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DEP: Monponsett Ponds are impaired

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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued an Administrative Consent Order and Notice of Noncompliance to the City of Brockton that would hold the City to enumerated standards regarding when and under what conditions diversionary flows from Monponsett Pond into Silver Lake can occur.

Several of these orders take place immediately:

• Brockton must not divert water from Monponsett Pond to Silver Lake when there is a cyanobacteria bloom in Monponsett Pond that exceeds the MDPH standard of 70,000 cells/ml.

• Brockton must continue manually opening the Monponsett to Silver Lake diversion structure/apparatus to provide lower water transfer rate (approximatly 12 to 14 million gallons per day, which is about half of the maximum diversion rate) with the intended goal of pulling less water from West Monponsett to East Monponsett during diversions.  This provision may be waived at the discretion of the DEP should unanticipated environmental conditions warrant

• Brockton will begin operating the Stump Brook Dam/Fish Ladder in a manner to ensure that at least 900,000 gallons per day (g/d) is leaving West Monponsett Pond and entering Stump Brook whenever Brockton is actively diverting from Monponsett Pond to Silver Lake in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 91 License 4987.  Brockton will also see that the Stump Brook Dam Fish Ladder remains open and passable for migrating fish during the herring migration seasons in Spring and Fall of every year.

• Brockton will make immediate efforts to contact area cranberry growers to coordinate Stump Brook Dam openings so that the Stump Brook Dam Fish Ladder and Sluiceway can be opened to coincide with releases of cranberry harvest and flood return flows to West Monponsett Pond/Stump Brook so that those return flows exit the Monponsett Pond system as quickly as possible as long as pond elevation supports the flow.

• Once Monponsett Pond reaches a level of 53 feet, six inches above zero elevation of 52.5 feet, or June 1, 2017, whichever is earlier, Brockton will begin operating the Stump Brook Dam fish ladder gate in a manner to ensure at least 900,000 g/d is leaving West Monponsett Pond and entering Stump Brook at all times, unless the pond elevation cannot support it, with the fish ladder gate placed at its lowest elevation, about 51.8 feet. This requirement will remain in force until it is further evaluated as part of the Resource Management Plan development and otherwise approved by Mass DEP.

Within 60 days:

• Brockton will complete installation of stop logs on top of the dam-like structures separating the Monponsett intake chambers from the diversion pipe intake.

Within 6 months:

•  Brockton shall submit for MassDEP review and approval a proposed Final Scope of Work (SOW) for preparation of the Resource Management Plan, based on scientific data and evaluation, that will include recommended metrics and procedures for Silver Lake Diversions and Stump Brook Dam Operations intended to improve Monponsett Pond’s water quality and ecosystem while maintaining Brockton’s drinking water supply system reliability.

• Before submitting the proposed SOW to DEP, Brockton will release a draft for public comment and conduct at least one public meeting to discuss the report and gather public input.   The Draft SOW will be posted in the Environmental Monitor and properly advertised with copies of the Draft available in each respective community library or designated repository.

Within 24 months:

• Brockton will submit to MassDEP a final Resource Management Plan and Implementation Schedule developed in accordance with the Resource Management Plan Scope of Work as approved by MassDEP.

Within 6 months of the DEP’s approval of the Final Resource Management Plan and Implementation Schedule:

• Brockton will commence implementation of the MassDEP approved Resource Management Plan and Implementation Schedule.

• Brockton is ordered to continue to operate so that the 12 month running average of water pumped into Brockton’s water distribution system must not exceed 11.3 million g/d or 110% of the MassDEP approved system safe yield.  Brockton must continue to submit monthly reports to MassDEP showing the 12 month running average of water from all sources.

• None of Brockton’s activities are to interfere with the recreational uses of the ponds for boating, bathing, or fishing.

Because MassDEP has listed Monponsett Pond as impaired, to comply with the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act, the MassDEP will prepare a Total Maximum Daily Load report for East and West Monponsett Ponds that wil estimate the annual nutrient additions to the ponds, calculate the nutrient load-carrying capacity for each, and set goals for nutrient reductions according to the land uses and activities around East and West Monponsett.

For a complete copy of the Administrative Consent Order, go to our web site: PlymptonHalifaxExpress.com

Rocky Mountain Water settled

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Plympton Selectmen Thursday night, Feb. 16, announced at a special selectmen’s meeting they had reached an agreement with Robert Smith, R&M Realty Trust and Rocky Harvest, LLC, ending years of litigation which has cost the town of Plympton more than $83,000 in legal fees, according to Selectman Christine Joy.

The terms of the settlement agreement were disappointing, not only to selectmen, but also to the few townspeople present. 

According to the new agreement, Plympton will receive $20,000 as a one-time payment for all of the water payments held for years while litigation was pending, and $13,500 per year as an annual fee, beginning January 3, 2017.  So Plympton will receive $33,500 in fees March 1, and $13,500 per year going forward..

John Henry asked the board what happens to the approximately $200,000 in fees over the years which have been held in escrow – “What happens to that?”

Joy answered, “We got what we could.  $20,000 was what we were able to get.”

Henry said that the town should have appealed the verdict of last summer when the town lost a major piece of its litigation.  “I heard that the judge fell asleep twice!”   He also pointed out that town counsel Ilana Quirk, from Koppelman and Page, Plympton’s regular counsel, did not represent the town at this trial and instead sent an “underling” to present the case that was lost.  Henry continued that the agreement is “blatantly unfair to Plympton.”

    Joy answered that she disagrees.

    Selectman John Traynor explained that after losing the case last summer, “what rights did we have?  We weren’t going to win this.”  Selectman Joy further noted that had they appealed that case and lost, “We would have lost everything.”

Traynor explained that the new agreement reiterates the original hours of the Sept. 26, 2002 agreement for judgment limiting the number of tanker trucks to 15 per day, only during the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.  There is to be no operation of water sales or tanker truck traffic on Sundays, and 10 federal holidays throughout the year.

According to the settlement agreement, further disputes will be settled in arbitration, less expensive than in court.

Last summer’s lost court case upheld former Selectman Joseph Freitas’ letter on Selectmen’s stationery allowing Rocky Harvest to operate at any hour, even though it was never voted by selectmen. In fact selectmen were only made aware of the letter when neighbors complained about the increasing truck traffic and Rocky Harvest produced the letter as a defense.

Town Counsel Quirk, according to Henry, said that Freitas did not have the authority to write such a letter, and in fact the full board, had they voted on it, would not have had the authority to lift the court’s mandated hours of operation.

In summary:

Plympton has entered into a settlement agreement to acknowledge that Rocky Harvest LLC is a successor in interest to the 2002 Agreement for Judgment and that the 2002 Agreement remains in effect and that Rocky may continue commercial water extraction so long as the requirements of the 2002 Agreement are satisfied and the uses at the 225 adjacent farm are agricultural.

Rocky’s agreed to pay Plympton $20,000 and to adhere to the original hours of operation negotiated in the 2002 Agreement for Judgment – not the hours set forth in the 2008 Freitas letter – and to pay the town an annual fee of $13,500.

  

Hampden PD seen as example for new Plympton police station

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The Plympton Public Safety Building Committee met Wednesday, Feb. 8, starting with Daniel Palotta from P-3 in Norwell discussing his and Police Chief Patrick Dillon’s visit to the Hampden Police Station, which was built about six months ago.

The Hampden station is roughly 7,000 square feet in size. Palotta said, “We asked if we could bring the chief to see a police station that was smaller than we had considered to be utopia for Plympton yet served a similar police population.” Palotta continued that Chief Dillon was impressed with the Hampden station.

According to the Finance Committee, Plympton cannot afford to go over $3 million for the cost of the police station. Palotta expressed that it would be better to go below this.

Hamden paid $3 million for their police station, but Hamden had a 911 dispatch center on site. Since Plympton regionalizes their emergency dispatch to the Regional Old Colony Communication Center in Duxbury, this won’t be necessary and should cut costs. Palotta says it may cut cost in space, but will certainly cut costs in terms of IT.

Palotta had a designer draw up something similar to the Hampden Police Station for the committee to look over. He said that with all this in mind, coming in on budget is possible, but they’ll have to build the station on flat land and there will probably have to be less parking.

As far as flat spots go, it was determined by P-3 that the most practical and cost efficient spot would be between the baseball field and the back of the town hall. The committee admitted this spot was never considered ideal, especially from a traffic perspective.

Board of Health Chairman Art Morin says, “In talking with the highway surveyor, I see a problem with the way we have it now and people coming in and out of the town hall and the police department coming around if they have an emergency.” The proposed location seems as though it would make the problem worse.

However, creating new entrance ways would add to the cost of the police station. Palotta says he can’t promise the budget with that. He further added that Hamden’s site was on flat land with a wide entrance.

Chief Dillon said that the parking lot has been a hazard in all of his 15 years with the Plympton Police Department. “We have lights and sirens to warn people. Do I like it? No. Can we live with it? Yes, We need a new building.”

Palotta told the committee that this was significant progress getting the cost down to the $3 million. He says, “Dighton’s police station costs $4.5 million and is not much bigger than this.”

One thing to note is that Hampden’s police station did not include any sprinkler systems. The committee was under the impression that this was mandated because the cells are considered residential. At the Nov. 30, 2016 meeting, the committee tried discussing ways to cut cost on the sprinkler system by potentially using one tank for both the police and fire station.

Hampden however does not keep anyone arrested overnight. This was a way to get around the sprinkler requirement because the station was not deemed residential. According to P-3, the building inspector would also have to agree with this assessment.

The issues will continue to be discussed at the next meeting on Wednesday Feb. 22.

Halifax FD launches Fire Cadet Program

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Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros is asking all Silver Lake High School students interested in fire science to sign up for the Halifax Fire Department’s Fire Cadet Program.

The program is designed for students who would like to learn more about an exciting career in firefighting and emergency medical services.  Applications are available at the Halifax Fire Station or at the Silver Lake Regional High School Guidance Office.

Beginning March 1, the curriculum, broken down into nine two-hour weekly classes, will cover firefighter safety, personal protective equipment, 911 and emergency communications, Firefighter Level 1 program, first responder, EMS; fire department organization and structure, hazardous material awareness, search and rescue, strategy and tactics of firefighting, fire streams, hose and hydrants, fire extinguisher use and selection, extrication and rescue, public education and code enforcement.   And at the end of their training, they even get to burn down a building and fight the fire!

Firefighter/Paramedic Jordan Hill will lead the workshops, as he did last year.  Hill told the Express that the program started several years ago and is a good opportunity for high school students to see what a career in firefighting can offer.

Contact Chief Viveiros with any questions, at 781-293-1751 or email chief@fire.halifax.ma.us

Selectmen say dog is a nuisance “nuisance” dog.

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On Monday, February 13, 2017, the Plympton Board of Selectmen held an abbreviated meeting in order to hold a dog hearing.

Jane Schultz, a resident of Plympton walked her dog on what Schultz described as their typical route on Ring Road. Schultz says, “We walked to the transfer station and back (home).” Her chocolate lab was on a leash.

Then, a Staffordshire, not leashed, approached Schultz and her dog. Schultz said that at first, she had no concern about the dog coming over. The dog then attacked her chocolate lab, biting its neck.

At the selectmen’s meeting Jan. 30, Schultz told the board that the Staffordshire was only about 40 pounds compared to her chocolate lab’s 80 pounds, however she described the dog when attacking as “strong, vicious, and muscular.”

Schultz told the board at the hearing that it was very difficult to get the Staffordshire separated from her dog. She later found blood on her dog’s coller and called the Kingston Animal Hospital, where she spent about $200 in medical bills.

Caitlin Chapel, the owner of the Staffordshire, also attended the dog hearing and was extremely apologetic. She said that she usually has work at 5 a.m. and lets the dog out in the morning. That morning, she didn’t have to be in until 8.

Chapel says that her dog, Ruby, has social issues with other dogs, but gets along great with people. She also says Ruby sleeps with her 4 year old daughter every night.

Ruby was behind on shots and Chapel took full responsibility for that. Chapel plansto take her dog for her shots the day after the hearing.

After the incident, Animal Control Officer Frank Bush immediately  enforced a 14 day restraining order on the Staffordshire which retrains the dog to the house unless on a leash.

After hearing both sides, selectmen had to decide if they would declare Ruby a nuisance dog or a dangerous dog.

Bush explained that, “If a dog is deemed to be a dangerous dog, the dog must be muzzled on a leash when off the property.” This leash cannot exceed 3 feet in length. The dog would also need to be in a designated pen when outside on the property.

Chapel strongly contended that a muzzle would not solve the problem and had worries about her dog’s social issues getting worse if confined to a pen. She asks if an electric fence would work.

Bush explained that the law doesn’t allow for an electric fence here. He says, “There’s been cases of dogs getting through.

The Board of Selectmen though didn’t want to take these measures just yet. Selectman Chair Colleen Thompson says, “I’m more inclined to declare the dog a nuisance dog rather than dangerous.”

With a dangerous designation, a muzzle is required by law. Animal Control Officer Bush said, “With a nuisance dog, that’s at the discretion of the board.”

The Board of Selectman unanimously decided to declare Chapel’s dog Ruby a nuisance dog rather than a dangerous dog. They ordered Ruby be permanently restrained and must be on a leash at all times outside.

Chapel thanked the board for their decision. She says she plans to get Ruby training for its social issues and offered to pay Schultz’s dog’s medical bills. Schultz turned down the offer, though, and said she’d rather the money go to Ruby’s training.

Fireworks Committee has two new members

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday Feb. 14, 2017. The board spent the Valentine’s Day evening appointing two new members to the Halifax Fireworks Committee. Selectman Chairman Troy Garron asked Colleen, “How much experience do you have with fireworks? Did you light any when you were younger?”

The questions were casual and conversational. Fiumara laughed and said, “No, just a sparkler.”

Colleen Fiumara is new to Halifax. “We just purchased a home here, and we have two young children who are going to grow up here now.” Fiumara added that she wants to get involved with the town and thinks this is a great way to do so.

Deborah Hogan’s story is much different. She has been a resident of Halifax for the past 23 years. Her children grew up going to the Halifax Fireworks every Fourth of July.

She says, “I’ve loved taking my kids (to the fireworks) growing up. I’ve always loved it and feel like supporting it now on the other end, I have time to do this.”

Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint both Fiumara and Hogan to the Fireworks Committee. Letters will be sent confirming the appointments and they will be sworn in at the Town Clerk’s office in the coming days.

Selectmen also dealt with some issues currently on the agenda, including the flashing traffic light at the intersection of Routes 106 and 36.

According to Selectmen Chairman Garron, there have been several complaints about trees blocking vision for drivers at the intersection. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig and Selectmen Clerk Kim Roy clarified that the main vision problem is when someone is going South on Route 36 toward Route 106.

Selectmen vice-chairman Thomas Millias added, “The biggest problem is coming up to 106; you can’t see.” He also added that the treed area looks to be private property.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig and selectmen decided to have the Traffic Safety Committee take a look at the tree line at the intersection and then proceed after receiving their recommendation.

Once again, Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan attended a dog hearing which had been scheduled for Tuesday night, however, the owner of the offending dog did not come to the hearing.

Animal Control Officer Callahan explained the reported incident. She says, “It appears a dog from 134 Holmes Street escaped from a faulty fence. The dog allegedly followed another dog either biting or scratching the dog in the hindquarters.” She also added that the veterinarian could not determine if the injury was a bite or scratch.

The attacked dog’s owner incurred $300 in veterinary fees and wants the other party to pay the fee. The Board of Selectman agreed to send a strong letter of recommendation urging the dog’s owner to pay for the medical expenses of the attacked dog.

Selectman  Kim Roy said (to the attacked dog’s owner) “Call if the dog gets loose again.” The letter being sent out will also say that there will be strong consequences if an incident were to happen again. Since the incident, the landlord of the Holmes Street property replaced and secured the faulty fence.

Another decision the board made was based around the 2020 census. The federal government wants to have the principal contact for the town’s census declared. For now, Halifax will continue to use Selectman Clerk Kim Roy as their principal contact.

The next Halifax selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28.

Lakers honor legends in Hall of Fame ceremony

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On Saturday, Jan. 31, they were forever enshrined in Laker history.

At Halifax Country Club, Silver Lake High School officially inducted their most recent Hall of Fame class, consisting of seven players, one coach and a team. There was close to a 40-year gap in age range between the oldest and youngest inductees, a sign the Lakers put their best effort into honoring their best athletes from a wide variety of sports. It might also be worth noting many of the athletes were multi-sport athletes, leading the Lakers to victory in as many as three seasons per year.

The 1968 football team was the lone team induction. They went 8-1, winning an Old Colony League title, making them among the best football teams in Laker history.

Longtime track and cross country coach Arnie Kaupp was honored for his service to Silver Lake. Now a volunteer coach for the girls team, the former math teacher amassed 208 wins in his head coaching career.

Kate O’Donnell, who graduated in 2006 and starred for the softball team, was the youngest inductee. The five-year letter winner and infielder hit .450 her senior year and went on to play at Stony Brook, where she started 51 games as a senior.

Deb Glockner, whose maiden name is Marvuglio, was inducted for her contributions in three sports. The 1975 graduate was a leader on two teams that had major team achievements: the 1974 field hockey team, that won the District Two championship and the 1975 softball team that won an Old Colony League title.

Although he passed away in 1985, Richard Moylan (1983) will never be forgotten at Silver Lake. A star running back for the football team who set the record for rushing yards, he also shined in track, with a program-best javelin throw.

Thomas Bouchard (1978), Scott McKee (1983), Joe Noonan (1985) and Phillip Caruso (2001) were among the more specialized athletes inducted.

Bouchard shined on the basketball court while hockey was McKee’s calling. Both led their respective teams to a pair of Old Colony League titles.

A track runner, Noonan had the best 100-yard dash time in the OCL his junior and senior years.

Soccer is where Caruso shined. He led the Lakers to a Division 1 State Championship on the pitch.

31 graduate from the Mass. Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program

By

Jennifer Mieth

Public information Officer

Special to the Express

On Thursday, Feb. 2, 31 fire service leaders from across Massachusetts graduated from the 23rd offering of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program.

This fourteen-week program was developed in accordance with National Fire Protection Association Standards for chief fire officers, and is delivered jointly by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. It is a comprehensive course providing training in the non-fire suppression aspects of managing fire departments.

State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said, “These fire service leaders are committed to continually developing their management and leadership skills in order to provide the highest level of service to the communities they protect.”

The 31 graduates serve the following fire departments: Andover, Barnstable, Burlington, Cambridge, Concord, Dartmouth District #1, Foxborough, Gloucester, Halifax, Harwich, Hingham, Leicester, Lynn, Marshfield, North Andover, Northbridge, Orleans, Oxford, Plainville, Revere, Sandwich, Tewksbury, Waltham, Westborough, Westfield, Weston and Worcester.

The curriculum covers a spectrum of topics considered essential for effective public sector management. It includes human resource management, ethics, executive leadership and legal issues, governmental and organization structures, information management, customer-focused strategic planning, budgets and public finance, community awareness and public relations, and labor relations.

The Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program expects to help fire officers improve their ability to lead and manage personnel and the department, to provide skills to understand employees’ needs and problems, to promote personal productivity, to increase the capacity to manage both human and technical resources, and to increase inter-agency cooperation.

Participants are required to write a formal applied research paper that identifies a current problem or challenge faced by their organization and proposes a viable solution. The officers must then present their proposal to a panel of municipal officials for their consideration.

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program, tuition-free.

 

Progress on Police Station at Public Safety Building Committee Meeting

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The Plympton Public Safety Building Committee met on Wednesday, January 25, 2017. Daniel Pallota from P-3 in Norwell, met with the committee to discuss a new blueprint for the police station.

The plan presented was for a 6,475 square foot building with a 1,825 sq. ft.  basement. However, the committee seems to be dropping the idea for a basement entirely. To put it in perspective, the current police station is about 2,000 square feet.

As far as material goes, Palotta and the committee talked about how the station might be suited for panelized construction. According to Palotta, the panels are made in New Bedford with workers making $11 per hour. This would save the town money if they were to do this as opposed to a stick-built building that would require a carpenter.

Palotta also indicated that this is a pretty typical way to go about construction in other parts of the country. He says, “Down South (anywhere below New Jersey), virtually all town houses are panelized.

Board member Nancy Butler asked Palotta if the panels are still customizable. Daniel Pallotta said that they are customizable.

This however did not rule out stick built as the specifications and uniqueness of a police station may still make stick built, the more practical option. One thing that did seem to be agreed upon the initial $2 million estimate was never a realistic number.

Palotta reiterated that and though cost is still an issue, Palotta says he thinks he can get the cost of the police station much closer to their original estimate. This was one of the reasons the basement is becoming less likely.

Daniel Palotta also mentioned that the town of Dighton had to go back to town meeting to get an additional $2 million in funds. Cost don’t look like they’ll increase by that large an amount.

Selectwoman, Chair and Public Safety Building Committee Chair Colleen Thompson voiced pleasure with the progress the committee made at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on January 30, 2017. She says, “I believe we’re moving along well.”

Selectwoman Thompson also said that Police Chief Patrick Dillon went out to visit the police station in Hampden, Massachusetts. At the last meeting on Jan. 4, Chief Dillon said, “Hampden, MA dropped three different mod plans and came in budget with a non-mod.

Colleen Thompson mentioned this and said that Hamden paid $3 million for their non-modular building. The Hampden Police station is 7,000 square feet.

The Public Safety Building Committee is working to get the estimated figure for Plympton’s police station. Nancy Butler says, “We need to have the figures by the end of March.”

Daniel Palotta also wanted to meet with Selectmen Clerk John Traynor to run through some of the numbers.

Another issue the committee is still addressing is exact location. Nancy Butler says, “If we’re moving the police station closer to the town hall, what’s happening with parking?” The parking lot already has some issues with car accidents especially with the baseball field in the spring.

The next meeting for the Public Building Safety Committee will take place on Wednesday, February 8, 2017.

Special Town Meeting March 7 : HES roof, bylaw changes, SL sale of land top warrant

By

Charlie Seelig

Special to the Express

The Town of Halifax will hold a special town meeting on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Halifax Elementary School.

The warrant includes the following articles: two articles authorizing borrowing for repairs to the Elementary School, one for $7,262,124 for work on the roof, windows, doors, siding, and trees, the other for $687,876 for work on the fire suppression system and security system.

The other articles include a change in the zoning by-law regarding commercial indoor or outdoor amusements, two concerning a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) for a solar farm on Summit Street, a non-binding article concerning the possible sale of land by the Silver Lake Regional School District to the Town of Kingston for a police station in Kingston, a proposed change, dealing with pay while serving in the military, in the contract with firefighters, and acceptance of a State statute regarding the opening of Town departments on Saturday.

A copy of the warrant is available at http://www.town.halifax.ma.us/Pages/HalifaxMA_Bcomm/Selectmen/townmeetings/20170307stm-warrant.pdf.

In connection with the two proposed articles concerning repairs to the Elementary School, the Town will hold a public presentation concerning the project on Wednesday, February 15 at 7pm in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Elementary School.

Approval of the two appropriations for the school project is contingent upon approval of debt exclusions for this project. The debt exclusions will be on the ballot at a special town election on Saturday, March 11 from 10am to 6pm at the Halifax Elementary School Gym.

If approved, the Town will receive approximately $3,472,607 from the Massachusetts School Building Authority to help fund the project. The remaining amount, $4,477,393 would be paid through a 20-year bond. The cost of the bond would increase the tax rate by $0.4946 and the additional taxes on a median value house would be $147.25. These amounts would decrease in subsequent years. At the end of the 20-year bond, these amounts would no longer be included in the tax rate.

These repairs have been proposed because of the age of these parts of the school. The roof was last replaced when the last addition was constructed back in 1993-1994. The windows and doors that will be replaced are either older than that or can be significantly improved with modern models. A tour of the outside of the siding will show significant decay. The trees in the courtyard need to be removed as part of the work on the roof. The fire suppression system is leaking in a number of places. The security system needs to be updated to meet the standards set in the other school buildings in the district.

The Town Meeting is scheduled for next month so that if the school repair project is approved, the work can begin this summer. If the Town waited until May to approve the project, then the work would have to wait until the summer of 2018.

ownmeetings/20170307stm-warrant.pdf

In connection with the two proposed articles concerning repairs to the

Elementary School, the Town will hold a public presentation concerning

the project on Wednesday, February 15 at 7pm in the Multi-Purpose Room

of the Elementary School.

Approval of the two appropriations for the school project is contingent

upon approval of debt exclusions for this project. The debt exclusions

will be on the ballot at a special town election on Saturday, March 11

from 10am to 6pm at the Halifax Elementary School Gym.

If approved, the Town will receive approximately $3,472,607 from the

Massachusetts School Building Authority to help fund the project. The

remaining amount, $4,477,393 would be paid through a 20-year bond. The

cost of the bond would increase the tax rate by $0.4946 and the

additional taxes on a median value house would be $147.25. These amounts

would decrease in subsequent years. At the end of the 20-year bond,

these amounts would no longer be included in the tax rate.

These repairs have been proposed because of the age of these parts of

the school. The roof was last replaced when the last addition was

constructed back in 1993-1994. The windows and doors that will be

replaced are either older than that or can be significantly improved

with modern models. A tour of the outside of the siding will show

significant decay. The trees in the courtyard need to be removed as part

of the work on the roof. The fire suppression system is leaking in a

number of places. The security system needs to be updated to meet the

standards set in the other school buildings in the district.

The Town Meeting is scheduled for next month so that if the school

repair project is approved, the work can begin this summer. If the Town

waited until May to approve the project, then the work would have to

wait until the summer of 2018.