The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Chair Eric Crone told the Selectmen that they would be taking a “deeper dive” into the FY26 budget during the meeting. Crone said, “The schools are looking at some massive increases and we don’t have final budgets from them.” He continued, “Without overrides, the schools are going to be making massive cuts to positions. It’s not just going to be supplies and technology and projects; it’s going to be teachers and paras, and other staff.” He went on to say that the regional school budget was approximately $2 million over, while the local schools are “$1.7 million over the 4 percent that we had originally advocated.” Selectman Kimberley Emberg noted that the Selectmen had “no line item autonomy” over the schools.
Crone said that they had discussed a town-wide increase of 4.12 percent which included “a little bit more” for the Police and Fire Departments and “a little bit less” for other departments. According to Crone, without an override, the Police budget will still potentially lose personnel. Crone said that if the town wanted level services it would require an override.
Kingston Fire Chief Mark Douglass addressed Selectmen He said that their amended requests came in just above 4 percent. Douglass noted that sick leave is where they ended up reducing the budget. “To give you a little history; FY23 we spent $216,000 approximate, FY24 $257,000 approximate, and FY25, to date, we’ve spent $157,000.” Douglass said that they have had numerous injuries in the past years including long-term ones. Douglass said that last year himself and Town Administrator Keith Hickey reduced the budgeted amount for off duty personnel responding to an emergency. He said that the hope was that the lower amount would be sufficient, but it wasn’t.
Douglass went over call volume saying that it increased significantly from FY23 to FY24. For FY24, call volume was 8.75 calls a day. For the start of FY25, the Department was averaging around 10 calls per day. He said that sometimes you can pinpoint which days/times have more calls and reduce staff at other times. However, for the Kingston Fire Department, it is fairly spread out. Douglass said that the easiest place to pull money from is the overtime and sick timeline items though he did note it reduces staffing. “How severe is the impact? I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t honestly tell you.”
Hickey said that the requested budget amount is $4,326,000. Emberg asked him if he could make $4.1 million work. Douglass addressed the Selectmen and Hickey saying, “I can make $0 work, but don’t expect a lot… we can make whatever you give us work, it’s how well we make it work. It’s what you’re willing to sacrifice or provide – either way.”
Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes also addressed the Selectmen and Hickey. He went over current staffing levels saying that they have 26 sworn in Police Officers, eight dispatch, one full-time admin., as well as an Animal Control Officer, Animal Inspector, Harbor Master, and Shellfish Warden. He also went over Kingston’s population growth from 1998 to 2023 saying it has increased by nearly 35 percent. Regarding call volume, from 2023 to 2024, there was a 23 percent increase in total logged events. There was a 10 percent increase in calls for service from 2022-2023 and a 6 percent increase from 2023 to 2024. He also showed Police Department staffing per resident for comparable communities. Kingston was in line or below the level of most of these communities.
Holmes showed the impact that the proposed percentage increases would have on the Department. A four percent increase would mean laying off two full-time officers while a six percent increase would mean laying off one full time officer and one dispatcher. An 11 percent increase would allow for the Department to maintain level services at 17 patrol officers, one deputy chief, and eight dispatchers at an increased cost of $504,740. A 21 percent increase would equate to 20 patrol officers, one deputy chief, and nine dispatchers at an increased cost of $1,156,951. “The town is a very far cry from being in a position to establish minimum staffing levels for the Police Department,” Douglass said. Regarding capital requests, he said that they do, in fact, need to increase from three to four cruisers.
Emberg asked, “Is there a way to get closer to 6 percent without laying off staff?” Douglass said, “You have to look at the fact that we are operating on a skeleton crew and have been since the last time there was growth – I think, 1997.” Crone said he would like to see them get to the 11 percent without losing people which he said amounts to finding roughly $211,000 elsewhere in the budget.
Crone said that for him, finding the $211,000 was higher priority than trying to find the sick/overtime funds for the Fire Department. “And I’m not choosing Police over Fire,” he said. Douglass responded by saying, “This isn’t going to be a battle but when you choose to staff one fully and not staff one fully; you actually are.” Crone said, “I’m trying to avoid layoffs.” Asked about priorities Douglass said, “cops on the street are the priority; I could live with the half year deputy.”
There was some discussion about implementing “pay as you throw” or raising the cost of a decal sticker for the Transfer Station for residents under 65 years old as a means of finding money for the Police and Fire Department. Selectman Don Alcombright said, “You can fund this entire budget if you raised, between $10 and $20, per senior and veteran decal.” Hickey said that he tried not to impact those over 65 or veterans.
Crone said, “I think the biggest goal is if we can get Fire taken care of and Police taken care of in terms of level service, still getting the overtime, the sick time, not reducing any staff without an override and then for an override – at that point, Fire’s budget is set and it’s just Police, maybe schools.” Hickey said that while he was not trying to be a “Debbie downer,” the school department’s budget was going to be a major factor. Hickey told the Selectmen that while the school department can make asks, it is their job to make decisions regarding the bottom dollar. He said that he wouldn’t wait another 45-60 days to disseminate information to the public regarding why an override may be necessary.
The Selectmen also went over various questions they had in the town budget. Hickey was asked about the elimination of the Assistant Town Planner in this budget. He explained that in FY25 they reduced the position from full-time to part-time. Hickey said that the one impact to existing labor in the operating budget, excluding public safety, is the elimination of the Assistant Town Planner. He said there was a decline in the Building and Planning departments. “I feel as though I can’t justify even a full-time and a part-time… there are as many Planning Board meetings being canceled as being held,” Hickey explained.
Emberg said one nominal way to help the budget would be for the Selectmen to forgo their $4,200 stipend. Hickey said there was a member of the Board of Assessors who said something similar.
Hickey said that he has included $30,000 in the budget for a Public Works Director. He noted that he thought the impact of the position would eventually offset the cost through engineering and other savings. Emberg asked if the departments that fall under public works would continue to have foremen and superintendents. Hickey said that the position would take the place of the Public Works Superintendent.
Emberg said that similarly to how they would like to eventually move to a system where the Transfer Station funds itself, she would also like to see Recreation eventually fund itself. “It’s user based so having more of the costs borne by the users, makes sense,” Emberg said. She did note that if not this year, then in the future.

Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
The Silver Lake Regional School District is confronting a potential budget crisis that could lead to cuts to athletics, extracurricular activities, and significant staff reductions for the upcoming fiscal year.
At a Jan. 9 school committee meeting, district officials presented a preliminary budget outlining cuts of up to $2.18 million to meet a 2% increase target requested by the committee.
Superintendent Jill Proulx said the proposed cuts would not allow the district to maintain current class sizes or support its improvement strategy.
“Even though we’re talking about a 2% increase, the level service budget, as you’ll find out, is more than 2%,” Proulx said. “While these are our goals, we recognize that what we’re going to present to you tonight at the 2% increase that the school committee asked us to prepare is not going to allow us to do that, and it would require staffing cuts as well.”
The district’s level service budget for fiscal year 2026 is $45,244,783. After deducting anticipated circuit breaker reimbursement of $2.5 million, there’s a gap of $2,180,343 to reach the 2% increase target of $40,564,440.
To bridge this gap, the administration proposed three tiers of cuts. Tier 1 cuts of $150,792 have already been made, primarily affecting supplies and technology.
Tier 2 cuts of $638,490 would eliminate late buses, safety supervisor positions, and all athletic and extracurricular stipends at both the middle and high schools.
The most severe reductions come in Tier 3, totaling $1,580,000. This includes cutting 16 full-time faculty positions, five support staff positions, and two administrative positions.
High School Principal Michaela Gill painted a stark picture of how these cuts would impact students.
“Core classes such as math, science, ELA, and social studies must be prioritized, which would leave little room for electives, special programs, or our historically low enrollment courses,” Gill said. “As a result, student schedules will become more rigid with fewer choices and less opportunity for personalized pathways.”
Gill added that class sizes could exceed 30 students, and the district might need to change graduation requirements if certain programs are eliminated.
The proposed cuts drew strong criticism from Jess Drew, president of the Silver Lake Education Association.
“Over the past decade at least the school committee has asked our schools to cut faculty and staff positions either through straight out cuts or through the school committee’s decision to not fill a position. Year after year supplies have been cut, consumables have been cut, programs have been cut, textbooks and databases have been cut all to the detriment of our students who no longer have access to these tools that they need to be successful in today’s world.”
“Our schools cannot sustain staff cuts especially as our towns continue to grow,” Drew said. “We are calling for the school committee to step up with their leadership.”
Committee member Jeanne Coleman echoed these concerns.
“This budget does not even meet the required needs of our students,” Coleman said. “We will be kicking the can down the road and offering our students less.”
The committee did not take any action on the budget at this meeting. Members expressed a desire to wait for public input at a Feb. 12 hearing and for more information on state funding before making decisions.
To help offset potential cuts, the district is considering raising user fees for athletics and facility use. Mark Guidoboni, a member of the Safety/Facility/Fees/Revenue Committee, reported that initial estimates suggest these increases could bring in approximately $70,000 in additional revenue.
“It’s a shame we can’t offer everything free, and we can’t say to our communities they can all come in and use our school facilities,” Guidoboni said. “We have to pay janitors, custodians, and maintain and everything down to the toilet paper.”
The installation of air conditioning at Silver Lake Middle School is expected to add $75,000 annually to the district’s electric bill, further complicating budget discussions.
Committee Chair Gordon Laws suggested exploring options to refinance the district’s debt, which is set to be fully paid off in two years. The district currently pays about $2.2 million annually in debt service.
“It just seems like it would be utterly ridiculous to be two years out from an increase that sizable of free cash and you know not just cut our noses off to spite our face but disfigure our whole face entirely,” Laws said.
The administration will present more detailed information on potential revenue increases, including higher athletic fees, at the public budget hearing on Feb. 13. There is also a joint meeting with town officials planned for Feb. 16 to discuss the shared budget and the possibility of a prop 2 ½ override.

Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
The Kingston School Committee grappled with a budget scenario Monday night that could lead to the loss of up to 18 teachers and 11.6 paraprofessionals if the town approves only a 4% budget increase for the upcoming fiscal year.
Committee members expressed deep concern over the potential impact on education quality and class sizes during a lengthy budget discussion at their Jan. 6 meeting.
“This budget we were presented was 4%. So, you know, we have to decide what we want to ask Dr. Proulx and Sarah to kind of bring to us the next time,” said Committee Chair Megan Cannon. “I mean, I will say, you know, all students are entitled to a free and appropriate education.”
The proposed 4% increase would require $1.7 million in cuts from what school officials say is needed just to maintain current services. Director of Finance Sarah Hickey presented three tiers of potential reductions to reach that target.
Tier 1 cuts of $57,950 have already been made, including reductions to supplies and equipment. Tier 2 would slash $799,000 through the elimination of 8.6 full-time and 3 part-time paraprofessionals, 2 custodians and 5 teachers.
The most severe Tier 3 cuts would eliminate an additional 13 teaching positions to reach the full $1.7 million reduction.
“Cumulatively, if we make it through Tier 3, we would be looking at an 18 teacher loss, and 11.6 paraprofessionals, and 2 custodians,” Cannon said. “Which, in my personal opinion, would cripple our schools, to say the least.”
Committee member Jeanne Coleman noted Kingston already spends about $4,000 less per student than the state average.
“We’ve been lucky that we are able to retain the staff that we have and we’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to provide the education that we have,” Coleman said. “But at some point, we need to really be honest that we’re not paying more for it. We’re just somehow getting charged a lot more.”
Officials said the cuts would lead to significantly larger class sizes and the loss of specialist positions. They also noted laying off staff would incur unemployment costs of potentially $850,000.
Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx said the district worked to build consensus on the proposed reductions but acknowledged there are “things that I would step in or Tricia would step in or Sarah would step in if we think something is not appropriate or, you know, completely unsustainable or inappropriate.”
The committee took no formal action on the budget at the Jan 6 meeting. Members said they want to wait for public input at a Feb. 3 budget hearing before providing further direction to administrators.
“I’d like to wait until the public budget hearing on Feb. 3 before we give more direction to what tiers of those cuts we can actually stomach or that I’d be comfortable stomaching because I think that the public deserves to be able to weigh in,” Coleman said.
Additionally, Kingston schools are not meeting state-recommended minutes for English Language Learner (ELL) services, prompting district officials to suggest adding a full-time ELL teacher to address the growing need.
The Committee heard a presentation on ELL services, where Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tricia Clifford outlined the current shortfall and proposed solution.
According to Clifford, there are currently 55 ELL students at Kingston Elementary School and 51 at Kingston Intermediate School. Services are provided by two Kingston ELL teachers – one for grades K-2 and another for grades 3-6.
“EL instruction is required to be delivered by a licensed EL teacher,” Clifford explained. “Students become former ELs or FELs when they score at least a 4.2 on that access test that I just spoke about. They’re monitored for four more years.”
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommends at least two to three 45-minute periods of daily ELL instruction for foundational students and at least one 45-minute period for transitional students.
“At KIS and KES, they’re not meeting the recommended minutes for students this school year ’24 and ’25,” Clifford said. “And this often is seen not only in the access testing, but it’s really seen in our MCAS scores for sure.”
To address the shortfall, district administrators proposed adding a 1.0 full-time equivalent ELL teacher position to be split between the two schools.
“Almost all students at KES are within the foundational category requiring more instructional periods,” Clifford said. “At KIS, almost all students are level three or below, which can be considered foundational or transitional as I spoke about. Most would be considered foundational, which again requires more instructional periods.”
In other business, the committee:
– Learned Kingston was approved for a Massachusetts School Building Authority grant to help fund a new roof at Kingston Elementary School. The exact grant amount is still to be determined.
– Heard the district received a $12,500 grant to support multilingual learners.
The committee’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3, which will include the public budget hearing. Members urged residents to attend and provide input on the proposed cuts.
“I really hope that this room stays filled between now and town meeting because anyone that’s going to be requesting things at the budget, they’re going to want to stay involved,” Coleman said.

Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
The Halifax Select Board, at their Tuesday, Dec. 17 meeting, discussed the recent Dec. 16 special town meeting, which saw a record-breaking 722 registered voters attending. Town Administrator Cody Haddad commended the Town Clerk’s office and facilities team for their efforts in managing the large turnout.
Haddad also reported that the Attorney General’s office had already contacted the town inquiring about the vote’s outcome that overwhelmingly rejected creating the state’s mandated MBTA multi-family zoning district in Halifax.
“We’ll wait and see,” he said. “I don’t anticipate legal action until the Supreme Judicial Court case comes down with Milton.”
The decision has immediate financial implications for Halifax. Haddad revealed that a recently awarded $125,000 grant for a regionalization study with Kingston now includes a caveat requiring compliance with all state laws, including the MBTA zoning law.
“We were able to pivot and actually give that grant to Kingston because Kingston will be in compliance,” Haddad explained. “The good news there is we’re not going to lose out on that because it was a regional grant approach.”
However, other ongoing grants could be in jeopardy. Haddad mentioned potential “clawbacks” for previously approved grants, prompting efforts to expedite projects and submit invoices quickly.
The town is particularly focused on completing energy projects, with heat pumps already installed at town hall.
In response to the vote, Board of Selectmen Chair John Bruno proposed including a resolution on the spring town meeting warrant instructing local representatives to work towards overturning the MBTA zoning law.
“I think it doesn’t have any legal effect, but at least it makes it clear where we stand,” Bruno said.
The Board also addressed concerns about the Pine Street intersection project. The town had previously allocated $40,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for an engineering study of the intersection, but the highway department has been unable to secure an engineer for the project.
Due to the deadline for obligating ARPA funds, the Board voted to reallocate the $40,000 to cover an overage in the highway barn roof project. However, Board members expressed frustration with the lack of progress on the Pine Street intersection improvements.
“I really do feel like we need some sort of update on what we’re doing with Pine Street,” Selig said. “I don’t want to lose this ARPA money to get back to the original point. That’s silly to give that money back to the state.”
The Board agreed to make the Pine Street intersection a priority for 2025 and requested a written plan from the highway department within 90 days.
As the meeting concluded, The Chair praised the professionalism of the town staff and the progress made in recent years.
“The professionalism that you guys have brought to this, and Cody and Pam and Irma, is just so far beyond expectations,” Bruno said. “It’s wonderful. Congratulations to you guys, and I think the town is really well served.”
Looking ahead, the Board discussed potential changes to future town meeting procedures, including earlier check-in times and clearer communication about start times on meeting warrants.
Halifax is considering a partnership with neighboring Hanson to provide veteran services after Hanson’s Veterans’ Service Officer (VSO) recently resigned. The potential collaboration could ensure continued access to veteran services for residents of both communities.
Town Administrator Cody Haddad informed Selectmen that Halifax is in communication with Hanson regarding the possibility of regionalizing veteran services.
“We’re in communication with Hanson on the Veterans position, doing some potential regionalization there,” Haddad said. “At the very least, we’re going to help our neighbors out in the meantime so that Hanson residents still have access to Veteran Services.”
The Board also learned that Halifax is extending support to Hanson by providing temporary Building Commissioner services. Hanson is currently without a building commissioner, and Halifax has stepped in to assist.
“We are working to assist them in the meantime,” Haddad explained. “I would anticipate probably at your January meeting some sort of agreement with Hanson just saying that we’re going to provide assistance to them. They’ll have to compensate us.”
Board member Jonathan Selig praised the town’s ability to offer assistance to neighboring communities. “It’s great that we are now able to offer other towns assistance and not be on the other end of that situation,” Selig said. “Kudos to Cody and the town to be in this spot.”
Haddad emphasized that while Halifax will be compensated for its services, the willingness of town staff to help neighboring communities speaks to their character.
“It shows that we have a team here that other towns want to look to for assistance,” Haddad said. “But also, we have the individuals in place who want to do it. Ed Bayly, our Building Commissioner, is all for it. Steve Littlefield is all for it. And that speaks to, I think, the character of the people we have.”
The Town Administrator noted that helping neighboring communities will be beneficial in the long run. “It’s always good to help out our neighbors because we never know when we’re going to need their assistance,” he said.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Selectmen donned festive holiday sweaters. Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes attended the meeting to speak on the appointment of special police officers and matrons. “We’ll be increasing the number and at the next scheduled meeting, I’ll be requesting that the Board authorize me to call for a list of permanent intermittent civil service part timers; there’s a functional difference between that and special police officers and I’ll be happy to explain that prior to and on the evening that I request that,” Holmes explained.
Selectman Kimberley Emberg read the list of appointments including Michelle E. Beck and Taylor A. O’Neill as Matrons and Darren J. Martin, Marks J. Brenner Jr., and Sean Percy as Special Police Officers. All terms begin January 1, 2025 and end December 31, 2025.
Due to a recent vacancy in the Veteran’s Agent position, Town Administrator Keith Hickey recommended the appointment of Sara Lansing following the recruitment process. The anticipated start date is February 3. Emberg noted that the Wage and Personnel Board, which currently only consists of two members, was split on the paygrade. Emberg said, “I get that we [the Selectmen] are the hiring authority and at the end of the day we can hire people at whatever step we think is appropriate… I can’t support a step 7 given the information we have before us this evening and what was discussed at the Board [Wage and Personnel] meeting last night.” The Selectmen decided to schedule a joint meeting with the Wage and Personnel Board to discuss further prior to approval of the appointment/hiring.
Emberg reviewed the Boards and Committees with openings including two on Capital Planning, one on Wage and Personnel, and a few openings on the Finance Committee. “There are more, but I wanted to call a couple by name,” Emberg said.
Hickey said the flashing school zone lights will be installed on December 26 and 27. “Weather permitting the school zone will be operational and all the necessary lighting up and running by the end of the calendar year so that’s good news,” he said.
Hickey praised the Council on Aging for their Christmas lunch where they served over 100 meals. “Everyone who attended seemed really, really pleased and had a great time. Holly Nighelli, the acting Director, and her staff did a tremendous job as did Santa Clause… everyone had a great time, ate well, laughed – it was nice to see,” Hickey said. Emberg also thanked those involved with the Santa ride through town and for all the donations for Toys for Tots.
The Selectmen reviewed a draft of a timeline for the annual town meeting. Selectmen Chair Eric Crone reminded those in attendance that the Selectmen elected at their December 3 meeting to move the date of town meeting earlier to April 26. Crone said that the Town Clerk has recommended that the election be held on May 17. They voted to approve the schedule as proposed.
The Selectmen also accepted a $1,000 donation to the Kingston Public Library for books, $10,000 to the Kingston Animal Shelter, $100 grocery gift cards to the Veteran’s Department, and $1,100 donation to the Veterans Department.

Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
In a decisive move that could have far-reaching consequences, Halifax residents voted against adopting a state-mandated multi-family housing overlay district at a Special Town Meeting Monday night.
The decision puts the town at odds with Massachusetts’ MBTA Communities law, potentially risking the loss of discretionary grant funding and inviting legal action from the state Attorney General’s office.
The law requires MBTA communities to create zoning for multi-family housing near transit stations. Halifax qualifies due to its commuter rail stop, despite the station being miles from the town center.
The proposed Article 1 would have established a 194-acre MBTA Communities Multi-family Overlay District in compliance with Section 3A of the Zoning Act. The overlay district aimed to allow multi-family housing as of right in designated areas.
According to Chair John Bruno, the Board of Selectmen reluctantly put the zoning change to a vote to give residents the opportunity to comply with state law, while expressing “serious concerns” about the mandate itself.
Selectman Jonathan Selig expressed his conflicted stance on the issue before casting his vote against the article.
“Do I feel great about this? Absolutely not,” Selig said. “But, honestly, I would feel not great about voting either way tonight, because, quite frankly, there really isn’t a great option here, given our two alternatives.”
“We are not Quincy, we are not Braintree, or Weymouth,” said Selig. “People in those communities could conceivably lean on public transportation instead of cars, but our train station is miles away from our town center.”
Selig acknowledged the potential consequences of the vote, including the loss of discretionary grants that Halifax has historically relied upon.
“We’re a small town with a small business tax base,” he explained. “But, because of this, the town has historically used discretionary grants like the ones that will be in jeopardy to help the town move forward. And there’s no doubt about it, losing those will hurt.”
Fellow Selectman Thomas Pratt echoed Selig’s concerns while maintaining his opposition to the state mandate.
“Halifax is different than Hanson, different than Middleborough, different than every other city and town in the Commonwealth,” Andrews stated. “We don’t fit in a box, and we shouldn’t acquiesce to the state from their 40,000-foot view from above.”
Pratt warned of the long-term implications of compliance. “The problem is the state will never stop asking once you’ve given in,” he said. “The long-term view to protect the town, in my opinion, is a no vote.”
The Planning Board had previously voted not to recommend Article 1, while the Finance Committee made no recommendation, citing their understanding of “both sides of the equation and the financial impacts.”
Residents at the meeting expressed strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Jeff Bolger encouraged fellow voters not to fear the consequences of rejecting the overlay district.
“I don’t think anyone should be afraid of a no vote here,” Bolger said. “We’ve got a governor who goes nationally and says, I’m going to defy federal immigration law. If she can do that, we can certainly say no to this.”
Others, like Ed Murphy, pushed for an immediate vote without further debate. “There is nothing left to debate,” Murphy asserted. “Anyone who’s been involved in this issue knows what the issue’s about.”
The rejection of Article 1 leaves Halifax in a precarious position. Town officials now face the challenge of navigating potential financial repercussions and legal challenges from the state.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has previously indicated her office would seek civil enforcement against towns that fail to comply with the MBTA Communities law. The Supreme Judicial Court is currently considering action against the Town of Milton.
The meeting also saw heated debate over a citizen petition to regulate personal watercraft use on local ponds, highlighting community tensions over lake access and environmental concerns.
Petitioner Steven Goodman argued the bylaw was needed to address problems with out-of-town visitors disrespecting local waterways.
“The out-of-town groups that come have specifically said to me they come here because we don’t have any regulation,” Goodman said. “And it’s not necessarily that they’re out of town, it’s that they don’t respect the waterways.”
The proposed bylaw would require residents to obtain permits for personal watercraft use and ban non-residents from launching at town ramps.
Supporter David Mascio cited safety concerns, saying he’s witnessed jet skiers operating within swimming areas and harassing kayakers.
“The people that are doing this, they do not comply, they do not care,” Mascio said.
However, longtime resident Charles Rogers opposed the restrictions, arguing for freedom of lake access.
“I believe that the lakes are a beautiful asset to our town,” Rogers said. “They attract people to the town. That’s the reason I moved to the town, because of the lakes.”
Other residents questioned why the bylaw would require permits from local users rather than focusing on out-of-town visitors.
After lengthy debate, voters approved the personal watercraft regulations in a show of hands.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Monday, Dec. 2. Chair John Traynor introduced Police Chief Matthew Ahl for a departmental update.
“We’re currently going through some issues with hiring and staffing,” Ahl said. He noted that several officers have been out for a month or more due to medical issues. He called the staffing shortage “taxing” and said they have been holding interviews over the recent weeks including a few whom he referred to as “promising.” “We’re trying to kind of work through what’s best and what is best-suited for our department,” Ahl explained. Ahl said that while payroll-wise they were doing fine, the officers have been becoming “burnt out” trying to compensate for the shortages.
Ahl also told Selectmen that the School Resource Officer is expecting a child soon. He said that Officer Tim Johnson had expressed interest in taking over the position. “He does a lot of community events and does shift work for us currently. He’s actually throwing his name in the hat and would love to be integrated down at the school; he’s been helping out at the school to kind of augment,” Ahl said. He further said that Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto had high praise for all officers that have been working at the school.
Ahl said that Sergeant John Simon, who has been out on active military duty, will be back working in the building as of late January. Ahl said that they were eagerly anticipating his return and noted that he was a recent recipient of a Bronze Star. Traynor noted that Representative Kathy LaNatra would also like to be involved in any type of recognition ceremony for Simon.
Ahl also provided an update on their fleet of vehicles referring to two of the cruisers as “bleeding out.” He said that they’ve taken out the internals of one of the cruisers to reappropriate into a new one. “I’ve been in talks with Hanson… they’re going to give us a deal on one of theirs that they just took offline; it’s a very nice cruiser, it’s a 2021, it’s got low low mileage on it,” Ahl explained.
Ahl said that Sgt, Nate Valente was heading up donations for coats and toiletries for people in need. “If anybody in the community is listening and has somebody that could benefit from that, please reach out to Sergeant Nate Valente,” Ahl told those listening. Traynor asked him to reach out to the Council on Aging as well to assess needs.
Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy addressed the unanticipated shortfall in the Dennett Elementary School budget. “As part of remedying that situation, the local School Committee has asked this Board to consider taking a vote to apply $50,000 from the Special Education Reserve Fund to help cover some of these unanticipated costs as most of them originated from special education needs,” Dennehy explained. Traynor said that himself and Selectman Mark Russo went to an extremely well-attended Finance Committee meeting to discuss the shortfall. Russo said, “The numbers at first glance are pretty scary… really my concern on a bigger level is what the heck is going to happen next year; things are going to be even worse,” Russo said. He did say that he was in favor of using the $50,000 this year. The Selectmen, including Selectman Dana Smith, voted unanimously to use the money from the reserve fund this year.
Dennehy told the Selectmen that there was a request from the Conservation Commission to vote on a conservation restriction for a section of property on 31 Parsonage Rd. “It’s not being held by a land trust; it will be held by the Conservation Commission and it’s enforceable for 99 years but as part of that formality or process, it requires a vote of the Board of Selectmen,” Dennehy said. Russo called it a good project and noted that it had been looked at extensively. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the restriction.
Traynor said that his rave was for the Dennett Elementary School Thanksgiving luncheon. He called it the “best event of the year.” Traynor thanked all the volunteers that come together to make it happen.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Town Administrator Cody Haddad spoke on the two articles that will be on the warrant during the Special Town Meeting on Monday, Dec. 16, the first of which is the MBTA multi-family overlay district. Haddad said that the map will be available at the Town Clerk’s office; it will also be available in the warrant. “We’ve heard the feedback from the community that they like as much information as possible in the warrant,” Haddad said.
Selectmen Chair John Bruno spoke on the first article saying, “I do not agree with the MBTA housing law. In my view, the MBTA housing law is an example of what is wrong with Massachusetts State government.” He continued, “this law is a heavy-handed, uninspired, ill considered, one-size-fits-all supposed solution to what has become a cause célèbre among state politicians.” He noted that he and the other Halifax Selectmen oppose the law and even reached out to Halifax’s representatives at the State House.
“I’ve come to understand recently though that there does not appear to be any interest in overturning the MBTA housing law and that, in fact, it is part of a progressive agenda to further causes that I simply do not believe are good for Massachusetts and certainly not good for Halifax,” Bruno said. “It appears to me that if Halifax makes the proposed zoning change this will be nothing more than a win for ever-increasing government mandates and bullying by those currently in power,” he added. He called out the Attorney General specifically for targeting communities that don’t come into compliance. Towns not in compliance are at risk of a loss of state grants. He said that he originally thought that the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee had done a wonderful job coming up with a solution that would be a compromise that would not put the town in jeopardy.
Selig said that he has been up nights debating what the right course of action is on this law. “It’s a no for me right now; I just hope that the folks can understand in this community that there could, and very well will be some consequences and we have to be okay with what those are,” Selig said. He thanked the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee for their work to come up with a plan. Selectman Thomas Pratt said, “I think this is just another example of a 40,000 ft. view that not every town fits into their box and is not created the same; I remain a no vote.”
Haddad told the Selectmen during his update that the Planning Board held their hearing regarding the MBTA zoning bylaw the previous week where they voted unanimously not to recommend the zoning bylaw.
The second article is a petition article from Steve Goodman and 115 other residents to ban the use of personal watercraft on East and West Monponsett Ponds without a resident personal watercraft permit displayed prominently on said vehicle. They are asking for a fine of “not less than $300” for any violations. “A lot of this is really not enforceable,” Haddad said. Selig clarified that according to the petition article, the watercraft would have to be launched from one of two boat ramps in town. He said that he would feel badly if a law abiding resident would suddenly be unable to launch their vehicle from their own property.
The Selectmen held a hearing, in Bruno’s words, “to determine whether a member of the Conservation Commission, Kimberley King, should be removed as a member of the Conservation Commission for the repeated failure to attend meetings of the Conservation Commission.” King was not in attendance. Bruno explained that repeated attempts to reach her went unacknowledged by King. King missed seven of the last ten meetings. “I know her heart is in the right place, but just based on attendance I think it’s in the best interest to remove Ms. King,” Selig said. The Selectmen voted to remove King.
The Selectmen approved an application to use the Town Green for Holidays in Halifax on December 14. There will be ice sculptures, food trucks at the Elementary School, music, and more.
Haddad spoke to the Selectmen about the appointment of an interim Town Accountant. The position has been posted since February of this year and the original intent was to get someone on board prior to Sandy Nolan leaving this past June. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to identify any viable candidates for the town,” Haddad said. Lindsay Martinelli, who is Halifax’s Assistant Town Accountant, has been doing the work to run the department. Haddad said she has been doing a wonderful job and noted that the intention would be to name her as an interim for one year and at the one-year mark, promote her to the permanent position. “It’s nice to promote from within,” Selig noted. The Selectmen agreed to the appointment and voted to approve the one-year contract with Martinelli.
The Plymouth County Commissioner Jared Valanzola presented the town with an oversized check for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Valanzola commended the town for their work on being in compliance in order to be eligible for the funds. He also said that the town had done a good job coming up with uses for the one-time funds. A representative from Senator Michael Brady’s office was also present. Valanzola explained, “Just for the edification of those at home, this program is sunsetting December 31 of this year so the County of Plymouth as well as your own funds that you receive directly from the Federal government need to be committed by Dec. 31 of this year then we have until December 31 of 2026 to get those funds out the door.” He said that to date over $70 million of the $100,000 awarded to Plymouth County has been delivered. “We’re not going to send a dime back to Washington D.C. either,” he said.

The Plympton Finance Committee met on Monday, Nov. 18. The meeting was attended by the Plympton School Committee as well as selectmen and members of the Silver Lake administration.
School Committee Chair Jason Fraser said that the school is projected to be about $250,000 behind where they wanted to finish the year. “We have some painful considerations of how we can handle this in-house,” he said. Fraser told the Committee that they have implemented a spending freeze which should save about $73,000 between now and June though he noted it will have implications for what they will be able to provide for the students at the Dennett. He said that they may also be able to use $50,000 they have in a special ed reserve fund.
“The largest area… is the area of special ed. Under state law, we are obligated to provide students with a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, so we try and balance what the students’ needs are with the realities of what we can afford to give them so they can make effective progress in the classroom,” Fraser said. He told the Finance Committee that they are required by state law to have an ELL teacher. He said they were hoping to be able to contract those services, but they haven’t been able to find a vendor. Fraser said that filling that gap will be an additional cost to the budget that they presented at town meeting last May.
Finance Committee Chair Marilyn Browne asked why the shortfall wouldn’t continue to grow since it had grown exponentially in just a few months. Silver Lake Superintendent Jill Proulx said, “It very well could. Our budget is so lean and we are legally obligated to give students what they need as determined by special education law… the needs of the children either here or moving in can change and once we know that, it dictates the expenses that may be necessary. If something were to go wrong in the building that’s unforeseen that could, again, dictate something that we would have to do in order to continue education in the building.”
Browne inquired if there were any additional funds that could be expected this year that may help with the shortfall. Fraser said, “there’s potentially an option to approach extraordinary relief but we would have to hit certain thresholds, and I don’t know if we’re there.” The threshold is over 125 percent and while it is unlikely, it was said that it wasn’t impossible. School Committee member Jon Wilhelmsen said that special education costs in Plympton schools are being doubled from what was budgeted for this year. Wilhelmsen said that next year, however, the schools should expect to see their special education reimbursement increased due to the increased enrollment. It was said that the State was responsible for these unfunded mandates.
Regarding a possible reduction in paraprofessionals, members of the School Committee pointed out that an out-of-district placement student whose needs cannot be met within Plympton schools, would end up costing far greater than the cost of those paraprofessionals. Fraser called the implications of cutting paraprofessionals the most concerning of all potential cuts to the school’s budget.
Elizabeth Goodman, who has been a teacher at Dennett for 18 years, addressed the Committees regarding the staff’s concern over how the budget cuts could negatively impact the students. “As you heard, we already started this year down a full time math interventionist and a full time para… and recently another paraprofessional position was not rehired… so we’re really concerned that part of the cuts would be the general ed paraprofessionals… that would mean that we would be left with two full-time paraprofessionals to service not only the 32 students with IEPs (Individual Education Plans) over seven grades but the other 217 students who are part of that community… they don’t just cover IEPs… they run reading and math groups. They are a constant in the kids’ lives at recess and at lunch, they greet them every day… they are the glue that holds our whole building together,” Goodman said.
Goodman also spoke about the impact that cutting the custodial staff would have as well. She further said that based on district-wide assessments, 38 percent of the general education students are either partially or not meeting grade level expectations. She said that not meeting their needs is likely going to mean having to meet their special education requirements in the future.
Wilhelmsen said, “I think where we’re at, and we’re not going to make any decisions tonight, but I think the notional thing and I’d ask the administration to take some time and go back and think on it, if that makes sense, in order for us not to do any reductions and in order for us to put the school on the footing to help prevent any out of district placements by putting staff in the classroom, we are short $120,000 for this year.” Fraser asked the Finance Committee if they would favor of using the $50,000 in the special ed reserve fund and was told by Browne that they would need to think on it. Browne said she was still concerned that the deficit will continue to grow.
Selectman Mark Russo asked what kind of motion could be made at special town meeting in May. Wilhelmsen said that it would be a motion asking for a vote to transfer funds potentially in the amount of $120,000 to pay for the school’s budget. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy said that if you knew there were going to be excess funds in another department’s budget, you could transfer funds there. Russo expressed concern that if we were to make up the deficit this year, the implications for next year could be even greater. Wilhelmsen said that this is the first year adjusting to all of the changes that were made to the structure of Silver Lake as a district per the state.
Browne asked what the options are for dealing with the shortfall. Fraser said that if they used the full stabilization fund, it would bring the deficit down to about $75,000. Asked about implications to the schools, Fraser said, “That would still require the possible reductions of our three paraprofessionals and would leave us no wiggle room for other unanticipated financial encumbrances.”
Dennehy said, “If your team knows the decision or recommendations of the Finance Committee and those of us at the town level in terms of financial team and everything, with their intentions and recommendations regarding that special ed and the $50,000, if we do that… in the next couple of weeks is that a suitable timeframe in terms of planning purposes?” Fraser said he believed that would be hugely beneficial to the School Committee and might allay some of the concerns of the staff.