There was a continuance of the Halifax town meeting held on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the Halifax Elementary School. Back on Sept. 12, the Halifax Town Meeting had begun but needed to be recessed due to quorum being questioned several hours into the meeting as well as time constraints. As was the case in the previous meeting, residents were divided between the gym and the all-purpose room to ensure proper social distancing. While quorum had been reduced to 75 for Tuesday’s meeting, 110 voters were counted initially.

Article to Fund Part-Time School Resource Officer

With the exception of those articles grouped together into consent agendas, articles were voted upon using a lottery system. One of the more controversial articles of the night was Article 26 which asked for $36,000 to fund Halifax’s portion of a part-time school resource officer at Silver Lake Regional Middle School. The same article appeared on the warrant last year and was voted down. Since Plympton voted in favor of supporting their share of the officer, a part time school resource officer served the middle school for a limited number of hours this past year. Kingston fully funds the full-time school resource officer at the high school.

Melinda Tarsi spoke on behalf of the Finance Committee, who was not recommending the article.  Tarsi said that as was the case last year, the Finance Committee’s objection to the article is not the concept of the school resource officer but rather the mechanism for funding the officer. “We don’t want to establish the precedent that any department can propose the addition of new personnel through an article brought to town meeting,” Tarsi explained. She said the committee also took issue with it having to be a Kingston officer and said she would like to see it more equitably distributed between the three towns.

Halifax Selectman and Chair of the Halifax School Committee Gordon Andrews spoke on the article explaining that under the current law, the position would have to be filled with a Kingston officer due to the school’s location. He also advised the gathered residents that, in his opinion, funding the officer through an article outside of the operating budget gave the town greater control over the position. In addition, he explained that funding the position through an article at town meeting would actually save the town money versus funding it as part of the school’s budget.

A resident questioned if the counselors at the school couldn’t fulfill the same need attempting to be filled by the school resource officer. Andrews told him that due to the nature of the issues that are being brought up in executive session, they would best be handled by law enforcement. Selectman Tom Millias shared his opinion saying, “There is no contest, we need a school resource officer… my problem has always been how it’s being funded… the problem is we can’t get a resource officer unless we do it this way and at the end of the day, we need a resource officer.” The article passed with a vote of 72-41.

Article to Grade Private and Unaccepted Roads

Article 28, which was brought forth by a resident who was not present at town meeting, was for $11,000 to grade all the unpaved roads in Halifax including private and unaccepted ones. The Finance Committee, who didn’t initially recommend it, said that after receiving the dollar amount, they were now in support of the article.

The article generated considerable discourse among those present. Amy Troup asked, “Shouldn’t we be spending money on the roads that the towns are actually responsible for before we take care of the roads that are private?” Troup went on to request a list of the specific roads that were to be worked on as a result of the proposed article. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said they did not have a list like that with them.

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward said that 22 of the 26 unpaved roads in town are already maintained twice a year. According to Seelig, the town’s bylaws allow for limited repairs such as grading to be made to private roads including unpaved ones. This article would include all unpaved roads.

Resident Jeff Bolger said, “It just seems to me instead of this hodge podge, hit or miss road repair that this town constantly goes through and in many cases it’s the squeaky wheel that gets taken care of, that we ought to have some master plan where there’s priorities drawn on what roads need to be taken care of.” Seelig replied that the Highway Department is working with an engineering firm on a Smart Streets program that includes a complete assessment of all of the roads in town. “The Highway Department is well aware of the idea of getting a Master Plan for the roads in town,” Seelig said. The town almost unanimously voted down the article. They did, however, approve the $150,000 requested by the Highway Surveyor for maintenance to town roads.

Proposition to Change Marijuana Zoning

Article 49, which sought to change the current zoning for marijuana establishments from industrial to industrial business, generated considerable debate amongst meeting goers. The article was not recommended by the Finance committee. Bob Maker, who proposed the article, said, “From everything that I’ve been hearing, we need money coming into this town… if we open up a dispensary in town we can get 3 percent of all sales… it just seems like a no brainer that we pass this today.” Someone pointed out that the business zones are also usually residential and such dispensaries, etc. are not allowed within 500 ft. of property lines or schools and other areas where children gather.

Selectman Andrews took a turn at the microphone saying, “I would ask that the town would vote in favor of this.” In the end, the town voted in favor of the zoning change with a required two-thirds vote of 83-23.

Article to Recodify Town’s Bylaws

Article 30, which was brought forth by the Finance Committee, also proved controversial. The article was for $65,000 to pay for a complete revision of the town’s zoning bylaws. Troup once again approached the microphone saying, “I don’t think that the town asked for our bylaws to be changed.” Tarsi said that the Finance Committee was proposing the revision in response to being asked to make recommendations on amendments to various bylaws. Tarsi said that rather than making changes in little bits, the committee felt that it would be better to do a complete recodification. She said they wanted to hire counsel to do that since it would be too big of an ask to place on elected and volunteer committees. The article passed after a recount was had with a vote of 64-41.

Police and Fire Articles

There were a number of articles voted on that pertained to either the police or fire departments. Article 22, which was moved by Selectman Troy Garron, was for $14,000 to buy a 2014 Harley Davidson that the Police Department has been leasing for $325 a month. Police Chief Joao Chaves spoke to the article telling residents that at the time of purchasing, the bike only had 18,000 miles on it and was like new. Up to this point, much of the leasing has been paid for through grant money. Tarsi said that while the Finance Committee is not against the idea of the motorcycle, they would prefer to see another year of leasing to bring down the cost of the bike. Chaves explained, however, that there would only be $2,000 of grant money available this coming year.

Chaves told the assembled residents that the motorcycle has been used for parades and traffic enforcement. He said it allows the police to efficiently respond to congested areas where it might be difficult for a cruiser to access. He also said that the motorcycle was used in assisting Brockton and Wareham during protests there. He said that should Halifax need to they can request up to 45 motorcycle officers for any event at no cost to the town. The article passed.

A number of other articles pertaining to the Police Department were also passed. Article 20 was for $100,000 to purchase and equip two police vehicles, Article 21 was for $20,000 to purchase or upgrade all existing cruiser radios to make them digitally compatible, and Article 23 was for $5,000 to purchase bullet resistant vests. Article 11 was for $4,386 to fund the collective bargaining agreement between the police chief and the town of Halifax. “This was negotiated in good faith and if anyone knows the chief they know that he’s done a great job in town here and he’s one of the lowest paid chiefs in the area; we’re just trying to bring him up to par,” Garron explained. The article passed with unanimous support.

Article 12, which was recommended by the Finance Committee, was for $2,000 to fund the bargaining agreement between Fire Chief Jason Viveiros and the town. “I think that everybody here would agree that Fire Chief Viveiros does a great job and this was the agreement that we came to with him,” Andrews explained. The article passed with unanimous support. Also passing was Article 7 for $10,440 to fund the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the town and the local firefighters. The Finance Committee recommended the article which represented a 1.6 percent increase on the firefighters’ annual salaries.

Article 19 was for $600,000 to purchase and equip a fire engine for the Fire Department. Viveiros explained that it would be replacing a 25-year-old engine and said that if passed, the department wouldn’t need to ask for another vehicle for at least 10 years. Of the current engine, he said, “it most recently failed a pump test and is prone to unexpected breakdowns.” The article passed.

Several articles pertaining to improvements were passed. Article 39 moved $15,000 from undesignated funds for repairs on the landfill cap on Hemlock Lane. Article 29 was for $27,800 for the installation of crosswalk devices at Plymouth St. and Holmes St., Lydon Ln. and Monponsett St., and Plymouth St., and Hemlock Ln. Council on Aging (COA) Director Susan Lawless spoke to Article 18 which requested a transfer of $4,100 for a new copier for the COA. An article for $13,000 for insulation and a vapor barrier in the old section of the town barn also passed.

Other notable articles that passed Tuesday evening included Article 51 which proposed taxation to any solar powered device that generates greater than 0.1 megawatts of electricity. Millias said that it wouldn’t affect anyone’s rooftop solar installation. Article 32 was for $3500 to support the South Shore Women’s Resource Center in order to help prevent domestic violence. Article 31 was for $3500 to support South Coastal Counties Legal Services which provides legal services to elders and low-income families and their children.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met on Monday, September 21. The first order of business was to address a memo that was received from the Board of Health regarding limitations on indoor in-person meetings. The memo reiterated the March 2020 order that addressed the issue as well as the third revised memo that stipulated an 8-person limit within the confines of 1,000 sq ft with a maximum limit of 25 persons in any space. The latest memo stated that the Board of Health has decided to discontinue in-person meetings on town owned properties.

Selectman John Traynor said that he was concerned that the restriction on in-person meetings would have a negative impact on the ability of the Council on Aging (COA) Board to meet as many members don’t have the necessary access to technology to attend virtually. At ten people, the Board would need to be reduced in order to continue to meet – something Traynor doesn’t want to do. Traynor said that the COA did meet last Monday. While he said the time in the meeting room itself went well, he did note that the time before and after the meeting in the lobby “left a lot to be desired.”

The Director of Elder Services, Joy Marble recently resigned requiring that an interim strategy be developed while the town searches for another director.  Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy asked the selectmen how quickly they would like to see the position filled. While Selectman Chair Mark Russo said as soon as possible, Traynor said he felt that it might be beneficial to wait a bit to figure out the situation. Traynor also shared that the COA Board plans to take more of an active role in the management of the Council on Aging. While the director won’t be back, both the administrative assistant and driver will be returning. The selectmen agreed that the first step in their search for a new director will be developing a job description. Dennehy said she felt it best to keep the description somewhat broad and mission based.

As part of a new initiative to invite a different chair or department head to each Board of Selectmen’s meeting, Treasurer/Collector Colleen Morin attended Monday’s meeting to provide an update. Morin said that there have been some issues with unemployment. Some at the townhouse had received fraudulent reports that they hadn’t filed. Morin said that she enlisted help from Representative Kathleen LaNatra in order to get through to those in the unemployment department. “She has done a great job helping me and getting me into contact with someone there,” Morin explained.

Morin told the Board that while a hold has been placed on foreclosures during the pandemic, fourteen properties are going into tax title. Of those, ten of the properties are considered to have low land value as they are valued at approximately $22,000 or less. Of the other four, one of the property owners is interested in donating the land to the town. Morin said the property abuts the Harry Jason Park. The current owner was previously unaware they had inherited the land and would rather donate it than pay taxes on it.

Dennehy provided a brief update on the schools as no one from the school committee could attend due to their meeting running concurrently with the Board of Selectmen. Dennehy said that school was back in session and told the Board the Fire Chief and the schools’ Director of Business Services Christine Healy have been working together to improve upon the process for making submissions for CARES Act funding. The current round of CARES Act funding and reimbursement closes at the end of September.

Per usual, the selectmen ended their meeting with their rants and raves. Selectman Christine Joy said, “My rave would be for Liz and John and the COA Board who have stepped up at this time to make sure we are continuing to meet the needs of our seniors in town.” While initially opting to pass on a rave, Russo said that he actually did have one. He spoke about an academician of writing who reminds students of the latin root of the word essay when assigning such work. At its root, the word essay means to make an attempt or endeavor. Russo pointed out that in times of struggle it might be best to focus less on the outcome and more on simply trying. “I appreciate the degree to which we all continue to try,” Russo said. He continued, “May we all continue to do so and may the outcomes be good along the way.”

Late Sunday afternoon, Aug. 30, the sound of a crash shook up Plympton Village as a 2006 Toyota Sienna van collided with a stone wall and 4-ft rhododendron hedge before comng to a stop on Main Street in front of the house occupied by the Saarela family.

The operator of the vehicle with Maine license plates was Tracey Wightman, 38, of East Wareham.  She was taken to Beth Israel Deacones Hospital.

The only other occupant in the van was Wightman’s 8-year old daughter, who was also transported to BID Plymouth..

Neither occupant’s  injuries appeared life-threatening.

Wightman is being cited for failure to stay in marked lanes and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

The Plympton School Committee voted at its Thursday night Aug. 6 meeting to adopt a hybrid model to open school on September 16.  The first two weeks will be remote learning as teachers, administrators, and transportation services all ease into the new protocols.

More than 160 attended the virtual meeting via ZOOM.

Silver Lake Superintendent Jill Proulx introduced the three plans for opening school required by the Massachusetts Department of Education.  These plans needed to be submitted by Monday, Aug.  10.  They include:

1. In-person learning with new safety requirements: All students return in person; classrooms, schedules, protocols modified to meet health requirements

2.  Hybrid learning: Students learn both in-person and remotely.

3.  Remote learning: All learning takes place remotely.

Proulx told the committee that a survey was sent out to all parents August 2 and out of 3,572 sent, 2010 responded, or 56%.

Respondents in all three towns narrowly favored in-person learning, with the hybrid model a close second. Full remote learning, available to all students, was a distant third.

A new survey, based on the vote at Thursday night’s meeting, has been issued to parents, asking how many will commit to utilizing the remote model for six months and how many will commit to providing transportation for their students for six months.  These numbers are critical because with bus capacity diminished by distancing rules, the administrators need to figure quickly the number of vehicles they will need and how they will be deployed, as well as how best to utilize staff..

Matt Durkee, the new facilities manager, has acquired hospital grade electrostatic sprayers to clean and disinfect the school at least daily, and several times a day for high touch surfaces such as light switches and door handles.

To increase air filtration as much as possible the ventilation system at Dennett Elementary will be adjusted to maximize fresh air and minimize air recirculation.  Indoor spaces without windows and adequate HVAC will not be used for classroom space.

Arrival and dismissal procedures, classroom configuration and physical distancing, meals for students, facility configuration and changes, and training for safety measures including cleaning and disinfecting are all subject to state approval. Student and staff commitment and assignments, are subject to state approval and bargaining, Proulx said.

Proulx told the committee that the Commissioner of Education has agreed to change the school year from 180 days to 170 days, allowing up to 10 days for training purposes with the staff for the new school year.  Proulx said that taking that into consideration, the new school start date will be Sept. 16.

Dennett school principal Peter Veneto explained to the committee and parents attending the ZOOM meeting, how the scheduling would work.  He showed as an example the actual third grade model with 32 students served.

Separated into four cohorts, A and D would be Monday and Tuesday, B and D would be Thursday and Friday.   Cohorts A and D will experience remote learning on Thursday and Friday, as B and D will experience remote learning on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesdays will be for professional development, specialists and interventionists, (SPED, reading, math interventions, Title I) will be remote learning.  Office hours will be made available as well.

School committee member Jason Fraser congratulated Veneto, “I think the plan you’ve laid out for us is beautiful.”   He wanted to be sure that the plan submitted to DESI will specify the 6 foot distance rule.

Committee member Daniel Cadogan  pointed out that the 3 feet distancing rule for him is a “non-starter”.  “I’m not willing to compromise,” he said, “just to get my child back into school.”

Amy Hempel asked “What about the smaller classes, under 15, could they go back to a 4 day a week school?   Veneto answered that in theory, yes, but it would also impact transportation.

Hempel asked, what about cafeteria?  Could kids eat in the classrooms?  Veneto said that while scheduling lunches was a challenge, having kids eat in classrooms would present its own challenges.

Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen answered that this plan is fluid, and will need to change as circumstances change.  “As a school committee, we are committed to making this work.”

Dan Cadogan asked  “if we will run into problems” with the six feet distancing with any of the classes.   Veneto said no.

“Our job here is not to open schools, but to open them in the best way that we will stay open,” Fraser commented.   He noted that numbers of COVID-19 cases are very low at the Dennett.  “But if those numbers creep up, we won’t have a decision to make today – those [decisions] will be made for us.”

Amy Varnum asked what the protocol would be to protect students and staff should a student or staff member test positive.  Wilhelmsen answered that these steps are being considered, “at a very high level”.  There will be clear, standard protocols to deal with the situation, he said.

Fraser responded that DESE gave the committee 19 pages of guidance to respond to various scenarios with regard to COVID-19 but said that the committee would have the choice to tailor the recommendations to each local situation.

Varnum said she woud like to hear more from the school nurses to get their input.

Superintendent Jill Proulx responded that prior to school closure, the administration met with school nurses to get their input on how to meet student needs and best deliver training for staff and developmentally appropriate training for students.  There were nurse representatives in both elementary and secondary working groups and features of their recommendations will be worked into their implementation plan.

Scott Devonshire shared his concern that with the complexity of the hybrid model and with some kids choosing to be totally remote, how does the [hybrid model] serve  those students?  “My fear is that some kids who are totally remote become home schooled.”

Jill Proulx responded that remote learning will be scheduled.  In addition there will be staff assigned to those specific times to support students’ learning.  “There will be attendance expectations and there will be grading expectations.”  We have the support of our school committee, she continued, to consider a new learning mentored platform – Schoology – to help some of the younger students who do not have email to communicate effectively with their teachers.  It also is a content platform.

Devonshire said he wanted to be sure fully remote students would not be overlooked.

Proulx said she was trying to devote staff to completely remote learning.  Some students will have the same teacher, much like in-person learning, throughout.

Fraser told Devonshire that the school committee voted to have all of the classes, including remote learning classes, taught by Dennett teachers.  Once the principal has the count for remote learners, he will be able to make the staff assignments.

As to the question of COVID-19 testing, Proulx responded that there has been no decision from DESE regarding testing, but that doesn’t mean that this won’t change.

Fraser, in an attempt to dispel rumors that school funding and school sports programs will be negatively affected by remote school opening, said that MIAA is not governed by the state.  Also, that a bill to hold back school funding to those schools that open remotely may be in congress, but “That bill won’t pass.  It has nothing to do with us.”

Fraser made the motion to accept the hybrid model as the Plympton entry with a phased-in approach as discussed.  With the understanding that Plympton will maintain 6 feet of distance, masks for each student if medically able, and not to consider full in-person schooling until Massachusetts reaches Phase 4.

Amy Hempel was the only dissenting vote from the committee, although she did not say why at the meeting.

The board also voted unanimously to approve the school calendar as presented, with a start date of Sept. 16 for students, and the understanding that the calendar may change as needed as situations present. It passed unanimously.

Proulx said the administration will send a letter to parents detailing of the opening of school as voted by the committee.

Ann Walker, fourth grade teacher at the Dennett, told the board that she truly appreciates the efforts the administration and board has taken to make returning to school safe for the students and staff.

“We will do what we can to make this unique situation the best for our students, no matter how this develops… This is the first day of school for all of us.”

A three-hour plus virtual Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting on Wednesday, August 5, had roughly 230 participants including school committee members, administration, staff, and parents. After considerable debate among the committee members, two votes were taken regarding the reopening plan for the fall. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee moved to approve a hybrid model. Member Eric Crone asked for an amendment to approve a phased-in approach to the hybrid model with an initial two weeks of remote learning to start. Three committee members voted in favor of Crone’s motion – Eric Crone, Laura Tilton, and Mike Antoine. The motion failed. The committee then voted on McGee’s motion which need a majority to pass. It passed with a majority with committee members Laura Tilton, Mike Antoine, and Ed Desharnais voting no. The result was the school committee voting to have Silver Lake Regional High School and Middle School begin the school year in a hybrid model which will employ a mix of in-person and remote learning.

At the outset of the meeting, Jennifer Chaffins spoke on behalf of the SLEA saying that 73 percent of the Silver Lake Regional staff preferred a remote return to school. She told those assembled that 40 percent of Silver Lake staff is either at high risk for coronavirus or lives with someone who is high risk.

Superintendent Jill Proulx gave a presentation on the results of the most recent survey sent to parents and caregivers. Across all schools there were 2,010 responses for a 56 percent response rate and across just the middle and high school there were 899 responses for a 55 percent response rate. For the middle and high school, 45.6 percent of parents were in favor of a return to full in person learning with 3 feet of distancing, 40 percent were in favor of returning to school with 6 feet of distancing, and 14 percent were in favor of full remote learning. Based on a pressure test performed by building principals, a full, in-person return would not be possible with 6 feet of distancing. At the previous school committee meeting, Proulx had recommended the hybrid model to the committee.

High school principal Michaela Gill and middle school principal Jim Dupille presented sample schedules. As was discussed at previous meetings, the preferred hybrid model would consist of Cohorts A and B who would attend school in-person on alternate schedules. Cohort C would be those wishing to opt into a full-remote option and Cohort D would be those students deemed high needs and eligible for 4 in-person days a week. Even if a student is eligible for Cohort D they do not have to attend school in-person all 4 days or even at all. Wednesdays will be a remote day for all students. The basic schedules for hybrid and remote will be identical to ensure as seamless a transition from one mode of learning to another as possible.

Committee member Laura Tilton brought up a concern that had also been raised earlier in the week during a question and answer session for Dennett Elementary parents. Tilton inquired if Cohort D would interact with both Cohorts A and B in some capacity during their in-person stints. The administration confirmed that based on the individual needs, this would occur with at least some of the students. Tilton’s concern was the added cross contamination amongst cohorts.

It was a concern shared by Chaffins who said in the chat portion of the remote call, “I am concerned about the exposure for Cohort D – our most vulnerable students… while they are no doubt the individuals we want to prioritize for education, if they have an inclusion class or any class within the general education setting, they will be exposed to both the Mon/Tues group and the Thurs/Fri group.”

The committee’s opinions were varied. Desharnais and Tilton were strongly in favor of a full remote option. “Something that jumps out at me from Jill’s slides is where it says the remote option is the safest option possible,” Tilton said. She stressed that she would be hesitant to move to a hybrid model without some kind of public health benchmark. Desharnais said, “safety is more important than anyone’s inconvenience.” The preference for a full, remote option seemed to be the prevailing one among the staff who were active in the chat portion of the remote meeting. Those in favor of the remote plan emphasized that the quality of remote learning would be significantly better than what was provided in the spring.

Committee member Christopher Eklund said that he was in favor of giving families choice and pointed out that electing to go full remote took away that choice. Someone in the chat asked if staff would be given the option to elect to be fully remote.

Unfortunately, time prevented most of the staff’s questions and concerns from being addressed. This was upsetting to many of the teachers in attendance and they expressed that in the chat, asking if staff would be given any say. Crone offered to them, “Teachers were on the reopening working groups.  Once we vote our plan, we move on to impact bargaining.”

Eklund said that the state is putting forth a remote learning platform that can be employed by those electing to be remote despite their district’s decision to go with another model. Both Plymouth and Pembroke are planning to ascribe to the state’s remote offering. One version will offer a learning management system only and another option will offer a learning management system with teaching support. Proulx said that the guidance on the plan had only just been released that day.

Both Crone and Antoine were in favor of the phased-in approach. They were advocating for the first two weeks of school to be remote for the majority of students. This, they argued, would allow the staff additional time to further work out their in-person plan as well as allow Silver Lake the opportunity to see how other districts handled the first two weeks of in-person learning.

Under this plan, Crone and Antoine were asking that Cohort D as well as CTE students be prioritized for in-person learning, returning on September 16 while Cohorts A and B start in-person learning in early October.

The majority of the committee was in favor of the hybrid approach as evidenced by the results of the vote. Crone pointed out that while they were voting on the comprehensive plan to be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on August 10, they were not implementation plans. He pointed out that they are not going to have all the answers until those implementation plans have been established.

Proulx perhaps summed things up the best at nearly 10 pm with the remark, “It’s been a long March.” Committee Chair Paula Hatch thanked everyone for their attendance and “tremendous thoughtfulness.”