New Town Counsel Brooks & DeRensis got its first assignment from the town of Halifax at the same meeting at which they were appointed.  The new firm will look into what action, if any, will be needed regarding the number of complaints that have been issued by and against several residents.

A number of people had filed complaints against Amy L. Troup including Margaret Selter, Theresa Renaud, Gerry Fitzgerald, and Holly Merry. Troup had also filed one against Theresa Renaud. Finally, a complaint was filed by David Mascio against Margaret Selter. Renaud currently serves as the Administrative Assistant for the Building Department as well as Secretary to the Conservation Commission. Selter serves as Administrative Assistant for the Board of Health. Fitzgerald is a member of the Conservation Commission and Troup is a member of the Planning Board. Mascio does not currently serve for the town though he has recently submitted several talent bank forms and interviewed for some vacant positions. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig recommended to the Board that they forward the complaints to Brooks & DeRensis for advice. The Board agreed.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, June 29. Early in the meeting they turned their attention to the appointment of Town Counsel. They had interviewed several firms during their previous meeting including Lawrence P. Mayo PC who had served as Halifax’s Town Counsel for the last several years. Longtime Selectman Troy Garron made a motion to reappoint Mayo saying, “He’s aware of our situation and he’s done a good job for all the years I’ve been here.” Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews asked if there was a second but there was not so he then asked if there was a motion for another firm. Ashley DiSesa made a motion to approve Brooks & DeRensis. It was seconded and the vote passed two to one.

The Selectmen met with Town Historian Susan Basile to discuss her reappointment. Basile also serves as Chair of the Historical Commission. Andrews asked Basile if she could explain a bit about what the Town Historian does. Basile, who has served in the role for thirty years, replied that she tries to protect the history of the town including pictures, newspaper clippings, and other related items. She said she also researches the town’s history. “I think you’ve done an excellent job,” Garron said. “I think the perspective that I had was to come and tell everybody what it is that you do so the town and community is more aware of what all the Boards and volunteers are doing for our town,” Andrews explained. Vice Chair of the Historical Commission John Shea also came before the Board. The Selectmen voted unanimously to reappoint Basile.

The Board also held interviews for the Zoning Board of Appeals. First to interview was Marline Amedee who has interviewed for a number of vacancies across multiple Boards and Committees as well as running during the town election for certain open positions. Asked by Andrews why she wanted to serve on the ZBA Amedee said, “It’s been my agenda all along to serve the community that I’m in and I’m trying wherever I can because I do believe that I have the capacity to serve in any of the Boards that are available here.” Amedee said that she does not have any background in zoning but believes she would bring other assets that would be beneficial.

Next to interview was Robert Gaynor. Gaynor, who has served as a Halifax Police Officer for 28 years, said he has sat on the ZBA for 32 years. “I’ve worked with a fantastic group of people who each have their own unique contributions that they bring to the Board and I think that we certainly work very well together,” he told the Selectmen. He acknowledged that things can get “complicated” and “involved.” Gaynor said that he has taken a number of courses on zoning laws, etc. “I enjoy it. I wouldn’t stay on the Board if I didn’t and I would like to continue with giving my time and efforts to the town; I think it’s made a difference,” he explained.

Next to interview was David Mascio. Mascio, who has been a resident of the town for six years, said he has closely followed town news the last several years and has attended several ZBA meetings. “I feel I could play a decent role and learn some stuff along the way; I know quite a bit about the bylaws,” Mascio told the Selectmen.

Elizabeth McEwan took the hot seat next. McEwan, who has been a resident for 7 years, said, “So this year I decided that I wanted to get more involved in the community.” McEwan said that in addition to attending town meeting and participating in the election she has also been reading meeting minutes of various Boards. “What was enticing to me is that the Zoning Board of Appeals already has written bylaws, so from my background, I’m all about documentation; I like understanding rules so it was just an easier fit for me,” she explained. McEwan said that while she didn’t think there would be a conflict of interest, she wanted to state for the record that the company that employs her underwrites bid bonds and contract bonds. “I just want to make sure that it wouldn’t be perceived that I was trying to steer anyone wanting to work in the town to my company,” she explained. She further emphasized that she isn’t even licensed to sell insurance.

Thomas Pratt was next. He said that he has been a resident for 8 years and is the father to two young children. He said he spent 13 years in banking but has recently transitioned to insurance. Pratt said he owns a property and casualty firm in Hanson. “We do have some overlap with customers, both builders and buyers in Halifax,” he explained. He said that his father instilled in him a sense of wanting to volunteer in the town in which you are raising your family. “I have no preconceived notions or ideas in sitting here other than to serve,” he told the Selectmen. Like several of the other candidates, he said he doesn’t have any direct experience with zoning but said, “that doesn’t scare me away from the opportunity to learn.”

The final interview for the ZBA was with Tina Kenyon. Kenyon, who has lived in Halifax for 14 years, said she is currently a real estate agent but was in construction for 25 years prior and has two degrees in architectural engineering. “I’m very familiar with codes and enforcement and everything else that goes along with building,” she told the Selectmen. She said she wanted to run for the ZBA as she saw a lot of things trying to change in the town, some that she felt could be changed for the better.

Following the conclusion of the interviews, Garron made a motion to reappoint Gaynor to the ZBA. “He’s done well in the position over the years and even though there may be some agitated individuals, that comes along with the job,” Garron said. DiSesa said that she felt that despite Gaynor’s experience she would like to see another individual appointed as Gaynor already serves in other positions in town. Andrews recused himself from the vote. “We’re at a standstill,” Garron said. Seelig said that if Garron wouldn’t second a different motion from DiSesa, that would, in fact, be the case and they would have to deal with it at a future meeting while having a vacancy on the ZBA in the meanwhile. “I motion to move it to another meeting,” DiSesa said. The Board agreed to move it to the July 13 meeting.

A candidate was also interviewed for the Youth & Recreation Commission. Sarah Nobles, who joined by phone, said she has lived in town for 16 years and is the Vice President of HOPS. She said she was also behind an adult volleyball program that unfortunately was cancelled due to COVID. She spoke about hoping to improve existing facilities. The Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint her.

Amedee appeared before the Board for a second time that night, this time to interview for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Garron asked Amedee how she was acquainted with the law. “I am, as I mentioned before, a social worker… I work mostly with kids with disabilities,” she replied. She said she has been working in the field for the past 20 plus years. Garron moved to appoint Amedee to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The vote was unanimous.

In between their myriad of interviews, the Board also voted unanimously to approve the contract with Police Chief Joao Chaves. The Board, with Andrews recusing, voted to make Robert Piccirilli the temporary Building Inspector for several weeks. Garron agreed but noted that he believes Piccirilli should be made the permanent Building Inspector and continue to serve in the role as he was previously. Piccirilli currently has a case in federal court against the town regarding his lack of reappointment.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually via Zoom on Monday, June 21. The first order of business according to Chair Christine Joy was to appoint Jason Fraser to the Silver Lake Regional School Committee to fulfill the remainder of Mike Antoine’s term through May of 2022. The Board voted unanimously to do so with Joy saying, “Thank you Jason, it is awfully good of you to serve.” Fraser previously served as Chair of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee and currently also serves as Vice Chair of the Plympton School Committee.

There was some discussion on a topic that had been brought up at a previous meeting regarding the recording and posting of what is known as “working meetings.” Selectman John Traynor felt that all meetings of the Board should be recorded and wanted a change made to the policy. Both Joy and Selectman Mark Russo disagreed, however, maintaining their belief that some meetings should still be deemed “working” and not recorded. Joy stressed that these meetings were rare. The Board agreed to adopt Russo’s amended definition of a working meeting with the sole nay vote coming from Traynor.

The Board then discussed the tax title land that had been identified and reviewed by the Open Space Committee, the Conservation Commission, and the Town Properties Committee. The Selectmen needed to make recommendations regarding the individual properties. Chair of the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen said they were not in favor of selling any of the properties. Former Selectman Rick Springer asked why they were not in favor of selling any of the properties. Wilhelmsen said, “One, these are not particularly high value properties as far as increasing the tax rolls… two, there are benefits to the town that go beyond the tax rolls in small properties even where we have open space… and I think the third piece is I’m not sure we’re particularly in favor of selling properties whereby we’re necessarily increasing the number of houses that we’re adding in the town because the resulting tax benefits to the tax rolls is generally outweighed by the costs of that to the town.” Springer said he disagreed with the last statement. He had further issue with one of the properties that Joy suggested they discuss separately.

There were multiple properties that Open Space and Conservation recommended keeping in order to protect. The Board voted on those six properties as a group. They voted unanimously not to sell those particular properties.

The Board then looked at the properties that Open Space and Conservation did not have comments on, voting collectively on those. Traynor moved that they keep the properties as town owned land. Again, the Selectmen voted unanimously.

The parcel Springer wanted to be sold at auction was lot 18-4-12 on Churchill Road. This lot was discussed separately. Springer explained his argument saying, “The abutting lot to the town owned piece on Churchill Rd. was given a building permit in the seventies, the owners of that lot have been paying taxes to the town of Plympton for almost fifty years, they cannot use that lot; don’t you think you have some moral obligation to make it right for them?”

Joy confirmed that the abutters never built a home on the lot. Springer said the son owns the lot but lives in New Jersey and has no interest in anything except getting some of his money back on the land. Joy asked if the person had ever gone before the ZBA to get a variance. “ZBA might be an option but I was told it wouldn’t hold water if we put a house on it,” Springer said. Joy said that the lot in question is pretty wet and you really can’t build on the property in question. Springer said the owner of the abutting lot in New Jersey would like to sell the lot to his company (Springer’s) and they would sell it to someone to put up a house.  Russo said, “Rick, I hear you and I think you’ve done a really good job presenting the best argument you can.” He went on to say, however, that he was still against selling the lot. The Selectmen voted unanimously not to sell the lot in question.

Bill McNulty of the Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC) was there to discuss ways in which the town might be able to restrict heavy truck traffic on non-state roads. McNulty said they did traffic counts on several roads in the town including Main St., Ring Rd, Prospect St., and Pleasant. McNulty said that east of Rt. 58 there were more options for restricting heavy commercial truck traffic. “The town does have the option… on roadways that are under their local jurisdiction… to request a heavy commercial vehicle exclusion from MassDOT assuming that it meets certain criteria,” McNulty explained.  He said that in looking at the roadway network in Plympton as well as the data they collected, the town could request heavy vehicle exclusion on Main St. between Rt. 58 and Rt. 106. He said the difficulty would be that Ring Rd. connects into that and since it runs into Kingston, they would have to sign off as well. McNulty said, however, that he believes it would benefit Kingston to do that. He said that in addition to the data already collected, the State would look for mapping as well. If a trucking company does have business on that roadway, they can still use that roadway.

Town Administrator Liz Dennehy asked what their option would be if Kingston did not want to participate. McNulty said they could probably still proceed with the other roadways. Dennehy also asked about enforcement. McNulty said that the local Police Department could enforce such exclusions. Russo confirmed that west of Rt. 58 the problem was a lack of alternate routes. The Board voted unanimously to allow OCPC to do whatever necessary to take steps toward a heavy vehicle exclusion wherever possible.

After some discussion the Board voted unanimously to adopt the State’s remote participation provision 940 Mass. Reg. 29.10. It states that remote participation of some Board and Committee members may be allowed subject to certain procedures and restrictions. The hope is that the greater flexibility would allow for more widespread participation in government.

The Board also discussed a three-year agreement with the Plympton Police Union. She said the main point in the agreement is the cost of living saying that they agreed to an increase of 2.5 percent, 3 percent, and 2.5 percent over the three years. “That seems to be very reasonable and kind of in line with increases given to other municipal employees,” Dennehy explained. She said they also came to an agreement on an incentive tool for retention that would allow people after five years of continuous service to cash out up to two weeks of sick time. She also noted that they would be adding the Juneteenth holiday. Dennehy said there was also something in the agreement per the Chief regarding personal grooming. Before voting, Joy said, “I should probably say that we are coming off of several years of them taking a zero percent increase because they wanted to work with the town and knew what our situation was so they have been more than willing to work with us to make our budget work for the town.” The vote to accept the three-year agreement was unanimous.

Dennehy provided a Town Administrator’s update. She told the Board that the town had signed an agreement with Carver for Animal Control Officer services for the next three years. Dennehy said it will save the town $4,500 annually. Dennehy said they also signed a contract for dispatch with the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCC) for this coming fiscal year. The amount is for $150,000 as voted at town meeting. Dennehy said that the rate could reduce in future years as more towns come on board. Dennehy told the Board that the town had received more than $145,000 in CARES Act reimbursements.

The Board also appointed a number of people to various Boards and Committees. They included Dave Alberti to the Zoning Board of Appeals alternate through 2022, Vicki Alberti to the Open Space Committee through 2024, Joan Burke to the Council on Aging through 2021, Nancy Butler to the Community Preservation Committee through 2022, Rick Burnett to the Conservation Commission and Community Preservation Committee both through 2022, Jason Shepard to the Community Preservation Committee through 2024, Stuart Chase to the Historic District Commission through 2022, Robert Doucette to the Jason Park Study and Development Committee through 2022, Jeffrey Haas to the Recreation Commission through 2022, Linda Leddy to the Conservation Commission through 2022, Gavin Murphy to the Open Space Committee through 2022, Charles Nickerson to the Historic District Commission through 2022, Erik and Katrina Player to the Recreation Commission through 2022, Jane Schultz to the Historical Commission and Community Preservation Committee both through 2022, Ethan Stiles to the Zoning Board of Appeals through 2022, and Alan Wheelock to the Wage and Personnel Board and Open Space Committee through 2022 and 2023 respectively. The Board voted unanimously on all.

The Selectmen ended their meeting with their raves for the week.

Traynor said that his rave was for the Council on Aging ice cream social that was happening that week as more and more things are returning to normal. “I’m looking forward to it, it should be a great time,” Traynor said. Russo said his rave was “for this meeting tonight; I think we got a lot done.”

Joy said that her rave was for selling stickers at the dump. “So glad that the Highway Superintendent is going to be offering that service,” she said.

The Halifax Zoning Board of Appeals met on Monday, June 14 via Zoom. Chair Robert Gaynor said that it would likely be the last virtual meeting before resuming in-person meetings. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that whether or not virtual participation will still be possible for the public will depend on the technology piece.

The first appointment of the evening was with David and Laura Gibbons of Oak St. The Gibbons were requesting to appeal the Building Inspector’s denial for a wood burning stove. They were asking for an extension until the July 12 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.  The Board voted unanimously to accept the Gibbons’ request for postponement.

After accepting several meeting minutes, the Board turned their attention to their next appointment which was a public hearing for an application by Reginald Matthews of Cedar St. for a special permit for an existing in-law apartment. Matthews said nothing had changed since the previous special permit saying, “Nothing has changed to my knowledge so it’s steady as she goes.” Gaynor verified that no walls had been taken down or any such similar changes as well as verifying that it was an immediate family member still occupying the in-law apartment. Gaynor asked if the only permit on file was the one from 1998. Matthews said they purchased the home in 1998. After some digging, Gaynor verified that the special permit was acquired in April of 2010.

Board member Peter Parcellin asked if utilities were shared. “What is shared is the water because it’s a well and the septic,” Matthews explained. Parcellin asked about the electric and was told that they were separate and had always been that way since construction. Board member Robert Durgin asked Matthews if it was an income producing apartment. “They pay me, yes,” Matthews replied. Gaynor then once again verified that it was an immediate family member and was reassured that it was. Asked who was in the in-law apartment now, Matthews said it was a daughter.

Durgin said that the last name associated with both the purchase in 1998 and the special permit in 2010 was McGee not Matthews. “All right, there’s a little bit of a story to that,” Matthews began. “For 60 years I was known as McGee because my mother had doctored my birth certificate and then when I went to the Registry for the real ID, they had a problem with my birth certificate and it’s found out that my mother doctored it but my name is Reginald Daniel Matthews,” he concluded. “Wow, that’s a new one,” Durgin said laughing.

Matthews did inquire with the Board about what the advantage would be of requesting a permit to make it a duplex. He was told that he would be able to rent the apartment to anyone were that change made. Gaynor said the changes required to the permitting process would, however, be substantial. Matthews said that for now, he just wanted to keep things as they currently are and apply for the existing in-law apartment.

Parcellin said that what was on the books from 2010 was unusual in so far as it was for an in-law apartment to become an income producing apartment. Board member Dan Bosari said, “So my question now is it’s not an in-law apartment, it’s an income producing apartment?” Matthews said that it was an in-law apartment saying, “It is, it’s family.” Bosari said it was changed from a single-family home with an in-law apartment to a single-family home with an income producing unit. “The petition says for an existing in-law apartment, well really technically, you don’t have an existing in-law apartment if I’m reading all of this right,” Bosari told Matthews. Gaynor asked the other Board members how they felt about the situation saying of the 2010 permit, “It specifically stated that it was for a five-year period as an in-law apartment to a single-family house with an income producing apartment… and that was in 2010 and it was for a period of five years.” “I think if anything they have no approvals for anything right now because that would have run out, so I think we can approve this on the merits of this application,” Parcellin said. Gaynor asked if there were any abutters that wanted to speak to the application but there were not.

The Board voted unanimously to approve the petition as presented to renew the special permit for the existing in-law apartment.

Gaynor addressed some talent bank forms that had been received saying they had an application for David Mascio and Tom Millias for the alternate position on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mascio had recently applied for the opening on the Board of Health but the Board of Health and Board of Selectmen elected a different candidate. Millias was a longstanding member of the Board of Selectmen before being bested by Ashley DiSesa in the most recent town election.

The Plympton School Committee met virtually on Monday, June 14 mainly to tie up some loose ends from the previous meeting on June 1 and to discuss the awarding of the playground bid.

Director of Business Services Christine Healy took the lead on the playground discussion. Healy said that they would be reaching out to Higher Education Consortium to purchase the materials for the new playground. After going out to bid for the installation, four vendors submitted bids. Healy explained that the base bid is for the original plan and design. What they are referring to as “Alternate Number 1” is a plan that would replace any wood chips in the original design with additional rubberized surface. Not including installation, Healy said that the cost of the additional rubberized surface is $99,000.

After receiving all necessary paperwork from the vendors as well as vetting their references, Healy said that the lowest bid for the base bid came from Rock Solid Construction. She recommended to the Committee that they award the bid to them which they voted to do unanimously. They also voted to allow Healy to reach out to the local consortium regarding equipment.

Regarding cost, Healy said, “We’re right at that number; we don’t have extra.” She did note that the cost of the design company should be able to be absorbed in this current year’s budget. “This is pretty tight,” Chair of the Committee Jon Wilhelmsen agreed. As a result of certain students graduating, he noted, “Clearly we won’t have the level of school choice funds next year.” Healy said, however, that whatever school choice funds there are can be available as soon as they come in and noted that they come in all 12 months.

Wilhelmsen asked, “Do we have to hold back on a piece of equipment or do we feel comfortable that we can get this done?” Vice Chair Jason Fraser reminded Wilhelmsen that there would be another $25,000 coming in that was benchmarked for rubberized surface.

Regarding just how tight the budget would be, Healy remarked, “I think we have $2,000 left over.”

In addition to the playground discussion, the Committee discussed a number of topics that were covered in their June 1 meeting. Wilhelmsen said, “We have successfully negotiated a one-year contract with the aides for the Dennett which we were happy to do.” The Committee voted unanimously to approve the contract.

They also voted unanimously to approve the policies as outlined by Fraser during their previous meeting.

There was also continued discussion regarding after school activities. Committee member Amy Hempel has been working directly with Dennett Principal Peter Veneto to organize some after school activities as early as this fall. Hempel’s proposal was shared with the other Committee members.

Hempel said that one of the biggest hurdles was figuring out how to break things out for the different age groups. She acknowledged that it would be a learning experience. Wilhelmsen said he agreed and said that was to be expected when endeavoring to do something new, particularly something he called “ambitious.”

Committee member Dan Cadogan asked if there was anything they could do in terms of additional fundraising outside of what was already being done.

Hempel said that help was always welcome though she said she wasn’t certain of the rules regarding the School Committee engaging in that type of help. Fraser said that it would depend on what hat one was wearing at the time but noted that there was nothing precluding anyone on the Committee from helping out individually.

Wilhelmsen agreed noting that it would be important to keep the distinction between helping as a parent or community member versus as part of the School Committee.

Hempel said that she wants to keep the equipment, etc. used for the programs separate from that used by Plympton Athletic Youth Sports (PAYS). She explained that the equipment used by PAYS is sometimes loaned out to Coastal Snap. “Donations are probably something we are going to have to look for,” Hempel said.

Before adjourning, Wilhelmsen thanked Hempel and PAYS for the resounding success of their annual bike ride to school day.

Veneto nodded vigorously in agreement. Wilhelmsen said he had heard good things regarding the ride from both the Police Chief as well as one of the Selectmen.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on June 7 with Christine Joy serving officially as Chair for the first time this year after being sworn in earlier in the week. The Selectmen began by voting on several appointments. First up was the appointment of Paul D’Angelo, Jr. to the Planning Board until the next town election in May of 2022. Like D’Angelo, Dave Batchelder was also unanimously appointed to the Board of Assessors until May of 2022. The Selectmen also appointed Nathaniel L. Stone as a full-time Police Officer through June 30, 2022. Russo also made the motion to appoint the town Treasurer/Collector Christine Kelly as Custodian of tax possession property to an open-ended term.

The Selectmen agreed to retain Joy’s position as the FY22 Advisory Board representative to Plymouth County.

The Selectmen then began their votes on the paid town employees that are appointed by the Board of Selectmen. All of the appointments were made through June 30, 2022.  Appointments included Brian Vasa as Conservation Agent, Kathy Cannizzo as the Administrative Assistant to the Building Department, Allison Merry as the Administrative Assistant to the Board of Assessors, Ken Thompson as the Zoning Enforcement Officer, Tom Millias as the Building Inspector, William Kelly Jr. as the Assistant Building Inspector, Scott Peterson as the Alternate Wiring Inspector, Scott Varley as the Wiring Inspector, Douglas Hawthorne Jr. as the Gas & Plumbing Inspector, Briggette Martins as the Administrative Assistant to the Board of Selectmen, Colleen Thompson as Director of Elder Services, James Mustacaros as a Senior Aide to the Council on Aging, and Tara Shaw as Assistant Treasurer/Collector.

Several of the appointments pertained to the Highway Department including Rob Firlotte as the Highway Superintendent, Benjamin Sarro as the Highway Working Foreman, Colleen Morin as the Highway Department Administrative Assistant and several other Highway Laborers. Steve Sarro was named as Custodian and Transfer Station attendant as well as several other Transfer Station workers. Leanne Cashman was named as the Administrative Assistant to the Police Department. Additionally, all Police Officers hired within the last year were also appointed. Madeline Pompei was named as the Clerk to the Library and Planning Board. The Selectmen took a single vote to unanimously appoint all positions as listed by Joy.

Selectman John Traynor requested to have a discussion on the general rule of the Board stating, “Whenever possible, and as a courtesy to the public, open session BOS meetings will be recorded and posted. The Minutes of the meeting shall remain the official record of the proceedings.” Traynor said that all general open meetings are recorded and posted by Area 58 on YouTube but said he would like to discuss what he referred to as working meetings. “I think we owe it to our citizens, to our residents, to post all meetings, open meetings… while it’s not legally required, the spirit of the law is that all meetings be open… openness, transparency… I think it also allows for citizens, especially the seniors or anybody that has disability, because it’s not easy for them to come into our meetings once we’re back in physical session… and then the other issue becomes who decides it’s a working meeting,” Traynor explained. He said that ultimately, he wants to post recordings of all open meetings. Joy said, “My only concern is we have done this so few times… we have had three so I don’t think its something that we abuse. Sometimes I think it is in the best interest of employees and the town to have working meetings, particularly if we have an individual who requires coaching or if there’s situations that come up where I certainly don’t want to embarrass people but it wouldn’t meet the threshold for executive session.” She did agree that maybe they did need to better define what is a working meeting. Russo said he was in agreement with Joy. Russo said he believes the stated definition of a working meeting is sufficient; it reads as, “a posted session open to the public called to informally discuss in-depth a topic or topics for possible future action.” “I’m not going to flog this horse, we have been through this before, but I think it’s wrong,” Traynor said. They agreed not to vote on it that night.

Town Administrator Liz Dennehy took the lead on the discussion of town-owned land that had been identified for potential affordable, age-qualified housing opportunities. She said that herself, Jon Wilhelmsen, John Traynor, and the Fire Chief went out and looked at five different town owned parcels with the mindset to identify at least one to present to Habitat for Humanity for age-qualified housing. “In looking at those five parcels, the one that rose to the top is the one located off of Brook St… it’s just a hair over two acres in size; I checked today with the Assessor’s Office and the Building Department and there are no foreseeable issues with building a house on that land,” Dennehy explained. “I think it’s a win-win,” Traynor said regarding the lot. Wilhelmsen said he was hopeful that they could work with Habitat, who usually builds two-level homes, to encourage a design that would be more elderly friendly. Wilhelmsen also called it a “beautiful lot.” “I think as far as design and construction we would want some sort of seat at the table,” Dennehy agreed. Joy said that preference would be given to locals and noted that the structure would need to fit into the character of the town. Russo clarified for those present at the meeting that what they would be voting on that night would only be the identification of the lot as a potential site for a Habitat for Humanity project.

Dennehy provided the Board with a Town Administrator update. Regarding in-person meetings versus the continuation of remote meetings, Dennehy said, “Everyone is still waiting to hear about the pending legislation; the Governor did file legislation that would, among many other things, it would extend the relaxation of the open meeting law provisions and would allow for full remote meetings through September 1 but we’re still waiting to find out if that gets approved or not.” Dennehy also said that she was still actively working on some Green Community projects and trying to secure final funding for a lot of different grants that will be closing out the end of the fiscal year this month. Dennehy also said that they were waiting on reimbursements for a number of CARES Act submissions made by the town.

Traynor told the other Selectmen that an eighth grade Silver Lake teacher had assigned a project to their students, part of which was to reach out to local officials for help. He explained that he agreed to participate and received 34 emails. Each student is assigned an issue such as single use plastic bags and they are tasked with asking a local official for help in drafting legislation. Traynor said he was willing to help but noted that there were eight different projects. He asked his fellow Selectmen if they could divide them into three groups with each Selectman taking several of the projects. “It sounds like a really worthy project but if we’re going to use our time and energy on a project like that… I just want to be a little cautious on that,” Russo said. Traynor suggested having the teacher join their next meeting via Zoom. Joy also recommended having Kathy LaNatra attend.

The Selectmen then moved on to rants and raves. Traynor said that his rave was for Briggette Martins, the Boy Scouts, and three people who helped him mulch the library. Joy said that hers was for the same.

“My question coming out of this is do we want to create a budget, a decorating budget for the library and for Memorial Day… kind of this spruce up for Memorial Day,” Joy asked. “I think it’s a great idea Christine; I think it’s needed,”

Traynor agreed. Russo said his rave was for the bit of a lull between meetings saying, “I appreciate the time to recharge a little and rest a little.”

The Halifax Board of Selectmen held an emergency meeting on the morning of Thursday, May 27 to discuss possibly reconsidering decisions made during a Selectmen’s meeting two days prior regarding the processes for annual appointments.

The Selectmen voted on May 25 to eliminate preference for current office holders and to potentially interview all applicants for one or more offices including the current officeholders. Also being reconsidered was whether to advertise and recruit for all paid appointed positions with terms expiring on June 30, 2021. Those positions include the Police Chief, the Town Accountant, the Town Counsel, and the Building Inspector.

Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews began the Thursday meeting asking the Board if they would like to rescind their vote from the previous meeting and inquiring as to how they wished to proceed with the appointments. Longtime Selectman Troy Garron said, “I for one vote that we rescind the vote that was taken.” Referencing those that were up for reappointment he said, “None of the people have shown that they have caused any problems enough that they should lose their job over the past year since I’ve been here. In as much as there’s not any complaints or written evidence that any of these individuals are not doing their jobs, I vote that we appoint them as listed.” There was no second, however, to Garron’s motion. Newest Selectman Ashley DiSesa instead made a motion to go through the list individually. DiSesa’s motion was seconded by Andrews. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig indicated to Andrews that there were a number of letters from the individuals up for reappointment indicating their interest in being reappointed.

Before going through the list, a resident in attendance voiced concern over holding a meeting of such significance during morning hours on a work and school day where likely many residents would be unable to attend. Andrews acknowledged the concern but said that it had to be done that way due to the contract with the Police Chief. Andrews explained that at the previous meeting they had tasked Seelig with advertising and posting the positions in question by the following day, making the need for the meeting imminent. The resident said, “This town has had a problem for a long time with the infighting; it’s worse than the government between the Democrats and Republicans. It needs to stop. We are a community, a town, we work together.” Referencing the small gathering of residents during the Thursday morning meeting, the resident said, “You’re making decisions for this town with 25 people out of 8,000; I object to that.”  Andrews responded, “The appointments are made by the Board of Selectmen. There doesn’t have to be any public input for this.”

Assistant Treasurer Linda Cole spoke next warning the Selectmen that from a human resources perspective, there would likely be considerable ramifications of not reappointing someone without just cause. She said the ramifications could be “very costly to the town and to the residents; without proper documentation to not reappoint somebody you risk lawsuits.” Andrews responded that he had talked to town counsel about the issue and that since the appointment ends on a specific date, there is no guarantee of reappointment after that. Amy L. Troup also took to the microphone asking how long it had been the process that the selectmen appoint people to positions in town. Garron responded, “At least 31 years.”

The Selectmen then proceeded to go through the list of reappointments one by one. Andrews recused himself from the discussion on the reappointment of the Building Commissioner/Inspector of Buildings. Garron asked current Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli why he felt he should be reappointed. Piccirilli responded, “I feel like I’ve always done my job to the best of my ability. If it’s the Board’s decision, I’d like to know where they feel I haven’t done my job.” He added, “I love this community. I live in this community. It’s a thankless job.” Piccirilli’s counsel spoke saying, “I would raise an objection to Selectwoman DiSesa’s involvement in this particular part of the proceeding; the reason I say that is she just won election to her position after waging a campaign that was full of personal allegations against Mr. Piccirilli, both personally as well as as Building Inspector.” He asked that she recuse herself from consideration of Piccirilli’s reappointment. Others, including Garron, also spoke in favor of Piccirilli’s competency. DiSesa said she wished to speak with town counsel prior to voting in order to determine if she needs to recuse herself from the vote on Piccirilli’s reappointment. The vote was moved to the June 1 meeting to allow time for her to do that.

Next, DiSesa made a motion to reappoint Police Chief Joao Chaves to a term expiring on June 30, 2024. Garron seconded the motion and the vote to reappoint was unanimous.

Garron made a motion to appoint the Building Inspector Assistant William Kelly to a term expiring on June 30, 2022 and the selectmen voted unanimously to reappoint. Next, they unanimously voted to reappoint David Moore as Sealer of Weights and Measures to a term expiring on June 30, 2022. Town Accountant Sandra Nolan was also unanimously reappointed to a term expiring on June 30, 2024.

Garron made a motion to appoint Town Counsel Larry Mayo to a term expiring on June 30, 2022 but there was no second and the Selectmen continued down the list. Wilford Corey was unanimously reappointed as Veteran’s Agent for a term expiring on June 30, 2022. Stephen Peterson was unanimously reappointed as Wiring Inspector and Dennis McManus as Wiring Inspector Assistant both to terms expiring on June 30, 2022.

The Board asked Seelig to advertise for the Town Counsel with interviews planned for June 24. Thirty minutes were allotted for interviews. The Board was clearly divided with Andrews and DiSesa in favor of interviewing for the position and Garron clearly against.

Before adjourning, Seelig also addressed the myriad of vacancies for unpaid volunteer positions in town. Seelig said there would be a submission deadline of June 9 for talent bank forms with interviews held on June 15.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met early on Thursday, May 20, to address a number of issues including an interview with Jill Carr for Council on Aging (COA) Director. Newest Selectman Ashley DiSesa was joined by seasoned selectmen Gordon Andrews and Troy Garron.

Carr, who was the third applicant interviewed thus far, told the selectmen that she has worked in human services for the last 25 years with much of that spent working with elders. “I worked 10 years at adult protective services in Braintree and we covered 11 surrounding towns.” She said she worked closely with the COA of many of those towns. “I’ve always had such a passion working with seniors and being an advocate and a voice for a lot of the seniors that might not have a voice,” she explained. She said that her philosophy has always been to empower seniors and to help them live as independently as possible. “I did recently get my masters in order to strengthen my skills regarding social services,” Carr told Selectmen. Additionally, she said she is very familiar with available resources in Massachusetts saying she has worked closely with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

Garron asked Carr what she would consider her top achievement in working with elderly and other people. Carr cited being a strong advocate and raising awareness as being amongst her proudest accomplishments. “Advocating for an elder’s right to self-determination,” she added. DiSesa asked if she had experience handling a budget. “When I was the Director, we were constantly needing to be handling numbers and maintain a quota… it was my job to track and make sure that numbers were where they are supposed to be,” Carr said. DiSesa also asked if she had experience writing grants. Carr said that while she had not written any, she has worked closely with many who have. Carr said she was also able to meet with Susan Lawless to discuss the Halifax COA. Asked what one word she would choose to describe herself, Carr simply said, “dedicated.”

Andrews explained to Carr that there was currently a plan being looked at to swap the COA building with the museum building in town. He said there would be more to present on that in September. Andrews asked Carr if she had any questions for them and she said she would be eager to hear more about what the goals are for the COA. Andrews noted that the building has been closed to the public since last March and said that opening back up and getting programs running was amongst the most urgent goals. He also noted that there were various spaces around town that could be utilized for the COA. “I think that understanding what spaces are available and how to adequately use them is something that we’d be looking for in a Director right now,” Andrews told Carr.

Following the interview with Carr, the Board tackled their own reorganization. Garron nominated Andrews to serve as chair and he was voted in unanimously. It was also decided that Garron would serve as vice-chair and DiSesa as clerk. Andrews then said he would like to discuss the format of the meetings saying he would like to have department heads come in once every 6-8 weeks to provide an update on their department, both good and bad. Andrews also proposed a spreadsheet for new articles that would show progress toward estimated dates of completion on the various projects. He also recommended having a visual presentation during town meeting that would allow residents to see the motion being voted upon as well as proposed spending, etc. Garron expressed some concern over the cost of such an endeavor. Andrews also said he would like to resume department head meetings again now that the pandemic is dwindling.

The Selectmen then turned their attention to the vacancies on the Halifax Elementary School Committee as well as the Finance Committee. Alison Vance had submitted her resignation from the School Committee and Fred McGovern from the Finance Committee. There was a question sent in email form from Town Moderator Dennis Carmen regarding whether the Board would consider the results from the recent town election in filling the vacancy. The hope was that the person with the next number of votes, or the runner-up, would be considered to fill the position. The email also read, “Additionally will the related experience of each candidate be considered when making this decision; also will any consideration be given to the diversity of the candidate given our society’s building of awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues; I hope the answers to my questions will be yes, and if not, I would be interested in the thoughts of each of the members on the Select Board.”

Andrews reminded those assembled that a vote to fill a vacancy on the Halifax Elementary School Committee would require a vote from both the Board of Selectmen as well as the School Committee. “Basically, the selectmen have heard the voice of the population that the person came in second on the voting scale that should give really good consideration because at least you know they are interested in the position,” Garron said. Andrews said that anyone interested in the position should fill out a talent bank form and a joint meeting would be put together between the Selectmen and the School Committee to hold interviews and have a vote. The meeting is scheduled for June 8.

The Board also fielded a request for a VFW Memorial Day Ceremony. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig noted that the outdoor mask mandate would likely be lifted by then but said he would imagine the event would still include social distancing. The event would be 35-45 minutes long and would occur on the front lawn of the Town Hall. The Board approved the request unanimously. There was another request for an entertainment license for weekly car shows at Walmart. The Board approved the request contingent on the Certificate of Liability being presented to the Board of Health.

Halifax was able to complete its Annual Town Meeting Monday night, May 17, after failing to meet its quorum last week on Tuesday.   With just about half of the articles acted on Monday, May 10, the meeting adjourned Tuesday at 8:05 when the quorum of 100 voters could not be reached.

There were several hot button topics left to vote on: Article 55, to see if the town would authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court to enact legislation that would allow Halifax to expand the membership of the Board of Selectmen from three to five members.

Had this passed, the selectmen would have been able to put the question of expanding the board on the ballot in Spring, 2022.  Discussion ensued for most of half an hour both for and against the measure.  Selectman Gordon Andrews spoke to his article, saying that two more members of the select board would allow the business of the town to be completed more efficiently, as there wouldn’t be as many votes tabled due to conflicts of interest.  It would also allow current board members to share the ever-increasing burden of the work of the Board of Selectmen.

Candace Kniffen spoke to the room saying that for many years the position of selectman has gone unopposed, and for many boards and committees it is difficult to get people to fill the empty positions.  She also brought up the cost of health insurance for an additional two board members as a deterrent.

Retiring Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor said that she had never experienced a more contentious election ever!  “Lately every one of us has been torn down.”  Gaynor said she didn’t think that growing the board to five members would solve anything.

Kim Cavicchi said that she felt it would bring “transparency” to the board, and not have as many conflicts of interest.  “If we don’t expand we’ll continue to have lawsuits.”

Alison Long took the microphone to oppose the expansion of the board stating that she strongly feels “we have a good working system.”   She has resided in Halifax for 48 years and recognizes that having a good town manager takes a lot of the work selectmen would formerly have done.

Paula Hatch, chairman of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee said she has made Halifax her home for 25 years.  The complexity of the issues she has to face on our boards can be overwhelming.  “What are we afraid of?   I have no reservations as to increasing the board,” she said.

After all was said and done, Article 55 failed.

Despite an impassioned plea from Shirley Graf speaking for her article to ban the sale of “nips” in Halifax, nips will still be sold for the foreseeable future.

Joe Tonello, owner of Harmony Liquors in Halifax, told the assembly that nips make up 17% of his liquor sales.  He said that taking away nips sales, after the state curbed flavored tobacco sales, menthol cigarettes, vaping, and some cigar sales, he said his business is feeling these losses.  “Where does it end?”

Tom McGrath got up to say, “I don’t want the town of Halifax to tell me what I can and cannot drink.”

Two voters pointed out that Halifax has no litter laws and that Halifax policemen have issued no tickets for littering.   In fact, there were only 12 arrests for DUI and three for open container violations since Jan. 1, 2019.

Halifax voters did not vote the $105,000 requested to resurface the five tennis courts at Silver Lake Regional High School.  There was much debate as to why there wasn’t an option to repair the courts, rather than reconstruct the surfaces.  A repair would only be guaranteed for two years and a reconstruction would last 15 to 20 years.    Because the article stated its funding source would be the general stabilization fund, the article required a 2/3 vote to pass.

Paula Hatch, Chairman of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, defended the article and asked where the $312,000 that was Halifax’s share of the settlement when Pembroke left the region.  That money, Hatch said, was to be set aside for capital expenses at the high school just like this.  The Town Accountant said the funds were in the general stabilization fund and a 2/3 vote was needed to spend them.  The article failed.  Halifax may yet have to spend that money as Plympton voted for its share of the article last Wednesday and Kingston will vote for or against its share on Saturday, May 22.  If Kingston’s article passes, Halifax will need to conform to the majority.

Later in the evening, School Committee chairman Gordon Andrews, with other members of the school committee, attempted a reconsideration of the article, but that failed as well.

Articles 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 42, 51, and 52 were passed over.

Article 14 approved $150 for the use of the Trustees for County Cooperative Extensive Service.

Article 18 asked the town for $110,000 to purchase and equip two new marked police vehicles to be used for patrol.  Police Chief Joao Chaves spoke to the article saying this is part of an ongoing program of updating and replacing his rolling stock, transferring the replaced vehicles to other departments in Halifax that could use them.  Karen Fava amended the article so that the replaced vehicles would have to be sold or traded in and the resulting funds be used in another way.  The amended article passed.

Article 20 asked for $6,850 to fund an actuarial study of Town-paid post-employment benefits.  The article passed.

Article 21 asked the town for $25,000 to reseal the Halifax Elementary School parking lot.  Passed.

Article 22 asked the town for $30,000 to replace the kitchen flooring at the Halifax Elementary School.  Passed.

Article 24 asked for $23,000 to install and extend pedestrian pathways from and around the Halifax Elementary School including but not limited to improving ADA access to areas of the HES.  Article passed.

Article 29 asked the town for $3,500 to support South Shore Resource and Advocacy Center for domestic violence intervention and prevention services for its residents.  Selectman Troy Garron spoke in support of the article saying that over the past 30 years people in Halifax have used the services and it deserves support. The article passed.

Article 30 asked the town to add $300,000 to the General Stabilization fund.  The article finally passed after a little lesson in free cash that is neither free nor cash, and it left unaccounted for it would cause accounting problems.

Article 31 asked the town for $32,000 to purchase a document management/digitization/e-permitting/workflow system.  The article passed.

Article 33 asked the town for $135,000 for a new backhoe for the highway department.  Highway Superintendent Stephen Hayward spoke to his article saying that he was replacing a 2010 John Deere backhoe with 6,600 hours on it.  He expects the trade-in value is about $20,000.  The article passed.

Article 35 asked the town for $29,000 to replace 24 windows in Pope’s Tavern.  Jeff Bolger asked how much money the town was going to put into the “sinkhole” Pope’s Tavern?  We must have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 10 years.” Jean Gallant, Holmes Library Director, told the group that the old building has seen a lot of history and deserves to be preserved.  The article passed.

Article 36 asks to fund $17,500 to upgrade alarm systems at the Town Hall, Highway/Water Bar, and recycling Center.  Passed.

Article 39 asks for $90,000 to replace 72 windows at the Town Hall.  Pam Aducci who works in the town hall spoke about the non-functioning windows that won’t stay open, that close with a bang, leak water and wind.  The article passed.

Article 43 asked the town for $2,500 to purchase three new computers for the Holmes Public Library.  Passed.

Article 44 asked the town for $6,500 to purchase and install an OSHA required mezzanine gate in the highway barn.  After discussion about the amount of the bids, is $6,500 sufficient to complete the job, and whether or not engineering would be required, the article passed.

Article 46 asked the town for $50,000 for a fraud risk assessment on the recommendation of the town’s auditor.  Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said the program was necessary to outline areas that need to be addressed.  “If we don’t know what’s wrong, we can’t correct it,” Seelig said.  The article passed.

Article 47 asked the town for $20,000 to add to the Unemployment Compensation account.  Passed.

Article 49 asked the town for $7,500 to repair and replace the fence at the Lingan Street beach area.   After conversation about whether the fence is in poor condition, do we need a fence there anyway, or is this enough money to complete the job, the article passed.

Article 53 dealing with the floodplain district regulations was considered and since its passing is necessary to getting flood insurance in these areas the article passed.

Article 56 asked the town to allow the establishment of a stabilization fund for the Silver Lake Regional School District.  The Finance Committee did not recommend it saying that there is no control over how it is spent once it is funded.  The article failed.

Article 57 asked the town to vote to amend Chapter 146 (Stormwater Management) as recommended by the Massachusetts Attorney General.  The article passed.

Article 58 asked the town permission to acquire by gift, transfer, temporary easement for bridge construction, access and/or related purposed in, on, and under parcels of land abutting Pine Street, shown on a plan entitled “Pine Street over Cranberry Bog Overflow Right of Way Plans”.  Highway Superintendent Hayward explained that this was a formality so he would have a place to park his equipment while he was working on the area.

The original article was amended by Amy Troup and Karen Fava to eliminate any reference to monetary compensation.  The article passed.

Halifax Annual Town Meeting adjourned at 11 p.m. Monday night, May 10, with less than half of the 59 articles voted on.  Left for Tuesday were two of the most contentious articles – the ban for the sale of nips, sponsored by Shirley Graf and enlarging the board of selectmen from three members to five, sponsored by Selectman Gordon Andrews.   However, even those articles couldn’t bring Halifax townspeople out a second night in a row and Tuesday’s assemblage was dismissed at 8:05 for lack of a quorum.  It was 13 voters short of the needed 100, according to Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor.  This is Gaynor’s last Town Meeting as she is retiring May 22, and then the new town clerk, elected on May 15, will take over.

The Halifax Elementary School budget was voted with little discussion, after the finance committee requested the school committee to hold to a 2% increase.   

Paula Hatch, chairman of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee asked the town to put back the funds that were deleted in order to keep to the 2% increase that the elementary school had abided by.   This would have put back $130,890 into the Silver Lake District budget.   Regional Halifax Elementary School Committee chairman Gordon Andrews defended the Silver Lake budget and the request for the deleted funds saying that some of the issues are reduction of state reimbursement with a number of students going to Charter Schools, taking those state education dollars with them.  “We need to fund the schools,” he said.  The townspeople did not agree, and the amendment failed.

A young man came to the microphone to say, that if the town keeps turning down Silver Lake budget items, they won’t want Halifax to be part of the region.

Salaries were reclassified for several Halifax employees, including the Fire Chief, Police Chief, and Town Administrator, so their salaries would be greater than those who work for them.  This was recommended by the Finance Committee.

Item 6 in the General Government budget had $124,500 for Law.  Selectman Andrews asked that it be reduced to $74,500, saying that the town spends too much money on legal fees.  It was pointed out that much of the legal fees are spent defending the town against suits by Selectman Andrews and that reducing the law category would hamper the town’s defense.  One resident stood to say that if the town would just do what the judge said (and not appeal the decision) the town wouldn’t incur extra costs.   Town Administrator Charlie Seelig pointed out that the first suit that was successful gave Andrews only $200 in damages.   It was Andrews who appealed, “seeking greater relief”, Seelig said.  The amendment failed and the Law line of the warrant  article was voted  at $124,500.

Also questioned in the General Government budget was the total Town Clerk salary of $57,062.   Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor pointed out that the total town clerk salary included the $1,000 reward for her certification.  The total was reduced by that $1,000 and the General Government budget passed.

Amy L. Troup questioned the Animal Control Officer salary that increased from $18,105 budgeted for FY21 to $21,619 for FY22.    She was told that it was a step increase for that contract approved by Wage & Personnel.    Also questioned was the wages increase for the Building Inspector, that was also the result of a step increase.  Jeff Bolger said he thought that step increases needed to be voted on in order to make that change.   Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that the change was voted on in the previous year.

The Public Safety budgets were approved, as well as the Public Works, and Highway budgets.

Public Works Cemetery, Walter, and Solid Waste Management budgets were all approved unanimously.

Health and Human Services budget, the Culture and Recreation budget, the Debt Service budget, and Fixed Costs all passed unanimously.

Jeff Bolger asked for an explanation as to how the Gas and Oil and the Heating Oil prices could be the same from last year to this year.  “Can you share the secret?” noting the rising oil prices.  The Finance Committee answered that there is a buffer amount to address fluctuations in oil prices, and if the true total, at the end of the fiscal year, is much more than the budgeted amount, that can be dealt with by a transfer from the reserve fund or free cash.  The FinCom member said that last year only 80% of the budgeted amount was used.

Article 5, dealing with all of the various Revolving Funds, were consistent with what has been done in the past and passed unanimously.

Articles 11 and 12 asked the town to fund the provisions of collective bargaining agreements between the town and the Police Chief Joao Chaves and Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.  They passed unanimously.

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward asked the town to approve Article 15 for $300,000 to maintain town roads.  Hayward told the group that the $150,000 that has been allocated in past years, “just doesn’t go very far anymore.”   The town agreed and approved the article.

Article 16 to fund the purchase of parcels of land between Carver Street, South Street, and Plymouth Street was passed over.

Article 17 to transfer from available funds $18,500 for the Assessors’ Recertification Account passed.

Article 19 voted $5,000 for the purchase, installation,, and implementation of a new copy machine for the Police Department.

Article 23 was voted by the town to replace hallway flooring at the Halifax Elementary School as part of ongoing maintenance.

Summer Schmaling, Halifax Elementary School Committee member spoke to Article 25 which would use $18,600 to install central air conditioning in the Tech Lab and Art room to keep the school’s computer networks cool.  The article passed.

Article 27 saw the town vote $5,400 for the repair, reconstruction, and replacement of the fences at the Vaughn Fields at the Police Station.   Dick Steele spoke to the article.

Article 28 asked the town for $3,500 to support South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc.’s continued free legal services in civil matters to elders, low-income families and their children.  FinCom recommended; the article passed.

Town meeting voted to pass over Article 32 that would purchase a work order/asset management system.  The finance committee did not recommend it and it was passed over.

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward asked the town to approve $71,000 for a new F550 gasoline powered truck with a dump body, sander, and plow for the Highway Department.  The guys in the room picked over the requirements, whether it should be gas or diesel, and how many plows does the department need, should we spend more to save in the long run…   In all, they settled down and the town voted to pass Article 34.

Director of Building Maintenance Scott Materna answered questions about his Article 37 that asked the town for $81,000 to be combined with the $35,000 already voted for the same purpose at the Special Town Meeting of August 2018, to repair and replace the handicapped ramp and portico at the Town Hall.  When asked why it costs so much, Materna answered,  “We tried to fix it in house, but found it needs to be re-engineered.”  He told the townspeople that the proposed ramp, for which he is still receiving bids, will be concrete, not wooden, and will be maintenance-free for a long time.  Questions arose as to whether a concrete ramp can be attached to an historic building and how would it look?  Materna said that the ramp needs to be ADA compliant and the proposals he has will be so.  The FinCom recommended the project and the article passed.

Article 38 asked the town to transfer from undesignated fund balances the sum of $10,000 to repair the roof at the Holmes Public Library.  The article passed with the Finance Committee recommendation.

Article 40 was passed over.  It asked the town to fund a new Council on Aging van.

Article 41 asked the town for $10,000 to hold a series of workshops for department heads concerning personnel practices including recruitment and hiring, and proper procedures relating to discipline and termination.  The article passed.

The town voted to approve spending $21,500 to purchase and install overhead doors at the Highway Barn in Article 45.

The town voted to support a part-time school resource officer for the Silver Lake Middle School at a cost of $36,000 for Halifax’s share in Article 48.  Plympton’s share of $14,000 will be voted at their town meeting later this week.   The position has been totally funded by Kingston for the past two years.  The town voted to approve the article.

The town passed over Article 50, which would fund a new portable PA system.

Article 56 asked the town to vote to allow the Silver Lake Regional School District to establish a stabilization fund. The Finance Committee spoke against the article saying that there would be no control over how the money is spent once it is funded. Paula Hatch, chairman of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee  said that the money would have already been voted by the towns to add to the stabilization fund.  Some likened it to giving the schools a blank check.   The article failed.

Next Monday night, May 17, the town will once again attempt to get a quorum to discuss several items that could change the face of Halifax, from how many selectmen will be on your board, how the planning board changes in flood plain maps can affect your properties, or whether or not you can buy a sleeve of nips at your local liquor store, drink them on the way home and throw the empties out the window.  There is a lot to talk about and if you don’t take part in the decisions you can’t complain if they don’t go the way you wanted.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, April 27. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig provided the Board with a COVID update saying there had been 10 additional cases since April 17 and 18 total cases in the previous two weeks. Those numbers bring the total for Halifax, who moved from the red to the yellow risk zone, to 513 total cases. Seelig also reiterated the Governor’s state-wide update which includes reopening dates. Additional outdoor activities are approved as of May 10 with further reopening occurring on May 29. A full reopening of the State is scheduled for August 1. “Of course, all of that is dependent on case loads and vaccines,” Seelig explained. Seelig said he plans to talk to the Board of Health agent about increasing capacities in the town meeting rooms. He also noted that town meeting is not considered a gathering per the State. Town employees were issued a return-to-work order per the approval of the Selectmen at their previous meeting.

Concerns Over Speeding

The Board had an appointment with Owen Graves, a resident of South St. in Halifax for over five years. Graves attended the meeting in the hopes of drawing awareness to the lack of speed limit signs on South St. and the resulting problems with speeding that occur. “The speed limit is supposed to be 30; people go nowhere close to starting at 30,” Graves explained. He told the Selectmen that cars fly down the street at 40, 50, and even 60 mph. He noted two deaths that occurred as a result in just his first two years living on the street. Graves noted that he drives a lot for his work and said that he sees many signs in other communities alerting drivers to the appropriate speed. Selectman Chair Tom Millias told Graves, “I’ve lived your pain living on South St. and in particular motorcycles are incredibly scary because they come screaming down the street… this is something we can and should refer to the Highway Safety Committee.” He added, “It probably should be looked at harder than it has been in the past and this is a good impetus to do that.”

Another resident also attended Tuesday’s meeting to discuss what he sees as a need for a 4-way stop on Circuit and Laurel streets to force drivers to slow down. While Seelig said that it had previously been determined that a 4-way stop wouldn’t be appropriate for the area, the Board said they would like to see the issue taken up by the Traffic Safety Committee.

Request for a Nips Ban

Another concerned resident Shirley Graf also met with the Selectmen. Graf had previously been named as the Litter Buster of the Year award winner for the entire State of Massachusetts during 2020. Graf asked the Selectmen for their support of an article on the Annual Town Meeting warrant to ban the sale of single use containers for alcoholic beverages in Halifax. Graf provided statistics including that she had picked up 8,443 nips bottles in town since beginning to do so 28 months prior. She also stressed that after speaking to Police Chief Joao Chaves she learned that very few littering citations are issued despite the large amount of litter in town. Selectman Troy Garron said, “Personally, I don’t drink and I can’t understand how so many liquor stores are still selling it knowing the problem that we have.” For their part, both Millias and Selectman Gordon Andrews said they would like to invite the local liquor establishments in to voice their side of the argument before endorsing such an article. Before she left, Millias told Graf, “We applaud you for your efforts… I am just overwhelmed by it.”

Request to Change Marijuana Bylaws

Representatives of the company Colonel Boothe met with the Selectmen to inquire about a change to the zoning bylaws surrounding marijuana and the buffer zone around venues serving alcohol. Currently, marijuana establishments are not allowed within 500 ft of venues that have a pouring license. Colonel Boothe asked the Selectmen if they would support a petition article to ban that portion of the bylaw saying, “there’s an effective ban on a second retail store.” According to Colonel Boothe, there are no lots in town left that are not restricted by the current bylaws. Millias said, “Obviously the town has been supportive of establishments based on the votes at town meeting… I personally think it ought to be a public initiative.”

According to the company, the bylaw most likely exists to prevent people from buying cannabis and then consuming it in a restaurant. They pointed out, however, that it feels redundant as public consumption is already banned by State law. Garron said that the bylaw was originally intended for the protection of the public noting, “the public need to decide whether to change that.” The Selectmen voted not to support an article at town meeting to amend the bylaw.

In other marijuana news, Seelig said that the town attorney had reached an agreement on a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with Flower and Soul on a proposed retail facility. Seelig said that the agreement would soon be posted online in order to receive public comments.

Update on Campus Building Project

Andrews told the other selectmen that the Committee had discussed a possible affordable solution to the problem of a senior center for the short term while they examine the other municipal buildings. “We all know the issues at Pope’s Tavern,” Andrews said. He said that the Committee is working on establishing short term, mid-term, and long-term plans noting that they hope to move forward with a solution for the senior center before tackling an overall campus solution including the Police and Fire stations. Andrews also noted mechanical failures with hot water pipes at the school. ““The one thing I’ve noticed being on the Committee is we’ve gone around to every building in town and every building in town needs work,” Andrews said.

Mosquito Control

Several residents attended Tuesday’s meeting after seeing the hearing to opt out of the state’s mosquito control program listed on the agenda. Seelig said that the State had issued a letter to all communities saying that there was a possibility to opt out of the program. The Selectmen had wanted to give residents an opportunity to come and speak on the issue. Seelig noted that they had not received any communication from anyone wanting to opt out. One resident spoke during the meeting saying he survived eastern equine encephalitis as a child. He recalled spending weeks in the hospital with frighteningly high fevers. He called it a “terrible idea” to opt out. All residents speaking during the hearing were against opting out.

Silver Lake Assessment

Seelig said he spoke with the Finance Committee about recommending an across-the-board increase for non-union employees. He said, “I understand it’s been a tough year for many including unemployment and under employment for many residents in Halifax however the town’s employees have, in general, worked above and beyond throughout the pandemic with few if any complaints.” Seelig said that the Finance Committee is not recommending approval of the Silver Lake assessment but noted that town meeting would make its own decision. Seelig said if Kingston and Plympton approve the assessment, Halifax will eventually have to as well. The assessment includes a 1.6 increase for Silver Lake employees. This would leave town employees without anything. “If school employees get something, town employees, union and non-union, deserve something too,” Seelig said. Seelig suggested a one percent increase.

Requests for Use of Town Property

The Board approved the use of the town green for the Historical Society plant sale on May 8 from 9 am through noon as well as a Boy Scout bottle drive on Saturday, July 17. Both events will include whatever COVID protocols are required by their respective dates. Seelig also said that line dancing groups were starting at the Great Hall and noted that they had worked with the Board of Health on appropriate safety measures.

Other News

Seelig alerted the Selectmen to the passing of longtime resident John Peck. Peck was a longtime member of the Conservation Commission. Seelig spoke of Peck’s charitable work including the annual Thanksgiving meal hosted by his family at the Country Club. Those present at Tuesday’s meeting observed a moment of silence in his honor.

Seelig also told the Selectmen that Finance Committee member Lauren Carmichael had resigned in late March. Seelig said he was appreciative of her service. Seelig also noted some awards that were recently granted including Firefighter of the Year for Jeff Arcieri, Officer of the Year for Matthew Cunningham, and Citizen Hero Award for the Halifax Building Maintenance Staff. In a final piece of good news, Seelig said that Halifax was listed as a top spot to live for communities south of Boston by the Boston Globe on April 21.