Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus were the guests of honor at the Plympton Fire Dept. Saturday morning. Good little children stopped by to enjoy breakfast with the Jolly Old Elf and his bride, and to tell their secret wishes for Christmas morning. Mrs. Claus gave each child a candy cane.
More Photos by
Kristy Zamagni-Twomey on pages 8, 9, and 13.
The first item on the agenda at the Tuesday, Dec. 10 Halifax selectmen’s meeting was the Council on Aging (COA) Director search. One of the final two candidates is the current assistant town clerk in Halifax, Sue Lawless. Chair Troy Garron said, “I think by appointing Ms. Lawless it sends a message out to the town employees that there is an opportunity to move up within the organization.” Selectman Gordon Andrews and Selectman Tom Millias agreed with the decision to appoint Lawless as the new COA Director. Millias said, “A big thank you to the screening committee… it was a long time, there were a lot of applicants, there were two rounds, it was a lot to ask of volunteers and we want to thank you all.” The interim COA Director Brenda Fitzgerald will stay on for a few weeks to overlap with Lawless in order to provide training.
The Selectmen also discussed the public hearing held the previous week to discuss the possibility of entering into a host community agreement with Bud’s Goods and Provisions to establish an outdoor marijuana growing facility in town.
Bud’s president and CEO Alex Mazin was present at Tuesday’s meeting but didn’t speak. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said there were about forty abutters and other interested residents present at the hearing. Several residents mentioned concerns regarding odors as well as the appearance of the fence which would surround the facility. Millias said, “I heard concerns but I didn’t hear outright, vocal objections.” Seelig asked the selectmen if they were interested in gathering further public opinion before taking steps toward a community host agreement. The selectmen decided that while they didn’t need another public hearing, they wanted to give residents another week or so to submit comments regarding the proposed facility.
MacFaun appointed to Board of Health Steven MacFaun had a joint appointment with the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health to interview for an open position on the Board of Health. MacFaun, who said he has a background in septic, said he has been to several of the Board’s meetings and also attended a convention recently to learn more about issues pertaining to the Board of Health. Garron asked him if he attended town meetings and MacFaun replied that he does. Millias said, “Years ago, everybody kind of stereotyped the Board of Health with septic systems and that is just not the case anymore.” MacFaun assured Millias that he understood the complexity of the issues facing the Board of Health. Alan Dias, clerk for the Board of Health, moved to appoint MacFaun. MacFaun was unanimously appointed with the support of both boards.
Several other openings on various boards and committees were also discussed during Tuesday’s meeting. A talent bank form was submitted for the Municipal School Building Committee. An application for the Planning Board vacancy was submitted after the deadline but the Selectmen agreed to setup an appointment for her to come before them. According to Andrews, the applicant has a background in real estate.
The revised site plan for Amanda’s Estates was approved by the Planning Board by a vote of 2-1 last week. The Party Trust still must go to the ZBA for approval for new special permits based on their site plan.
The Board also voted to approve a number of license renewals for 2020 for many of the business in town.
Holidays in Halifax is this Saturday
Seelig said that Breakfast with Santa will be this Saturday, December 14 at 8:30 at the Halifax Elementary School. The event serves as the prelude to Holidays in Halifax which is currently in its 25th year. “We’ve had one every year, rain, snow, winds, warm weather like we may have this year,” Seelig said. A number of events are planned for this year’s festivities, all to take place on December 14. “I hope everyone will be able to make it out,” Seelig said.
The Tuesday November 26 Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting began with the Board hearing a complaint by a town employee against one of the selectmen. Chair Troy Garron suggested moving to executive session but Gordon Andrews asked to remain in open session. Former Planning Board secretary Terri Renaud said that Andrews had accused her both in email and in public meetings of destroying documents.
The documents in question are the April 10 site plan for Amanda’s Estates. Andrews said he made a public records request in February or March and was told the documents were available. According to Andrews, however, when he went to the Planning Board he was told the only available plans were the approved ones from September. Andrews said that he explained that the minutes showed that the records should exist and claims that Renaud told him that older plans are destroyed once newer ones are approved. Andrews said that he told Renaud that plans that were displayed during a public meeting cannot be destroyed and must be kept as part of the public record. Renaud said she had no recollection of saying that she got rid of previous plans when newer ones become available.
Renaud brought her direct supervisor, Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli, as well as her colleague, current Regulatory Board secretary Arlanna Snow to testify on her behalf. Snow said that she did not want to make a statement but would answer any questions directed to her. Piccirilli said that he recalled seeing emails in which Andrews asked Renaud to sign something acknowledging that the records were lost. Piccirilli further said that at some point the accusation escalated from the files being missing to the files being destroyed.
Andrews was able to secure a copy of the plans from the town clerk’s office. Andrews said that when he reviewed the signed plans from the Planning Board from September 14, there were post-it notes on the plans. Andrews expressed concern that the missing Planning Board plans from April would have had similar notations on them.
Selectmen Chair Troy Garron asked Andrews what motivated him to ask for the plans. Andrews then recused himself and sat with the public before stating, “I asked for a copy of the plans because of the lawsuit I have against the town which prove that the original plans that came in, which Charlie’s memo discusses, shows everything on one lot.”
Selectman Tom Millias asked Andrews if his accusations were malicious to which Andrews replied, “Was it malicious? I don’t think so, I think it was declaring the facts. She told me that she gets rid of plans when new ones come in. I told her you can’t get rid of plans, it’s a violation of public records.”
Millias asked Renaud if there were various people going through the folder containing the document in question due to the litigation involved. Renaud acknowledged that there was and pointed out that the door to the office is open during the day. Millias said, “so literally anyone could have misplaced them, misfiled them, taken them.”
Garron asked Renaud what her expectation was to which she answered, “I wanted to state my case. Something was said against me and I just wanted it to be brought forward and prove my innocence that I did not do this.” Garron said, “It’s a difficult situation. We have two town employees who represent the town and to my knowledge who have done good work … my feeling right now is to take no action on it because there is no right or wrong in this particular situation at least from my standpoint.” Millias agreed saying, “I don’t think we can come to any conclusion here. I don’t see an action being taken other than airing it out.”
Renaud said she was satisfied with the opportunity she was given to speak her mind. Andrews asked that the process for viewing public documents be reviewed suggesting possibly signing out documents.
Seelig said that Fuller Street resident Melissa Sheridan had requested that stop signs be placed in the intersection near Fuller, Cedar, and Wood streets. Sheridan said that she had seen several accidents at the intersection during her time living there. The Police Chief and Highway Surveyor were also in agreement that stop signs were needed. The Board approved the installation of two stop signs in this area.
The Police Chief and IT Specialist notified Seelig about the Video Surveillance Registration Program. It is a completely voluntary program that enables residents to register any cameras they have with the police department. If an incident were to occur in the vicinity of a registered camera, the police could use the footage as part of their investigation. Seelig stressed that registration is optional and even if registered, residents are not required to surrender footage.
Drew McGlincy appeared before the Board for an appointment to the Finance Committee. McGlincy, who had the recommendation of the Finance Committee, said that he has internship experience both on Wall Street as well as internship and job experience at IBM. His degrees are in finance and information systems engineering. The Board voted to appoint him. The next step will be for McGlincy to be sworn in as the newest member of the committee.
Seelig gave an update on the budget process saying he met with the Finance Committee and most of the department heads the previous week. According to Seelig, the town should be able to do a level service budget with most of the departments. “We’re not going to encourage them to submit for increases and such… but keep the number of people you have, the number of hours, the service level,” Seelig said. The Board and the Finance Committee said that departments should submit alternate budgets beyond the level service if they felt there were needs that were not being met, etc. Seelig said, “There’s no guarantee obviously that we’re going to have the money for that but at least that may continue the conversation about what the town’s needs are.”
Seelig also shared that Silver Lake had indicated that the salary budget might be going up $700,000 which represents roughly $200,000 for Halifax. “I don’t like telling a department, in essence, and saying we can’t afford you… but not saying so gets us into a position in March where we’re having this argument then.” Seelig said that he attended the Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting in October to ask them to submit a revenue driven budget.
Andrews also shared with the other Selectmen and Seelig that a large group of parents turned out for the previous night’s Halifax School Committee meeting to request that an additional teacher be added to support the large class size for Grade 3. The Kindergarten class has only 65 students, but Grade 3 has 100. As a result, the class size for Grade 3 is 25 students. Parents asked that either another teacher be added, or one transferred from elsewhere. Andrews said that he recommended to the parents in attendance that they attend town meeting as the mechanism to fund an additional teacher would likely be an article at town meeting. Andrews also pointed out that negotiations are scheduled this year for much of the school staff including cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, and teachers.
Highway surveyor Steve Hayward spoke to the Board and Seelig regarding a fee list for cremation. The costs are not for cremation itself, but for a spot to store the ashes similar to a burial plot. Hayward said that he had reviewed the fees charged by other local communities while preparing his list. Hayward said that the single pillars would cost the town $180 but the purchase price would be $500. The Board, who act as cemetery commissioners, approved the concept and fee list.
Eagle Scout projects
Three Boy Scouts from Troop 39 met with the Board to review their plans for their Eagle Scout projects. Connor Burgess plans to build a 20 ft. by 20 ft. pavilion for the HOPS playground.
Scott McKee’s project will be the revitalization of the Harry Brown Nature Trail. McKee told the Board that the trail was originally constructed by one of Troop 39’s first Eagle Scouts. “I’m hoping to bring it back to some of its former glory by re-clearing the trail and adding benches and a bird watching area at the end for people to go out and enjoy nature,” McKee explained. He went on to say that he plans to build a walkway over some of the wet marsh lands.
Joseph Boardman intends to refurbish the Ruth Perkins reading garden outside of the Holmes Public Library. In addition to pressure washing and staining the pergola, Boardman plans to mulch and edge the garden area and sand and finish the benches. Boardman also plans to remove the cracked concrete and add a purple martin birdhouse.
Garron thanked the scouts for beautifying the community. Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli added, “I would just like to say I’ve had the pleasure of watching some of these guys. I’m looking forward to working with you guys. Anything you need, please come see me.”
Town clerk Patricia Detterman and town moderator Barry DeCristofano both attended the Monday, December 2 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting to prepare for the special town meeting on December 16.
Thirty-five people will have to be present to constitute a quorum. There will be seven articles on the warrant to be voted upon. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that the warrant would be mailed to residents. Dennehy said that the cost for making and printing the warrant for the mailing was $1500 so future warrants may need to be distributed only electronically.
Article 1, which pertains to zoning, will be handled by the Planning Board and will require a two-thirds vote to pass. Article 2, which pertains to the police chief, will require a majority vote. Selectman Chair Christine Joy will speak on the article. Article 3 which requires a majority vote would authorize the selectmen to create safety zones with reduced speed limits. Selectman Mark Russo will make the motion and speak to the article. Selectman John Traynor agreed to speak on Article 4 which intends to secure money for a Council on Aging van. It will require a two-thirds vote. Chair of the Bylaw Review Committee Alan Wheelock will speak to Article 5 which would change the fees, etc. related to animal control. It will require a majority vote to pass. Articles 6 and 7 require a majority vote and will be explained by a member of the Board of Assessors.
A tax classification hearing for fiscal year 2020 was originally scheduled during Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting but Dennehy received notification during the meeting that the Assessors had canceled and moved the meeting to 6:15 on December 16 at Dennett Elementary School just prior to the special town meeting.
The Selectmen shared an update on the efforts of the Town Campus Committee who met for the first time the previous week. “They are going to be looking at really, two things. One will be the campus and the other will be building and land needs,” Joy said. The Committee will be setting up a maintenance schedule for building needs including large pieces of equipment such as air conditioners and furnaces. The hope is to eliminate doing band-aid type work on these items and focusing rather on spending money where it can be put to its best use. The next meeting will be January 7 at 6:15 p.m.
Joy said that the town had reached out to both The Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) and The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) about bringing services to town. BAT was very interested in meeting with Dennehy and Halifax town administrator Charlie Seelig. Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye is the current Chair of the GATRA Advisory Board. Traynor said that he had reached out to State Representative Kathleen LaNatra to organize introductions.
The Selectmen each shared their raves of the past few weeks. Traynor praised the annual Thanksgiving Feast organized by CASA (Community and School Association) and held at Dennett Elementary School. Traynor noted the efforts of the volunteers and said, “It was just a fun time and the spirit of the town was there.” Traynor also mentioned that the Boy Scouts are selling wreaths in town.
Joy’s rave was the upcoming pancake breakfast this Saturday, December 8 at 8 a.m. Santa will also be in attendance. Russo shared an experience he had recently sitting in on a meeting between Executive Director at The Compact of Cape Cod Mark Robinson, a representative from the Open Space Committee, and some private citizens. Russo praised the cooperative effort of those involved to look at a project proactively.
The Halifax Finance Committee met Monday, Nov. 18, for a preliminary budget meeting with selectmen and other department heads. Those in attendance included the Chair of the Board of Selectmen Troy Garron, Selectman Gordon Andrews, current assistant superintendent Jill Proulx (newly voted as the next Silver Lake Regional School District Superintendent), SLRD Director of Business Services Christine Healy, and Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.
Town Administrator Charlie Seelig led the budget discussion, handing out what he calls the “one sheet” that provided some preliminary budget predictions. Seelig explained, “What I try to do every year is come up with what I call the one sheet that ended up this year being two sheets. It’s basically a very 30,000 feet up type of look at the upcoming year. I’m not getting, for the most part, into individual line items.” Seelig went on to explain that he always leans conservative in his estimates when beginning the budget process as it is easier to add money in later in the budget cycle than it is to take money out.
Halifax is run under a revenue budget rather than an expense budget that means when preparing the operating budget, the town is limited in the amount of money that can be spent. Proposition 2 ½ allows for only a 2 ½ percent increase annually. Revenue from new growth including new commercial buildings, all subdivisions, etc. are also added to the levy limit. Seelig said that the town had $135,000 in new growth last year and he conservatively estimates $100,000 of new growth this year. Debt exclusions as voted during town elections are also included. Active debt exclusions in Halifax include money from when the middle school and high school were built as well as the new roof and siding projects at the elementary school. Seelig said that as of right now the estimate for what can be raised by property tax bills stands at $17,800,000.
While property taxes make up the largest portion of town revenue there are other areas that also contribute. Local receipts including items such as ambulance bills or building permits and state aid coming mainly from Chapter 70 funding for the schools. Seelig said that there was no deficit in the local receipts and anticipated being able to raise the estimate for that particular revenue. One of the challenges for Halifax, as with Silver Lake as a whole, is that they are set to receive only the minimum amount per pupil under Chapter 70. This means that any increases needed from the schools needs to come from Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton.
Seelig explained that even before going to town meeting, it is necessary to set aside money for a series of assessments in this case totaling $203,000. Amongst these are abatements for property tax exemptions including those for veterans, the elderly, and the disabled. According to Seelig, there is a little over $25,000,000 available to the town to spend at town meeting. Assuming there will be no further changes, the operating budget for the current year is set to spend $24,400,000.
Seelig further explained some of the large line items as well as some of the changes that would benefit the budget. The larger line items include an increase in health insurance premiums for town employees as well as the town’s payment into Plymouth County retirement. To the benefit of the budget, the principal interest on the roof and siding project at the elementary school will be down from last year and the debt service for the landfill will also be down.
Seelig explained, “There are a lot of unknowns. We don’t know what the school budgets look like right now. We could put numbers in there… but for the purposes of when I did this work, I didn’t make any assumptions about that.” Andrews, who serves as selectman as well as on both the regional school committee and elementary school committee, spoke about some of the school’s likely requests including a new allied health teacher and a potential nurse manager position. Gordon said, “From my perspective, what I’ve seen when I’ve sat in your chairs, we’ve seen Silver Lake continue to grow. It was about 600 two years ago, to about 660 this current year. My guess is you’re going to see it, just the lion’s increase of $700,000, so if we’re a third of that you’re looking at over $200,000 just for Silver Lake just to keep level.” He continued, “My guess for the elementary school would be anywhere from 135 to 150. Those are just guesses at this point in time.”
Seelig ended his presentation saying, “We’re in good shape in the sense of no crisis, we’re not in the shape to simply say we can fund anything we want.” Tarsi mentioned to those present the $300,000 buffer that exists because the town is not taxing to its full capacity. Tarsi said that the buffer has been maintained for as long as she has been serving on the committee. The Finance Committee has not yet discussed whether or not to continue that practice this year, but Tarsi did say, “We’ve really protected that money to ensure that we’re easing the burden as much as we can on property owners in the town.”
Next steps in the budget process will include a letter with a synopsis of Seelig’s presentation going out the first week in December. By January, budgets will be submitted for the Finance Committee’s review. From January through March, the Finance Committee will be inviting department heads to attend their meetings to speak on their budgets. Each department will also be assigned a liaison on the Finance Committee to work with directly,. Tarsi said, “We are very committed to an open line of communication. We’re going to ask the same questions of everybody, there’s no special treatment, we will be completely willing to listen and be very candid with you about whatever the prospects are.” By early April, the town will have a final budget.
The Finance Committee also interviewed Drew McGlincy for one of the open FinCom spots. Chair Melinda Tarsi, who is currently serving in her fourth cycle on the committee, asked McGlincy why he was interested in serving. “Just trying to get involved. It seems like a good idea to do things outside of work, get involved in the community,” McGlincy said. McGlincy also provided that he studied both finance and information systems engineering in school. In addition to Tarsi, Frederick McGovern, Bill McAvoy, and newest member Cheryll Zarella Burke were also present. Each of the members introduced themselves to McGlincy and Tarsi provided him with an overview of the duties and responsibilities of the committee. McGlincy asked the committee for their advice and both Tarsi and McAvoy recommended a number of training resources including the Financial Policy Handbook and training sessions run by both the Association of Town Finance Committees and the Division of Local Services through the Department of Revenue Services.
Tarsi explained, “The big thing is there is no educational or occupational requirements to be on the finance committee, you just have to be willing to listen and to be candid with folks; that’s the ultimate kind of set of qualifications. We have really respectful conversations. We don’t always agree with each other, and that wouldn’t be healthy if we did, but we’ve never come to shouting. It’s never been mean or rude.” She continued, “We don’t always agree but we are all here for the same reason; we all want to make the community better for our neighbors.”
Tarsi entertained a motion to recommend the appointment of Drew McGlincy to the Finance Committee for the longest term available. Both Tarsi and Zarella Burke voted in favor while McAvoy was opposed and McGovern abstained. The next step for McGlincy will be to appear before the Board of Selectmen for an appointment meeting.
The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Monday, Nov. 18 minus Vice Chair Mark Russo. The Selectmen and Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy discussed the upcoming special town meeting to be held on December 16 at 7 p.m.
Per Dennehy’s request the selectmen passed a motion to close the warrant for special town meeting with the acknowledgement that while nothing will be added, there may be some articles removed.
Article One will call for an extensive revision to the solar by-laws. The Board agreed that it was not appropriate for them to either recommend or not recommend this particular article as it is already being handled by the Planning Board. The Planning Board previously held a public hearing on this topic.
The Selectmen did vote to recommend Article Two which pertains to the police chief.
Article 3 seeks approval to authorize the Board of Selectmen to create safety zones with reduced speed limits. Unsurprisingly, the Board voted to recommend this article.
The selectmen also recommended Article 4 to request the transfer of funds to pay for a van for the Council on Aging.
Article 5 that is being sponsored by the by-law review committee was first brought to their attention by animal control officer Brian Kling. Kling said that the state had changed a lot of their baseline regulations regarding animal control and that all of the communities were being strongly urged to adopt the same language. The requested changes increase fines for various related offenses and adds a provision for a third offense and for a fourth or subsequent offense. The Board voted to recommend this article as well.
Article 6 pertains to a vote that was being had by the Board of Assessors to release $290,000 from the overlay fund. Dennehy explained that if applied to the interim tax rate it would mean a reduction of fifty cents per thousand. Dennehy said that it would likely have to be made up next year in addition to other expenses including increased costs for regional dispatch and an update to the entire capital plan by the finance committee. Dennehy said that because valuations are likely to go up, it could be upsetting for people when they experience a large increase. “I think in light of some expenses that we may have on the horizon I’m not sure that being so quick to take that money and earmark it for something at a special town meeting that’s not occurring at a normal time of the year, I don’t really think that that’s the best course of action,” Dennehy said. Town Accountant Barbara Gomez was in agreement. The Selectmen voted not to recommend the article should it not be withdrawn before then.
Article 7 was similar to Article 6 in that the Selectmen and Dennehy were unsure if it would be withdrawn before special town meeting. Selectman John Traynor said, “I’m not opposed to what they want to do… I just don’t want to do it today.” Chair Christine Joy agreed saying, “Financial matters are always better saved for the annual.” Again, the Selectmen voted not to recommend the article for the same reasons as stated for Article 6.
Dennehy asked Joy and Traynor their opinions on whether or not a hard copy of the special town meeting warrant should be mailed to households. Dennehy said that they had not budgeted for printing and shipping costs but that the finance committee had said that they would help find a way to fund it. While town counsel said that there was no obligation to do so, the Selectmen and Dennehy were in agreement that it was best not to deviate from what was done in the past and agreed to the mailings.
Dennehy also updated the Board about regional transportation options, saying she has been working with Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig. They are currently awaiting further instruction as to whether they should reach out to Brockton area transit to pursue some form of relationship.
Dennehy also provided an update on the potential regionalization of the Council on Aging with Halifax and Carver. Dennehy said that since Halifax has had to extend their search for a Council on Aging director, the regionalization has been placed on the back burner temporarily. Once that position is filled, the three towns plan to move forward with their plans for a joint calendar, etc.
Dennehy once again emphasized to the Board that Plympton’s dispatch costs are set to increase significantly next fiscal year. Dennehy said that the finance committee is on board with the idea to attend a Selectmen’s meeting in late January where the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (R.O.C.C.C.) in Duxbury could also attend and give a presentation.
The Board voted to appoint Benjamin Sarro as motor equipment repairman from November 5, 2019 until June 30, 2020.
The Board also passed a motion to set the right of first refusal for two Harju properties for Monday, January 27 at 6 p.m.
The next Board of Selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 2.
Union #31 and Silver Lake Regional School Committee met on Thursday, Nov. 14 to discuss the interviews of the two finalists for superintendent and vote on the final selection
The final interviews were held the previous two nights. Jim Hardy of Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) who was hired to assist with the search was on hand to offer consultation regarding procedure for the voting, etc.
Currently the assistant superintendent in Easton, Christine Pruitt was one of the finalists selected by the search committee. Pruitt, who began her career as a classroom teacher, served as the principal of Jefferson Elementary School in Rockland from 2010 to 2015. She spent the next two years as the assistant superintendent for Silver Lake, leaving in June of 2017 to begin her tenure in Easton. Pruitt has a Master of Education from Boston College.
Current Silver Lake assistant superintendent Jill Proulx was the other finalist. Proulx was previously the assistant superintendent for Scituate for five years before beginning her career at Silver Lake a little over two years ago. Proulx, who has a doctorate in education, has also served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal over the years.
The discussion centered around what the committee and union saw as strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. There were several in the room who expressed concern that Pruitt left Silver Lake previously only two years into a three-year contract and was now willing to leave Easton after a short stint there.
Vice Chair of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee Eric Crone, who has been serving on school committees since 2006, described this sentiment saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
Regional School Committee member Christopher Ecklund echoed the same concern saying he was worried about Pruitt’s “staying power.” Others disagreed including Kingston School Committee member and Union member Sheila Marie Vaughn. Vaughn said, “Chrissy wants this to be her home. She wants to bring her kids here, I think Chrissy wants to move here, I think she loves this district. I think she wants to be in this district for the long-term.”
Despite preferring Pruitt, Vaughn did acknowledge, however, that she thought that Proulx’s interview was fabulous saying she thought she came across as “smart and articulate.”
Some expressed concern that Pruitt had left Silver Lake as it was too complex a district for her given that it is a three-town region. Union member and Plympton School Committee member Jon Wilhelmsen said, “I went into the site visit with a lot of reservations and a lot of concerns about why she left the district and went there.” He explained that his concerns were dispelled, however, saying, “She just felt that she needed to take a step back to take a step forward.”
Those in support of Pruitt spoke highly of her interpersonal skills calling her both outgoing and social. There was considerable debate regarding how much weight should be given to Pruitt’s sociable personality.
Jeanne Coleman, a member of both the Kingston School Committee and Union 31, said that she is unimpressed by personal relationships and stressed the importance of focusing on the qualifications of the two candidates.
Speaking about Pruitt, regional committee member Laura Tilton said, “Being a friendly person does not necessarily mean that someone is not capable, not strong. Those things are not mutually exclusive. I believe that someone that forms strong relationships, that’s critical in a leader.” Wilhelmsen spoke to Pruitt’s other qualifications based on conversations with a myriad of people including students, teachers, and selectmen saying, “I don’t think its fair to classify Chrissy as a one trick pony.”
There was confusion among those present regarding which candidate seemed to have more administration support. Coleman explained her belief that the support of the Silver Lake administration was behind Proulx, saying, “I thought that Jill’s resume, her application, and her letters of recommendations (three of which were solidly from within the district), all of her references were from within the district – I thought that those spoke solidly for her as a candidate that she had the support of the administration behind her.”
Coleman also expressed that she believed that someone disclosed to either Pruitt or the administrative team that there was a concern that Pruitt did not have that support and as a result, several letters of recommendation were written and submitted the night before the final deliberation. Coleman, who called the letters in support of Pruitt “compelling” went on to say that she had spoken with both Kingston elementary school principals who were fully supportive of Proulx. “They believe she has been a mentor to both of them; they’re both new administrators over there. I spoke at length to one of our teachers in the Kingston district and she also believes that Jill is by far the standout candidate.”
Coleman did stress that despite preferring Proulx, none of the administrators or staff had anything negative to say about Pruitt.
In response to Coleman’s accusation that letters in support of Pruitt had been solicited at the last minute, Silver Lake Regional School Committee Chair Jason Fraser said, “To be fair we entered into deliberations in open session last night and its well within expectations that something like this would occur.”
There were others in the room that fully believed that the administration and staff preferred Pruitt. Halifax School Committee member and Union member Alison Vance said, “As a school committee member and as a parent in Halifax I think both of them are amazing and great candidates and as a school committee member and a parent, I would probably be happy with either of them.” Vance, who has been a teacher for 17 years in another district, went on to say, “I think if I’m coming at it from a teacher’s perspective and a staff member’s perspective, I feel like for me I would prefer to work under Chrissy more than Jill.” She continued, “I spoke to a lot of Halifax teachers… and every single one of them that I spoke to said I would really love for Chrissy to be the superintendent.” Like Coleman, Vance stressed that those she spoke with had nothing bad to say about Proulx.
There were questions as to how much weight should be given to the letters of recommendation provided. There was also some disagreement as to how much input the district staff should have in the selection process. Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Laura Tilton said, “ I have been struck by the fact, in this process and in districts I’ve worked in, how little input staff and administration get in the selection of the superintendent because they are the folks that work with that person every day and they are the people that know the district the best. To me, the letters we got yesterday held a lot of weight with me.” Regional School Committee member Paula Hatch offered a different perspective saying, “I come from the corporate world, I spent thirty years at a very large corporation, never once did I get to pick my boss. You don’t get to pick your boss.” Wilhelmsen said, “We can keep throwing letters of recommendations and they’re all good, because we have two great candidates.” Most in the room seemed in agreement that letters for both candidates were compelling as both were worthy and qualified. Of the Silver Lake administration and staff, Coleman said her impression is that they were willing to work with either candidate.
Perhaps in a moment of foreshadowing a question was asked to Fraser at the outset of the meeting as to what would happen if the Union and the Region were split in their decision. Fraser responded, “If we’re in that situation, it’s a failure to nominate. We are a family and we have to come to the same endpoint and hire the same superintendent.” After several votes and re-votes which ended with the Union voting for Pruitt and the Region for Proulx, it was beginning to look more and more likely that the vote would end in a deadlock. Several alternative options were discussed at this point including hiring an interim superintendent as well as having current superintendent Joy Blackwood stay on through the end of the school year, something she had offered to do should the need arise. Both these options would call for a renewed search to be started. Hardy of MASC did warn that should they elect to go that route, they would be entering into a search cycle with far more competition from other large districts looking to hire a superintendent than what was experienced during the first search. Another concern that was voiced was whether Proulx would stay on as assistant superintendent should the vote either end in a deadlock or in favor of the other candidate. Many in the room believed it would send the district into chaos to be looking at the possibility of having to hire the two top positions in the district basically at the same time.
In the end, a motion was passed for reconsideration of the way the Union voted. Several of those on the Union side that initially voted in favor of Pruitt changed their vote in favor of Proulx. The decision, however, was not unanimous with a few holdouts though there were enough pro Proulx votes to award her the Union nomination. “I also think it’s important that we all remember that just because we have different views on this, we’re all trying to do the right thing for the district,” Wilhelmsen reminded the group. With both the Union and Region now voting for Proulx, she was successfully nominated as the new superintendent.
The Halifax Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12, covered a number of topics including the appointment of a former Halifax police chief as a special police officer.
Lifelong Halifax resident Ted Broderick began his career as a special police officer in Halifax in 1984 before moving on to Plympton in 1986 where he became a full-time officer. Broderick returned to Halifax where he rose through the ranks, being promoted first to sergeant and then chief in 2013.
“Ted’s a welcome addition to the department not only for his knowledge of law enforcement but also of the town and the residents; he’ll be a great resource for myself and other members of the department,” Halifax Police Chief Joao Chaves said. The Board agreed, passing a motion to appoint him as a special police officer.
Board Vacancies
Vacancies on both the Planning Board and the Board of Health were also discussed. The Board of Health currently has one applicant who will be interviewed by the Board of Selectmen before being voted on by the two boards. An appointment has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 10 at 7:45. There are currently three candidates for the vacancy on the Planning Board. All three candidates will be interviewed by the Planning Board for 10 minutes each on December 10 beginning at 8 p.m. A vote will commence immediately thereafter with both the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board attending.
Council on Aging Director Search
The search for a new Council on Aging (COA) director continues. The deadline for applications is this Friday, Nov. 15. All applications will be scanned and sent to the screening committee to review on Wednesday, November 20. According to Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig eight applicants from the first selection process earlier in the fall have indicated that they will be reapplying. The Board of Selectmen hope to make a final decision by December 10.
Revocation Hearing Continuations
Continuation of two revocation hearings were held. Seelig informed the Board that Twin Lake Liquors is now fully paid up on back taxes and the Board moved to close the hearing. Seelig also provided an update on Davis Automotive saying that they are continuing to pay down their motor vehicle tax and are currently up-to-date on their land tax. The hearing will be continued during the next selectmen meeting at 7:45 p.m.
Update on Sale of Aldana Road Parcel
Back in July, DFG land agent from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Joan Pierce met with the Board of Selectmen to discuss buying an area of Peterson’s Swamp from the town. Initially the Board was unhappy with the offered amount but came to an agreement contingent upon the town of Halifax also receiving back a sliver of land behind Aldana Road that is currently owned by Fisheries and Wildlife. Ownership of that land parcel is necessary in order to be able to pave that road. Seelig said that Fisheries and Wildlife have submitted a draft agreement for the sale of the parcels including what is needed from both the town and the commonwealth. Seelig forwarded the agreement to Halifax town counsel Attorney Lawrence Mayo for review.
Surplus Police Vehicle Used for Town Business
Seelig also brought before the Board the possibility to use a surplus police vehicle for town business rather than trading it in. Seelig said that Selectmen Tom Millias, who was not present at Tuesday’s meeting, has a particular interest in this topic as he was previously the building inspector and currently serves on the Board of Assessors. The Assessors are interested in using the vehicle. Seelig explained that the benefit to the employees would be reduced risk as they wouldn’t face rising insurance premiums, etc. if something were to happen while they were using their personal vehicles for town business.
Halifax Fire Rating Improves
Seelig shared some good news from the Halifax Fire Department regarding the town’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating. An ISO rating is a number from 1-10, 1 being best and 10 being worst, that is assigned to a community indicating its preparedness to deal with a related emergency. The latest review upgraded Halifax’s score from a 4 to a 3. Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros attributed the improved score to staffing changes, the new regional dispatch network, and the well-maintained fleet of apparatus and equipment. Seelig said that according to Viveiros, only 1 in 8 communities has a rating of 1, 2, or 3, putting Halifax in good company. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if it would affect homeowner’s insurance and Seelig responded, “Yes, it should, in a positive way.”
Monponsett Pond Update
Seelig provided an update on the Administrative Consent Order (ACO) issued to Brockton by the Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) in 2017 and updated in the spring of 2019. The ACO identified violations of Chapter 371 of the Acts of 1964 which allowed Brockton to divert water from Monponsett Pond to be used as part of their water supply. Seelig said that Brockton requested a waiver from the DEP to allow them to test different hypothesis and their effects on the pond. Brockton requested the waiver as some of the things they may be testing could be in opposition to the ACO. The DEP issued the waiver but asked that Brockton notify the DEP five days in advance. Seelig asked the Board for their permission to also ask that the towns of Hanson and Halifax be given sufficient notice as the public would likely notice changes in the ways the water in the pond is flowing. Selectman Chair Troy Garron said, “I’d like to add that we send a letter to the new mayor and let him know the efforts that we are making to try and bring some reconciliation to the pond.” The Board and Seelig agreed with sending Brockton’s newly elected mayor a letter informing him of the current situation with Monponsett Pond.
Outdoor Marijuana Growing Facility
The selectmen also had an appointment to meet with Alex Mazin, the President of Buds Goods & Provisions. Mazin’s attorney was also present. Back in early October Mazin met with the Selectmen to discuss the possibility of an adult use outdoor marijuana cultivation facility on the same lot where Four Daughters had previously planned to build an indoor facility. During the October meeting, Mazin had explained that outdoor cultivation is more sustainable for the environment and has significantly lower startup and operational costs as compared to indoor cultivation. Seelig informed the Board that town counsel had reviewed the Host Community Agreement submitted by Bud’s and viewed it very favorably.
Mazin, again, laid out several reasons why he believes his proposal is beneficial to the town. Amongst his arguments is that the property in question has septic issues due to poor percolation. Mazin pointed out that since his proposal is an outdoor growing facility with only a barn like structure for storage, a septic system would not need to be installed. Mazin said, “I really believe our proposal is utilizing a piece of land that is not going to get utilized any other way.” Mazin also stressed that no sales would take place at their facility and stressed that a significant buffer exists between where he intends to grow and abutters’ property. Mazin pointed out that they intend to initially grow on about 2 acres of land despite the lot being 47 acres.
Regarding security concerns, Mazin pointed out several factors that he believes works in their favor. Mazin suggested that theft would be difficult as the shrubs are actually quite large with some even reaching 8 ft in height. Trying to scale a tall fence with a large tree would likely deter any attempts at theft. Additionally, according to Mazin, there is only a two-week window where the flowers that are valuable grow making it easier to monitor for theft.
Andrews told Mazin that he had heard from several residents in the area and that they were not in favor of the facility. Mazin said, “All we’re looking for is an opportunity to present our case to the community.” Mazin further said that he did not want his business in a community that does not want them.
Bud’s will get that chance to present to the community in December.
The Board of Selectmen will hold a community forum/public hearing for Bud’s Goods and Provisions’ proposal on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall in the Halifax Town Hall.
Residents will have an opportunity at that time to voice their opinions and ask any questions that they may have.
A link to the host community agreement is available on the Halifax town website.
Robin Putnam, a research and special projects manager from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), attended the Tuesday, October 15 Council on Aging (COA) meeting to speak to residents regarding identity theft and fraud prevention. Despite a newsletter and robocalls the turnout for this COA event was quite small.
Putnam gave everyone in attendance a copy of A Massachusetts Consumer Guide to Identify Theft pamphlet. She pointed out the Consumer Hotline (617-973-8787) which is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and stressed that an actual person will be available to talk during those times. Additionally, she assured residents that if you leave a message, someone will call you back within 24 hours.
Putnam also explained to attendees that OCABR has over 39,000 contractors registered with them and explained that before hiring someone to do over $1,000 worth of work on your home, you should verify that they are registered. You can check registration either online or over the phone. Just as OCABR will defend consumers against contractor negligence, they will also defend the contractors when necessary.
One of the most pertinent frauds discussed was the process of spoof calling where a caller changes their caller ID to any number other than the calling number. Despite it feeling as though you are being targeted, you are not as it is usually a computer system somewhere churning out phone calls. Of note, Putnam warned that it is important not to answer as even answering and immediately hanging up demonstrates that your number has an actual living person attached to it.
A new FCC program known as SHAKEN/STIR seeks to verify the caller ID information that appears on a recipient’s phone. Thus far the program seems to be working as there was a down tick in robocalls for the month of July.
Also discussed was what is known as social engineering or the act of trying to manipulate individuals into divulging personal or confidential information. For example, if they know your bank they’ll call pretending to be from that bank and they will ask you to verify personal information that they’ve gathered about you from various sources. Once they’ve earned your trust, they will ask you to verify your social security number. Another scam involves the caller claiming that your spouse is in the hospital or your grandchild in jail. The caller will then ask you for a credit card payment.
Putnam warned against engaging the scammer with fake answers in an attempt to scam the scammer. She warned of a real-life example where a scammer realized what was happening and then proceeded to call the recipient’s number every hour for a full 24 hours.
Phishing emails were another topic of discussion. Putnam advised on ways to decipher an authentic email from a fraudulent one. If an email looks suspicious it can be helpful to hover your mouse over the email sender in order to view the address in its entirety. Subtle differences such as the way an email addresses its recipient can be useful. She gave a personal example of an authentic email from her bank referring to her as Ms. Putnam vs. a fraudulent one pretending to be from that same bank and referring to her as “loyal customer.” When in question, it is advised that you find an old statement and call the 800-number given; never call the 800-number given in the potentially fraudulent email.
Putnam also provided a number of suggestions for protecting oneself against such scams. She stressed the importance of changing passwords every 6-9 weeks. The actual passwords themselves should not be recycled and should be something arbitrary rather than personal. She also suggested doing a credit check and verifying that all information on the report is actually yours. People under 18 years of age are more susceptible to identity theft as fraudsters know that guardians are unlikely to pull credit reports for someone say, three years old.
Putnam also addressed the Equifax Data Breach which affected 147 million people. If you are unsure if you were affected, it is best to go to ftc.gov/Equifax to check.
The Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, Nov. 4, began with a decision to include a warrant article at special town meeting that would authorize the selectmen to create safety zones in some of the town’s more dangerous intersections including Ring Road and Main Street. Selectmen hope to reduce the speed limits for safety sake. Selectman Mark Russo said any decisions made would be done with a great deal of input from residents who live near the designated areas.
Robert Firlotte, who was in attendance, was appointed the interim highway superintendent as well as to the emergency management team. Both terms are from October 21, 2019 to June 30, 2020. Firlotte also agreed with selectmen regarding the safety zone article to be voted on at special town meeting.
Selectman John Traynor inquired about the town’s policy regarding alcohol on town owned property. Selectmen assistant Briggette Martins said that the insurance said it is absolutely not allowed without a permit. Bringing your own alcohol to events on town owned property is also prohibited. Other nearby towns such as Halifax have banned alcohol from town property. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said, “Years ago, we had an incident at the town house and there were some pretty severe repercussions for people that had been drinking at the town house.” Russo asked about the alternative to banning alcohol and was told that it would be $2500 per event for the person serving the alcohol to receive a permit with insurance. Joy said, “I think it’s cut and dry; we cannot put the town in a position where we’re compromised by allowing people to drink in town buildings. It just does not make any sense.” After some discussion, the other selectmen agreed and a motion was passed to adopt a policy to ban alcohol on all town owned property. Dennehy said she would send a memo. Russo said, “Be really clear that we are doing this to protect the town and that it is cost prohibitive to do otherwise.”
Traynor also brought before the Board, an issue with a lack of service in Plympton and Halifax by The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA). Traynor presented a map of the state shaded to indicate Transit Authority coverage. Traynor said, “Basically these transit authorities they cover almost the whole state.” He continued, “That little white spot… is Halifax and Plympton. We’re the only ones that don’t have coverage for regional transit authority.” Traynor also shared some statistics showing the number of people per square mile for many of the surrounding south shore towns.
Plympton and Halifax had previously been told they don’t have enough people per square mile to qualify for service. When combined, however, Plympton and Halifax have more people per square mile than Carver that does have service.
Traynor said he reached out to Halifax Selectman Tom Millias who lent his full support. Traynor also enlisted the help of Senator Michael Brady and Representative Kathleen LaNatra. The next step would be finding out the cost of bringing service to the two towns.
Town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy gave an update on various items including the old jail cell that went out to bid. The cell, which was classified as town owned surplus property, was awarded to the highest bidder, Ken Thompson, for $203.
Dennehy said that a large meeting will be held on November 19 to discuss the fiber optic plan and make sure that all parties are on the same page. Representatives from regional dispatch, Industrial Communications, and Open Cape and their subcontractor will be present. The regional dispatch center is installing their own exclusive fiber connection that will run from them to the Plympton Police Department; it will be done by a combination of Comcast and Industrial Communications. Dennehy said it is important to ensure that the two systems can function together with special attention being paid to the fiber that Plympton is putting into the police station. Dennehy also said that going forward, it may be necessary to bring a company on board to maintain the physical fiber network and handle the network administration work. Steve Pellowe, the technology director for the Silver Lake Regional School District has also been asked to attend the meeting.
Dispatch costs
quadruple
Dennehy also alerted the Board that the dispatch cost for next year is set to rise significantly. Costs are estimated at $200,000 for next year, four times that of the previous two fiscal years. The previous numbers were a discounted rate and also incorporated grant money. Dennehy said that she had already shared those numbers with the Chair of the Finance Committee. Joy asked if the amount was negotiable and Dennehy said she didn’t believe there was much flexibility. The formula is based on call volume and population. Dennehy did say that if they can get more people to join, Plympton’s costs will go down. Dennehy believed that they are currently in negotiations with Hanson. Dennehy and the Board agreed to look into the possibility of acquiring a grant to help offset the costs.
Important upcoming dates include the first meeting of the newly formed town campus committee on November 19 at 6 p.m. at the Town House. The Selectmen would like to have Area 58 televise the meeting. Also of note, the Plympton Council on Aging Christmas party will be held on December 11 at noon at the Upland Club. RSVPs have been requested by November 28. Those wishing to participate in the gift grab are asked to bring a $10 gift.
As they always do, the Board ended the meeting with their rants and/or raves of the past few weeks. Traynor praised those that put on the Veteran’s Appreciation Day this past weekend. Traynor said that the Boy Scouts attended as did some from the VFW in Halifax. Traynor also praised the “fabulous voice” of Jodi Mulcahy who sang at the event.
Both Joy and Russo shared their appreciation for the efforts of all those present at the Planning Board solar hearings last week. They said that while it is always a challenge to balance the rights of individuals vs the public good, they both felt that the Plympton committees and boards handle that responsibility well.