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12th Plymouth District a nail-biter: Halifax’s Summer Schmaling is defeated by Truschelli by a few votes

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Turnout was higher than expected in Tuesday’s primary elections, according to clerks in both Plympton and Halifax and unofficial election data.

By 9 a.m. turnout was high in Plympton, and town clerks in both Plympton and Halifax anticipated a busy day.

In Plympton total turnout was 24 percent, with 548 ballots cast, more than twice the ballots from the last primary. In Halifax there were 1,309 ballots cast, representing 23 percent turnout.

Many races were not contested in either primary, although a few were close.

The Republican race for Representative for the 12th Plymouth District, which includes Duxbury, Halifax, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth and Plympton, was too close to call until Tuesday night. It was the most watched contest locally. Late Tuesday night, Summer Schmaling, who won handily in Plympton and Halifax, conceded the nomination to Joseph Truschelli, who won overall, by just a few votes.

“I think it was a great race. I commend my opponent for getting into the race. It was an issues-driven campaign. I look forward to working with her [Schmaling], and hopefully this goes our way,” said Truschelli in comments to the Express Wednesday via cellphone. “It was a very tight race…there was good turnout,” he added.

Schmaling did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.

Truschelli will face Kathy LaNatra, a Kingston selectman and business-owner, in the General Election Nov. 6.

Geoff Diehl bested John Kingston and Beth Joyce Lindstrom for Senator. He will face Elizabeth Warren in the state-wide race for Senator in November.

For the race of Governor, Charlie Baker, the Republican incumbent, will face Democrat Jay Gonzales, who won against Bob Massie, in the General Election.

Karyn Polito, a Republican, will run against Quentin Palfrey, a Democrat, for Lieutenant Governor.

James McMahon, III, in a close race, bested Daniel Shores in the Republican primary for Attorney General. He will face Maura Healey, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary in the General Election.

Anthony Amore, who ran unopposed in his Republican primary, will now face incumbent William Galvin, who beat Josh Zakim in the Democratic primary, for Secretary of State.

The Treasurers’ primaries were both unopposed. Keiko Orrall will face Deborah Goldberg, the Democratic incumbent, in the General Election.

The Auditor’s race was also unopposed. Helen Brady will face the Democratic incumbent Suzanne Bump in the General Election.

Peter Tedeschi, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary will face Bill Keating, the Democratic incumbent.

Christopher Iannella, Jr. a Democrat who ran against Mark Rooney, will be Councilor, as he has no opponent.

Michael Brady, the incumbent Democrat for State Senator, will run against Republican Scott Hall in the General Election.

Timothy J. Cruz, the Republican incumbent for District Attorney will remain in that office as he has no opponent, as will Democrats Robert Creedon, Jr. as Clerk of Courts and John Buckley, Jr. as Register of Deeds.

There was one person who pulled the Libertarian ballot in Plympton, which only had one race.

Diehl: Bring on Warren

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By Tracy F. Seelye
and James Bentley
Express staff

Proclaiming it “our moment” and staking out the theme that U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren “has let us down,” state Rep. Geoffrey Diehl greeted supporters at the Whitman VFW Tuesday night to bask in his Republican primary win.

His margin of victory was 54.8 percent of the vote compared to 27 percent for John Kingston and 18.1 percent for Beth Lindstrom.

“While Warren has spent the last six years building a national political profile for herself, I’ve been fighting for you, and most importantly, listening to you,” Diehl said after greeting supporters with hugs as the song “This is My House,” by Flo Rida.

He is casting Warren as an out-of-touch person using Massachusetts as a stepping-stone while ignoring the benefit of the GOP tax cut, the need for immigration control and support for law enforcement, and failing her constituents on the opioid crisis.

“I will make the fight against opioid addiction a priority,” Diehl said. “We’re losing about 2,000 people to opioid-related overdoses here in Massachusetts each year. What has Senator Warren done about it? Nothing.”

He also took the opportunity to again underscore that the ballot initiative he backed to repeal automatic gas tax hikes a few years ago has saved Massachusetts residents $2 billion. In Whitman, his hometown, voters gave Diehl 1,361, according to unofficial tallies at the close of polls with Kingston receiving 76 and Lindstrom 65 of the 25.3 percent of 10,684 registered voters casting ballots. In Hanson, with 21 percent of the town’s voters casting ballots, Diehl had 789 votes to 107 for Kingston and 57 for Lindstrom.

Lakers football forges new identity this season

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The SIlver Lake High football team has a bit of a different look this season.

The team which made it to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, graduated quite a bit of talent and is now working with a younger, less experienced squad.

This time around, the Lakers have just nine seniors on their roster and more than 20 juniors; the issue they face is that not a lot of these players have a ton of varsity experience. Perhaps the biggest unexpected blow was losing their return man Diamani Williams, whose family moved elsewhere.

Right now, it’s unclear who will be the team’s starting quarterback; competition exists between Jesse Miller, a junior, and Ben Lofstrom, a sophomore. What is clear is that the Lakers do have some talent at wide receiver. Two of their captains, Bobby Ohlson and Jake Waters, man the position.

Defensively, the linebacking corps should be a strength for the Lakers. This is because two more of their captains, Marshall Roy and Cam Danahy, play there. Waters also brings experience on the defensive side of the ball, playing cornerback.

However, the Lakers offensive line will be brand new. They lost every one of their starters to graduation which gives opportunities to some other players like seniors Alex Duke, Derek Ingersoll and juniors Will Hesketh and Aidan Crone.

T he Lakers are coached by Chris DiGiacomo, who is in his fourth season with the team. So far, he is 18-15 in his head coaching tenure with the Lakers; last year’s squad finished the season at 7-4.

The Lakers open up their regular season at home on Saturday, Sept. 8 against the North Quincy Red Raiders (2:00 p.m. start time). In all, they have seven regular season games scheduled, not including their annual Thanksgiving day bout with the Pembroke Titans.

Glacial erratics are dangers in ponds

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HALIFAX – Hingham resident Bob Demaggio has vacationed at Halifax’s Lake Monponsett for over four decades. His wife and kids have continued to go there every summer and take out the boat. Last Tuesday, Demaggio brought up a safety concern regarding the lake to the Board of Selectmen.

“I had an incident at the beginning of the month where I was taking my whaler with my wife,” Demaggio said.

Demaggio was going north on East Monponsett Lake when he said he hit an obstruction. Even going only at a trolling (slow) speed. Demaggio said the boat flew out of the water. His wife almost fell from the boat.

“I lost the prop (propeller), that’s no big deal, but I didn’t wat to lose a wife. That’s the important thing,” Demaggio said.

Demaggio and the Board of Selectmen believed the obstruction was some sort of glacial erratic. Glacial erratics are large rocks transported by glaciers and left behind when they melt.

So far, Demaggio said he’s spoken to the town, state, and Watershed Authority. He said it bothers him that there isn’t a sign warning people about the moving glacial rocks.

Selectman Thomas Millias said Demaggio’s request sounds reasonable. Selectman Tory Garron agreed. He said the Board will talk to the town’s other boards and will see what can be done.

New Board/Committee Appointments

The Halifax Housing Authority filled a vacancy on its committee with both the Board of Selectmen’s and Housing Authority’s appointment of Paula Walker.

Walker is used to a fast pace style of work having worked 50 years in the media industry including time with the Patriot Ledger, Brockton Enterprise, and the Boston Globe.

When asked by the Board of Selectmen why she wants to join the Housing Authority, Walker said she’s bored in retirement. Garron joked saying Walker will have to serve another 50 years with the Housing Authority.

Both boards unanimously approved Walker’s appointment.

Peter Veneto was unanimously appointed to the  Central Plymouth County Water District Advisory Board. Laurie Monahan was appointed as an alternate.

Other News

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig announced that several weeks ago, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an expansion on what types of cancer are covered by insurance for police officers and firefighters. Seelig sent a note to the state auditors office asking specifically what is in the mandate. The mandate is expected to cover all types of cancer.

The Board of Selectmen approved changes to the job description for the application process for a new police chief. At the suggestion of the Police Chief Assessment Center the Board of Selectmen voted to require at least a Bachelors degree for the position and a Masters degree to be the preference.

The next Board of Selectmen meeting is Tuesday, September 11. Open session starts at 7:30 p.m.

School bus issues met for first day

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HALIFAX– On Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, the Halifax Elementary School Committee began with a walk-through of the school (see accompanying article). Next, chair Summer Schmaling quickly went through the posted agenda until a major point of concern came up.

First, Principal Kayne Beaudry announced that enrollment at HES was 614 students for the upcoming school year. He, and Assistant Principal Brian Desantes noted some of the pressures this creates.

“First and second grade were hit really hard,” said Desantes, adding that, “We’re approaching 25 students per room.”

Beaudry stated that with families moving in and out of town, there was a net gain of about 20 students.

This increase in students not only puts pressure on teachers in the classroom but affects the busing schedule as well.

Superintendent Joy Blackwood said that the SLRSD leases nine buses, all but one shared with the rest of the district– Kingston pays for one extra bus due to their population. Each bus has a 77-seat capacity, at three students per seat, she said, and a bus costs $56,000 per year to lease.

Adding a bus, even one that’s shared, is expensive, she noted, so she’d like to negotiate a 10-year contract that would even out expenses over time if a bus needs to be added. Not only would that save money, but the SLRSD would get new busses and four would be larger capacity busses, she says.

There were difficulties negotiating the last one-year contract. “I had to beg,” she added.

Blackwood also stated that by law a seat must be held on a bus for all 614 students enrolled at the school, even those that are regularly driven to school, because the district is obligated to transport students every day, but parents aren’t obligated to drive their children every day.

“Where along in the process did we know we had a bus problem?” asked Alex Meade, a school committee member.

Beaudry responded that enrollment numbers are constantly fluctuating.

Another issue affecting HES is accommodating busing “special requests,” where students take one bus to school in the morning and another one to a different address in the afternoon.

As students enroll, and enrollment numbers are collected, they are entered into PowerSchool, the school’s management software.

Then, the bus contracting company, First Student, creates the routes from that data. Only then can special requests be accommodated.

Beaudry says that he has accommodated all two-bus requests– with just one morning and afternoon switch.

Meade didn’t think the school needed to accommodate these special requests at all. “I don’t see the need to honor any of these requests,” he said.

“I tend to agree,” replied Beaudry, but then said, “We want to help and accommodate what we can.”

Bus problems have plagued the town for years, said Schmaling. She said she has heard complaints from parents about students having rides that are too long, busses that are too full as well as busses that arrive too early and sit in front of the school.

Beaudry says that staff tries to address this each year by collecting the times buses arrive and leave and working with First Student to address any issues.

HES redo races to finish

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HALIFAX– On Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, the Halifax Elementary School Committee met for a walk-through of the elementary school, as part of their scheduled meeting. Although many teachers were moving into their classrooms, the school was still an active construction zone just hours before school began for the year.

Workers were focusing on the gym Monday, which was closed, so the committee toured the rest of the building. The school was hot and stuffy throughout the tour.

Although there were many signs of progress, and the administration was upbeat, the building was unfinished in many ways. A bathroom in the Pilgrim Area Collaborative classroom was not complete at all; a few windows were boarded up and not weatherized– which a town official noted was caused by the construction company ordering the wrong panels; trim is unfinished; and siding is still missing on the outside of the building. Beaudry, speaking in the library, said to the committee that there is one lone siding installer who has largely completed that work himself.

But, most classroom renovations are completed, and administrators, teachers and custodians are working with the construction workers to have the building in the best shape possible for the first day of school, stated Beaudry at the meeting following the walk-through.

“210 windows have been replaced,” said Principal Beaudry. “You can quote him on that,” added Superintendent of Schools Joy Blackwood. “The windows on the South side of the building are tinted to prevent glare,” added Beaudry. “It’s coming along…the windows look great!”

When asked whether the project was delayed, Blackwood said, “The goal of the project was significant completion [before the start of school].” She added that most of the work that was left uncompleted was detail work. Beaudry later estimated the work was 90 percent complete, to be finished shortly.

Committee members and administrators saw new windows along the front of the school first, where ladders were still propped on the outside of the building from painting that had been happening earlier in the day. From the inside, members of the committee noted that the temperature would be much more stable than before, in all seasons.

The art and music rooms appeared ready for the first day of school, minus blinds for the windows. Blinds throughout the building are missing but have been ordered, according to Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx, and will be installed shortly. Other items are backordered, including doors, which Beaudry said would be installed after hours.

The cafeteria sports new windows and new grey flooring, replacing linoleum tiles. School officials are hoping the floor holds up better than the tiles, and if it does, may consider using it in other parts of the school.

New small fans have been added to a two-floor hallway in the fourth, fifth and sixth grade wing of the school, to help circulate the air, according to Beaudry. During the walk-through, the fans kept the hallway cooler than many of the classrooms in the building.

Substantial improvements have been made to HES recently, this being the second of a three-phase summer program to address issues with the school’s roof, windows and fire suppression system, paid through grants from the Massachusetts Building School Authority for the first two phases and the Town of Halifax for the third, said Blackwood.

“They’re coming whether the building is finished or not,” said Beaudry of the students. School started just two days following the tour.

Plympton, Halifax residents to vote Sept. 4 in party primaries

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PLYMPTON/HALIFAX– On Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018 candidates for federal and state offices will face off in party primaries. In Plympton and Halifax, residents will choose from the following candidates. (In no particular order.)

Democratic Ballot

Incumbent Elizabeth Warren, of Cambridge, is running uncontested for another 6-year term as U.S. Senator.

Two candidates for Governor are running in the primary, Jay Gonzales, of Needham, and Bob Massie, of Sommerville along with their respective Lieutenant Governor candidates Quentin Palfrey, of Weston, and Jimmy Tingle of Cambridge.

Incumbent Maura Healey, of Boston, is running uncontested for another term as Attorney General.

For the office of Secretary of State, incumbent William Galvin is running against Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, both of Boston.

Incumbents Deborah Goldberg of Brookline and Suzanne Bump of Easton, are each running for Treasurer and Auditor, respectively, uncontested.

Incumbent Bill Keating, of Bourne, is running for Congress again in the Ninth District, and is being challenged by Bill Cimbrelo, of Barnstable.

Incumbent Christopher Iannella, Jr., of Boston, is running for Governor’s Council. Mark Rooney, also of Boston, is running against him.

Senator Michael Brady, of Brockton, is running for another term as State Senator for the Second Plymouth & Bristol District.

For the Twelfth Plymouth District, Kathleen LaNatra, of Kingston and a former selectman there, is running uncontested for State Representative.

Robert S. Creedon, Jr., of Brockton, is running for Plymouth County Clerk of Courts and John Buckley, Jr., also of Brockton is running for Register of Deeds, both unopposed.

The Democrats do not have anyone running for Plymouth County District Attorney or Plymouth County Commissioner.

Republican Ballot

Republicans have three choices for U.S. Senator, Geoff Diehl, of Whitman, John Kingston, of Winchester, and Beth Joyce Lindstrom, of Groton.

Governor Charlie Baker, of Swampscott, and Karyn Polito, Lieutenant Governor, of Shrewsbury, are running for another term. Scott Lively, of Springfield, is running against Baker.

James McMahon, III, of Bourne, and Daniel Shores, of Hingham, are facing off for Attorney General.

For the office of Secretary of State, Anthony Amore, of Swampscott is running uncontested.

Keiko Orral, of Lakeville, and Helen Brady, of Concord, are each running for Treasurer and Auditor, respectively, uncontested.

Peter Tedeschi, of Marshfield, is running uncontested for Representative in Congress for the Ninth District.

The Republicans are not fielding candidates for Governor’s Council, Plymouth County Clerk of Courts or Plymouth County Register of Deeds.

Scott Hall, of Brockton, is running for a term as State Senator for the Second Plymouth & Bristol District.

For the Twelfth Plymouth District, Halifax’s own Summer Schmaling, an Elementary School Committee member, is running against Joseph Truschelli, of Plymouth, for State Representative.

Timothy Cruz, of Marshfield, is running uncontested for Plymouth County District Attorney.

Sandra Wright, of Bridgewater, is running again for Plymouth County Commissioner uncontested.

The Republicans are not fielding candidates for Governor’s Council, Plymouth County Clerk of Courts or Plymouth County Register of Deeds.

Libertarian Ballot

The Libertarians are offering one candidate for office, Helen Brady, of Concord, for Auditor. Brady is also running for the office as a Republican.

Where do I vote?

All Plympton residents vote from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Plympton Town House, 5 Palmer Road, Plympton.

In Halifax, all precincts vote 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the all-purpose room at the Halifax Elementary School, 464 Plymouth Street, Halifax. Voter registration for the primaries has closed.

The winners of the primary election races will face off in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.

Two Brooks Preserve campaign launched

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PLYMPTON– On Monday, Aug. 20, Plympton selectmen met at Town House and addressed another brief summer agenda. Notably the board opened and closed the warrant for the upcoming Special Town Meeting, were updated on the Two Brooks Preserve project– which is the reason for the upcoming Special Town Meeting, and also heard an update from Joy Marble, Director of the Council on Aging.

Special Town Meeting

Selectmen opened and closed the warrant for the Thursday, Sept. 20, Special Town Meeting. The process lasted all of a few minutes. The STM will be held at 7 p.m. at the Dennett Elementary School. There will be one article on the warrant, asking the voters whether they will authorize the purchase of the 113-acre property off of Prospect Road once known as the Atwood Property and renamed the Two Brooks Preserve by the Plympton Open Space Committee.

Two Brooks

Preserve

Linda Leddy and Vicki Alberti came before the board bringing an update to selectmen regarding the status of Two Brooks Preserve.

A new logo and campaign for the Two Brooks Preserve were launched on Monday night, including a tri-fold brochure that was mailed to town residents and a website for the project, www.twobrookspreserve.com was launched.  In addition, an information session scheduled to explain the Preserve will be held Saturday, Aug. 25, at 10:30 a.m. at the Plympton Public Library.

The purchase price of the property is $800,000. In order for the property to fund itself, without raising taxes for Plympton residents, the Open Space Committee has presented a proposal to the Community Preservation Committee asking for $440,000.  The remainder of the funds needed will come from selling up to three lots with frontage on Prospect Road.  Private donations are also being solicited to take care of any additional expenses such as survey costs.

The property, identified as one of the most environmentally significant areas in the region, according to Leddy, was enrolled in the Chapter 61 tax relief program. In July the selectmen voted unanimously to exercise their right of first refusal on the property and subsequently signed a purchase and sales agreement with the sellers.

The preserve’s benefits to the town would be numerous, according to the OSC. They include environmental benefits such as extensive aquatic systems and wetlands that help protect healthy drinking water; diverse habitats including forests, meadows, brooks, a bog and a reservoir; and many plant and animal species, including species of “special conservation concern.”

Other benefits identified include a preservation of Plympton’s rural character, recreational and educational opportunities.

Council on Aging Concerns

Joy Marble, Director of the Council on Aging, came before the board to give them an update. Marble’s primary concern, a theme that ran throughout her comments, was the lack of a permanent space for Plympton’s senior citizens. Right now, the COA uses a meeting room at Town House for most of their office space and activities, which Marble says is not conducive to the council’s goals.

Marble indicated that the COA “tries not to step on toes,” but is now using the Town House kitchen and other buildings in town to carry out their functions.

“They [the seniors] need a place to call their own,” Marble said. “I’m working towards getting monies and funds to do that…”

“It’s the dream of all three of us [to find space],” said Selectman Mark Russo.

Selectman Christine Joy suggested that grant money might be found to build a “not elaborate” senior center, or incorporate space for one into the master-plan for the Town House campus.

“You still need some space…some designated space…we’re here to help you,” said Joy.

Marble also said that it was time for the board to think about trading in the van the COA currently uses, which she says is not handicap accessible.

Joy asked if a car-dealership might be interested in “wrapping” a van with their logo and sharing it with several towns’ Councils on Aging, to save money. This was a well-received idea on the part of all.

Marble was also concerned that the COA does not have a phone line of its own. Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy stated that the “infrastructure” was in place for the line, but it had not been activated yet.

The Board of Selectmen will next meet Sept. 10, 2018 at 6 p.m. at Town House.

Plympton Fire Dept. lines get crossed

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PLYMPTON– Although it never affected Plympton’s 911 service, handled by the Regional Old Colony Communications Center in Duxbury, last Saturday’s torrential downpours apparently knocked out the business line of the Plympton Fire Department.

It is still not working as of press time.

Captain John Sjostedt has taken to Facebook to communicate with the public. According to him, 911, which should be used for emergencies, and 781-585-0783, a direct line to the fire station which can also be used for emergencies, are both in working order.

The business line for the ROCCC in Duxbury also works.

But the business line for the PFD, 781-585-2633, rings twice and then goes to an error message stating that the number is out of service.

Capt. Sjostedt, reached via email, said, at first that this was a technical problem at the ROCCC.

The director of the ROCCC, Michael Mahoney, said that it was a problem in Plympton.

“We are more than capable of handling any emergency calls at our center,” said Mahoney. “I believe it is an internal problem [at Plympton] and they have technicians on it.”

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said Monday night that Verizon, the town’s telephone provider, is looking into the issue.

The Express contacted Verizon for comment, and Verizon stated they would look into the issue.

But after contacting Verizon, Sjostedt followed up and stated that he didn’t believe that this was a Verizon problem at all.

“It is actually not a Verizon issue,” he said. “That’s part of the hang up. There is another service involved and I’m having difficulty figuring out who the other involved company is.”

Internet searches reveal the number to come back to the PFD, but do not report which phone carrier issued the number.

Always call 911 in an emergency, officials say.

STM kills senior center redo

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HALIFAX – Article 1 of the Halifax Special Town Meeting asked residents to allow the town to borrow an additional $1.5 million for repairs, renovations, and an expansion of Pope’s Tavern, the Halifax Senior Center.

These additional costs failed to gain two-thirds of the necessary town meeting support, so the article failed. There were strong opinions on both sides.

Linda Laskey, who has lived in Halifax for 42 years said, “We have a ramp but that’s not enough. I can’t even open the door myself.”

She said most handicapped buildings have a door that will open for them. She can’t do quilting upstairs because she can’t climb stairs.

Resident Amy Troupe wanted to know why the architect didn’t make the project within the budget and why did we not tell him to stay in budget.

Roy explained that there’s a bidding process in place and that is limited by the laws of the state when it comes to public building projects.

Another concerned resident asked for an Australian ballot, a written ballot rather than a standing vote or a voice vote due to the sensitivity of the issue. This was not granted.

The entire project was originally estimated at $1.7 million. According to Selectmen Chair Kim Roy, the architect said that amount would work. He completed construction drawings and then ran estimates on the drawings.

Estimated costs increased so much that the Board was shocked.  There was an option to cut, but the project according to the Board of Selectmen was supposed to be drafted in a conservative way. According to Roy, to spend $2 million and still have a senior center with poor roofing, electrical issues, etc. doesn’t make sense.

Selectmen said they were told by the architect that the reason for the drastic price increase was the economic conditions. Selectman Thomas Millias said the materials went up in cost about 25 to 30 percent in the last five months.

He anticipates those costs going up. “Today is the least expensive this project is going to cost us,” Millias said.

Because the project involved borrowing money it required a two-thirds vote instead of a majority. The two-thirds failed on standing vote getting 103 of the 127 required votes.

Raise for Fire Chief Approved

Article 9 asked to raise Fire Chief Jason Viveiros salary from $110,000 to $119,000.  There is also a scheduled raise to $125,000 in fiscal year 2020. The article was approved by majority on a vote of 144-47.

Despite the large majority, there was a lot of heated procedural debate prior to the vote. Because seven people moved for a motion on an Australian-style secret ballot, a vote on whether or not to have a secret written ballot needed to occur before voting for the fire chief’s raise.

The Australian ballot was defeated with 65 people voting for it and 136 voting against it.

According to Roy, giving Viveiros a raise is an investment in the town. She said Viveiros improved response times by more than a minute without increasing taxes for residents. Roy added that Viveiros is an excellent grant writer and said the town has received more fire department related grants than before he was fire chief.

According to Roy, Viveiros is currently the lowest paid Fire Chief in Plymouth County. One resident said, “We can’t compare ourselves to certain towns in Plymouth County…The chief knew that when he came in.”

Speaking as a resident and university professor, Finance Committee Chair Melinda Tarsi gave her support to Viveiros. She said, “I don’t recommend my students intern with anyone, but I recommend many of my best students to him.”

Raise for Town Administrator  Passed Over

Article 10, which would have raised Town Administrator Charles Seelig’s salary from $95,434 to $110,000 was passed over with a two-thirds vote.

This raise would not raise Seelig to the average of the ten towns Halifax uses as benchmarks, but would bring him closer to the average of $125,360.

There was once again, heated debate on both sides of the issue. Roy spent a significant amount of time praising Seelig for his 22 years as town administrator.

“Charlie Seelig has become the heart of this community, but I should really say he’s the brain,” Roy said.

Roy added that Seelig needs to be an expert on a “vast” number of things. She said he has an unprecedented knowledge on town laws, grants, and countless other things. “Charlie does all of this in a humble and kind demeanor,” Roy said.

School Committee member and Former Finance Committee Member Gordon Andrews said that this vote is about more than adjusting an amount.

“It’s not about adjusting the amount, it’s about doing it mid-year when not looking at the budget…I think it’s wrong,” Andrews said.

Resident Marie Coady wanted this passed over as well because a Wage and Personnel study will be completed in the spring in time for Annual Town Meeting.

Troupe who was against the raise said, “I think that there needs to be a balance in the town.” She wanted a secret vote to protect identities because she’s afraid of people being ridiculed.

She said, “There’s budgets in every single household…We aren’t getting raises, we’re working doubles seven days a week…I haven’t had a vacation in 4 years.”

Roy said she respects people who may not be able to afford this, but said we are volunteers as well and we don’t benefit by raising taxes.

“If Charlie Seelig ever left, we’d be looking for someone qualified and we’d want to be competitive,” Roy said.

Town-wide Speed Limits Fail

Article 8 would have petitioned general courts to allow Halifax to set a 30 miles-per-hour town-wide speed limit. There would be areas with higher speed limits, but if approved, anything not marked would be 30 miles-per-hour.

“I understand some people might think this is overly restrictive,” Seelig said. However, Seelig said he sees a lot of complaints about speed on Facebook.

According to Seelig, without commissioning a study that automatically sets an area’s speed limit at the 85th fastest out of 100, the only thing allowed is a town-wide speed limit.

Article 8 failed by majority.

Regional Dispatch Center Will Continue After Appropriation

Article 3 was for the appropriation of $20,000 to go towards paying for the regional emergency dispatch service at the Regional Old Colony Communications Center in Duxbury.

Previously, that $20,000 was paid for with a grant, but the grant was a startup grant for regional services, so Halifax no longer qualifies. Roy said the Board of Selectmen didn’t find out about the grant’s expiration until after Annual Town Meeting otherwise, it would have been brought forward as a warrant article then.

Some residents wanted to know if the dispatch service could be brought back to town questioning the speed in which calls are answered. Roy and Viveiros said this was the first they’ve heard of these issues and urged those with concerns to talk about them.

Viveiros said response times have improved. He added the dispatchers are talking to people longer because R.O.C.C. has the resources to do that. “We didn’t have the resources to handle that effectively,” Viveiros said.

Article 3 passed unanimously.

Do We Have a Quorum?

Article 11 was a vote to increase fees in the schedule for the Department of Weights and Measures. Selectman Troy Garron voiced his support. He said, “it’s revenue going back to the town.

The vote passed by majority, but not without procedural interference first.  This vote occurred directly after the vote for the senior center renovations failed, so many people left. One resident questioned if the meeting still had a quorum. After a count to check, it was confirmed the meeting still had a quorum of at least 100 people.

Other Articles

• Article 6 was approved unanimously. It asked for a transfer of available funds, $202.90 from the Commonwealth Transportation Infrastructure Fund. Roy said doing so authorizes the town to collect its portion of fees from services like Uber.

•Article 12 asked for a transfer of $4,750 from Water Department revenues to repair the HVAC unit at the recycling center and the heating unit in the water department section of the town barn. The article passed by majority.

•Article 4 was passed over unanimously. It asked for the appropriation of funds to relocate the computer room in the Town Hall from the first floor to the basement.

•Article 2 passed by majority. The article appropriates an additional $27,000 to outsource ambulance billing. According to Viveiros, outsourcing will increase revenue for the fire department.

•Residents voted unanimously to pass over Article 7. The article would have raised and appropriated funds to replace the “rules sign” at Wheels Park.

•Article 5 asked for a stabilization fund transfer of $35,000 to pay for a new handicapped access ramp at the Town Hall. Selectman Thomas Millias said there was an incident where the rail failed. After speaking with the building inspector, he said this might be able to be put off until next year, but there would be a liability risk if something were to happen. Article 5 passed with the required two-thirds vote.