The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met for three hours on Thursday, Oct. 22. Newest member Lukasz Kowalksi was in attendance representing Plympton.

Principals’ Reports

High school principal Michaela Gill and middle school principal Jim Dupille provided the Committee with updates. Gill began by saying that the graduation date this year will be moved from Saturday morning to Friday evening as was done this past summer. Gill said they received a lot of positive feedback regarding the switch and also said that it allows the rain date to be the following day. The new date will be Friday, June 4 with a rain date of June 5.  Committee member Eric Crone said that as a parent of a graduating senior last year, he agreed with the change and noted the cooler temperatures during the evening. Gill also said that due to the overwhelming success of the senior parade held due to COVID restrictions, it may become a new tradition moving forward.

The school hosted its first ever virtual back to school night with teachers creating slide presentations and videos for parents to view at their convenience. The presentations remain on the website should anyone still wish to view them. Parent-teacher conferences were also held virtually and Gill said that there was a 10.5 percent increase in parent participation over the previous year. She attributed the increase to the convenience of parents not having to take time off from work or schedule a babysitter in order to attend. Gill said that they will consider restructuring both the back to school event and the conferences in the future, perhaps offering a remote option even after the pandemic is over.

Gill also brought before the Committee a request to approve both drama and band beginning in a limited capacity after school. Band would begin as just one day a week and would include percussion instruments only to avoid the possible risk posed by wind instruments. The drama program, which will include only one show this year during the spring, would also be meeting one day per week after school in the auditorium. Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said the requests complied with DESE guidelines and the Committee voted unanimously to approve.

Due to the pandemic last year, the requirement for seniors to complete community service hours was waived. Gill said she has been fielding questions regarding whether the same accommodation will be made this year. Given that there have already been some opportunities for students to complete hours either virtually or with safety protocols in place, Gill said she would like to hold off on making a final decision on whether or not to waive the requirement until after the new year.

The school participated in raising funds for breast cancer research in October through a small staff fundraising event which was held virtually. Students were also encouraged to wear pink to help raise awareness. Students also participated in a global Unity Day that entailed wearing orange to stand in solidarity against bullying.

Gill also recognized several teachers and staff members for their outstanding efforts in getting school started this year including the school nurse who Gill said is the first one in the building every day. “Without her obviously we would not have been able to open our doors this year… I don’t think she’s slept since March 12,” Gill told the Committee.

Dupille said that parent teacher conferences were coming up at the middle school on November 18 and 19 and said the format would be the same as the high school. He also said that Term 1 progress reports would be issued electronically. Like the high school, Dupille said they held a virtual back to school night. Parents were able to speak virtually with their children’s teachers.

A Halloween costume contest was planned by student council and students in the in-person cohorts were encouraged to wear their costumes to school as part of Spirit Week.

Dupille said he wanted to thank his teachers and other staff such as the custodial staff. He noted their dedication saying, “students are the recipient of all that hard work.”

CARES Act Funds and Technology Needs

The administration was able to speak to the towns of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton about sharing their CARES Act funds with Silver Lake Regional. A meeting was scheduled so that the three towns and the school could discuss how best to ensure that an adequate share of each town’s allocation is going toward the region. Committee member Christopher Eklund said, “whatever is proportionate to our portion of the towns’ budgets is fair to ask for.”

Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that Representative Kathy LaNatra was able to secure $120,000 in CARES Act funding for Silver Lake to be used for technology infrastructure as well as $26,000 to be used for PPE.

Considerations for technology expenditures include laptops for faculty instead of chromebooks as well as a technology paraprofessional position through the end of the year. Teachers have been finding that the chromebooks don’t support the kind of work they are doing. Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe told the Committee that chromebooks are not designed to run Google Meets while also having multiple tabs open.

There was some discussion among the Committee regarding the need for laptops for students as well. Pellowe said that in an ideal world, laptops would be issued for all students in Grades 7-12 but noted that laptops run approximately $1000 a piece while chromebooks are only $230. Pelllowe also said that the repairs and upkeep for laptops are far costlier. Even if CARES Act funds could be secured for the purchase of laptops for students in older grades, Pellowe said, “the ongoing costs would be so high I think it would be unsustainable.” Crone cited the durability of chromebooks as another reason why they are ideal for students.

The Committee voted to approve laptops for the faculty as well as the tech para position through the end of the year. The estimated cost for these items is roughly $184,000.

Some members of the Committee expressed concern over spending CARES Act funds on technology expenses that assume a remote or hybrid model through the end of the year rather than a return to full-in person learning. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee stressed that with guidelines and budget restrictions what they are, it would be impossible for schools to open up full time even if the communities stay out of the red zone. Committee member Gordon Andrews noted that the busing restrictions prevent a return to full in-person learning but did note that a change to that guideline might change how best to spend CARES Act funds.

Superintendent Jill Proulx said, “I recognize the hardship that the hybrid model and remote model and basically just not returning to a traditional classroom setting has caused for many students and families and so I am aware of that. We have discussed before some of the issues that will arise with returning to full, in-person and that is the need for the regulations with regards to busing to change because we had determined a while ago that that would be cost prohibitive for us as a regional school district and we are required to provide transportation.”

Proulx said the other issue that would make a return to full, in-person learning difficult is the 6 ft social distance mandate during lunch. While DESE guidance allows for less than that in a classroom setting, lunchtime requires more distance.

Enrollment

Proulx said that as of October 1, enrollment at the middle school was 524 and 1,082 at the high school for an overall decrease of 19 students over last year. Assessment percentages for 2022 stand at a 10 percent increase for both Halifax and Kingston and a 20 percent decrease for Plympton. The shared cost percentage for Halifax will be increasing by 20 percent and increasing by 10 percent for Kingston. Plympton, on the other hand, will see a 60 percent decrease. Proulx told the Committee that there has been an increase in students attending private and charter schools as well as being homeschooled. Additionally, many elementary school aged children have chosen to take a year off before entering kindergarten. Proulx said it was not a Silver Lake problem but rather a problem for all of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Association of Superintendents has asked the state not to hold these numbers against individual schools given the unusual nature of this school year.

School closures

Proulx told the Committee that there has been a change in regulatory language that would allow communities in the red for more than 3 weeks to remain in a hybrid model. While still subject to change, Proulx said that even If a community remains in the red for three or more weeks, if there isn’t school spread, the schools may remain open. As the schools’ largest population, Proulx said that Kingston is the primary metric for consideration in deciding whether to change models at Silver Lake Regional. Both the Board of Health and the state has allowed Silver Lake to remain in a hybrid model as there hasn’t been school spread. Proulx said that should there be a cluster of cases or school spread, an epidemiologist for the Department of Health may make the determination to close the schools. She said that Cohort D students would be prioritized for in-person learning in whatever capacity would be allowed.

John Lay spoke on behalf of the Silver Lake Education Association (SLEA). He said, “This year will only work with compromise… Since the start of the year, our teachers have worked without any contract because we hold the best interests of the children of the town higher than our own. We’ve been holding up our end of this compromise.” He continued, “Tonight I’m calling on the School Committee to recognize the efforts and the sacrifices of the faculty and staff of Silver Lake by offering the teachers a fair contract and settling the memorandum of agreement.” Before closing, he added, “We’re overwhelmed. We quite literally couldn’t be working any harder for our students. The School Committee has the power to thank us for all that hard work by settling right now.”

Committee Chair Paula Hatch responded to Lay telling him how appreciative the community and Committee are of the staff’s efforts. “The only thing I’m going to say to that is a lot of people put a lot of time in to try to come to terms, your side and our side. I think we are where we are with mediation and fact-finding because both sides have an idea of where we need to be and we just haven’t been able to come to terms on that,” Hatch said.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Thursday, Oct. 15 for one of their extra meetings that they have been holding during the pandemic.

Board of Health Agent Bob Varley began with an update saying there have been four new cases recently in Halifax. The cases were reported on October 1, October 2, October 9, and October 10. Varley also gave an update on the state of various restaurants in town saying that a few were currently open for indoor dining. Grille 58, which Varley said is currently utilizing every other booth, could put a 6 ft partition around the booths in a way that complies with the fire code in order to utilize all of them.

Selectman and Chair of the Halifax School Committee, Gordon Andrews gave an update on the school saying that during the last school committee meeting it was agreed that gators are not to be worn to school. Masks are to be at least two layers thick. Neither Plympton nor Kingston allow gators to be worn either with the exception being outdoor sporting events at the high school.

Andrews also told the selectmen that there have been a handful of cases in schools throughout the district including a few at KIS, one at the middle school, and another at the high school. Varley said, “From what I’m hearing… it’s not the activities that are going on within the schools that are triggering these cases, but it tends to be the after-school sports activities or weekend sports activities, specifically hockey.” He said that the Department of Public Health is working on more stringent guidance for the sports that tend to include more close contact including basketball and hockey and possibly soccer.

Andrews also took a moment to thank Seelig for his willingness to work with Halifax Elementary and Silver Lake in securing CARES Act funding. “Our town has really been the only town that has, from the very beginning, tried to include the schools in dealing with COVID and the CARES Act money,” Andrews said.

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros said the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts is receiving $2 million in PPE which will include an additional 2,000 surgical masks as well as some gloves and other PPE. Viveiros also said that eventually they would like to have dispensers, similar to hands-free paper towel dispensers, that are filled with masks for placement in various municipal buildings.

With the approval of the Halifax Fire Department’s Community Emergency Medical Service, Viveiros said the department is now eligible to setup a COVID testing program. Both a 15-minute rapid test and an antigen blood test would be available. Antigen tests would be $10 and if there was a positive test result, a nasal swab test would be administered at a cost of $140. It remains to be seen if the department will elect to setup such a testing program.

Seelig also shared a letter from current Holmes Public Library Director Jean Gallant. Gallant said that former library director Betsy Randall requested permission to replace the tree that was in front of the library. Work would include replacing the existing stump and planting a new tree. Andrews said that he thought it would be fine as long as the tree was far enough away from any roof lines.

Seelig told the selectmen that up to this point, the State has allowed hearings on land use to be continued indefinitely during the state of emergency. This stance appears to be changing as the State is requesting that land use boards hold hearings even if it needs to be done electronically via Zoom or another platform. Seelig said that since the Chapter 40B hearing for Country Club Estates has already been postponed multiple times due to the pandemic, the Zoning Board of Appeals will begin the hearing on November 18 via Zoom. Andrews suggested that letters be sent to abutters to notify them that hearings are to start soon.

A town employee was recently questioned about political signs on town property. As a result of a Supreme Court decision a few years ago, the portion of the current bylaw dealing with signs is not enforceable. Seelig reviewed the town’s current policy regarding signs on the town’s property. No political signs are allowed on town owned property; this extends to the shoulders/right of ways near municipal buildings, etc. Seelig said, however, that there are a few traffic islands where signs have been allowed.

Seelig said his position is to disregard any anonymous complaints regarding signs in the traffic islands or the right of ways. Seelig said that he has yet to receive a complaint from anyone willing to attach their name to it. He said, however, if he were to receive a signed complaint in writing, he would work with the Building Inspector/Zoning Enforcement Officer and the Board of Selectmen.

Assuming permission was granted by the aforementioned groups an announcement would be made giving two weeks to remove the signs from town property or have them removed. Seelig did note that the polling place on election day is a “free-for-all” assuming signs are taken down at the end of the day.

Finally, Selectman Tom Millias said he wanted to acknowledge the retirement of Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Heath who recently retired after 37 years.  Viveiros said he wanted to, “thank him for his service and wish him well.”

With early voting already underway in municipalities across the state, the Express is investigating the statewide ballot question, Question 1, the “Right to Repair Law” Vehicle Data Access Requirement Initiative (2020).

In 2012, Massachusetts became the first state to pass the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act with 86 percent voter support. The legislation required automobile manufacturers to provide independent auto repair shops the same access as dealerships to necessary diagnostic and repair information about a vehicle. The law as it currently stands, however, excludes telematics or “systems that collect and wirelessly transmit mechanical data to a remote server.” The proposed law would affect motor vehicles sold in Massachusetts beginning with model year 2022. Those vehicles which utilize telematics systems would be required to be equipped with a standardized open access data platform. According to the ballot measure, this increased accessibility would be available via a mobile based application.

A “no” vote opposes requiring vehicles with model year 2022 and later to be equipped with a standardized open data platform that would allow vehicle owners and independent repair shops to access data and run diagnostics through a mobile app. A “yes” vote supports the standardized open data platform necessary to access information needed for repair through a mobile app.

The Express spoke with several local, independently owned automotive repair shops. Owner and manager of Dave’s Automotive on the Hanson/Halifax line, Eric Hatch, was concise in his support of the ballot measure saying, “We’re voting yes. All we need to do is vote yes.”

Jack Ferry, owner of Ferry’s Automotive in Hanson, said, “We’re for yes on the question, I know there are pros and cons on both sides, but from our point of view we need it just to keep up with technology down the road.” Ferry said that for the most part, they currently have what’s needed to deal with cars coming in for repairs. He noted however, that once later model years equipped with telematics begin to come into independent repair shops, they won’t have the platform needed for diagnostics without this legislation passing. Ferry compared telematics to Onstar in its ability to access and monitor the vehicle. “Technology has come a long way,” Ferry said. “We just want to be able to keep up with it.”

Hennessey Automotive who has been operating out of Kingston for nearly thirty years, is a family owned business. Owner Ed Hennessey said that he found the proposal to be a bit convoluted in the way it is written but noted that ultimately a no vote was to the advantage of the dealerships. Hennessey, who said he would be voting yes, said, “If it’s good for them, it’s bad for us, that’s the way I look at it.”

The Express also spoke with Frank Perry, the manager of Perry’s Automotive on Monponsett St. in Halifax. Perry said that he hopes that people will vote for the measure in order to ensure that independent shops are able to access the information necessary to perform repairs. Perry was quick to point out that since the initiative begins with model year 2022, it will likely be a few years before the benefits of a yes vote are felt. “In the long run it’s going to help us,” Perry said. He continued, “… In another five or six years when the warranty expires, people are going to need to come to places like me or want to come to places like me and unless the dealers are mandated to sell it, I’ll have a hard time.”

Perry also pointed out the potential future benefit of the measure as automotive technology continues to develop. “When the self-driving cars and all the other fun stuff that they start coming out with are going to really be all part and parcel and basically be in that law already. They have to sell it rather than saying it’s their stuff and it’s proprietary.”

What is the argument against Question 1? Leading the opposition campaign is the Coalition for Safe and Secure Data. As quoted from the website Ballotpedia.org, Conor Yunits, a spokesperson for the Coalition said, “This ballot question will create easy opportunities for strangers, hackers, and criminals to access consumer vehicles and personal driving data – including real-time location. It will put people at risk, without doing anything to improve the consumer experience.” Top donors to the no campaign include General Motors, Toyota Motor North America, Ford Motor Company, American Honda Motor Co., and Nissan North America.

The Thursday, Oct. 1, Halifax Board of Selectmen’s meeting began with a COVID-19 update. Board of Health agent Bob Varley told the selectmen that since their last meeting there were three new confirmed cases in Halifax.

Varley said that the Director of Contact Tracing for the state has made a number of new forms available to assist cities and towns. He also said that the state has started to provide new assistance to towns. They will follow up on individual as well as clusters of cases. “So as fast as we know something, they should know something,” Varley explained.

Varley said he would like to see Halifax take a more proactive approach in combatting the spread of the virus. He referenced a recent incident in another local town where, according to Varley, a restaurant hired a new employee despite that person awaiting a COVID test. That employee began work prior to receiving their results which ended up being positive. Other employees were infected, and the restaurant had to close down. “I’ve been observing a lot of people being lackadaisical, in my opinion, losing the focus on what we need to do by wearing masks and if you think you’re ill, you don’t report to work,” Varley said. He also said that restaurant managers and owners need to have proper policies in place and revisit with their employees what all the standards and expectations are that must be followed in order to remain open.

Varley also noted that for communities with low risk, the minimum number of people at gatherings would be increased per the state’s regulations.  Currently, Halifax is in the yellow zone. Varley explained how easy it would be for a community like Halifax to enter the red zone saying,  “It only takes two to three cases for our numbers to move given the size of our population.”

Varley thanked Town Administrator Charlie Seelig for a memo he sent out to employees of town hall calling it “a very powerful message.” Varley asked to borrow from Seelig’s memo and has since posted a message to residents on the town website.

The selectmen also discussed how best to deal with Halloween. Regarding Halloween, Selectmen Chair Tom Millias said, “I mean, I don’t think we’re going to go out and stop people but I don’t think its something we want to promote.” Selectman Troy Garron said that people that didn’t want to participate would be best served by leaving their lights off. Seelig said that if the Board believed trick-or-treating to not be enforceable, it would be best to leave it up to families and to recommend that people use their best judgement and follow CDC guidelines. “I don’t want to see us policing it,” Selectman Gordon Andrews said. Garron did note that he did not want to see the town closed down again.

The selectman said that they are still awaiting more details about a proposed drive-up Halloween to most likely be held at the Elementary School.

There was, as has often been the case, more debate over whether to issue recycling abatements. Andrews was for doing so while both Garron and Millias were not. Andrews said in the future he would like to see the town move to two separate rates – one for pickup which is more costly and another for drop off.

Millias said the town would need to have some sort of sticker program as was done in the past. Of the current recycling program, Millias said, “Regardless of what you think of the program, my estimation of it is it works pretty good and it’s relatively inexpensive.” Millias did say, however, that he would like to get input from the general public. It was agreed that a meeting to discuss recycling should probably be scheduled.

Andrews, who is also the Chair of the Halifax School Committee, told his fellow selectmen that DESE sent out a survey about municipal contributions for school budgets. He said that the intention is to ask DESE to increase state aid beyond the $30 per pupil minimum. Andrews said that Halifax actually receives more than that, but that Silver Lake Regional is different. “We’re getting subsidized at the elementary level; that money is supposed to be spent at the elementary, but because Silver Lake is not getting more than the $30 per pupil our money is being shifted from the elementary to Silver Lake. They really need to apportion the regional school systems based on the three towns’ affordability,” Andrews explained. He noted that according to his rough estimates from earlier this year, Halifax brings in 45 percent of the state aid while Kingston and Plympton bring in 35 percent and 27 percent respectively. Andrews said, “the way the numbers come in everyone is getting Halifax’s proportionality of state aid.” Andrews asked the Board to vote to request that the state break out the state aid based on the town. The selectmen did so unanimously.

In other school related news, the Halifax Elementary School Committee has received 5 or 6 candidates interested in serving. Interviews with both the school committee and the selectmen will have to be scheduled to select a new member.

A virtual public forum will be held over Zoom on Tuesday, Oct. 20 to discuss expanding the town’s Host Community Agreement with Bud’s Goods and Provisions. The company, which will be establishing an outdoor marijuana cultivation site on River St., said that they would like to expand the agreement to include both manufacturing as well as indoor cultivation.

Finally, the selectmen voted Thursday to prorate liquor licenses for 2021 to account for the time that local restaurants were closed in 2020.

Millias noted that he was certainly in favor of helping the businesses in this manner.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Sept. 22 prior to town meeting. Only a few minutes into the meeting, they had to adjourn to reconvene at the all-purpose room across the street at the Elementary School. Maximum capacity for the meeting room at the town hall is only 11 which was exceeded.

Once reconvened, Seelig explained to the Board of Selectmen that under state law, they could lower the number required for quorum to just ten percent of their regular number due to the state of emergency. It cannot be lowered during the town meeting. “I have mixed emotions about it. On the one hand I don’t care to lower the quorum. On the other hand, there’s reasons that are valid to make some kind of adjustment,” Selectmen Chair Tom Millias said. He went on to say, “There’s always going to be controversy about it, but nobody’s preventing anybody from coming to town meeting.”

Selectman Gordon Andrews said, “My thoughts are that I would consider moving it for the financial issues but any zoning or anything else, I don’t think we should lower the quorum on… that brings up the most contentious articles.” His remarks were met with quiet applause from the small crowd of attendees at the meeting. Andrews said that if quorum was under 100, he would like to see the zoning bylaw articles passed over. Millias said that it was his intention to pass over those articles at town meeting anyway. Andrews said, “I would make a motion that we vote to pass over the marijuana article and the multi-family zoning article,” Andrews said.

Town Moderator Dennis Carman said, “At the risk of being overly critical, this town, in the last number of years has developed some significant problems in the way that we conduct our business. To be honest with you, I think everybody is responsible for pieces of it and I don’t think that town meeting is the place where those things are going to get resolved.” He continued, “On the one hand we want a robust quorum, we want a robust participation, but under the pandemic we have to be careful about not necessarily exceeding that and there goes another $6,000 and another reconvening.” He went on to say that he wasn’t comfortable as a resident with reducing the number required for quorum to only 10, calling it “insane.” He recommended reducing it to 75.

Resident Amy Troup spoke to why she was hearing that many residents chose not to attend the continuance of town meeting that was scheduled at the Kingston Collection. Troup said, “The reason that they didn’t show up is that their kids just went back to school and they had crises at home… and they had all these things going on while they’re trying to do a full time job… so by the time it gets dark at night and they have to travel to Kingston… if it had been in Halifax, we would have been able to get a quorum.” She called the decision to hold the meeting in Kingston “bad planning.”

Andrews responded to Troup saying that because of the delay with the budget at the state level, the best option for the town was to initially recess town meeting. He pointed out that they still don’t have official numbers from the state but rather “numbers that they said they would try to make.” Referencing the nearly daily calls that the elected officials in Halifax have had since March, Andrews said, “The Board has been putting in more time than anyone thought.” He continued, “I understand everybody is confused. I’m confused. I wake up, I look at the town’s website and find out what’s going on that day and I try to attend that meeting. I totally understand the confusion and that last week was the first week of the hybrid.” He said that the decision to move it to Kingston was to allow for more space and thus more people. Millias added that they were trying to move ahead as quickly as possible to ensure that tax bills go out.

One resident suggested polling residents in the future to see what day/time works best for them in order to ensure quorum would be met. Yet another resident said that he felt that the selectmen weren’t considering younger residents with families when scheduling town meeting. Selectman Troy Garron said, “The door is open for anyone that can come and I do understand that people have kids and babysitter problems; I sent four kids through the school system while I was doing things for the town so I can appreciate the hardships but at the same time you have an obligation, just like to go and vote, to come to town meeting and stay until it’s over with.” Still another resident said that he felt that quorum shouldn’t be lowered since some of the articles require a two-thirds vote.   

The Board ultimately voted to temporarily reduce the quorum for that night’s town meeting to 75. Carman said, “As a parting statement, there are, from what I’m hearing from some of the feedback here, recognizing there are a lot of other people not here… we probably can improve a lot of the things that we’re doing with some support and help from the townspeople.” Millias agreed saying, “absolutely.”

Following the discussion and vote on lowering quorum, the Board met with Alex Mazin of Bud’s Goods and Provisions. Mazin asked the Board to consider amending the host community agreement he has with the town for his marijuana cultivation facility. He asked that the agreement include marijuana product manufacturing. “There’s a lot of benefits to both us as an operator and the community with that and it allows us to sort of make Halifax our base instead of our initial plan which was to grow here and move everything to Lakeville,” Mazin explained. Seelig said that he would recommend having another community forum on the subject before deciding to amend the agreement. The selectmen agreed to set something up, most likely virtually on Zoom.

The next appointment was with a representative from the South Shore Children’s Museum who was there to speak on two drive thru movie nights at Walmart in the back parking lot.

She said that they have previously held five of these showings in local towns.

“We’re trying to keep in touch with our families until we can figure out our plan b,” she explained. She said the hope was to host a Hocus Pocus themed drive-in on October 16 and October 23. She also said they would be looking for a police detail and noted that they have used a Boy Scout Troop out of Weymouth to assist with the parking. They are looking to limit the number of cars to 60.

Millias advised that she touch base with both the Board of Health and the Fire Department.

Garron asked about the possibility of disruption to neighbors and was told that speakers can be taken away to minimize the noise and cars can listen to the sound on their car radios. Andrews made a motion to approve pending approval from the Board of Health and Fire Department.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Sept. 3 in preparation of the town meeting to be held Saturday, September 12 at Halifax Elementary School at 9 a.m. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that town meetings are exempt from the Governor’s limit of 25 persons per room. Seelig said that seats would be kept to about 7 feet apart and people would be divided between the gym and the multi-purpose room. The quorum remains at 100. Screens, cameras, and microphones will be setup in each room to keep everyone connected. People from the same household will be allowed to sit together. Town Moderator Dennis Carman will be in the gym, where 100 people are estimated to fit, and an assistant town moderator will likely be needed for the multi-purpose room. Masks will be mandated, and microphones will be wiped down between uses.

Seelig recommended that the town distribute placards with a red side and a green side for residents to use to indicate their vote. Carman expressed concern about his vision and shared concern over a third party helping to indicate to him the outcome of the vote. Seelig said if it isn’t easily discernible if there are more green or more red, counters would be available to tally the total.

Ways to move the meeting along as quickly as possible while still allowing voters an opportunity to speak to or debate articles as needed, were discussed. The idea to vote on a consent agenda was proposed. This would allow multiple articles to be voted on together as a group with a hold being placed on individual topics should someone wish to speak on them.

“There are two extremes for the town meeting,” Seelig said. The first of which occurs if there aren’t enough people for a quorum. If that happens, town meeting will have to once again be rescheduled. The Board opted to keep the quorum at 100 despite having the ability to temporarily lower it with advanced notice. Seelig said the other end of the spectrum is if too many people turn out and there isn’t enough room to socially distance between the two rooms. If that happens, town meeting would have to be postponed and moved to another, larger location. A possible option could be the Kingston Collection. Carman said, “I hate the optics of having to close down a town meeting because there are too many people who want to go… people may misunderstand that.”

Seelig said he could contact the Kingston Collection and find out if they could book the venue for town meeting on Monday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. to serve as plan B should they be over capacity on Saturday.  The Board voted to ask Seelig to reserve the location with the understanding that they may have to pay for the deposit even if it ends up not being needed.

Following the discussion on logistics, they turned their attention to the warrant beginning with the special town meeting. The first article is for $6000 for HVAC work to the town hall. The second is for $30,000 for unemployment. Seelig said they would likely pass over Article 3 which is for $30,000 for a Council on Aging van. According to Seelig the town is looking into the possibility of getting CARES Act money to fund it. Article 4 is the result of a petition article and is for $20,000 for truck traffic reinforcement. The money would go to the police department to be used for that purpose. Article 5 is for a crosswalk extension between the two roads of Cranberry Dr. and Plymouth St. The town has applied for a state grant to fund it but have not received word yet as to whether they will be granted the money. Seelig said they may know by the date of the town meeting whether the town will have to fund the project, should the town vote to proceed with it.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if the Finance Committee had made recommendations on the five articles. Finance Committee member Melinda Tarsi said they had made recommendations for all but Article 3 as they were waiting to see if it could be covered through the CARES Act. Articles 1 and 2 received the Finance Committee’s recommendation while Articles 4 and 5 did not.

Article 1 in the annual is the normal report for town officers and committees. Seelig told Carman that as much as he appreciates their ability to do that, he would like to keep it brief in the interest of time. Article 2 is a series of amendments from the Wage and Personnel Board. Article 3 is a Finance Committee article on the salaries set for the town officials. Article 4 is the budget. Article 5 is the revolving accounts. Seelig said there are no appropriations necessary and the article simply sets the revolving funds and the limits to which they can be spent. Article 6 is the reserve fund. Articles 7-13 are union and personnel contracts. Article 14 is an article for becoming co-opt. Article 15 is Chapter 90 and according to Seelig the state has changed things so that this article won’t be necessary in the future. Article 16 is a traditional article on the roads.

The next several articles are for the capital budget. Seelig said that some of them will be passed over. Article 17 is for $150 for a backhoe, 18 is for a copier for the COA, and 19 is for a fire engine. Articles 20 through 23 are all for the Police Department and are for police vehicles, radio systems, a motorcycle, and bullet resistant vests, respectively. Article 24 is regarding an error made by the retirement system where a town employee was charged to the housing authority rather than the town. Seelig said he was unsure if the correct amount could be ascertained prior to town meeting. Article 25 is the assessor’s recertification account.

Article 26 is to fund Halifax’s share of the part time school resource officer at Silver Lake Regional Middle School. The same article appeared on last year’s warrant and the town voted it down. Plympton voted in favor of it, however, meaning that the part time officer could serve the middle school for just a few hours per week. Kingston already funds the school resource officer at the high school.

Article 27 is for a truck inspection program. Article 28 is to grade all unpaved roads in Halifax including private roads. Article 29 is for $33,500 for crosswalk devices. There was some mention that the expense may be eligible for CARES Act funding if touchless devices were installed.

Article 30 is a revision of zoning bylaws and is recommended by the Finance Committee. Articles 31 and 32 are traditional, annual articles. Articles 33, 34, and 36 will likely be passed over. Article 35 is for insulation at the town barn. Article 37 is to fund repairs to the roof at Pope’s Tavern. Article 38 is an annual article to appropriate money received from Lyft and Uber for the town in the amount of $857.60. The state requires the money to go toward the highway maintenance account.

Articles 40-44 will likely be passed over. The Selectmen are also recommending that Article 45 is passed over. Article 46 is for the next phase of the stormwater protection bylaw. Article 47 will be passed over per the direction of FEMA. Of Article 47, Seelig said “I’m sure it will be highly divisive.” It concerns multi-family housing and needs a two-thirds majority to pass.

Article 49 would allow marijuana facilities in the commercial district by special permit. Article 50 would change the bylaw to allow the Beautification Committee to increase their membership. Article 51 is being proposed by the selectmen and involves taxes on solar fields. Article 52 will likely be passed over and Article 53 is the election article.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen held their regular Tuesday evening meeting on August 25 when selectmen tackled the controversial topic of the “thin blue line” flag. Proponents of the flag say it is a show of a support for law enforcement. Still others feel that the flag stands in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. Recently, the Hingham fire chief found himself the center of controversy after ordering the removal of the thin blue line flags from the town’s fire trucks following a citizen’s complaint.

A thin blue line flag was placed at the Halifax recycling center several years ago and was recently taken down once the Board of Selectmen found out. The basis for the decision dates back to 1994 when the Board set a policy stating that all signs, political or otherwise, require permission from the Board.

“From my standpoint, opinions stated on town property, it’s a little odd,” Garron explained. He continued, “I personally don’t think that it needs to be on town property because we are supposed to be neutral. We’re serving everybody.” Millias offered his opinion saying, “There was a time when some banners and/or flags were considered to be innocuous; that’s not the case anymore. Everything is politically charged, or at least it seems to be, and if you allow one flag for any particular purpose, you’ve got to open it up for everybody… to Troy’s point, I think we need to remain neutral.”

Selectman Gordon Andrews offered a slightly different opinion saying that the flag, in his opinion, was not initially intended to be a political statement. He noted, however, “I think it morphed into something different at this point, so I understand the reason for taking it down and leaving the policy in place.” The Board agreed to leave the policy as-is and maintain their position on the flag at the recycling center.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the Board he recently spoke with Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas O’Brien regarding the town’s allotment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The deadline for expenditures is four months away.

Seelig said of all the various town departments’ requests, the big question was if funds could be utilized to pay for the expansion of the Halifax Elementary School parking lot. The expansion is intended to help deal with the expected increase in parent drop off and pick up at the school due to the buses being limited to one-third capacity as a result of distancing requirements.
Seelig said that the town would need to work closely with the school department to craft a narrative to justify why the expansion is necessary in response to the COVID crisis. Seelig explained that if Plymouth County denies the request to reimburse the work, the town will be left to pay for it.

Seelig asked the Board if they would be interested in hearing a presentation on potential charging stations at the town hall parking lot. The Board was not interested in the proposal several years ago but appeared to take a different stance on the issue now.

Selectman Chair Tom Millias said, “I think that would be appropriate. If he has some ideas of how this could be setup and/or work. Certainly, electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent.” He went on to say, “My only concern is as long as it’s not on the back of the taxpayers to pay for the charging.” Selectman Troy Garron said that his biggest concern would be where to place the charging station.

Seelig also asked if they would like to consider a reduction in credit to local businesses for alcohol on premises licenses for 2020-2021. Many other local communities have decided to do so to ease the burden on businesses that were closed for several months in 2020 due to COVID. Millias, who pointed out that these businesses are likely still not at full service, said, “I mean as a general rule I think that’s fair to at least consider doing something for them. I mean we want to help our business owners.” Garron concurred saying, “I would agree with you that it is reasonable for us to do something like that.” The selectmen agreed to table the issue until a future meeting in order to acquire more information.

The Board had an appointment with Steve Bowman of Center Point Safe Company regarding a possible retail marijuana store. Bowman said that while he didn’t have anything formal to present to the Board just yet, he wanted to come before them and introduce himself. Bowman said that he was a Halifax resident for 8 years who only recently moved to Kingston. He said that his children were graduates of Silver Lake. In his own words, Bowman described himself as “… a local resident, a father of Silver Lake students, a former resident of Halifax and someone that is looking to open a business and make money for myself and my partners but also to give back to the community.”

Bowman told the Board that Center Point Safe Company has been working closely with the cannabis industry throughout the state, providing security for their inventory. He said that he hopes to begin serving dispensaries throughout the state by providing delivery services in the next few months.

Bowman told the Board that when he saw Halifax on the list of towns that had licensing availabilities, he jumped at the chance to potentially work within the community. “If the answer is no, I completely understand. It can be a controversial subject in a lot of towns,” Bowman said. Millias encouraged Bowman to come back once he had more details saying, “the town has expressed support in the past for marijuana.”

The final appointment of the evening was a truck exclusion hearing for trucks traveling on Circuit and Laurel streets. Trucks are typically traveling to a site where there are long term plans for a solar field. Millias said that he felt that dead end signs were probably the only option for helping with the at times disruptive traffic. Another potential solution was to work with new carriers to make sure they understand how to get to the site. The Board agreed to leave it alone for now and gather additional feedback.

Finally, Seelig reiterated that town meeting is still scheduled for September 12. The plan is to hold the meeting in the Halifax Elementary School and utilize both the gym and multi-purpose room to ensure adequate distancing.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on August 20 for one of their emergency management meetings. Selectmen Chair Tom Millias noted that it would likely be a longer than usual meeting as they were trying to shorten their regular Tuesday night agendas in order to allow maintenance into the town hall earlier to disinfect.

The meeting began with a discussion of the guidelines being followed and protocols being implemented for youth sports. Pete Barone, President of both the Halifax Youth Baseball and Halifax Youth Softball leagues was in attendance as was Board of Health agent Bob Valery. Barone spoke about some of the safety precautions put in place during the summer’s baseball and softball activities in town. Players were kept physically distant from one another through markers on the ground as well as individual buckets that players used as their designated spot for the game. Bright signs were also hung advising spectators to maintain distance and wear a mask.

According to those present, while sports such as basketball and softball simply need to adhere to the state’s guidelines, soccer is also subjected to specific guidelines as laid out by Mass Youth Soccer. Those guidelines include specific modifications in order to be able to play as a moderate risk sport under Phase III. Modifications include a kick-in to replace throw-ins, a ban on all intentional contact, a ban on heading the ball, as well as a whole host of other changes to soccer as it is usually played.

The Board also discussed changes in EEE risk level. Halifax is now deemed to be at critical risk due to the first human case in town. All outdoor activities are banned on town-owned property from dusk to dawn. Such locations include Vaughn Field, the Elementary School playing fields, Summit St. soccer fields, HOPS Playground, and the beaches at Lingan St. and Holmes St.

Regarding COVID travel restrictions, Valery said he was waiting to hear back from DPH about the proper protocols should the need to fine violators arise. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that they would also need to find out where the jurisdiction lies if a violator worked for the town of Halifax but resided elsewhere. The final piece of COVID related news from Valery was regarding Cumberland Farms closing down the self-serve areas including coffee and soda. Valery said that he had fielded a number of calls regarding the decision but said it was the corporate offices of Cumberland Farms and not the local Board of Health that made the decision.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros told the Board he was looking to find out how many masks were needed by the schools. Selectman Gordon Andrews, who is also chair of the Halifax School Committee, asked if any masks were ordered in child’s sizes. Viveiros said that none had been ordered in that size but did say that FEMA had given them 6,500 N95 masks, 6,500 surgical masks, as well as 800 face shields in addition to goggles and glasses. Millias asked if families were expected to supply the masks for their children. Andrews said that while they were, masks would need to be on hand at the school in the event that something were to happen to a student’s mask during the school day. Valery said that he believed that he had 500 child size masks.

Seelig asked the Board if they wished to schedule a special town meeting for September 12, the same date as the annual town meeting and if so, what matters they wished to be placed on the warrant. Seelig said that such issues as the $65,000 needed for a new Council on Aging van would be taken up at the special. Other potential issues include heating and air conditioning, unemployment, traffic enforcement, and Cranberry Drive. Millias pointed out that in terms of cost, it is cheaper to hold the special town meeting concurrently with the annual. Seelig agreed saying that given the logistical hurdles that are occurring to hold the meeting, it would make sense to combine them. Chair Troy Garron made a motion to hold the special town meeting within the annual.

Seelig also told the Board they would need to make a decision regarding the annual recycling fee and whether or not to make changes to the abatement process.  Seelig asked if the Board wished to maintain the $50 recycling fee. Seelig said that if the Board wished to eliminate the abatement process, they were going to need to come up with a plan very quickly for running the solid waste and recycling program in the future. Millias said, “the problem as I see it is if the recycling program collapses, if you will, it also affects curbside pickup. I don’t think I’m ready to make that decision today.” Millias went on to say that he felt the best approach would be a “comprehensive, all inclusive” meeting with residents and all concerned to discuss the issue. A debate ensued amongs the selectmen about whether to extend the abatement deadline. Andrews, as he has done in the past, argued against charging people for a service they were not receiving. Andrews made a motion to set the recycling fee at $50, the due date in 30 days, and the abatement deadline in 60 days. Garron seconded the motion though noted he disagreed with the premise. “I still see people that no matter what you do, they’re going to be late or not going to pay it, or put it aside and forget it,” Garron explained. Andrews’ motion failed but Millias’ motion that kept the $50 fee but set the due date and the abatement deadline both for 30 days passed.

Seelig brought up the complaint from the previous week’s meeting about non-residents causing problems on the beaches of Monponsett Pond. He told the Board that he had spoken with Police Chief Joao Chaves about the problem. Chief Chaves, who was in attendance, told the Board that there was an officer there often and said that a number of parking tickets had been issued to non-residents. He noted that it was difficult for the force to do anything about jet skis and boats coming into the swimming area as they don’t really have a way to access the water.

Amy Troup showed the Board a petition from residents asking for signage indicating that the beaches are for Halifax residents only. Troup said that currently the signs only say no parking which she said people are circumventing by parking at Wal-Mart and walking over. She also mentioned the problem with trash being left behind as well as other disrespectful behavior by non-residents. Chaves said that he wouldn’t want to ask beachgoers for identification to prove residency. Seelig said he would check on the possibility of additional signage. “Thank you, this is something that has come up and as a Board we’re aware of it and we’re just trying to figure out what to do about it,” Millias told Troup.

Seelig said that the Board received a lawsuit from Gordon C. Andrews to the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board, and the Zoning Board of Appeals and four named individuals. Seelig said it was a civil damages case and noted it is being referred to town counsel and to the town insurer. He said there was no action to be taken at the moment.

Seelig asked the Board if they were ready to vote on the new animal control officer (ACO). Interviews were held a few weeks back with a number of applicants. Chief Chaves recommended Amanda Feighery and Garron said he agreed. “I think that she’s a good choice in that she’s had experience not only with vicious animals as well as dealing with people and the public,” Garron said. Millias agreed citing her local ties as well as Feighery was born and raised in Halifax. The Board voted to name Feighery as the new ACO.

Seelig told the Board that he had received a letter from a concerned resident regarding traffic concerns on Monponsett St. and Route 58 from Lakeside Villa to the intersection with Plymouth St. The resident said she saw a number of trucks violating the speed limits and using engine brakes. Seelig told the Board that given the number of houses on that stretch, it would be possible for the Board to set the speed limit at 30 mph as the area being considered is thickly settled. He also told the Board that the town could vote on a bylaw at a future time to prohibit engine brakes except for emergency purposes. The Board agreed to send the issue to the Traffic Safety Committee to take it under consideration.