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.

COVID-19 Updates

The Halifax Board of Selectmen held a remote meeting on Tuesday, May 12. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig addressed the necessary steps the town would have to take to begin reopening per the state’s guidelines. Seelig described it as a “slow opening” and said it would begin with the recycling center opening on Wednesday, May 20.

Seelig also credited library Director Jean Gallant with developing a plan for the opening of the library. He said he plans to share it with the other departments. Gallant, who said she had recently spoken with other SAILS directors, said that the library would also be ready to begin curbside pickup and returns at the book drop beginning on May 20. Phase 2 of reopening would include having patrons in the building. Selectman Chair Troy Garron said to Gallant, “I love your initiative.”

Council on Aging Director Susan Lawless was also at the meeting and expressed that she was unsure what steps to take to get her drivers back to work. Currently the drivers, who do not have benefits such as vacation time, have continued being paid despite not working. Lawless asked if drivers not comfortable returning to work in the next week or so should continue to be paid.

Both Garron and selectman Tom Millias said that they believed payment should be stopped in such a case. Millias explained, “The cold hard fact is we can’t pay them and pay somebody else to do their job.” Adding to the complexity, Lawless said that there may only be limited hours available and asked if drivers should be compensated only for what they work or for their normal workloads. Seelig said a meeting between the selectmen and the department heads would be scheduled soon to hash out such details.

Seelig acknowledged that the town hall is not yet ready to be opened. He explained, “My first priority in all of this is the protection of the employees that are working in these buildings and also the protection of the residents and visitors who come in.” Seelig also said that he wouldn’t want to see employees in the vulnerable population return to work if it was contraindicated for them to do so. Millias said he would like to begin by determining which employees should come back first saying they, “should start functioning with our staff first before thinking about opening our doors to the public.”

Potential Official Town Facebook Page

Seelig said that some interest had been expressed in the creation of a town Facebook page. He said that approval would need to go through the selectmen so they could setup the terms for use. Seelig said, “Right now, given the circumstances, I don’t think anyone has time to do this.” He also said it could be a duplication of efforts as many already get information from private Facebook groups and those not on Facebook are able to get information from the town website. Selectman Gordon Andrews said he wasn’t opposed to the idea but said that he would recommend that commenting not be enabled. Garron said that given Seelig’s full plate it would be best to back burner the idea and all agreed.

Cranberry Drive Sidewalk

Seelig said that a Cranberry Drive resident requested that a sidewalk be placed along the shoulder of Plymouth St. Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward had received an estimate of $125,000 a few years ago for the work. Seelig said he was, “certainly for it, it’s just the cost consideration that is the problem.” The selectmen agreed saying they were in favor of the idea conceptually but that the money posed a problem particularly given the uncertainties of the present day. Seelig said he would ask Hayward to provide a new estimate and suggested that money may be available in the form of a grant. Seelig said there was potential for residents to put an article into the warrant for town meeting next year.

Abandoned House on 4 Upton St.

Seelig said that due to the abandoned house on the town owned lot at 4 Upton St., the property is classified differently since the structure is not part of the town’s operations. As a result, it has a separate insurance policy for $2,500 to cover the property as well as general liability. Seelig explained the various options for selling the property. As-is, Seelig said it is not considered a buildable lot and therefore would only be of interest to abutters. Seelig explained that this option is not desirable since if the offer was too low it likely wouldn’t cover the insurance or amount of back taxes due. The other potential option would be to work with the Planning Board to get a new bylaw in the zoning bylaws that would allow for abandoned properties to be used by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) by a special permit as a single family only. Garron inquired as to the cost to raze the building and Millias estimated anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. Andrews also said he would be in favor of razing the building if the town is unable to sell the property. Seelig agreed to get bids first to gather a clearer picture.

Town Meeting and Town Election

Seelig said that town meeting is still scheduled for June 15 and that the warrant would be going to press shortly. According to Seelig, there are two hurdles that must be overcome in order to move forward with town meeting on that date. The first of which is that the town doesn’t currently have an idea of what state aid is going to look like. Andrews said that the state had authorized themselves to have until June 30 to present a budget. He also said that from what he knew, both Kingston and Plympton were moving forward with their scheduled town meetings despite not having knowledge of state aid. Both Seelig and Andrews expressed confusion about how the towns planned to proceed without the information. The second hurdle to holding the meeting is the physical logistics. Venue as well as safety protocols would have to be considered.

Seelig said the town clerk’s office is moving forward with the assumption that the town election will be held on June 20. They are working with the school to figure out the physical logistics for in person voting. Seelig said that while in person voting will occur, mail-in voting would be encouraged.

Budget and CARES Act

The town budget remains in flux though the Finance Committee planned to have their recommendations in by the end of the week. Seelig said he was yet to hear anything from Plymouth County regarding the $90,000,000 in federal funds to be distributed to municipalities by the county. Seelig said while he awaits word, he will move forward with speaking to the various town departments regarding their needs. Seelig said that the town needs to think about equipment and supplies that will be needed in the coming months.

Beach Stickers for Nonresidents

Back in the winter, the issue of beach stickers for nonresidents was introduced. Seelig said he checked with both Kingston and Duxbury and discovered that neither town is issuing beach stickers to anyone due to COVID-19. Andrews said that if the town’s beaches remain closed, it doesn’t make sense to issue stickers. He did say, however, that should they open he would be in favor of a $25 fee for nonresident beach stickers. Millias asked if the offer would be extended to anyone or only those in abutting towns. The selectmen agreed to put off making any decisions to a later date so they could put more thought into their decision.

Other News

Seelig said that while the Board had previously voted to cancel regularly scheduled Memorial Day events, the VFW was moving forward with putting up flags on the town green. He also said that there could potentially be some low-key activities planned with social distancing protocols in mind.

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held a meeting last Wednesday for Chapter 40B on Country Club Estates but have postponed the hearing until June.

Halifax Health Agent Cathy Drinan will be retiring in June. “Obviously it’s unfortunate we’re losing Kathy especially at this time,” Seelig said.

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met on Tuesday, May 12 during which time Superintendent Jill Proulx and the administration team presented nearly a million dollars in proposed cuts to the budget. A copy of the presentation can be found on the Silver Lake homepage. The Committee met again on Wednesday, May 13 to vote on the proposed cuts.

The cuts were categorized as either tier one or tier two. In addition to the elimination of freshmen sports and some expanded transportation, many positions including professional status teachers were included on the lists. Due to contractual obligations, some staff potentially facing a layoff must be notified by Friday, May 15. To vote in favor of cuts presented does not mean they will come to fruition. Instead, when preparing the budget, the list will be drawn upon when in need of cuts. Silver Lake Regional School Committee Chair Jason Fraser explained, “Tonight is not the end of the budget, tonight is the beginning of the development process. There will be some time for us to consider all of our options as we move forward.”

Proposed tier one cuts at the high school include the elimination of several paraprofessionals and the full-time wellness teacher. Tier one cuts at the middle school include a full-time special education teacher, a full-time science teacher, and the reduction of a librarian position.

Potential tier two cuts at the high school include a Latin teacher, a full-time tech ed teacher, a full-time computer teacher, a full-time special education teacher, a full-time ELA teacher, and a full-time adjustment counselor. Tier two cuts at the middle school total $144,000 and include a full-time math teacher and PE teacher as well as the remainder of the librarian position among others.

The presentation also included a few items where there will be savings this year that could potentially offset the need for as many cuts. With school closed since mid-March, expenditures for buses, utilities, and substitute teachers have been reduced.

Fraser began Wednesday by laying out the ground rules for the meeting which was being held virtually and boasted over 150 participants. Each committee member would be offered one opportunity to speak on any comments or questions they had developed since the previous night’s meeting.

Committee member Eric Crone noted, as did many others, that he was against many of the proposed cuts. Crone also said that when moving forward with the budget, he would like to see some new areas considered for cuts including technology costs and administrative costs. Committee member Laura Tilton said, “This is a really painful process… but the bottom line is we’ve been asked by the town to come in with a budget that is lower.”

Leslie-Ann McGee offered, “I think it’s a very difficult process to consider essentially gutting education as we know it at Silver Lake.” She added, “I just don’t want anyone to think that my yes vote tonight means that I’m in favor of all of the components of this package.” McGee noted she was only voting in favor of the package due to time constraints.

Committee member and Halifax Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if the teachers potentially facing layoffs were informed prior to the meeting the night before. Fraser assured him that they had been notified by their building principal and/or other administrators. Andrews also asked, “At this point in time, no other staff members could be let go that are under the union contract that do not get notified tonight?”

Proulx answered, “My understanding is that the notices go to the people who are currently in the position but some of those people who would be notified could, in fact, bump other people in their bargaining unit which could set off a need to notify other people.”

Committee member Michael Antoine asked, “I would like to know if the administration has looked at their own area as far as the contracts, we have going forward with them, if there’s been any talk of salary freezes or voluntary reductions in pay.” Proulx responded, “There has been discussion but no formalized decision regarding the freezing or reduction of salaries; that is certainly something we have discussed and considered and would consider.”

Before moving forward with a vote on the proposal, Fraser said that if salary modifications were considered, he would like to see it be across the board and not on the backs of any particular group.

The Committee proceeded to vote with the necessary two-thirds majority to approve both the tier one and tier two cuts as presented.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Thursday, April 30 as they have been doing each week during the COVID-19 pandemic. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy gave an update on the town’s plan to deal with the virus. Dennehy said that the town is following the Governor’s guidance to extend the stay-at-home order to May 18.

Town employees continue to work remotely whenever possible with only a select few continuing to go into town buildings in order to complete essential services. The town has also begun implementing virtual tours for inspection processes. Dennehy also said that everything is continuing to go smoothly with the Police and Fire Departments and that the town currently has a sufficient supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The Emergency Management team has met to discuss logistics for reopening. Dennehy said they have discussed such necessities as face coverings as well as structural changes to buildings. The possibility of installing plexiglass to reduce contact was a potential option mentioned. Dennehy said the team is “trying to get an idea of the best path forward.”   

Dennehy and the Selectmen also discussed how best to handle the town’s Memorial Day events. Dennehy said that many surrounding towns have postponed those events to Veteran’s Day. Both Kathy Ferguson and Briggette Martins, who are both on the Memorial Day Committee, were receptive to the idea. Selectman Mark Russo said, “I’m in total agreement that it needs to be postponed. My only concern is that we wait a week to put it on the agenda in case there was opposition.” Selectmen Christine Joy and John Traynor were in agreement.

Dennehy also told the Board that she had been in touch with the Co-Chair of the Open Space Committee Linda Leddy about extending the bid date for the three lots on Prospect Road. The new due date for offers is May 20, 2020 by noon at the Plympton Town House.

The town received word from energy provider Eversource that there was a problematic tree down on the town green. Dennehy said that due to COVID-19, Eversource was asking either herself or Joy to sign off on the removal of the tree. “I took a ride down there and the tree is practically coming down now; It’s dangerous,” Traynor said. He continued, “I wonder if they could do it with a provision that they grind the stump since it is on the town green.” Russo agreed and asked that it be put on the following week’s agenda to enable anyone who may be sensitive to such issues to attend the meeting.

In other town business, Traynor made a motion to send the codification warrant article that would change the bylaws to the Planning Board. Traynor said that it would be necessary to have a clear date for doing so before going to the Attorney General’s office. Dennehy also said that she had received correspondence from a town solar project stating the need to do an electrical crossing on Ring Road.

Traynor also had a rave for the week. He commended the Russos (Mark and family) for what he referred to as “Friday night cooking” during which meals would be given out to as many as 40 families.

During the Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, April 28 town administrator Charlie Seelig said that as of right now, the town is operating under the assumption that there will be a town meeting on June 15. He noted, however, it is all subject to change due to COVID-19 restrictions. Based on that assumption, the town is required to get the warrant out to residents. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if the town was bound by legislation to hold town meeting in June. Seelig said that they would need to do so as a starting point even if in June it is decided that it will need to be postponed another 30 days.

Seelig also questioned the need to spend several thousand dollars printing and distributing warrants to every household in Halifax. He suggested, instead, printing less copies and making them available at a few public locations throughout town in addition to posting it online. The bylaws regarding the requirements for the distribution of the warrant would need to be changed first.

Seelig pointed out that they are printing approximately 3,500 copies of the warrant yet only 100 or so households are usually represented at town meeting. He did, however, say that he was in no way trying to discourage participation.

Andrews suggested the possibility of sending a postcard to each household in town letting them know where they could pick up a copy of the warrant. Both Selectmen Chair Troy Garron and Selectman Tom Millias were on board with the idea.

Planning Board member Amy Troup was in attendance and made it known that she was adamantly opposed to the idea of not sending warrants to all individual households.

As of now, the town election is still scheduled for late June. Seelig said that they are currently reviewing the final proof of the election ballot.

Seelig said he would encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of early voting and mail-in voting.

Seelig relayed that town clerk Barbara Gaynor proposed reducing the number of hours that the polls are open from 10 am to 6 pm to 12 pm to 4 pm. Millias said, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable shortening the hours.”

He continued, “I want to be sure everyone gets their chance.”

Seelig and the selectmen were unsure whether shortening the hours would reduce or increase exposure for residents and poll workers. Shorter hours would mean less time being in contact with others, but it could also result in greater crowd size. Garron said, “I’m not sure. six of one, half a dozen of the other.” Seelig said he would speak to Gaynor about the Board’s concerns.

COVID Leave Policy Re-examined

Seelig said that back in March, the town had decided to continue paying those who weren’t allowed back in their places of work but were unable to work from home. A few of those employees have been temporarily transferred to a department that could utilize them. For others that are available to work but unable to be transferred or work from home, Seelig said they would have to either take a leave option or be furloughed until they can be put back to work. Millias said, “This whole thing has opened up a lot of inequities… I would like to give this a little more thought, myself.” Seelig said the Board could delay making a decision until their May 12 meeting.

Budget Discussion

Seelig said that himself and town accountant Sandra Nolan met with the Finance Committee on Monday, April 27 and made some progress regarding decisions about line items in the budget. Seelig also said that he was waiting to hear back from the schools regarding their budgets. He acknowledged that everyone was waiting to hear about changes to Chapter 70 funding and unrestricted local aid from the state. Andrews pointed out that were the state to change their numbers, it could potentially have a negative impact on Halifax’s assessment for Silver Lake.

Seelig said that there would be a possibility that they would have to do a 1/12 budget. Seelig also said that while there wasn’t money for general wage increases across the board, there would most likely be step increases for union/non-union and school and non-school employees. Troup, again, took issue with Seelig and the Board’s proposal saying, “Raises for people should not even be considered right now… taxpayers are losing their jobs…we need to unite and come together as a team like we used to.”

After what was, at times, a heated debate between some of the selectmen and Troup, Garron replied, “We do the best we can with what we have to work with.”

CARES Act Distribution

On March 27, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was signed into law, establishing a federal fund of $150 billion to help cities and towns cover costs related to the coronavirus pandemic. Plymouth County received $90 million from that fund which the Plymouth County Board of Commissioners elected to distribute to towns and cities within their jurisdiction themselves rather than having the state administer the money. Aside from the city of Boston, all other local governments opted to have the funds funneled through the commonwealth.

Seelig said that the three Halifax agencies that are in greatest need of the funds, including the Board of Health, have yet to receive any word from the County. Seelig also said that on April 30 a Plymouth County Commissioner’s meeting will be held via Zoom with one participant allowed per city and town. Garron volunteered to sit on the call saying, “I’m not too pleased about it that they didn’t notify anybody about this, especially the advisory board.” Andrews and Millias were also displeased with the County’s decision. The Selectmen voted to have Seelig draft a letter stating their preference that the state handle the allocation of the funds.

Suggestion to Honor Graduating Seniors

Seelig told the selectmen that a suggestion was sent to him to hang congratulations signs on the town utility poles for the individual graduating seniors from Halifax. Seelig said that doing so could be difficult as there are only 10 or 12 poles with the necessary clips. The Highway Department would have to be involved as well. Seelig proposed a logistically simpler idea of placing signs along the roadway, potentially on Plymouth St., to represent each of the roughly 90 students. The selectmen agreed that they would like to figure out some way of honoring those students. “I think if we could do something it would be a really nice gesture,” Millias said.

Official Declaration Made

Seelig also asked the selectmen for their opinion on declaring May 1 to May 7 Children’s Mental Health Week in Halifax per a request that had been received. Regarding making such declarations Andrews commented, “We don’t do this a lot.” Millias said, “It is a little odd, but I don’t see any harm to it.” The selectmen voted to approve the request.

Odds and Ends

A Planning Board hearing is scheduled for May 7 at 7:15 pm.

The three items on the agenda include updating the zoning bylaws regarding floodplains, allowing marijuana establishments in the commercial district, and potentially updating the multifamily bylaw.

The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a remand on May 4, 2020 at 7:30 pm for Amanda’s Estates. The Zoning Board of Appeals will also hold a public hearing on Country Club Estates on May 6 at 7 pm.

Mosquito control

Seelig said that while it is too early to begin other mosquito control measures, the town has administered larvicide to swamplands, etc.

Memorial Day Parade

Assistant Veterans Agent for Halifax, Steven Littlefield, told Seelig that he couldn’t see how the Memorial Day Parade could be held given Governor Baker extending the stay-at-home order through May 18.  The Board agreed to hold off on making a definitive decision regarding the parade though Andrews said, “I think, personally, we are going to have to cancel it.” The Selectmen had previously voted to allow flags to be placed on the town green several weeks in advance of Memorial Day.

Condolences to

Halifax Nova Scotia

The Selectmen voted to send a letter of condolences to Halifax, Nova Scotia following the mass shooting that took place near there on April 19. It was the worst in Canada’s history.

The selectmen voted to do so due to their shared name.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Thursday, April 16 to discuss ongoing developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the weekly selectmen meetings, Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy has also been having weekly conference calls with the townhouse staff.

Dennehy told the selectmen that the most recent guidelines from Governor Baker’s office have granted municipalities the ability to postpone tax payments and waive interests on late payments through June 29. Dennehy said that Plympton Collector Colleen Morin has recommended keeping the May 1 due date but asked that the Selectmen take a vote to waive any interest through June 29 on late payments for tax bills due May 1. The Selectmen unanimously voted to pass this motion.

Governor Baker’s office has also moved the 2019 state individual income tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to July 15.

On April 16, the Plympton Fire and Police Departments participated in a drive-by parade at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth to show appreciation to all the healthcare and essential workers there. Many local public safety organizations were also part of the parade. “That was a nice event that made people happy and spread some joy,” Dennehy said.

According to Dennehy, after some bumps in the road, the transfer station is now operating smoothly. “Now we’re in a spot where the employees have adequate personal protective equipment, they’re following all of the social distancing protocols, and they’re doing a wonderful job keeping the facility open. I think that everyone feels more confident now that they are being properly protected as well,” Dennehy said.

The town of Hanson loaned Plympton an electronic message board that has been used to reflect the new hours of the transfer station. Selectman John Traynor, who said he had been to the transfer station that day said, “I would like to reinforce that as well… very well done.”

Dennehy told the selectmen that there were initially some logistical issues distributing brown bag meals to the Woodlands. Council on Aging Director Joy Marble has found a way to streamline the process, however, while keeping everyone safe.

New measures include placing tape on the floor to ensure workers and patrons stay six feet apart. “Joy deserves to be commended on that; she’s put an enormous amount of time into getting these meals out to people,” Dennehy shared.

Plympton was called upon to see if they could also deliver meals to facilities in Carver and Marshfield. “Right now we’re kind of working on that. We don’t want to overextend ourselves and take on more than what we can reasonably handle but we are trying to be helpful to other communities,” Dennehy said. She also said that Jim Mustacaros, who handles transportation for the Council on Aging, had delivered meals to the facility in Marshfield. “Trying to be mindful of our own resources and of Joy and Jim’s time and also the Fire Chief’s time…we want to be sure that Plympton seniors and Plympton residents are being served first with the limited resources that we have,” Dennehy continued.

The Plympton police and fire departments have also been continuing with their disinfecting protocols. Scott Materna, the Director of Building Maintenance for Halifax, has been periodically disinfecting both buildings and has also loaned equipment to the fire department that enables them to fog the ambulance used for COVID-19 related runs.

Inspections and permits continue

Dennehy said that she had received several questions from the public regarding protocols for inspections and permitting. Plympton has been following the same protocols as most of the state, allowing outside inspections and inside ones for new construction only. Chair of the Board of Health Art Morin said that exceptions are being made for emergencies.

Selectman Mark Russo expressed concern for those residents who find themselves mid-project asking, “If this is going to drag on, is there no way of finding a way to keep the permitting process moving so people aren’t stuck in the mud for month after month?”

Morin agreed saying “We have to adapt and come up with different and creative ideas.” Morin went on to specify that he meant this in regard to individuals and realtors as well as the town.

Russo also said, “When all of this settles down, I think we should look at a way for online permitting options… to offer more options to our residents for doing some of these transactions.”

Morin also told the Board that Plympton has brought on Kevin Forgue as the health agent. Forgue, who is a registered engineer, is also the health agent in Carver. Morin said, “We are fortunate to have Kevin on board now.” Morin also said that Halifax health agent Cathy Drinan had stepped in during the interim on several occasions.

Schools report on distance learning

Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen provided an update on the status of the schools following the second full week of distance learning. Administrators sent a survey to parents, staff, and secondary students in order to receive feedback. Wilhelmsen said that the greatest obstacle thus far has been the wide spectrum of needs throughout the district. Wilhelmsen said that despite hundreds of chromebooks being loaned out, there are still some students who are unable to access technology for one reason or another. According to Wilhelmsen there are students on either end of the spectrum ranging from those struggling with remote assignments to those wishing for more work. “The whole public-school system is setup to provide equal access to all students and you cannot provide equal access in this environment,” Wilhelmsen explained. He also said that Superintendent Jill Proulx deserves a lot of credit for the efforts made thus far.

“This likely is going to continue for this school year and we’ve had a number of conversations with the administration that we need to prepare for the fall,” Wilhelmsen said. Governor Baker officially canceled school for the remainder of the year in the Commonwealth on Tuesday, April 21.

“We need to think forward and I would encourage all of us to think of creative options to keep things moving,” Wilhelmsen continued. Board of Selectmen Chair Christine Joy agreed saying, “We need to learn to do things differently and be more efficient.”

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee began their virtual meeting on April 9 with a public hearing on whether to accept school choice for next year. Despite an option for public participation by joining the Zoom meeting, there was no one from the public wishing to speak on the matter. The Committee did discuss internally.

Before her retirement, former superintendent Joy Blackwood had said that the Committee might consider it for some of the grade levels with lower enrollment. The consensus seemed to be, however, that most grades are trending toward higher class sizes particularly with the loss of two teaching positions at the middle school level. Committee Chair Jason Fraser explained that the district could specify the number of seats as well as what grade levels would be open for school choice. Although voting in favor of it this year wouldn’t require Silver Lake to do so again, they would have to see the students accepted through until either their graduation or their decision to take themselves out of the district.

School Committee member Edward Desharnais brought up the possibility of having to take on students that have been expelled from other schools and said, “it’s a slippery slope and once you start it, it’s hard to back off from. I would hate to sacrifice the quality of our school.” Committee member Gordon Andrews made a motion not to accept school choice. The decision was unanimous.

Another major discussion during Thursday’s meeting was whether to honor April vacation this year or continue with remote learning in its stead. Monday, April 20 is a non-negotiable day off as it is Patriot’s Day. School Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee was in favor of eliminating the break this year as she said it would allow them to shave days from the end of the year. Desharnais said he was against cancelling April vacation as he said he had spoken to several teachers and felt that they were stressed out and in need of a break.

Fraser invited a father from the public who had reached out with concerns about remote learning, to speak at Thursday’s meeting. The father, a Halifax resident, said he had experience teaching in both private and public tech schools.

He described his family’s situation saying his wife was home-schooling an elementary aged child while also caring for a toddler. He said that they were experiencing some technical issues while trying to practice remote learning.

“April vacation might be a good chance to break and fix some of the technology problems,” he explained.

Committee member Christopher Eklund said he could see it both ways. Ultimately, the Committee voted not to cancel April vacation with McGee being the lone holdout.

The Committee also discussed what kind of help could be given to students who have high stakes testing. On April 10, just a day after the Committee met, Governor Baker signed a bill that waived the MCAS test-administration requirement this spring. The ACT test has also been postponed from April 4 to June 13. Proulx said that a number of online resources are available to students who wish to have help preparing for the ACT or the Advanced Placement (AP) tests. Silver Lake Regional Principal Michaela Gill said that the College Board has been hosting live tutorials daily for students wishing to prepare for their AP tests. Gill also said that the format of the AP tests have been modified and will consist of a 45 minute free response portion only.

The remote learning experience thus far was also discussed at length. The first few weeks after closing both the middle and high schools on March 16 consisted solely of voluntary learning with teachers and students electing whether or not to participate in a number of different enrichment opportunities. Beginning Monday April 6, however, the expectations were changed based on guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The administration and Committee were in agreement that having only one week of data at their disposal made it difficult to troubleshoot and make changes as necessary. Proulx stressed the importance of flexibility as they navigate what is brand new territory to all involved. “I think that the teachers have done a great job of reinventing the way that they deliver and develop a curriculum.” Proulx said. Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch, who had met with Department heads regarding remote learning, agreed saying he was, “Very impressed, big picture, to watch us transition how education has been done for probably a thousand years.” Proulx and Lynch said that one of their goals is to start to think about ways for sharing out best practices for distance learning as they emerge.

Administration and Committee members discussed the difference between continued, maintenance education versus new learning. Fraser pointed out that in many private school settings, they are pushing forward with new learning. Proulx spoke at length about equity and the importance of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Proulx also acknowledged that some families are already overwhelmed and struggling with the remote learning. She also said that in their efforts to provide variety and choice to students, it may have been overwhelming. Desharnais said he was hearing estimates that nearly 20 percent of students were not participating in the credit/no credit remote learning that had been established. The Committee asked what could be done to reach those students. Proulx and Lynch said that the first step would be to reach out to the families themselves followed by a counselor or an administrator. Proulx said that they are trying to avoid scenarios where children don’t have access to learning because there are things going on in the home that prevent them from participating. After establishing the continuation of the free and reduced lunch program assuring that students had access to chromebooks was high on the priority list. Lynch and the technology team provided over eight opportunities for families to pick up chromebooks with over 700 devices distributed.

Gill said that while there has been a learning curve across the board, the response from teachers has been a mostly positive one. Middle School Principal Jim Dupille said, “I really give a lot of credit to the flexibility and hard work of my staff.” Dupille said that his staff has been making all necessary preparations for “step up” day despite the uncertainty of whether it will be able to be held. Logistics had to be worked out as well including how many students could be managed simultaneously on a Zoom call.

Eklund brought up the number of states that have already cancelled school for the entire school year. As of April 14, nineteen states had made that decision. Fraser, who also serves on the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) Board of Directors, said that MASC is advocating that if Governor Baker extends the closure past May 4, he just cancel school for the remainder of the year in part due to the stress caused by the uncertainty.

The father in attendance proposed the idea to extend the academic year to 900 hours bringing the last day of school to the very end of June. He said, “I have a child with an IEP and it is definitely difficult to get her to focus in general. Getting them back into the school longer is better than this experimental untested curriculum.” Fraser said he was unaware of any other district contemplating extending the school year. Andrews questioned the possible financial implications of pushing school to June 30. Director of Business Services Christine Healy said that it would likely mean finding $300,000 to $400,000 that they don’t currently have. Committee member Eric Crone was concerned with the levels of anxiety in people’s homes saying, “Asking them to continue for another week or two could be problematic with the levels of anxiety people are dealing with. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Eklund said he was a fan of more learning hours and was concerned with kids not being ready to progress to the next grade. “If we can get more time out of the teachers and not punish ourselves financially, I’m for it,” he told the committee.  Eklund, who is part of the negotiations team, offered to bring the idea to the teachers with the Committee’s backing.

The Committee asked Proulx and Lynch to come back to them with further data based on the first two weeks of official, remote learning including feedback from building principals and curriculum coordinators. The Committee agreed to hold a meeting on April 23 at 6:30 p.m. with Union 31 and all school committees to discuss remote learning and adjustment of practices. The public is encouraged to attend.

A brief conversation was also held regarding the budget. Fraser said that Silver Lake will need to adjust their budget once the new numbers are received from the state. Healy offered some good news saying that there will be a savings of $99,000 in next year’s budget thanks to the bus contract coming in far lower than estimated.