The Halifax Elementary School Committee met on Monday, March 6. Superintendent Jill Proulx went over the budget with the Committee. Earlier in the meeting Director of Business Services Christine Healy told the Committee that the shared cost budget represented an overall increase to Halifax of $58,778. Proulx told the Committee that the version of the budget before them did not include the 0.4 instrumental music position or the part-time math interventionist. The overall increase in the version presented was 1.97 percent. If the music position were added, the increase would be 2.2 percent and if both were added, it would represent a 2.5 percent increase to the total budget. Committee Chair Summer Schmaling said that she would like to see the instrumental position added to the budget. “I don’t think it’s a tall ask to put in $21,000 for our kids to have band, frankly. I think it is a great opportunity for us to share that position with the other towns in the district,” Schmaling said. She also said that she was reticent to use ESSER grant funding to fund any portion of the math interventionist position as those funds may not be available again next year and would instead like to see it added to the budget as a full-time position. Schmaling went on to say that her impression of “the tone of the town” is that 2 to 2.5 percent is a reasonable increase.
A motion was made to approve the 2023-2024 Halifax Elementary School operating budget of $6,359,846, the out- of-district special education tuition budget of $1,962,047, the out-of-district special education transportation budget of $797,759, and the out-of-district vocational education budget of $156,500. The budgets passed and included the full-time positions as discussed.
Schmaling told the Committee there was a request from Silver Lake Youth Cheer to have a flyer go out in the backpacks of students. Committee member Lauren Laws asked for clarification on the origins of the organization as they are not a school sport. Proulx clarified that this was a private rather than a school organization. Proulx explained, “Town organizations that are non-profit – we tend to send those out. This is not a clear-cut town non-profit organization because it is not just Halifax… it was approved last year by this Committee,” Proulx explained. She further said that it is brought before the School Committee for approval due to the policy on advertising. The Committee did vote unanimously to approve.
The Committee voted on the same two policies that were previously voted on by the Regional School Committee and Plympton Elementary School Committee. The first policy was about parental options for opting out of student surveys and the second policy was regarding who has access to security footage from school grounds. Regarding the former, Schmaling said that she vehemently opposed the policy as presented because she would rather the option be opt-in, rather than opt-out of student surveys. Schmaling said, “I just don’t like that they’re not in-house… because they are coming from MGH, Harvard, MPH, I’m good. I don’t think that other entities should have their tentacles in our kids’ brains.” Laws said that she would assume the administrators wouldn’t administer a survey if they didn’t approve of the questions. Another Committee member said that she would like to see there be at least three emails sent out providing opportunities to opt-out. Only Laws voted in favor of the policy and the policy failed to pass.
The security camera policy allows for security footage to be released to first responders in the event of an emergency as well as allowing for parents to come into the school to watch footage provided that student faces are blurred. The policy failed to pass as well. Schmaling told the Committee that she would share any feedback they might have with Jason Fraser, who chairs the Policy Sub-Committee.
Halifax Elementary School Principal Kayne Beaudry provided an update. He said that the Halifax Police Department has been doing safety presentations with each of the grade-levels to discuss different safety drills including lockdowns and fire drills. “Just sharing the overall message that the school is a safe place and what do we do when we come into those kind of emergency situations,” Beaudry explained.
He also told the Committee that they just celebrated Read Across America week with many special events including dress-up days centered around Dr. Suess. He said that the School Council was planning a survey to get feedback from parents during parent-teacher conferences. Those conferences will be held on March 23 which is also an early release day. A book fair will also be held that week.
Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said that in February the elementary school principals in the Union along with Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell attended an OpenSciEd curriculum training. “We learned about the new science units – the two science units that are being adopted in line with OpenSciEd; it’s about helping students learn about phenomena-based approach,” Lynch explained. He said the sixth-grade teachers also went to a training on it. He said that the hope is to eventually expand the program beyond sixth grade.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Feb. 28. They began the meeting by going into Executive Session to discuss the possible discipline or termination of the Building Inspector James Perry. Selectman Naja Nessralla recused himself from the hearing and deliberation. Upon returning from Executive Session, Selectmen Chair John Bruno said that they voted to terminate Perry, effective immediately. According to the town’s website, Steven Solari has been named as the interim Building Inspector/Commissioner.
The Selectmen also held a hearing to determine if they will be opting-out of mail-in voting for local elections. Town Clerk Sue Lawless gave a brief description of the purpose of the hearing. Lawless said, “typically, these elections are low-interest and given the increase of unfunded mandates from the State, it would be a cost-savings for the town to opt-out. While I understand that the idea of vote-by-mail has become popular by many, I do not feel that the Town has made the changes necessary to support it. My office is currently a part-time office and the vote-by-mail process is very labor-intensive.” She went on to say that many residents did not return their mail-in ballots. Lawless also clarified that absentee voting will still be available. A new hearing would be held annually to determine whether to opt-out of mail-in voting.
The Selectmen opened the hearing to public comment. Resident Frederick Corrigan inquired what the cost was that made it prohibitive. Lawless said that while she didn’t have a dollar amount, the real issue was a staffing one. Corrigan responded saying, “I can’t see where we can take 437 people in this small town and say just because you’re old and you don’t have a car or you have a disability, you can’t vote.” “As stated previously, anybody with a disability or a reason why they cannot go to the polls, has an option to absentee ballot,” Lawless answered. Selectman Jonathan Selig said, “I can see both sides of the issue; I’m not into limiting voting access, if there’s a way, we can get creative to get people there – I have a minivan, I can drive folks there.” The Selectmen voted to opt-out of mail-in voting. Bruno noted that come May, if there’s an issue, they will make a different decision for next year.
Bruno said, “Just in case this crowd is here for the Morse Brothers part of the agenda, those four things are kind of standing things on our agenda until we get them resolved so we were supposed to have an inspection of the property today but because of the storm, we weren’t able to do that. We intend to get it done this week and we will report back to the Board this week… if anyone’s here for that, that’s all we’re going to talk about tonight is that part of the update.”
Town Administrator Cody Haddad asked the Board if they would like to reevaluate how reappointments are handled. Selig said that he would like to see the Boards and Committees become part of the appointment process since they have more expertise on the specific subject matter than the Selectmen. Bruno said that he is usually in favor of reappointments and noted that in his career as a Selectmen, he can only recall maybe one time where he didn’t vote in favor of reappointment. Bruno said that if a Board has an opinion on a reappointment, he would certainly be in favor of hearing their input.
Haddad addressed getting specialized training for Boards and Committees including 40B training for the Zoning Board of Appeals. He said that they have reached out to necessary parties to setup the trainings. He said he is also working with the Attorney General’s office to set up some open meeting law trainings including some that are specific to Halifax.
Haddad also addressed a grant application for Halifax Mobile Home Estates to have trees removed at a cost of $750,000. “I have been working with the State to draft an application… but ultimately my recommendation would be… to vote to allow the Town Administrator to submit it… if we are awarded it, then you would vote to approve it.” The Selectmen need to oversee the project. The Selectmen agreed to pursue the grant on behalf of the Mobile Home Estates.
The Selectmen also dealt with a live entertainment request for Halifax Pride. Authorization has already been granted for use of the Town Green on June 17. The entertainment would include Silver Lake Regional High School students, a family-friendly drag performance, and a DJ. The request was already approved by the Fire and Police Chiefs as well as the Board of Health. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the entertainment request. The Selectmen also fielded a request for use of the Town Green on Saturday, April 22 by the Boy Scouts for a bottle/food drive fundraising event. The Selectmen also approved this request.
Haddad told the Selectmen that they had a team formed in town to work on the Council on Aging project which had some funding approved during Town Meeting. He said they would need to come into compliance with Massachusetts procurement law which requires that a building project projected at over $1.5 million must bring in a project manager to oversee the whole process. The Selectmen approved Haddad moving forward as necessary.
Haddad addressed the MBTA Action Plan that had been the subject of much debate during recent Selectmen’s meetings. The Selectmen had ultimately voted to approve moving forward with the Action Plan. Haddad said, “On Feb. 17, I received a letter from the State under Secretary of the Department of Public Housing and Community Development… notifying us that they have accepted our Action Plan and that we are in interim compliance through December 31 of 2024.” He further said that he had a meeting with Old Colony Planning Council for technical assistance moving forward.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually Monday, Feb. 27.
The meeting began with a public hearing regarding an earth removal permit application from SLT Construction Corp. for activities at Spring Street. The land in question is approximately 23 acres. The permit would allow for earth removal work as well as construction of a facility to process construction materials and recycle concrete, asphalt, brick, and stumps. Alex Weisheit was on hand as the Town’s Counsel.
Selectman Mark Russo went over the ground rules for the hearing including that arguments between parties would not be tolerated. They began by hearing from the applicant first. Peter Opachinski spoke on behalf of SLT Construction which he said was owned by himself and his brother Mike. Opachinski said that the land was originally taken over by Mass DOT for construction of Route 44. He said the land was deemed surplus to Mass DOT and went out to public bid in 2017 when SLT submitted the highest bid. He said that during 2017 and 2018, McKenzie Engineering designed a subdivision on the Carver side. He said that he believes that people that are opposed to the project think it is merely a rouse to remove earth. Opachinski said that that was “far from it.” He said that there were no substantiated complaints regarding damage to the wetlands. “The main reason for the earth removal permit is to simply level the land and get it leveled out so we can setup what we are considering to be a recycling facility,” Opachinski explained. “There really are no abutters to the site; so I think it’s a great location for an industrial type business to go in eventually,” he added.
According to Opachinski’s presentation, they only intend to excavate roughly 6 of the 23 acres. He said they are looking to remove 50 truckloads per day and noted that the trucks would not be traveling on any Plympton roads. He said the best estimate is that the work would be completed in eight months. He also said the closest house to the location is in Kingston. He said they keep an 8,000-gallon water truck on the site at all times to keep dust to a minimum. He further said that a sprinkler system would be installed as well. “Overall, the water truck has been pretty effective,” he said. He did acknowledge they have had a few issues with ATV and dirt bike riders trespassing.
Selectman John Traynor said his biggest concern was with environmental protection. “What groundwater protection district are you in – this project?” Selectman Christine Joy asked. Opachinski said he was unsure. “There would be no intention to ever have this be for sewage disposal?” Joy verified. Opachinski said “absolutely not.” Following the Selectmen’s remarks, Russo opened the discussion to anyone that wished to speak in favor of the project. One resident spoke up saying that he personally knows the family and they are honest and trustworthy. Another resident said that he is a subcontractor for SLT as well as the Vice Chairman of the Conservation Commission in Carver. He said that the project “doesn’t affect anything in Plympton.” “In the four years that I’ve worked with the Opachinskis, I’ve never seen them not do what they say they are going to,” he continued. A general contractor with SLT also spoke up in favor of the company and the project.
Dawn Egan, a principal at American Electrical Construction, said she purchased a 4-acre lot from the Opachinskis to use as their headquarters. She said that she grew up in Plympton and currently lives in Carver. “I believe in business and responsible growth and working with Peter Opachinski has been just that,” Egan said.
Russo said that they would next be hearing from those opposed to the project. Russo said that they received a number of letters in opposition to the project that he would read portions of in order to ensure that those residents’ voices were also heard. One letter stated that there was concern that SLT had already encroached upon the stated area on the earth removal permit. Among the allegations in the letters was that SLT has already encroached upon the wetlands and that they have created dustbowls so severe, residents are unable to open their windows. The destruction of land, the environmental impact, and noise complaints were all cited in the opposition letters.
Meg Sheehan with the Community Land and Water Coalition said that their position is that they would like to see the permit denied. She said that a world-renowned hydrologist who is currently working at Harvard, issued a report saying there is a potential risk to the drinking water supply. She showed videos showing emissions of sand to Ricketts Pond as well as into people’s backyards. Sheehan also told those assembled that they believe the permit is incomplete and that there were multiple violations. Her presentation further said that operating a “recycling facility” is not covered in the MEPA Certificate.
The Chair of Carver Concerned Citizens spoke out against the project. “We ask you to look to the future in not only your town residents but the residents of Carver, Kingston, and other surrounding towns; once you allow this in, you’ll have it there forever,” he said. Plympton resident Howard Randall spoke up saying he has lived with this issue for nearly fifty years. He also acknowledged that he knows Opachinski well. He referred to the site as a “wasteland.” He asked Opachinski if he couldn’t think of something better than a recycling center to bring to what he described as a “sensitive area.” Another resident spoke about the “noise pollution” calling it “off the charts.” She also warned about potential toxins. “I believe there to be a vernal pool there with Ricketts Pond being there… there’s endangered wildlife that live there,” she said. Still another resident asked if there would be any further testing of the groundwater. Someone else asked the Selectmen to delay voting on the issue until more information could be ascertained.
“I think the permit has to be denied because in the bylaws, this isn’t an allowed use in a groundwater protection district,” Joy said during the deliberation portion of the meeting following the hearing. Joy said that the facility is not an allowable end use and therefore, it didn’t make sense to grant permission for the earth removal permit. Traynor said he had read Sheehan’s 15-page document as well as other exhibits. “I’m not sure that we should allow a permit, but I think we need a lot more expert knowledge of exactly what’s going to happen there – if the water table is going to be affected, absolutely… if it’s going to affect the wetlands, if they’ve overstepped, another reason it should be declined but I would like to get a lot more answers before I say yay or no,” he said. Russo said if they are going to deny the application, they would have to bring forth a really strong case. Russo said that the Selectmen should authorize Town Administrator Liz Dennehy to work with Town Counsel to identify the experts needed and that they should come at the expense of Opachinski. The Selectmen agreed to continue the public hearing to March 27. They also voted to move forward with seeking necessary experts including a hydrologist.
Following the hearing and deliberation, Selectmen dealt with business as usual. They shared that during Executive Session they agreed to a contract with the Town Administrator for three more years. They also appointed Jeffrey Montello to the Board of Registrars for a term ending on March 31, 2026. Russo told the Selectmen that the seller signed the purchase and sale for Turkey Swamp and that the closing will be April 18. “We are so much closer to having 300 undisturbed acres protected and conserved in perpetuity,” Russo said.
Joy said that her rave for the evening was for “all the people who showed up tonight.” She called it a “complex issue” and said that the goal of the Board is transparency.
Russo said, “I totally agree with everything Christine said.” He said his rave was for the fact that it was an “orderly meeting.” He said he appreciated the “patience and forbearance of everyone.” Traynor said his rant was for the weather since it might delay a speaker that is coming to the town to address trash.

The Halifax School Committee met on Monday, Feb. 6. It began with a public budget hearing. The Grade 7-12 Arts Coordinator Kelly DePasqua asked the Committee for their support of the 0.4 instrumental music position that is being proposed in the budget. She said, “reason number one is music has been recognized as a core subject since 2015… it develops reasoning and creativity, improves memorization, increases coordination, builds listening skills… if you look to number two, at this point in the District, Halifax is the only school that doesn’t have curricular instrumental lessons as part of the day provided by the School District.”
She noted that students who start beginning band in Grade 7 are at a disadvantage. “As you can see from the District, the interest is there, it’s the opportunity that we need to provide,” DePasqua said. She told the Committee that she is also a graduate of Halifax Elementary School saying, “the opportunities that were afforded to me at Halifax Elementary set me on my career path… I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t played Annie in the fourth grade.” She said that the 0.6 beginning instrumental and general music teacher at Dennett is “willing and able” to come to Halifax for 0.4. DePasqua was met with applause following her remarks.
Later in the meeting, Committee Chair Summer Schmaling said, “frankly, I think it would be wonderful if we could find a way, now that it’s a smaller impact to our budget, to try and fit that in if it’s at all possible… having the ability to share a partial position across the District is a little easier pill to swallow.” Schmaling asked who would pay the benefits for the employee. Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that they would be eligible for benefits in Plympton as a 0.6 position. Committee member Lauren Laws asked about access to instruments. DePasqua said that they were able to do an instrument drive this year and get instruments to all students who wished to participate.
Schmaling also suggested that they get guidance from the Finance Department regarding where they would like to see the school budget. Proulx said that they were invited to a meeting later in the week with the new Town Administrator and the Town Accountant. She also noted that they did want to see the math interventionist position included in the budget. She told Proulx and the Committee that she would like to see the budget increase stay around two percent.
Halifax Elementary School Principal Kayne Beaudry provided the Committee with an update on the goings-on at the school. “I’m happy to say that we only had one little blip in terms of the cold weather this week – we had a pipe that broke in the main lobby there… Scott Materna and the guys were able to assess the situation and address it,” he told the Committee. He also said that enrollment is currently at 560 students. Kindergarten registration opened on February 1. “It’s important for us to try and get the numbers as exact as possible,” he explained. Beaudry said that MCAS would begin in April for ELA and in May for math and then science. Term II progress reports went out recently. School will resume February 27 following the winter break.
Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said he had a brief update regarding Collaborative Literacy, the new K-5 literacy program. He said a representative from Collaborative Literacy came to the school on January 23 to go over the implementation of the program. “We know we still have more training and support to provide; there will be additional professional development sessions for staff that focus particularly on writing,” Lynch said.
Superintendent Jill Proulx also provided an update on students attending private, parochial, and charter schools. She said that Halifax has had an increase from three students to five additional students attending those types of schools in the last year.
Proulx told the Committee that she had been in contact with Police Chief Joao Chaves regarding updates to the MLU with respect to the expectations of the State and the Department of Education as well as some staffing changes. The police chief explained that last year they had a school safety officer who was not able to be at the school on a normal basis. He said that staffing changes resulted in her now being available during the day. Chaves asked that her title be changed from School Liaison Officer to School Resource Officer. “She’s been at lunch, she’s been at recess, she’s been at dismissal,” Beaudry said. The Committee voted to approve the changes.
An update on policies was given during the report of standing committees. One of the policies discussed was regarding parents opting out of student surveys. The other policy was regarding approved uses of school security footage. Proulx said that the policies would be discussed in greater detail during their next meeting.
Proulx also addressed the contract with the custodians. “At this point, the Halifax custodians have agreed and voted to accept the proposals; I am asking the Halifax School Committee at this time to vote to approve the Halifax custodians’ contract,” she said. The Committee voted unanimously to approve it.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, Feb. 7. Selectman Naja Nessralla was unable to attend the meeting.
Selectmen took up the issue of training for town Boards and Committees. New Town Administrator Cody Haddad said that they have sent out some training materials to department heads and Boards and Committees regarding how to hold meetings. Haddad also said that he has reached out to the Attorney General’s office in the hopes of holding some open meeting law training sessions. He told the Selectmen that he is looking into holding some more specific training programs geared toward individual Boards and Commissions.
Selectmen Chair John Bruno said he would like to make it policy that as part of the appointment process, people are required to attend certain trainings. They did note that it wouldn’t be possible to insist on trainings for elected Boards such as the Planning Board. The Selectmen voted to approve Bruno’s suggested policy. Resident Jim Walters, who serves on the Finance Committee, said that the Massachusetts Municipal Association has many training WebEx’s available for different types of Committees and Boards.
Downed Trees at Halifax Mobile Home Estates
Selectmen had on the agenda to review and approve a draft CDBG application from Halifax Mobile Home Estates. The application is to remove several trees that came down during a recent storm. The town would be responsible for overseeing the project and would be the ones receiving the funding on behalf of Halifax Mobile Home Estates. Bruno told the representative from Halifax Mobile Home Estates that he would arrange to have them meet with new Town Administrator Cody Haddad and Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward to sort out the details.
Lingan St. Beach
The Selectmen had an appointment with the Park Commissioner and Police Chief Joao Chaves regarding the Lingan St. Beach. It was said that there are issues with the beach area being used to launch boats, jet skis being all over the place, inappropriate parking at Walmart, and non-resident use of the beach. The Park Commissioner said that the ticket structure and signage all need to be updated. It was acknowledged that the Police can’t be always monitoring the beach. Chaves said that it would be best to have someone monitoring parking, suggesting that it might be a good job for a high school student. He said that the additional parking across the street is overgrown and in need of being cut back.
Chaves said that last year people were coming from Revere, Boston, and even Rhode Island to go jet skiing, etc. at the beach. “It was out of control there for a little bit,” Chaves said. Bruno asked the Park Commissioner to sit down with Haddad and review the existing bylaws. If the bylaws aren’t appropriate for dealing with the issues, Haddad will meet with Town Counsel next. A resident pointed out that the bylaws only say that non-residents can’t park and use the beach but that it doesn’t say anything about non-residents that walk over to the beach.
The Selectmen also discussed the use of a one-time allotment of State funds that have been received. Bruno asked if some of that money could be used for the beach issues including signage. The Park Commissioner said they are working on the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s WPA Form 2 Determination of Applicability for beach nourishment and reconditioning. “The road’s washing into the lake, it’s a mess down there,” he said. He further told the Selectmen that engineering drawings will have to be created to move forward. He also noted that there are no picnic tables down there. He said they are also working on a feasibility study in town regarding accessibility in the form of boat ramp areas and parking.
Morse Brothers
Haddad told the Selectmen that a site visit will be scheduled for Morse Brothers. Haddad, a member of the Board of Selectmen, and an engineer will all attend the visit. Bruno said that once they figure out what is going on, they will schedule an appointment with Land Counsel. There were some residents in attendance at the meeting to speak on the project. Steve Goodman, who serves on the Conservation Commission and is neighbors with Morse Brothers, recommended that the Board enlist the help of someone from the Conservation Commission. He also recommended that someone from the Taunton Watershed also attend the site visit and/or get involved. Another resident recommended having a hydrologist visit the property as well.
“If we only attack it as a Halifax problem, we’re not going to solve the problem,” Goodman said. He recommended enlisting the help of the State saying that the digging is almost at “lake level.” Goodman also questioned if Morse Brothers was really selling cranberries or if they were making money from selling the sand. Bruno said that a member of the Conservation Commission could come along for the site visit and said they would like to begin by gathering the thoughts of the engineer.
Food Pantry
Steven King of the Helping Hands Food Pantry appeared before the Selectmen regarding starting a Farmer’s Market that could be used to fund the food pantry. He was specifically requesting use of the Town Green as well as the Great Hall for several Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the summer and early fall.
“We serve a lot of people – more and more everyday – food uncertainty and such as that,” he explained. He also noted that they were privately funded and don’t receive grants or State money. The Selectmen approved the dates contingent upon the approval of the Board of Health and Police Department.
ARPA Grant Agreement
Haddad spoke to the Selectmen regarding the Plymouth County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant Agreement. Haddad explained that in order to utilize the funds from the County, the town would need to sign the agreement. Some of the funds have already been approved for specific projects including HVAC at the elementary school. The Selectmen voted to approve the agreement.
Open Meeting Law Complaint
Haddad also spoke with the Selectmen regarding an Open Meeting Law complaint from the January 24 meeting. He said that the allegations included that the meeting was held in a room that required attendees to stand. Haddad said, “we did have enough seating, participants chose to stand.” Another allegation was that meeting minutes were not approved in a timely manner. Haddad said that they would work to get the meeting minutes approved in a timely manner and noted the difficulties posed by the recent turnover of the Board. The final allegation was that the Chair didn’t announce the names of the organizations that they would be entering into negotiations with during Executive Session. Haddad said it was an oversight and they would make sure that it didn’t happen again.
Appointments and Resignations
The Selectmen dealt with a few appointments, resignations, and talent bank forms. Brian Kling was unanimously reappointed to the Halifax Cultural Council. They also had a talent bank form from Ruth Mills for the Council on Aging. Mills said she moved to town two years ago and wanted to get involved. “I’m a freelance book editor, so my time is my own,” Mills explained. The Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint Mills to the Council.
They also dealt with Council on Aging resignations from Jo Schofield and Ivy Matheny. Schofield previously served as the Chair of the Council on Aging and said she plans to continue volunteering and attending coffee hours. Colleen Fiumara resigned from the Conservation Commission. Finally, the Selectmen accepted the resignation of Dave Swanson from the Highway Department as he retires following 22 years with the Department.
Brigette Benoit was appointed Assistant Accountant. Selectman Jonathan Selig said, “She’s been great, she’ll be a great asset to Town Hall.” They also approved the Animal Control Officer (ACO) contract with Precision Wildlife Services.
Veteran’s Agent Steve Littlefield met with the Selectmen regarding Robert Mullen and Shawn Goyette both filling out a talent bank form to serve as the Assistant Veteran’s Agent. Littlefield said that previously there was just one assistant but said that given the qualifications of both and the volunteer nature of the position, he was recommending that they both serve. After a brief interview with both the Selectmen unanimously approved their appointments.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Monday, Jan. 30. The primary purpose of the meeting was to address whether to create and submit an MBTA action plan. New Town Administrator Cody Haddad had told the Selectmen during their previous meeting that to remain in compliance for certain funding sources, including specific grants, the town would have to submit an action plan. The plan would identify at least one zoning district of reasonable size for multi-family housing. Haddad had said that they only needed to identify the zone and show that they were taking some actionable steps toward considering construction to remain in what was called interim compliance for a few years. He stressed that the town would not have to engage in construction of any sort. Several residents in attendance at last week’s meeting opposed even the creation and submission of the plan.
Dottie Fulginiti, a senior planner with the Old Colony Planning Council, attended the Jan. 30 meeting to address the concerns and offer a different perspective. Fulginiti said she also serves as the Chair of Easton’s Select Board so she understands the impact the plan will have on a community. She said that the law was developed by the State about a year ago and noted that the intention was to have the zoning within a half mile of an MBTA station. She said that exceptions could be made for communities that don’t have zoning available within a half mile of a station but noted that what they don’t want is for communities to zone an acre here and another there. She said once an action plan was submitted the zoning bylaw would need to be amended through a vote at town meeting, likely in the fall since the spring is so soon.
“I guess the overall concept of this is, right now, there are certain compliance pieces, for instance the action plan is due tomorrow, which is basically a questionnaire on what your town is doing about housing… kind of an informational sheet.” She continued, “You have to have that submitted to stay in interim compliance… if you’re not in interim compliance… the town won’t get granted any State grants… that includes Mass Works, which is a big infrastructure grant that are millions of dollars, it includes other smaller grants, but it also includes a little bucket of money that impacts your housing authority.”
Fulginiti told those assembled that the law came from a lack of diverse housing in Massachusetts saying that students are drawn here for our colleges and universities but leave after graduation due to the cost of living. She also noted that seniors also face difficulty finding affordable housing. Fulginiti defined multi-family housing as “a building with three or more residential dwelling units or two or more buildings on the same lot with more than one residential dwelling unit in each building.” She said that the buildings could be created to blend aesthetically with the town. She said that tools were available to help MBTA communities with compliance as well as technical assistance resources.
Selectmen Chair John Bruno asked Haddad what exactly they would be voting on that evening. Haddad said, “You would be allowing us to submit the action plan in which the action plan… is really us saying we’re going to investigate implementing this zoning, identify where to put it, and then bring something before Town Meeting; so, you’re not committing to anything other than investigating where you would do it and if you would do it, at this point.”
If Town Meeting passes the amended bylaw, it would put the town in compliance through the end of 2024. Haddad said they would employ technical assistance in identifying the zoning and envision getting public input regarding location, etc. “If you do file it [the action plan], it just means that you are in compliance and eligible for grant funding,” Fulginiti said.
A resident asked if this was a 40R project and was told that it was not. Haddad said this was called 3A zoning. The same resident asked if the 40B project that was on the table for the town right now could count toward compliance. Haddad said that it was possible that it would were it to be officially adopted.
A resident asked where the 750 units that were required of Halifax came from, and Haddad said the State was requiring a minimum of 50 acres and 15 units per acre of density (15 multiplied by 50). Another resident asked if they would be touching conservation land and was told if it was restricted, they would not be able to encroach upon it. Several residents expressed concern that they couldn’t imagine a 750-unit building fitting anywhere in Halifax. Bruno said, “I’m not sure that we’re going to get everyone to the point where we see a good idea of a five-story apartment building anywhere; I just don’t see that and I agree with you, I live in Halifax for a reason and that’s part of it.”
“This is something that the government is just telling us we have to do and I’m telling you it would be foolish on our part if we don’t at least investigate it,” he continued. Another resident of over 50 years said that in the past the town has expressed a desire to have “home rule” saying, “but since those 53 years, we don’t have home rule anymore, the State is dictating exactly what we can have and when we can have it and what we can do.”
Planning Board member Amy L. Troup spoke passionately against the town even submitting a plan. “We bought property and we’re taxpayers, we want to keep this town the way it is, don’t even look at the carrot; we’re not really going to miss anything because the grants that you’re looking at are not even enough to supply the schools,” Troup said. She likened it to having a $10 coupon, but you have to spend $75 to use it.
Another resident brought up running into water issues the previous year saying, “Is the State going to give us water when we can’t meet our water demands for the residents that live here in town… that’s a massive amount of people that we would be adding at once to the town.” Bruno pointed out that currently in Halifax, people can build multi-family residences. Yet another resident expressed frustration that the deadline to submit the plan was the very next day though he said it wasn’t the fault of the Board. Still another resident said, “You can’t have clean water, a clean environment and be pushing all this growth and urban squall; at some point, all these towns are going to get together and make the State defend it.”
Bruno said, “At this stage in the game, I don’t see that we’re committing to anything other than an investigation and I don’t see any real harm in an investigation.” A resident asked if it would be the State or the town that would look into which areas to consider rezoning for a multi-resident district. A few residents expressed concern that single-family homes within a half mile of the station could be claimed through eminent domain. Bruno said that a process like that is actually a very complicated one and that it would not be something to worry about.
Bruno said that he heard everyone but that he just couldn’t see not investigating it and moved that they submit the action plan. Selectman Jonathan Selig said, “And I don’t think anyone here, either in this room or on this Board, would want to do anything to jeopardize our town and I don’t think that by being in compliance, at this stage, we are. We still have Town Meeting, we still have other steps that would need to be made.”
He went on to say that Halifax has previously not received a lot of grants and said that one of the reasons he wanted to hire Haddad was that he brought his previous municipality from $1,000,000 in grants to $3,000,000 in grant funding. Naja Nessralla said he agreed, and the Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the submission of the plan.

Halifax BOS Approve Multiple Uses for Town Green
The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Jan. 24. It was the first meeting for new Town Administrator Cody Haddad.
Halifax Pride
President and Director of Halifax Pride, Lori Costa, appeared before the Board to discuss a Pride event she wished to hold on Saturday, June 17. She said that after first holding the event in 2021, they now feel prepared to hold a much larger one. “Our goal is to promote community, love, and understanding that we’re all neighbors and the Queer community… exist in all walks of life,” Costa said. Costa outlined some difficulties in organizing the first event with the town and said that they learned along the way to ask more questions and be more persistent in getting answers.
She said that a perceived issue with the live entertainment caused a small group of people on social media to spew hateful commentary online. She noted that Police Chief Joao Chaves attended the event in both 2021 and 2022, and had positive feedback for it.
Costa elaborated saying, “During our campaign period for our Special Town Election for the two vacant seats Mr. Nessralla and Mr. Bruno occupy now… at that time questions were asked that asked candidates about the entertainment at Halifax Pride… I was disappointed at some of the answers given by some candidates who had no knowledge of what actually occurred at our event. Instead, their opinions were formed based on assumptions or other events held at our town. This is the misinformation I hope to clarify tonight. In closing, I will say that I am a 21-year resident of Halifax. I have volunteered in many capacities in our community most of which have been to support children. Halifax has wonderful people but there are times, in my experience, when the climate has been difficult if you are different or are considered different.”
Alex Hagerty, who was a speaker at last year’s event, addressed the Halifax Selectmen saying he was happy to serve as Abington’s first openly gay Selectman. “I feel it is important for LGBTQ youth and adults, as part of their own acceptance of who they are to see and hear from people just like them – to be seen as equal people in society so they can be confident in themselves,” Hagerty said. “It was my understanding that there had been some concerns from residents in the town about the entertainment of the day, specifically the drag queens… Halifax Pride has always been advertised as a family friendly event… I can attest to the family friendly nature of the drag performances… the acts were tastefully done, outfits eloquently suited for all ages.”
Chief Chaves, who was on the call, chimed in calling the event “well done” in the past and said he doesn’t anticipate any safety concerns. The Selectmen voted to approve use of the Town Green noting that they still need to get the necessary permits and licenses.
Safety Concerns for COA
Selectmen Chair John Bruno said that Council on Aging (COA) Director Darlene Regan had expressed safety concerns in their building. According to Regan, there was an incident when an individual entered the building causing a disturbance and another time when the Police needed to come to the building. “The Police Chief has made some specific recommendations involving panic buttons, public access, and panic alarms,” Bruno said. “It seems to me that we should refer this to the Building Committee and have them work on having these issues addressed,” he continued. Regan, who was in attendance, said they have been provided with panic buttons that they can carry around in the event of an emergency.
Bruno said they had a resignation letter from Bob Ross, who previously stepped down from the Building Committee, and now needed to resign from the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee due to work commitments. Selectman Jonathan Selig asked that a thank you letter be sent to Ross.
RFP for Solar Field
The Selectmen had a meeting with Jerry Joy regarding an RFP for a Solar Field. Joy explained that they previously had an RFP for a landfill and then were granted approval to go ahead with it. “There’s two ways of doing it… Power Options Incorporated, they’re a non-profit and you can join their non-profit and they’ll come out, look at the site, hire the contractor – you have no say on it,” Joy explained. He continued, “To me, I’m a business man… as far as I’m concerned owning it is the best way… if the town owned it, you’re electrical bill would be paid one-hundred percent every month… but you would have to finance it so you’re looking at probably $3 million to build out there but that was two years ago.” He said the other option would be to go out to bid and noted that at the end of eight years, the town would own it. Haddad recommended creating an article for Town Meeting since any lease of town land over five years requires approval at Town Meeting. Joy said he would meet with Haddad to discuss next steps.
Liquor License Transfer
The Selectmen also held a hearing for the transfer of an alcohol beverage license from In Season Restaurant, Inc. d/b/a Lakeside Villa to Monponsett Events, LLC. Selig thanked the previous owner for their dedication to the town including their help with building the new playground. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the transfer of the license.
MBTA Action Plan
The new Town Administrator addressed the MBTA Action Plan that was on the agenda for the evening. “The State has enacted zoning requirements for communities that have MBTA, commuter rail, or rapid transit in that community so as a result, in order to be in compliance, the State has required that we submit an action plan,” Haddad said. He said that submitting the plan doesn’t commit the town to anything but noted that not submitting it could result in a significant loss of grant funding from the State. Haddad said that those grants include infrastructure and technical assistance grants.
The plan requires that the town have at least one zoning district of a certain size for multi-family housing. Haddad said that the town has only to zone for the construction and doesn’t actually have to build. Planning Board member Amy L. Troup advocated strongly against the plan saying that were the construction to take place it would cost the town more money in the long run. Haddad said that the creation of the plan would buy the town two years of compliance without needing to complete any construction though he noted that the town would have to show some form of effort toward looking into construction. There was considerable debate from those in attendance regarding whether to submit the plan or not. Bruno wished to move forward with submitting the plan, but Selig said that he saw both sides and wished to look into the issue further before the deadline at the end of the month. The Selectmen agreed to meet on Monday, Jan. 30 to make a decision on the matter.
Resident Concerns with MacDonald Industries
The Selectmen were supposed to have an appointment with Marilyn MacDonald of MacDonald Industries, but she was unable to attend. Haddad said he and Selig did a walk-through of the Plymouth Street property earlier that day. Selig said they were given a tour alongside representatives from the company and their legal counsel. “Everything appeared to be in compliance from everything I have read. I did bring up some issues that some of the residents had brought up as far as dust remediation – they say they have a dust remediation plan which is on par with the State. As far as water goes, they said they have their test wells around the facility that they are constantly checking… as far as the truck issues [trucks using Circuit St.]… I spoke with them about improving their signage in the front of the facility,” Selig said.
A few residents in attendance spoke out against the landfill expressing concern over contaminated soil and consequently contaminated water. One resident said that the town voted against the expansion of the landfill 30 years ago and Bruno acknowledged that he did remember that but asked residents to elaborate on their concerns. A resident explained, “the continued contamination, we already said no back then, now we’re adding to it. We’re talking about water, if these 40B’s start coming in our water system; we only have one aquifer we’re using right now. I talked to someone on the Conservation Commission, we basically have two aquifers, one West and one East side of Halifax; our two well locations now, we’re using one. I know there’s concern with Morse Brothers if something ever gets contaminated and we lose wells there – now we’ve got this dump that’s right on the hedge of the aquifer.” The same resident said he was concerned about the contaminated dust blowing around Halifax including the risk of heavy metals. Bruno said he would need to investigate the operation further. Selig was selected to serve as the point person on the residents’ concerns. “If the public would like to email me questions, I can get them to them and get answers,” Selig said.
Earth Day Fair
Amy L. Troup appeared before the Selectmen as part of the Beautification Committee regarding the clean-up days that are typically held on certain days throughout the year. Troup said they are hoping to have a clean-up week this year in mid-April as well as an educational fair on Saturday, April 22 on Earth Day. The Bottle Drive for Scouts would take place that day as well as other events. Troup said they were looking to have the 4th through 6th grade students in town compete in an essay contest related to Earth Day. A number of organizations would also hopefully be present. Troup said the hope would be to bring the community together while educating on ways to make the community greener. The Selectmen approved the use of the Town Green for the fair. “It’s nice to have a positive thing going,” Bruno said.
Request from Mobile Home Park Association
The Selectmen also met with members of the Mobile Home Park Association regarding a grant for the removal of dangerous trees. The grant wouldn’t cost the town anything, but the Selectmen and the town would need to submit it on their behalf. It was said that in two storms, more than 70 homes were hit in the community where 600 residents live, largely elderly. Haddad warned the Selectmen that in the interest of being fair and equitable, they would have to take on projects for other communities or non-profits that came before them with a similar request. Haddad stressed that the town would be on the hook for overseeing the project and paying any money up front were the grant to be a reimbursable one. Selig said, “They are our biggest taxpayers. They don’t usually require a lot of our services… they plow their own roads; I think it would be a good faith gesture to try to help them out.” Bruno said that he would like to start by getting the thoughts of the Highway Surveyor. Haddad recommended that the Association put together a draft application for their review.
Ragnar Relay Race
Their final appointment of the evening was with Amber Sadlier regarding the Ragnar Relay Race which would run through Halifax on May 20. Sadlier said that in the past they haven’t needed a Police detail as the relay passes through Halifax in the middle of the night. She said that about 150 individual runners would likely pass through over the course of seven hours. The runners use Halifax Elementary School as a stopping point. “We’re looking for just a pass-through event permit,” Sadlier explained. The Selectmen voted to allow the race to pass through the town.

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met in-person on Thursday, Jan. 12. Committee Chair Paula Hatch began the meeting with a moment of silence for twelfth grade student Aiden Ramsey, who passed away during the winter break. “Our hearts and our prayers go out to his family,” Hatch said. Committee member Summer Schmaling thanked the administrative team for the things that they did to support the students in the wake of the tragedy.
The Committee members welcomed new member Laurie Casna who replaced Emily Davis. The Committee reorganized and Jason Fraser nominated Chris Eklund to serve as the Vice Chair.
Preliminary Budget Presentation
Superintendent Jill Proulx put on a presentation for the Committee regarding the FY24 budget for Silver Lake. She said that input was received from the building principals as well as various directors including the Administrator of Special Needs and the Technology Director. The increase represents 3.78 percent or $1,068,915 over the previous year’s budget. Special education transportation was an increase of just over 14 percent. Proulx said that the budget includes 2.5 retirements. She said that any potential changes to shared costs were not yet included in the preliminary budget.
Silver Lake Regional High School Principal Michaela Gill addressed notable increases and decreases in her requests. She said that unlike in previous years, the freshman orientation would be its own line rather than being included in professional development. She said that the Guidance Department would also represent an increase to account for translation and interpretation needs. Transportation would be going up in part due to rising costs. Gill noticed a “giant jump” in athletics but said that it is due to the trainer being included there rather than elsewhere in the budget. She said that an updated kiln would need to be purchased for the Art Department and a modular computer for wellness classes. A new lifting cage as well as other equipment will need to be replaced as well. In addition to the retirements, she also noted that staffing-wise, the second allied health teacher will now need to be fully funded in the budget.
Requests at the Middle School included new copy machines as well new PE equipment. Principal Becky Couet said that they have a 0.5 adjustment counselor currently, but she would like to see the position fully-funded and is therefore asking for another 0.5. “Our students with social and emotional exceptionalities don’t have outbursts or need to be regulated half the time,” Couet said. She said that she is also asking for a special educator position. Finally, she said she would like to have an exploratory seventh grade program where students would be exposed to every elective before choosing to specialize in eighth grade.
Proulx said that the two items that are not in the budget are the two staffing requests. She said the first of which would come out of the revolving account while the second two items would represent $132,000.
Schmaling asked Couet if Silver Lake had the capacity to offer a foreign language to all eighth graders and was told they do not. Committee member Jason Fraser said that he was “trying to lend to the alarm bell” by pointing out that most other middle schools on the South Shore offer two full years of a language while Silver Lake cannot even offer one to all students.
Committee member Gordon Laws noted that residents could ask why student head count has been decreasing each year while the budget has continued to increase when the money is tied to that head count. He pointed out that it becomes a question for a financially strained town like Halifax, in particular. “I think getting some particulars around where we’ve been historically and what we’re looking to do would be useful. I don’t personally have a huge issue with the budget as presented but I just know that that is the sort of thing that comes back,” Laws said.
Fraser said that some of the long-term Committee members will likely remember the push for social and emotional supports even in the years prior to the pandemic due to things like the advent of social media. He noted that the increases to pay for those things falls on the shoulders of the Committee as well as the administration. He acknowledged Laws’ point that it can be difficult to explain those things to someone who is just comparing enrollment numbers to budgetary increases. “I’m just asking for more understanding and detail and it’s not to call anybody out or anything like that,” Laws said. He said he is looking to answer to questions that will be raised, particularly at Halifax’s Town Meeting.
“The sustainability of the Silver Lake budget has been brought up year after year after year… we do need to be very cognizant of our budget and what budget we present to the town every year; I agree we need to look… at how student population dovetails to the staffing, not necessarily to make a change, but as Gordon said, evaluate it and make sure it is reasonable.” She said that it is necessary to be able to defend the budget at the town meetings. Hatch asked the administrative team to come to the next meeting with some of the information requested regarding rising costs and diminishing student population. She also said that a 3.78 percent increase is too high. Laws said that he couldn’t justify that number in the era of inflation, again, particularly for a town like Halifax and requested seeing a number that was a full percent lower. Hatch recommended that the team show the Committee what would have to be given up to get to a number closer to 2.75. She further suggested that the cuts be presented as tiers as has been done in years prior.
The President of the Silver Lake Education Association Jon Lay spoke during the report of standing committees. He touched upon some of the things discussed during the budget presentation, jokingly calling himself a “Silver Lake historian” saying he was in the Middle School in 1992. He noted that foreign language was offered even back then. He also said that special education teachers were feeling the strain of too high caseloads. He also addressed the concerns about rising budgets and reduced enrollment saying that the student to staff ratio was at or just below the State average.
School Calendar Presentation
Proulx also presented the school calendar for next year to the Committee. The first day of school is scheduled for August 30 and the last day, without any snow days, is June 12. Eklund brought up the much-debated topic of including Good Friday on the calendar when other religious holidays are not listed as such. Hatch said that she looked at other local districts and did see that they do list Good Friday in the same way. Eklund suggested holding school on that day and there was some debate on the matter including a Committee member mentioning that most services on that day are held after school hours. The Committee did, however, vote to approve the calendar as presented which did include Good Friday as a day off.
Capital Plan Discussion
Fraser spoke to the Capital Plan calling it a preliminary draft and noting that it was at $1.5 million. “We’ve never had an intention as a Sub Committee to bring this to the table for a vote at that number,” he explained. He said that $800,000 or $900,000 was closer to the number that was voted on during past years. He opened it for discussion with the entire Committee.
Eklund addressed the Admin. building saying that they have had to make constant repairs to it in recent years. “We’ve looked into doing a new Admin. building in the past… we’ve done studies… it’s been unfunded,” he explained. Eklund explained that the cost of the repairs, and an eventual new building, is the responsibility of the three towns and Silver Lake Regional. He noted that Silver Lake has been paying for the repairs thus far.
Fraser told the Committee that at one point they were looking at an $8 million roof replacement plan but said they have managed to get the roofs back to a place where they are, again, under warranty. He said that the $200,000 in the Capital Plan has been the standard allocation to deal with water infiltration in the roofs over the last seven years. He said that one of the largest costs is $300,000 for two large HVAC units on the roofs of the buildings.
“One of the things we discussed in large conversations with the three towns… is potentially putting in a turf field and doing some sort of athletic complex here at Silver Lake when our debt falls off… in ’27… so we’re rapidly approaching when our debt is going to fall off these two buildings and our accounting to the towns,” Fraser said. He noted that the $200,000 in the Capital Plan for an updated track could be absorbed into that cost instead.
The Committee decided to remove the $250,000 placeholder for turf fields as well as a new scoreboard. Hatch said, “my mind always goes to safety.” She went on to say that the doors in the CTE wing posed a safety risk and therefore she was “hesitant” to remove them. Fraser explained that it was a safety concern from the perspective of access to entryways to the school as well. The HVAC units and the CTE doors total approximately $481,000.
The Committee discussed which smaller costs to keep in the Capital Plan as well as exploring other potential funding sources for some of the items such as articles at Town Meeting.
Substitute
Teacher Increase
Superintendent Jill Proulx asked the Committee to consider raising the substitute teacher rate to $107 per day up from $95. She said that the increase was necessary to be in-line with an increase in the minimum wage. The Committee voted unanimously to increase the rate.
Principals’ Reports
Gill began her update by turning things over to the Student Council Representative who told the Committee about Homecoming as well as School Spirit Week. Gill said that the Committee members had a handout that went out to parents of eighth graders as well as parents whose children homeschool or attend charter schools. She said it included save the dates for events such as the CTE Open House. There was some discussion amongst the Committee regarding receiving a similar handout in the mail from Rising Tide Charter School. Hatch said she would like to see some of the school’s achievements highlighted such as the strength of their music program.
Gill also told the Committee that she had three field trip requests for the Committee. The first was for a CTE program to attend a large, construction conference at the Aladdin Center in Providence. The second was for the Girls’ Varsity Basketball program to attend a Division 1 college game, also in Providence. The third request was for two student who qualified to attend a music festival in Rochester, NY. The Committee voted to approve all three.
Finally, Gill provided some program of study updates. She said there were two minor proposals this year with the first being an adjustment to the Sociology course. She said that it would be reduced from a full-year to a single semester course. She said that the reduction would make room for a new Criminal Justice course.
Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch provided a brief update. He said that a student survey which “checks in on students’ learning needs as well as the progress with the social and emotional learning curriculum” would be administered soon in Grades 6-12. Parents are provided with a link to the questions asked as well as the option to opt-out for their students.
Legislative Update
Fraser spoke as the Legislative Agent saying that Representative Kathy LaNatra has agreed to sponsor a bill to allow for a regional assessment stabilization fund. This would allow for towns to create a fund in a year where their assessment is low to be used when the assessment is high. He said that they are also exploring adjusting the Circuit Breaker assessments so that they receive more money back as a reimbursement. Fraser also said that they are pushing for an expansion of the Federal Perkins Act so that students can continue to access CTE programming as close as possible to their home district.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, Jan. 10 for what would end up being a nearly 4-hour long marathon meeting filled with resident complaints. The option to participate remotely via Zoom was also provided.
Complaints Against Morse Brothers
Brendan Moquin of Morse Brothers appeared before the Selectmen to address the numerous letters and phone calls the town had received regarding an increase in truck traffic as well as sand and gravel issues. Selectmen Chair John Bruno acknowledged that there were some permitting issues the previous spring prior to the current iteration of the Board of Selectmen.
Moquin said, “We’re simply screening an existing face that we’re bringing material closer to ground; we’re not digging under water, in the water table, etc.; we’re simply screening the above face material into by-products which is sand and stone; the sand is then being used at our Middleboro property.” Selectman Jonathan Selig asked Moquin if he had an estimate of when he anticipated being completed with this portion of the project. Moquin said “ASAP” and that there would be no trucking traffic until the end of March or beginning of April.
Bruno said that the goal of the Selectmen that night was to understand the problems on both sides of the issue and that ultimately the Board would likely confer with land counsel. Bruno implored with the public, before speaking, that they “keep the temperature down a little bit.” Resident Steve Goodman, who also serves on the Conservation Commission, disputed some of what was said by Moquin. “The bog that they… built last time they asked for a permit… is already filled with water all the time – doesn’t really create great cranberries because it is wet all the time because they dug too deep, so they’ve already broken the water table there,” Goodman said. He continued, “They’re very close to doing it again and if that happens, it’s one of the largest aquifers in Massachusetts that you’re talking about damaging. It’s a sand mining operation. They’re creating a pit and those pits can collect bacteria and those pits can collect a lot of run-off that’s going to go directly into the water table that affects almost 200,000 people’s drinking water in Eastern Massachusetts – it’s not just a Halifax problem.” He said that secondary to this concern was the truck traffic. Goodman also noted that the town’s bylaws supersede those of the State.
Resident Jeremy Gillespie spoke saying, “From Mass DEP – these are things that cover that property. Zone 2, wellhead protection area, public water supply reservoir, surface water protection supply Zone A, B, and C., surface water supply watershed boundary covers all of that property. So, we have a lake that’s been deemed impaired, we have an EPA enforceable TMDL.”
Another resident spoke saying that roads with the level of truck traffic being seen are supposed to be 25 ft. wide but noted that residents’ measurements have shown them to be otherwise. She continued, “My main concern is my kids… I can’t have my kids out there riding their bike, hit a patch of sand… if God forbid, a truck were going by… there are a lot of kids in that neighborhood.” Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward said that the road width is 20 ft. Gordon Andrews, who previously served as a Selectmen for multiple years, spoke next saying, “I would hope the Board would review the earth removal bylaw and institute the fines and penalties for this project.”
“It’s obviously a tough situation and it’s hard to find somewhere where we can make everyone happy, but I think we owe it to ourselves as a town to work together to come to a solution that we can all be okay with – that you guys feel okay with living in the area, that our environment is protected, that our farmer can make a living,” Selig said. He said that they would be doing their due diligence as a Board and would be conferring with Town Counsel.
Complaints Filed Regarding Fines Issued
The Selectmen also dealt with complaints filed regarding fines issued at 145 Cranberry Drive. Owner of the property Joseph Kehoe said he owns his own excavating company. He said he has a small excavator and a small bobcat that he sometimes brings home. Kehoe said that in 2022 he was told that he needed to remove his equipment and that he was illegally running his business from his property. He disputed this saying that he owns a business and simply lives at that location. According to Kehoe, he has been ticketed $300 a day and continues to get fines despite not having any equipment in the yard. Kehoe also alleged that the Building Inspector has not even “stepped foot” into his yard but continues to fine him.
The Building Inspector James Perry said that he did do a site walk with some members of the ZBA. According to Perry, the property owner was given 30 days to remove the equipment and was even offered a place to park his equipment. Perry said that after the 30 days were over, he began issuing fines. Perry also disputed that he had not been out to the site recently. Kehoe pointed out that he had been fined every day, including Christmas, despite Perry admitting he had not been out to the property daily. Andrews asked, if since the issue was being taken up in court, it should be discussed in Executive Session, but Bruno said, “I don’t think that’s necessary.” Bruno said they would speak to legal counsel before making any decisions. Bruno also noted that he was unsure if the Selectmen even had any authority over the matter.
Complaint Filed Against Conservation Commission Member
Stacy Villiard of 63 Carver St. appeared before the Selectmen to discuss a three-page letter she sent them regarding issues with the Conservation Commission and her house renovation and barn construction. She said that the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board had no issues with either project initially. Villiard said that she spoke to the Building Inspector who said that a neighbor complained of water encroaching on his property. “I have a catch basin… what I was required to put in to keep all of the water on my property from my property on my property… it is 40 ft., 50 ft. even maybe from his property,” she explained. She said the flooding has been occurring for 12 years, but it wasn’t noticed before because she recently took down multiple trees that had previously blocked the flooding.
Villiard said that she received a cease-and-desist order and said that a Conservation Commission member (later named as Kimberly King Cavicchi) misrepresented herself to her workers. She also said that she believes the member in question has a vendetta against Alan Dias, who she said has nothing to do with the property beyond being hired by her to do some work. “How is she allowed to be on a Board? How is she allowed to come onto my property, demand things, lie about things, lie about who she is, misrepresent who she is, not show any ID and continue to be a Board member in this town?” Villiard asked.
Goodman appeared before the Board this time as a member of the Conservation Commission. Selig asked how it became an emergency that the property need to be inspected. Goodman did say that Dias was listed as the owner based on the property map. Cavicchi also appeared before the Selectmen disputing what was said by Villiard.
“I think it’s time for this Board [Selectmen] to sort of exercise its authority a little bit and try to get some education going; I would recommend to our Board that to address this issue that we have a series of meetings – appointments are coming up at the end of the year… the fiscal year… that between now and then that we set a schedule to meet with each individual Board and go over with that Board what their protocols are, what their trainings are… some of these things are very technical… not something for a rookie to be doing… I think right now we have a little bit of a gap in our knowledge, and we need to address that,” Bruno told everyone. Bruno said that it was important to note that Villiard is able to continue with her projects. Bruno said that once they have the new Town Administrator in place, they should be able to better coordinate these kinds of issues.
Concerns Over the Pine St. Intersection
The Selectmen tackled complaints coming in from residents regarding traffic concerns at the Pine St. intersection. Police Chief Joao Chaves called into the meeting. He said that they have signs and other indicators to drivers at the intersection but noted it is difficult to get drivers to adhere to them. He also said that he does have officers that intermittently monitor the intersection but said that it is impossible to do so at all times. Selig asked about adding a Dangerous Intersection sign there, but Hayward said that too many signs are known as “sign pollution” and can add to the confusion. Town Accountant Sandra Nolan said that one option might be to have Old Colony Planning Council do a traffic study on the intersection. Chaves said that some traffic studies have been done of the town but said that contacting them about a specific intersection might be a good idea.
Town Hall and Master Key Policy
Bruno said he spoke with the head of Buildings and Grounds regarding the master key policy. “I’m going to propose to the Board that whatever the policy used to be, that we change it; that master keys only be issued to the Building Department, and they will maintain those. If we need to get into some building, we can do it through them. Police and Fire already do through a lockbox,” Bruno explained. Selectman Naja Nessralla and Jonathan Selig agreed, and they voted to pass a motion to that effect. Bruno noted that they would be collecting the master keys to hand over to the Building Department.
Bruno also addressed the access to Town Hall saying that when the building needed to be accessed during off hours, IT Director Caesar Calouro would have to be reached via email or phone to lock the building. “We’re looking into two things – using the hex key once the building has been unlocked, whoever unlocks it can use the hex key to close down the crash bar and that way the building will be open for the duration of the meeting. Whoever that person is will just need to lock it again on the way out,” Bruno explained. Calouro told Bruno there may be an issue with handicap access that it is in the process of being worked out. Bruno also said that he is interested in re-working the space inside the Town Hall and moving some offices, etc. around. Both Nessralla and Selig said they were in favor of pursuing that. Selig said he would like to see the Departments and the new Town Administrator also involved in any discussions regarding changes to space usage at the Town Hall.

Meeting with Cable
Advisory Committee
and Area 58
The Selectmen met with John Shiavone, who is on the Cable Advisory Committee as well as the Board of Directors at Area 58, as well as Rich Goulart, the Director of Operations at Area 58. Shiavone told the Selectmen that Halifax has hired an attorney for the renewal license with Comcast. Goulart said that Area 58 becomes involved through the tri-town agreement and noted that they currently have an attorney reviewing the contract before it will be presented to all three town’s Boards of Selectmen. Regarding the contract with the town, Goulart said that they would be maintaining level funding. Goulart called it a “significant deal” noting, “Halifax has, per subscriber, a much higher rate of capital provided through Comcast than most other towns of this size.” He also noted that they would be adding an HD channel.
The Selectmen and Goulart also discussed the possibility of adding robotics into some of the larger meeting rooms. They discussed cost as well and Bruno said, “I would move that we ask Cody Haddad to get in touch with the Cable Committee and Area 58 to discuss these issues that we talked about tonight and maybe… if we could put it on the budget for this year’s Town Meeting.” Finally, Goulart told the Committee that there is one opening for a Halifax member on the Cable Advisory Committee.
Resignations,Retirements
Bruno read a retirement notification regarding Sgt. Patrick Sterling with the Police Department. He said that Sterling would like to be considered for a Special Police Officer position upon his retirement. His last day will be in February of 2024. Special Police Officer Edward Broderick resigned from his position. Bruno read a notice from the Police Chief that said, “He has served the town admirably and with distinction during his tenure… Ted has always been a man of many talents and I’m sure he will not stop putting his talents and skills into his next ventures.” Suzanne Emerson also resigned from the Agricultural Commission. Joanne Snow also resigned from her role as the Planning Board secretary. Holly Merry will be retiring from her position as Principal Assessor/Appraiser.
A Request to Do Away with Mail-In Voting
Town Clerk Sue Lawless appeared before the Board to let them know that if they are not going to have mail-in voting, they would need to hold a public hearing 45 days prior to the election. The opt-out would only apply to local elections, not those at the State or Federal level. Lawless said that her preference was to opt-out of the mail-in voting saying that most of the ballots that went out were not sent back in and that with the town’s limited resources it was difficult to field the mail-in ballots. The Selectmen voted to hold a public hearing to discuss doing away with the mail-in voting.
Use of Town Counsel
The Selectmen fielded a request for use of Town Counsel by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Bruno made a motion to ask that Town Counsel meet in joint session with the ZBA and the Board of Selectmen related to the ZBA’s request to discuss protocols related to the upcoming 40B proposals. The Selectmen voted unanimously to hold that meeting.
Regarding various Committees and Commissions use of Town Counsel, Bruno recommended that the Town Administrator be the one to decide when Town Counsel could be used. Planning Board member Amy L. Troup spoke up saying that they were currently dealing with a lawsuit that they are already in touch with Town Counsel about. “I find it can be political,” Troup said regarding requiring permission to use Town Counsel. “Thank you, just to answer that point though, the legal budget is controlled by the Board of Selectmen… we’re ultimately responsible for it,” Bruno said. He called speaking to the Town Administrator first strictly “procedural.” Troup pushed back insisting that she felt that certain Boards and Committees should have access to Town Counsel without needing to first get permission from the Town Administrator or Selectmen.
Appointment with Veteran’s Service Officer and COA Director
The Veterans Service Officer for Halifax Steve Littlefield had an appointment with the Selectmen to discuss the termination of the Memorial Day Committee and the creation of a new Committee to assist with Veterans’ issues in the town. Littlefield said that the Memorial Day Committee currently consists of just himself. He also noted that he felt the scope of the Committee was too narrow. The Selectmen voted to reconstitute the Memorial Day Committee into the Veterans Service Committee.
The Selectmen also took up the issue of changing the Selectmen’s Assistant Position into the Assistant to the Town Administrator. Selig said that most of the surrounding towns handle the position this way. He noted that there was the potential that the position could change the paygrade. The other Selectmen agreed to investigate further the potential change.
Council on Aging (COA) Director Darlene Regan appeared before the Board to discuss the project to move the Council on Aging into the Halifax Museum and to move the museum into Pope’s Tavern. “I think the enthusiasm has come back for it,” Bruno said of the project. The Building and Facilities Needs Committee has been working with an architect on ways to reduce the cost of the renovation. Regan said that the problem lies in that 1.2 million dollars is what was supported at Town Meeting, but the actual numbers are close to 4 million. Acting Town Administrator Sandra Nolan said that she was told that it would be best to wait for construction and material costs to come down before proceeding with the project. It was agreed that the issue would be brought forth to the incoming Town Administrator Cody Haddad once he begins. Regan said that she even explored having HGTV do some form of renovation.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on the evening of Jan. 9. Highway Superintendent Rob Firlotte was in attendance to provide an update on the Highway Department. He said that they had all the salt, sand, and equipment up and running for any inclement weather that may be forthcoming. “We are awaiting the first real snowstorm,” Firlotte said.
He also provided an update on the Pay as You Throw bag program saying that bags will be available by March 1 and enforcement will begin as of April 1. Traynor said that he would like to see large signs at the Transfer Station letting residents know the cost for items that go into the trash. Of residents, Firlotte said, “the more they can recycle, the better off they are.” Training sessions will be held in February where residents can see examples of real-life items that can and cannot be recycled.
One resident on the call asked what “yuck” was as laid out by the program and was told it was “pretty much food waste.” Firlotte explained that much of said food waste can be fed to animals or composted. Asked about coffee grinds specifically, Firlotte said they could be put outside. The resident pushed back a bit saying that most people wouldn’t be inclined to move their food waste outside in the winter. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy recommended a countertop composter which would allow food waste to be moved outside when convenient. She also offered that coffee grinds are good for hydrangeas. Joy acknowledged that she was not a particularly good recycler and said she was looking forward to learning more about what can be recycled during the training sessions. Firlotte said that he is always happy to answer any questions people have and that they should feel free to reach out to him at the Highway Department.
Firlotte said he met with Plympton Athletic Youth Sports (PAYS) to discuss the maintenance of various fields including those used for soccer and baseball. He said that a schedule was established to mow on Fridays. Firlotte told the Selectmen that the department is not equipped to do infield maintenance and that PAYS was planning to rely on volunteerism to get the job done. Selectman John Traynor asked what the department would need to be able to be able to maintain the infields. Firlotte said that he was currently pricing out a machine that would handle that, and a myriad of other tasks. He was estimating the cost to be around $60,000 and said that Chapter 90 funds may be able to be used. Traynor suggested the possibility of looking into grant funding that might also be available for such a use.
Firlotte said that one advantage of the machine is the many attachments that come with it. He told the Selectmen that they currently must borrow a sidewalk broom from Halifax noting it was “nice of them but still wear and tear on their machine.” The machine can be utilized year-round for snow removal, mowing, and other tasks. “We have the staffing to do this stuff around town so it would be nice to have the equipment to make it viable,” Firlotte said. Traynor said that the purchase of the machine should be brought into budget discussions.
The Selectmen voted to appoint Robert Orr as a full-time police officer per the recommendation of Police Chief Matthew Ahl. Orr was formerly employed as a full-time officer with the Rochester Police Department. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy noted that he came with excellent reviews saying he would be a great addition to the Plympton Police Department. “This is wonderful news,” Joy said.
Dennehy provided a Town Administrator’s update saying that she would soon be signing the contract for design services for the Old Townhouse roof project. The contract is with Habeeb & Associates and is in the amount of $45,000. Dennehy noted that the funding was already approved at the Special Town Meeting in November.
Dennehy also told the Selectmen that a request for use of the town’s roadways was made for the Best Buddies Bike Ride on June 3. The Police and Fire Chiefs were already aware of the date and the event. The Selectmen voted to allow it.
Dennehy also told the Selectmen that there was an update regarding the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the County. She explained, “we may have the opportunity to not be so limited in what we can apply for in terms of projects at the County level.”
In other updates, Dennehy said that she had received word from the Town Properties Committee that they should move forward with a piping system cleanout at the Townhouse and the Fire Station. She also said that they are in the process of closing out funding and projects under Green Communities. Included in those projects was new heating pumps at the library. Dennehy said that Library Director Mike Slawson has reported a cost savings since the installation.
Finally, Dennehy told the Selectmen that the Turkey Swamp purchase and sales agreement was not quite ready yet but said she anticipated having it by the next Selectmen’s meeting on January 23.
Selectman Mark Russo led off the raves for the past few weeks saying, “My rave is for the two swans and the great blue heron who seem to be wintering over at Two Brooks; it’s so beautiful there and it’s wonderful to be sharing this space with these two beautiful animals.” Joy said her rave was for Dennehy and the financial team who are working diligently to put budgets together.
When it came time for his turn, Traynor began, “I don’t know if it’s a rave.” He continued, “I’m happy after the holidays to be home and healthy with the family; it’s my time in life where we are losing friends and it’s kind of hard at times.” He referenced the recent passing of a few friends who he mentioned are younger than him. Joy said that her thoughts and prayers are with those who have recently lost family members.