By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

PLYMPTON – Selectman John Henry and Town Coordinator Dale Pleau said there might be a way to build a new combined police and fire station with no additional impact to taxpayers.

On Monday, Jan. 12, Henry said Plympton could cut project costs in half if the town were to order a prefabricated building to house both departments.

Henry, Pleau and Police Chief Patrick Dillon met earlier Monday to discuss the idea, and as a group plan also to meet with Fire Chief Warren Bosari.

“We owe it to the townspeople to at least bring them something,” Henry said. “Not a Cadillac, but a Chevrolet.”

Pleau said Plympton does not need to start from scratch when it comes to a new public safety building, but that there are canned products that might be options.

Henry said the town would pay half the cost by using pre-fabricated, pre-engineered buildings that would be built elsewhere and delivered. The town would not have to pay prevailing wages in that case, he said.

It would cost some $7-million to design, engineer and build a public safety building, or $549,000 in annual payments if the town finances the project over 20 years at a 2.8-percent interest rate, Pleau said.

“Cut that number in half,” he said. “It would not even hit the tax rate.”

Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo sat in the audience and spoke as a resident because he is an abutter to one of the properties being considered for a new public safety facility.

His wife, Kimberly Russo, asked about the aesthetics of a pre-fabricated public safety building and questioned whether residents would enjoy looking at it.

Henry said the buildings can be covered with clapboards, and Pleau said they can be covered with a brick facade.

“Basically, you’ll have modular buildings, so you can cut the cost in half,” Henry said. “It would be Town Meeting’s decision.”

In other action Monday, selectmen voted, 3-0, to consult with town counsel about a Town Meeting warrant article to establish an enterprise fund, drawing from Comcast and cable subscriber revenues, to join a regional community TV studio with Halifax and Carver or to start an Internet TV station for Plympton.

Russo said he wanted to check the wording of the funding article with town counsel so that she is up to speed and the other two towns should know that Plympton has the right article.

Russo said he is concerned that Plympton might not be able to join with Halifax and Carver if the towns’ share of funding is subject to annual appropriation.

“This is a good starting point, to start with (town counsel),” he said. “I just want to have this pinned down.”

Henry said he also plans to present voters at Town Meeting with an alternative to joining Halifax and Carver, although either option requires that voters approve the enterprise fund and appropriate such funds every year for cable broadcasting.

Henry said Plympton should form an Internet TV station, with no studio and coverage of selectmen and other government meetings to be broadcast online. The community of Douglas has a similar Internet TV operation, he said.

Selectman Colleen Thompson said she thinks Henry’s idea is interesting, although lots of seniors do not have the Internet.

“I think it would be good to have both options,” she said.

Henry said a lot of people do not have cable, and arrangements could be made to get DVD copies of meetings to residents who do have the Internet.

Meeting notes

* Selectmen voted, 3-0, to put a stop sign at the end of Cross Street, with a sign ahead of it warning motorists of the stop side ahead, and put two signs on West Street on either side of Cross Street that would be “advisory stop” or “curve ahead” signs. “It would improve the situation considerably,” Russo said. “Sounds good to me,” Thompson said.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

KINGSTON — The Silver Lake Regional School Committee and the Silver Lake Education Association on Thursday Jan. 8 ratified a new teachers’ contract.

The three-year contract is retroactive to July and provides pay raises of 1.8-percent, 1.9-percent and 2-percent over the next three years, according to School Committee member Maureen Springer of Plympton, who praised the teachers union members.

“We thank you very much for your patience. We hope we can work together well into the future as we have in the past,” she said.

High School English teacher Kimberly Orcutt, who is president of the SLEA, thanked the community for their patience and support, and said teachers are glad to be back into their regular routines.

“I wanted to thank you all, the community, the teachers, for working with us in the negotiations,” she said. “We’re back together again. Thank you.”

Level-services budget presented

Tuffy presented a draft $23.7-million fiscal 2016 budget that would increase spending by 5.3-percent or $1.2-million over this year.

The budget is level-services because it assumes that all of this year’s programs funded this year will continue at the same level of service as next year, he said.

Tuffy said the spending plan would add a Grade 8 math teacher to address student scores and curriculum changes. It would also add funding for an assistant swim coach and freshmen volleyball coach at the high school, as both sports are popular.

The budget assumes that health insurance costs will increase by 5-percent. It also funds the new assessment the district must pay to the Plymouth County Retirement Board, and assumes an adjustment for Medicare costs. There are no adjustments for utilities and shared costs yet figured into the draft budget.

“This is the first time you are looking at it,” Tuffy told school board members. “Please take it home and look at it.”

Capital needs funding approved

The School Committee approved a $619,000 capital needs package, funding it in this year’s budget by drawing from the district’s $1.1-million in excess and deficiency or free cash funds.

“We’re using half of it. That’s conservative,” said School Committee member Mark Guidoboni of Kingston.

The plans includes funding to:

* Add indoor and outdoor cameras: $22,000.

* Set up a new campus-wide, two-way radio system: $22,000.

* Install a new middle school keyless entry system: $5,000.

* Replace the accounting system: $90,000.

* Fund the district’s OPEB liability: $100,000.

* Repair and resurface the track: $120,000.

* Repair and resurface the tennis courts: $30,000.

* Repair parking lot cracks: $11,000.

* Replace the JV baseball backstop: $19,000.

* Build one new athletic storage shed, do prep work for a second such shed: $60,000.

* Build a new middle school storage shed: $18,000.

* Buy additional high school and middle school furniture: $11,000.

* Install an additional 75 high school lockers: $17,000.

* Conduct an exterior envelope evaluation of the high school and middle school: $24,000.

* Resurface carpentry and metal fabrication floors: $40,000.

* Study the feasibility of installing solar generation facilities at the high school and middle school: $10,000.

* Make safety repairs to Sirrico field lighting poles: $20,000.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

PLYMPTON — The Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, Jan. 13, met and opened a public hearing on an appeal filed by neighbors of an occupancy permit granted to a men’s retreat for addiction recovery at 55 Brook St., the Brook Retreat.

ZBA Chairman David Alberti said the meeting lasted for two-and-one-half hours and included comments from attorneys representing neighbors, Brook Retreat and the town, from a Brook Retreat resident from Kingston under treatment for addiction, and from the public.

“It was a well attended event. I’ve been on the ZBA for a number of years and didn’t see one this well attended,” Alberti said.

Tuesday’s ZBA hearing was continued to Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Plympton Town House.

Alberti said Brook Retreat’s principals invited ZBA members to do a walk-through of 55 Brook St. on Monday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m., in order for members to view the living conditions, see the facility and ask questions.

All three selectmen attended Tuesday’s hearing, although none spoke, and a lot of abutters also attended, he said.

Neighbor Larry Richmond is appealing a building permit granted by acting Zoning Enforcement Officer Thomas Millias that allows occupancy of as many as 10 people, plus two staff members, at 55 Brook St.

Richmond said neighbors do not question the integrity or intentions of Brook Retreat’s principals, but oppose letting them rent to more than the four people allowed under town bylaw.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

HALIFAX – The town has two new full-time police officers: Ryan Simpson and Patrick Deroo.

Selectmen on Tuesday Jan. 13 voted, 3-0, to appoint Simpson and Deroo as full-time officers, on the recommendation of Police Chief Edward Broderick.

They have been in training for four months and are appointed permanent intermittent officers, Broderick said.

“They’re ready to go, ready to go work for us,” he said.

Broderick said Halifax has gotten a waiver from Civil Service for Simpson and Deroo to start working full-time until the next full-time police officer academy, which starts in March and which both officers will attend.

“All that is in place and ready to go,” he said.

Broderick said Simpson and Deroo have rotated through every shift and been checked by sergeants and officers, and he is pleased with their commitment.

“No complaints. They’ve both worked out very well,” he said.

Broderick said the appointments will help Halifax avoid overtime costs and get the police department back to 11 officers on the road.

Selectman Kim Roy said she appreciates Broderick hiring full-timers from the town’s pool of permanent intermittent officers, from among known people, and she is impressed by them.

“We appreciate the way you’ve been managing your budget and keeping these things on target,” she said.

Meeting Notes

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said Gov. Charlie Baker indicated he would release $100-million in Chapter 90 highway aid that had been approved by the state Legislature but withheld by former governor Deval Patrick. As a result, Chapter 90 aid to Halifax will increase from $270,938 to $406,407, Seelig said.

Selectmen accepted a state recycling grant of $6,500 to purchase a new 40-yard roll-off container for plastics and to print and mail educational materials on recycling to residents.

Selectmen voted to sign a contract with Lakeville to use that town’s animal shelter when needed.

Selectmen scheduled a hearing on the way properties are being turned over, bought and sold at Halifax Gold & Silver Coin Shop, 272 Plymouth St., on the recommendation of Broderick, who said there is an open case regarding stolen items in connection with the pawn shop. The hearing will take place on Jan.26 at 8:45 p.m.

Selectmen voted to send a letter to the owner of USA Fitness, 430 Plymouth St., about the legality under town bylaw of the business’s advertising for and buying second-hand items, sometimes in exchange for time in the gym, that is taking place in the gym storefront.

Selectmen met in executive session for collective bargaining for the firefighters’ contract with Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.

Selectmen voted to ask the public to submit a current photo from the calendar year 2014 that has something to do with Halifax for consideration to be put on the cover of the Annual Town Report.