PLYMPTON — The Plympton Board of Selectmen met last Monday via Zoom, and took on a few previous items on their agenda, as well as several new ones. A public hearing for a Wine and Malt beverages application was also considered for KKaties Burgers Express Plympton, and two appointments were made, one for Lisa Hart, and another for Tara Shaw.

Hart, the former secretary of the Finance Committee, was appointed Town Accountant.  She said she was, “totally thrilled, and the right person for this job,” noting how much she loved Plympton.

Former Town Clerk Tara Shaw was appointed Assistant Town Treasurer, and mentioned that she had learned many things during her two-year break from Town House, working in an accounting-based University position.

She said that she, “would have regretted not putting into place [the] application… I’m looking forward to starting a new career.”

Mid-meeting there was a “wine and malt beverage” license application for KKaties, a local burger chain with locations in Hyannis, Marshfield and Plymouth. Keith Steiding, the president of the award-winning restaurant company, represented the company at the hearing.

Not long into the meeting, Steiding’s enthusiasm became obvious.

He began to speak, not always answering the questions posed to him, or answering them in a very round-about way, prompting slight smiles from town officials.

“I had a comment…” he said, “This is a malt and liquor license [not a full liquor license] … that’s all we want … [The] other locations have bars… this is not one of those situations.”

Steiding said that it was more of a restaurant where “you could grab a beer at lunch, and then leave,” as opposed to a full bar, as in the other locations.

Selectman Christine Joy had a question, although Selectmen Mark Russo and John Trainer did not have much to say.

Joy appeared concerned that because KKatie’s stated in their application that since they would be using third-party delivery services, they might try to get into delivering alcohol. The answer was a resounding, although round-about, “No.”

The motion for the application passed unanimously, after some discussion.

Finally, Secretary to the Board of Selectman Bri Martins, who phoned into the meeting and traditionally coordinates Memorial Day activities with the Selectmen, reported that the Board of Health had shut down any notion of a parade of any sort this year. There will be some limited activities, she said, but Martins sounded disappointed.

The final selection of limited activities will depend on health and safety guidelines.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, March 30 for the purpose of going over some budget items for town meeting as well as the warrant articles. Town Accountant Sandra Nolan was in attendance.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig led the discussion on the budget. Seelig said the Finance Committee had already been through most of the line items though he noted that there were several items that they had not provided final recommendations for the warrant.  The Finance Committee is still waiting to find out how much money will be available to account for increases in line items. Seelig said they must first see what happens with the Elementary School budget as well as the Silver Lake Regional assessment as they are such a significant portion of the town’s operating budget. “Things are very tight,” Seelig said, “…the Finance Committee cannot honor all of the requests that came in from all the departments.”

Seelig went over the various articles in the warrant. Article 1 is the report of town officials and committees and Article 2 is the wage and personnel amendments. Article 3 pertains to elected officials’ salaries. As of the meeting, the Finance Committee had yet to make a recommendation regarding wage and personnel or salaries. Article 5 is the operating budget and Article 6 is the traditional list of revolving funds. Articles 7 through 13 are articles for the contracts for both unions and personnel including the fire and police chiefs. “These articles will remain on the warrant even if an agreement hasn’t been made by next week,” Seelig explained.

Much of the meeting was spent going over the appropriation articles. The article for general highway maintenance has been funded at $150,000 for a number of years though the Highway Surveyor, Finance Committee, and Capital Planning Committee have agreed that there is a need to increase it to $300,000. Article A4 is a request from the Highway Surveyor for a bond for $4,000,000 for major roadwork. “Obviously, as most residents know, a number of roads in Halifax are substandard and it does unfortunately take a large amount of money to bring them up even without any engineering costs and such,” Seelig explained. Seelig said that Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward had yet to make a decision about whether or not to have this article on the warrant. A30 is for $135,000 for a new backhoe for the Highway Department. A31 is for $85,000 for a new forklift, also for the Highway Department. Several articles pertain to the Town Barn including an OSHA required mezzanine gate and new overhead doors.  Seelig said he is waiting for a quote on these items from Hayward.

A5 is for the possibility of the Building and Facility Needs Committee purchasing land for future building needs. A6 is for the Assessor’s recertification account. Other appropriation articles include money for new vehicles and a new copier machine for the Police Department. A14 is for resealing the parking lot at the Elementary School. Another article is for $32,000 for the document management system that will allow for e-permitting.

A32 is for $29,000 to replace windows at Pope’s Tavern and A33 is to upgrade the alarm systems at Town Hall, the Highway Barn, and the Recycling Center. Several articles are for work at Town Hall including A34 to appropriate additional money beyond $35,000 to repair or replace the handicap ramp at Town Hall. A35 is to crack seal and repave the parking lot at Town Hall. A37 is for $90,000 to replace the windows at the Town Hall. Seelig explained that replacing the windows at the Town Hall and Council on Aging are especially expensive as they are custom sized windows. Nolan said that there is a chance that that some of the money can be recuperated through Green Communities. An article for a new PA system for the Town Hall was also discussed.

A36 is to repair and replace the roof at the Holmes Public Library for $11,000. A45 is for $2,500 for three new computers for the library, two for the public and one for the staff. A40 is to hold a number of workshops for department heads. A48 is for a fraud risk assessment recommended by the auditors. A49 is a request from the treasurer/collector for $25,000 to be added to the unemployment compensation fund. Silver Lake Regional School requested $36,000 to support a part-time school resource officer at the Middle School. Selectman Gordon Andrews said he would be recusing himself as a selectman as he would likely be presenting the article. Article A53 is a carryover from last year when the Housing Authority was actually mistakenly paying a share of retirement for town employees.

There is also an article regarding a solar property on River St. where an agreement is still being negotiated with the town. The purpose of the article is to allow the possibility that the assessors and selectmen would bring a final agreement to town meeting for approval. Seelig explained that they are waiting for legislation pertaining to taxation of solar fields to go into effect in June before proceeding. The selectmen agreed to leave it on the warrant though they acknowledged it is unlikely that it will actually be ready for town meeting.

Seelig also addressed an article pertaining to an update to floodplain requirements per FEMA. The Planning Board held a hearing on Thursday, April 1 with someone from the state present to answer any questions residents had. It is a requirement for the town to maintain eligibility for the property owners for floodplain insurance. Selectman Chair Tom Millias said, “I would highly recommend to the residents, anybody who lives even close to any water or has had issues with floodplains in the past, to pay some attention to this because it doesn’t become a problem for them, until it’s a problem.”

There are a few petition articles as well including an article to eliminate the sale of nips.

Halifax selectmen met Tuesday night, March 23, in the Great Hall of the Halifax Town Hall to deal with a busy agenda.

As usual, COVID-19 took up much of the evening.  Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the board that as of March 23 the active cases in Halifax were up to 31, “so I would expect that in a matter of days we will be back into the ‘red zone’”.

Seelig told the board that the state has relaxed restrictions on indoor gatherings, saying that the allowable limits in the All Purpose Room is 10, but the state says it can go to as much as 100.  Fourteen persons are the limit in the Great Hall, with one person on the landing.   Due to the increases in Covid cases in Halifax and the increases in Massachusetts, Seelig and selectmen didn’t think that many people would be a good idea.

While the current state of emergency remains in effect, Seelig told selectmen that Halifax has a protocol in place for outdoor dining.  While the state of emergency lasts, restaurants can obtain temporary permits after working with the Board of Health and the Fire Chief, but if they want to offer outside dining on a permanent basis, they’ll have to go through the regular zoning process for outdoor businesses.   Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if Halifax allows outdoor dining within the current by-laws.   Seelig answered that restaurants with indoor dining are allowed outside dining by right.   Food vendors without indoor dining who wish to offer outdoor dining are covered under the outdoor business and sales and need a special permit.

Selectman Tom Millias said that some of this was covered under the emergency acts and Seelig agreed, “You can do it on a temporary basis.”  Andrews asked, but if they wanted to do long-term, moving forward, we’d have to change … Seelig interjected that no, they just need to go through the process.   Seelig said that he has notified Grille 58, Lakeside Villa, and Rodney’s Kitchen, the three places in town that have any sort of outdoor dining.   Seelig told the board that if the state of emergency ends tomorrow, or next week, or next month, he wanted all to have a process in place.

Resident complaints

Noting that he didn’t know if it was Spring, the warmer weather, or what, but he had a number of complaints about properties in town, only one of which came under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen, including

• 0 Monponsett Street  A resident was concerned about traffic safety, the use of the property without proper zoning, earth removal, health safety issues, and conservation/wetlands/endangered species issues.

• 105 Crystal Lake Road.  An unpermitted home business is alleged.

•  70 Oak Street.   An unpermitted logging business is alleged.

• Villiard Tree Service on Carver Street is alleged to be running an unpermitted logging business.

• Cled’s Tree Service, 450 Industrial Drive – an alleged logging business.  Seelig told the board that Cled’s has been contacted and is working on this, and that the Chief had some concerns.

The only item that falls under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen is the earth removal item.  Seelig said that he had referred all other concerns to the appropriate boards.

Selectmen Andrews recused himself from the discussion of earth removal because his mother lodged that complaint.   Andrews left the table and sat in the audience for that part of the meeting.   Millias commented that it was difficult to unravel all of the suits and cross/suits involved in this – everybody has got a conflict of interest if you say anything.    “So I’m going to defer – perhaps it’s under investigation – maybe we can get some information.  I was going to suggest that maybe Mr. Garron could review some of that but the Board of Selectmen is being sued, too.”  Seelig responded that he had no problem, it’s fact material, simply sending a fact sheet and a copy of the bylaw to the property owner, then they would have to apply to the Board of Selectmen for a special permit.”  Off-camera, Andrews said,  “I can do that.”  Millias said that he didn’t see how the board can retroactively prove how much material has been removed from the site.  “I think going forward with what you’ve just suggested is the most obvious thing to do,” Millias continued.  Andrews re-joined the board.

Seelig said he is still gathering information on the financial end for the American Rescue Plan.  There are two checks going directly to the town, however there are some restrictions as to how the money can be spent.  Seelig said he will be getting more information from the US Treasury as it becomes available.   He also said that Plymouth County is receiving a substantial amount of money and “I hope the intention is that the money will be passed along to the 27 communities in Plymouth County.  We’ll see how that works out.”

Working from Home

Seelig told the board that at some point selectmen will have to assess the work from home situation.   With the vaccination program well underway, not next week or next month, but sometime before the end of the year between the state of emergency ending and vaccinations being available, the board will have to work out how they want to handle people working from home during the past year who want to continue.   There aren’t many, but we still have them in a couple of departments.

Memorial Day

Seelig recommended the selectmen approve the proposed Field of Flags on the Town Green similar to the display put on by the Halifax VFW Post last year.  The board unanimously approved the project.  Seelig said he had spoken with David Walsh, VFW Post Commander, about the possibility of a Memorial Day Parade.  Right now, even under the current Phase IV, Seelig said they both agreed that unfortunately “it’s just a little bit too soon to do something like that.  Balancing everybody’s desire to get back to normal and to have events like that, there are also safety precautions for everybody.”  Seelig said they had discussed a similar Memorial Day observance as the one last year with 10 to 20 attendees, with the color guard, and people can drive by and see the observance.

Complete Streets

Seelig said he had a visit from Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward with some possible projects that can be sent to Boston as part of the Complete Streets Program.  There are two projects not included in the list as all the engineering work, for the most part, has been done.  These are the sidewalks between the two lobes of Cranberry Drive along Plymouth Street and Monponsett Street from the Housing Aurhority property north up to the shopping area.   “Those appear to be the easiest to get done at this point,” Seelig said.

“The others on the list do not require engineering to be submitted and so probably in the next week or so we’ll have them sent up to Boston.“   He said he would get the projects list to the board for their comments to relay to Seelig or the Highway Surveyor including the priorities of what order the work should be done.  Andrews commented that he would like to see the sidewalk outside the Town Hall done.

Seelig said he has contacted the highway surveyor and the Buildings and Facilities Needs Committee to see if they wish to pursue bonding for any major projects.  While it appears that there is unlikely to be any request from the Buildings and Facilities Needs Committee, Hayward will be looking for a $4 million bond.  In terms of debt exclusion, Hayward said he would be meeting with the Finance Committee.  Seelig reminded the board that it needed to vote on it in order for it to get onto the ballot.    

Andrews asked if Hayward was looking to hire a crew for the large project.  Seelig said he didn’t know what the Highway Surveyor’s plans entailed but for $4 million “we won’t have the money available unless we go to debt exclusion. So this is  more of a financial issue than a fiscal one.

Andrews said that at a meeting of the Buildings an Facilities Committee the previous week they had discussed whether or not they could hire a crew to do the work on town buildings rather than hire an outside contractor to do the work.  “Somebody should be talking to Town Counsel about that because there are definitely some issues that could arise from that,” Millias said.

The board will meet Tuesday, March 30, at 6 p.m. to review Town Meeting articles.

Seelig spoke about the One Stop Grant Program.   Letters of interest have to be submitted by April 2.  They are looking for large municipal projects, Seelig said, and the redevelopment of properties including the Council on Aging, Municipal Broadband for the town.  Millias added that they had talked about some kind of filtration or pump house for the Monponsett ponds.   “My recollection was that it would be a constant pump that would aerate the water and then perhaps medicate the ponds.  Andrews suggested that they could alternate the ponds year to year.

Mosquito spraying opt out

Seelig told the Board that Halifax can elect to opt out of aerial mosquito spraying.  They would have to give the public notice.  “I wish we didn’t have to spray at all.   If you want to enjoy the outside, put on some sunscreen and go outside,” Selectman Garron said.  Andrews said he thinks the town should have a public hearing on whether the Town of Halifax should opt out of the spraying noting that people with bees and other concerns also don’t want the spraying.  The members of the board agreed.

Cannabis update

There is a host community agreement (HCA) for the 301 Holmes St. Cannabis Green Earth being ironed out with Town Counsel Mayo.  Flower and Soul, LLc, is proposing a Plymouth Street retail store and delivery service.   They will host a community outreach meeting on April 22.  Seelig clarified that the host community agreement does not need to be approved before the outreach meeting.   Flower and Soul, LLc, will contact Atty. Mayo about the HCA.

Vacation time

Selectmen two weeks ago voted to allow up to 80 hours of vacation carryover from FY21 to FY22 for nine union employees.   There is a request to expand that to all other wage earners who may not have had that available to them.   The board agreed that if you allow it for one employee it should be allowed for all.

In other business

• Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor will have mail-in voting but not early in-person voting through June 30.

•  As for the Comcast performance review hearing that was planned for the 13^th, the board was notified that Michael Power of Comcast is not going to in-person meetings so the meeting will now be held on ZOOM.

•  The Aldana Road land swap  that is in progress with the Commonwealth. is on its way to completion; there is just some more paperwork and deed work that needs to be done.

• As for Halifax Solar v. Halifax, this is a property tax abatement and there are legal papers being filed.

• The board had an appointment with Alan Dias representing the Board of Health.  Selectmen had requested his presence to ask if his board had any concerns with having their meeting taped by Area 58.  Dias told selectmen that he had discussed it with his members and staff and they have no problems with their meetings being taped.

• Discussions and work continue with National Grid to site one or more charging stations at the Town Hall.   Andrews asked that the placement be discussed with the Highway Surveyor to avoid problems with snow removal.

• Two complaints have been filed against the Halifax School Committee citing them in violation of the Open Meeting Law.   The complaints are in the file and available to the public.

• Selectmen unanimously approved the request of the Council on Aging to place a tent on the Town Hall Green for activities this spring.   Millias said he would ask them to follow proper procedure and let people know when they are planning an event.

• Selectmen voted unanimously to write a letter of condolence to the family of Martha Smith who was active in town affairs, having worked for the Police department and the Council on Aging as well as being an active volunteer,

The Plympton School Committee Monday night postponed their budget vote until their next meeting Monday, April 26, giving the committee additional time to gather more information on possible budget offsets and additional funding that may become available.   The committee also wanted to research accommodating the additional position of building substitute, a full–time substitute teacher who would be available throughout the school year.  The cost for this position is about $27,000, without taking into consideration the offset in the substitute teacher’s budget line to lessen the expense.

Dennett School Principal Peter Veneto reported that the first day of full in-person learning went very well.  “Our plan became a reality today … No remote learners … everybody came back today. ”   He said that they were able to execute their five lunch period schedule, keeping students the required six feet apart at lunch.  The only additional cost was the purchase of some 50 folding tables that post-COVID can be repurposed in a number of ways.  Pick up and drop off lines were long but executed safely.   “I saw a lot of really happy kids today.   No need to change what we’re doing right now.”

Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen noted, “It’s great that we were able to put a plan together.   It’s much easier to run the school this way with all the kids under one roof. “  Wilhelmsen thanked everyone who helped get it done – in the course of nine days!  It is the goal to keep everyone safe and in school for the rest of the school year.

Christine Healy, the financial guru of Silver Lake reported that everything looks good as far as the current year’s budget goes, no accounts in danger of being overdrawn, and things are running smoothly.

Jason Fraser gave his report on education legislation, saying that the governor’s first draft of the budget was trying to use Oct. 1, 2020 pupil counts on which to base school reimbursements.  With COVID, statewide there was a 3.3% drop in student population.  Fraser said that he spoke with Rep. Kathy LaNatra about allowing schools to use the 2019 student count as the basis for budgeting this year.  LaNatra instead wanted to “fence off” funds until accurate numbers can be had in October 2021.  If there is an increase, then those fenced off funds can be accessed.

As for COVID 19 updates, Fraser said that there has been no change in guidance.  Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, (DESE) has said that three to six feet of distance is acceptable.  While 192 school systems chose six feet, only 49 school systems chose three feet distancing.  The CDC is comparing the data for COVID transmission between the two protocols and has seen no significant increase in COVID transmission.  Two-ply masks are still required, but Dennett already requires them.

Rep. LaNatra signed onto House Docket #2548 to form a statewide commission to look at the sleep needs of students and getting elementary school students to school earlier, and allow secondary school students to start a little bit later so  that the time that they have in school will be that much more efficiently used.

Wilhelmsen said that the first capital plan item on the budget is a fire suppression system at a cost of $9,000 or less.   “This can’t be postponed.”  He also reached out to see if they could include an item on the warrant for the parking lot at the Dennett to be repaired.  “The driveway is at a critical point where if we don’t do some maintenance, we will have to replace it.”

The playground construction is on the horizon and with the proximity of the playground to the septic system, it makes sense to look into its health.  Fraser said he wanted to be able to make use of anticipated infrastructure grants should they become available.  Fraser asked if the septic system had been evaluated and Veneto answered, “the short answer is no.”  Wilhelmsen said that this must to go in as one of the overall school needs.  “Maintain, rather than fixing things that break.  It is more expensive to fix things that break.”  Veneto will reach out to his building superintendent to get that assessment done.

Fraser reported on the status of the playground project, telling the board that he originally approached 2019 Town Meeting for some assistance in building an ADA approved playground on the Dennett.   When Plympton started getting students through school choice, those funds were sequestered for one-time expenditures and not made part of the operating budget.   Outside of a few expenditures for the water treatment equipment and a few other items, the school choice tuitions are largely intact and can be used to fund part of the playground costs. The total price is estimated to be about $250,000, to $300,000 project and none of that money will be funded through the school’s operating budget.   The structures will include a Rocket Swing that will accommodate a mobility-challenged child in a wheelchair, and a soft  rubber footing that will also allow a child in a wheel chair to be able to navigate the playground and be with their peers.  They made adjustments to the playground to make it ADA Plus, building ramps onto the structures, and got a surface level merry go round that is wheel chair accessible, at an additional $37,000 cost.  “We talked about this in depth and the committee agreed to move forward with this idea,” Fraser said

“Right now we’re soliciting quotes,” Healy said, preparing to send it off to three or four vendors on the state’s contractor list.  The next step is going out to the traditional bid for the installation of the playground, as well as the rubberized safety surface.  It was suggested that fencing wait until the playground is installed to see how the area works.  Our hope is to be out to bid Patriots Day week.   

Wilhelmsen said that the committee would be able to see all of the details at the June meeting and vote on the project once they have all the information.

The dinosaur has been a topic of conversation, Fraser said.  there have been a couple of people who have approached them about keeping the dinosaur.  The playground vendors’ advice was to take all the equipment there and turn it into scrap metal.   Once the new equipment was beginning to be installed, any accident on the old equipment would not be covered by insurance.

Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx told the board that the preliminary regular day budget stands at a 6.2% increase, and the total school budget is 2.9% increase.  Wilhelmsen said, “Overall I think the budget is very lean and of course last year we had to keep a 1.6% overall increase.  I’m not sure even in the best year we’ve ever come down that low.“

One of the issues we run into each year when we vote our budget is that we vote before April 1 and end up with a certain number of placeholders in the warrant.  Given that we haven’t met with FinCom yet ,,, it may be worthwhile for us to consider not voting the budget tonight, to talk through any other open issues and then after we have some numbers for April 1 we can make adjustments as needed.”  

The next school committee meeting is Monday, April 26.

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met Thursday, March 11, and unanimously voted an operating budget of $27,246,375 as the amount deemed necessary for the operation of the Silver Lake Regional School District for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.   The debt budget covering the construction of the Silver Lake Regional High School,  $1,469,030.90 for the 2021-2022 school year, which is part of the towns’ assessments – also passed unanimously.  Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx pointed out that the budget reflects more than $160,000 in budget cuts that were requested by the committee.

Halifax’s Town Administrator, Charlie Seelig, spoke to the board at the beginning of their meeting, asking them to consider carefully.  “Things are tight, tighter than they have been in a number of years.”  Seelig said that Halifax right now does not have the revenue needed to cover the increases proposed by Halifax’s departments ….”

At this point, he said, the finance committee is putting in numbers that are level funded from last year.  From there, they will add in the contractual obligations that have to be paid like health insurance and retirement, and salaries.  If there is money available, the next thing they will put in is step increases, no matter what department they are in, per the various contracts or through the Halifax Wage and Personnel by-law.   Only after that, will the Finance Committee start considering increasing wage accounts.

Seelig brought up the article submitted by the school committee to the Town Meeting warrant to fund restoring tennis courts at the High School for $130,000.  He said this is in addition to the towns’ local assessments.   It should be considered, but taxpayers should make a decision as to what is more important, tennis courts or other parts of the budget.  “Money is money,” Seelig said, “and it’s going to be the same dollar from the same sources that are going from Halifax to Silver Lake.” In terms of the total assessment.   Seelig said that everything is in flux because there is no state budget yet so state reimbursements aren’t available yet.

Chairman Paula Hatch opened the meeting to the public and heard from Madelyn Dooner who sent the results of a petition she started asking that students not go back to school for the remainder of this school year.  She told the board that many parents and students do not feel comfortable going back for this fragment of a school year, citing scheduling conflicts and that while remote learning will still be there for those who have chosen it, it will now be done through a third party, “so it doesn’t seem like it is going to be the same experience for everybody.  It’s not going to be like a fair experience.”

Hatch responded by saying that the state has now stepped in and they are making the rules and the Silver Lake School District is mandated to follow them.  Hatch assured her that the committee is taking all of the concerns of parents and students very seriously and the remote option is not being taken away.

Michelle Taylor, a parent of a soon to graduate senior, asked the board to support letting the senior class remain as they are.   Taylor told the board that she works for the state as a school licenser, so she’s  well aware of COVID regulations and have been helping schools since last March a year ago with re-opening and health and safety plans …  “so I know the intricate details that you all have to manage … that  having been said, putting my parent hat on, I do feel  that these students that have been brave enough, and I applaud them, through petitions and speaking tonight, and in the past, I’ve heard from my own child and other students in particular the senior class, ‘Why change it in the fourth quarter?’  There are only six weeks left until the end of school, and although a hybrid schedule is certainly not ideal, by anyone’s stretch of imagination, it is consistent at least.“

Chairman Hatch thanked her and said she is sensitive to the seniors in particular  and “we do understand what’s happening, what they’ve been deprived of, and are trying to make it as easy a time for the next couple of months and to have it be enjoyable for the time they have left.”

Michaela Gill, principal of Silver Lake High School, gave the board the latest iteration of her plan to have students return to full time classes in the high school, a plan that has had to change several times based on changes in the requirements from the state.  Currently, however, there is no date from the state when high school students must return to full in-person learning.  “We are ready and eager to welcome all students back to school,” Gill told the board.

Middle School Principal Jim Dupille told the board that as of March 9, DESE has mandated that all middle school students must return by April 28.  He has constructed a plan for full in-person return to school, in fact several plans, as they have needed to be reconfigured to meet the ever-changing guidance from the State Department of Education.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jill Proulx responded to committee member Summer Schmaling’s question of asking the Department of Education for a waiver to return to full in-person schooling, pointing out that the Silver Lake High School does not meet any of the criteria listed in the guidance from the Dept. of Education.  “I want to reiterate, especially for families and students who may be listening, that the reality is that the Department of Education has mandated that we are required to return to full in-person schooling by May 4.  That’s what we’ve done.  This is remarkable work in a very short period of time on behalf of students.  There are bound to be issues, so I ask the community to be patient.  This is a very tall order to be done in a very short period of time. …   Students will experience this differently, but as a community we will be supporting our students as well as we can.”

Dupille said it is his plan to return students to full in-person schooling when they come back from April vacation, April 26.  He said that in summary, students will get new schedules, teacher schedules will change, some electives will not run in the remote learning environment, remote electives will shift to in-person, and some electives may not be able to be run.   Term III will end April 16; term IV begins April 26.

Dupille said he may need to rent three tents to take advantage of outdoor spaces for band, chorus, and wellness.   The tents can be put into use in many ways, at a cost of $2200 for each tent for six weeks.

Crone said that  separating the two schools, middle and high, seems like a much easier way to address the problem.   “It seems like the middle school is much easier to return to school.  The high school, I still don’t think it is.”   Recognizing  that we don’t have a choice.  If the commissioner comes back in April and doesn’t  have  a return date for high schools, if he comes back and puts it back to the local systems to choose, I would choose to leave it as is for the  four to six weeks that we have left.

Committeeman Gordon Andrews asked the committee to authorize Eric to write a letter of unappreciation for all of the shifts of changes.   We think we’re near the deadline and they shift again.  The number of meetings, the hours of work trying to implement their changes, “I think we need to speak up and let them know that it’s not okay.”

Leslie Ann McGee applauded everyone, staff and administrators, for the work that has been done.   “I want to make sure that the public understands that as we make these plans, not only does the Dept. of Education change the goal posts, they change what they look like.  Plans that worked no longer are acceptable and there is no guarantee that the plans in place now won’t become obsolete at the DESE’s whim.”

Mike Antoine said that he agreed with Eric Crone; if Commissioner Riley sends the high school decisions back to the local level, “Let’s stay the course… if that’s an option.”

Crone made a motion to ask the committee to authorize him to write a letter stating that SLRHS would like to make their own decisions regarding high school return to all in-person learning.  “We can write the letter, but we don’t have to do it.”   Eric Crone will draft a letter for Hatch’s approval, and the vote was unanimously in favor.

Until they hear from DESE, Principal Gill has her plan to bring students back fully May 3.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen held a special meeting on Wednesday, March 3 to interview and select a candidate from the town to fill a vacancy on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. The position would be a two-month position to fulfill a current term until the election in May. Selectmen Chair Tom Millias said he would encourage any candidates not awarded to the interim position to take papers out and run during the town election.

Representing the Silver Lake Regional School Committee was Chair Paula Hatch as well as Gordon Andrews who was acting in his role on the Regional School Committee rather than as a selectman. Millias and selectman Troy Garron were there to represent the Halifax Board of Selectmen.

The first candidate interviewed was Jessica DiBona, a teacher with over twenty years of experience. “I know that there is a lot of work that has to be undertaken by the School Committee in the coming months and I just want to give a hand helping out with that; I know many hands make light work of a big task so I just want to volunteer to help,” DiBona said. Garron asked DiBona if she felt that she would be biased as a teacher while negotiating contracts with other teachers. DiBona responded, “no, because I am a parent first.” Millias asked her how she felt about school returning full-time and DiBona replied, “It’s time to go back, I think there are proper safety precautions in place for the teachers and the staff.”

Hatch, who thanked all three candidates for expressing interest, asked DiBona about where her priorities would be when needing to reduce a budget during the drafting and reviewing process which is currently underway. “You have to try to make cuts that are going to affect the least amount of kids as possible… you need to find a way to work with the resources you have and maybe see how teachers can step up in other ways in more ways than one to maybe fulfill a need that two people were doing before,” DiBona said. DiBona also said she was on the School Council with Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal Jim Dupille for two years during the budget process. “I saw the school view impact of how that plays out,” she explained, acknowledging how tough it can be when you may have to cut school personnel.

The next candidate interviewed was Summer Schmaling who has served for seven years on the Halifax School Committee; six of those as Chair. Schmaling said she has a daughter at the high school and a son who will soon be entering the Middle School. She told those assembled that she had already pulled papers and would be appearing for a position on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee during the election. Schamling alluded to the current budget crisis as well as the impending superintendent review and said she is on the Admin Review Committee as well as Union 31. “It’s kind of a tricky time of year for somebody to jump into and fill a vacancy on a board, so when I saw there was a vacancy and knew I was going to run for Silver Lake, I thought I would be a valuable asset to the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, bringing my expertise of dealing with the budget and the complexities of trying to return our children to school.”

Hatch asked Schmaling about balancing her responsibilities to both the Halifax Elementary School Committee and the Regional one should she be awarded the position. “It will be a very busy time as you know,” Hatch said. Schmaling, who said she is the kind of person who functions well under high stress, said, “I am aware of that and I am aware that I also serve on relatively busy subcommittees also, that’s part of the process. I feel that I have done a pretty good job over the years being a parent and being Chairman of the Halifax Elementary School Committee and working full-time and many other things I have done for myself and this community.” Schmaling also noted that she has been to every town meeting since moving into Halifax 11 years ago.

As he did with DiBona, Millias asked Schmaling what her thoughts were on the children returning to school full-time. “Oh I’ve been a very strong and vocal advocate of a full five day in-person return and in fact I made the motion on the floor for the elementary to return,” Schmaling said. Millias said, “You’ve volunteered for a lot of things for a lot of years and we’re grateful.”

The final candidate was Marline Amedee who said she is both a mother, a social worker, and a small business owner. Amedee said she has been interested in serving in some capacity since moving to Halifax noting that she had previously submitted applications including for the Halifax Elementary School Committee. Like Schmaling, Amedee noted that she intends to pull papers for the coming election. “I believe that the budget is an issue for all cities and towns in Massachusetts right now because we are having an unprecedented moment right now,” Amedee said. “I want to be part of that conversation to bring a fresh idea, a new opinion… and work with teachers and administrators to see how we can serve our community better,” she continued.

Amedee also spoke about challenges, including mental health struggles, facing students at home that may be affecting them at school as well. “We want to have people in school to help them, support them through those challenges especially during this unprecedented time.”  Hatch asked Amedee to elaborate on what kind of social and emotional issues she has seen children facing during the pandemic in her job. She also asked how Amedee felt that these issues should best be dealt with given budgetary constraints. “One thing that we can do, if we cannot do anymore hiring, is that we can train teachers in mental health first-aid; train them and give them the support that they need so that they can support the kids in school,” Amedee said. She further acknowledged that there would be no one thing that would fix it all saying that it would be a “process.”

Andrews asked Amedee how quickly she felt she could get up to speed on the budget process given the short duration of the open position. Amedee said she was a “fast learner” and said she has the time to learn at a fast-pace. Millias asked Amedee the same question regarding a return to full, in-person learning that he asked the previous two candidates. “We must do everything possible to have our children back in the classroom full-time and also following up with the state guidelines and prioritizing the safety of everyone.”

Following the interviews, Millias opened the meeting to any motions including those to appoint someone to the Committee. Hatch began by saying that the Silver Lake Regional School Committee has lost three members in the last ten months noting how challenging that has been. Speaking about the superintendent review and the budget process, Hatch said, “Given those two things being really the crucial two things that the School Committee needs to tackle in the next two months, I’m going to make a motion… to appoint Summer. I do so because of Summer’s background and experience already with the budgets and the overall School Committee experience.” Andrews seconded the motion. A roll call vote of the four voting members of the Selectmen and School Committee was then taken. It was unanimous in favor of appointing Schmaling to the interim term.

On a motion by Summer Schmaling, the Halifax School Committee voted unanimously to send elementary school students back to school five full days a week, beginning March 22, the first day of the school’s third term.

At their meeting Monday night, March 1, close to 200 parents, teachers, and more were logged in remotely to hear the plan that Principal Kayne Beaudry and his staff put together to bring students back.

Working from a survey for each student, Beaudry asked what parents wanted: full time back to school or hybrid (no change).    The response was 2 to 1 overwhelmingly in favor of bringing students back full time.  There were 88 who did not respond.

Beaudry presented the timeline for full return to school that he and his staff developed, beginning with mailing the survey to families from Feb. 19 to Feb. 26.  The week of March 15 will see teacher assignments, transportation and communication to families.  March 22 will return students to full time.

Beaudry told the board the response rate to his survey was 84%.  “Incredible!  Thank you to all who completed the survey.”  Of those who returned the survey, 69% preferred full in-person return, while 31% chose the hybrid, or no change.

Currently there are 567 students at Halifax Elementary School.  At this time, there are 290 students on the bus, and another 200 for drop-off and pickup.  There are 10 buses, and the routes will need to be revised. Beaudry said they will be working with the bus companies as quickly as possible to implement the changes.

The pickup will likely be staggered to avoid congestion.  Drop off seems to  flow a little quicker so it will remain the same.  The Holmes Library will continue to allow kindergarten students and siblings to use the library parking lot.

Schmaling, asked if Beaudry anticipated needing a police detail for the first few days.  He said a police detail, would be helpful in the beginning to get things going, “but I’m confident the staff can get it done pretty quickly.”

As for lunches, both the cafeteria and the all-purpose spaces will be used to seat students.  “We can easily accommodate 88 students at 6 feet distance in the cafeteria and the all purpose room,” he told the assembly.  Schmaling asked if he had enough seating for lunch and the answer was yes.  He said they might be looking for a number of desks to accommodate, but they have some tables that can also be used.  Dr. Proulx commented that if the remaining surveys come in, we might have to find another 45 extra desks.   There might be a minor cost to accommodate that.”

“One of the trickiest pieces we had to work with were specialists,” Beaudry continued.  He told the board that returning to a full in person schooling that music will look a little different, and the instruments will look a little different, for a safe class.

A parent asked about snacks and mask breaks.  Beaudry answered, “if the weather is nice, we will utilize that.   There are tents that can be used.  If we’re not able to go outdoors, we were talking about having mask breaks in the hallway or even larger areas in the building. “

“With 88 no responses, I have to reach out to those families to see where they stand,“ Beaudry said.

Another concern voiced by a parent is “What happens to the remote kids when the school goes back in full?”  Beaudry said that it is their hope to disrupt those students as little as possible, understanding the relationships formed between the teacher and their students.  Some disruption can’t be avoided.

Safe classroom setup will accommodate up to 24 students with desks, seat to seat, 3 feet apart.  It will look much like a traditional classroom from the 80s, desks and chairs in a row, but that will allow for a staging area for the teacher to work and the maximum number of students safely in a room.

To answer concerns that a return to full five-day school schedule will increase COVID-19 transmission, Schmalling said that the school nurse had reported  there was not one single case of the virus transmitted in the Halifax Elementary School.

Superintendent Proulx told the assembly ”It’s very important that everyone understands that he’s (Beaudry) going to do his best not to disrupt student placements for teachers but that needs to happen.   I think everyone needs to understand that classrooms will be at three feet.   I can’t control, to what extent, nor can Mr. Beaudry, what impact that will have on the consistency of our mode.   Less distancing means more potential close contacts.   I feel confident in the fact that Mr. Beaudry and Mr. DeSantis have worked very hard in two days to put together a presentation for you based upon the survey data that just closed, and the governor has encouraged the full in-person return by the first week of April.”

Superintendent Proulx noted that she expects that there has been some learning loss over the past year, but she has some funds are available to implement summer programming, with more information to follow.

The Plympton School Committee met virtually on Monday, Feb. 22, to discuss, among other things, their plan for increased in-person learning time. It was a well-attended meeting with many parents eager to hear the proposal.

Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto led the discussion on the new plan. Veneto began by explaining that capacity limitations and physical distancing requirements on buses were lifted on February 11. The physical distancing requirement at lunch remains at 6 ft. Veneto proposed a return to full, in-person learning five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily. The current hybrid model includes 12 hours of in-person learning and the newly proposed plan would increase that to 20 hours. There would be no lunch or recess in school under Veneto’s plan but there would be an afternoon component of either asynchronous or synchronous remote learning depending on the grade level. The cafeteria staff would have to organize a sort of grab and go breakfast and lunch program.

Veneto explained that by not serving lunch during the day, it affords them space in the cafeteria to be utilized as classrooms. Gym class would also have to be held somewhere other than the gymnasium as that space would likely also be used as a classroom. Under the new plan, afternoons on Wednesdays would be reserved for professional development and planning for the staff. The hope would be to begin the new model at the beginning of Term 3 on March 22.

Next steps will include sending out a survey to parents to assess their level of interest and comfort in the new model. Veneto said they will also need to find out if the bus company, First Student, will be able to accommodate the newly proposed hours. Veneto said that he is not anticipating any budget implications for the new model at this time.

The fully remote Cohort C was also discussed with Veneto saying that they would have to take a hard look at the current staff and make determinations about whether new hires will have to be made. Parent Jessica Kinsman asked if the Cohort C students could potentially lose their current teachers. Veneto said, “To be truthful, that is a possible scenario.” Kinsman asked that the Cohort C students retain their current teachers to reduce the number of transitions they will need to be subjected to in an already difficult year. Veneto said that he understood noting that he was concerned with providing them the same level of effort and support as the other cohorts. The State has mandated 35 hours of synchronous learning over a 10-day school period this year for schools that are in a hybrid model. Committee member Jason Fraser said that regardless of the requirement, if 40 hours of synchronous learning time is provided for the in-person cohorts, the same 40 hours must be met for the fully remote students in the interest of equity.

Several parents on the call had questions regarding lunchtime and whether it might be feasible for students to eat in the classrooms if physical distancing requirements of six feet were already in place. Veneto said the greatest challenge would be having supervision on the children. Parent Nikki Mahoney asked if there was any consideration for parent volunteers to alleviate the stress of monitoring the kids at lunchtime. “I definitely would be open to people possibly coming in to help out,” Veneto said. Many parents on the call offered that they would be available for volunteering. School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen pointed out the importance of limiting the number of people coming into the school.

Some parents, including Committee members, expressed concern over how they would be able to make the new hours work with their work schedules. Several people said that it just would not be possible for them to pick their child up each day at 12:30, forcing them to have to use the bus or add to potential exposures by accepting rides with other families. Parent Angela Wilbur said, “This plan is a logistical nightmare for me.” “It is going to have to be a compromise; I wish that I could provide school from 2019,” Veneto said.

Wilbur asked if the intention was for this plan to be a short-term one with the goal to increase more in-person learning time later or if the plan would remain through the end of the year. Veneto called the proposal “a step in the right direction” and said that he would re-evaluate after the staff is able to be vaccinated and the new plan able to be tested.

Wilbur also expressed concern that she believes Plympton will soon be the only town of the three Silver Lake communities not to return to a full day in person five days a week. She said that she worried that the Plympton students will be at a disadvantage academically compared to their peers. Some parents became quite heated while expressing their dismay at the proposed plan and what they perceived to be a failure on the behalf of the administration and School Committee. Parent Stephani Teran came to the defense of the administration and School Committee attributing their cautious approach to the success of the school in mitigating the spread of the virus.

Several parents with children spread out among different schools in the district expressed concern with the conflicting dismissal times. According to those on the call, the middle school would be dismissed at 12:20 and the high school at 12:45. Veneto said that he would adjust the schedule as needed saying that the dismissal could be moved a half an hour earlier or later if necessary.

Parent Michelle Ruxton asked what the remote learning would look like were there to be a close contact exposure that forced a quarantine. Veneto said that one of the benefits of the current model is that should a student need to stay home, they can receive remote, synchronous learning. He said that it might not be possible to offer that under the new model.

Parents will have about a week to complete the survey regarding the plan for increased, in-person learning. Wilhelmsen said that depending on the results of the survey, the School Committee may need to have another brief meeting to address it.

The official public budget hearing for FY2022 for the Dennett was held during Monday’s meeting. There were no public comments made. Superintendent Jill Proulx gave a presentation on the budget. Veneto was asked to provide a level service budget. The budget assumes a full, in-person return to school.

The regular day budget reflects a 6.20 percent increase, and the total budget represents a 3.97 percent increase or $147,560 more than the previous year. Capital projects include driveway/parking lot improvements, a fire suppression upgrade at $5,000, and a full-time, building based substitute at $27,000.

Proulx said that the School Committee will need to meet with the Finance Committee to find out how they would like to handle budgeting for the unknowns. Those unknowns include any potential remote components next year as well as a potentially larger than usual kindergarten class.

Fraser told the Committee that the Governor came out with the State budget and Plympton’s Chapter 70 funding will be level funded. Fraser also said that the State is considering increasing funding to schools under the Student Opportunity Act though he noted that Governor Baker does not see a way to make that a reality at this time. There is, however, likely to be money coming to Massachusetts for K-12 education through a federal package.

Fraser also told the Committee that the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) has joined many other entities in advocating to allow local administration of vaccines as previously planned.

He said they are also fighting to move teachers to the top of the list of employees receiving the vaccine. He noted that this was with the understanding that elders, first responders, healthcare workers, and those with two comorbidities be vaccinated first.

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen and Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto held a parent information session on Thursday, Feb. 11, regarding further in-person learning. Wilhelmsen noted that the evening’s virtual call was not a School Committee meeting. Wilhelmsen began the session with a lengthy statement, the bulk of which is presented below.

“The School Committee, administration, and teachers have always believed that more in-person learning is better for our students; we also have been actively thinking about this for many months… we must achieve additional in-person time in a way that is ultimately safe and successful. As some of our neighboring communities are unfortunately finding out, additional in-person time at the expense of certain safety protocols such as six-foot distancing without additional mitigation efforts can cause even greater disruptions to students’ in-person time… Mr. Veneto, administration, and staff are currently working on a plan for additional in-person learning this school year which will be presented to the School Committee for discussion, consideration, and a vote at our next meeting on Monday, February 22… At a high level, the plan will address increased in-person learning time this year, likely four to five days per week. It is also likely the plan will be dependent upon vaccination of staff to mitigate the six-foot distancing. We are additionally looking at Wednesdays for alternating cohorts to provide additional in-person learning time which is something we think could be done more quickly.”

Veneto added, “I think it’s fairly safe to say that every one of our staff members would like to see children back in the building five days a week. The trouble with that is that we need to make sure that we are doing it safely.”

Parent Katie Rondeau asked if the School Committee and Administration were set in their determination to stick with six feet of physical distancing as opposed to three. Wilhelmsen said they were committed to following the CDC guidance of six feet. He also said that as the staff that wants to be vaccinated are, it would put them in a better position to be able to relax that requirement. He also pointed out that reducing the distancing requirement would result in more close contacts having to quarantine for two weeks if they were exposed to someone who tests positive. Assuming the entire class does not have to quarantine, those that do would likely be doing asynchronous work. Noting the importance of consistency, Wilhelmsen said that Duxbury recently went back to more in-person learning and within a week two second-grade classes were in quarantine for two weeks.

Another parent asked what the administration considered the biggest challenges to a full return. Wilhelmsen said that while Veneto and others are working on a plan for lunchtime it remained a hurdle as the six feet of distancing required at lunch is non-negotiable. Veneto said that 48 students are able to fit on the floor of the cafeteria and another 2 to 4 on the stage while maintaining the DESE mandated six feet. Wilhelmsen said that, just that evening, new guidance had been released that relaxed the requirements for distancing on buses, making that less of an obstacle. “There’s a lot of other logistical issues that just need to be worked out and thought through,” Wilhelmsen responded.

Wilhelmsen answered a question regarding whether the school had a threshold in mind from a vaccination perspective. He said that the hope was the State can get things sorted out so that teachers and staff can be vaccinated as quickly as possible. “If folks want to make some calls, feel free to call DPH or your reps and ask them why they changed what they were doing these last couple of weeks,” he said. There had been a plan for both the Plympton and Halifax Fire Departments to host vaccine clinics in order to assist with a speedy administration of the Phase Two levels of vaccine distribution. “That all fell apart last week when the state took away the doses,” Wilhelmsen explained.

Parent Nikki Mahoney asked if there was a contingency plan for teachers that plan not to get vaccinated. Wilhelmsen said that he, personally, was not thinking that being vaccinated would be a requirement for being in the school.

Wilhelmsen said that he hoped that the school would return to full, in-person learning or close-to, by the end of the current school year so that they could better formulate a plan for the fall. He said that based on what he has heard from the CDC, etc. not much will change between now and the fall in terms of masking still being required and children likely not being vaccinated.

The issue of the large first and fifth grade classes were also discussed as another obstacle to a full return. Veneto noted that the numbers include those students who are currently electing to be fully remote. Currently the art room has been transformed into a fifth-grade classroom. Parent Heather Eddy said that she felt the focus should be placed on how to get those two grades back into the building at six feet of distance and asked about looking for alternative places to put classes. Wilhelmsen pointed out that using a room such as the gym for a classroom would mean that it couldn’t be used for other purposes including gym class and potentially basketball. “The space itself is extremely limited, we have looked at every square inch and we are using every square inch right now,” Veneto explained. Several first-grade parents on the call did note that they wouldn’t be opposed to seeing the other grades return to full, in-person learning even if the first-grade needed to stay hybrid.

Currently the gymnasium is divided with one half utilized for gym class and the other for a luncheon area for teachers. Rondeau asked, “If we were to move the first grade into the gymnasium and then use the empty first grade classrooms for the teachers’ luncheon, would that help with opening up space?” Despite saying that the acoustics wouldn’t be ideal for learning if half the gym was being used for gym class, Veneto called it “a good thought.” She also recommended either pausing gym classes or possibly moving gym classes outside even during the winter. “I don’t disagree, that’s something to think about,” Veneto said.

A question was asked as to whether the school had considered the use of portable classrooms. Veneto said the most common suggestion was whether or not tents could be used. He said that tents are a good option when the weather is nice but not during winter months. Veneto said that while portable classrooms are something they are looking into they are likely cost prohibitive. CARES Act funding has dried up as of December 31.

Wilhelmsen said that they were asked to hold to a 1.6 percent increase for the year during last year’s budget cycle. He said that normally they would present anywhere from a 3 percent to a 5 percent increased budget, noting that even that is quite lean. The Dennett took what Wilhelmsen called “significant advantage” of the CARES Act money, spending somewhere around $120,000. “We do not have a blank check to get students back to full, in-person learning at the snap of our fingers,” he explained. He also said that just because a need is identified and money found for that need, it doesn’t mean that the staff or other means to fulfill that need are available. “I’m down two staff members right now and I’m trying to fill those positions,” Veneto said of the shortage of available candidates. He also referred to the school as being one staff absence away from the building not being able to function. He called it “a challenge every single day” just to make sure there is an adult in front of children.

Parent Angela Wilbur said she would like to share her perspective as a licensed clinical psychologist. “I’m hearing a lot about busing and lunches and teachers’ health and welfare which are all extremely important but I have yet to hear anything about the children’s mental health,” she said. Wilbur said that since the beginning of the pandemic, mental health referrals have increased over 500 percent. “Wait lists are full, inpatient units have no beds, outpatient providers, which I am one of, are caring for patients who should be hospitalized, suicide rates have almost doubled, overdose rates are astronomical, kids report severe depression, debilitating anxiety, isolation, and self-harm. Pediatricians are treating rapid increase referrals in insomnia, sleep issues, headaches, and G.I. issues. Social anxiety has increased, behavioral issues have increased, those who were school phobic before have regressed, prescriptions for antidepressants and other psychotropic medications have risen over 30 percent. Many of these kids have never presented with mental health issues ever before.”

Wilbur said that just as there is a gross shortage of teachers, that same shortage exists for mental health providers for children. She called it a mental health crisis and said, “These children are resilient but they can’t continue like this, this has gone on for too long and it is unfair to ask them to continue on like this.” Wilbur said that due to her profession she has had countless families reach out for resources saying that the word most often uttered regarding their children is that they are “suffering.”

Veneto responded to Wilbur saying, “I know I’m speaking the truth when I say that the social and emotional component of this whole pandemic has been paramount in every one of our staff meetings. Your sentiments are well shared.” Wilbur stressed how much she knows the Dennett staff care for the kids but added, “I need the plans to reflect that priority of their mental health… I hear so many obstacles and barriers and I know that so many of those are real but there has to be solutions within this.” She said that she was worried about relying on mitigation from vaccinations that likely won’t occur for another month and won’t be fully effective for several weeks after that.

Fourth grade teacher Ann Walker, who has been at the Dennett since 2001, said, “I have been teaching for 28 years now and this is the hardest year I have ever had.” Walker said the first and foremost concern of all teachers following the closure in March was not academics but the social and emotional welfare of the children.

She said how proud she was of the people she works with including the School Committee who she said has been working countless hours to do what’s best for the children.

“If it were that easy, we would have done it, we would have had those children in the building,” Walker said. “Our town has had more in-person time whether it be in the building or interacting with an adult online than most schools in the area,” she continued. Many other districts have not offered learning time with teachers on remote days but rather asynchronous work only. Walker called the parents “heroes” and stressed that the School Committee, the teachers, Principal Veneto, and the parents all have the same goal.

One parent questioned the length of time in between regular School Committee meetings. Wilhelmsen pointed out the busy schedules of administration including the Superintendent who attends all School Committee meetings within the larger Silver Lake district. “If we need to meet to do something and to take action that we can’t deal with either by having a meeting like this where we’re updating parents or by not having to have a decision by the School Committee and meeting offline in separate sub committees, I mean we’re going to do that.”

Citing his six years on the Committee and his initial plan not to continue with the Committee, Wilhelmsen said, “I don’t not get it… I was going to be done… but then COVID hit and I felt it was really important to be able to help in any way that I can to shepherd us through this; it’s not just me, I’m only doing a little tiny piece of this.” He continued, “I spent more time in July on the School Committee than I spent in the six years prior.” He mentioned the additional time spent by Veneto and the teachers working full-time over the summer as well. “We’re committed to this and we’ll do what we need to do,” he said.

The next meeting of the Plympton Elementary School Committee will be on Monday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. where a plan for more in-person learning will be presented and discussed by the Committee.

The Halifax Planning Board was back in action on Thursday, Feb. 4. The previous two meetings became contentious at points with members of the Board disagreeing over whether Cled’s Tree Service was in compliance with their site plan. The discussion continued during the most recent meeting as well.

The previous meeting had to adjourn abruptly as Planning Board member Amy Troupe fell off the call during the discussion on Cled’s. Troupe cited technical difficulties as the reason. Board member Gordon Andrews has recused himself from all discussions involving Cled’s. Board member Mark Millias was not present for the previous discussions on Cled’s so Chair Alan Dias took a few moments to get him up to speed on the situation.

Dias said that there was no question that the plan that was approved previously was not a legitimate plan. He said that both the engineer and Cled’s Tree Service had substantiated the claim. According to Dias, the plan that was received from Bracken Engineering was marked up without Bracken’s knowledge and submitted to the Planning Board for approval.

Dias asked Troupe, who had previously defended Cled’s from noncompliance and fraudulent claims, if she still had concerns. Troupe said she believed it should have been obvious to anyone that the marked-up portion of the site plan was not done by an engineer. She said she didn’t believe it was presented that way. Dias said he wanted to move on from the discussion of the fraudulent claims and figure out a plan for getting Cled’s into compliance. He recommended giving Cled’s the same amount of time as outlined by the Fire Department to come into compliance. Cled’s is in violation of the fire code and was previously given until early March to bring things up to code.

Millias asked Dias if he was suggesting that the Planning Board ask Cled’s for an updated site plan or an existing conditions plan. Dias said he felt that doing so would be a waste of resources as Cled’s was proposing to put up a building.

Millias asked Dias to confirm that he felt that Cled’s was in violation of his site plan. Dias said that he was and Millias asked him to speak to the existing infractions. Dias cited the storage of logs, the storage of wood chips, and some equipment, namely a grinder. Millias responded that he didn’t believe those to be Planning Board issues. Millias instead made a motion to send a letter asking Cled’s to come into compliance within the same time frame as given by the Fire Department. Troupe said she didn’t feel it was necessary and noted it seemed like doubling up as the Fire Department had already done that. All other non-abstaining members voted in favoring of sending the letter giving Cled’s until March 10 to come into compliance.

The Board discussed a few other projects as well including a preliminary site plan review discussion for Liddell Brothers at 285 Holmes St. Dias asked Joshua Liddell about a cease and desist order that had been issued by the Building Department. Liddell, who was speaking on behalf of his uncle Gary Liddell, said that the heat was not working in the building so NorthStar Mechanical was hired to do a switch over. They didn’t have a permit so a cease and desist was issued. Liddell said they have obtained the necessary permit since.

Liddell said that they were only proposing a fence at the moment. Millias recommended that it be kept inset from the property by a few feet for maintenance.

Board member Rick Merry said he would be recusing himself from future discussions on the project moving forward as he lives nearby. He said that the project likely impacts him more than any other resident or abutter. Merry said that he suspects that the work, which he said has been ongoing for months, has included a lot more than just fixing the heat. He said the property now looks akin to a two-acre parking lot running down the street. “My house shook for about a week while they compacted it all,” Merry told the Board.

The Board also discussed Bud’s Goods and Provisions who have a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the town for a marijuana growing facility. Dias asked for a motion to request a $5,000 retainer to review the plan saying the estimate is around $4,700. Andrews said that they needed to reach out to more engineers to ascertain prices for reviewing. Millias said he didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask Bud’s to pay for things that are much further down the line in the overall process. It was decided, instead, to ask Bud’s for $2,500 initially and let them know that as the money was used up it would need to be replenished.

Dias also said that given the large scope of the project, he would like to ask for a site visit. The other members agreed.

The next Planning Board meeting will include a question and answer session with Attorney Kwesell to go over the process for site plans and special permits.