Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen updated selectmen at their Monday, July 20 meeting on the plan for restarting school in the fall. Wilhelmsen said that the school is required to submit a preliminary plan to the state by July 31 that accounts for all three possible scenarios – in-person, remote, and a hybrid approach. Wilhelmsen told selectmen, “It’s a little bit of a fool’s errand for the first of those.”

Wilhelmsen said even if there is a full return, it would “not be a return to normal; it would be a return to different.” The administration is focusing a lot of their efforts on the remote learning aspect as Wilhelmsen said that it will likely be the backbone of whatever plan is put into place.

Working groups have been established to devise the plan.  According to Wilhelmsen the top two priorities are providing an education that ensures academic growth and balancing safety and risk to keep everyone as safe as possible. Wilhelmsen said that there will likely be an element of choice involved as some families may need to opt for remote schooling due to high-risk family members or other extenuating circumstances. He also said that there likely isn’t the physical space required to have all students back in school while upholding social distancing requirements. Possible advantages for Dennett include the HVAC system that circulates air to individual rooms as opposed to throughout the whole building as well as the smaller student population compared to neighboring towns.

Selectman Christine Joy asked if the school has the technology in place to meet the needs of students and teachers. Wilhelmsen said that CARES Act funds were used to purchase additional chromebooks but said that the administration needs to evaluate the technology available in terms of which platform would best support remote learning.

The Plympton School Committee will be holding meetings throughout the summer to allow the administration to provide updates to the committee. The public is encouraged to attend as the meetings are held virtually. There likely won’t be a clear picture of what the return to school will look like until well into August. Later in the meeting Joy would say that her rave for the week is for “The parents, teachers, school committees, administration, and everybody who’s trying to navigate in these incredibly difficult times… these people are working so hard to come up with a workable solution.”

$18,000 FEMA grant for hazard mitigation

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that Plympton was the recipient of an $18,000 FEMA grant that would enable them to update the town’s hazard mitigation plan. Currently the town doesn’t have its own stand-alone plan but rather a sub section in the regional plan which was created in 2015. The grant would allow for a consultant to walk the town through the project and create the plan. Dennehy said that she had one response to her RFQ from Woods Hole Group for $17,730 to complete the project in its entirety. On Dennehy’s recommendation, the Board awarded the project to them.

Dennehy told the Board that all three lots on Prospect Rd. have now been successfully sold and that as of that morning, the town treasurer was in receipt of those payments. The funds from the sale of the three lots will be put toward the repayment of the bond that was taken out in 2018 to secure the purchase of Two Brooks Preserve. Selectmen Chair Mark Russo said, “Thank God, it’s done… with this we get to now look forward to hopefully retiring the bond that’s due in October.” Russo said that even with the sales and some additional fundraising they will likely still be around $25,000 short. The hope is that the Board and the Finance Committee will allow an amount under $25,000 to be borrowed from the Capital Stabilization Fund. An amount in excess of $25,000 would require a vote at town meeting.

Dennehy also told the Board that the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) threat for Plympton has been raised to moderate due to a positive mosquito sample having been found in nearby Carver. “Mosquitos don’t know town boundary lines,” Dennehy joked. She continued, “It is something that everybody needs to remain vigilant about.”

Dennehy said that the townhouse was fogged on July 11. She explained that the plan was to fog the building periodically since it is a reimbursable expense. Dennehy said the decision was made to fog the building as it had not been done since April and the building had been open to the public for six weeks. In another update, Dennehy told the Board that after conferring with town counsel, it was established that town employees that fall under wage and personnel are to be reappointed each year with a select few exceptions including the assistant town clerk who is appointed directly by the town clerk.

Russo provided Dennehy and his fellow selectmen with some highlights from the presentation by the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Senator Michael Rodrigues. Russo credited Senator Michael Brady for putting it together. Rodrigues reminded the audience that a consensus revenue forecast is released each year in December or January which is used to inform the state budget. Back in December, the projected revenue was estimated at $31 billion. After reconvening to re-assess due to the pandemic, it is now believed that the state revenue will be $26 billion leaving a $6 billion shortfall. While it may be possible to pull $2 billion of that shortfall from the rainy-day fund, the remaining amount will need to come from cuts, taxes, or borrowing. Rodrigues made note of the types of cuts that were seen during 2009-2010 when the state faced a similar kind of decline. Cuts were seen to education, transportation, energy, the environment, and healthcare for state employees. Wilhelmsen pointed out that the budgets that the school committees voted on couldn’t really take into account any cuts to education. While the Dennett does not rely heavily on state aid, a large portion of the Silver Lake Regional budget is reliant on it. This could mean cuts to programming, etc., at the middle and high school levels.

Rodrigues also said that the main economic evaluators were unemployment which was around 2.9 percent in December/January and 16.9 percent by May.  During the first quarter of 2020, the GDP decreased by 4.8 percent and it is anticipated that by the end of the second quarter that decrease would be over 8 percent. Rodrigues also spoke on the challenges associated with creating a state budget while not knowing the funds that will be available from the federal government.

The Board of Selectmen also voted to appoint Zachary Bowden as a full-time officer in the Police Department to replace another officer who sent in their resignation. They also briefly discussed the possibility of retirement regulations eventually necessitating the search for a new police chief. Dennehy said that Police Chief Matthew Clancy asked that the discussion be tabled until the Board’s August 10 meeting.

North Plympton Cemetery

Selectman John Traynor requested the Board’s permission to work with the owner of the North Plympton Cemetery so that it might be improved. Traynor said that the owner is a woman located in Washington state who is part of a family that has owned the cemetery since the 19^th century. Traynor said, “I would like us to be able to take care of it because it is in terrible shape right now.”

The Plympton School Committee held their close-out meeting on Monday, July 13 though they agreed that given the current climate meetings would need to be held prior to September.

They began with a reorganization which saw both Jon Wilhelmsen and Jason Fraser retain their titles of chair and vice chair respectively. Wilhelmsen will be serving as chair for the sixth year in a row. Mike Antoine was nominated to serve as secretary. Newest member Dan Cadogen was unable to attend his first meeting as part of the committee.

A report of standing committees followed the reorganization. Fraser said that heand Dennett Principal Peter Veneto now have the information necessary to put together an RFQ for installation of the playground. The Negotiations Committee signed a one-year contract with aides though the negotiations with teachers were still ongoing. Union 31 met to discuss COVID and make sure that their orders for PPE and additional chromebooks were made prior to the deadline for the first round of The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Superintendent Jill Proulx wanted to thank the town of Plympton for helping to make those purchases possible.

Fraser began his legislative update by apologizing for what would be a longer than usual report. He called the threats coming out of Washington D.C., specifically from President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, to cut funding for schools that don’t fully open in the fall “largely rhetoric.” He mentioned that Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has taken the secretary to task over her lack of a plan to reopen schools. Pressley made news this week for tweeting at DeVos, “you have no plan. Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives… I wouldn’t trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child.”

Fraser also pointed out that the mass state tax deadline was that week and said that the state is hoping to have a budget done by September 1. Fraser said there is talk, however, that there won’t be a budget until after the November elections.

The joint conference between the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) in Hyannis has been cancelled due to safety concerns. Fraser asked the committee if they would be in favor of supporting current MASC President Deborah Davis for a second term. “She has done great work there and she has my full endorsement,” Fraser said. The committee voted to lend her their support.

Veneto also provided a principal’s report to the committee saying, “It’s been an interesting couple of months.”  He continued, “We’re trying to attack this whole thing as if we’re all going to be back, but I’m realistic enough to know that that might not be the case.” Veneto said that the three communities worked on a district wide entry plan for kindergarteners. Both Kingston and Halifax are adapting to the model that Plympton has always used that includes holding screenings in the fall rather than the spring. As of right now the plan will be to hold open house for Grades 1-6 on September 1 and screenings for kindergarteners on September 2, 3, and 4. The hope would be to have kindergarten officially start on September 8. The incoming kindergarten class is currently estimated at 42 students, large by Plympton standards. Veneto also said that they are currently reviewing candidates for an open special education position. He said that due to cuts within other districts, there are a lot of great candidates available.

Director of Business Services Christine Healy shared where some of the cost savings from the past fiscal year were found. Transportation, utilities, and substitutes provided savings. Healy said that due to improvements to the building and the closure for the last few months, utilities savings totaled $27,000. After all are totaled, Healy said that $962.91 would be returned to the town from the regular day budget. $78,790 would be returned from special education and $21,199 from out of district vocational.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch shared the results from the most recent survey on remote learning which will be used to inform the reopening plan. Lynch said that participation was high amongst both staff and families and consistent from the April survey to the June one. Results indicated that staff would like to see more accountability from students, additional professional development, and sharing of best practices. Parents were grateful for the individualization of learning plans for some students as well as the willingness to loan chromebooks. Families cited a lack of socialization, excessive screen time, and regression as concerns.

Pros and cons of various online platforms were also discussed. Wilhelmsen said that he was unsurprised to learn that many people didn’t like using Google Classroom and Google Meets. He said that his preference would be Zoom. Other potential platforms mentioned as alternatives were Loom, Blackboard, and Schoology. Fraser, who worked with Schoology in his teaching position, called it a more “robust and elegant” platform. He shared that he would be in favor of any expenditure incurred from the use of a better online platform.

Proulx told the committee that Plympton qualified for $20,000 from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund. She said the funds received can be used in similar ways to Title I and Title IIA funds. In addition, those funds can be used for technology, training or even PPE.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released a memo on June 25 which said that the Baker Administration would be allocating $200 million dollars toward schools for COVID related expenses. Schools would be eligible to receive up to $225 per student. Proulx said that shortly thereafter, a memo went out to business directors from the Lieutenant Governor saying that Plymouth County would not be receiving these allocations. Proulx said that she had a meeting the following day that she was hopeful would provide further clarification.

Proulx also provided an update on the plan for reopening. Building principals were asked to figure out how many students could fit in a classroom if requiring 3 feet of social distance and then again, for 6 feet of distance. Wilhelmsen inquired about the seemingly arbitrary 3 feet number. Fraser emphasized that there was no scientific basis for the number and called it “convenient.” He said that he would not support the reduced distancing for Plympton. “We need to do what’s right for our town and our kids,” he said.

The DESE Commissioner also requested that schools prepare three separate plans that account for in person learning, remote learning, and some form of a hybrid of the two. The deadline for the plans was also pushed up to July 31. Reopening committees have been formed and consist of a variety of individuals including nurses, counselors, parents, and staff. An intentions survey will also be distributed asking families questions such as if they intend to send their kids to school under the current circumstances and whether they plan to use the bus. Proulx pointed out that distancing requirements severely limit the number of students that can be put on a bus. Another potential issue will be how to handle a large increase in students being dropped off at school.

Wilhelmsen stressed the importance of thinking of the staff and their safety when developing a reopening plan. Fraser said that while he was not against reopening, he was for choice for both students and teachers. Proulx said that she and Lynch had discussed the option of giving families a choice and whether they had the means to meet the demands presented by choice.

“School will not look the same and parents need to understand that,” Fraser said. “There are lots of consequences to this crisis unfortunately,” Proulx agreed.  She continued, “Whatever our decisions are there is going to be a give and take… there are no simple answers to this unfortunately.” Proulx and Lynch both stressed that they are open to and welcome any and all suggestions and ideas regarding reopening.

Proulx thanked Megan Ahrenholz for putting together the summer lunch program. She also asked the committee to vote to accept an anonymous donation of $584.50 to pay off lunch debt,

With Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy absent, newly appointed Chair Mark Russo took the helm at the remotely held Monday, July 6 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting. Holding up a legal pad and referring to it as the “parking lot” Russo said, “The intent of the parking lot is that issues might come up which are significant and important but aren’t on the agenda or aren’t within the timeframe of the meeting… so that those things can be held onto and certainly addressed at the next meeting or at the proper time.”

The first item on the agenda was getting the approval and appropriate signatures on the documents related to the sale of Lots 1 and 2 as well as the closing of Lot 3, all on Prospect St.  Russo referred to it as “another big step getting things done on Two Brooks.”

The Selectmen spent the remainder of the meeting focusing on the Board of Selectmen Projects and Priority list as well as the Board of Selectmen Goals for FY2021. Russo explained, “the main point of all of this is that with all the things we have going on at once, we don’t lose anything in the shuffle.” Although there was some discrepancy in how frequently, the selectmen all agreed that the documents need to be reviewed at regular intervals. “We lost a lot of time because of the virus… it feels to me that there are a couple of things on here that are now going into their second year; we need to refocus and bring some attention to it,” Selectman John Traynor explained.

The selectmen reviewed their previous goals and made amendments as needed. Vice-Chair Christine Joy asked that senior citizens’ needs become its own stand-alone goal. Shared services were removed as a goal as the pandemic makes it difficult to make progress in that area.

The selectmen also dissected what their goal of further professionalizing the town services means. Chair of the Town Properties Committee as well as the Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen was in attendance and offered his perspective that the goal was a perpetual one. “Then you have to take from that, what one or two things are you going to do in 2021 to meet that goal. You’re not going to wave a wand, and everything is professional and perfect and then you’re done. You’ll probably never be done with that goal” he said.

Russo said he would work on a draft of their goals to again be discussed at their next meeting. They then turned their attention to the discussion of the projects and priorities. Much of the list will be handled by the somewhat newly formed Town Properties Committee, a committee that Traynor referred to as one of the two most important ones in town (the second being by-law review). Wilhelmsen said that the committee plans to do the necessary work, including hiring consultants, to figure out what needs to be brought before the selectmen. The plan is to have a master spreadsheet that can be shared with the Board.

Turning their attention to the Highway Department portion of the list, Traynor said that he sees the Paving Software Management Plan as “a critical piece of letting the townspeople know where we are devoting our energies in terms of highway and restoration.”

How best to handle the oft discussed intersection on Main St. is also included amongst the town’s priorities. Traynor said that there has been a great deal of feedback on the topic as it’s mention always seems to attract a crowd. He went on to say, “somehow we need to bring this to a finish.” Russo suggested that the selectmen use their town voted ability to enable a safety zone with a limited speed limit until a final decision can be reached.

Also, on the priorities list was the town’s technology. Traynor said that while Dennehy is doing a great job regarding this topic and is having fiber installed, it would be good to have a technical resource to help guide the town into the future. Wilhelmsen said that the town website is behind what they used to have. “If we’re going to do more stuff online now and, in the future, that is a piece that is going to need to be addressed,” Wilhelmsen explained. Joy suggested that they ask Dennehy to look into available technology grants. Given the current environment, Joy said, “we’re going to have to offer more town services online.” Traynor suggested the possibility of having the town’s IT tied into the school district. Joy, for her part, felt it might be a better idea to look into shared IT services with other surrounding towns.

The selectmen also discussed the financial plan saying that they need to establish a 5-year capital plan. Traynor said that the Town Properties Committee is a wonderful asset to help guide where the town’s money will be directed in the future.

There was a brief discussion of the emergency management of the town. The selectmen agreed that the team has done an amazing job during the pandemic. “We’ve had a really good team leading us through this; they’ve been such an asset to the town” Joy said. Traynor said that he was “very impressed with the fire chief.” “Having a real professional at the police station at this time… thank goodness,” Russo added.

Several items came up under volunteerism and general government. Traynor said that he would like to see flags put up from the town green to the old townhouse. “I think we can probably raise some money to buy the flags… I think there would probably be people who want to help us.” Joy said she would like to see them develop a flag and decoration policy to ensure consistent, appropriate decoration for events such as Memorial Day and to ensure that no one has to pay out of their own pocket. Wilhelmsen brought up the state and age of the flag and the pole on the town green saying that it will soon be inoperable. He said it was high on the priorities list for the Town Properties Committee.

Other items discussed included affordable housing, cemetery clean-up, and senior citizens’ issues. Joy said that she would like to see the town seek opportunities to work with Habitat for Humanity when town properties are turned over through tax title or other means. Traynor said that a decade or so ago, the Boy Scouts assisted in the clean-up of the town’s cemeteries and said that he would like to once again look into a similar opportunity. Traynor also expressed concern over the effects the virus has had on the senior citizen population in town who are no longer able to have meetings. Wilhelmsen suggested the possibility of having the seniors meet remotely via a platform such as Zoom.

As always, the selectmen ended their meeting with their rants and raves. Joy said that while sad, her rave was for the recent vote that recalled two Kingston selectmen, including the chair, from their positions. “People got involved,” Joy said. “They weren’t happy with what was happening in town government and they did something about it,” she continued. Traynor said that his rave was for the agreement between Plympton and Middleborough regarding Soule Homestead and parking for Two Brooks Preserve. Traynor called it a “win, win, win.” Russo at first said his rant would be for the poor horses, dogs, and humans that struggle with fireworks but quickly changed his tune saying he preferred instead to provide a rave. He applauded the town for making it through the recent elections and town meeting and for opening and operating the townhouse again.

Under the Massachusetts’ phased plan for reopening, hair salons were able to open their doors beginning May 26 and restaurants were able to open for indoor seating beginning June 22.

Several hair salons in Halifax have been seeing clients for the past month with certain restrictions in place. Bk & Co Hair Design opened their doors on May 26 by appointment only. Clients were asked to wait for their appointment in their cars in order to allow for thorough sanitation between guests. Salon Serenity is taking temperatures at their door and asking all clients to alert them if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, they ask that those coming in for their appointment come alone and wait in their car until called into the salon. Owner and stylist Kelly McAndrews told the Express that while they were initially not allowing blow drying, the salon has since begun offering that service again.

Teeka Lynne’s Salon & Day Spa also opened on May 26. Owner Teeka Isakson explained, “I have always run the salon based off the State Board guidelines. The State guidelines are really an enhancement to what we have already been doing.” Like the other salons in town, masks are required. Of the past month, Isakson said, “Overall things are going smoothly it just takes more time to take care of our clients due to the fact most have not had their hair done in 2-3 months.”

Restaurants have had a slower start for indoor dining as they were part of step 2 of phase 2 which began in late June. The Lyonville Tavern and Grille 58 in Halifax both plan to open the third week of July and are currently undergoing deep cleanings. The Express spoke to Lisa Davis, one of the owners of The Moon and Back Café in Plympton and was told they resumed indoor dining on June 23. “Right now, we have two booths that are separated, and I only have 2 tables that are six feet apart. I’m just waiting on my partitions to come in so that I can actually use all three of my booths,” Davis explained. She also said that just as it was in the pre-pandemic days, sanitization is of the utmost importance. “The past week has had its ups and downs; we’re just wading through the storm and hopefully everything is going to start picking back up,” Davis said.

The Blueberry Muffin in Kingston re-opened for in person dining on June 22. A staff member told The Express that tables have been set up at least six feet apart and that the restaurant is following all new sanitation guidelines from the state. Small changes such as ketchup being served in single packets only have also been implemented. Of the last week, they said, “It has been pretty steady, some days have been busier than others.”

Assistant General Manager of the West End Grill in Kingston, Weston Pearson, said the restaurant reopened for indoor seating as soon as allowed albeit with a somewhat limited menu and limited hours. All of the tables have been spaced out six feet. There is limited seating around the bar.

According to Pearson there are five additional tables available compared to the outdoor seating arrangement they had earlier in the pandemic. They are also still offering curbside pickup for those who aren’t ready to venture inside for a meal. Asked how business has been, Pearson said, “Slow, I think it’s a combination of that and also the time of year. We have another restaurant in Plymouth -Waterfront Bar and Grill, that’s been very busy. I think every day is a little bit better than the previous.”

The June 22 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting began as a joint meeting with the Plympton School Committee. Daniel Cadogan was elected to the school committee during Saturday’s town election but was yet to be sworn in as of Monday’s meeting so was not part of the voting. Jon Wilhelmsen, who received several write-in votes during the election, had already been sworn in and accepted another term on the committee. The Board of Selectmen and School Committee took a vote to appoint Jason Fraser to replace resigning member Jill Palenstijn for the year-long remainder of her term. The school committee then adjourned.

The Board of Selectmen began their business with a reorganization. Current Chair Christine Joy made a motion to make Mark Russo the new Chair and John Traynor seconded. John Traynor was named the clerk and Christine Joy the new Vice Chair. Russo jokingly said that his ground rules as Chair included no spitting and no swearing.

Following the reorganization there was a very brief hearing to consider the application of Eversource located out of 273 Summer Street in Plymouth. There is a petition for the installation of one pole on Spring St. to raise the cable due to low hanging wires. No one attending the remote meeting wished to speak either in favor or against considering the application. Traynor made a motion to accept the application which was unanimously agreed upon and the hearing was closed.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy requested that the town sign a three-year continuation of their auditing contract with Lynch Marini & Associates. “They have been doing an excellent job for us for quite some time,” Dennehy explained. The Board voted in favor of the continuation.

The Board then moved toward making the necessary fy21 appointments. Russo read through the lengthy list of people whose appointments were expiring at the end of the month asking that a hold be requested for any appointments needing further discussion.

The only appointment in question was that of Animal Control Officer and Animal Inspector. Joy said that she had  believed Brian Kling would be resigning but was relieved to hear that he no longer intended to resign. Russo made a motion to appoint all those on the list to another term in their present position. It was unanimously approved.

Dennehy provided the Board with updates regarding COVID-19 saying, “Town meeting was a success. I think we can all be very pleased with the way that things went…I do believe people felt at least somewhat secure with being there.”

Dennehy said that as of the Monday meeting there were two active cases in the town and all earlier cases were considered clear.

Dennehy also said that the town is working on a plan for the fall and winter and have been taking the necessary steps to ensure that the Fire and Police Departments are adequately supplied with all necessary equipment.

Dennehy told the Board that Fire Chief Stephen Silva has taken the lead with getting reimbursement through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. She also said that they have been coordinating with Wilhelmsen and Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto to make sure that they are reimbursed for any unforeseen COVID-related expenses.

Regarding future expenses, Wilhelmsen said that they are looking at both necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as additional chromebooks as the expectation is that next year will also involve some level of remote learning. The town is also looking to be reimbursed for residual town meeting expenses that were COVID-related such as the hiring of an AV company to help facilitate a socially distant meeting.

The Board of Health also received a secondary grant. Chair of the Board of Health Art Morin has already received reimbursement for the costs to spray the town buildings the first time. Dennehy said that when dealing with separate grants, etc., careful attention must be paid to not duplicate entries for reimbursement.

Dennehy said, “Otherwise, its been pretty much business as usual at the townhouse.” She said that a memo was sent out to town employees to remind them to keep their guards up as the threat posed from COVID-19 is still present.

Traynor brought up that a number of town issues have been placed on the back burner due to the pandemic and said that he would like to see those things receive attention once again. Russo and Joy concurred. It was agreed that the Board would focus much of their July 6 meeting on discussing and prioritizing these projects.

Dennehy gave an administrative update saying that she was pulling together an RFP to get a consultant on board for the hazard mitigation plan grant.

She also said that the purchase and sales agreement for one of the three lots auctioned off on Prospect Rd had already been signed and mailed to town counsel. She said she expected the closing to take place soon. The purchase and sales for the other two lots are in the final stages.

As is customary at their meetings, the selectmen ended their night with their rants or raves for the past few weeks. Joy said her rave was for all the residents that attended town meeting. “I know it was kind of a scary experience … but they came out and they took care of business,” Joy said.

Russo had two raves, the first of which was for Joy having finished her term as chair of the Board.

“I’m very appreciative of having the opportunity to sit next to Christine and learn from her,” Russo said. Traynor agreed. Russo’s second rave was for the town employees in agreeing to forgo a merit increase this year in order to guarantee that no jobs were lost and to keep the tax rate as modest as possible.

Traynor qualified his rave by saying that it was really more of a story. He said that about fifty years ago a binder was removed from the town records by someone that wanted it for their own library. That person recently passed, and their children shared it with someone else from Plympton. “I’m happy to report that the 1899 book of Plympton town boundaries is now back in the town vault,” Traynor concluded.

Town elections for both Plympton and Halifax will be held this Saturday, June 20. The Plympton town election will take place at the town house from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Halifax will hold their election at the Halifax Elementary School gym from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. These elections mark the first time the state has allowed early mail-in voting for local elections.

Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the Express that to his knowledge, there wasn’t anyone that tried to pull papers to run for an elected position that was unable to do so due to the shutdown. Seelig did say, however, that there were some town officials who elected not to run again. Several candidates are running uncontested for re-election. This includes John Shiavone for a three-year term on the Board of Assessors, Patricia McCarthy for a four-year term on the Housing Authority, Diane Ruxton for a three-year term on the Board of Library Trustees, Edward Desharnais Jr. for a three-year term on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, and Troy Garron for a three year term on the Board of Selectmen. Richard Clark is also running for re-election uncontested for a five-year term on the Housing Authority as well as a three-year term on the Board of Water Commissioners. Both Robert Johnson and Alison Vance are running for re-election uncontested for the two spots available on the Halifax Elementary School Committee.

There is one seat available for a one-year term on the Planning Board with two candidates running against one-another. Candidates Alan Dias and Ashley DiSesa both appeared before the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen in January to fill a vacant position on the Board. At the time, DiSesa won the seat through a vote of the selectmen and Planning Board members though support was not unanimous. DiSesa must once again best Dias in votes, this time from the town, in order to remain on the Planning Board. The other contested race is between incumbent Steven Hayward and Michael Schleiff for Highway Surveyor.  Late Tuesday afternoon the Express was told that John Taglini is a write-in candidate for the: Halifax Elementary School Committee and the Silver Lake Regional School Committee.

Unlike the situation in Halifax, Plympton Town Clerk Patricia Detterman said that many people in Plympton did have difficulty pulling nomination papers due to the shutdown. The only candidates to successfully make their deadlines to have their signatures certified to be on the ballot were Mark Russo who is running for re-election for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen and Daniel Cadogan who is seeking a three-year term on the Plympton School Committee. There are several positions with terms expiring despite not appearing on the ballot. Included among those are Jason Fraser and Jon Wilhelmsen who have both expressed interest in continuing to serve on the Plympton School Committee and in Fraser’s case the Silver Lake Regional School Committee as well.

Detterman said, “Saturday’s election will look a bit different this year. Masks and six feet social distancing rules are encouraged. We will have one-way traffic through the polls to avoid some of the socializing done in our front hall when voters are coming and going.” Other safety protocols will also be in place including handing out pens with each ballot rather than sharing pencils. The pens will be sanitized after each use. Both sanitizer as well as masks will be provided for anyone who doesn’t bring their own. Each occupied voting booth will have an empty one in between them in order to increase social distancing. A single booth will be designated for those unable to wear a mask due to health reasons and it will be sanitized in between each use.

“The election workers who are scheduled for Saturday have expressed they feel safe and want to participate in this event,” Detterman said. She also said that last year’s election yielded a 6 percent voter turnout with 128 ballots cast. Detterman said she is expecting the same for Saturday’s election.

Selectmen from Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton attended the June 4 meeting of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee to discuss the FY21 regional school budget. On May 28, the regional school committee voted to pass the original budget number from March with the caveat that they would be asking the three towns to vote no to their budget at their respective town meetings. If the towns voted down the March budget it would cause the region’s budget to revert to fy20 levels by default (a reduction of about $706,000 from the March 12 budget). The intent was to allow the school district additional time to make an informed decision regarding the budget and possible cuts based on actual numbers from the state. As of the present time, no one knows the extent of cuts to state aid as the commonwealth has provided no indication as to when or what the budget will look like.

As a result of the economic hardship brought on by the pandemic, the towns of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton were asking for a combined $525,000 reduction in the assessment to the three towns. Kingston specifically requested a $300,000 reduction to their assessment.

The school committee felt their hand was forced in voting a budget on May 28 as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) had requested that they provide them with a budget that they could then use in determining a 1/12 budget scale for Silver Lake.

“This kind of came out of the blue… we didn’t really have time to react to it,” Fraser explained. He continued, “Some of the school committee members were taken aback by DESE asking us to give them budget numbers when they won’t give us an inkling of what our Chapter 70 funding is going to look like.”

The region receives about $7.3 million in Chapter 70 funds. As Fraser pointed out, even a 1 percent decrease in those funds translates into $73,000 in cuts. “When we agreed to reduce the assessments to the towns by $525,000 we weren’t really doing anything to protect ourselves from a decrease in Chapter 70 funding,” Fraser said. “Out of frustration and out of an act of rebellion against the state, we chose to pass over voting new numbers last week and just sent to DESE the original budget from March 12.

We didn’t feel that it was in our best interest to try and satisfy their ridiculous request for a number from us when they wouldn’t give us thirty percent of our budget to work with,” Fraser explained.

Since the May 28 meeting Fraser said that he has had discussions with town officials regarding the committee’s decision to ask the towns’ to vote down the school’s budget. The two major flaws in the committee’s plan from that meeting were 1.) the towns would potentially be forced to have a special town meeting just for the school and 2.) the ability to access E & D funds in the amount of $125,000 toward next year’s budget would be jeopardized. If a budget isn’t decided upon by June 30, the school would be forced to make additional cuts in that amount. Another issue is that if the school was unable to have a resolution by December, which would involve two out of the three towns voting through a budget, the region would lose local control over their budget. “What I propose for us to do here tonight is to try and satisfy as many of these difficult situations as possible,” Fraser told those assembled.

Fraser went on to say he asked Director of Business Services Christine Healy to look into reducing the assessments to the towns by $525,000 while holding back $181,000 for the region’s protection in potential reductions to Chapter 70 funding. Fraser stressed that the amount held back would only provide a 2.5 percent cushion which is much lower than other communities and school systems in the state.

Essentially Fraser was recommending cutting the budget from the fy21 total to the fy20 level or a reduction of $706,000. He explained that this would allow the towns to vote yes in support of a budget that would hold up for twelve months.

Crone said that he has tried to gain a sense of what other communities are anticipating for reductions in state aid based on conversations with other school committees. He said that some are anticipating reductions as high as 20 percent while the budget being proposed by Fraser only includes a buffer for a 2 percent reduction.

Committee member and Halifax selectman Gordon Andrews said that the 2.5 percent cut was not realistic and recommended that if the school committee votes for a budget, they do so with a realistic number.

He said that using a 2 percent reduction in state aid would cause the committee to have to go back to square one and re-vote a new, more reduced budget. Andrews pointed out that the town of Halifax is looking at a total of an 8 percent reduction in state aid and the town of Kingston a 15 percent reduction.

“If you look at the math of what the tax revenues are coming in at, the numbers seem a lot closer to the 15 percent than the 8 percent overall,” Andrews said. “We are going to be talking about a million dollars if it’s at 15 percent,” he continued.

While Fraser said that he understood Andrews’ trepidation with using an estimate of a 2.5 percent decrease in Chapter 70 funds, he also felt strongly that the region work with the three towns and provide a budget for them to vote on that gives the towns what they asked for.

School committee member Leslie-Ann McGee inquired if there was a way to protect the E & D funds without voting a new budget. The E & D funds have typically been used to fund capital infrastructure issues. Healy said that they would be able to continue funding capital infrastructure projects but not at the same level that they have been able to do over the last five years. Andrews asked if it would be possible to expend that money right now on items on the capital plan. Healy said, “Theoretically we could, the tough thing is some of those items have a leeway because there is planning to be done.”

The Committee took a vote requiring a two-thirds majority to accept the regular day operating budget of the regional schools of $25,992,354. With the exception of Andrews and McGee the committee voted through the number which represents a $706,000 reduction from the March 12 budget.

Both Andrews and McGee were emphatic in their disagreement with the decision being made by the committee.

“I’m observing that we just voted a number that none of us have any confidence in,” McGee stated. Andrews referenced the cuts that would have to be made to come up with the $706,000 saying, “Again, I just think this is a total mistake. We are asking them [the towns] to vote a budget that they don’t know what is inside.” Both Andrews and McGee said they would encourage their towns to vote against the number.

Fraser said that the committee would reassemble on June 16 “hopefully to make some better educated guesses as to where we’re going to find the $706,000 line by line, item by item.”

The committee did agree to have Fraser draft a letter to the three towns to ask permission to go back to the table if there is an increase in funds from the federal government.

Despite the vote taken during the June 4 meeting, Fraser corresponded with the Express on June 8 saying, “I have been asked for a reconsideration of the budget vote from 6/4 so the news from Silver Lake is continuing to evolve.”

CARES Act Funding

Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas O’Brien attended Thursday’s meeting to explain about the allocation of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds. Of the $2.7 billion received by Massachusetts, $90 million was awarded to the communities of Plymouth County. According to O’Brien, there were four governmental entities with a population of more than 500,000 that were eligible to receive a portion of those funds.

Of those four, only the city of Boston and Plymouth County completed the application process for their portion of the funds rather than granting the state control. The state takes a percentage of the funds for administrative costs for those entities for which they are managing the distribution of the funds.

O’Brien told those assembled that the federal government has extensive guidelines for how the funds can be spent and further said that the guidelines have already been changed three times. O’Brien said a designated website PlymouthCountyCares.com has been established to house all the guidelines and other pertinent information.

“What this is going to take… is a significant amount of coordination between town officials, school officials, public safety officials, finance committee officials, to make sure that the town realizes what resources are available and then applies in the best manner possible to the best source possible for finding reimbursement,” O’Brien explained.

He also emphasized that “these funds are not available for revenue replacement.” The CARES funds are strictly to be used for unexpected, unbudgeted expenses that were incurred as a result of the pandemic.

The first phase is intended to be a reimbursement for expenditures through June 30. The second phase will be for expenditures from July 1 and onward. “Phase 1 is secure and underway, and we will be releasing that money as quickly as it is expected.”

According to O’Brien only 6 of the 27 eligible communities have thus far applied for the funding available during Phase 1. Fraser said that the hope is that the four school districts (K-6 for each of the three towns and the regional for 7-12) can put together one unified package rather than receiving packages for the disparate schools.

Technology Director Steve Pellowe is currently working with Proulx on a list of technology expenses that have incurred as a direct result of COVID-19.

The meeting mentioned in the above article between the Silver Lake Regional School Committee and the finance committees and selectmen from Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton took place on Thursday, June 4. During that meeting the regional school committee rescinded their decision to vote through the March 12 budget and ask the towns to vote down the school budget at their respective town meetings. 

Chair Jason Fraser said that after discussion with town leadership he thought it best to provide a budget that the towns could vote yes to at town meeting. Fraser made a motion to reduce the budget by $706,000 which included a $525,000 reduction to the collective towns’ assessments. Committee members Gordon Andrews and Leslie-Ann McGee were the sole no votes on Fraser’s motion which passed with a two-thirds majority.

The full article on the June 4 meeting will appear in the June 12 edition of the Plympton-Halifax Express.

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met remotely on Thursday, May 28, to vote on a revised FY21 budget. The budget process, which began back in late 2019, has been complicated by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Back in mid-May, Superintendent Jill Proulx presented nearly a million dollars in potential cuts to the version of the budget previously voted on by the committee in March. The March 12 version of the budget came in at $26,698,578 for an increase of 2.71 percent over the previous year’s budget but a decrease from January’s proposed 3.31 percent increase. Chair of the Silver Lake School Committee Jason Fraser said, “This number was lauded by all three of our communities… and then we didn’t go back to school the next day and our world changed.”

Jon Lay spoke on behalf of the Silver Lake Education Association (SLEA) and stressed two points, the first of which being that every dollar in the budget is not equal. He said that some expenditures, such as teachers, have more of a direct impact on students than others. Currently there are 12.9 full time teaching positions on the line. He also took exception to what he called a reluctance on the part of the school committee to, in their words, micromanage the superintendent. Lay said that the SLEA wouldn’t consider it micromanaging but rather the committee doing their due diligence. After Lay spoke the committee took a half-hour recess in order to enter into executive session to discuss negotiations for SLEA.

Upon returning to open session the committee took up the budget discussion once again. Due to the hardships posed by the pandemic, Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton all asked the school committee to revisit their budget. Kingston, which requested a $300,000 reduction to their assessment, was the only one of the three communities to provide a specific number. State aid made up 30 percent of the school budget last year totaling $7.3 million. The remaining portion of the school budget is made up of the three communities’ assessments. Experts are estimating that the budget crisis brought on by the pandemic could result in anywhere from a $4 to $8 billion deficit for that state’s fy21 budget. The state budget likely won’t be released prior to June 30 prompting Fraser to stress that despite the educated guesses floating around, no one knows the actual numbers yet.

The school committee expressed their frustration at revising their budget without any indication as to what potential cuts to Chapter 70 funding will look like. “I feel like we’re blindfolded throwing darts at a wall here,” Vice Chair Eric Crone said. Many other school districts are simply voting their prior year budgets to submit to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). “We’re putting so many people’s lives on hold because of the position that DESE put us in,” Fraser bemoaned.

With the prospect of potentially needing to go to a one-twelfth budget looming, the school committee was feeling the pressure to deliver on a budget Thursday night. A one-twelfth budget would allow them to allocate enough funds for a single month’s expenditure based on the previous year’s budget. This will be true, as well, for those towns that do not go through with their town meetings prior to June 30 as they will be unable to vote the budget as a town. Both Kingston and Plympton are planning to move forward with their town meetings on June 13 and June 17 respectively. Halifax will most likely postpone their meeting until later in the summer thus necessitating a one-twelfth budget for their town.

Fraser moved to simply vote through the FY20 budget number of $25,992,345 for this year as many other districts had done. Gordon Andrews, a Halifax selectman and a member of the regional and Halifax school committees proposed an out of the box, albeit temporary, solution to the school’s budget crisis. Andrews suggested that the committee vote on the March 12 budget number and ask the towns to vote the number down at their town meetings. While this would necessitate a second town meeting to vote the amended number, it would also buy the school committee an additional thirty days from the dates of those meetings to derive a budget based on the state’s amended numbers. Given the outside of the box nature of the proposition, many members of the committee were initially unsure how they felt about it. Fraser withdrew his motion and allowed for a five-minute recess so that committee members could take a moment to think over Andrew’s suggestion.

A number of concerns were discussed once back in session. Among them, Crone said that he was worried about not giving the towns what they asked for the assessment. Crone and others also expressed concern over assuring the towns’ compliance in voting against the school’s budget. It was agreed that it would need to be explicitly communicated to the selectmen and finance committees the logic behind the decision to ask the towns to vote down the school budget. Another concern was the cost of having to hold a second town meeting. While there is an expense of usually $5,000 to $10,000 per town associated with holding such a meeting, most of the committee agreed that it was menial in comparison to what is at stake.

The motion voted on Thursday was to submit to DESE a one-twelfth budget based on the March 12 budget that was previously voted on by the school committee. Despite only needing two-thirds of the committee’s approval, the motion passed with unanimous support. A follow-up meeting will be held with the school committee as well as the finance committees and selectmen from the three towns.

Proulx gave an update on COVID-19 related issues. School nurses have been asked to send their requests for personal protective equipment (PPE) to their respective building principals despite not yet having the recommended equipment list. Items to be purchased include thermometers, hand sanitizer, masks, and for schools over 1,000, cameras that register temperatures. Proulx also said that she believes there will be guidance available by the end of June regarding reentry. It would still be subject to change, however, before the start of school.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said during the Tuesday, May 26 Board of Selectmen meeting that he has reviewed the information from the state in order to do a 1/12 budget for fiscal year 2021. Seelig said that his suggestion to go to a 1/12 budget is due to the state budget not being released yet as well as safety concerns over holding town meeting. “Holding large meetings in enclosed spaces is not a good idea right now,” Seelig explained. In order to postpone the June 15 town meeting and do the 1/12 budget, the town moderator would need to decide to recess the meeting for up to 30 days. Seelig said that he was suggesting that the meeting get recessed to July 11 and that it potentially be held outdoors. The selectmen will vote to approve Seelig’s recommendation at their next meeting. The second step required to do a 1/12 budget is the Finance Committee’s recommendation.

Town Election

The town election is still scheduled for June 20. Seelig and the town clerk have written instructions on how to vote in person or by mail. If voting in person, there will be social distancing and hygiene protocols in place.

Cranberry Drive Sidewalk

A handful of Cranberry Dr. residents attended the meeting Tuesday to advocate for a sidewalk where there is currently only a grassy shoulder. Seelig said that the current estimate to do the work is $134,000 up from the previous estimate of $114,000. Selectman Chair Troy Garron asked if there were any incidents involving people getting injured resulting from the lack of a sidewalk. Seelig said no such incidences had occurred. Seelig suggested having the engineering work done at a cost of approximately $14,000. The cost would likely need to come from the Highway Department’s Chapter 90 funds.

Garron said he empathized with residents on that road but asked if the town was really in a position to do the work right now. Selectman Tom Millias concurred saying, “In a perfect world, I would be all for it.” Selectman Gordon Andrews said, “I understand the need, but not sure if that is the best use of the money right now.” He further said that he would prioritize items like crosswalks and streetlights over sidewalks.

Cranberry Drive resident Ryan Morgan inquired if the town had a 5-year plan of potential capital expenses, a sort of priority list. Seelig said that there were two lists, the first being capital projects that are approved at town meeting. Seelig said those projects are usually not roadwork, but rather expenses such as purchasing town vehicles. Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward has a separate list because he has his own sources of funding including Chapter 90 funds. Hayward said, “My priority is the roads right now; the roads are falling apart, and I think that is a little bit more important.” He also stressed that he doesn’t yet know how much he will be getting from Chapter 90.

Library Director and Cranberry Drive resident Jean Gallant asked Seelig and the selectman how concerned residents might go about getting their projects added to the priority list should money come available. A third Cranberry Drive resident, who said he takes his small children on that road daily, jumped in saying he was upset that the focus was on the money. He pointed out that the neighborhood was thirty years old and asked how it was possible that in thirty years, the money has never been allotted to the project. Garron told the residents that they would need to gather 10 signatures from registered voters in order to bring the issue to town meeting. While it is too late for this year, it would be possible to do so for next year’s town meeting. The selectmen voted to table the issue for now.

COVID-19 Updates

Seelig and the Board agreed that starting with the pay period beginning June 7, town employees will be paid only for the work that they do. If available and if they wish, employees for whom work still cannot be found can supplement with sick leave, personal leave, or vacation time.

Regarding reopening, Seelig said that some departments might be able to continue working remotely while others may want to get employees back into the buildings. Measures will be taken to protect those in the buildings including additional signage, sanitizer stations, wipes and gloves, and potentially new filtering units in the HVAC units. In addition, the town will likely require individuals to complete a checklist including requirements such as not having a fever or living with someone with COVID. Seelig said he would be scheduling a Zoom meeting with department heads as well as employees to go over the protocols surrounding reopening.

Silver Lake Graduation

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued guidelines for holding outdoor graduation ceremonies later this summer. As of right now, Silver Lake is planning to hold a modified ceremony on August 7 at 6 p.m.

Other News

Seelig said that everything went well at the Recycling Center soft opening on May 20.

A presentation was held last Thursday on what will and will not be eligible for funds received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). Seelig said, however, that he was still left with many questions. Unlike most of the state, Plymouth County has elected to distribute the funds to municipalities themselves rather than letting the state handle the distribution.

What Seelig described as a “low-key observance” took place in Halifax on Memorial Day complete with a bagpiper. “I thought it was very nicely done by the VFW,” Seelig said.

Bud’s Goods and Provisions submitted their application for an outdoor marijuana cultivation facility. The Board of Selectmen have sixty days to reply to it. Seelig said the vote would be put on the agenda for June 9.

The Boy Scout bottle drive is scheduled for July 11. Assuming the event takes place, it will be at the town hall green as has been done in the past.

Seelig said that former town moderator T. P. Elliot-Smith passed away. The selectmen and all on Tuesday’s call, held a moment of silence to honor the work that he did for the town.