There was a joint meeting of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee and Union 31 on Thursday, Feb. 10. There was a public budget hearing as well as a robust discussion of all things budget related.

Shared Costs Discussion

The meeting began with a review of shared cost contracts. Superintendent Jill Proulx said there were more shared cost contracts this year than usual. Most shared cost positions would be receiving a three percent increase for up to three years. The exceptions would be for the Assistant Superintendent and an administrative assistant who are both making below the average salaries for their position and experience levels. For those positions, there was a proposed salary adjustment.

There was also a proposal for a new shared cost position of Director of Human Resources at an expense of $100,000 to $110,000. The complexities of the regionalization necessitated such a position. Halifax Selectman and member of the Halifax Elementary School Gordon Andrews said, “While I believe that Director of Human Resources would be an important position, I don’t think it should be funded in this upcoming fiscal year.” Silver Lake Regional School Committee Chair Paula Hatch called the administrative team “very slim” and urged everyone to consider the position.

Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that the current shared cost budget is $1,816,164. The shared cost budget that was voted during the meeting was $2,005,164. Andrews asked for the current year’s shared cost budget and was told it was $1,783,176.  Included in the shared cost budget was Proulx’s contract. Both the shared cost budget and Proulx’s contract were voted through. Union 31’s Halifax members voted against the shared cost budget despite it passing.

Public Budget Hearing

Following the votes, Union 31 adjourned and the Silver Lake Regional School Committee’s public budget hearing began. Andrews spoke on behalf of Halifax outlining the vast increases for the town just for special needs tuition, transportation, and the Elementary School budget. Andrews said that Halifax’s minimum contribution will be increasing noting, “the budget of Silver Lake is really unaffordable for the town – the way that it continues to grow.” Andrews said that Halifax should be receiving the most in Chapter 70 funding but said that each town receives an equal amount. Andrews acknowledged that the problem in the disbursement of Chapter 70 is a problem with the legislature not the school.

Kingston School Committee member Jeanne Coleman said, “Try to cut as little as you can… do what you can to bring it to town meeting and hopefully get the support there.” She expressed concern over the students losing much of what makes school fun and enjoyable. Fellow Kingston Committee member Sheila Marie Vaughn argued for the same.

Kingston Treasurer Carl Pike said he was speaking as a resident. “I really think the important thing is we all continue to work together. I get concerned when I hear town officials talking about cuts; there are times when we have to ask for a second look at a budget… I believe strongly that we need to support school budgets,” Pike said. He continued, “Do I think that we can afford as communities to have 5 or 6 percent assessment increases? Absolutely not… I believe that we have some of the finest administrators and teachers in the State and I trust in them to work with the budgets that are reasonable considering other Departments like Police and Fire and Roads and Streets.” The public budget hearing was closed.

Superintendent’s Budget Presentation

Proulx began her budget update by saying that at the last School Committee meeting, it was asked that they cut $400,000 from the most recent iteration of the budget and then build back in $300,000. She said that the preliminary budget is an increase of 3.74 percent. Special education transportation is a 21.36 percent increase and payroll and benefits account for 82 percent of the budget. Health insurance is estimated at 5 percent and included several retirements. She said that several recurring costs for technology and hardware were moved from the Capital Plan and into the budget.

During Tier Two of the budget, Proulx said they began to look at outside of the budget requests and asked principals to consider what could be cut. “Our number one priority across our district leadership team and our principals is the addition of curriculum coordinators. It would come with an increase of $12,000. She said another request was for a 12-month assistant principal at the high school. The Middle School is looking for a split position for a special education teacher and reading teacher. Multiple cuts would have to be made to equipment, supplies and other items to make these positions possible.

The $100,000 in cuts were made up by $20,000 from maintenance of the field, $10,000 from maintenance of buildings, $4,200 from high school teaching supplies, $3,000 from high school textbooks as well as several other smaller cuts.

Proulx noted that there was also mention of adding a K-12 arts coordinator at a cost of $100,000. She noted that it was a shared cost position and not a Silver Lake one but said that she was looking for direction from the Committee. Another issue brought forth was the lack of instrumental education in two out of the three elementary schools. Ways to fund that need were discussed at previous meetings.

Proulx said that private, parochial, and charter school tuitions have all decreased from the previous year. This is beneficial for the public schools. Regarding charter school tuition, Committee member Eric Crone said that since 2016 that dollar amount has increased three-fold from $350,000 to $1,000,000.

Assessments

Healy spoke on the assessments for FY23. “It’s in our regional agreement, it’s the way that we have to assign our costs,” she said of the assessments. Healy also noted that the minimum contribution is assigned by the State based on their own calculations. Both Halifax and Kingston will be paying more than the previous year while Plympton will be paying less. Healy said that state aid is at $7.6 million that  is an increase over recent years. “The total increase for our assessments with capital and based on the operating budget… is $360,000 or a 1.86 percent increase… operating and capital,” Healy explained.

Legislative Update

Andrews did some quick math during the meeting and said that the overall increase from last year’s to this year’s budget stood at $1,183,066. Committee member Jason Fraser noted that they would be receiving $400,000 more this year from the State thereby reducing that number. Fraser continued with his legislative update saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Circuit Breaker fully funded,” referring to the State’s program to provide reimbursement for special education. He said that additional funding could come in from Chapter 70. “I acknowledge the burdens on the towns but I want to also make sure that we are clear that the number we’re seeing from the Chapter 70 funds from regional transportation, even potentially from charter school reimbursement, we may see only rise to support us even more,” Fraser explained.

Fraser also told the Committee that he has asked Representative Kathy LaNatra if she could propose an amendment to increase the minimum aid per pupil amount in Chapter 70 from $30 to $100. Fraser also said that he has pushed for an extension of the current policy of free meals at schools for all students. He said they were asking Congress to make it a federal policy. “We know that kids that eat behave better academically and have less behavioral issues,” Fraser explained.

Halifax’s Position on the Budget

Hatch argued that due to no fault of its own, Halifax is not capable of supporting the budget as presented. She noted it was not a philosophical difference but a practical one. “It’s circumstance; there is nothing that can be done about it,” she explained.

Pike asked to speak again saying, “The bottom-line expense that you’re talking about here now, is right around 4 percent. What you do when you have a 4 percent bottom-line is you have two choices – you can go to the communities and go for a proposition 2 ½ override. You can do that so often, you can’t, in my opinion, you can’t convince any community to be doing a proposition 2 ½ override every single year because you need 4 percent increases to run your budget… the other thing you do is maybe you can somehow make it balance but that means that I have to tell my Police Department and my Fire Department and my Parks Department, hey you guys only get a 1 percent increase this year.”

Fraser said that as the second most senior member of the Committee, they have never asked for a proposition 2 ½ override. He noted that he had never been a part, on either of the Committees he serves on, of a budget that was over a 3 percent increase. Fraser said, “However, I am not going to ignore the needs of the students and ignore the needs of the school, especially as we emerge from the past two years.”

Schmaling verified that just the budgets of the schools as they stand currently, without taking into account the operating budget of the town, would force Halifax into an override. She explained to the Committee that such an override would be extremely unlikely to pass. She asked if the town would be forced to support the schools’ budgets, at the expense of other town departments, due to the regional agreement. Andrews explained that the regional agreement forced them to support Silver Lake but not the elementary school. Given that the elementary school is a large portion of the town’s budget, and the other departments are at minimum funding, severe cuts would likely have to be made to the school to support the regional agreement with Silver Lake. “This is extremely painful and uncomfortable that our situation is causing this struggle that we’re having,” Hatch said of Halifax’s position.

Halifax resident and Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Gordon Laws asked, “Is there nothing at all that we can do to monetize and raise revenue that is not tax related and is somehow positive?” “We have overtime put efforts in, we looked at solar panels… only to find out it wasn’t feasible,” Hatch explained. She named other items that had been investigated as well. Fraser said that he was currently working with local lawmakers on a revolving fund for assessments, “where if towns have a low assessment… that there would be incentives for municipalities to put those dollars into a revolving fund where the State would potentially give a percentage match – like a ten percent to encourage that investment.” The Committee agreed to look at and vote the budget at their next meeting in March.

Book Controversy

Hatch said that they were contacted by a parent of a student in the Middle School asking that they review the book, So Far from the Bamboo Grove, that is part of the curriculum. Hatch said that they were advised to follow the school policy and create a review committee to review the request and present it to the larger Committee for a decision. Fraser said that he felt it appropriate that anyone that serves on the review committee commit to reading the book. In addition to a handful of School Committee members, Proulx recommended that the Assistant Superintendent, ELA Coordinator, at least one principal, a guidance director, a counselor, a few parents and students, and several teachers also serve on the review committee.

Principals’ Reports

Silver Lake Regional High School Principal Michaela Gill turned things over to Student Council Representative Mia Mitchell. Mitchell referenced Governor Charlie Baker’s recent announcement that the mask mandate in K-12 schools in the State will end on February 28. Mitchell said she thought the change would have a positive impact on students. Mitchell also provided the Committee with some school updates including a blood drive that is being planned by both Student Council and National Honor Society.

Gill told the Committee that there would be six new course offerings this year including digital photography 2, web development, game design, engineering design and development, medical Spanish, and AP U.S. Government and Politics. Gill said they would be removing some electives and making some other changes to better align with State standards. The Committee voted to accept all changes to the program of studies as presented by Gill.

Gill said that the annual curriculum night would be held following the February break. “We will provide an overview of our curriculum that sort of kicks off what we call course selection season; our eighth graders will be able to start thinking about what courses they want to enroll in at the high school,” Gill explained.

Gill provided a few more school updates including a recent PTO run calendar raffle fundraiser event. Prizes included gift certificates to local spas and restaurants. The grand prize was acting as principal for the day. It was won by freshman Will Hinkley. “We had a lot of fun… he declared it a homework free day and then he passed out 200 ice cream coupons at lunch” Gill said. “I might be out of a job soon,” Gill joked. The fundraiser raised over $4,000.

Gill also named a few staff members that were recently recognized for their efforts including ELA teacher Tracy MacDonald, nurse’s Aid Joanne Dart, English teacher Kelly Griffin, and main office para Jessica Gilbert.

Gill also told the Committee that preschool enrollment is open for residents of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton.

Middle School Principal James Dupille also provided an update for the Committee. He said that 18 students have received recognition for achievement excellence or citizenship. The teachers vote on the recipient and Dupille awards the students with pins and certificates and calls the parents to alert them of the achievement. Dupille also said that they brought back the History Bee after a hiatus due to COVID. He said that nine students have qualified to move onto the regional round. The Committee applauded the achievement.

Assistant Superintendent’s Update

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch touched upon grant funding. “We do have access to ESSER II funding as well as ESSER III funding… and we’re continuing to move forward in identifying our needs and providing support for students as we can,” Lynch explained. Schmaling thanked the team for making applying for these grants a priority and said, “For public knowledge I just want to note the dollar amount for Silver Lake alone; the grant funding that we obtained for fiscal year 2022 is $1,665,322.31 so it’s certainly nothing to sneeze at.” She did, however, point out that a large portion of the budget is funded by these grants and grants don’t last forever. She cautioned about the sustainability of the budget.

Updated COVID Protocols

Proulx began her update with some COVID changes. She said that isolation was changed to 5 days rather than 10. She also mentioned the new testing program that allows students and staff to opt into a free, at-home test each week. She also mentioned that the State has rescinded the mask mandate for Grades K-12 after February 28. Masks will still be required on buses as it is a federal regulation.

The Halifax Finance Committee met virtually on Jan. 31. Chair Thomas Connolly led things off with a roll call. Vice Chair Cheryll Zarella- Burke was in attendance as were Todd Dargie, Michael Bennett, and Jonathan Schmaling. Town Accountant Sandra Nolan, Town Clerk Susan Lawless, and Holmes Public Library Director Jean Gallant were also present.

Regarding the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, Connolly said, “There’s no new action, other than keep educating ourselves about what’s there.” Nolan noted that she did add $150,000 to revenues for motor vehicle excise. “We’ve always been very conservative, and we did very well last year on motor vehicle excise which was surprising; this year the State is estimating about a 7 percent increase,” Nolan explained.

Nolan also said that they did not yet have the assessment from Silver Lake. She said that there is currently a placeholder for level funding. The Committee noted that the estimate was that Silver Lake’s portion of the assessment would be going up $340,000. “That’s where the rubber is going to hit the road,” Connolly said. Nolan said that to stay in the black, the number would have to be closer to $164,000. “So that obviously goes well over that,” Nolan said.

Linda Cole said that health insurance would be less than what was estimated in the budget. “It will fluctuate a ton between now and then… it will come down, probably significantly,” she explained. She said that the same is true every year. The placeholder is currently set at 7 percent, but the actual number will likely be closer to 3 or 4.

Burke said that she had heard from the Police Chief that the Police Department plans to have a vote at town meeting to purchase two new cruisers. She also said that the Police Chief said that the town has eight auxiliary officers who need to pay their own way through the Police Academy. “So needless to say, they’re not going to do that, so we’re probably going to lose them.” Connolly asked if it was standard practice for towns to have auxiliary officers pay for the academy themselves and was told it was. As a result, the town may end up paying more in overtime for officers. Lawless brought up the high cost of paying officers overtime to fill the shifts normally filled by the auxiliary officers, were they to leave. Connolly responded saying, “Is there a way, you know, local businesses could pay that tuition, or we recruit new auxiliaries who are willing to foot the bill themselves if that is consistent with what other towns ask of their auxiliaries; maybe we can just find a creative way to cover those costs or find someone who is committed enough that they’ll cover them themselves.” Zarella-Burke recommended having the Police Chief attend their next meeting to discuss.

Regarding some of the other departments under Zarella-Burke’s purview she said that while they understand the need for level funded budgets, some costs are out of their control. She gave the rising cost of ambulance supplies as an example.

It was suggested that the Committee approach the department heads to ask for a few ideas for ways to increase their revenues. It was recommended that fee schedules be looked at among other things. “It’s definitely worth looking at,” Nolan agreed. Gallant asked if the library should consider going back to instituting fines for late items. Nolan said that the amount generated would be very small. Gallant said that the Board of Trustees was split on whether to charge late fees though she noted she was against them.

Connolly said that they had a request from the Board of Selectmen. The Selectmen plan to hire an assistant and asked that the position be moved to a Grade 2, Step 3 due to her experience. The Finance Committee voted to approve the request.

Connolly explained that Committee member Michael O’Brien has previous commitments that overlap with much of the work being done by the Finance Committee on Monday evenings. “What I wanted to propose to Michael, if it’s acceptable to the Committee, is that he remain on the Committee, he remain the contact for the departments that he is looking after, and it’s not every Monday that he needs to be away… if he’s amenable to it, because he did express that he would like to stay on the Committee, he’ll miss votes, he’ll miss certain evenings but we still have a quorum without him and then on the evenings that he can join us, he’ll update us on whatever is happening with the budgets that he’s working on,” Connolly explained. While no vote was needed, the Committee did agree to move forward with Connolly’s plan contingent upon O’Brien’s agreement.

Weather forecasters last week were correct in predicting major record-breaking snow for eastern Massachusetts lasting most of 24 hours from late Friday to late Saturday night.

The snow spotter in Halifax measured 23 inches when it was all over at about 9:30 Saturday night.  Plympton came in at 20 inches at 9 p.m. according to the Boston Globe.  There were comparatively few power outages and Halifax Police Chief Joao Chaves said there were no automobile accidents, only cars off the road stuck in the snow with no injuries.   Halifax Highway Superintendent Steve Hayward said, “I’d like to thank the crew of 20 that I had for this storm.  They   did an excellent job. We had two contractor trucks go down halfway through the storm, I appreciate the flexibility in everyone when routes had  to be changed.”

In Plympton, three town vehicles, accompanied by 13 private snow plows, kept the streets in goood shape. Highway Superintendent Rob Firlotte praised his crew and said they will be ready should this weekend’s storm materialize.

Capt. John Sjostedt of the Plympton Fire Department told the Express, “Thankfully the wind that was predicted did not impact our area. We had two minor incidents: 1. tree on wires and 2. Carbon monoxide in the home due to a generator that had the exhaust facing the house.”

After a warming trend Wednesday and Thursday, weathermen are tracking another storm for this weekend with rain turning to ice with possible mixing with snow.

Just another chapter in New England weather.

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met in-person at Silver Lake Regional High School on Thursday, Jan. 13.

Policy Approvals

High School Principal Michaela Gill went over a revision to the course change policy that pertains to students who request to drop a course or change a level. Gill said the handbook currently states that students cannot request to make such a change from the start of school until the end of the first term. Gill said that historically there have been special considerations made for students. Five years ago, a course change request form was created. Gill said there have been very few times when a request was not granted and noted that decisions were always made in coordination with the parents and the student. Gill asked for approval from the School Committee on the edited level and course change policy. The Committee voted to approve the change.

The Silver Lake Food Service Director Megan Ahrenholz appeared before the Committee to address an offer versus serve (OVS) policy. An OVS allows students to decline a certain number of food components in a reimbursable meal to eliminate some waste and food cost.  One of those components must be a half cup of a fruit or vegetable. “It’s something that we’ve always done in practice, we just wanted to have it in writing,” Ahrenholz explained. Committee member Summer Schmaling asked why if a child brings their lunch and just wishes to purchase a milk, they are charged for that milk whereas if they bought the whole meal, it would be free. Schmaling said there was concern that students would take the free lunch and throw away everything but the milk. Ahrenholz said the USDA does not allow a student to receive just the milk for free. “What we found is that most students don’t do that,” she said of students disposing of the entire lunch. The Committee voted to approve the policy before them.

Debate on Canceling Midterm Exams

Student Council representative Connor Doyle addressed the Committee. Doyle said that in December they were able to hold the traditional student versus staff basketball game. He said that they were able to raise over $850 worth of nonperishable food items to be donated to the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless. “As for this month, the major talking point with Student Council and around the student body is, of course, the mid-year exams coming up,” Doyle told the Committee. He said that the Student Council Executive Board had sent out a survey asking if the exams should go on as previously scheduled due to the state of the pandemic. He said the resounding answer was no. The proposal to cancel the exams was put before the School Committee. Gill said that the previous Thursday, 20 percent of students were absent most of which were due to COVID. “We are proposing that midterm exams not be counted as 20 percent of the semester grade and that instead of traditional mid-year assessments we use that time to prioritize instruction and provide academic support for students who are in need,” Gill told the Committee.

“I’m really struggling with this,” Schmaling said while acknowledging that she was sympathetic and saying that her own daughter came home in tears over the upcoming exams. “The real world doesn’t stop because all of this madness is going on,” Schmaling said. She continued, “My fear is that we are not adequately preparing our juniors and our seniors for college, when they go to college and they say tough cookies, the midterm exam is on this day, you better be prepared for it… are we setting up our kids for failure by essentially babying them right now.” Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee said, “I’m in complete agreement with Summer.” McGee confirmed with Gill that the last two years there were no final exams. She said that she was hopeful that would not happen again this year. “I can see this as a special circumstance so I’m sort of inclined to approve it,” McGee said while thanking Doyle for sharing their findings with the Committee. “I worry about the resiliency,” Committee member Emily Davis said while saying that she was still likely in favor of the proposal. She also told Gill that didn’t believe that, even in normal times, an exam should account for 20 percent of a total grade. “We’re not going to beat a horse when it’s down; that’s not going to build resiliency,” Gill said. Schmaling asked if the exam could count for a lesser percentage. Gill said that they would leave it to the teacher’s discretion to still hold the assessment albeit one that would not count for such a large percentage of a student’s grade. Despite the debate, the Committee did vote to approve the proposal.

Principals’ Reports

Gill said that Term 3 began on January 24 and report cards were issued digitally on January 28 through parent square. “I often say that it is easy to watch the news or scroll social media and lose sense of the good around us… which is why I’m thankful to be part of a school community that regularly restores my faith in humanity,” Gill told the Committee. She said that in addition to the nonperishable food items that were donated as a result of the student/staff basketball game, the Red Cross Club packed over 10 large trash bags full of new or gently used coats, etc. to be donated to local shelters. She said that the National Honor Society hosted a holiday luncheon for staff as well. Students in the Project Lead the Way Program have been going to the elementary schools to share engineering skills and a general love of learning.

Gill said the original venue for the senior prom on May 20 was in Boston where vaccinations would be required. She said that they were able to find a different venue, the Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich, on May 26 that would not require vaccination. She said that the red carpet will take place as usual assuming there are no changes from DESE before then. There will be no junior prom moving forward. Schmaling said she had heard that some parents may organize one and Gill said that it would be a non-school sponsored event. Gill said in December they awarded the Silver Stars Drama Club with recognition for upholding the school’s core values including inclusivity.

Middle School Principal Jim Dupille began his update saying that parent teacher conferences will be held on February 2 and 3 with the first day being reserved for virtual meetings. He said that the night the school will be singing at the Providence Bruins game had to be rescheduled to February 11 due to a recent snowstorm. The school talent show will be on February 15. The Geography and History Bee will be back after a brief hiatus. Dupille requested permission from the Committee to bring back the trips to New York City and the Kennedy Space Center next year. The Committee approved both trips. Schamling said she did not want to approve a trip to New York where some students would be excluded due to vaccination status but Dupille assured her he would not purse the trip if those restrictions were still in place.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Jill Proulx provided a district update. She introduced the new Attorney Russell Dupere who is the son of retiring Fred Dupere. She said that families were recently sent updated COVID guidance with the most significant piece being the shortened isolation period – from ten days to five. She also said that the mask requirement would be extended until February 28 when it will be revisited by DESE.

Budget Presentation

Proulx provided the Committee with a preliminary budget. She said that both Principal Gill and Principal Dupille were asked to create a level service budget which would include only what was necessary to maintain current staffing and programs. She said the total increase in this version of the budget was 3.74 percent. Proulx, who went over some highlights, said that there was more than a 21 percent increase in special education transportation. “We are suffering from a lack of vendors right now due to the pandemic,” Proulx said of the increase. Proulx told the Committee that payroll and benefits represent 82 percent of the total budget. She said that two known retirements represent a savings of approximately $130,000 potentially. There is an increase in the technology/hardware line that was moved from the capital plan to the operating budget.

Proulx turned the presentation over to the principals to speak to significant increases and decreases. Gill said that there were decreases in athletic transportation. The most notable increase is related to textbook and staffing. She said there was an ask of $23,000 for equipment that is “dying or dead” including a treadmill and a piano. She asked that the Assistant Principal position be brought back from a 10 month to a 12-month position. She asked the same of the outdoor custodian position. These changes would represent $13,000 and $8,000 increases respectively.

Dupille also spoke to notable increases including bringing in guest speakers and replacing equipment such as copiers. He said that the textbook line would be $40,000 less than the previous year. There is another $6,000 in savings for software. Dupille said he would like to expand the school’s athletic offerings to match what is available in surrounding school districts. He said that close to 90 percent of parents and students surveyed said they would like to see more athletic offerings. He said he is asking for a number of small increases that make a big impact including having class advisors and a school newspaper. Dupille said the school is also looking for a special education reading specialist and a change from a part-time to a full-time adjustment counselor.

Proulx spoke about some additional needs. She said that two of the district’s elementary schools were two of the only schools in the surrounding area not to offer instrumental instruction by Grade 5. Proulx said that a possible consideration in the budget would be the addition of a fine and performing arts instructional leader at the K-12 or 7-12 level. She also said that a curriculum coordinator for Grades 7-12 or an assistant special education coordinator for elementary and secondary might also be needed. She said that a content area specialist for English as a secondary language might also be considered. Committee member Chris Eklund recommended hiring from within to allow for costs savings.  McGee recommended choosing one or two positions for this year. “Because I think financially it’s going to be a big hit,” she explained. Committee member Eric Crone said that it may be necessary to cut from other areas to make room in the budget for these additions. He also pointed out that there could be additional federal money coming. Proulx asked that the Committee also consider an additional shared costs computer technician and a human resource director for the district.

Committee Chair Paula Hatch said, “we run a really big district with a really lean administrative team.” She emphasized the importance of doing the most possible for the students while still supporting the administration and considering the needs requested by them. Schmaling spoke to the dire situation faced by Halifax saying that departments were asked to level fund not level service.

Silver Lake Education Association President Jon Lay spoke to the Committee. “I would like to advocate for a couple of things… one is the middle school special ed position; I really think it is key.” He also advocated strongly for the music program emphasizing the importance of having band at the elementary levels. Currently, Halifax and Plympton do not have instrumental instruction at the elementary level.

Eklund provided an update on SAFER saying that they have had several successful tri-town meetings. He said they are trying to find a way for the towns to support their efforts for upgrades to the HVAC system using ARPA funds. Eklund said that the cost for air conditioning at the high school and middle school would be $1.55 milion dollars. Eklund said that on such a large project, the towns would be able to overspend their ARPA fund allotment while waiting for the next round of funding. Eklund made a motion that they allow the Silver Lake School District to expend the $29,150 for plan design if it is available through the funds allocated from the State House through Kathy LaNatra’s prior bill. The Committee voted to approve the motion.

Eklund said they talked about the district stabilization funds saying they would likely open them via an article at the various town meetings. He told the Committee they weren’t making much progress on the need for upgrades to the tennis courts. Much debate was had over the state of the courts and McGee said she certainly understood the need for equity amongst the different sports’ facilities saying that some were excellent while others, such as the courts, were on their last legs.

Eklund also said that they completed a $30,000 preliminary feasibility study for a new admin building.

The public budget hearing and joint meeting of all the school committees is on Feb. 10.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday evening, Jan. 11. The bulk of the meeting was spent discussing COVID related policies for employees.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Library Director Jean Gallant, Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward, and IT Department Head Cesar Calouro were all in attendance for the discussion. Specific cases were discussed including a library technician who only works 11 hours per week and therefore does not receive benefits. Said employee had a close contact in their immediate family and then later tested positive themselves. Gallant said she wished to pay the employee for the missed week’s salary as they were a good and long-time employee. “I realize that she doesn’t have benefits and you would be making an exception for her,” Gallant told the Board.

The Board was in agreement that if someone is symptomatic but has not yet received a test, they would need to provide documentation of a positive test result. The employee would need to take sick time but would be reimbursed by the town for the time out assuming they had a positive test result. In the case presented by Gallant, it was agreed that despite the employee not having benefits, the town would still reimburse the employee for the missed pay. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews said that they wanted to encourage sick employees to stay home so as to not risk exposing others out of fear of lost wages. “I think we need to look out for the employee’s health and for the town’s health,” Andrews explained.

The Fire Department is providing free testing for town employees. Asked how they were doing on tests, Viveiros said they still have a few hundred tests to be used on town employees.

Another case specific question was asked which prompted Selectman Ashley DiSesa to joke about the myriad of gray areas surrounding COVID. Gallant said she had an employee who tested negative but is quarantining while caring for a positive dependent. It was agreed that sick time would also be reimbursed in that instance. Viveiros and Hayward said that in the interest of consistency, they have been forwarding questions to Halifax Health Agent Bob Valery for guidance on case specific questions.

Other questions regarding the recent CDC guidance updates were also asked. Recent guidance states that COVID positive individuals can end quarantine after five days as long as their symptoms were resolving and they continued to wear a mask for 10-14 days. “I think what everyone needs to know is, they are still symptomatic after day 5, they need to stay out,” Andrews said. Selectman Troy Garron asked whether the town should require proof of a negative test to return, but DiSesa pointed out that the town would likely run out of tests if they did that.

Calouro questioned whether employees who have the ability to work from home should be working while in quarantine. The Selectmen seemed in agreement that they should not be expected to work which prompted Calouro to question why they spent so much money on laptops for town employees.

After much discussion, DiSesa attempted to summarize the policy saying, “So, the policy is, if an employee feels under the weather… they can go to the Fire Station or go to their doctor and get a valid test from a medical professional – not an at-home test. If that test is positive, we will pay them from the day that they tested from their five days out or however many days if they’re still symptomatic. Or God forbid somebody gets a really bad case of it, we will pay them out until they can come back. If somebody refuses to wear a mask after five days, they can’t come back; they don’t get paid. And if somebody refuses a test and is saying they have COVID, they don’t get paid; they have to take the test.”

Andrews provided an update on the budget, telling the other Selectmen that Town Accountant Sandra Nolan had provided the numbers. He said that the numbers for Silver Lake and veteran’s benefits were not included. “We are negative $127,157.65,” Andrews said. He also pointed out that the figure did not include Halifax’s share of the Middle School resource officer that is roughly $36,000. Andrews said that the largest increase for the schools was in special needs tuition and transportation. He said that those two line items plus the elementary school amounted to a $150,000 increase. “I’m estimating that Silver Lake will be at least a $220,000, if not 300,000, increase for just their annual increases that take place within their budget. He pointed out that special education tuition and transportation was out of the town’s as well as the School Committee’s control.

The Board also discussed an update to the process for applying for Host Community Agreements (HCAs). The Board voted to require that companies wishing to apply for an HCA go through the Planning Board first to receive a special permit. The change was made in order to avoid spending unnecessary legal fees.

On the subject of marijuana establishments, Andrews told the Board that Green Earth Cannabis notified the town that due to “unforeseen circumstances” they would no longer be seeking an HCA with Halifax.

Another marijuana establishment, Flower and Soul, was requesting the installation of lights and a pole at 182 and 183 Plymouth St. DiSesa said that as long as the town would be reimbursed for the cost through the community impact fee, she would be in agreement. The lights are being requested for security reasons. The Board voted to approve the request.

The Selectmen met with two applicants who were seeking the two open spots on the Traffic Safety Committee. Both John Sullivan and Steve Littlefield were voted unanimously onto the Committee by the Selectmen.

Interim Town Administrator Ed Thorne said he had a successful meeting with the Chair of the Solar Committee regarding capping the landfill and placing a solar array on it. He said that he had success in doing this during his previous employment. He said that every town in the Commonwealth is moving toward this step and noted that it should provide electrical savings for all town departments including the school. Thorne told the Selectmen that they would be looking to get the RFP completed in order to “get the ball rolling.”

The Board addressed a request to make a proclamation for a specific citizen. Andrews said that while exceptions were made for pancreatic cancer and suicide awareness month, the town doesn’t usually make proclamations. Garron said that while it was a noble cause, it wouldn’t be practical. DiSesa agreed saying that it would set a precedent that could result in many more requests.

The Board discussed two articles for town meeting pertaining to the Water Department. They would be seeking to transfer approximately $53,000 to purchase a new water truck and to transfer $5,520 to fund phase 2 of upgrades at a treatment plant and chemical facility. The Fire Department is also seeking to raise or appropriate funds to purchase a new ambulance.

Before adjourning for the evening, the Board voted to use $16,000 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds to buy ADA compliant levers and box sets in compliance with the Building Inspector’s requirements for emergency egress.

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, Jan. 10. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy addressed possible uses of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds. There had previously been conversation about using a portion of the funds for HVAC work at the schools. Dennehy said that the town has had a difficult time getting a hold of COVID test kits and noted that some of those funds may need to be allocated toward purchasing those as soon as they are available. She said some funding will also need to be directed toward personnel costs for the Fire Department to disperse the kits. “I don’t think it would be a lot of money from our allotment,” Dennehy said. She further said that $5,000 should cover the expense. “We have a real need for testing capability,” she told the Selectmen.

Dennehy said that she acquired quotes for the appraisal of town owned land located on Brook St. She said the appraisal would cost $1,200. “I felt the amount was fair and I think we probably should go forward,” Selectman John Traynor said. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said she agreed. Selectman Mark Russo said he did not like the idea of the appraisal but if they were going to move forward with it, he approved of the chosen appraiser. The Selectmen gave Dennehy the go ahead to move forward with the appraisal.

The Board of Selectmen also voted to accept the conservation restriction on a portion of land at 122 Main St. The total square footage of the lot is 186,806. “It’s a way to more significantly minimize the messing up of the environment over there,” Russo explained.

The town’s projects and priorities list were also discussed. Dennehy briefly touched on the COVID-19 response saying she and the Board of Health are in touch at least weekly. Regarding financial priorities, she said they are now turning to budget mode. Dennehy also said that a town meeting article may be considered to modify the bylaw and diversify the membership in the Capital Planning Committee.

Regarding affordable housing opportunities, Dennehy said they are aiming to develop an action plan based upon the Housing Production Plan. She said the Housing Production Plan is also due for an update soon. Dennehy also said that they are continuing to attempt to identify town owned land that would be appropriate for these opportunities.

Dennehy said the implementation of a pavement management plan is in progress. A town meeting article is being considered to fund four speed notice boxes and signage with lights for intersections such as Main St. and Ring Rd. and Winnetuxet Rd. and Prospect Rd. “It seems that our pavement painting does not have the desired effect,” Dennehy said of current attempts to control speed at these intersections.

MassDOT denied the town’s attempt to implement a heavy truck traffic exclusion. Dennehy said the State was not in favor of Plympton’s alternate route which would run through Halifax. She said Halifax would need to provide a letter of support were they to continue to pursue the exclusion. Traynor said he was not sure that it would be a good time to pursue this with Halifax as they currently have an interim town administrator. Russo said the decision by MassDOT was “disappointing.” The Selectmen agreed to wait a few months before pursuing anything further.

Regarding the transaction with Middleborough surrounding Soule Homestead, Dennehy said the legislation is currently in the Senate. She noted that she has not been able to get a definitive answer regarding where it stands other than that it is still in the third reading. Dennehy said she would reach out to Senator Michael Brady.

GATRA transportation services are currently in progress. “It’s been a bit stagnant; they have some turnover at GATRA,” Dennehy told the Selectmen. She went on to say that she has been told that someone should be in touch soon regarding level of service including scheduling and routes.

Under technology, Dennehy said the technology master plan including bolstering websites is currently in progress. Traynor suggested involving Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe in the conversations.

Issues being looked at by the Town Properties Committee were also discussed. Town Properties Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said that there were many items ahead of the Plympton hearse in terms of priority but said that its current location is problematic. “It’s being taken advantage of by our little four-legged rodents,” he said. A storage facility is needed for the next few years. Wilhelmsen said that discussions were had regarding the need for a storage building but noted that it was “further down the list.” Dennehy suggested the possibility of a private entity housing it.

They also discussed a town meeting article for a study into the building of a new fire station. Wilhelmsen said, “at some point we are going to have to,” regarding the need for building a new station. He emphasized that the money needed now is for a study into the possibility of building a station, not actually building it.

Wilhelmsen said, “the library has been neglected for a bit.” There are lighting and plumbing issues that need to be addressed. There was a roof survey done regarding replacing the library roof. Wilhelmsen said that they now have a cost for the project. “When is the last time you remember us doing anything for the library at town meeting?” Wilhelmsen asked. “We can get that building back on track in pretty short order,” he told the Selectmen noting he was excluding the roof work in that assessment.

The Town House roof also needs to be replaced. Wilhelmsen said the roof is divided into three sections saying that they are focusing on sections 2 and 3 at the moment. He said they need to go out to bid so they have accurate estimates to bring to town meeting.

Dennehy said they are seeking grant funding to replace the cistern on the Town Green.

Dennehy said that they completed SERVPRO remediation at the Old Town House. She said that samples were taken, and they will need to follow asbestos protocols as a result when considering long term remediation. Wilhelmsen said they will need to look at some form of dehumidification for the first floor of the building to address the mold growth. Other issues needing addressing for the Old Town House are new locks and internet access for the building. The new locks would provide a record of who is going into the building. Internet access will be necessary to have those types of locks. “It’s always a long list at Town Properties,” Wilhelmsen said of the myriad of projects needing addressing in municipal buildings.

Traynor spoke regarding cemetery cleanup for North Plympton. He said that the woman who owns the land finally signed the agreement via email but still needs to sign the more formal agreement on paper. He said it was, “in progress.”   

Long-term items being followed include the Carver Urban Renewal Project, the Rocky Harvest Settlement Compliance, future exploration of shared services, grants, and MBTA communities multi-family zoning requirements.

Russo said his rave was for the opening of the annual and special town meeting. “Essentially, out of that meeting… we, the Selectmen, get our marching orders for the year,” he explained.

Traynor said his rave was for Library Director Michael Slawson and the many programs he is successfully running.

Joy said her rave was for “how beautiful it is in wintertime with snow on the ground and the bogs; what a great part of the country we live in with how beautiful it is.”

The town of Plympton was vindicated by a recent Superior Court decision to uphold the Town’s bylaws restricting mounded septic systems to house lots of five acres or more.

Plaintiffs Arlene O’Donnell, trustee of the Anderson Family Revocable Trust, Ernest M. Stevens, Trustee of the S&T Realty Trust, and Richard Springer, a local builder, brought suit against the town for “arbitrary and capricious” enforcement of Plympton’s Title V regulations.

Plympton requires a house lot of five acres or more to accommodate a “mounded system”.  The lot under review was in fact three parcels, two that were not contiguous, that is they do not share a common border, and the total of both did not equal five acres.  The third parcel was a strip of land across the backs of the two lots in between the lots under consideration, thereby connecting the two.   With that 20-foot strip, the area of the “lot” could then total five acres.

Plympton’s Board of Health, Arthur Morin, Chairman, did not allow the permit for the system, citing regulations that “exceed the minimum requirements for subsurface disposal of sanitary sewage … provided by the state environmental code referred to as supplements to Title V of the State Environmental Code,” as the  board is allowed to do.

Because Plympton has no public water or sewer system, all agricultural and industrial wastewaters are deposited into the same aquifer used for the Town’s drinking supply.  The Court allowed that the Board of Health acted properly to protect the Town’s environmental resources and its drinking water supply by not allowing a lot configuration that would not support proper leaching of a septic system.

Nov. 1, 2021, Superior Court Justice William M White, Jr., issued the order.  The Plaintiffs had 60 days to appeal the decision, and did not.  The ruling stands in favor of Plympton.

The Halifax Elementary School Committee met in-person on Dec. 6 at the Town Hall. It began with a school attorney providing guidelines for future school committee meetings including that masks would not be required as they would be held at Town Hall instead of a school building. A vote was taken, and the protocols were adopted by the Committee.

The meeting, which was well attended, was open for public participation. A resident said she was having difficulty accessing the meeting times and agendas. Committee Chair Summer Schmaling said that due to the open meeting law, agendas are posted 48 hours prior to the meetings. She pointed out that the meetings are also available on the district website via the calendar.

Another resident who said she is a parent of a student at Halifax Elementary spoke saying she gathered from the agenda that the Committee would be requesting of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that they give authority to local governing bodies to determine what is best for their schools as it pertains to COVID-19. She addressed the Committee with a number of questions that began “What makes you as a Committee think…” She questioned why they would believe that Halifax should have different mandates than the rest of the state as well as why it would be a good time to lift the mask mandate while cases of COVID-19 are on the rise. She asked rhetorically if they conferred with the school nurse, staff and administrators, and parents before deciding to take a vote regarding COVID-19 restrictions.

The Halifax Teachers’ Association made a statement. Elizabeth Antoine spoke on behalf of the HTA saying, “First and foremost we are here to express our goal in building a successful and respectful partnership between the Halifax Teachers’ Association and the Halifax School Committee…as the HTA we would like to address the public comments made at the Selectmen’s meeting.” At this point, Schmaling interjected and said that if they wanted to address comments from the Selectmen’s meeting, they would need to be placed on a Selectmen’s agenda and attend one of their meetings. A member of the audience asked if the comments were regarding the School Committee and Schmaling told her that it was irrelevant if it happened during the Selectmen’s meeting. Much later in the meeting another resident tried to address Antoine’s statement being cut short but was told simply, “moving on” by Schmaling.

Schmaling addressed the letter that she wrote to be sent to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. She said she would also like to see the letter be sent to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Commissioner, Governor Charlie Baker, Senator Michael Brady, and Representative Kathy LaNatra. Schmaling said that the letter was in response to a lack of a response from a letter sent in September seeking information regarding COVID protocols. Schmaling said that the letter was public record and anyone could have access to it at any time.

Committee member Lauren Laws said, “I do agree that some of the information in the letter needs to be clarified but I think some of the reasoning as to why is a little bit not transparent… I agree with a lot of the points of what’s the endgame – how do we get back to more normalcy?” She continued, “At this point with cases rising, I mean, I feel like keeping our kids in school is a top priority and so far there are studies that show that masking works.” Laws further said that she didn’t believe any questions regarding masking or not masking should be kept in the letter. “Let’s not appear to be on one side of the mask issue,” Laws said. Schmaling asked for edits and Laws provided what she would like to see removed from the letter. Schmaling and Laws have notoriously been on opposing sides of the masking debate with Schamling adamantly against mandates and Laws in favor of them. Laws said she didn’t believe the letter should be sent without input from the community. “Take a look at this room and see how many people are masked and I think you might see how our community feels about it,” Laws said. She later stressed that she felt it important to survey the school population and the town regarding the issue.

Schmaling asked for a motion to send the letter to the aforementioned parties. The Committee agreed to send the letter and moved onto a discussion of what that letter should entail. Gordon Andrews, who is not only a school committee member but also a Halifax Selectman, said he felt that he needed more time to think over the contents of the letter and that he would potentially like to see the Committee make a public records request as a public body to gather the information used by DESE to make their decisions. Attorney Dupre spoke up and said that to his knowledge, DESE has not been responding to any school committees that have reached out with questions. Dupre suggested asking the Mass Association of School Committees to request those kinds of records from DESE.

Andrews said, “If we were going to send a letter requesting all the information, I would also be requesting what are they going to do to increase access to all the students who are behind developmentally for the summer and following years… I think if we’re going to send another letter it should be detailed – these are the things that are important to Halifax.” Andrews alluded to masking causing developmental issues and asked what the MASC will do to combat those issues. Laws countered that everything cannot be blamed on the masks as there were other significant factors related to the pandemic that have caused delays, etc. “I think we kind of need to take a bigger picture approach…I feel like there is a lot more to this letter than when are we getting masks off,” she said. Schmaling asked for edits to be sent to her. The Committee voted to table the letter until more details could be gathered.

Schmaling took a moment to acknowledge the retirements of Halifax Elementary School grade 3 teacher Matthew Kaetzer and grade four teacher Robert Dray as well as school attorney Fred Dupre. The Committee members had a multitude of kind things to say about all the retirees.

An update was given on the PTO. A mingle and jingle event was held in lieu of breakfast with Santa. The event included pictures with Santa and a raffle. Youth and Rec also provided a brief update. The basketball program is utilizing the gym 7 days a week. Stem, Game Club, and Art Club are still currently on hold due to COVID.

Principal Kayne Beaudry provided an update. He said that after school programs were all booming and filled to the max when COVID hit. He said they are working toward getting those programs back up and running. He said that a successful lockdown and evacuation drill was run at the school. The turkey trot and food drive was successful despite the chilly temperatures. He said that over 2,000 donations went to the Halifax food pantry as well as over $13,000 in turkey gift cards. Beaudry also said that $13,000 were raised during the PTO book fair. Holiday vacation will begin on December 24 with everyone returning on January 3.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch gave an update on curriculum updates. He said that they have been focusing on how to make progress on their social and emotional learning goal. He said that a student survey on the issue was implemented and nearly 90 percent of Halifax students completed it. It assessed a number of social and emotional areas. He said that teachers will be trained on how to assess the results.

Lynch also provided an update on the three rounds of ESSER funding which is intended to aid in areas affected by the pandemic. He said that the Halifax allocation for ESSER II was about $106,000. Lynch said that the ESSER III funding for Halifax has been submitted but they have yet to receive the confirmation regarding the $225,000 allocated there. Lynch said that a minimum of $10,000 of the ESSER II funding must be spent on social and emotional learning. Schmaling asked what they had planned for ESSER III. He said they just spent money on some assessment programs to identify needs in reading and math as well as English learners. He said that working to make progress toward student supports in social and emotional learning would be high on the priority list as well.

Superintendent Jill Proulx provided a district update. She said that she and other administrators had met with Beaudry to prepare for the budget presentation for January. She went over some enrollment data including homeschool enrollment for K-6. It has gone down in Halifax from 16 students to 15 students for fiscal year 2021-2022. For grades 7-12, across the towns, homeschool has risen by 7 students. Halifax total enrollment has decreased by 5 students at the elementary level and 16 students at the secondary level.

Proulx said the social and emotional learning taskforce will be expanded to include all grades k-12. Included in that is an anti-bullying curriculum. She said it will be expanded to the middle and high schools to ensure a common language within the schools surrounding social and emotional learning. She said that inclusion standards are being implemented to ensure that those on IEPs are not in a substantially separate program unless absolutely necessary. “When we pull students out of the classroom, we tend to find that the gap grows,” Proulx said.

Proulx also talked about growth mindset. She said, “Our expectations, our beliefs in our children and the children’s belief in their own ability to persevere have a profound impact on whether or not they will persevere and have the tenacity and grit to succeed.” She went on to say that we should have troubles and be able to say, “I’m not good at that yet” as opposed to just “I’m not good at that.”

Proulx also addressed the posting of vaccination rates for staff and students. Schmaling said her initial reaction was that she would not want that to happen but said that she wanted to open it up to the Committee as a whole. “The vaccination rates are already public,” Laws said. “I figure since it is public information, why not make it accessible,” she continued. Schmaling said, “I didn’t think it was an appropriate place for it to be on the school website.” Laws suggested possibly a link to where it could be found. Schmaling asked why do it for COVID vaccination status when it isn’t done for other vaccinations. Most of the Committee seemed against publishing the rates on the school website.

The Committee also reviewed and discussed the test and stay program. Proulx said that the test and stay program is intended to allow close contacts to stay in school as long as they remain asymptomatic and receive a negative rapid test each day. They must also monitor for the development of any symptoms. Close contacts exempt from quarantining or test and stay are those on buses, those who have previously been diagnosed with COVID in the last 90 days and are recovered and without COVID symptoms, and those exposed in the classroom while wearing a mask and spaced at least 3 feet apart. Schmaling said that she has been asked if one sibling is awaiting a COVID test, should the other stay home. She said that no, they should not. Additionally, Schmaling mentioned that the test and stay program is intended only for those who were exposed in school. Beaudry said the nurse notifies close contacts that were within six feet but only those within 3 feet qualify for test and stay. It was also mentioned that children who qualify for test and stay are allowed to take the bus.

Schmaling said she has been asked what constitutes an outbreak. She said the nurse said that 20 percent of the student body being out sick with an illness would qualify as an outbreak. Proulx said that thus far there has been no evidence of classroom spread.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, Dec. 6.

The first appointment of the evening was with the Finance Committee and Wage and Personnel. Chair of the Wage and Personnel Alan Wheelock said he was looking for this to be a collaborative meeting to discuss a cost-of-living increase without a vote or decision being made until the following week. “We have done our usual research and I think one of the things that we would like to hear from the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee on… is what components you would like to see incorporated into this [fiscal year 2022 plan]… this is a very, very unusual year that we have experienced and that we will continue to experience.” Selectmen Chair Christine Joy asked Wheelock if he had a recommendation. Wheelock said that the social security recommendation for a cost-of-living increase is 5.9 percent. He said that the number came as a surprise to many of the surrounding communities including Plympton. Wheelock said their recommendations have nothing to do with the school or police departments. “Our scope is quite small, I think it is less than 30 people that our recommendations have an impact on,” Wheelock said.

Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides said that the town has never voted for a number that matches the social security recommendation in his six years with the exception of a recent year affected by COVID. He said that five out of six of those years the town has voted higher than the social security recommendation. “The overall dollar impact for the typical one percent, two percent increase… for this small group of employees when you calculate it all out… that pencils out to $25,000 or $30,000 impact out of an $11 million budget,” Wheelock explained. He acknowledged that going from the one or two percent increase to five percent was a significant jump. Wheelock said a possible solution might be a one-time bonus for the affected employees instead of blindly following the social security guidelines.

Joy said, “while your scope is pretty small… your recommendation is used in many contracts that the town has; wages are based on Wage and Personnel.” She also said that those numbers would be factored in when negotiating with the school as well. “It has pretty far-reaching tentacles with what we recommend,” she continued saying that the town couldn’t maintain more than a one or two percent increase.

Selectman Mark Russo said the question is whether the last 30 years of low inflation or this year is the aberration. “I had been feeling like the number of 2.5 sounded good,” he continued. Russo said they had to be careful with respect to precedent but said that he thought a bonus to reach the 3 percent number might be a rational approach. Selectman John Traynor said, “I think a year from now we’ll know if this year was an aberration.” Traynor said that 2 to 2.5 percent sounded right. He went on to say he was unsure about the bonuses as it would affect the contracts with other town employees. Wheelock confirmed Traynor’s suspicion that all the surrounding towns they spoke with were falling in the 2 to 2.5 percent range.

Elyse Lyons with Wage and Personnel said she would like to ask that the bonus be considered a one-year adjustment rather than a bonus. Sides pointed out that the town often has an issue with retention. “I think that would send a message that Plympton is a town that cares about their employees,” Sides said of the adjustment. Regarding retention Traynor said that to him it seemed to mostly apply to fire and police and said that he felt it was less about salary and more about moving to a more dynamic environment.

A decision will be made during the December 14 meeting of Wage and Personnel.

Town Administrator Liz Dennehy said the Plympton Hazard Mitigation Plan had been finalized and approved by necessary state agencies. The Selectmen voted unanimously to adopt the plan.

There was also a discussion of an appraisal of town-owned land located at Old Brook Street. Russo said they had previously discussed the viability of the site for Habitat for Humanity. Dennehy recommended getting an appraisal done for the land as a buildable lot versus a lot with restrictions. The options as presented were for the town to keep the lot, the town to go through the correct channels to sell the lot, or the town to partner with a non-profit to utilize the lot for affordable housing. Joy said it was her understanding that they likely would not use this lot for Habitat for Humanity due to its proximity to some industrial businesses. Traynor made a motion that the town get an appraisal for the lot. Russo voted against the motion, but it did pass with the support of both Joy and Traynor.

The cost of transfer station stickers was discussed as the cost of waste management went up 25 percent last year. The projected revenue shortfall for 2022 was nearly $19,000 just for household refuse. It was recommended that a $200 sticker increase in cost to $240 and the senior sticker be increased to $120 in order for the town to break even. The sticker price has not been increased since 2012.  “It’s either going to come this way or it is going to show up in the tax rate,” Traynor said of the increase. “I think this is fair to the citizens and to the town; it’s regrettable that things are going up, but they are,” Russo said. The Selectmen voted to approve the increased rates. The recycling stickers stay the same price as previously at $30.

Two appointments were made during Monday’s meeting. Both Cameron Broderick and Nathan Cristofori were named as part-time police officers to indefinite terms.

Dennehy provided a Town Administrator’s update. She said that both the Green Communities Grant and the Hazard Mitigation Grant were nearly complete. She did note that they were denied an IT grant but said that they are currently conducting a full assessment of the town’s IT needs so it would put them in a better position to apply next year. Dennehy said that herself and Traynor had been working with multiple department heads to try and be better prepared for an emergency, long-term power outage. Public outreach messages and warming stations were discussed. She said they were also in talks with Carver about a possible overnight shelter should the need arise.

Plympton Elementary School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen told the Selectmen that the paving at the new playground at Dennett Elementary would be happening that week. “The hope is that they will be able to open that up in the very near term; we were not able to put down the rubber surfacing due to the weather… we will put the rubber surfacing down in the spring,” he explained.  He said the hope is that the playground can be used during the winter with wood chips in lieu of the rubber surfacing.

Russo’s rave was for new Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her slogan, “we can do big things if we get small things right.” He said his rave was for her thirty-something energy and not being “burnt out.”

Joy said her rave was for town government and the “awesome team” Plympton has assembled. “I just feel fortunate to be part of this team all the time,” Joy said.

Traynor said he had two people come forward with raves. He said that a resident who’s relative was in an accident had high praise for multiple members of the fire and police departments. Another resident came forward with a rave for those departments as well.