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Summer Schmaling on ballot for State Rep

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Halifax – Summer Schmaling, a Halifax Republican, is officially on the ballot for State Representative in the 12th Plymouth District after submitting more than 300 certified signatures to the Secretary of State in Boston. The 12th Plymouth District includes the towns of Duxbury, Kingston, Halifax, Middleborough, Plymouth, and Plympton.

“I’ve received a great deal of support and encouragement from voters to run for State Representative. Voters are telling me taxes are too high and our State Representative needs to be more transparent about their voting record in the legislature,” Schmaling stated.

Summer Schmaling is a resident of Halifax where she, her husband, and three children are active in the community.  Summer’s public service began in 2013 while serving on the Halifax Finance Committee, and as Chairman of the Halifax Elementary School Committee and Republican Town Committee.

Summer is a trained scientist with experience studying influenza and various viruses at the Tufts University School of Medicine.  Summer’s experience conducting scientific research has strengthened her ability to problem-solve in a unique way, a skill-set which is desperately needed in the state legislature to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, family-owned businesses throughout Massachusetts are struggling to keep their businesses alive and taxpayers – the elderly, families, and individuals – are facing difficult times paying for food, utilities, mortgages, and insurance expenses. However, high taxes, fees, and over-regulation implemented by the state legislature will not help our citizens or businesses recover from the pandemics economic impact.

Schmaling continued, “The Covid-19 pandemic changed everything; senior citizens and elderly veterans were put at risk and too many died.  Economically, businesses closed and jobs were lost; however, the policy and planning we implement in the state legislature will be our legacy to protect our citizens’ health, jobs and businesses.”

The 12th Plymouth District Primary will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2020. The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.  To learn more about Summer Schmaling and her campaign for State Representative, please visit www.summerforrep.com.

Halifax likely to postpone Town Meeting to July

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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.

Tomkins’ Giving Tree

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It all began when she heard how busy and overwhelmed the medical staffs at local hospitals were with Covid 19 patients.

Chris Tompkins- also known as Chrissy- a resident of Halifax since 1994, knew she wanted to do something to help.

She learned of the mask shortages that were affecting medical staff and the need to wear masks in public for citizens so she borrowed a sewing machine in March and started sewing masks and hanging them in baggies on her front tree, she said.

Tompkins has two nieces who have young children all under age 7, both are emergency room nurses at the Signature Brockton Hospital. She heard of the daily struggles many were experiencing.

The tree has been thriving ever since. Items do change daily and are also spread out on a table now as well, with the efforts of others providing items not going unnoticed.

She calls her sewing circle a tribe of local woman who are each inspiring in their own ways lending one another sewing supplies, fabric and adding to the donations for Halifax residents.

Marie Cody, a staff member at the Halifax Library, loaned me the sewing machine and materials. She did so much … I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her help at the start, said Tompkins.

She also worked on a project with Ruth Mc Grath each completing and taking half of their 100 handmade facemasks and dropping them off at the Veteran’s Hospital in Brockton.

Both women play cribbage with a resident there once a week. She misses the interaction and knows that the elderly are a group at risk of depression during isolation due to quarantine restrictions and separation.

She serves dozens of the Halifax elderly as she is also a longtime van driver for the Halifax Council on Aging on Mondays and Fridays.

Keeping in contact with her regulars who have become her friends is important to her as well.

Her passion for giving back came when she said she was at her lowest, losing her home in the real estate crash, raising three children after working night shifts for 14 years with the Brockton Postal Services, and often sleeping only two hours a night. She realized taking care of her youngest who was diagnosed with Autism was the deciding factor to her leaving her full time job.  She lost her home.

“I was at my lowest.   Elaine Dolan’s words were

“Go volunteer and you will realize you don’t have it so bad.”   Dolan was head of the housing agency in Halifax, now retired, and remains a friend.

“It was the best advice I ever had been given.”

She also keeps in mind the famous adage, “What goes around comes around”.

“People laugh when I say ‘What comes around goes around’…  She knows may sound as if she is saying it backwards, but in her philosophy she believes if you have something (it comes to you first) you should send it back – by paying it forward, she said.

She recently connected with a Halifax resident Jessica Erwin who started her own giving tree, said Tompkins.

She called the efforts of others inspirational and encouraging. It is extremely important showing so many residents are pitching in and all helping one another.

“It is restoring faith. People are trying to reach others and I believe 100 million percent the community of Halifax is creating community involvement. It becomes full circle.”

A new addition to the Halifax Local Face book page is a Feel Good Friday’s nomination or shout outs.

If someone reaches out via direct message they can nominate another resident for their act of thoughtfulness. It is important that their gesture did not go unnoticed, she said.

If someone is struggling they can also private message Tompkins through the page and receive confidential pick up of items they may need.

   As a site manager for Brockton Council on Aging Meals on Wheels for more than ten years she is used to prepping meals for 40 plus people on community lunch days two days a week.   Now that those gatherings are on hold she decided to continue cooking and feeds about five families a week in town from her own kitchen.

With a private message and confirmed serving details she can help someone who is in need. This past week she had chili and a vegetarian soup.

The meals are a non-contact pick up – for more details contact her directly through the Halifax Local page.

To drop off donations of canned goods or items of necessity to the Giving Tree she is located at 37 Chestnut Road Halifax off route 36.  Tompkins gently reminds if you drop off carefully check any products for expiration dates.  She can always be reached on the Halifax Local page.

Plympton votes Town Meeting Warrant

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee held a three-hour, remote, joint meeting on Monday, May 18 to go over the budget as well as the warrants for the annual and special town meetings.

Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides led the budget discussion. Sides said that salaries were capped at a 1.6 percent cost of living increase. Other highlights include an estimated 14 percent increase in disposal and recycling fees associated with the transfer station. Overall, the public works budget is relatively level funded.

Sides said that the Finance Committee and Fire Department went back and forth several times regarding their budget requests. The Fire Department requested $747,000 and the Finance Committee is recommending $696,000. The Police Department requested an additional officer. Sides said, “Initially I would have liked to support that but given the current scenario, we can’t.” Costs associated with emergency dispatch are also going up significantly though they are down from original estimates thanks to negotiations with the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCC).

The Finance Committee and the schools also had several communications on the budget. Sides said that while there were some requests that they would like to recommend, he noted the importance of treating all town departments equally. Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen was also in attendance. Wilhelmsen said that the school was asking for a new special education position. He said the position is necessitated by the number of current and incoming students in need of such services. According to Wilhelmsen, without the position, students may need to seek services outside of Dennett. The cost of just one student doing so would be at the same cost as the new position. If two students were to go outside the district, it would be double.

Sides said that the reserve fund was increased from ¾ percent to one percent of the total budget due to the departments being asked to be extra lean this year as well as the unknowns that potentially lay ahead due to the current climate. The total of the budget voted on by the Finance Committee is $11,412,323 for a 1.2 percent increase overall. The selectmen also unanimously voted in favor of the budget as presented.

Selectman Mark Russo gave kudos to the Finance Department and Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy for their efforts to bring forth a budget during difficult times. Selectman John Traynor said, “The budget as presented is well done.”

Dennehy led the discussion on the warrant, beginning with the one for the annual town meeting. The Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee voted whether to recommend each article. Article 2 authorizes the treasurer to enter into compensation agreements, Article 3 is for an updated wage and personnel chart, Article 4 is for the budget, and Article 5 is for financial audits. All were approved by the necessary participants at the meeting.

Articles 6 through 8 pertain to the Highway Department. Article 6 authorizes the Highway Department to utilize Chapter 90 funds, Article 7 transfers $200,000 for road resurfacing, Article 8 is for roughly $17,000 for the annual lease agreement for the department’s truck, and Article 9 is for $30,000 for a flail mower. All were approved unanimously.

Article 10 is a standard CPC article for estimated revenues for various items.

Articles 11 and 12 are each for $2500 and are for various property valuations. Article 13 is for $10,000 toward updated software for the assessors.

Article 14 is for the Police Department to lease and purchase radios and accompanying equipment. Article 15 is to authorize the selectmen to enter into a purchase or lease agreement for equipment needed to continue to build the fiber optic network. Article 16 is for $340,000 to purchase an ambulance. Article 17 is for roughly $49,000 for lease payments on the Fire Department vehicles. Article 18 is for $10,000 for the Fire Department to purchase new personal protective equipment. Article 19 is for nearly $16,725 for the annual lease payment for the Fire Department command truck. Article 20 is the required 5 percent match for the FEMA Grant with the contingency that it is dependent on the success of the town’s application. Article 21 is for $8,000 for the purchase or repair of self-contained breathing apparatus for the Fire Department. Articles 10 through 21 were all recommended unanimously.

Article 22 is for $14,000 to support the part time school resource officer at the middle school. Plympton supported this article last year at town meeting while Halifax did not. Plympton’s support allowed for a school resource officer at the middle school for a very limited number of hours per week. Halifax selectmen are once again not recommending this article as they are opposed to the mechanism to fund the officer through an article rather than as part of the school budget. It was also one of the only articles of the night not to garner unanimous support from both the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee Monday. Sides voted against it leading to a 4-1 vote on the part of the Finance Committee. The Plympton selectmen all voted to recommend it.

Article 23 is for $100,000 to replace the roof and insulation at the Highway Department building. Article 24 is to authorize the selectmen to enter into an agreement with the not-for-profit Soule Homestead in Middleborough. According to Dennehy it is a project that has been in the works for a while and the agreement would be mutually beneficial to both communities. The agreement would enable Plympton to get access to the public open space area near the two lots that are currently for sale at 2 Brooks Preserve. “This article is the product of a lot of work and a lot of talking back and forth between us, Middleborough, Soule Homestead, as well as both town councils,” Dennehy explained. Both articles were recommended by unanimous votes.

Article 25 is a zoning article for the updating of the flood insurance rate maps. Articles 26 and 27 are to digitize the zoning and general bylaws respectively. Article 28 is for $3,100 to continue bylaw codification. All were recommended unanimously.

Articles 29 through 32 are to authorize the selectmen to enter into pilot agreements on various solar projects including those on Upland Road, Lake St., and Main St. The Board of Selectmen voted to recommend these articles.

Article 33, which requires a vote by both the Finance Department and Board of Selectmen, generated considerable debate during Monday’s meeting. The article, which was submitted by the Conservation Commission, is intended to establish a natural resources protection fund. It would be funded primarily through the transfer of funds earned by the sale of town owned land or other fund transfers as voted at town meeting. The funds would be used to match federal, state, or private charitable grants and/or to fund other natural resource protection efforts. Traynor said that his initial reaction was that the article was quite broad, saying it appeared to state that revenue from the sale of any town owned land would automatically be transferred to the Conservation Commission. Sides was similarly concerned.

Conservation member Linda Leddy spoke to the article during Monday’s meeting. She said that the intent behind the fund would be a show of capacity for matching funds when applying for various grants, etc. Town Accountant Barbara Gomez asked if town counsel had approved the wording of the article since the sale of town property is directed into a separate account. Dennehy said that he had read it but not commented either way. She also suggested changing the wording so that the sale of town owned property was a potential source for the fund but not an automatic transfer. There was also discussion as to whether the transfer of sale funds would require a vote at town meeting. Traynor said that there were other things to consider such as affordable housing and said that he would hate to see one thing moved to the front of the line over another due to the wording in the article.

Even after the language change to the article, the Finance Committee said they would like to wait to vote to recommend the article. The selectmen agreed saying they would also like to see the article in its final form before making a recommendation. Since the warrant will be printed this week, the Finance Committee and selectmen will make their recommendation on the town meeting floor.

Gomez suggested further wording changes requesting that the $5,500 from the sale of the pumps at 2 Brooks Preserve be removed from the article and made into a separate article. Sides said that the Finance Committee took issue with the processes that were followed in selling the pumps. He said that it was not the Conservation Commission’s property to sell and assume the money as it belonged to the town. Selectman Chair Christine Joy said that the property should have been advertised as has been done with the sale of other town owned property.

“This is a function of sometimes volunteers don’t know all the rules,” Leddy said. “We appreciate there are probably some rules that we bumped into or crossed… there was always good intent along the way,” she continued. Leddy said the money is to be used toward public access areas at 2 Brooks Preserve. “My personal opinion is the money should go to 2 Brooks,” Traynor said. Russo said he was really uncomfortable with the article as it could appear that town owned money was being used to fund CPA projects that  have been touted as not using town money. In the end, the Selectmen and the Finance Committee agreed to leave the article on the warrant and just be honest at town meeting about the mistakes that were made and explain the intention behind the use of the funds. Leddy said, “I would like to have a warrant on the town meeting floor… we just say, hey, volunteers make mistakes sometimes. We need the money to open this parking lot, the money is sitting in the town coffers, if you want to support it this is the time.”

Dennehy also went over the warrant for the special town meeting. Article 1 is to pay for the final changeover for the Plympton Police Station project. Article 2 is for $6,897 for unpaid bills from the prior fiscal year, and Article 3 is for $10,000 for the opec account. Article 4 is for money for larger scale building projects related to COVID-19. Article 5 is for line item transfers in the fiscal year 2020 budget. Article 6 is for $8,100 to be transferred out of the sale item account and moved toward repairs at the Fire Department. Article 7 is for $7,000 to replace fire ladders. The Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee voted in favor of all applicable articles.

Before adjourning for the evening, the Board touched base on some COVID updates. Dennehy said that they are looking to finalize anything that needs to b done to the townhouse building prior to reopening. Some staff will begin returning to the building next week. Dennehy said that all announcements made during Governor Baker’s May 18 press conference were as expected.

The Transfer Station hours are also going to be increasing in coming days. Dennehy also told the Board that as of Monday, there were two confirmed and two presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Plympton.

‘Safer at Home’ message from Sen. Brady

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State Senator Michael D. Brady issued a message to residents of the 2nd Plymouth and Bristol District to provide an update on recent legislation, policy changes, and to urge the continued use of social distancing practices as the Massachusetts economy begins a graduated reopening.

Starting on May 18th the Commonwealth of Massachusetts began rolling out phase-one of its reopening plan. The initial wave of changes will primarily affect religious institutions as well as the manufacturing and construction industries.

“I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we work to manage this emergency,” said Senator Brady, “ I cannot stress enough how important it is that we diligently maintain social distancing practices as the state begins to reopen.”

Please view the full details here:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/reopening-massachusetts-may-18-2020/download

“I offer my sincerest gratitude to all of our healthcare workers, first responders and essential employees who have played an invaluable role in seeing us through these challenging times.  We are working on legislation to protect and aid our heroes.”

The following are some of the bills we’ve passed to assist residents in the wake of the COVID-19 emergency:

• An Act to facilitate the delay of the income tax filing deadline- Takes several steps to facilitate the delay of the state income tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020.

• An Act providing for virtual notarization to address challenges related to COVID-19 Authorizes a notary public to perform an acknowledgment, affirmation or other notarial using electronic video conferencing in real-time.

• An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 Emergency Establishes temporary protections for renters and homeowners during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

• An Act to provide liability protections for health care workers and facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic- Exempts health care providers and health care facilities from suit and civil liability for damages allegedly resulting from the providing of health care services during the COVID-19 health emergency.

• An Act to further address challenges faced by municipalities, school districts and state authorities resulting from COVID-19- Amends various provisions related to the management of state and municipal operations in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

• An Act to address challenges faced by municipalities and state authorities resulting from COVID-19- Implements various changes to municipal operations, tax collections, the sale of alcoholic beverages and the hiring of public retirees during the COVID-19 state of emergency.

• An Act granting authority to postpone 2020 municipal elections in the commonwealth and increase voting options in response to the declaration of emergency to respond to COVID-19- Authorizes municipalities with an election scheduled to take place before May 30, 2020, to postpone the election to a date on or before June 30, 2020.

• An Act providing additional support to those affected by the novel coronavirus through the unemployment insurance system – Makes urgent changes to the unemployment system to support workers and families affected by COVID-19.

• An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2020 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects – Appropriates $15 million to support the Commonwealth’s efforts against the novel coronavirus, including for monitoring, treatment, containment public awareness and prevention efforts by the department of public health, regional and local boards of health, and any other public entities.

Throughout the duration of the crisis, my team and I have been hard at work helping constituents on a one to one basis to deal with the variety of challenges brought on by COVID-19. If you are in the 2nd Plymouth and Bristol District and in need of assistance please do not hesitate to contact us at (617) 722-1200 or at Michael.Brady@MAsenate.gov.

To stay up to date on the latest news from the MA State Senate follow me on Facebook  @MikeBradyWorks, on Twitter @Brady_Works, and on the web at senatormikebrady.org.

Halifax ponders re-opening logistics

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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.

Lest we forget … Memorial Day

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This field of flags was placed by volunteers with the Halifax VFW Post 6258 in memory of the veterans who lost their lives in service to our country.  This year’s Memorial Day parade was cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus so the flags represent the town’s appreciation for the sacrifices our servicepersons have made.     More photos on page 7

Halifax School Committee looks to September

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Halifax School Committee Catches up During Pandemic

The Halifax School Committee met virtually on Monday, May 11. Chair Summer Schmaling began with correspondence from Silver Lake Regional School Committee Chair Jason Fraser (who is also vice chair of the Plympton School Committee) asking if they would support him in his bid for treasurer/secretary on the Massachusetts Association of School Committee (MASC) Executive Board. Just as the Regional School Committee did, the Halifax Committee also voted unanimously to do so.

The Committee then provided reports for each of the standing sub committees. Superintendent Jill Proulx spoke on behalf of Policy saying that while they do have a list of recommendations from MASC, policy updates have not been a priority given recent changes to the remote learning plan. Negotiations said that they voted earlier that evening and plan to reach out to both the Halifax Teacher’s Association and the Halifax Custodial Negotiations Team to setup a remote meeting for further negotiating.  Committee member Alison Vance said that PAC has continued meeting and that chromebooks were rolled out to students. Regarding Youth and Rec, Schmaling said, “Clearly they’re kind of at a stand still themselves and not really sure what the summer will hold.” Union 31 had not met. Capital Budget also had not met though it was noted that the budget is obviously in flux.

Principal Kayne Beaudry provided an update on the remote learning plan. “I want to give kudos to our teachers. They have really jumped in and have been working with adapting and changing up their game plan every week; we feel that the plans are getting better and better,” he explained. Beaudry said that student engagement has been the top priority for the last few weeks. Families that have been flagged as needing extra help keeping up with engagement have been placed on a watch list.

Beaudry also mentioned that per state guidelines, teachers have been transitioning from just assigning work to focusing on prerequisite standards. “I do want to give a little plug to our specialist teachers,” Beaudry said. He noted the unique difficulties faced by this set of teachers as they see seven different grade levels. “They have really done a nice job on scaling back and listening to our families and making it as user-friendly as possible,” he continued.

Beaudry also spoke from personal experience, saying that he has his own children from preschool to middle school that are being homeschooled. He noted the inherent difficulties in remote learning especially for those in the younger grades.

Enrollment for the incoming kindergarten class is currently hovering around 78 students compared to the current kindergarten’s class of 64. Committee member Gordon Andrews told Beaudry he had seen some questions online regarding the kindergarten registration process. Beaudry said that the school has been working behind the scenes to address things like orientation for parents and screenings for students. Andrews also said that he has seen a number of questions from parents and other guardians regarding the required medical records as scheduling doctor’s appointments has become difficult given the pandemic. Beaudry said that the school nurse as well as the administrators are aware that there will be a backlog for medical records and said there will be a grace period for obtaining those records.

Proulx and Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said that they have been meeting with union leadership, department heads, curriculum coordinators, and building principals regarding the remote learning plan.

Lynch said that they have been favoring asynchronous learning over synchronous learning as it allows families to go back and access lessons when convenient for them. Andrews said that the Committee wanted to express their thanks to the administrators and teachers for their hard work during unprecedented times. Proulx was quick to mention that thanks should also be extended to Director of Business Services Christine Healy. Proulx joked that she has been asking Healy “a million budget questions every day.”

As of right now, the anticipated last day of school is June 19.

Plympton BOS eye ‘New Normal’

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Wednesday, May 6. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy told the selectmen that she is working with staff to figure out the best way to safely reopen.

They are paying particular attention to any structural changes that may need to be implemented. Dennehy and Selectman John Traynor met with Library Director Debbie Batson to discuss possible changes such as droplet barriers. Dennehy also said that Amazon sells large sneeze guards that might be useful for a temporary change to townhouse offices with large counters.

For those offices without counters, work has already begun to trim the doors and alter them into a Dutch style door where the top can remain open.

This alteration would allow business to be conducted through the door. Dennehy said they are also looking into what kind of face coverings will be required for the employees.

The Plympton Highway Department has resumed normal business hours but are still following social distancing protocols. One of those protocols is limiting vehicles to just one person. The department has begun their regular seasonal mowing.

Memorial Day activities postponed

The selectmen also discussed postponing the usual Memorial Day events in town. They had previously discussed moving the events to Veteran’s Day as other local communities have elected to do. Selectman Mark Russo said that he absolutely agreed that the events needed to be postponed but suggested making Veteran’s Day a tentative date with a firm one to come later. He said that if possible to hold the events sooner than Veteran’s Day, it might be a good opportunity to celebrate getting past the adversity that has been posed by the pandemic.

Tree loss on Green

The selectmen also voted to remove the tree that is down at the town green. Dennehy said she would find out if grinding the stump is a possibility. Russo said, “It is not infrequent when a tree comes down anywhere in town, but particularly the town green, that there are one or two citizens that get pretty upset.” He continued, “ That’s the reason we waited a week and got it on the agenda, moreover, any of us that have seen this tree it’s amazing it didn’t come down in the last week… this isn’t a debatable one and there’s no way that we could be held in any way but the highest judgement to get rid of that tree.”

Town Barn roof replacement

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy made a motion to open the town warrant to insert an emergency article to replace the roof and insulation at the town barn. The selectmen voted to do so before making a motion to close the town warrant immediately.

Free and reduced lunch program continues

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen was in attendance and gave an update on the schools. Wilhelmsen said that the chairs of the various school committees met with the administrators to discuss the ongoing free and reduced lunch program which has continued despite the school closures. The food service director requested that the program be opened to anyone who needs the assistance right now rather than limiting it to just those that had previously qualified.

Wilhelmsen also said that he had requested that the school budget be amended to adjust for items that are being put into the special town meeting as well as the actual numbers from the new bus contract.

Raises for town employees

The Selectmen and Dennehy were joined by Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides and Committee member Marilyn Browne to discuss the FY21 budget. Dennehy said they were considering a 1.6 percent cost of living adjustment across the board for town employees. Dennehy said that she felt that it was a “defensible” number even after going over all the numbers with the town accountant. She said that it was actually a net decrease due to the rising cost of insurance. “From my perspective, it is also about building up some goodwill with the employees,” Dennehy explained. Russo noted, “Even the 1.6 percent cost of living increase is going to ruffle feathers a little.”

Sides said that it has been an extremely challenging time for the Finance Committee. After wrapping up the budget previously, they were looking at about a 3.8 percent increase. Sides said, “There were some asks from some various departments that we were supportive of and still would be in a perfect world.” He continued saying that it would be difficult to stand in front of residents, many of whom are without jobs, and propose a budget that was arrived at through normal means. “I think our committee realizes we need to take another look at everything and come back to the townsfolk with a revised budget,” he finished.

All were in agreement that fiscal year 2022 is going to be the more challenging year. “I think the bigger problem is going to be next year and kind of managing people’s expectations,” Dennehy said. Speaking of 2022, Traynor said, “I’m very pessimistic about it.” Dennehy said that they would likely have to continue the freeze for non-essential items through next year especially given the possibility of another wave of the virus. Dennehy did say that some items, such as vacation overages, should be reimbursable but noted that reimbursement can sometimes take up to two years. She said the town has been maintaining records for those items.

Russo asked if the town had any indication how much of the $90 million received by Plymouth County under the federal CARES Act might go to Plympton. Dennehy said, “We don’t unfortunately, and I just hope that whatever the process is, it’s transparent and its nonpolitical and every community gets what they rightly deserve.” The Plymouth County Commissioners have elected to distribute the $90 million themselves rather than letting the state distribute the money to municipalities as most other counties have done. The Halifax selectmen and town administrator expressed their frustration with the commissioners’ decision during one of their meetings.

New Normal committee eyed

Traynor said that it would probably be a good idea to form a committee to address how the town should plan for the “new normal.” Joy said that the Old Colony Planning Council had sent out a survey to help in coming up with a plan for maximizing resources, serving the town, and establishing a new normal.

Dennehy said that many surrounding towns have been moving their town meetings outdoors with alternate rain dates available. They have also been moving them earlier in the day in order to take advantage of daylight. The town moderator had concerns about moving the start time to 5pm, however, as it could impede on some residents’ ability to attend. Traynor suggested the possibility of holding it on a Saturday. Russo said he was going to take the minority position saying, “I think the less variables we have the better… I could make the case we said the seventeenth and we just make that happen.” Joy said she would like more time to think it over before deciding.  If a town meeting doesn’t occur before June 30, the town will have to go to a 1/12 budgeting scenario.

Halifax BOS consider TM warrant

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator Charlie Seelig met in person on Friday, May 8 to discuss the town meeting warrant one final time before going to press. The Selectmen and Seelig were seated at a large table and were observing social distancing protocols.

As of right now, the town meeting is still scheduled for June 15. It remains to be seen, however, whether it will be possible both financially or logistically to hold the meeting on that date. According to Seelig, town meetings fall outside the scope of gatherings limited to 10 participants under Governor Baker’s directive. Seelig said that the hope was to have the warrant printed by Thursday, May 14 and mailed out a few weeks after that.

Seelig went through the articles one at a time with most requiring very little discussion. Article 1 is the report for town officials and committees. Article 2 is for wage and personnel matters including a possible grading of the lieutenant position for the Police Department as well as a possible re-grading for both the animal control officer as well as the director of building maintenance. There were several more routine articles involving revolving funds as well as an annual article for the reserve fund.

Seelig said that Articles 7-13 are intended to settle union contracts. According to Seelig there are no settlements as of right now and he is not sure if there will be any by June 15. If not, they will be passed over.

Seelig went on to go over the appropriation articles. A1 is a normal extension service article, A2 is a Chapter 90 article, A3 is the annual article for $150,000 toward the maintenance of town roads. Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward asked that Articles A4 and A5 be removed; both were large sums of money for street repairs. Other articles included $150,000 toward backhoes, money for a new copier for the Council on Aging, $600,000 for a fire engine for the Fire Department, $100,00 for two marked police vehicles and associated equipment, and money for radio systems for both officers and vehicles in the Police Department.

A11 is an article to allow Police Chief Joao Chaves to continue to lease or outright buy the motorcycle used by the department. Thus far the lease has been paid for by gift account money. Chaves believes that there may be enough gift money from Walmart and another business to continue paying for it with the intention to purchase the motorcycle next year. A12 is for 4 new patrol rifles and A13 is for $5000 for bullet resistant vests, both for the Police Department.

A14 would send money from the town to the Housing Authority. According to Seelig there was an employee who worked for both the town as well as the Housing Authority. Both entities were supposed to be contributing money to the employee’s retirement, but the Housing Authority was charged the full amount. Seelig said he is still trying to sort through the finances for this article.

A16 is for $36,000 to support a part time school resource officer at the middle school. This topic has been a point of contention for those in town. It was voted down at last year’s town meeting. Plympton did vote it through last year and have been supporting a very limited number of hours for the school resource officer. Currently, Kingston fully supports the school resource officer at the high school as it is a Kingston Police Officer and comes out of their police budget. The school resource officer at both the high school and middle school must be a Kingston officer as the schools are located there.

Seelig said the Halifax Finance Committee is not recommending the article. When Selectmen Chair Troy Garron asked why, he was told that the Finance Committee believes the expense belongs in the school budget. Selectman Gordon Andrews, who is also a member of both the Halifax School Committee and the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, said that adding the part time officer at the middle school into the school budget would also mean needing to add the high school resource officer. Andrews also reiterated that everyone is in agreement about the need for the part time officer but that the dispute is over the mechanism to fund that officer. Seelig said, “If it’s a priority and we have a limited amount of money, we have to make a choice… if the resource officer is more important than other expenditures for the school, they’ll leave it in and take something else out.” Selectman Tom Millias agreed saying, “I think philosophically, from the very beginning, the first time we heard about this, I was not in favor of the towns going about it separately.” He also called the school budget, “out of control, in my personal opinion.” Seelig went on to use Old Rochester Regional School district as a similar district that handles the school resource officers as part of the school budget. Andrews, however, was quick to point out that Old Rochester actually handles the school resource officers through the town budgets as is being proposed by the article. Andrews also told the other selectmen and Seelig that if the officers were put into the school budget, it would end up costing the town more than $36,000.

A17 is a petition article for $20,000 for a truck inspection program. Seelig said he believed it should be included in the police budget. A18 is a petition article for grading all the unpaved roads in Halifax including private and unaccepted roads. Seelig said that Hayward had been doing work on these roads the last few weeks and that they had received “satisfactory compliments” on the results. A19 was in regard to Pasture Lane which is currently an unaccepted road. Millias said, “I understand the frustrations of the residents on this road, but I don’t see that this is the year for the town to be doing this.” The Selectmen agreed to leave it on the warrant with the caveat that the Board of Selectmen do not recommend it.

There were several more articles that were taken off the warrant before moving on to A23. A23 is intended to deal with the trash that has been piling up at the boat ramp and fishing area on Rt. 58. Seelig said that because of the financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there just is not money to deal with the issue. Seelig also explained that the town doesn’t want to place barrels there as people often take it upon themselves to dump personal trash in them. He also said that this is the reason there are locks on the barrels at the townhouse. Despite calling trash on the roadway an important issue, Garron said, “My gut feeling is to take it off.”

A24 is for crosswalk control devices at various locations. A26 is a petition article for $3500 that is essentially a contract between the town of Halifax and South Coastal County Legal Services. A29 is the same article that appears each year in case at the end of the night there is money to put into the stabilization fund. A30, A31, and A32 were for folding chairs for the great hall and selectmen’s meeting room, insulation and vapor barriers at the old town barn, and soundproof panels at the Holmes Public Library, respectively. A34 is for the repair of overhead doors at the town barn.

A35 is for the replacement of the roof at Pope’s Tavern. The cost includes architectural, engineering, and repair. “We can’t let the building go and I don’t see a new Council on Aging anytime soon…I think it is one of the things we have to do,” Millias said. Garron agreed, saying, “We definitely need it. I mean that place is leaking like a sieve.”

A36 is the annual Uber/Lyft article that state law mandates be included. It is for a small amount of money from rides that originate in town.  A37 is for a repair to the landfill cap.

The next several articles discussed pertain to moving the town toward a more electronic business model. A38 from the auditors asks for a fraud/risk assessment. Andrews suggested waiting a year since the hope is to move toward an online system and it wouldn’t make sense to do such an assessment on a program that wouldn’t be in existence much longer.

A39 would allow for e-permitting and A40 would allow for papers to be filed electronically and copies obtained without contacting town officials. Seelig said, “Conceptually, we understand what we are talking about, but we would have to have a firm proposal to go to town meeting.” A41 would establish an electronic payroll system.

Article F1 is a possible pilot agreement for the River Street Solar Farm. If everyone agrees to a pilot by the time of town meeting, the town can vote to approve it. If not, it will be passed over.

The zoning related articles will come before the Planning Board. The first is a change to floodplains to reflect what FEMA wants. There is also a multifamily bylaw revision. The last zoning article would allow for recreational marijuana establishments in the business or commercial district with a special permit.

Seelig also mentioned an article to increase the size of the Beautification Committee from 5 to 7 members. The increase needs to be an article as it requires a change to a town bylaw.

The selectmen and Seelig also discussed possible locations for the town meeting given social distancing restrictions. In closing, Andrews said that the town will need to come up with some sort of celebration once past this pandemic.