The Halifax Board of Selectmen held their June 27 meeting from the Holmes Public Library. This is the first in a series of meetings the Selectmen intend to hold in various municipal buildings to highlight both the various buildings and departments.
Library Director Jean Gallant said she has been the Director for the last seven years and has worked in the building since 1999. “It’s safe to say that this library is my home away from home,” Gallant told the Selectmen and others. Gallant said that the Library Trustees consist of six members that advocate on behalf of the library, approve the budget, and decide upon policies for the library. She also said that they are part of the SAILS network which consists of over 60 different libraries. “I’d like to say that this library is the rainbow fish in a bigger ocean because we have a relatively small budget compared to some of the libraries that are in the SAILS network and my Friends group is instrumental in providing programs for adults and children… we service more than just the residents of Halifax,” Gallant said referring to a group of volunteers at Holmes. Gallant said there is also a Committee, made up of residents, that work together on the long range plan for the library. She read the mission that the Committee wrote. She noted that the complete plan can be found on the website.
Gallant said that $15,000 to $20,000 was spent on ensuring access to electronic materials. She referenced Libby which is an electronic database owned by the SAILS network. “With your library card, you have access to e-books and e-audiobooks and music, children’s, adult stuff and we also just purchased Hoopla

Kingston Town Administrator Keith Hickey reported to selectmen at their June 20 meeting that the Baymont Inn, which has been housing migrants in what was supposed to be temporary shelter through December 2022, now appears to have no end date in sight. Hickey said he is concerned that the facility, which is no longer a hotel and is listed as permanently closed on its website, was not built for long-term residency and he and the Kingston buildings manager are concerned that it is not up to code; with every room filled, it is inviting problems for both the town of Kingston and the residents housed there.
Hickey will be meeting with representatives from the state to discuss remedies to this situation that will also answer the residents’ needs and assure their safety.
Town mourns loss
Beginning the selectmen’s meeting Chairman Kimberley Emberg told the board of the loss of Brad Norman, Kingston’s Buildings Manager, whose death followed a brief illness. After a moment of silence, Emberg expressed her sympathy to Norman’s family.
In the meeting’s open forum, a Kingston resident took the podium and sang the praises of Brad Norman. During the COVID shutdown, she said, Brad was invaluable with his hospital experience. “Suddenly there were sanitizers, sprayers, solutions, and anything else he could get his hands onto to keep us all safe. That was Brad.” This resident further told of the special project at Gray’s Beach. When a seawall was destroyed by storm, Brad consulted and was instrumental in planning and getting the grant-funding to construct a natural sea barrier, with boardwalks and restrooms, for the enjoyment of all. “I speak for many when I say he will be missed for his sense of humor, his collaboration, knowledge, compassion and as the gentleman he was. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Vacancies
The town moderator is seeking to fill open seats on the Finance Committee, the Capital Planning Committee, and Council on Aging who are also seeking a volunteer to help deliver Meals on Wheels. Anyone interested in any of these positions should reach out to the Director of Elder Affairs or to the Selectmen’s office.
Transfer Station stickers
Transfer Station stickers expire July 1 and are now on sale at the Highway Dept. from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., regular hours, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through July 9, except for July 4. Bring your registration and the driver’s license of the person on that registration, proof of Kingston residency, and a check or money order for the sticker, as cash and credit and debit card payments are not accepted.
Farmer’s Market
The next Farmer’s Market will take place on Grays Beach Park Sunday, July 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first “Music at the Beach” is scheduled for Tuesday July 11 at 6 p.m. at Grays Beach Park.
Retirement benefit
Charles Armanetti, a Plymouth County retiree living in Carver who worked for the town of Middleboro for 36 years, spoke to the County’s request for the one-time 5% increase in retiree’s benefits for the fiscal year 2024. Armanetti told the board that Kingston has 81 retirees and their average retirement stipend is $27,500, and the extra 5 percent would mean a lot to them.
Plymouth County Treasurer Tom O’Brien appeared as president of the Plymouth County Retirement Association. He said that 23 towns member units – all four who have already taken this vote, did so unanimously. Kingston voted unanimously to adopt the one-time retirement bonus.
Rocky Nook July 4th
Selectmen approved a request from Rebecca Hebert of Rocky Nook to close the roads in the Rocky Nook area for a 4th of July celebration. Included in the motion was a statement to ask the police to do their part in seeing that the laws regarding fireworks are upheld. Town Administrator Hickey said that was included so that it would be known that illegal fireworks are in no way condoned by the town. Selectman Donald Alcombright moved that selectmen order the closure of roads: a portion of East Avenue at Bayview Avenue, West Avenue. at Bayview Avenue., Cole Street at Bagnall Street, and a portion of Rocky Nook Avenue from the intersection of East Avenue at Bayview Avenue, to the intersection of Rocky Nook Avenue at North Street, on Tuesday, July 4, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. with the following conditions:
•Access for emergency vehicles is always maintained. All barricades must be placed to allow emergency responders to quickly move them. Sections of closed roads must have a width of 10 feet to allow apparatus access.
•The petitioner secures barricades and road closed signage from the highway department to be erected by the petitioners during the event.
•Notification is made by the petitioner to the neighborhood residents that are affected by the road closure.
•Instruct the police department to take appropriate legal action against private citizens who use, possess, or sell fireworks.
Town Administrator Hickey furthered that the group Ms. Hebert represents is not involved in fireworks. “I’ve asked in this motion specifically … to have the town, the Board of Selectmen, to direct the police chief to ask his staff to be more emphatic when they’re dealing with the types of displays that have been going on in the Nook now for a little while.”
Selectman Sheila Vaughn said that it’s not just one or two (involved with illegal fireworks) I do believe there’s quite a few citizens in there. “It has gotten much bigger over time,” Vaughn continued. Hickey noted that there are legal ways to light off fireworks. “If individuals in the Nook are interested in pursuing that, happy to have that conversation or put them in contact with the fire chief.” Hickey said the town is trying to be proactive and prevent injuries. “We’re talking about lighting off some pretty significantly large fireworks.” This isn’t the first time this concern has come up either, Emberg concluded.
Agricultural Fair
Next, selectmen approved a request from the Agricultural Commission to use town property was posed by Jean Landis- Naumann, associate member, who spoke in place of John Wheble, Jr., chairman, who was out of state and could not attend. “We have had this agricultural fair traditionally on the old green since about 2008. This year, when we made our request, the police chief came back to us and said he would require two detail officers. When we informed him we did not have sufficient funds for two detail officers, he kindly worked with us and recommended that we consider using the property around the townhouse… We have looked at the property and feel it is adequate for what we have in mind. We’re hoping to amplify some of the things we’ve done in the past. We’re reaching out to additional vendors, not just from Kingston, but also from surrounding communities, and are asking that they include an educational component to their display. There will also be lawn games. The one-day event will be Sunday, Sept. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Produce sharing
In other business, Landis-Naumann asked for permission to set up a produce-sharing program, using the Gazebo. Town administrator Hickey noted concerns from the health agent regarding spoilage and how to deal with it. The Council on Aging director offered their setting for the produce sharing should the Agricultural Commission fail to get the okay for the Gazebo. Selectmen voted to approve the produce sharing for the Gazebo and should problems arise, the operation can be seamlessly moved to the Council on Aging.
Selectmen unanimously approved five separate one-day liquor licenses for Michael Johnson of Brewery 44 Music at the Beach events at Gray’s Beach Juy 11, 25, August 15, and 29, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Sept. 23, 2 to 6 p.m., along with any rain dates that may be needed.
Reappointments
Selectmen undertook the lengthy list of reappointments to various boards and committees. John Alcombright was appointed as the selectmen’s representative to the Agricultural Commission. The COA Advisory Board is different as required by their by-laws, causing selectmen to vote to waive the by-law to allow Joan Hutchinson and Maureen Elwood to the three-year terms beginning July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026. Austin Sennett was approved for another three-year term beginning July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026.
Selectmen unanimously voted to fill the vacancy of the recreation department’s program administrator and hired Brandy Gordon to fill the position. She had worked in the program.
Due to the recent resignation of the assistant treasurer, and having undergone the recruiting process, the board was asked to approve the appointment of Nicholas Derbes, who is currently working as the assistant tax collector. Emberg noted that this would be a promotion for Derbes and require recruiting for the assistant tax collector position. Hickey commented, “Good for him. He’s done a great job.”
Special Town Meeting
The school department reached out to Hickey to schedule a special town meeting. Hickey provided selectmen with a timeline, making Tuesday evening, Oct. 24, the proposed date. In addition to a school warrant item, there town will likely be a Community Preservation Committee article which will help refurbish the Opachinski fields, among others. Chairman Emberg asked that the supporting information for each of the warrant articles as they come up be posted on the town’s website, keeping the public informed as the warrant develops. Hickey said he would be happy to do it.
Donations accepted
Selectmen voted to accept the following donations to the Veterans Department: $250 donation in gift cards from an anonymous donor, a $100 donation from Andrew and Carmen Risio, and a $100 donation from Rui and JoAnn Santos. For the Veterans Memorial, selectmen accepted the donations of $250 from William Martin, $250 from Goodrich Lumber Company, $100 from Barbara Holmes, $200 from Dennis Reddy, $10 from Jane Core, $78 from election day donations, $100 from Deborah Grace, $100 from Ronald Perry, $50 from Ann Govoni, $790 in t-shirt sales March through June. Selectmen also voted to accept a $102 donation from Stop and Shop for the Meals on Wheels program.
Hickey updated the board on the progress of the bill for $100,000 to Kingston to help fund the Veterans’ Memorial to be built in front of the Townhouse. Hickey told selectmen that the bill has made it through both the house and the senate. Once the budget has been set, “we are hopeful that that donation will come to fruition and help out the completion of that project, which will be nice.” Hickey also reported that the Elm Street drainage project that the Conservation Commission and agent are working on through a grant is going well. They hope to have the project done by the end of the month and the road re-opened.
“We’ve run into a little bit of a challenge with the Route 106 and 27 intersection improvements. Bids ranged from $456,000 to $630,000. The town received just under $400,000 for a grant.” Hickey said the shortfall was primarily because of the increase in the cost of materials. He said he would meet with the state and talk internally about how to fund the $56,000 deficit and see where we can go. There are other sources, and Hickey said he would put it together and bring a proposal back to selectmen.
Gray’s Beach playground open
Hickey happily announced that Gray’s Beach playground is open, phase one having been completed. “I was told that the recreation director was one of the first ones down the slide. I wish we had it on video. We don’t.” Phase two includes setting the compound rubber material used for footing, accessibility, and safety, he said. That phase will begin in late August and close the playground for approximately two weeks while it is installed.
OCPC Traffic Study
Hickey said he had met with Old Colony Planning Council regarding the Landing Road/Maple Street/Bay Road intersection to come up with a safer solution. He will meet with the Town of Duxbury to see if they will agree to Kingston’s putting up a “No Through Truck Traffic” sign keeping trucks off those roads. Duxbury will have to agree as Bay Road is also in Duxbury. While 3-Way Stop signs were also suggested, OCPC determined that it didn’t meet all the warrants allowed. Hickey said he expects Kingston will get a report from OCPC detailing their traffic study and suggestions by the end of June.
Tragic loss
In closing, Sheila Vaughn spoke of the loss of Brad Norman and how it is such a tragic loss to his family, and friends, and to the town. “It’s just a tragic loss and really sad for everyone.”
Selectmen’s next scheduled meeting is July 11 at 6 p.m.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, June 13. “We’ve heard increased concerns of the water quality in town,” Town Administrator Cody Haddad said. He noted that he did invite the Water Superintendent to attend but he was unable to come. He did, however, send an update saying that the discolored water the last few weeks was due to Well #4 which was turned off as a result.
Haddad said it would be $20-30 million to do a filtered plant. “At this point, it is not something that is necessary, the water is still meeting standards,” he added saying it was just discolored iron in the water.
Selectmen Chair John Bruno said they do have a filtration plant on two of the wells but acknowledged that it is in the midst of a large-scale rehabilitation project. The contract was approved at this past town meeting at a cost of $300 million to upgrade the filter plant at Wells 1 and 2. Haddad said that just design and engineering would be $700,000 for the filtration on the other wells.
Town Green Requests
Council on Aging Director Darlene Regan explained a request for a use of town green. She said that they have had a guitarist come many times through the Mass Cultural Council and said they would like to have him again on July 28. The Selectmen also fielded a request to use the Town Green from Troop 39 on July 22 for a bottle drive fundraiser. They approved both requests.
Energy Update
Haddad told the Selectmen that at a previous meeting they had given him permission to sign an energy contract for energy aggregation. “We went out to bid several times… working with our consultant… unfortunately, the rates just aren’t what they used to be,” Haddad said. He said that the rate they finally agreed upon was for $0.15 per kWh (kilowatt-hour) compared to the previous rate of just over $0.10 per kWh.
Noise Complaint
The Selectmen also dealt with a noise complaint on Monponsett St. Haddad said that the Selectmen had had the invidivual in question in to a meeting and noted that they have a garage that they have been holding parties in and reportedly charging people to attend. Police Chief Joao Chaves spoke to it saying that the permit the resident received was good through 9 p.m. but they had to shut the party in March down closer to 10 p.m. He said that since then the Police have had to go out to the residence numerous times. Chaves said that there was also a large field in the back that is used for volleyball. He said that he found on the resident’s Facebook page an advertisement for a large scale volleyball tournament with thousands of dollars in cash prizes, a bouncy house, and live entertainment. Chaves said the event did get shut down by the Police. “It seems like the homeowner is kind of utilizing the language barrier thing for his benefit; I think he’s well aware of it, he’s not supposed to be doing this stuff,” Chaves said. He recommended that the resident come back before the Board and explain himself. “If that doesn’t work, at that point, we’ll start bringing criminal charges to him,” Chaves said.
Police Update
Chaves said that he has a vacancy for Sergeant. Chaves said that they would have an assessment center scheduled for June 29 with Halifax resident and Interim Duxbury Police Chief Michael Carbone, Halifax resident and Holbrook Police Chief William Smith, Carver Police Chief Mark Duphily, and Haddad. Chaves said that thus far he has had two officers send a letter of intent. He said that the officers interested are giving an essay to write at home and then are given another one the day of the assessment center. The Chief also addressed the need to fill a Deputy Chief position which will be filled by Sergeant Theodore Benner. “I think he’s well qualified for it… well respected by the residents… I think it’s a great choice,” he said. Bruno said that he agreed and thinks the world of him.
A letter of commendation was read for three officers who answered a call for a woman in cardiac arrest. The officers were Sergeant Patrick Sterling, Officer Michael Schleiff, and Officer Ryan Simpson. “These officers showed a great professionalism and proper use of their training, experience, and equipment, to bring a successful conclusion to what might have been a tragic result to this family,” Bruno read.
ARPA Requests
Haddad addressed what money was left from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that went to the town. He said that the Municipal Maintenance Department doesn’t have a dedicated shop. He asked the Selectmen that they allocate $25,000 of ARPA funding toward such a shop. Haddad said that after appropriating the money for this use, they would have about $40,000 left for general use and about $200,000 for Covid-related expenses. The Selectmen approved the funding. A second request was for $600,000 for water treatment plant upgrades. It had already been allocated prior to the Selectmen approving the request at Tuesday’s meeting.
Trash Update
Haddad told the Selectmen that the town went out to bid for trash collection. He said that Pay-As-You Throw programs, like the one in Halifax, are difficult to get companies to bid on since it presents greater adversity to the trash collectors. He said that as a result, totes are now being utilized. He said that a transition program will be rolled out soon and residents will have the option to opt-in to it. Haddad said that the estimate for trash and recycling for the year would be around $370 to $400.
Student Council Thank You
Bruno shared a letter from the Student Council of Halifax Elementary School. “We all appreciate that you make decisions that benefit our town; when you make decisions you are changing people’s lives for the better,” Bruno read. Selectman Jonathan Selig explained that the letter, in part, came from a group of first graders who toured Town Hall.
Halifax PRIDE
Update
Lori Costa-Cline of Halifax PRIDE appeared before the Board to ask if a Selectman would be able to attend the PRIDE event on Saturday, June 17 to welcome the crowd. Costa-Cline acknowledged some of the hateful comments that have appeared on Social Media. The Selectmen said that none of them would be able to attend the event due to scheduling conflicts. Costa-Cline acknowledged how wonderful Chief Chaves has been in assisting with the event. Chaves spoke addressing community concerns over drag performances saying, “Again, we hear the same noise that we heard last year, and it turned out to be, I thought, a good family event. There were children running around… I’ve been able to look at some of the comments on Facebook when they start to bring in… the argument, trying to say that some entertainers because of how they dress are going to be automatically pedophiles – it’s a stretch. It doesn’t matter what they’re wearing; no one is allowed to touch any children,” he said. “It’s a good event for the town,” Chaves continued.

Friday afternoon, Halifax resident Jeremy Gillespie, representing 14 other residents, appeared in Plymouth County Superior Court in Brockton to present arguments in favor of stopping Morse Bros. LLC, Ryco Excavating, and Oiva Hannula & Sons, Inc. from continuing the truck traffic in the densely-populated neighborhood, breaking down the roads, shaking houses to their foundations, and in general interrupting the lives of the residents in the Lingan Street and “The Aves.“ neighborhoods, preventing them from enjoying their homes and destroying the narrow neighborhood roads. “They have been subject to a parade of trucks carrying sand mined outside the law, disturbing the peace and quiet enjoyment of their property,” Gillespie’s opening remarks continued.
Saying that the Right to Farm does not nullify other rights under the Constitution, “It is not without limit.” Gillespie quoted from Article 97 from the Massachusetts Constitution which reads, “The people shall have the right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive and unnecessary noise, and the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic qualities of their environment; and the protection of the people in their right to the conservation, development and utilization of the agricultural, mineral, forest, water, air, and other natural resources is hereby declared to be a public purpose.”
Gillespie cited several violations of law in the 250 Lingan Street operation, including Chapter 144-1 of the Town of Halifax By-laws, relating to earth removal. No permit exists, and yet a significant portion of one of the largest hills in Halifax, the Whaleback glacial ridge, has been removed by the defendants, in violation of the town’s own by-laws. The hill, Gillespie maintains, has been documented as a site of Native archaeological significance and destroying it threatens the cultural heritage of both the Wampanoag people and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Whaleback hill is a glacial esker of sand in Monponsett Pond high enough to break the surface of the water. It serves as a filter to clean the water of Monponsett Pond that is used as an additional water supply for the city of Brockton. As the 250 Lingan Street operation takes the esker down, trucks it out over neighborhood roads that are merely 20 feet wide, in fully loaded 18-wheel vehicles weighing some 80,000 pounds, as many as 50 times a day, the area residents are suffering disruption in their own household water.
Gillespie said that the Town of Halifax has not helped at all in curtailing the sand mining activities at 250 Lingan St. Selectmen, he maintains, have issued only one earth removal license to 250 Lingan St and that was in 2016, for only 50,000 cubic yards.
Fourteen plaintiffs joined in their action against Morse Bros., LLC, RYCO Excavating, Inc., RYCO Lease and Repair, Inc., and Oiva Hannula & Sons, Inc., claiming that they have evidence of improper sand mining, referencing the earth removal application that was withdrawn on August 2, 2022 after considerable push-back from the community. Sand removal at the location continued. The plaintiffs claim that the area mined is a MassDEP approved DIV II Wellhead protection area subject to a number of protections. Also, there are no current monitoring wells at the 250 Lingan St. site as required by law. Plaintiffs also state in their complaint that defendants are actively transporting unchecked material to the site, potentially contaminated iron and manganese bottom scrapings from their Middleborough lowland bogs as well as other chemicals, metals, and possible pathogens.
Plaintiffs seek an injunction barring the Defendants from proceeding with further projects on the Site until a determination is made. In addition, the Plaintiffs ask the court to
• declare the Defendants to be engaging in Earth Removal without a permit.
• order soil samples to be tested for elevated chemicals, metals, and pathogens immediately at the Defendants’ expense
• permanently enjoin and restrain the defendant from removal of earth or any other activities on the site until all permitting and investigations are complete.
• such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.
Responding to the allegations, Brendan Moquin, Controller of Morse Brothers, Inc., explained that Morse Brothers has been growing cranberries at that location for approximately 46 years, and in Massachusetts for more than 60 years. Stating the specific need of cranberry cultivation is a loamy soil confinement base, topped with 6-8 inches of sand. The sand layer, he explained in his affidavit, aids in water flow and retention, crop growth, and reducing the depletion of organic soils beneath. By applying sand, growers can reduce the demand for pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, as well as maintain the longevity of the bog. This is best practices for cranberry bog management as detailed by the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NCRS) among others.
Moquin maintains that Morse Brothers prepares and updates a Farm Conservation Plan that documents Morse Brothers’ compliance with NCRS recommended standards.
Morse Bros has a vested interest in the water quality of Monponsett Pond as it uses that water to irrigate their bogs, Moquin continued, and enforces the drinking water protection program in accordance with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and various Massachusetts statutes.
Moquin stated in his affidavit that an earth removal permit was not required because the Halifax bog renovation was for cranberry growing, and is subject to various applicable state agricultural exemptions. Nonetheless, he said, Morse Bros. submitted an application in order to engage the town and address any concerns regarding the work. The response by a group of residents, some of whom are the plaintiffs, was “swift and hostile.” Morse Brothers withdrew the application, and, according to Moquin’s affidavit, has never engaged in and is not engaging in any of the work that was the subject of the 2022 earth removal permit, and turned its attention to upgrading two of is other smaller bogs in Middleborough and Hanson.
The Morse Bros Middleborough property received a USDA grant to upgrade a 5-acre bog, and part of the work entailed applying fresh sand that was removed from the Halifax property. The 24 acre Hanson bogs also benefitted from the Halifax excavations. Moquin stated that all of those renovations have conformed to and have applied best management practices.
Moquin continued that the Halifax Board of Selectmen, John Bruno, Chairman, continued to field concerns from residents, largely regarding truck traffic, resulting in a site inspection with Moquin, two members of the Halifax Conservattion Commission and the Town of Halifax Health Dept., the Halifax Water Dept., and others. Mr. Bruno reported that he saw no interaction between Morse Brothers’ operations and the Town’s drinking water and further reported that Mores Brothers is not engaged in any earth removal or any operations in violation of Town ordinance or other laws. Moquin submitted a video recording of that selectmen’s hearing.
Moquin asserted that in connection with the renovation projects, no soil, sand, gravel, manure, or similar material has been brought onto the Halifax property. He furthered that an injunction prohibiting Morse Bros. from conducting activities on its properties would be “catastrophic” to its business, that produces approximately 18.200 barrels of cranberries a year, approximately $820,000 in revenue that would be lost during the pendency of the case, as well as satisfying other management contracts.
Moquin continued that leaving the cranberry bogs without proper maintenance would injure their productive yield. “Bogs require constant maintenance to remain productive,” … Halting the sand transported from the Lingan Street location would cause injury to bogs in other locations.
Judge Brian Glenny took the matter under advisement and we will wait to hear his verdict.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, May 23. Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Jason Fraser spoke to the Board regarding the intersection at Lake St. and Station St. Fraser said, “How many times have you felt like you were taking your life into your own hands crossing the intersection of Lake and Station on Rt. 27 right near Silver Lake High School and Middle School campus; I can tell you it sends butterflies through my own heart as an experienced driver.” He further said that a road safety audit was done on the intersection in May of 2021. “This audit kind of slipped right by the School Committee,” he explained saying that it was done during a stage in the Pandemic when the primary focus was getting students back to school five days a week. Fraser is currently heading up the Sub Committee responsible for looking into safety and facilities. Fraser told the Selectmen that Kingston, not the School Committee, has jurisdiction over the intersection and he asked them for their support in installing a traffic signal there.

Superintendent and Tree Warden Paul Basler said, “As everybody knows, municipal government comes down to funding; being the only one in the room that was involved in Rt. 27, we did this 15 years ago… DOT would not pay for funding for that light. If the town agrees, I would like to be the point person for the town for this project working with this gentleman, because if he has ways to get us funding that doesn’t include our taxes, I’m all for it.” Fraser said that he has already been looking into grant funding and has reached out to several legislators regarding the intersection. “The State grant that we’re looking at is the Shared Streets and Spaces grant,” Fraser said. The Selectmen voted to work with the Silver Lake Regional School Committee to work on improvements for the intersection.

National Public Works Recognition

Chair Kimberley Emberg said that in recognition of National Public Works Week, “we would like to recognize our employees in our Streets, Trees, and Parks, Water, and Wastewater Departments.” Selectman Tyler Bouchard also read a proclamation. He said, “For National Public Works Week 2023, to recognize the service provided in our community – are an integral part of our citizens’ everyday lives… and programs such as water, sewers, drains, streets, and highways, traffic control, public buildings, solid waste disposal, recycling, parks and forestry, and snow removal whereas the health and safety and comfort of the community greatly depend on the effectiveness of these facilities as well as their planning, design and construction are vitally dependent upon the efforts and skills of public works officials. And whereas the efficiency of the qualified and dedicated personnel who staff public work department is materially influenced by the people’s attitudes and understanding of the work they perform and therefore, be it resolved, the Kingston Board of Selectmen do hereby proclaim the week of May 21 through the 27 2023 as National Public Works Week… in the town of Kingston, Massachusetts.” Basler thanked the Selectmen and also announced that new transfers station stickers would begin being sold on June 1.

Library Update

Kingston Public Library Director Donald Colon appeared before the Board to provide an update on the status of the library. Colon said, “As of April 30, the library had met and exceeded our statistical transaction circulation; meaning that for the full fiscal 22, the library circulated over 91,000 physical items and as of April 30 we circulated 96,000 items so we were at 4.48 percent over last year for the entire year and I will also say that Kingston is only one of two libraries that were in the positive year to date and we were the best performing library in OCLN.” He continued, “What I can say about it is the library staff, the professional staff offering programs… the investment that we are making in the community with the services we are trying to offer really has been the focal point of all those increases and definitely it is something that we could not accomplish without the support of the foundation and the Friends of the Kingston Public Library.”

Appointments and Contract Amendments

The Board also took up the consideration of an amendment to the Assistant Town Administrator’s Contract. Town Administrator Keith Hickey told the Board that they finalized years 2 and 3 of the Assistant Town Administrator’s contract. Hickey said that the Assistant Town Administrator would be receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in June and because of that and some other things, he would like to see her salary increased. Selectman Sheila Vaughn told the Assistant Town Administrator that she should be very proud of her accomplishment. The Selectmen voted unanimously to amend her contract.

The Selectmen also voted to appoint Carl Ingemi as the new Wastewater Assistant Chief Operator. Emberg said they received a letter of interest to fill a vacancy on the Recycling Committee. The Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint Vanessa Verkade.

Town Administrator’s Update

Hickey provided a Town Administrator’s update which he began by saying that the Senate had approved an FY 24 budget. Hickey also said that moving to a Microsoft Outlet government platform was now complete. “It will provide the ability to make responses to public records much less cumbersome than they have been in the past,” Hickey explained. He also told the Selectmen that nearly all schools and town buildings have been connected to the town fiber thanks to a grant. He said the expectation would be for the project to be complete by October. According to Hickey, the Grey’s Beach playground update project has hit a speedbump because of delayed parts. He said they expect the delay will be short. He also said that the town’s two charging stations at the Library and in front of the Animal Shelter are now operational. “I would urge anyone that has an electric vehicle that needs to be recharged to stop by,” Hickey said.

Hickey said that he spoke with PAC TV about doing a sort of live call-in television show where people could call in either on the phone or via Zoom to ask questions. “I’m not sure when that will start, but it will be something we’ll do maybe monthly in the evenings,” Hickey explained.

Deb Anderson
Express staff
Plympton Board of Selectmen met Monday, May 22, and gave the results of Town Counsel Greg Corbo’s opinion as to who has the authority to site the well in the new, proposed town complex. The well will serve the police station, the new fire station, and the library. It will not serve the Town House, which has its own well in the basement of the building.
Plympton selectmen, the Board of Health, and Jon Wilhelmsen of the Town Properties Committee met earlier in May to discuss siting the well for DEP approval and there was some question as to where the final authority lay. At the request of Selectman Chairman Christine Joy and Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy, Plympton sought the advice of Town Counsel to properly delineate the roles and responsibilities associated with siting the well at the new Town Complex.
Dennehy pointed out that it does not include the well at the Town House, whose issues the Board of Health is working on with the Department of Environmental Protection; it only includes the new well that will serve the Town Complex.
Corbo’s letter to the board in part states that the authority to site the well belongs to the Town Properties Committee as representatives of the Board of Selectmen. The new well, a small public water system, serving the fire station and library, will need to be approved by the DEP, but the siting for the well rests with the Board of Selectmen and/or its designees, and also noted that the Board of Health does not have the authority to override the decisions of the Board of Selectmen.
Responding to Joy’s question as to whether the ruling is clear, Selectman Traynor said, “Absolutely. I think it is about as clear as you can get.”
In other business, selectmen appointed Sean Fitzgerald as a part-time police officer as recommended by Chief Matt Ahl. They also approved the use of the Deborah Sampson Meeting Room for a cooking demonstration with samples, for June 8, at 6 p.m., approximately 20 people will be attending. The Board of Health has already granted their approval. It will be put on by the Plympoton Public Library, featuring Chef Thomas Mottl of RTC Network, Pawtucket, RI.
Under correspondence, Russo read a letter to the board from Nancy Denman on Ring Road, concerning the MBTA Housing Mandate forced on Massachusetts cities and towns. She went on to say that she was at the meeting at the library where State Senator Susan Moran was asked by Russo what Moran could do to support small towns in their quest to retain control over their character and community. Denman said that she felt Moran’s answer was “disappointing.” Denman asked Russo to communicate with other towns in similar situations and form a united front to fight the mandate.
Russo responded to Denman’s letter by saying that “I think it’s deeply challenging that the attorney general has opined that we put ourselves in legal peril if we don’t move forward.” One of the good things, he continued, is that the next step will have to be approved by town meeting. Any action taken between now and June 1 could potentially leave Plympton in peril without accomplishing anything. “The tenor of that letter, I totally agree with.” Russo furthered that the purpose of this legislation is excellent, encouraging more use of the MBTA, but it is not in tune with the times. It is absolutely blind to the unusual situation – that of small towns.
Traynor responded that he agreed with Russo’s remarks, but he wanted to be careful in Plympton’s response. Traynor noted that there is a meeting being put together with representatives from the towns. “I think we should go forward and make our concerns known, and I think that based on what I saw, it felt like everybody’s coming from the same place – that it’s unfair and doesn’t really help because small towns, really don’t have – especially like Plympton – we really don’t have the acreage.” Traynor said that he just wants to be cautious as we go forward.
Joy said that all the selectmen have expressed their support for affordable housing but it needs to be in a manner consistent with the town that we can support with the services that we offer.
Raves – Traynor shared with his board that Jackie Freitas asked to give a shout-out to the Silver Lake Regional High School graduate signs that are popping up on Plympton lawns. Also a rave to the townspeople’s response to the Pay as you Throw program. “Really, we have not had any major pushback – not even minor pushback – so a rave to the townspeople, the highway department, the transfer station …” Final comment – poor showing at the polls. He said he was disappointed that with over 2,000 registered voters we couldn’t get at least 10 percent.

The Halifax Elementary School Committee met on Monday, May 8. Chair Summer Schmaling pointed out that the Committee would be different when meeting next after the election. The Committee is not scheduled to meet again until their closeout meeting in July.
Superintendent Jill Proulx began her update by saying, “First, I’d like to thank our Chairperson Summer Schmaling for her years of dedication to Halifax Elementary Schools and Silver Lake Regional School District will certainly recognize you at our upcoming Silver Lake meeting as well. Summer has served our District and our School and has volunteered her time for the betterment of students throughout our community and we have enjoyed working with her and we are certainly going to miss her leadership and her dedication.” Schmaling said, “Well thank you for all of you, you’ve been a wonderful team to work for and with; it makes this role a lot easier and more enjoyable when you enjoy the people that you are working with.”
Schmaling opened the meeting to public participation. Silver Lake Regional School District’s Director of Human Resources Dave Turcotte spoke regarding increasing the step rate and corresponding wages for substitute custodians and substitute food services employees. The Committee voted unanimously to make the change.
Principal Kayne Beaudry told the Committee that they are looking to add a second DLC classroom (Developmental Learning Center). The current classroom serves the fourth grade who will be next year’s fifth grade. The proposed classroom will serve grades K-2 which has a current cohort of five. Schmaling said that she assumed that they would need teachers for the classroom. Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable explained, “To explain, in terms of the financing, Halifax is currently paying a tuition rate for those students to attend KES… and transportation.” Schmaling asked if the extra classroom was contingent upon them being able to fill the positions to staff the classroom. “The reality is, we’re in the same situation no matter which town the program resides in, so in other words, if our Halifax students remain in KES, we will need to hire another teacher at KES because the numbers are at a point right now, we’re it’s not sustainable. So, we’re either opening a third classroom at KES or opening an elementary classroom here, so either way we need to be hiring a teacher.” Grable clarified that it was one teacher and two paraprofessionals. She added that they would also like to add a 0.5 speech language therapist.
Committee member Lauren Laws asked, “Is there ever a crossover like can the specialists there help with the other students in the building if needed or if there is space?” Grable said, “Here, yes, absolutely, because it will be a Halifax program working with all Halifax students so absolutely this therapist and staff could work anywhere they were assigned which is not the case in Kingston because it is a Silver Lake program.” Schmaling asked if for this year it would be a cost savings to Halifax or if it would be a “wash-out.” Grable responded that for this year it would be a wash-out. Schmaling asked about the possibility of one of the classrooms absorbing the other in the future should the numbers change. Grable said they are required to follow a rule that does not allow for students with greater than a 48-month age difference to be together. The Committee did vote to approve the additional classroom.
Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell attended the meeting to provide an update on the science curriculum. “The State is in a bit of flux with science in terms of how they are viewing it and they’re looking to update the MCAS and so it is time to move on from what we adopted… in the 2015/2016 time… because that curriculum is out of date, but we also don’t want to make any rash decisions.” She said that the interactive science lessons are being updated to a new version called Elevate Science. She also said that they planned to adopt Mystery Science of which she said it would “try and create more of a consistent guaranteed science experience for all of our students K-5.” Farrell also called it user friendly and said it would allow some flexibility for the teachers.
Farrell said that they are starting a transition in sixth grade that would move them more toward a phenomenon-based science curriculum that she said would better align with what is done at the Middle School. “We need any and every opportunity we can give our kids for accessing nonfiction texts and so using a digital resource is an easy way to do that. So, Newsela is a great resource. It’s dynamic, it updates, it adds more resource on a daily basis.” She said that it is easily searchable and that it identifies students’ reading levels and updates accordingly. She further said that it was a nice addition to Mystery Science which is more hands-on.

The annual Halifax Town Meeting was held on May 8. The petition articles, which can be brought forth by any resident attaining a total of 10 signatures, resulted in some of the heftiest discussion and debate of the night.
Article 23 was a petition article brought forth by Mary Gravinese to increase membership in the Board of Selectmen from three to five. Gravinese said, “I did this article on my own; I have spent a lot of time in the last year or so attending meetings, attending Selectmen’s meetings, watching them on video and I just don’t know that our Selectmen actually represent all of the residents of Halifax… I feel like there is a portion of us that may not be represented, so maybe if there were one or two more Selectmen there might be an overall look at the whole town and what we all want.” The Finance Committee did not recommend the article.
Selectmen Chair John Bruno said, “The Board of Selectmen do not recommend; the idea that the generally elected officials don’t represent certain sections of the town, I just can’t agree with.” He noted that the majority of the voting public voted for each of the three members of the Board of Selectmen as well as all other elected positions in town. Bruno said that Halifax has had three Selectmen since 1734. “It seems to have worked fairly well… the Selectmen don’t make all the decisions… it’s really the Town Meeting that makes the decisions,” Bruno said.
A resident asked the Finance Committee why they weren’t voting to recommend. They said that they didn’t feel there was an added benefit and also stated that there may be a financial cost associated with having more Selectmen. Resident and member of the Halifax Elementary School Committee Summer Schmaling spoke saying that the additional cost to the town was only $3,000. She further noted that most surrounding towns of similar size had a five-member board. Candace Kniffen spoke saying, “we have a history in this town that is not admirable where we have elections that are uncontested and more of the times when our Selectmen elections have taken place, they’ve been uncontested. It seems to me that if you feel unrepresented, you put up a candidate that will represent your interests and here we are this year with yet another uncontested Selectmen’s race. We have trouble getting volunteers.” Another resident said, “I don’t feel comfortable in this room, with this small group of people, voting to change the government in our town – I think that’s really risky.” Resident Amy L. Troup spoke saying that a reason to consider five Selectmen would be what happened over the summer when two Selectmen resigned leaving just one until a special election. Another resident said that what happened last year was a once in a lifetime event and the Town’s government should not be changed based on it. The article did not pass.
Article 24 was another petition article by Mary Gravinese to petition the Legislature to change the Town Clerk, the Treasurer/Collector and the Highway Surveyor to appointed rather than elected. The motion had to be amended per Town Counsel to make it legally viable. Current Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward said, “I’m against this article; I have six people – I have five employees that live in the town, and they care about the town. If we start having the Select people or whoever appoint these positions, they have total control. I answer to the taxpayers. They don’t like what I’m doing, they can vote no.” Gravinese responded, “This isn’t about people not caring about the town. The town has to start running like a business and in order to do that we need people that have education, experience, qualifications to do the jobs – they are no longer entry level,” she said. She further said that her child could become the Highway Surveyor because he is 18 and lives in the town. “We can’t have someone that just is popular that wants to put a sign up if anyone left,” Gravinese said. The article was defeated.
Article 25 was a petition article brought forth by Barbara Gaynor that would adopt Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 41, Section 97A, commonly known as the “strong chief” section, concerning Police Chiefs. Police Chief Joao Chaves spoke to the article. The article would give the Chief of Police greater jurisdiction over the Police Department. A resident spoke saying, “The Select Board appointed him as Chief to run the department; the Select Board’s job is to run the overall town, not have their hands in any individual department on daily operations; what this does is it lets Chief have complete control of his Department and set the policy as he sees necessary… so this is a great change as far as the management of the Police Department.” The Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee did not have a recommendation on this article. The article passed.
Article 1 was to hear and act on the reports of Town Officers and Committees and it passed. Bruno acknowledged the tumultuous year it was for the Board of Selectmen and credited Selectman Jonathan Selig and Town Accountant Sandra Nolan for stepping up during that time. Selig remained as the sole Selectman for a time while Nolan stepped in to be acting Town Administrator.
Article 2 amended the Wage and Personnel by-law to change the steps and corresponding salaries for certain positions in town that are under-compensated. It was recommended by both the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee. It passed unanimously. Article 3 determines the salaries for several elected positions. It also passed unanimously.
Article 4 was the operating budget. A resident asked for an explanation as to why the new Town Administrator is getting an $11,000 increase as well as why the Town Accountant would be receiving a $17,000 increase. Bruno said the increase for the Town Accountant actually had to do with money being set aside to assist in hiring a new Accountant as the current one will be retiring soon. Moderator Bert Gaynor went through each of the sections of the operating budget individually, grouping line items together. Everything passed including for the $14 million school budget.
Article 7 sought to appropriate $3 million for upgrades to the water treatment plant. Bruno said, “to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, is authorized to borrow said amount… the amount authorized to be borrowed shall be reduced to the extent of any grants, gifts, or other funds received by the town to be used to pay the cost of this project.” It was recommended by the Finance Committee. The Water Superintendent said that the equipment in question is 40 years old and noted that they already have close to $1 million set aside toward this project. The article passed.
Regarding road maintenance in the Capital Plan, a resident asked for clarification as to the usage for the $300,000. Hayward said that this summer he would be able to use some of it for paving and “fixing up of the roads.” The Moderator asked the resident if that answered her question and she said, “Not fully, no.” She continued, “If you’ve driven around Ocean Ave, Lingen St., the numbered streets, they’re patching them, and I know you guys are doing your best and it’s not against that. It’s putting band-aids on broken legs. It’s ruining our cars, it’s ruining the police vehicles that we are paying to replace and maintain and I just want to make sure that our tax money is going toward things that really need to be done and not just roads that people that don’t live on the town drive on… do we have a plan for when we are going to do that?” Hayward said that just one mile on Plymouth St. cost $400,000. “And that was on a halfway decent road,” he said. “Out of all the 53 miles of road, we’re going to need millions of dollars; I could ask for a bond and nobody wants our taxes to go up… to fix the roads is money we don’t have,” Hayward explained.
There was also some discussion about new vehicles for the Fire Department. A resident said, “The town currently has three command vehicles, the Chief wants to upgrade one and get a new one for himself to the tune of $80,000 and we have a brand-new brush truck … I think the $80,000 is money we don’t need to spend on a new vehicle for the amount of times we have brush fires in the Town…” The Fire Chief said that the current vehicle he is driving was purchased with Covid funds from the State. He also said that some of these vehicles are used across other communities as well. “We do need a proper command vehicle and we do not have one setup at this time,” he said. The Fire Department costs were approved.
Regarding the Police Department costs, a resident asked Chief Chaves how often vehicles are replaced and was told every three years. Schmaling asked what would be done with the vehicles that are being replaced. Chaves said that they would be trading them in to offset the cost of the new vehicles. Residents requested that the article be amended to state that the cruisers would be traded in or auctioned before voting. The amendment did not pass though the overall Police costs were voted through.
Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Gordon Laws read that the SLRS Committee voted to amend Article 14 on the floor of Town Meeting due to increases in labor and equipment costs. Laws moved that the Town vote to amend the amount in Article 14 to $100,100 for the replacement of one rooftop unit. The units supply heat and air conditioning to the high school cafeteria and auditorium. The article previously read that the Town would vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds the sum of $202,458.79 for the replacement of two roof top units at Silver Lake Regional High School. Laws explained, “the air conditioning units are 15-year units and we are at 19 years with those units which is why we were hoping to replace both of them. If they happen to go, it will constitute kind of an emergency for all three towns… the estimate for the two together came in far more than what we had hoped for which is why we are asking for the one.” He further explained that they chose the one over the cafeteria since if that one were to go, it would create unsafe working conditions for the staff in the kitchen. It passed unanimously.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, April 25. Chair Kimberley Emberg thanked everyone who came out and voted in the recent town election. “It is my pleasure to welcome the newest member of the Board of Selectmen, Eric Crone and congratulate Don Alcombright who was just re-elected to a three-year term,” Emberg said.
Given the recent election, the Board decided to deliberate on reorganization. They unanimously voted to renominate Emberg as Chair again. Alcombright was unanimously voted in as Vice Chair, and Sheila Vaughn was unanimously voted in as Clerk. “I just love note taking,” Vaughn joked.
“Thank you to everyone who participated in our third Annual Keep Kingston Clean event… I saw lots of cleanup efforts on William Gould Way, Captain Jones, Maple Street, Brightside Ave, all across the nook so thank you everyone that participated and thank you to our Highway Department,” Emberg said.
Emberg said that they had a recommendation from the Highway Superintendent regarding transfer station fees. He noted that it has been five years since sticker fees have been raised. He said that they are trying to get a new vendor as of July 1. With a new vendor will come a reduction in the fee for mattresses but items such as air conditioners and freezers that were previously free, will now come with a fee. “We are not making any additional dollars above what the vendor is charging us to dispose of it,” he explained.
A public hearing was held for Eversource per their request to allow for the installation of lines across a number of public roadways as part of the Carver/Kingston Reliability Project. A public hearing was previously held on February 14 which was continued onto February 28. The Board opened it up to any members of the public that wished to speak. A resident asked why they were meeting on it again. “It was debated, the Board voted, they didn’t get the answer they liked so they got to do it again… I guess I’m just looking for clarification on why we’re doing this whole thing again,” he said. Emberg said that she planned to ask Eversource the same question. Another resident read something from the Plymouth County of Deeds regarding the preservation of conservation lands. Emberg said that the Conservation Commission did vote on this project in 2021.
A resident said, “We haven’t been given any information at all, no numbers, no figures, no nothing – they could be pulling off a scam. It’s just an idea. But someone needs to look into this – someone other than people in this room who have no interest in this at all, probably the State and the federal government need to look at what they’re doing. This is a scam and it’s being overlooked here; I wish someone would take the time to do something.”
Town Treasurer Carl Pike spoke saying, “I’d just like to speak on behalf of the majority of people in Kingston who want to have electricity in this town; we want to have strong lines that will support the town during tough, difficult periods for electric generation. I’m also insulted by someone talking about a scam. Massachusetts has a Department of Public Utilities that all of your public utilities report to… it’s a heavily regulated industry and I believe that only in Kingston would we have people arguing against a power line.”
Emberg then opened it up to anyone from Eversource. Ryan Earle who is with Community Relations for Eversource spoke next. Regarding why they were back, Earle said they did file a petition with the State. “Our main goal is to work with municipalities at all cost… we’ve worked to try to alleviate some of those concerns… and to petition again for the nine street crossings that we came here for in the previous meetings as well as tonight.”
Selectman Tyler Bouchard noted discrepancies between conversations he had with Eversource and emails that he would receive back that in his words, “felt like they were written by an attorney.” He said, “As a public service utility company, I just feel like there is a piece missing. You know, with the poles and certain things and communication and not being totally forthright with those hearings that were two or three years ago. Unfortunately, we can’t go back and fix, but I hope, and I don’t have a lot of faith in this, what I would like to see is for the next hearing that comes up that the neighborhood be in good standing.” Emberg pointed out that the only thing they have jurisdiction over was the road crossings. Bouchard said, however, that he has changed his vote to allow them to cross the street based on having worked through many of the safety concerns that he had initially. “In that capacity, I feel reluctantly comfortable,” Bouchard concluded. The Board voted to approve the construction or erection of poles across Kingston’s public ways as stated in the public notice.
Emberg said that the Board had some appointments to make since there were resignations at the Library, a retirement in the Police Department, and a resignation in the Treasurer’s office for the Payroll Coordinator. Holly Iannucci was appointed to Head of Youth Services with the Kingston Public Library as of May 1. Tyler Potrykus was named as a permanent, full-time Civil Service Police Officer. Katelyn Drapeau was named as the new Payroll Coordinator. “Welcome, it’s very exciting,” Emberg said.
Following the retirement of Kingston’s Wastewater Superintendent, the Sewer Commissioners voted to appoint the current Sewer Foreman, David Walsh, as the next Superintendent. The Commissioners asked that the Selectmen approve the starting salary for Walsh at a Grade 4, Step 8 rate of $94,967. The Board voted unanimously to approve.
Assistant to the Town Administrator Patricia Tucker provided an update as Town Administrator Keith Hickey was absent. Regarding the open Health Agent position, Tucker said the Board of Health did interview two candidates. “One was very overwhelming – they all loved her, so they gave the Chair the authority to negotiate… they came up with an amount and agreed upon it so we’re hoping to get her signed on and to start the end of May,” Tucker told the Selectmen.
Before adjourning for the evening, Vaughn thanked the “500 people who came out and voted.” Emberg corrected her that it was over 600. Vaughn said that she would like to see the election moved to a different weekend and the assumption was that she meant so there would be greater participation.