The Plympton Board of Selectmen met briefly on Jan. 25, specifically to name an interim Chief of Police. In October, former Whitman Chief of Police Scott D. Benton was named as the interim Police Chief following Matthew Clancy’s resignation. Clancy left to serve as Chief of the Bureau of Capital Police in Maine.

“We had a brief meeting last night and decided to proceed with some arrangements that we had made previously to utilize a professional search firm to fill the position of Chief of Police and as such we felt that we needed to give our sergeants an opportunity to really show their stuff… and hopefully be contenders for the position through the search,” Selectman Chair Christine Joy said.

“We do have two extremely qualified sergeants that are working for the town,” Joy said. She then named both Matthew Ahl and Daniel Hoffman. “They both have gotten glowing reviews from both Chief Clancy and Chief Benton; so we are in a position where we are able to appoint one of the sergeants as the acting Chief of Police and I would recommend that we would appoint Sergeant Hoffman, who is the senior and supervising sergeant, as our acting Chief of Police effective immediately and until the town fills the position on a permanent and full-time basis,” Joy said. Selectman John Traynor seconded Joy’s motion. Selectman Mark Russo added that he wanted to give authority to Town Administrator Liz Dennehy to negotiate the terms of the employment.

“I would only say that I think that we, the Board of Selectmen, have in general advocated for and hoped for the opportunity for people to move up, particularly in Fire and Police and I’m thrilled that there is this opportunity for Mr. Hoffman to move up and take on more responsibility and for Mr. Ahl to take on more responsibility as well,” Russo said.

The Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint Daniel Hoffman as the acting Chief of Police.

Plympton Town Clerk Patricia Detterman has released the 2022 election calendar.  Nomination papers for election to town office are available now.  The last day to submit nomination papers to the Board of Election Registrars is Friday, April 1, 2022, at 5 p.m. at the office of the Town Clerk.  The last day to withdraw nomination papers is Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 5 p.m.

Plympton’s annual election is Saturday, May 21, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Rd.   The following offices will be on the ballot, and a question:

• One (1) Selectman for three (3) years

• One (1) Board of Assessor member for three (3) years

• One (1) Board of Health member for three (3) years

• Two (2) Finance Committee members for three (3) years

• Two (2) Library Trustee for three (3) years

• One (1) Library Trustee for two (2) years

• One (1) Moderator for three (3) years

• One (1) Planning Board member for five (5) years

• One (1) Planning Board member for three (3) years

• One (1) Plympton School Committee member for three (3) years

• One (1) Silver Lake Regional School Committee member for three (3) years

Question 1:  Shall the town vote to have its elected Town Clerk become an appointed Town Clerk of the town?  Yes___ No___

The Annual Town Meeting will be Wednesday, May 18, at the Dennett Elementary School, 80 Crescent St., Plympton, at 7 p.m.  The Special Town Meeting will be held at 8 p.m. within the Annual Town Meeting.

Citizens who wish to submit an article to be considered by the townspeople may submit their Citizens’ Petition by submitting a petition signed by at least ten taxpayers who support the article.  The completed petition must be submitted no later than March 28, 2022 for the May 18 Annual Town Meeting.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

COVID Updates

The Selectmen voted to transfer $100,000 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds to the legal line. The Selectmen commented that they were currently negative over $40,000 in that line. From the audience, Alan Dias asked for clarification that the money was being spent on legal defense. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews said he was not entertaining questions from the audience. Dias insisted but was told by Andrews, “I’m not getting into it with you, Sir.”

Health Agent Bob Valery told the Selectmen that the town would be receiving 3,000 more free test kits. Valery also pointed out that people can order test kits online through a federal program. Andrews asked Valery if there was an amount that he wanted to request to purchase additional test kits. “I don’t think that we need to go to the $8,000 mark we were thinking of,” Valery said. Valery said that he thought 1,000 test kits would suffice. Selectman Ashley DiSesa pointed out that the schools would also be supplying test kits to students’ families per the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)’s new plan. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros recommended that the Selectmen approve $5,000 to be used toward the purchase of additional test kits. The Selectmen voted to approve the request.

The Board also debated whether an at-home test showing a positive result would suffice for a town employee using sick time. DiSesa argued that user error can come into play with at-home tests and also that employees could potentially show a picture of a positive test result that was not actually their test. The Selectmen agreed that anyone using sick time due to a COVID positive result would have to receive a positive result on a test obtained outside of their home. The Fire Department offers testing for symptomatic employees. The Board also discussed when an employee could return to work. DiSesa said that starting day 6 employees could return to work in a mask if their symptoms were resolving. Valery emphasized, “as long as it’s a well-fitting, properly worn mask.” Valery offered that the town has a lot of kn95 masks that can be made available to employees free of charge. The Selectmen voted that if a town employee is exposed at work and told to go home, they would receive sick pay.

The Water Department Superintendent Bill Lindsay told the Board that the Department was “Looking to use some of the ARPA money for some of the things that aren’t included in the upgrade project… there’s a lot of stuff in the treatment plan that’s just outdated.” He said the filter plant won’t run if power is lost as there is no generator. Andrews said he was in favor of using the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds for this purpose but noted he wanted to find out the payment plan from Plymouth County first. The other Selectmen also stated their support especially since residents have expressed their concern regarding the water in town.

Budget Discussion

There was a discussion on the FY23 budget. Andrews, who also serves on the Halifax School Committee, said “the minimum contribution numbers were released… Halifax’s proportion of Silver Lake’s is going up $240,000. Kingston’s is going up $240,000. Plympton’s is decreasing by $130,000. It’s not good news for the Halifax assessment number for Silver Lake.” He continued, “They’re talking about a million dollar increase so you have the shift of 240 and then you have the increase on top.” Regarding the budget, Andrews also told the Selectmen, “We talked about at the Finance Committee, moving some free cash, talked about an override, talked about cuts… putting everything on the table and possibly using stabilization.”

Interim Town Administrator Ed Thorne said, “In talking about revenues… ensuring that one-time revenues go to one-time projects and trying to free up existing revenues to help with the operating budget for FY23.” Regarding 368 Monponsett St., which Thorne said, “needs to be demolished,” he said himself and the town treasurer/collector talked about taking the property for nonpayment of taxes and looking at demolition costs versus what the property would be worth as a buildable lot. “That would be a project that the Board needs to look at for improving one-time revenues for the town,” he explained.

A conversation was also had regarding building security. Andrews said they would need to put an article in the capital plan for the security system being recommended. Andrews confirmed that they had a plan to move forward with the locksmith.

The head of the Interactive, Technology, and Communications Department, Cesar Calouro, told the Selectmen that he was seeking $5,300 for an embedded interactive display. Calouro told the Selectmen, “I priced out what it would cost to get an additional TV screen and that came out to about $1,000.” Andrews said they would put the discussion on the agenda for their next meeting.

ZBA Request

There was a discussion about adding an associate member to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Andrews recused himself from the discussion. ZBA member Peter Parcellin appeared before the Selectmen expressing concern over moving forward with votes, etc. when current members need to recuse themselves.

He noted that the Selectmen elected not to reappoint the former Chair of the ZBA, Robert Gaynor. The ZBA member expressed concern that a vacancy on the Board was not being filled. DiSesa appeared frustrated with the conversation and at one point Selectman Troy Garron interjected, “Bottom line, what are you looking for?” Parcellin said, “Me, personally, I have two questions. One, I’m interested in seeing what the process would be for an associate member. And two, very, very, one hundred percent honestly, I have no idea why there is in certain people a specific issue with the Zoning Board… I ask for people to come to meetings. I can talk to anybody at any time. All of our stuff is on YouTube. I guess I don’t understand why there was a shift in tone. I worry, very honestly, that it is because of personal lawsuits that certain people have.”

DiSesa asked when the Selectmen were asked to come to the meeting. She said that she has not been personally invited. Parcellin said that a letter was sent to the Selectmen. Garron tried to mediate saying that the bottom line was that they would like to have an associate member named to the ZBA. Parcellin said, “what we’re looking for is to have five regular members and two associate members who get along, care about the town, and have positive interactions… that’s job one.”

The Town of Plympton is pleased to announce that we are moving forward with the search for a permanent, full-time Chief of Police.  The Town has acquired the services of Community Paradigm Associates from Plymouth, MA, to coordinate a professional search process.  The position of Chief of Police will be posted later this week and we hope to have the position filled by June 1.

This marks a significant milestone for the Plympton Police Department, as the Chief position has been filled on an interim basis since July 2019.

During the search process, daily operations of the Police Department will be managed under the capable leadership of Acting Chief of Police Daniel Hoffman.  Mr. Hoffman has been serving the Town faithfully as a Sergeant prior to receiving this temporary appointment.

We would like to thank the former Interim Chiefs who served us well during a transitional period, Matthew Clancy and more recently, Scott Benton.  Over the last two plus years, tremendous progress has been made with respect to growing the Police Department, building an amazing team of men and women who serve the Town proudly and working towards accreditation.

Alan Wheelock
Special to The Express

Plympton is unique compared to the majority of South Shore towns. It’s the smallest in population, but among the biggest in natural resources and beautiful rural landscapes. It’s certainly the only town down here that had a woman fight in the Revolutionary war – dressed as a man. It’s home to a lot of cranberry bogs and a lot of horses. It has been referred to as “the lungs of the South Shore” by soil scientists, due to its extensive cedar and red-maple swamps, which grow on peat. Peat soils are a first-class carbon sink and a key to the battle against climate change.

And in Plympton, you can actually see the stars.

Satellite images of southeastern Massachusetts at night reveal Plympton as a dark spot surrounded by a sea of twinkling suburban lights. Part of that phenomenon is explained by our relatively light population density and acres of woodlands, wetlands, fields and bogs, but part of the explanation is the fact that there is something else that makes Plympton unique – we have a Dark Sky By-law.

Many residents in town may not know it, but Plympton has long had a zoning by-law aimed at protecting those wonderful star-filled vistas that we still get to enjoy. Residents will find this by-law under Chapter 300, Zoning, Article VI, Section 6.9 – entitled “Lighting Systems and Fixtures”. (All Plympton zoning regulations are easily accessible by visiting the Town of Plympton website.)

The key features of the outdoor lighting by-law include: lights must be shielded so that the fixtures shine downward and allow no “up light”; potential light pollution should be taken into consideration by businesses and residents when designing outdoor lighting systems; and, as the by-law itself says, lighting systems designed to minimize light pollution will “decrease lighting costs and preserve the night sky as a natural and historical resource.”

The outdoor lighting regulations detailed in Section 6.9 are enforced by Plympton’s Zoning Enforcement Officer. If you own a home or business in Plympton, your questions or comments regarding outdoor lighting and the Dark Sky by-law can be referred to our Zoning Enforcement Officer. Contact information for the ZEO’s office can also be found on the town website.

Due to the increase in Covid-19 cases and staffing challenges, North Easton Savings will be providing access to all branch lobbies by appointment only, effective immediately.

Drive-up at all locations will remain open and available during regular hours.  For a full listing of branch locations and hours please go to the website, northeastonsavings.com.

NESB encourages customers to limit their in-person visits to any services or transactions that cannot be done at our drive-up windows, online/mobile channels, telephone banking, or via ATM or ITM. Please know there are Interactive Teller Machines available during regular business hours to service transactions live with a banker.  Go to the website to find the nearest ITM location.

Customers who need to visit any of the branch lobbies are asked to make an appointment using the online scheduling tool at the website.

“We are committed to keeping both our customers and our employees safe during this time. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we continue to operate within the State and Local Covid-19 Guidelines,”

As always, please contact the bank directly if there is anything we can do for customers or your family at 508-238-2007 or by email  info@northeastonsavingsbank.com.

Thank you for choosing to bank local.

On Dec. 14, 2021, at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Plympton Board of Health the following Guidance Order was approved by a vote of 3-0.

Plympton Town House COVID Guidance

14-Dec-2021

As the rate of positive Covid-19 cases has risen in Plympton to over 12%, there is concern about the health and safety of those working in and making visits to the Plympton Town House. The Plympton Board of Health provides the following guidance in regards to use of the building:

• 1. Activities in the Town House will be limited to those necessary for conducting town business. Any non-essential activities or gatherings will be suspended until further notice.

• 2. Only one visitor from the public will be able to access each individual department at a time. Signs will be provided with this guidance.

• 3. The Emergency Management Director will provide lobby personnel to reinforce this guidance and manage access in accordance with #2 above.

• 4. Town Boards and Committees will be encouraged to conduct remote meetings when possible.

Our hope is that visitors will take advantage of the procedures in place to take care of their business remotely. If in person visits are required, visitors will be encouraged to conduct their business according to this Order to protect the health and safety of visitors and town employees.

This guidance will be reevaluated after January 15, 2022 or as appropriate due to new information or changes in State or CDC requirements.

The first priority of all Boards of Health in the Commonwealth is protecting the health and safety of their citizens during this difficult time and the Board of Health will continue to recommend best practices and protocol around social distancing and gathering guidelines, and appreciates your cooperation in adhering to this guidance.

So Ordered Plympton Board of Health

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The new interim town administrator Edwin Thorne sat with the Selectmen.

Selectmen discussed the proposed agreement with the Lakeville Animal Shelter. They had previously been looking into a possible agreement with Kingston but had not heard back. Selectman Troy Garron said of the agreement with Lakeville, “We’ve had a pretty good relationship.” The Selectmen voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with Lakeville.

Inventory lists, budgets, etc. were requested of all town departments. Thorne said, “As part of looking at a budget, we’re also reviewing the current year’s budget to see what our problem area is and what are areas where we are probably going to need to transfer funds to and from… that will be an ongoing process between now and the May town meeting.”

Thorne also said he was asked to look into the solar farm on the capped landfill. Thorne said there was some email correspondence between former town administrator Charlie Seelig and Seth Pickering of MassDEP. Thorne said he knows Pickering from his days working for Green Communities for Southeastern Massachusetts. Thorne said they discussed plans to possibly own the farm as opposed to entering into a 20-year agreement with the company; he further said this is what was done during his time in Pembroke when they faced a similar predicament. He described the plan in Pembroke as, “a payment in lieu of taxes, a lease… and a net savings over 20 years.”

Thorne also told the Selectmen that he sent an email to the Center for Living and Working regarding the ADA plan. He also addressed the Complete Streets Program which he called, “a great program.” He said those were some of the things that he has been working on in his first few days in office.

Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews said they had received an email from Joan Pierce, the Southeast Land Agent for the Department of Fish and Game regarding the parcel of land on Aldana Rd. that was part of a larger transaction between the town and the state. Andrews said the transaction was completed. Ownership of the land is necessary to pave the street.

Talent bank forms were submitted by Steve Littlefield and John Sullivan to be appointed to the Traffic Safety Committee. There was some confusion as to whether there were one or two seats available on the Committee. Selectman Ashley DiSesa said she would like to have the candidates come and speak with the Selectmen before officially appointing anyone.

The Selectmen appointed Thorne as the ADA Coordinator for non-school departments. They also voted to give Thorne authority to submit the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) application on behalf of the town.

There was a discussion regarding use of ARPA funds to upgrade the Police Department’s network and related equipment. Chief Joao Chaves joined remotely for this portion of the meeting. The current wireless equipment at the Police Department is over 10 years old and was described as awful. The firewall and network security points are also outdated. Andrews asked how much of the funding was being requested and was told that $30,000 would cover replacing and installing all related equipment.

Andrews asked the Chief to speak to the benefits of doing the upgrade now versus waiting for town meeting. Chaves said it would be more of a burden for taxpayers if funds were acquired through town meeting. DiSesa asked if the Board had access to the breakdown of what ARPA funds have been used versus what was still available. She was told they did not immediately have access to that information. Garron expressed some concern about funding the maintenance of the equipment in the future. The Selectmen voted that overall, they are in favor of using the funds for the purpose but said they first want to see the breakdown of funds used thus far from the town accountant.

There was also a discussion on the rate of pay for the Building Commissioner/Inspector of Buildings Steve Solari. The Selectmen voted to approve a rate of $50 per inspection.

An appointment was held with cannabis dispensary company Elevated Roots to discuss the proposed Host Community Agreement (HCA) with them. Elevated Roots first appeared before the Board in late September to introduce the project to the Selectmen and the community. The community forum was held in early November. “We’re ready to move forward with building and begin construction,” the representative told the Board during Tuesday’s meeting. “The residents and the town officials have the ability to go and evaluate how we are actually operating,” he said of their store in Kingston that has been operational since April. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the HCA.

Andrews told those assembled, “We did lose a retired employee this week – Cathy Drinan – a long time Board of Health agent.” DiSesa said, “She put a lot of work into the town.” Drinan was the long-time Docent Art Program Director for the Halifax Elementary School. “She was a very nice person; she worked really hard for our community; she will definitely be missed,” Andrews said.

Amy L. Troup appeared before the Board on behalf of the Beautification Committee. She requested that a donate button be added to the Facebook page. Andrews said it would be a question for the Treasurer/Collector’s office. Troup also said that they were interested in running a vendor fair in the spring, potentially in the gym at Halifax Elementary School. Andrews recommended coordinating with Youth and Rec to find out what days they are not using the gym.