PLYMPTON — Selectmen on Monday Feb. 2 voted 3-0 to call for a Special Town Meeting, to be held on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Plympton Town House at 7 p.m.

Voters will consider one warrant article, to affirm or deny a $619,000 capital needs package requested by the Silver Lake regional school district.

On Jan. 8, the regional school committee approved the measure, an amendment to this fiscal year’s budget that draws from the district’s $1.1-million in excess and deficiency or free cash funds in order to pay for long-term security, building, grounds and equipment needs.

The budget amendment does not affect assessments to the three towns. However, voters at Town Meeting sessions may vote to affirm or deny the measure. If Town Meeting in two of the three towns affirms the measure, it is passed. If Town Meeting takes no action within 45 days of the Jan. 8 School Committee vote, the budget amendment is deemed passed.

Special Town Meeting in Halifax will consider the measure on Tuesday Feb. 17.

Last July, Pembroke paid Silver Lake $917,000 to settle a dispute over retiree health care costs.

Plympton Selectman John Henry said Plympton, Halifax and Kingston paid to cover those costs, and the towns should be reimbursed now that Pembroke has settled.

“The controversy is over whose money it is, what should be done with the money we got from Pembroke for the settlement. We feel it should be the taxpayers who decide, not the School Committee,” he said.

Henry said there are other needs in Plympton that need funding.

“It’s our public safety building or buildings,” he said.

Henry said the Silver Lake school district is proposing a draft budget that would increase spending by 5.29-percent in the fiscal year that will start on July 1.

The Plympton School Committee has a draft budget that would increase spending by 8.4-percent, which includes increases in special education spending, he said.

“There’s a lot going on with the towns. We just can’t spend willy-nilly,” he said.

Town Coordinator Dale Pleau said selectmen had no choice but to schedule a Friday night Town Meeting session in order to satisfy the 45-day action deadline after the Jan. 8 School Committee vote, and a 14-day warrant posting limit before Town Meeting convenes.

“You really don’t have any alternative,” he said.

This past week’s blizzard dumped more than a foot of windswept snow, but the power stayed on for the most part and that kept people in their homes, Plympton and Halifax officials said.

Plympton Fire Chief Warren Borsari said that looking back Wednesday afternoon, the storm was fairly uneventful.

Borsari said there was a lot of snow, high winds, and a couple of small power outages. One of the outages affected the police and fire stations.

There were fewer than 10 calls during the storm, for medical calls, investigations, sparking wires and trees down, he said.

“It was a lot of snow, but nothing like the Nemo storm we had in ’13. That was bad news,” he said.

The storm in 2013 had most or all of the roads in Plympton blocked, and Plympton firefighters responded to a house fire during that storm, rushing up a hill and putting the fire out using hand tools. The driveway was unplowed, and blocked by thick pine trees that had fallen. Firefighters saved the house that day. “A big save. I’m proud of that,” Borsari said.

This past week, fire and police did wellness checks on residents and opened a warming center at the Plympton Town House at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, but closed it at 7 p.m. because nobody stopped by, he said.

“It’s a hardy bunch here in Plympton,” he said. “They’re pretty well self-sufficient, pretty well experienced.”

Borsari said a few people showed up at the regional shelter at Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston, which was open for 24 hours.

Plympton sent personnel to help staff the shelter, and Kingston had some power outages for a few hours as well, he said.

“Not bad. We fared very well,” he said.

Borsari said people were good with respecting the travel ban put in place by Gov. Charlie Baker. In the past, people did not respect such bans, the chief said.

“That was very helpful to us. People get into trouble, then we have to go get them,” he said.

Halifax Selectman Kim Roy said shelter volunteers, retired police chief Michael Manoogian, Police Chief Edward Broderick and Fire Chief Jason Viveiros all did a good job with the storm response.

“They did a tremendous job just preparing,” she said.

Roy said there were not a lot of trees down and no power outages. Four people did visit the shelter, she said.

Walmart donated $260 worth of supplies and food for the shelter, and was generally available for the town, she said.

Broderick said the police department was not continuously plowed out during the storm, and as a result, it was hard getting in and out, a dispatcher got stuck in the snow, and police officers had to shovel and move cars around.

“Our driveway plowing has been an issue since I’ve been there,” he said.

All Halifax, Kingston, Plympton and Silver Lake schools were closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday due to unsafe road and sidewalk conditions.

The Silver Lake school board meeting scheduled for Thursday night was canceled.

Viveiros the storm was the first opportunity for Halifax to test at least past of the town’s emergency management plan.

In the past, Halifax tried to run a town shelter, but was not well suited to do so because of staffing issues, he said.

The town opened a warming center at the Halifax Elementary School, and worked with Halifax and Kingston to open, operate and staff a regional shelter at Silver Lake Regional High School.

The goal is to not house people for more than 12 to 24 hours in a warming center, but to transport them after a longer stay at the center to the regional shelter, he said.

Viveiros said Halifax took four elderly residents to the shelter, picking up some of them with the ambulance. They stayed at the Halifax Elementary School warming center Monday night, then were taken by bus Tuesday morning to the Silver Lake shelter. The shelter closed at 8 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

Halifax utilized the town’s CERT team. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team. CERT volunteers manned the warming center and shelter, provided transportation, and manned the emergency operations center at the police station, he said.

Viveiros said the manager of the Halifax Walmart called the town three times to let volunteers come into the store, take food and supplies for the warming center, and to consider it a donation.

Halifax Fire brought in extra staff. They responded to mostly routine calls. The chief said there is a concern during storms because ambulances take twice as long to take patients to the hospital and return to the station. Extra manpower is needed for medical calls during storms to help move someone from a house to a stretcher to an ambulance, and responders might need to shovel out snow, Viveiros said.

“I was glad we were able to test out our emergency management plan, our sheltering plan. Everything went very well. The cooperation between the three towns was great,” he said.

HALIFAX — Voters at a Special Town Meeting to be held Tuesday, Feb. 17 will be asked to affirm or deny a capital improvements package for the Silver Lake regional school district, and to purchase farmland at Hayward and Franklin streets to use as a cemetery.

Selectmen on Wednesday Jan. 28 voted 3-0 to call for Feb. 17 the Special Town Meeting, which will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Halifax Elementary School, insert five articles into the meeting warrant, and close the warrant.

On Jan. 8, the Silver Lake School Committee approved a $619,000 capital needs package, funding it in this year’s budget by drawing from the district’s $1.1-million in excess and deficiency or free cash funds.

“Perfectly legal,” said Town Administrator Charlie Seelig of the school board’s vote.

However, Seelig said, voters acting at Town Meeting sessions in Halifax, Kingston and Plympton may vote to affirm or deny the measure, under a state law that governs Town Meeting reatification of school board amendments made to current year budgets.

If two out of three towns vote to affirm the budget amendment, then it will stand. If two towns vote no, it will fail. If a town does not schedule a Town Meeting to take place within 45 days of a school board vote to amend a current year budget, the amendment is deemed to be approved, he said.

Selectman Kim Roy said voters at Town Meeting should get the opportunity to act on the amendment, which is just like any other appropriation.

“I feel like we’re obligated to do it,” she said.

Voters on Feb. 17 will also be asked to raise some $120,000 to purchase 10 acres of farmland at Hayward and Franklin streets.

There is a purchase and sale agreement for the property, which has been exempted from paying property taxes under a state law for agricultural use. Under the law, the town gets the first right of refusal to purchase the property.

Seelig said half of the property’s 10 acres are wetlands or in a wetlands buffer zone.

Halifax could draw from $114,000 in funds from the sale of lots and graves, he said.

Voters will also be asked to accept an additional $135,469 in state Chapter 90 highway aid, after Gov. Charlie Baker indicated he would release an additional $100-million in Chapter 90 aid that had been approved by the state Legislature but withheld by former governor Deval Patrick.

Special Town Meeting will also consider an article to approve a police patrolmen’s contract, which includes new provisions and an amount of money to be funded.

Voters will also be asked to consider using an administrative fee to fund a police detail account to avoid payment delays to detail officers.

Seelig said the measure would put money in the pot and establish a base. The practice now is for detail officers to be paid when the town gets paid by whoever orders a police detail.
Haliifax could put some $8,000 up front into the account to get it started, or let the administrative fees accumulate, he said.

“We’re going to have to prime the pump to do that,” he said.

HALIFAX — Selectmen, who act as the town’s licensing authority, voted to allow the Halifax Gold & Silver Coin Shop to continue to do business at 272 Plymouth St. until the business’s license expires on April 30, as long as there are no more complaints or infractions.

The business must cooperate with police and use a system of getting the identifications of all people selling goods to the shop and getting color photos of all goods sold. It must also comply with zoning regulations governing the display of a sandwich sign in front of the shop.

Selectmen on Wednesday Jan. 28 voted, 2-1, to warn the Halifax Gold & Silver Coin Shop after a disciplinary hearing.

Selectmen Troy Garron and Michael Schleiff voted for the measure. Selectman Kim Roy voted against it, and said she favored terminating the business’s license.

Police Chief Edward Broderick said a couple of incidents led up to the need for a hearing.

Broderick said Officer Robert McDonnell checks with the shop every week.

Police speak with shop owner Matthew Chiaramonte, and most of the time, it’s great. However, every few weeks, there seems to be a lapse in the shop’s operations. Every couple of months, there needs to be a reminder to do something, usually different things. For instance, the last few times, the photographs have not been color photographs, Broderick said.

“It’s been a challenge, to be honest with you,” he said. “It’s little things like that that we have to keep doing on a constant basis.”

On Dec. 11, McDonnell said Police Sgt. Patrick Sterling said there was a call reporting a break-in and jewelry stolen from a house. Sterling gave McDonnell a list of the stolen items, and the names of people who might try to sell them. McDonnell spoke with a female worker at the Halifax Gold & Silver Coin Shop, who indicated she had not seen the items. Two hours later, Sterling met him at the shop, and the items were there. The woman was not there, but Chiaramonte was there, and he indicated that the shop did not log the sale of the items, which turned out to be stolen, because the person who sold them was a repeat customer.

Roy said Chiaramonte agreed to track people selling items and items sold and use a specific program to do so.

There are a lot of break-ins because of the drug problem, people who steal items and sell them for drug money, she said.

“It’s been not a great partnership between the town and you,” she said.

A police detective from Rockland developed the tracking system that selectmen require the coin shop to use, Roy said.

“It’s been an excellent program, a good program,” she said. “I value businesses that follow the rules. You’re not following the rules.”

Chiaramonte said he has run his business for three years, six days a week, and this was the first time there has been a problem and what happened was a malfunction or breakdown.

“I’ve returned numerous things to this police department numerous times,” he said. “Numerous times, citizens have gotten their stolen items back because of our shop.”

Schleiff said Chiaramonte should have come to selectmen to discuss his options if there was a problem with the program.

“You can see something is off in this case here. Something’s not right at all,” he said.

Garron said that if he was still a cop, he would have charged Chiaramonte with receiving stolen property.

“You’re belligerent. You don’t really care,” he said.

Chiaramonte said a woman came into the shop asking if a guy had brought in the items, and he returned the items.

“I have him,” he said. “The jewelry was returned to the crying lady in my shop.”

Chiaramonte said he found the way police and selectmen were portraying him to be really aggravating and that 98-percent to 99-percent of Halifax citizens would not believe the way the Halifax Gold & Silver Coin Shop is being treated.

“It makes me look like a crook,” he said. “This is terrible, terrible, the way it makes me look.”

Schleiff said there are some things Chiaramonte should expect being in the business that he is in.

“You’re in a tough business. It’s scrutinized. It’s frowned upon. It’s not an easy business,” he said. “I think the license expiring is a better way to see how this thing ends one way or the other.”

Zoning Enforcement Officer Thomas Millias said Chiaramonte keeps putting a sandwich sign in front of the shop despite telling him to put the sign away.

The commissioner has fined the shop owner, who has not paid the fines, Millias said.

“We’ve had several heated discussions over the last several years over signage,” he said.

Chiaramonte said he is busy trying to run a good business.

“It’s a depression. I’ve got four kids to feed, and you’re worried about a sign?” he said.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

PLYMPTON – Selectman John Henry and Town Coordinator Dale Pleau said there might be a way to build a new combined police and fire station with no additional impact to taxpayers.

On Monday, Jan. 12, Henry said Plympton could cut project costs in half if the town were to order a prefabricated building to house both departments.

Henry, Pleau and Police Chief Patrick Dillon met earlier Monday to discuss the idea, and as a group plan also to meet with Fire Chief Warren Bosari.

“We owe it to the townspeople to at least bring them something,” Henry said. “Not a Cadillac, but a Chevrolet.”

Pleau said Plympton does not need to start from scratch when it comes to a new public safety building, but that there are canned products that might be options.

Henry said the town would pay half the cost by using pre-fabricated, pre-engineered buildings that would be built elsewhere and delivered. The town would not have to pay prevailing wages in that case, he said.

It would cost some $7-million to design, engineer and build a public safety building, or $549,000 in annual payments if the town finances the project over 20 years at a 2.8-percent interest rate, Pleau said.

“Cut that number in half,” he said. “It would not even hit the tax rate.”

Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo sat in the audience and spoke as a resident because he is an abutter to one of the properties being considered for a new public safety facility.

His wife, Kimberly Russo, asked about the aesthetics of a pre-fabricated public safety building and questioned whether residents would enjoy looking at it.

Henry said the buildings can be covered with clapboards, and Pleau said they can be covered with a brick facade.

“Basically, you’ll have modular buildings, so you can cut the cost in half,” Henry said. “It would be Town Meeting’s decision.”

In other action Monday, selectmen voted, 3-0, to consult with town counsel about a Town Meeting warrant article to establish an enterprise fund, drawing from Comcast and cable subscriber revenues, to join a regional community TV studio with Halifax and Carver or to start an Internet TV station for Plympton.

Russo said he wanted to check the wording of the funding article with town counsel so that she is up to speed and the other two towns should know that Plympton has the right article.

Russo said he is concerned that Plympton might not be able to join with Halifax and Carver if the towns’ share of funding is subject to annual appropriation.

“This is a good starting point, to start with (town counsel),” he said. “I just want to have this pinned down.”

Henry said he also plans to present voters at Town Meeting with an alternative to joining Halifax and Carver, although either option requires that voters approve the enterprise fund and appropriate such funds every year for cable broadcasting.

Henry said Plympton should form an Internet TV station, with no studio and coverage of selectmen and other government meetings to be broadcast online. The community of Douglas has a similar Internet TV operation, he said.

Selectman Colleen Thompson said she thinks Henry’s idea is interesting, although lots of seniors do not have the Internet.

“I think it would be good to have both options,” she said.

Henry said a lot of people do not have cable, and arrangements could be made to get DVD copies of meetings to residents who do have the Internet.

Meeting notes

* Selectmen voted, 3-0, to put a stop sign at the end of Cross Street, with a sign ahead of it warning motorists of the stop side ahead, and put two signs on West Street on either side of Cross Street that would be “advisory stop” or “curve ahead” signs. “It would improve the situation considerably,” Russo said. “Sounds good to me,” Thompson said.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

KINGSTON — The Silver Lake Regional School Committee and the Silver Lake Education Association on Thursday Jan. 8 ratified a new teachers’ contract.

The three-year contract is retroactive to July and provides pay raises of 1.8-percent, 1.9-percent and 2-percent over the next three years, according to School Committee member Maureen Springer of Plympton, who praised the teachers union members.

“We thank you very much for your patience. We hope we can work together well into the future as we have in the past,” she said.

High School English teacher Kimberly Orcutt, who is president of the SLEA, thanked the community for their patience and support, and said teachers are glad to be back into their regular routines.

“I wanted to thank you all, the community, the teachers, for working with us in the negotiations,” she said. “We’re back together again. Thank you.”

Level-services budget presented

Tuffy presented a draft $23.7-million fiscal 2016 budget that would increase spending by 5.3-percent or $1.2-million over this year.

The budget is level-services because it assumes that all of this year’s programs funded this year will continue at the same level of service as next year, he said.

Tuffy said the spending plan would add a Grade 8 math teacher to address student scores and curriculum changes. It would also add funding for an assistant swim coach and freshmen volleyball coach at the high school, as both sports are popular.

The budget assumes that health insurance costs will increase by 5-percent. It also funds the new assessment the district must pay to the Plymouth County Retirement Board, and assumes an adjustment for Medicare costs. There are no adjustments for utilities and shared costs yet figured into the draft budget.

“This is the first time you are looking at it,” Tuffy told school board members. “Please take it home and look at it.”

Capital needs funding approved

The School Committee approved a $619,000 capital needs package, funding it in this year’s budget by drawing from the district’s $1.1-million in excess and deficiency or free cash funds.

“We’re using half of it. That’s conservative,” said School Committee member Mark Guidoboni of Kingston.

The plans includes funding to:

* Add indoor and outdoor cameras: $22,000.

* Set up a new campus-wide, two-way radio system: $22,000.

* Install a new middle school keyless entry system: $5,000.

* Replace the accounting system: $90,000.

* Fund the district’s OPEB liability: $100,000.

* Repair and resurface the track: $120,000.

* Repair and resurface the tennis courts: $30,000.

* Repair parking lot cracks: $11,000.

* Replace the JV baseball backstop: $19,000.

* Build one new athletic storage shed, do prep work for a second such shed: $60,000.

* Build a new middle school storage shed: $18,000.

* Buy additional high school and middle school furniture: $11,000.

* Install an additional 75 high school lockers: $17,000.

* Conduct an exterior envelope evaluation of the high school and middle school: $24,000.

* Resurface carpentry and metal fabrication floors: $40,000.

* Study the feasibility of installing solar generation facilities at the high school and middle school: $10,000.

* Make safety repairs to Sirrico field lighting poles: $20,000.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

PLYMPTON — The Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, Jan. 13, met and opened a public hearing on an appeal filed by neighbors of an occupancy permit granted to a men’s retreat for addiction recovery at 55 Brook St., the Brook Retreat.

ZBA Chairman David Alberti said the meeting lasted for two-and-one-half hours and included comments from attorneys representing neighbors, Brook Retreat and the town, from a Brook Retreat resident from Kingston under treatment for addiction, and from the public.

“It was a well attended event. I’ve been on the ZBA for a number of years and didn’t see one this well attended,” Alberti said.

Tuesday’s ZBA hearing was continued to Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Plympton Town House.

Alberti said Brook Retreat’s principals invited ZBA members to do a walk-through of 55 Brook St. on Monday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m., in order for members to view the living conditions, see the facility and ask questions.

All three selectmen attended Tuesday’s hearing, although none spoke, and a lot of abutters also attended, he said.

Neighbor Larry Richmond is appealing a building permit granted by acting Zoning Enforcement Officer Thomas Millias that allows occupancy of as many as 10 people, plus two staff members, at 55 Brook St.

Richmond said neighbors do not question the integrity or intentions of Brook Retreat’s principals, but oppose letting them rent to more than the four people allowed under town bylaw.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

HALIFAX – The town has two new full-time police officers: Ryan Simpson and Patrick Deroo.

Selectmen on Tuesday Jan. 13 voted, 3-0, to appoint Simpson and Deroo as full-time officers, on the recommendation of Police Chief Edward Broderick.

They have been in training for four months and are appointed permanent intermittent officers, Broderick said.

“They’re ready to go, ready to go work for us,” he said.

Broderick said Halifax has gotten a waiver from Civil Service for Simpson and Deroo to start working full-time until the next full-time police officer academy, which starts in March and which both officers will attend.

“All that is in place and ready to go,” he said.

Broderick said Simpson and Deroo have rotated through every shift and been checked by sergeants and officers, and he is pleased with their commitment.

“No complaints. They’ve both worked out very well,” he said.

Broderick said the appointments will help Halifax avoid overtime costs and get the police department back to 11 officers on the road.

Selectman Kim Roy said she appreciates Broderick hiring full-timers from the town’s pool of permanent intermittent officers, from among known people, and she is impressed by them.

“We appreciate the way you’ve been managing your budget and keeping these things on target,” she said.

Meeting Notes

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said Gov. Charlie Baker indicated he would release $100-million in Chapter 90 highway aid that had been approved by the state Legislature but withheld by former governor Deval Patrick. As a result, Chapter 90 aid to Halifax will increase from $270,938 to $406,407, Seelig said.

Selectmen accepted a state recycling grant of $6,500 to purchase a new 40-yard roll-off container for plastics and to print and mail educational materials on recycling to residents.

Selectmen voted to sign a contract with Lakeville to use that town’s animal shelter when needed.

Selectmen scheduled a hearing on the way properties are being turned over, bought and sold at Halifax Gold & Silver Coin Shop, 272 Plymouth St., on the recommendation of Broderick, who said there is an open case regarding stolen items in connection with the pawn shop. The hearing will take place on Jan.26 at 8:45 p.m.

Selectmen voted to send a letter to the owner of USA Fitness, 430 Plymouth St., about the legality under town bylaw of the business’s advertising for and buying second-hand items, sometimes in exchange for time in the gym, that is taking place in the gym storefront.

Selectmen met in executive session for collective bargaining for the firefighters’ contract with Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.

Selectmen voted to ask the public to submit a current photo from the calendar year 2014 that has something to do with Halifax for consideration to be put on the cover of the Annual Town Report.

By Mike Melanson
Express Associate Editor

KINGSTON — The Silver Lake Regional School Committee and the Silver Lake Education Association on Thursday Jan. 8 ratified a new teachers’ contract.

The three-year contract is retroactive to July and provides pay raises of 1.8-percent, 1.9-percent and 2-percent over the next three years, according to School Committee member Maureen Springer of Plympton, who praised the teachers union members.

“We thank you very much for your patience. We hope we can work together well into the future as we have in the past,” she said.
High School English teacher Kimberly Orcutt, who is president of the SLEA, thanked the community for their patience and support, and said teachers are glad to be back into their regular routines.

“I wanted to thank you all, the community, the teachers, for working with us in the negotiations,” she said. “We’re back together again. Thank you.”

Level-services budget presented

Tuffy presented a draft $23.7-million fiscal 2016 budget that would increase spending by 5.3-percent or $1.2-million over this year. The budget is level-services because it assumes that all of this year’s programs funded this year will continue at the same level of service as next year, he said.
Tuffy said the spending plan would add a Grade 8 math teacher to address student scores and curriculum changes. It would also add funding for an assistant swim coach and freshmen volleyball coach at the high school, as both sports are popular.
The budget assumes that health insurance costs will increase by 5-percent. It also funds the new assessment the district must pay to the Plymouth County Retirement Board, and assumes an adjustment for Medicare costs. There are no adjustments for utilities and shared costs yet figured into the draft budget.
“This is the first time you are looking at it,” Tuffy told school board members. “Please take it home and look at it.”

Capital needs funding approved

The School Committee approved a $619,000 capital needs package, funding it in this year’s budget by drawing from the district’s $1.1-million in excess and deficiency or free cash funds.
“We’re using half of it. That’s conservative,” said School Committee member Mark Guidoboni of Kingston.
The plans includes funding to:

• Add indoor and outdoor cameras: $22,000.
• Set up a new campus-wide, two-way radio system: $22,000.
• Install a new middle school keyless entry system: $5,000.
• Replace the accounting system: $90,000.
• Fund the district’s OPEB liability: $100,000.
• Repair and resurface the track: $120,000.
• Repair and resurface the tennis courts: $30,000.
• Repair parking lot cracks: $11,000.
• Replace the JV baseball backstop: $19,000.
• Build one new athletic storage shed, do prep work for a second such shed: $60,000.
• Build a new middle school storage shed: $18,000.
• Buy additional high school and middle school furniture: $11,000.
• Install an additional 75 high school lockers: $17,000.
• Conduct an exterior envelope evaluation of the high school and middle school: $24,000.
• Resurface carpentry and metal fabrication floors: $40,000.
• Study the feasibility of installing solar generation facilities at the high school and middle school: $10,000.
• Make safety repairs to Sirrico field lighting poles: $20,000.

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