The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Sept. 3 in preparation of the town meeting to be held Saturday, September 12 at Halifax Elementary School at 9 a.m. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that town meetings are exempt from the Governor’s limit of 25 persons per room. Seelig said that seats would be kept to about 7 feet apart and people would be divided between the gym and the multi-purpose room. The quorum remains at 100. Screens, cameras, and microphones will be setup in each room to keep everyone connected. People from the same household will be allowed to sit together. Town Moderator Dennis Carman will be in the gym, where 100 people are estimated to fit, and an assistant town moderator will likely be needed for the multi-purpose room. Masks will be mandated, and microphones will be wiped down between uses.

Seelig recommended that the town distribute placards with a red side and a green side for residents to use to indicate their vote. Carman expressed concern about his vision and shared concern over a third party helping to indicate to him the outcome of the vote. Seelig said if it isn’t easily discernible if there are more green or more red, counters would be available to tally the total.

Ways to move the meeting along as quickly as possible while still allowing voters an opportunity to speak to or debate articles as needed, were discussed. The idea to vote on a consent agenda was proposed. This would allow multiple articles to be voted on together as a group with a hold being placed on individual topics should someone wish to speak on them.

“There are two extremes for the town meeting,” Seelig said. The first of which occurs if there aren’t enough people for a quorum. If that happens, town meeting will have to once again be rescheduled. The Board opted to keep the quorum at 100 despite having the ability to temporarily lower it with advanced notice. Seelig said the other end of the spectrum is if too many people turn out and there isn’t enough room to socially distance between the two rooms. If that happens, town meeting would have to be postponed and moved to another, larger location. A possible option could be the Kingston Collection. Carman said, “I hate the optics of having to close down a town meeting because there are too many people who want to go… people may misunderstand that.”

Seelig said he could contact the Kingston Collection and find out if they could book the venue for town meeting on Monday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. to serve as plan B should they be over capacity on Saturday.  The Board voted to ask Seelig to reserve the location with the understanding that they may have to pay for the deposit even if it ends up not being needed.

Following the discussion on logistics, they turned their attention to the warrant beginning with the special town meeting. The first article is for $6000 for HVAC work to the town hall. The second is for $30,000 for unemployment. Seelig said they would likely pass over Article 3 which is for $30,000 for a Council on Aging van. According to Seelig the town is looking into the possibility of getting CARES Act money to fund it. Article 4 is the result of a petition article and is for $20,000 for truck traffic reinforcement. The money would go to the police department to be used for that purpose. Article 5 is for a crosswalk extension between the two roads of Cranberry Dr. and Plymouth St. The town has applied for a state grant to fund it but have not received word yet as to whether they will be granted the money. Seelig said they may know by the date of the town meeting whether the town will have to fund the project, should the town vote to proceed with it.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if the Finance Committee had made recommendations on the five articles. Finance Committee member Melinda Tarsi said they had made recommendations for all but Article 3 as they were waiting to see if it could be covered through the CARES Act. Articles 1 and 2 received the Finance Committee’s recommendation while Articles 4 and 5 did not.

Article 1 in the annual is the normal report for town officers and committees. Seelig told Carman that as much as he appreciates their ability to do that, he would like to keep it brief in the interest of time. Article 2 is a series of amendments from the Wage and Personnel Board. Article 3 is a Finance Committee article on the salaries set for the town officials. Article 4 is the budget. Article 5 is the revolving accounts. Seelig said there are no appropriations necessary and the article simply sets the revolving funds and the limits to which they can be spent. Article 6 is the reserve fund. Articles 7-13 are union and personnel contracts. Article 14 is an article for becoming co-opt. Article 15 is Chapter 90 and according to Seelig the state has changed things so that this article won’t be necessary in the future. Article 16 is a traditional article on the roads.

The next several articles are for the capital budget. Seelig said that some of them will be passed over. Article 17 is for $150 for a backhoe, 18 is for a copier for the COA, and 19 is for a fire engine. Articles 20 through 23 are all for the Police Department and are for police vehicles, radio systems, a motorcycle, and bullet resistant vests, respectively. Article 24 is regarding an error made by the retirement system where a town employee was charged to the housing authority rather than the town. Seelig said he was unsure if the correct amount could be ascertained prior to town meeting. Article 25 is the assessor’s recertification account.

Article 26 is to fund Halifax’s share of the part time school resource officer at Silver Lake Regional Middle School. The same article appeared on last year’s warrant and the town voted it down. Plympton voted in favor of it, however, meaning that the part time officer could serve the middle school for just a few hours per week. Kingston already funds the school resource officer at the high school.

Article 27 is for a truck inspection program. Article 28 is to grade all unpaved roads in Halifax including private roads. Article 29 is for $33,500 for crosswalk devices. There was some mention that the expense may be eligible for CARES Act funding if touchless devices were installed.

Article 30 is a revision of zoning bylaws and is recommended by the Finance Committee. Articles 31 and 32 are traditional, annual articles. Articles 33, 34, and 36 will likely be passed over. Article 35 is for insulation at the town barn. Article 37 is to fund repairs to the roof at Pope’s Tavern. Article 38 is an annual article to appropriate money received from Lyft and Uber for the town in the amount of $857.60. The state requires the money to go toward the highway maintenance account.

Articles 40-44 will likely be passed over. The Selectmen are also recommending that Article 45 is passed over. Article 46 is for the next phase of the stormwater protection bylaw. Article 47 will be passed over per the direction of FEMA. Of Article 47, Seelig said “I’m sure it will be highly divisive.” It concerns multi-family housing and needs a two-thirds majority to pass.

Article 49 would allow marijuana facilities in the commercial district by special permit. Article 50 would change the bylaw to allow the Beautification Committee to increase their membership. Article 51 is being proposed by the selectmen and involves taxes on solar fields. Article 52 will likely be passed over and Article 53 is the election article.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen held their regular Tuesday evening meeting on August 25 when selectmen tackled the controversial topic of the “thin blue line” flag. Proponents of the flag say it is a show of a support for law enforcement. Still others feel that the flag stands in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. Recently, the Hingham fire chief found himself the center of controversy after ordering the removal of the thin blue line flags from the town’s fire trucks following a citizen’s complaint.

A thin blue line flag was placed at the Halifax recycling center several years ago and was recently taken down once the Board of Selectmen found out. The basis for the decision dates back to 1994 when the Board set a policy stating that all signs, political or otherwise, require permission from the Board.

“From my standpoint, opinions stated on town property, it’s a little odd,” Garron explained. He continued, “I personally don’t think that it needs to be on town property because we are supposed to be neutral. We’re serving everybody.” Millias offered his opinion saying, “There was a time when some banners and/or flags were considered to be innocuous; that’s not the case anymore. Everything is politically charged, or at least it seems to be, and if you allow one flag for any particular purpose, you’ve got to open it up for everybody… to Troy’s point, I think we need to remain neutral.”

Selectman Gordon Andrews offered a slightly different opinion saying that the flag, in his opinion, was not initially intended to be a political statement. He noted, however, “I think it morphed into something different at this point, so I understand the reason for taking it down and leaving the policy in place.” The Board agreed to leave the policy as-is and maintain their position on the flag at the recycling center.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the Board he recently spoke with Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas O’Brien regarding the town’s allotment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The deadline for expenditures is four months away.

Seelig said of all the various town departments’ requests, the big question was if funds could be utilized to pay for the expansion of the Halifax Elementary School parking lot. The expansion is intended to help deal with the expected increase in parent drop off and pick up at the school due to the buses being limited to one-third capacity as a result of distancing requirements.
Seelig said that the town would need to work closely with the school department to craft a narrative to justify why the expansion is necessary in response to the COVID crisis. Seelig explained that if Plymouth County denies the request to reimburse the work, the town will be left to pay for it.

Seelig asked the Board if they would be interested in hearing a presentation on potential charging stations at the town hall parking lot. The Board was not interested in the proposal several years ago but appeared to take a different stance on the issue now.

Selectman Chair Tom Millias said, “I think that would be appropriate. If he has some ideas of how this could be setup and/or work. Certainly, electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent.” He went on to say, “My only concern is as long as it’s not on the back of the taxpayers to pay for the charging.” Selectman Troy Garron said that his biggest concern would be where to place the charging station.

Seelig also asked if they would like to consider a reduction in credit to local businesses for alcohol on premises licenses for 2020-2021. Many other local communities have decided to do so to ease the burden on businesses that were closed for several months in 2020 due to COVID. Millias, who pointed out that these businesses are likely still not at full service, said, “I mean as a general rule I think that’s fair to at least consider doing something for them. I mean we want to help our business owners.” Garron concurred saying, “I would agree with you that it is reasonable for us to do something like that.” The selectmen agreed to table the issue until a future meeting in order to acquire more information.

The Board had an appointment with Steve Bowman of Center Point Safe Company regarding a possible retail marijuana store. Bowman said that while he didn’t have anything formal to present to the Board just yet, he wanted to come before them and introduce himself. Bowman said that he was a Halifax resident for 8 years who only recently moved to Kingston. He said that his children were graduates of Silver Lake. In his own words, Bowman described himself as “… a local resident, a father of Silver Lake students, a former resident of Halifax and someone that is looking to open a business and make money for myself and my partners but also to give back to the community.”

Bowman told the Board that Center Point Safe Company has been working closely with the cannabis industry throughout the state, providing security for their inventory. He said that he hopes to begin serving dispensaries throughout the state by providing delivery services in the next few months.

Bowman told the Board that when he saw Halifax on the list of towns that had licensing availabilities, he jumped at the chance to potentially work within the community. “If the answer is no, I completely understand. It can be a controversial subject in a lot of towns,” Bowman said. Millias encouraged Bowman to come back once he had more details saying, “the town has expressed support in the past for marijuana.”

The final appointment of the evening was a truck exclusion hearing for trucks traveling on Circuit and Laurel streets. Trucks are typically traveling to a site where there are long term plans for a solar field. Millias said that he felt that dead end signs were probably the only option for helping with the at times disruptive traffic. Another potential solution was to work with new carriers to make sure they understand how to get to the site. The Board agreed to leave it alone for now and gather additional feedback.

Finally, Seelig reiterated that town meeting is still scheduled for September 12. The plan is to hold the meeting in the Halifax Elementary School and utilize both the gym and multi-purpose room to ensure adequate distancing.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on August 20 for one of their emergency management meetings. Selectmen Chair Tom Millias noted that it would likely be a longer than usual meeting as they were trying to shorten their regular Tuesday night agendas in order to allow maintenance into the town hall earlier to disinfect.

The meeting began with a discussion of the guidelines being followed and protocols being implemented for youth sports. Pete Barone, President of both the Halifax Youth Baseball and Halifax Youth Softball leagues was in attendance as was Board of Health agent Bob Valery. Barone spoke about some of the safety precautions put in place during the summer’s baseball and softball activities in town. Players were kept physically distant from one another through markers on the ground as well as individual buckets that players used as their designated spot for the game. Bright signs were also hung advising spectators to maintain distance and wear a mask.

According to those present, while sports such as basketball and softball simply need to adhere to the state’s guidelines, soccer is also subjected to specific guidelines as laid out by Mass Youth Soccer. Those guidelines include specific modifications in order to be able to play as a moderate risk sport under Phase III. Modifications include a kick-in to replace throw-ins, a ban on all intentional contact, a ban on heading the ball, as well as a whole host of other changes to soccer as it is usually played.

The Board also discussed changes in EEE risk level. Halifax is now deemed to be at critical risk due to the first human case in town. All outdoor activities are banned on town-owned property from dusk to dawn. Such locations include Vaughn Field, the Elementary School playing fields, Summit St. soccer fields, HOPS Playground, and the beaches at Lingan St. and Holmes St.

Regarding COVID travel restrictions, Valery said he was waiting to hear back from DPH about the proper protocols should the need to fine violators arise. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that they would also need to find out where the jurisdiction lies if a violator worked for the town of Halifax but resided elsewhere. The final piece of COVID related news from Valery was regarding Cumberland Farms closing down the self-serve areas including coffee and soda. Valery said that he had fielded a number of calls regarding the decision but said it was the corporate offices of Cumberland Farms and not the local Board of Health that made the decision.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros told the Board he was looking to find out how many masks were needed by the schools. Selectman Gordon Andrews, who is also chair of the Halifax School Committee, asked if any masks were ordered in child’s sizes. Viveiros said that none had been ordered in that size but did say that FEMA had given them 6,500 N95 masks, 6,500 surgical masks, as well as 800 face shields in addition to goggles and glasses. Millias asked if families were expected to supply the masks for their children. Andrews said that while they were, masks would need to be on hand at the school in the event that something were to happen to a student’s mask during the school day. Valery said that he believed that he had 500 child size masks.

Seelig asked the Board if they wished to schedule a special town meeting for September 12, the same date as the annual town meeting and if so, what matters they wished to be placed on the warrant. Seelig said that such issues as the $65,000 needed for a new Council on Aging van would be taken up at the special. Other potential issues include heating and air conditioning, unemployment, traffic enforcement, and Cranberry Drive. Millias pointed out that in terms of cost, it is cheaper to hold the special town meeting concurrently with the annual. Seelig agreed saying that given the logistical hurdles that are occurring to hold the meeting, it would make sense to combine them. Chair Troy Garron made a motion to hold the special town meeting within the annual.

Seelig also told the Board they would need to make a decision regarding the annual recycling fee and whether or not to make changes to the abatement process.  Seelig asked if the Board wished to maintain the $50 recycling fee. Seelig said that if the Board wished to eliminate the abatement process, they were going to need to come up with a plan very quickly for running the solid waste and recycling program in the future. Millias said, “the problem as I see it is if the recycling program collapses, if you will, it also affects curbside pickup. I don’t think I’m ready to make that decision today.” Millias went on to say that he felt the best approach would be a “comprehensive, all inclusive” meeting with residents and all concerned to discuss the issue. A debate ensued amongs the selectmen about whether to extend the abatement deadline. Andrews, as he has done in the past, argued against charging people for a service they were not receiving. Andrews made a motion to set the recycling fee at $50, the due date in 30 days, and the abatement deadline in 60 days. Garron seconded the motion though noted he disagreed with the premise. “I still see people that no matter what you do, they’re going to be late or not going to pay it, or put it aside and forget it,” Garron explained. Andrews’ motion failed but Millias’ motion that kept the $50 fee but set the due date and the abatement deadline both for 30 days passed.

Seelig brought up the complaint from the previous week’s meeting about non-residents causing problems on the beaches of Monponsett Pond. He told the Board that he had spoken with Police Chief Joao Chaves about the problem. Chief Chaves, who was in attendance, told the Board that there was an officer there often and said that a number of parking tickets had been issued to non-residents. He noted that it was difficult for the force to do anything about jet skis and boats coming into the swimming area as they don’t really have a way to access the water.

Amy Troup showed the Board a petition from residents asking for signage indicating that the beaches are for Halifax residents only. Troup said that currently the signs only say no parking which she said people are circumventing by parking at Wal-Mart and walking over. She also mentioned the problem with trash being left behind as well as other disrespectful behavior by non-residents. Chaves said that he wouldn’t want to ask beachgoers for identification to prove residency. Seelig said he would check on the possibility of additional signage. “Thank you, this is something that has come up and as a Board we’re aware of it and we’re just trying to figure out what to do about it,” Millias told Troup.

Seelig said that the Board received a lawsuit from Gordon C. Andrews to the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board, and the Zoning Board of Appeals and four named individuals. Seelig said it was a civil damages case and noted it is being referred to town counsel and to the town insurer. He said there was no action to be taken at the moment.

Seelig asked the Board if they were ready to vote on the new animal control officer (ACO). Interviews were held a few weeks back with a number of applicants. Chief Chaves recommended Amanda Feighery and Garron said he agreed. “I think that she’s a good choice in that she’s had experience not only with vicious animals as well as dealing with people and the public,” Garron said. Millias agreed citing her local ties as well as Feighery was born and raised in Halifax. The Board voted to name Feighery as the new ACO.

Seelig told the Board that he had received a letter from a concerned resident regarding traffic concerns on Monponsett St. and Route 58 from Lakeside Villa to the intersection with Plymouth St. The resident said she saw a number of trucks violating the speed limits and using engine brakes. Seelig told the Board that given the number of houses on that stretch, it would be possible for the Board to set the speed limit at 30 mph as the area being considered is thickly settled. He also told the Board that the town could vote on a bylaw at a future time to prohibit engine brakes except for emergency purposes. The Board agreed to send the issue to the Traffic Safety Committee to take it under consideration.

After numerous summertime meetings and extensive debate, all four school committees – Halifax, Kingston, Plympton, and Silver Lake Regional – have all made decisions regarding their reopening plans for the fall. All but Plympton have chosen the same hybrid approach and model. Plympton plans to begin with what they are referring to as “a phased-in hybrid approach” where most students will begin remotely at least for the first several weeks.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) required school districts to submit a preliminary plan for full remote, full in-person learning with 3 ft or 6 ft of physical distancing, and a hybrid of the two on July 31. Schools have been told that they need to be able to easily move from one mode to another should circumstances necessitate a change.

DESE has released an abundance of oft-changing guidance regarding reopening. It should be noted that school districts can elect to enact policies with stricter safety requirements than what is found in DESE’s guidance but cannot mandate anything less stringent.

Included amongst the state’s guidance is a mandatory minimum of 3 feet of physical distancing between occupants wearing masks with 6 feet being preferred. There is no maximum number of students per class as it will depend on the size of the rooms. The school can fit as many students as space will allow while still meeting the selected distancing requirement. While DESE has allowed for 3 ft (from seat edge to seat edge) when wearing masks and facing the same direction, many districts have elected to insist upon a minimum of 6 ft while still others have gone with something in between such as 4 ½ feet. Students and staff are required to maintain 6 ft of distance whenever masks cannot be worn such as lunch periods or breaks. DESE’s guidelines state a “preference” for students not wearing masks to not face one another.

Per the state’s guidelines, masks or face coverings are required for Grades 2 and up and strongly encouraged for those in preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1. Masks must be worn on school buses regardless of age. Some districts, such as Whitman-Hanson, are requiring masks be worn even at the preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1 levels. Exceptions must be made for those who are unable to wear a mask due to health or safety factors.

Under DESE’s guidance, schools are required to provide a remote option for students who cannot or choose not to attend school in-person. A frequent refrain heard during many meetings this summer has been that the remote education that will be offered this coming school year will not be the same remote education that was offered in spring. Amongst other changes, the state has required that attendance and participation is tracked and that a policy for issuing grades is employed.

All four school committees in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton assessed that a full, in-person return to school is not feasible due to operational, fiscal, and safety constraints. The schools don’t have the space or staff necessary to bring all students back in person while also adhering to the physical distancing requirements. Additionally, there isn’t enough money in the budgets to be able to hire more staff to accommodate the smaller class sizes even if the space was available.

Another factor preventing a full, in-person return to school is transportation. With current physical distancing requirements, buses are limited to one-third of their usual capacity. Silver Lake investigated the cost of adding either additional bus runs or additional buses and found them to be prohibitive. Additionally, bus runs are an average of an hour long so additional bus runs could potentially mean needing to negotiate an extended school day. Even with the hybrid approach, the school will need as many caregivers as are able to transport their students to and from school. Windows and roof hatches will be kept open to the extent possible to increase ventilation. Only students from the same households will be allowed to sit together on a bench.

The hybrid approach that will be employed at Halifax Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Silver Lake Regional Middle School, and Silver Lake Regional High School will be a combination of in-person learning at 6 ft two days a week and remote learning 3 days a week for most students. There will be four cohorts of students. Cohorts A and B will attend school on opposite schedules. Cohort A will attend school in-person on Monday and Tuesday and be remote on Wednesday through Friday. Cohort B will be remote Monday through Wednesday and attend school in person on Thursday and Friday. Cohort C will be those students electing for 100 percent remote education. Cohort D will include high needs learners that will attend school in person four days a week. Not all students on an IEP will qualify for Cohort D. Qualifying for Cohort D does not mean you will have to attend school in-person all four days (or even at all) but rather that the choice to do so is there. Wednesday will be a remote learning day for all learners.

Under the hybrid plan, core subject areas will be prioritized for in-person learning as will some AP and CTE programs. Wellness, art, music, and other electives will likely be offered remotely.

In several of the school committee meetings, members have inquired as to whether Cohorts A and B will have contact with Cohort D during their in-person days and were told that they would. This was of concern to some as it reduces the benefits of the hybrid model to just the literal physical distancing that can be achieved through smaller class sizes while failing to eliminate possible cross contamination amongst cohorts.

All public schools in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton are implementing facilities changes to improve safety. Efforts are being taken to minimize the use of recirculated air. No classrooms will be used that do not have working windows and adequate HVAC. Heightened cleaning and disinfecting, particularly of high touch areas, will be implemented. All schools will now be equipped with hospital-grade electrostatic sprayers as well.

Despite the best laid plans, everything is always subject to change as circumstances surrounding the pandemic change. The state also holds the authority to mandate full remote learning at any time.