wilhelmsen said that regardless of what decision is made about the work, some attention will likely need to be devoted to the project. Other potential articles related to the town campus include $7,500 for roof assessments at both the library and fire station and $7,000 for flagpole refurbishments at two locations in town. Other possible articles include a fund for general consultant and preliminary design services and the Center St. building refurbishment. The Town Properties Committee will prepare recommendations for the Selectmen to consider during their March 22 meeting.

Other potential articles include repurposing the leftover funds from the article that was created when hiring Town Administrator Liz Dennehy. The account still has $10,311 in it that could be put toward general search assistance for professional positions. Another possible article is for $5,000 toward hiring a hydrologist to perform analysis of reporting and consequences of Rocky Harvest water withdrawal. Joy explained that it would allow them to see trends.

The selectmen also discussed next steps with the proposal for a marijuana cultivation site in town from their previous meeting. Nick Rizzo had appeared before the Board during their previous meeting to inquire about their interest in his business which would include multiple greenhouses. The facility would not be public facing and the product would be sold to other establishments in the Commonwealth. Selectmen John Traynor said he had already received one message from a resident that was adamantly opposed to it as they were concerned about it being visible from Spring St.

There is a list of questions including potential revenue to the town that will be sent to Rizzo and his partner. The Selectmen can then decide what next steps to take based on the responses. Russo said that he sees the potential for revenue for the town without much disturbance. “I am kind of excited about this one for it being low impact and potentially in the exact right place,” Russo said. Rizzo had discussed a potential location with the Selectmen during the previous meeting though he doesn’t yet own any land in town.

The Selectmen also discussed how best to handle town owned land disposition, particularly lots of low value. Dennehy said the process is different if the lot is worth less than $35,000. She also noted that accepting a price that is much less than what it appraises for could raise issues with the State. Dennehy said that options include holding an auction or putting the land out to bid as was done recently for the Prospect Rd. lots. She said she would recommend an auction for low value land saying that she would reserve going out to bid for buildable lots or lots where fair market value could be attained.

Russo said he was strongly leaning toward not selling the Churchill property at this time. Traynor said he was not in favor of selling the land. Joy said she felt it imperative that the town get some of the land back on the tax roll by selling the lots. She suggested batching them and “having an auction and trying to get rid of them.” Joy ultimately suggested sending the list to the Town Properties Committee to make sure there were no lots that could potentially be suitable for a town project. The other selectmen agreed with those next steps.

Dennehy provided the Selectmen with her Town Administrator’s report. She said that herself and the Fire Chief are working on a grant opportunity to replace the cistern at the Town Green and possibly put one or two more elsewhere in the town. She said that she was unsure if the application would be successful as it is a large grant program and extremely competitive. She noted that it may work in their favor that they are a small town with a small ask.

The open town accountant position has been advertised in various places and will remain posted through March 17.  Dennehy said the open assistant treasurer/collector position was posted as well as of Monday.

Dennehy also said that the town had received correspondence from Habitat for Humanity who had previously presented to the Board during a meeting several weeks back. They were interested in looking at potential places where they could collaborate with the town on a possible project. The Selectmen expressed interest in doing a site visit with them to look at some potential lots. Russo said that while building a single-family home would be great for one family, what really interested him was the potential to offer affordable housing to elderly residents.

The Selectmen also voted unanimously on a Purple Hearts Community Proclamation. The vote would make August 7 a day to honor Purple Heart recipients in Plympton and encourage residents to do things such as fly the American flag.

As is customary for them, the Selectmen ended their meeting with their rants or raves of the last few weeks. Traynor said that his rave was for Mike Murphy, the manager of the Upland Club, for working with the Council on Aging to allow a Zumba class to be hosted in the pavilion for Plympton seniors. Joy said that her rave was for Jon Wilhelmsen, the School Committee, and the school staff who have been working so hard to get the kids back in school. Russo said his rave was for vaccines. “My rave is even more for the peace of mind that vaccines may offer in the near future; that sense of relief, that sense of being protected and maybe some sense of getting back to normalcy,” he explained.

Five days in-person classes at Dennett?

By

The Plympton School Committee met virtually on Monday, Feb. 22, to discuss, among other things, their plan for increased in-person learning time. It was a well-attended meeting with many parents eager to hear the proposal.

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto led the discussion on the new plan. Veneto began by explaining that capacity limitations and physical distancing requirements on buses were lifted on February 11. The physical distancing requirement at lunch remains at 6 ft. Veneto proposed a return to full, in-person learning five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily. The current hybrid model includes 12 hours of in-person learning and the newly proposed plan would increase that to 20 hours. There would be no lunch or recess in school under Veneto’s plan but there would be an afternoon component of either asynchronous or synchronous remote learning depending on the grade level. The cafeteria staff would have to organize a sort of grab and go breakfast and lunch program.

Veneto explained that by not serving lunch during the day, it affords them space in the cafeteria to be utilized as classrooms. Gym class would also have to be held somewhere other than the gymnasium as that space would likely also be used as a classroom. Under the new plan, afternoons on Wednesdays would be reserved for professional development and planning for the staff. The hope would be to begin the new model at the beginning of Term 3 on March 22.

Next steps will include sending out a survey to parents to assess their level of interest and comfort in the new model. Veneto said they will also need to find out if the bus company, First Student, will be able to accommodate the newly proposed hours. Veneto said that he is not anticipating any budget implications for the new model at this time.

The fully remote Cohort C was also discussed with Veneto saying that they would have to take a hard look at the current staff and make determinations about whether new hires will have to be made. Parent Jessica Kinsman asked if the Cohort C students could potentially lose their current teachers. Veneto said, “To be truthful, that is a possible scenario.” Kinsman asked that the Cohort C students retain their current teachers to reduce the number of transitions they will need to be subjected to in an already difficult year. Veneto said that he understood noting that he was concerned with providing them the same level of effort and support as the other cohorts. The State has mandated 35 hours of synchronous learning over a 10-day school period this year for schools that are in a hybrid model. Committee member Jason Fraser said that regardless of the requirement, if 40 hours of synchronous learning time is provided for the in-person cohorts, the same 40 hours must be met for the fully remote students in the interest of equity.

Several parents on the call had questions regarding lunchtime and whether it might be feasible for students to eat in the classrooms if physical distancing requirements of six feet were already in place. Veneto said the greatest challenge would be having supervision on the children. Parent Nikki Mahoney asked if there was any consideration for parent volunteers to alleviate the stress of monitoring the kids at lunchtime. “I definitely would be open to people possibly coming in to help out,” Veneto said. Many parents on the call offered that they would be available for volunteering. School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen pointed out the importance of limiting the number of people coming into the school.

Some parents, including Committee members, expressed concern over how they would be able to make the new hours work with their work schedules. Several people said that it just would not be possible for them to pick their child up each day at 12:30, forcing them to have to use the bus or add to potential exposures by accepting rides with other families. Parent Angela Wilbur said, “This plan is a logistical nightmare for me.” “It is going to have to be a compromise; I wish that I could provide school from 2019,” Veneto said.

Wilbur asked if the intention was for this plan to be a short-term one with the goal to increase more in-person learning time later or if the plan would remain through the end of the year. Veneto called the proposal “a step in the right direction” and said that he would re-evaluate after the staff is able to be vaccinated and the new plan able to be tested.

Wilbur also expressed concern that she believes Plympton will soon be the only town of the three Silver Lake communities not to return to a full day in person five days a week. She said that she worried that the Plympton students will be at a disadvantage academically compared to their peers. Some parents became quite heated while expressing their dismay at the proposed plan and what they perceived to be a failure on the behalf of the administration and School Committee. Parent Stephani Teran came to the defense of the administration and School Committee attributing their cautious approach to the success of the school in mitigating the spread of the virus.

Several parents with children spread out among different schools in the district expressed concern with the conflicting dismissal times. According to those on the call, the middle school would be dismissed at 12:20 and the high school at 12:45. Veneto said that he would adjust the schedule as needed saying that the dismissal could be moved a half an hour earlier or later if necessary.

Parent Michelle Ruxton asked what the remote learning would look like were there to be a close contact exposure that forced a quarantine. Veneto said that one of the benefits of the current model is that should a student need to stay home, they can receive remote, synchronous learning. He said that it might not be possible to offer that under the new model.

Parents will have about a week to complete the survey regarding the plan for increased, in-person learning. Wilhelmsen said that depending on the results of the survey, the School Committee may need to have another brief meeting to address it.

The official public budget hearing for FY2022 for the Dennett was held during Monday’s meeting. There were no public comments made. Superintendent Jill Proulx gave a presentation on the budget. Veneto was asked to provide a level service budget. The budget assumes a full, in-person return to school.

The regular day budget reflects a 6.20 percent increase, and the total budget represents a 3.97 percent increase or $147,560 more than the previous year. Capital projects include driveway/parking lot improvements, a fire suppression upgrade at $5,000, and a full-time, building based substitute at $27,000.

Proulx said that the School Committee will need to meet with the Finance Committee to find out how they would like to handle budgeting for the unknowns. Those unknowns include any potential remote components next year as well as a potentially larger than usual kindergarten class.

Fraser told the Committee that the Governor came out with the State budget and Plympton’s Chapter 70 funding will be level funded. Fraser also said that the State is considering increasing funding to schools under the Student Opportunity Act though he noted that Governor Baker does not see a way to make that a reality at this time. There is, however, likely to be money coming to Massachusetts for K-12 education through a federal package.

Fraser also told the Committee that the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) has joined many other entities in advocating to allow local administration of vaccines as previously planned.

He said they are also fighting to move teachers to the top of the list of employees receiving the vaccine. He noted that this was with the understanding that elders, first responders, healthcare workers, and those with two comorbidities be vaccinated first.

Back to school plan is explored

By

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen and Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto held a parent information session on Thursday, Feb. 11, regarding further in-person learning. Wilhelmsen noted that the evening’s virtual call was not a School Committee meeting. Wilhelmsen began the session with a lengthy statement, the bulk of which is presented below.

“The School Committee, administration, and teachers have always believed that more in-person learning is better for our students; we also have been actively thinking about this for many months… we must achieve additional in-person time in a way that is ultimately safe and successful. As some of our neighboring communities are unfortunately finding out, additional in-person time at the expense of certain safety protocols such as six-foot distancing without additional mitigation efforts can cause even greater disruptions to students’ in-person time… Mr. Veneto, administration, and staff are currently working on a plan for additional in-person learning this school year which will be presented to the School Committee for discussion, consideration, and a vote at our next meeting on Monday, February 22… At a high level, the plan will address increased in-person learning time this year, likely four to five days per week. It is also likely the plan will be dependent upon vaccination of staff to mitigate the six-foot distancing. We are additionally looking at Wednesdays for alternating cohorts to provide additional in-person learning time which is something we think could be done more quickly.”

Veneto added, “I think it’s fairly safe to say that every one of our staff members would like to see children back in the building five days a week. The trouble with that is that we need to make sure that we are doing it safely.”

Parent Katie Rondeau asked if the School Committee and Administration were set in their determination to stick with six feet of physical distancing as opposed to three. Wilhelmsen said they were committed to following the CDC guidance of six feet. He also said that as the staff that wants to be vaccinated are, it would put them in a better position to be able to relax that requirement. He also pointed out that reducing the distancing requirement would result in more close contacts having to quarantine for two weeks if they were exposed to someone who tests positive. Assuming the entire class does not have to quarantine, those that do would likely be doing asynchronous work. Noting the importance of consistency, Wilhelmsen said that Duxbury recently went back to more in-person learning and within a week two second-grade classes were in quarantine for two weeks.

Another parent asked what the administration considered the biggest challenges to a full return. Wilhelmsen said that while Veneto and others are working on a plan for lunchtime it remained a hurdle as the six feet of distancing required at lunch is non-negotiable. Veneto said that 48 students are able to fit on the floor of the cafeteria and another 2 to 4 on the stage while maintaining the DESE mandated six feet. Wilhelmsen said that, just that evening, new guidance had been released that relaxed the requirements for distancing on buses, making that less of an obstacle. “There’s a lot of other logistical issues that just need to be worked out and thought through,” Wilhelmsen responded.

Wilhelmsen answered a question regarding whether the school had a threshold in mind from a vaccination perspective. He said that the hope was the State can get things sorted out so that teachers and staff can be vaccinated as quickly as possible. “If folks want to make some calls, feel free to call DPH or your reps and ask them why they changed what they were doing these last couple of weeks,” he said. There had been a plan for both the Plympton and Halifax Fire Departments to host vaccine clinics in order to assist with a speedy administration of the Phase Two levels of vaccine distribution. “That all fell apart last week when the state took away the doses,” Wilhelmsen explained.

Parent Nikki Mahoney asked if there was a contingency plan for teachers that plan not to get vaccinated. Wilhelmsen said that he, personally, was not thinking that being vaccinated would be a requirement for being in the school.

Wilhelmsen said that he hoped that the school would return to full, in-person learning or close-to, by the end of the current school year so that they could better formulate a plan for the fall. He said that based on what he has heard from the CDC, etc. not much will change between now and the fall in terms of masking still being required and children likely not being vaccinated.

The issue of the large first and fifth grade classes were also discussed as another obstacle to a full return. Veneto noted that the numbers include those students who are currently electing to be fully remote. Currently the art room has been transformed into a fifth-grade classroom. Parent Heather Eddy said that she felt the focus should be placed on how to get those two grades back into the building at six feet of distance and asked about looking for alternative places to put classes. Wilhelmsen pointed out that using a room such as the gym for a classroom would mean that it couldn’t be used for other purposes including gym class and potentially basketball. “The space itself is extremely limited, we have looked at every square inch and we are using every square inch right now,” Veneto explained. Several first-grade parents on the call did note that they wouldn’t be opposed to seeing the other grades return to full, in-person learning even if the first-grade needed to stay hybrid.

Currently the gymnasium is divided with one half utilized for gym class and the other for a luncheon area for teachers. Rondeau asked, “If we were to move the first grade into the gymnasium and then use the empty first grade classrooms for the teachers’ luncheon, would that help with opening up space?” Despite saying that the acoustics wouldn’t be ideal for learning if half the gym was being used for gym class, Veneto called it “a good thought.” She also recommended either pausing gym classes or possibly moving gym classes outside even during the winter. “I don’t disagree, that’s something to think about,” Veneto said.

A question was asked as to whether the school had considered the use of portable classrooms. Veneto said the most common suggestion was whether or not tents could be used. He said that tents are a good option when the weather is nice but not during winter months. Veneto said that while portable classrooms are something they are looking into they are likely cost prohibitive. CARES Act funding has dried up as of December 31.

Wilhelmsen said that they were asked to hold to a 1.6 percent increase for the year during last year’s budget cycle. He said that normally they would present anywhere from a 3 percent to a 5 percent increased budget, noting that even that is quite lean. The Dennett took what Wilhelmsen called “significant advantage” of the CARES Act money, spending somewhere around $120,000. “We do not have a blank check to get students back to full, in-person learning at the snap of our fingers,” he explained. He also said that just because a need is identified and money found for that need, it doesn’t mean that the staff or other means to fulfill that need are available. “I’m down two staff members right now and I’m trying to fill those positions,” Veneto said of the shortage of available candidates. He also referred to the school as being one staff absence away from the building not being able to function. He called it “a challenge every single day” just to make sure there is an adult in front of children.

Parent Angela Wilbur said she would like to share her perspective as a licensed clinical psychologist. “I’m hearing a lot about busing and lunches and teachers’ health and welfare which are all extremely important but I have yet to hear anything about the children’s mental health,” she said. Wilbur said that since the beginning of the pandemic, mental health referrals have increased over 500 percent. “Wait lists are full, inpatient units have no beds, outpatient providers, which I am one of, are caring for patients who should be hospitalized, suicide rates have almost doubled, overdose rates are astronomical, kids report severe depression, debilitating anxiety, isolation, and self-harm. Pediatricians are treating rapid increase referrals in insomnia, sleep issues, headaches, and G.I. issues. Social anxiety has increased, behavioral issues have increased, those who were school phobic before have regressed, prescriptions for antidepressants and other psychotropic medications have risen over 30 percent. Many of these kids have never presented with mental health issues ever before.”

Wilbur said that just as there is a gross shortage of teachers, that same shortage exists for mental health providers for children. She called it a mental health crisis and said, “These children are resilient but they can’t continue like this, this has gone on for too long and it is unfair to ask them to continue on like this.” Wilbur said that due to her profession she has had countless families reach out for resources saying that the word most often uttered regarding their children is that they are “suffering.”

Veneto responded to Wilbur saying, “I know I’m speaking the truth when I say that the social and emotional component of this whole pandemic has been paramount in every one of our staff meetings. Your sentiments are well shared.” Wilbur stressed how much she knows the Dennett staff care for the kids but added, “I need the plans to reflect that priority of their mental health… I hear so many obstacles and barriers and I know that so many of those are real but there has to be solutions within this.” She said that she was worried about relying on mitigation from vaccinations that likely won’t occur for another month and won’t be fully effective for several weeks after that.

Fourth grade teacher Ann Walker, who has been at the Dennett since 2001, said, “I have been teaching for 28 years now and this is the hardest year I have ever had.” Walker said the first and foremost concern of all teachers following the closure in March was not academics but the social and emotional welfare of the children.

She said how proud she was of the people she works with including the School Committee who she said has been working countless hours to do what’s best for the children.

“If it were that easy, we would have done it, we would have had those children in the building,” Walker said. “Our town has had more in-person time whether it be in the building or interacting with an adult online than most schools in the area,” she continued. Many other districts have not offered learning time with teachers on remote days but rather asynchronous work only. Walker called the parents “heroes” and stressed that the School Committee, the teachers, Principal Veneto, and the parents all have the same goal.

One parent questioned the length of time in between regular School Committee meetings. Wilhelmsen pointed out the busy schedules of administration including the Superintendent who attends all School Committee meetings within the larger Silver Lake district. “If we need to meet to do something and to take action that we can’t deal with either by having a meeting like this where we’re updating parents or by not having to have a decision by the School Committee and meeting offline in separate sub committees, I mean we’re going to do that.”

Citing his six years on the Committee and his initial plan not to continue with the Committee, Wilhelmsen said, “I don’t not get it… I was going to be done… but then COVID hit and I felt it was really important to be able to help in any way that I can to shepherd us through this; it’s not just me, I’m only doing a little tiny piece of this.” He continued, “I spent more time in July on the School Committee than I spent in the six years prior.” He mentioned the additional time spent by Veneto and the teachers working full-time over the summer as well. “We’re committed to this and we’ll do what we need to do,” he said.

The next meeting of the Plympton Elementary School Committee will be on Monday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. where a plan for more in-person learning will be presented and discussed by the Committee.

Halifax focuses on vaccine rollout

By

The Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting on February 4 was nearly Zoom bombed before Town Administrator Charlie Seelig was able to recognize an absurd name and ended the Zoom portion of the meeting. A Zoom bombing occurs when an uninvited participant joins a Zoom call with the intention to disrupt it in some way. The practice, which is a federal offense, has become more common during the pandemic with so many people conducting business virtually.

Once resolved, the Board turned their attention to Halifax Board of Health agent Bob Valery for a COVID update. Valery noted that Seelig has been posting the town’s daily numbers and said that for him the focus has been on the two-week numbers of positive cases versus those that were tested. Valery said the week prior there were 763 people tested with 65 of those being positive. This is a positive test rate of 8.52 percent. “We’re not gaining but we’re not dropping as well as we could be,” Valery explained.

Holiday gatherings blamed for uptick

Valery noted that the State has seen a reduction in cases and said that the previous capacity limits of 25 percent for some close-contact businesses was to be increased to 40 percent capacity on February 8.  “The reason we did have a high run rate after the holidays was because of gatherings,” Valery said. He acknowledged that traditionally the Super Bowl is also a big day for gatherings.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros said that the town has continued with testing for town employees every Wednesday at the school and the Town Hall. “We still get a decent turnout for that,” he said. Viveiros said that all first responders that wanted to be vaccinated in town have been and said that as of that day, roughly 125 seniors over the age of 75 had been vaccinated in town.

During the February 4 meeting Viveiros had provided the selectmen with a lengthy update on the town’s vaccination efforts including plans to open up a mass vaccination site for the towns of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton at Silver Lake Regional High School. The plan was to secure doses of the Pfizer vaccine through their association with Dr. Muse of Signature Healthcare Brockton. The hospital was planning to store the doses as the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at -94 Fahrenheit necessitating the use of special ultracold freezers. The Moderna vaccine can be shipped and stored using regular refrigerator freezers.

Since the February 4 meeting, however, the State shut down vaccination distribution through local entities such as Fire Departments. The Department of Public Health will no longer be supplying the previously expected doses. Instead, the vaccines will be distributed either through private companies such as CVS or Walgreens or through State run sites such as Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park.

Viveiros recognized the work that had been done up to that point on the vaccine rollout by administrative assistant Kendra Kelly, Fire Captain Matthew Cunningham, and the Council on Aging staff. “They’ve done such a great job,” Viveiros said. A robocall was placed to all seniors in town over the age of 75 and the Council on Aging worked with them to schedule appointments.

Vaccine differences

Viveiros and the Selectmen also discussed differences between the two approved vaccines as well as possible side effects. Both vaccines require two shots and the interval between doses is 28 days for Moderna and 21 days for Pfizer. Viveiros cited the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine at 95 percent and 94.5 percent for Moderna. He said that the one-shot vaccines that are yet to be approved, including both the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, have effectiveness percentages somewhere in the high sixties.

Of the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, Viveiros said, “They say the body will react to it a little more aggressively,” he explained. It is common for people to experience a fever, chills, body aches, and other flu-like symptoms. “Overall, from people I’ve talked to, a lot of people in the healthcare profession have already got their second injection and I haven’t heard any horror stories about it,” Viveiros said. The Selectmen thanked the emergency team for their work on vaccine distribution. “Just the teamwork you guys have shown has put us and our residents in a really good position so I just want to say thank you,” Selectman Gordon Andrews said.

Wage and Personnel

Following the COVID update, the Board turned their attention to regular town business. Seelig said the Wage and Personnel Public Hearing was held with the Finance Committee. Amendments to be considered include a step increase for the Board of Health agent from a Step 2 to a Step 4, evaluation of pay scales and steps for Grades 6 and 7, discontinuities in Grades 11 through Grade 14, and changes to benefits for call firefighters. The need to address the minimum wage problem was also discussed. As the minimum wage rises, it puts pressure on the jobs on the lower end of the town’s pay scale to be increased as they are not intended as minimum wage positions due to required responsibilities. The selectmen plan to do research on comparative towns before making any final decisions.

Bud’s Goods Host Community pact

Seelig told the Selectmen that Bud’s Goods and Provisions had filed their special permit with the Planning Board. Bud’s has a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the town for an outdoor marijuana growing facility. The hearing is on March 4 at 7:05 pm.

Fireworks 2021

Viveiros said the Fireworks Committee had reached out to him looking for some guidance on how and if they should proceed. The Committee currently doesn’t have the funds to put on the fireworks and is uncomfortable reaching out to local businesses given the economic climate due to COVID. Instead, if there is interest in still having fireworks this year, they would try to do some sort of online fundraising. Seelig said they currently have just over $8,000 but would need roughly $13,000. Millias pointed out that the event is only five months away and said that even if the gathering limits were raised from what they are now, a typical fireworks display in town would bring in thousands. “Doesn’t sound safe to me,” Valery said noting that he does, however, love fireworks. The selectmen agreed to advise them not to plan for 2021.

PEACE flag standout Saturday in Halifax

By

Halifax has recently been embroiled in a controversy surrounding what kinds of signs and flags can be displayed in classrooms. Most recently, flags with vertical rainbow bars and PEACE emblazoned in big black bold letters across them were hung in the back of classrooms at Halifax Elementary School. The flags were removed after Principal Kayne Beaudry received complaints from parents who said they felt politically marginalized by the presence of the flags. Still, other parents wished to have different flags displayed in the classroom.

Silver Lake Superintendent Jill Proulx sent a letter home to caregivers stating, “Under equal access laws and regulations, we have to provide access to numerous points of view and cannot discriminate based on a particular viewpoint.” Moving forward, all flags and signs must be approved by the school administration prior to being displayed.

WBZ TV recently aired a piece on the controversy in town. Reporter Paul Burton interviewed Halifax Elementary School fifth grader Charlie Eldridge. Eldridge said that for him the flag represented “… that everyone should have peace and not be rude/mean.” He went on to say that the flag spoke to the need to just accept everyone for who they are. Parent Evan Smith told WBZ, “It’s simply encouraging love and kindness and I honestly don’t know why anyone would feel politically marginalized by that.”

A Change.org petition titled “Re-hang the Peace Flag at Halifax Elementary School” was started by Lana Eldridge and as of press time it has 5,727 signatures. The petition is aimed at Superintendent Proulx. The message on the petition says, “Please join me as I support my son, Charlie in his quest to get the Rainbow Peace flags re-hung at Halifax Elementary School. To encourage children to foster a community of love and acceptance is so important in today’s world. This flag represents us all on a human level. We should be celebrating each other, not fighting amongst ourselves!”

An event has been organized by Lori Costa-Cline and Jay Cline called Stand-Out PEACE for this Saturday in Halifax. A Facebook page has been started for the event. Organizers describe the event as, “a respectful public stand-out to promote peace and inclusion in our town and beyond.” The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with demonstrators lining up along the sidewalks at the intersection of Routes 106 and 58. While participants are asked to bring signs that promote peace and inclusivity, they have been asked not to bring signs that display broader political messages.

The flag in question was designed by artist Virginia Fitzgerald and features 10 vertical stripes of different colors and the word PEACE in black lettering. The red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple colors are representative of the rainbow flag originally designed by artist and activist Gilbert Baker in the late seventies for the LGBTQ community. The current iteration of the Pride flag actually features a few less stripes than Baker’s original.

The PEACE across the flag is reminiscent of the Italian peace flag first flown in 1961 in demonstrations against nuclear weapons. That flag has horizontal multi-colored bars and the word PACE, or peace in Italian, in white across it. In 2002, the flag was given new life as it was used in the campaign throughout Italy to protest the impending war in Iraq.

The current rainbow PEACE flag causing the controversy in Halifax has new colors added in skin tone shades to represent racial justice. The website commonstreet.org states, “The Rainbow Peace Flag Project seeks to extend kindness and caring across national borders, with love that includes people of all sexualities, genders, abilities, religions, races, and cultures, and to condemn acts of violence and hatred, embracing peaceful dialogue instead.”

Plympton accountant, treasurer, to retire

By

It was announced during the Monday, Feb. 8 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting that town accountant Barbara Gomez will resign effective May 27, 2021. Selectman Christine Joy said she accepted the resignation “with regret but tremendous appreciation of Barbara’s years of service to the town.” Joy continued saying, “she has been our financial rock that we’ve all leaned on; she will definitely leave a void.” Selectman Chair Mark Russo expressed gratitude to Gomez for “her patience along the way,” particularly in his early days on the Finance Committee and as a new selectman.

Town treasurer/collector Colleen Morin will retire effective June 3, 2021. Joy again expressed regret, this time at losing Morin who she called a “super source of information.”

“The nice thing is the foundation has been laid by Barbara and Colleen and it’s always great when we know that things are running well and we can take off from there,” Selectman John Traynor said. Of Morin, Russo said he was “very appreciative of her patience and sharing of wisdom along the way and a quite ready smile which was very much appreciated.” “Their expertise and kindness over the years has been very much appreciated and both of them will be well missed,” town administrator Liz Dennehy said.

Area 58 Director Richard Goulart attended Monday’s meeting to provide an overall update as well as discuss a renewal for the existing agreement which expired in September of 2020. The original agreement was signed in September of 2015. Goulart explained, “Substantively [we] don’t intend to change the agreement in any significant way.” He said that they would likely address COVID in the new agreement. Russo said, “cable access is just a constantly and rapidly evolving field… fully recognize this will probably look totally different in five years.”

Goulart said that currently Area 58 is operating out of 96 North Main St. in Carver but noted that they were hoping to move to a different location closer to both Plympton and Halifax. He said the hope is to cut down on their expenses associated with their location. Their current layout is around 3,000 square feet and their new location would need to be at least as large. Goulart said they were looking for feedback on possible locations.

Goulart said that both Carver and Halifax are occasionally holding live meetings but noted the extent to which COVID has changed their business. Traynor asked if it would be possible to live stream the selectmen meetings. Goulart said that it would be possible as long as Area 58 were the hosts of the Zoom meeting. “If you can do them live then that’s going to give us a lot more outreach,” Traynor said. Goulart said they are working on a plan for how to go live from the selectmen’s meeting room once in-person meetings are resumed. Joy spoke to a possible negative of having Area 58 host the virtual meetings as the selectmen or town administrator would lose their ability to mute a participant were things to get out of hand or inappropriate.

Traynor mentioned that he hasn’t seen the school committee meetings being posted to Area 58 regularly. Goulart said that he has had difficulty obtaining the recordings of the virtual school committee meetings. He noted that Area 58 has put out feelers to see if the committees would like them to record them or if they would be able to jump on and record the meetings while they are taking place. Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen was on the call and said that he should be the contact person for the Plympton School Committee meetings.

Dennehy provided a general update on town business. She said that to date, the town had not offered a dental plan for town employees. According to Dennehy the town carries some excess in that particular budget line. She said the cost to the town would be $120 a month for families or $60 a month for individuals. Russo called it “a nice benefit that people will really appreciate without a huge expense to the town.” Joy asked if it would apply to retirees as well and was told it likely would. All the selectmen voted in favor of offering the plan.

Dennehy also provided an update to the water emergency at the Highway Barn on 23 Palmer Road. A large water leak occurred following the recent snowstorm. As of Monday’s meeting, Dennehy said that the affected ceiling tiles had been removed. She said they were unable to tarp the roof due to it being a metal roof as well as some repairs that had taken place, so they used sealant instead. The barn will also have to be checked for damage to insulation in the walls. Dennehy thanked Administrative Assistant Briggette Martins, who she said has extensive experience in insurance, for her work in getting the claims processed.

Dennehy said that the town has been working on their hazard mitigation plan and noted that there will be a public workshop in the next month or so that will be recorded through Zoom. She said she hoped to televise it live as well. The town is looking into several grant opportunities including one that the Fire Chief is working on to increase manpower. Dennehy said that the town had unfortunately received word that one of their larger projects that they were hoping to run through Green Communities would need to go through the procurement process.

The COVID-19 update was brief with Dennehy saying that the numbers have come down a bit in town. Plympton is now designated in the yellow risk category.

Wilhelmsen provided an update on Dennett Elementary and recapped the School Committee meeting from a few weeks ago. During that meeting, which was well attended, there was a lot of public interest around getting more students back into the classroom for more in-person learning. Wilhelmsen said that despite everyone agreeing that more in-person time is better for the children, there are still many logistical issues that stand in the way including limited bus capacity, the physical distancing requirement of 6 ft at lunchtime, and shortages with staff and substitutes, in particular. “To date, we have not gone full remote at all during the school year… we think we’ve had some good successes there,” he explained.

Wilhelmsen mentioned that teachers and elementary school staff are part of the third tier of Phase Two for vaccine distribution. He said the School Committee is interested in looking at what other plans can be put into place in addition to that mitigating factor. “How can we do this in a safe and effective manner both for students but also for teachers and other staff at the Dennett?” Wilhelmsen said that he would be holding a Zoom information session for parents along with Principal Peter Veneto later that week. He said the hope was to keep the lines of communication open and provide parents an opportunity to ask additional questions. “if parents are watching here, we are looking at how we can do this and do it in the right way so that we are successful.”

“I’ll just acknowledge the incredible challenge of balancing the needs and the wishes of numerous variant and disparate stakeholders and groups; you’re surely in the midst of kind of the crossfire from a lot of different directions and we’re glad you’re still standing,” Russo told Wilhelmsen.

Before moving to their rants and raves for the last few weeks, the selectmen also approved a request for use of town property. A Daisy Girl Scout Troop out of Plympton requested to work on the garden beds at the library throughout the spring, summer, and fall. They plan to clean, plant, and maintain the garden beds. Correspondence said that they also plan to do the work entirely outdoors and will adhere to all required safety protocols.

Joy said that she had two raves for the week, the first of which was for Traynor, Russo, and Dennehy working with Senator Michael Brady and Representative Kathleen LaNatra to advocate for the town and to be proactive in looking at ways to meet the town’s needs. “I’m sure a lot of good is going to come out of that,” she said.

Her second rave was for all those that stepped up to deal with the water emergency at the Highway Department including Briggette Martins and Fire Chief Stephen Silva. She noted that without a facilities manager, other people really had to step up to the plate. Chair of the Board of Health Art Morin also spoke up sharing a rave for the same.

Traynor’s rant was for the problems seen in the rollout of Phase 2 of vaccine distribution for individuals aged 75 and over. “I’ve never seen a website problem like the State has created… unfortunately, it’s just a nightmare,” Traynor said. Traynor said that it wasn’t until after filling out all necessary forms that the website would tell you there were no spots available for the selected date. He said this would happen repeatedly. “I think the State and Governor Baker are going to lose a lot of marks over this… it should have been done better,” he said. Both the Council on Aging and Fire Captain Cheryl Davis were assisting those that needed it with filling out the forms and booking appointments. Morin agreed with Traynor saying, “from a Board of Health perspective… it’s appalling.”

Russo said that with both the town accountant and town treasurer leaving, it got him thinking about mentors as he said he has considered both of them mentors along the way. Russo said he has been spending a fair amount of time at Churchill Park where there is a bench dedicated to Gail Briggs. He said that had the town had the opportunity to name either Churchill Park or Cato’s Ridge after someone it would have been Briggs. He mentioned that Briggs passed away before all of her decades’ worth of work came to fruition. “That bench is a wonderful place to sit at the beginning of the Boardwalk to see what she created and remember how her foresight and energy brought forth something that is so beautiful; thinking of you Gail and really appreciative,” Russo said.

Planning Board decides on Cled’s

By

The Halifax Planning Board was back in action on Thursday, Feb. 4. The previous two meetings became contentious at points with members of the Board disagreeing over whether Cled’s Tree Service was in compliance with their site plan. The discussion continued during the most recent meeting as well.

The previous meeting had to adjourn abruptly as Planning Board member Amy Troupe fell off the call during the discussion on Cled’s. Troupe cited technical difficulties as the reason. Board member Gordon Andrews has recused himself from all discussions involving Cled’s. Board member Mark Millias was not present for the previous discussions on Cled’s so Chair Alan Dias took a few moments to get him up to speed on the situation.

Dias said that there was no question that the plan that was approved previously was not a legitimate plan. He said that both the engineer and Cled’s Tree Service had substantiated the claim. According to Dias, the plan that was received from Bracken Engineering was marked up without Bracken’s knowledge and submitted to the Planning Board for approval.

Dias asked Troupe, who had previously defended Cled’s from noncompliance and fraudulent claims, if she still had concerns. Troupe said she believed it should have been obvious to anyone that the marked-up portion of the site plan was not done by an engineer. She said she didn’t believe it was presented that way. Dias said he wanted to move on from the discussion of the fraudulent claims and figure out a plan for getting Cled’s into compliance. He recommended giving Cled’s the same amount of time as outlined by the Fire Department to come into compliance. Cled’s is in violation of the fire code and was previously given until early March to bring things up to code.

Millias asked Dias if he was suggesting that the Planning Board ask Cled’s for an updated site plan or an existing conditions plan. Dias said he felt that doing so would be a waste of resources as Cled’s was proposing to put up a building.

Millias asked Dias to confirm that he felt that Cled’s was in violation of his site plan. Dias said that he was and Millias asked him to speak to the existing infractions. Dias cited the storage of logs, the storage of wood chips, and some equipment, namely a grinder. Millias responded that he didn’t believe those to be Planning Board issues. Millias instead made a motion to send a letter asking Cled’s to come into compliance within the same time frame as given by the Fire Department. Troupe said she didn’t feel it was necessary and noted it seemed like doubling up as the Fire Department had already done that. All other non-abstaining members voted in favoring of sending the letter giving Cled’s until March 10 to come into compliance.

The Board discussed a few other projects as well including a preliminary site plan review discussion for Liddell Brothers at 285 Holmes St. Dias asked Joshua Liddell about a cease and desist order that had been issued by the Building Department. Liddell, who was speaking on behalf of his uncle Gary Liddell, said that the heat was not working in the building so NorthStar Mechanical was hired to do a switch over. They didn’t have a permit so a cease and desist was issued. Liddell said they have obtained the necessary permit since.

Liddell said that they were only proposing a fence at the moment. Millias recommended that it be kept inset from the property by a few feet for maintenance.

Board member Rick Merry said he would be recusing himself from future discussions on the project moving forward as he lives nearby. He said that the project likely impacts him more than any other resident or abutter. Merry said that he suspects that the work, which he said has been ongoing for months, has included a lot more than just fixing the heat. He said the property now looks akin to a two-acre parking lot running down the street. “My house shook for about a week while they compacted it all,” Merry told the Board.

The Board also discussed Bud’s Goods and Provisions who have a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the town for a marijuana growing facility. Dias asked for a motion to request a $5,000 retainer to review the plan saying the estimate is around $4,700. Andrews said that they needed to reach out to more engineers to ascertain prices for reviewing. Millias said he didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask Bud’s to pay for things that are much further down the line in the overall process. It was decided, instead, to ask Bud’s for $2,500 initially and let them know that as the money was used up it would need to be replenished.

Dias also said that given the large scope of the project, he would like to ask for a site visit. The other members agreed.

The next Planning Board meeting will include a question and answer session with Attorney Kwesell to go over the process for site plans and special permits.

2020 – Did we think we’d get through it?

By

Twenty-twenty began like any other year but would prove to be anything but ordinary.  A global pandemic rocked nearly all aspects of life and exacerbated an already contentious political climate. Racial tensions soared following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May. It was a year filled with protests and riots. Phrases like “social distancing” and “the new normal” became a regular part of the vernacular. Many adults and children worked and learned from home. Essential workers became heroes. More than 2.24 million people worldwide and over 400,000 Americans succumbed to COVID-19. It was a busy time globally and within local communities as well.

The year began with Ryan Lynch being named as the new Assistant Superintendent for Silver Lake. Lynch joined newly promoted Superintendent Jill Proulx. In a bit of fun news from the past year, Halifax resident Susan Hill appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy in February. Another bright spot in an oftentimes dreary year was Silver Lake Regional High School senior and now graduate Alexa Connors claiming two MIAA Div. 1 state titles as a member of the school’s swim team.

The towns of Plympton and Halifax grappled with where and when to safely hold their town meetings and town elections. In addition to concerns over COVID-19, towns also had to contend with the threat posed by mosquito-borne illnesses like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Plympton utilized multiple rooms at the Dennett Elementary School to hold their town meeting on June 17 and moved forward with their town election on June 20 after ensuring multiple safety protocols were in place for both. Halifax scheduled and rescheduled their town meeting many times over before finally holding it at Halifax Elementary School over the course of September 12 and September 22.

Residents voted in record numbers both locally and nationally in several elections this past year including the presidential general election in November. Halifax voted in favor of Donald Trump by a slim margin of 49.4 percent to 48.5 percent. Plympton favored eventual winner and now President Joseph Biden by a margin of less than three percentage points. Locally, incumbent Kathy LaNatra overcame Halifax resident Summer Schmaling in a close contest for Representative in General Court for the 12th Plymouth District. Both Plympton and Halifax voted yes to the Right to Repair question while voting no on the question of ranked choice voting.

There were a number of changes to appointed positions in both towns in 2020 as well as the early days of 2021. Notable results from the elections held over the summer included Alan Dias besting Ashley DiSesa for a spot on the Halifax Planning Board and Highway Surveyor incumbent Steven Hayward besting challenger Michael J. Schlieff to maintain his position. Longtime Selectman Troy Garron won re-election to a three-year term. In Plympton, Mark Russo won re-election to the Board of Selectmen and would go on to be named Chair. Daniel Cadogen was also voted into a position on the Plympton Elementary School Committee.

Following resignations, Lukasz Kowalksi and Emily Davis were named as new members of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee from Plympton and Kingston respectively. Paula Hatch replaced Jason Fraser as the Chair of the Regional School Committee.  In November, Ashley DiSesa was named as the newest member of the Halifax Elementary School Committee. Also, in November, Colleen Thompson was named as the new Council on Aging Director for Plympton. Former Assistant Town Clerk Susan Lawless completed her first year as the Director of the Halifax Council on Aging after being appointed in December of 2019.

Following their abrupt closure in March, the schools grappled with how to continue to educate while maintaining the safety of both students and staff. Teachers and administrators scrambled to continue to provide necessary services including the need for free lunches for many eligible students. They worked throughout the summer to gather community input and assess all aspects of a possible reopening plan. Schools looked at how many students could fit on a bus and how many desks could fit into a classroom with proper distancing. Polices were put into place to limit the possible spread of the virus. Air quality tests were run and new equipment was purchased when necessary. All scenarios were weighed carefully, always with the safety and security of the staff and students in mind. In the end, all Silver Lake schools opened in a hybrid model sending students back in Cohorts who would divide their time between remote and in-person learning. In a piece of good news, despite numerous cases in students and staff at the schools, the evidence does not point to there being any in school spread.

Both Halifax and Plympton held peaceful protests over the summer in the name of racial injustice. Plympton organizer Amy Laura Cahn described the event as “a vigil for George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, Tony Mcdade, and all Black Americans slain by racial violence and injustice, including police brutality and the pandemic.” At the event on June 14 in Plympton residents took a knee for 8 minutes and 36 seconds in protest of George Floyd’s killing. Seventeen-year-old Jay Cline organized the event in Halifax on Saturday, June 6 that saw a few hundred people peacefully gather at the intersection of Routes 58 and 106.

Looking forward to the promise of a new year, there are signs of hope on the horizon. Vaccine development and rollout provides the first glimmer of an end to the pandemic that has poked holes in everything once seen as normal. Many healthcare workers and first responders have already been vaccinated in Plympton and Halifax. May 2021 bring healing to the physical, emotional, and financial struggles of the previous year.

Cled’s Tree sparks debate

By

The Thursday, Jan. 21 virtual meeting of the Halifax Planning Board began with four members present but was adjourned two hours into it due to two of the four members leaving the Zoom call without notice.  At the onset of the meeting Chair Alan Dias was present as were Gordon R. Andrews, Rick Merry, and Amy Troupe. During a discussion on Cled’s Tree Service, Town Administrator Charlie Seelig interjected alerting Dias that both Andrews and Troupe had left the meeting and the Board no longer had quorum and would be unable to take any further action as a Board that night.

Cled’s Tree Service was being discussed due to non-compliance with the site plan. Andrews recused himself from the discussion. Cled’s Tree Service was previously discussed during the Planning Board’s January 7 meeting. A meeting that was largely contentious with several of the Board members engaging in heated debate about a number of topics including Cled’s. During that meeting, Dias said of Cled’s, “We need to kind of figure out where we’re going to go; we have a situation where we’ve got electricity there, we’ve got an office trailer that’s unpermitted, we have employees, we have no toilet facilities, and it just goes on and on so at this point we’re going to have to figure out how to bring it into compliance. I mean the other businesses in town comply with site plans and this particular site has no compliance that I see.”

Dias told the Board that there were emails certifying that the plans that had been submitted were “fraudulent.” Dias said, “I think, and I’m looking for some guidance from the Board, that based on the fact that we have plans that aren’t accurate that the action that this Board should take is that we should revoke the existing site plan which he’s not in compliance with… but I think we need to allow Mr. Cled the opportunity to bring the property into compliance.”

Troupe asked Dias for further clarification regarding the ways in which Cled’s was not in compliance. “We have emails that establish that the plans that were submitted were not prepared by the engineer that stamped them,” Dias said.

He also told the Board that there was an email from an engineer stating that he was not the one who did the plan. According to Dias, there is also email evidence that the plans had been altered. When pressed further, Dias said, “I really don’t want to get into much more detail… those are the facts that we have.”

Dias also said that he was unaware who marked up the plans and said that it was a legal issue and not one to be dealt with by the Planning Board. Regarding the plans, Dias said, “There is nothing at the site right now, the way it is on the ground, that represents those plans. Nothing.” Dias said that the Zoning Enforcement Officer could be sent out but suggested that it wasn’t necessary as they already knew Cled’s was not in compliance. “We just need to help him get the place in compliance,” he reiterated.

Cled’s had been asked to bring their lot into compliance with the fire code within 90 days of having been notified by the Fire Department. There was a fire on the lot and more than 5,000 yards of wood chips on the property. Those 90 days will expire at the end of February/beginning of March. Dias said that it was his understanding that Bracken Engineering would be drawing up new site plans for Cled’s.

Dias recommended to the Board that they ask Cled’s to be in compliance within the same timeframe given by the Fire Department. Merry agreed with Dias’ assessment and action plan. Troupe suggested letting the Fire Department handle the concerns.

The owner of Cled’s was in attendance during Thursday’s meeting where he insisted that they were making significant progress toward making their lot in compliance with the fire code. Dias said, “Our predicament is that you’re not in compliance with the site plan.”

Resident Chris Winiewicz, who lives on Circuit St., asked to speak complaining of a loud piece of equipment that proves disruptive to his family including his children who are learning remotely. According to Winiewicz there had been a previous agreement that stated that the piece of equipment would either be moved or a barricade would be put up around it. Winiewicz said that to date neither of those things had happened. It was during this discussion that Seelig notified Dias that the Board no longer had quorum and couldn’t discuss the matter as a Board nor could they vote on whether to revoke Cled’s existing site plan. The meeting was therefore adjourned at the two-hour mark.

Prior to the discussion on Cled’s and a few other ongoing projects, Town Counsel Larry Mayo opened the meeting by giving a general overview of General Law, Chapter 30A, Section 20 regarding the State’s open meeting law. He was asked to do so in response to some “disruptive behavior” that had occurred among the Board during their January 7 meeting.

“I’m just here to give you my interpretation of my outlook on how Chapter 30A may apply here,” Mayo began. He continued, “You have to take into consideration Section 20, subpar G in the context of the Chairman is the presiding officer at the meeting, at the Planning Board meeting, or at any other meeting of a public body in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He presides and regulates over the meeting, he decides all questions of order, and he makes declaration of all votes. Most importantly, I think in this particular context is that nobody should speak or address the meeting without first having leave of the moderator.”

Mayo went onto explain that after fair warning, a Chair may authorize a constable or other officer to remove the disruptive person from the meeting. He noted that in the context of a Zoom meeting, the Chair could ask the host to mute the disruptive member. During the January 7 meeting, a heated argument resulted in Dias requesting that Seelig mute Troupe. Mayo said, “The genesis of all of this or the purpose, again, is just to remember… the Chair is in control, you elected the Chair. The floor is his unless he recognizes another to speak and a civil discourse is what is intended to take place at the meetings.”

Andrews asked to make several inquiries regarding Mayo’s assertion. He first asked for confirmation that the Chair has the right to shut a member off during a meeting. Mayo said that the Chair could, in fact, do that assuming they, using sound judgment, found the member to be disruptive.

Andrews then asked for further clarification as to what constituted disruptive behavior. Andrews said, “We have civil rights to say our piece; that’s why we’re elected to the Board.” He continued, “Chairman doesn’t have the right to speak over anyone else either; once he recognizes someone, they have the right to speak their piece, their whole piece and he doesn’t have the right to shut them off.” Dias asked that members wait to be recognized before speaking, moving forward before proceeding with the rest of the evening’s meeting.

Busy night for Halifax selectmen

By

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, Jan. 26. While the Selectmen and Town Administrator Charlie Seelig were in-person, other attendees were virtual including Adam Cushman the senior patrol leader of Halifax Boy Scout Troop 39. Cushman led the Pledge of Allegiance during Tuesday’s meeting.

COVID Update

Seelig said that while the 14-day total for COVID cases was down a bit, the town continues to be in what he called “triple red.” Seelig mentioned that the state lifted some of the restrictions. While he noted that residents aged 75 plus could begin registering for appointments to receive the vaccine, he said that Halifax doesn’t have the necessary deep freeze capabilities for the Pfizer vaccine which he said was the vaccine being distributed in this round. He said the town zone clinic will need to wait until it is able to receive the Moderna vaccine. Council on Aging Director Susan Lawless is working with eligible residents to navigate the process and locate vaccination sites elsewhere in southeastern Massachusetts.

Correspondence

Seelig told the Board that they had received a letter from the South Shore Children’s Museum, who held a drive-in movie event at the Walmart in town in October. The letter thanked them for their assistance in putting on the event. They expressed sadness over having to close down and cancel many fundraising events in the past year and said they were looking forward to working with the town further in 2021. “We will be back as we reconfigure and make a plan for our future,” the letter read.

Monponsett Ponds Update

Seelig also gave an update on Monponsett Pond saying he had been in contact with Solitude Lake Management about various projects concerning the pond. Seelig said $135,000 has been set aside to be put toward that work but noted that it won’t cover everything the town may want to do. Possible work includes performing basic study work, revising the natural heritage habitat management plan, issuing notices of intent for weed control, performing a weed survey for invasive weeds for West Monponsett Pond, monitoring water quality and algae in May through October, and running a muscle monitoring program as part of the algae work. Seelig said that all of the aforementioned work was relatively low budget and estimated costs at $20,000 to $25,000.

Big ticket items include $100,000 for the application of aluminum sulfide in West Monponsett Pond and $70,000 for the application in East Monponsett Pond. Invasive weed control for East Monponsett Pond especially would cost $90,000.

Of the more expensive projects, Seelig said it was recommended to him to move forward with the invasive weed control prior to town meeting in May as that was the project that would most benefit from an earlier start. “Doing that and doing most of the other study work would spend about $116,000 and we would still need $170,000 of which $59,000 we’d have available to us,” Seelig said. Seelig recommended moving forward with the weed eradication program and study work prior to town meeting and then seeking the additional funds for the other work at town meeting on May 10.

Fuel Storage Hearing

The Board had a hearing with Anthony Curtin. “We’re just following up with our first conversation making sure that the steps are clearly delineated, I think what you’re looking for… is some indication from the Board… that if you were able to obtain your special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and had a favorable decision of the Planning Board if the Board of Selectmen would be inclined to support granting of the permit for the fuel storage facility,” Selectmen Chair Tom Millias said. Seelig added that approval would have to be given by the Fire Chief and the Fire Marshall. Two letters of support had been sent in by abutters for Curtin’s proposal. Millias said that as long as there wasn’t strong opposition on behalf of the abutters and Curtin meets all necessary requirements, the Board would be fine with moving forward.

Vacant Positions

Seelig said there were multiple openings on the Finance Committee. Melinda Tarsi recently gave her resignation which will be effective February 15. There is also a spot available for a citizen on the Capital Planning Committee. Silver Lake Regional School Committee Chair Paula Hatch attended Tuesday’s meeting virtually to discuss the opening on the committee left by the resignation of Edward Desharnais. “He had served well over a decade and was a valued participant,” Hatch said of Desharnais.

Hatch spoke to the difficult year it has been for the school committees saying that the regional committee has very new members from Kingston and Plympton due to other earlier resignations. “I’m looking forward to Halifax determining another person that can come join us and take a place on Silver Lake,” Hatch told the Selectmen. Millias said the town would reach out and see if they could find willing volunteers for the position.

Seelig recommended reaching out to the residents who had earlier applied to fill the vacancy on the Halifax Elementary School Committee. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked that the talent bank be open for two weeks prior to interviews being held.

Complete Streets Presentation

The final appointment of the night was a Complete Streets presentation by Courtney Beckwith of Green Seal Environmental. Beckwith said she had been working with Seelig and Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward on the Complete Streets Program which is a grant through Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT). “Specifically, they’re meant to prioritize streets that are made for bikers, walkers, and not necessarily just focused on cars so a lot of these projects consist of adding sidewalks, extending sidewalk networks, adding bike paths, and road diets and speed bumps to reduce speeds,” Beckwith explained. Halifax is currently at Tier Two of the program which consists of developing a prioritization plan for the town consisting of a list of projects that the town is interested in pursuing.

Mass DOT has approved a grant for $38,000 to help the town conduct the necessary studies including gap analysis studies for existing sidewalk networks. Also included in the research is an analysis of historical data involving crashes at various streets and intersections. Beckwith cited community input as being another part of the data collected during Tier Two. “We are asking residents of the town, the Planning Board, and the Board of Selectmen their ideas for projects to focus on,” Beckwith said. She spoke about a google maps type website they have developed called wikimapping.com which provides a map of the town of Halifax. Residents can login and answer questions regarding where they see problems and where they would like to see improvements. People can also build upon comments left by other residents. The website will be open for the entire month of February.

Beckwith said the state would offer a maximum of $400,000 in construction costs which could be dedicated to a single project or spread across several different ones. Engineering work would need to be done prior to the allocation of the construction money. “I’ve seen in the past that towns that spend the money on the engineering and have the plans ready to go are more likely to get the funding but I do need to say that that is not guaranteed,” Beckwith said. “I know that Mass DOT specifically does not like giving grant money for the design and engineering portion; they like paying for the planning and construction,” she further explained.

Andrews asked that if they had their submissions in for Tier Two by the April 1 deadline if the town could receive up to $400,000 for this fiscal year’s program. Beckwith confirmed.

A plan would need to be in place as well as a construction schedule by June 30, 2021 in order for the funds to be allocated to a particular project.