The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on April 1. They discussed the warrant for the upcoming Town Meeting.
Town Administrator Keith Hickey said that in the warrant there is a request for a Proposition 2 ½ override of $653,000. He told the Selectmen that what they were viewing that night was his attempt to provide alternatives to get the town below the threshold for a Prop 2 ½ override. “The two warrant articles I’m suggesting is not including a Proposition 2 ½ override for $575,000 for the Police Department and also removing the warrant article to fund the independent school operational out of $100,000. If those two articles are removed from the warrant, you’ll have an excess property tax levy of $21,656… not a lot of money.”
Selectman Eric Crone said that as far as the Selectmen were concerned the $575k override was already a no vote. He said that the idea to reduce the transferred employment liability reserve fund from $150k to $100k was favorable. Hickey said that the reduction would not have an effect on excess levy capacity, but rather on free cash. Hickey also suggested reducing the OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) from $100k to $50k. There would also be a transfer of $100k from stabilization. Hickey noted that they were not putting the town into any type of financial risk with these changes. Finally, Hickey told the Selectmen that the Finance Committee voted to restore the $25,000 book budget that had been previously cut from the library.
Hickey said that there is just over $3 million in the Stabilization Fund and noted that it has been years since they’ve had to access that and called it a last resort.
The Selectmen also discussed the school budget. Selectman Kimberley Emberg said, “I think we need to dig in deeper with this and I know the School Committees are doing as much as they can with the State… trying to adjust funding formulas and things. My understanding is we do have audits done, both at the town level and the school level already. I know Whitman-Hanson did a separate audit and found some interesting findings. My hope was that we would do an audit prior to having to ask for an override.” She said that she didn’t believe the town to have $100k, however, to do that. Crone recommended that they talk to the other two Silver Lake towns to look at everything. “And I want to point out, I’m not bashing any school committees because I think that everyone is trying to get a hold of this,” Crone said. He noted that they have a lot of work to do before next year’s budget “in preparation for the fiscal cliff that we’re going to see next year.”
The Selectmen also heard several FY26 capital requests. These included $25,000 to repair or replace folding wall panels at the COA, $51k to replace computer servers, $50k for traffic safety improvements, $233k to replace three police vehicles, and $167k to replace police tasers. There is also $82k to replace a lift at the Highway Department, $50k to replace the KES drain lines for the restrooms, and $50k to replace driveway and other asphalt surfaces at KIS. The top five bicycle and pedestrian safety projects were discussed as there is a grant available to cover construction. The town would need to pay for engineering to secure said grants. Included in that engineering cost is $151k for one project, $160k for another, and finally $49,500 for the most pressing of all the projects.
Town Planner Valerie Massard presented to the Selectmen. She said that they have been working with Second Horizon Capital on the redevelopment of the Kingston Collection. She said that in addition to purchasing the mall, they’ve also purchased the Macy’s building. “In order to generate traffic and get people on the ground at the mall, is a gas station,” Massard said. She said that there was some unused Fire Department land that could be named surplus property and redistributed toward the gas station project. Massard said they fully support the article and hope that the Selectmen will as well.
Massard added, “All of us are familiar as residents if you’re driving on Kingston Collection way and away from Plymouth and toward the highway, there’s a place where you’re coming around the bend on your way to the signals… and you can’t see them, there’s a blind hill that keeps you from seeing them and part of those negotiations do include the taking back of that hill to improve sight lines so it’s a safety consideration that the town gets as a win-win.” Selectman Kimberely Emberg said, “commercial business is good for everybody.”
The Sewer Commissioner presented before the Selectmen requesting their support for an FY26 warrant article funding request. She said, “In the late 1990s the town embraced the role of environmental steward of our local waterways with the introduction of our municipal sewer system… with the introduction… our local waterways… are being utilized to their fullest extent.” She went on to talk about the fishing and recreation opportunities that have come as a result as well as the clean drinking water. She said that the general fund has also seen an increased tax base due to increased property values.
She read from a 1998 document that discussed two different phases including a leaching field. “The town is currently paying one-third of the cost of phase one… the town is not paying one-third of the cost of the planned phase two as described in the notification from 1997. At this time, we are asking for the town to pay one-third of the cost of the leaching field project… the estimated final cost of the leaching field project as it was part of the adopted plan from 1997; the estimated final cost of the leaching field project is $8,200,000 including interest.” The town’s share would be just under $3 million. She spoke about needing to set up a debt schedule that would commit the town for twenty years.
Crone said that the Board would be voting their support for or against the article and speaking on the Town Meeting floor either supporting it or not. Hickey said, “The impression I’ve been left with… the agreement that was made twenty-five years ago where it said initially that the sewer commissioners would set the percentage of debt that was going to be shared by the general fund and later modified a little bit did not bind future town meetings; it’s been going on because it’s been accepted practice.”
Crone reminded everyone that Town Meeting will be held on April 26 and the Town Election on May 17. It was also said that Gray’s Beach stickers went for sale and can be found on the Recreation Department website. Out of town stickers sold out in a mere 15 minutes.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, March 25. Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes had an appointment with the Board. “He’s requesting that we reconsider the March 12 vote to sponsor a prop 2 ½ warrant article to provide an additional $575,000 for a sergeant, patrolmen, and related benefits to the Police Department,” Selectman Eric Crone explained.
Holmes said, “One of the most prevalent issues in the recent presidential election was national security… I did a live interview with WATD yesterday… and then we shared that interview on Facebook with the concerns we have with staffing. Once again, we’re asking for the town to allow for the annual Town Meeting to make the call about whether or not this town has the appetite for an override.” He continued, “Failing the success of an override for the Police Department, we could literally end up waiting years for any kind of significant growth. This is a workplace safety issue; this is an officer safety issue… and this bears the potential for liability on the part of the town on so many levels.” He alluded to pending grants and said that he has worked on finding alternative sources of funding for the Department.
Holmes said that Silver Lake Regional has agreed to fund an additional school resource officer. He noted that Duxbury’s override just failed and said that going for these overrides were becoming a way to deal with increasing financial crises in surrounding communities. “I believe that the town residents should have the right to weigh in. The options before you, in my opinion, are 1. Take no action. 2. Reconsider the vote of two weeks ago and let the Town Meeting decide by way of a warrant article or 3. Hold a public hearing in a week. Hold that hearing to determine whether or not there is support for it,” Holmes said. He told the Selectmen he has heard a lot of support for the Department’s request. The Selectmen clarified that the Department would like to see the addition of a Deputy Chief, a Sergeant, and three more Patrolmen.
Selectman Kimberley Emberg said that in the last 33 years, Kingston has asked for an override six times and four of them have failed. “My concern is if we ask for an override this year, we will not be able to ask for one next year – that we would be setting up a potential override for next year to fail… we’re up at the levy limit, we have no excess levy capacity; to the point where if something happens, all we have is half a million dollars in free cash – that’s not much of a saving’s account,” Emberg said. She said that while she supported the Police Department and their needs, the numbers this year don’t warrant the requests. She added, “If we go to Town Meeting now and ask for a Police override, we’re putting Police over everything else because it will shut everything else down for next year and that’s my fear.” The Selectmen decided to hold off on taking a vote until they have the full Board present.
Fire Chief Mark Douglass appeared before the Board for a supplemental budget request in the amount of $125,000 to assist with a $159,551 deficit within the personnel lines. “This past year we’ve had a number of extended injuries that have gone long-term… due to the increased call volume, we’ve ended up calling people back a lot more than we were,” Douglass said. He noted a significant increase in call volume over last year. The Selectmen voted to include a warrant article at Town Meeting seeking supplemental appropriation for the Fire Department in the amount of $125,000.
Selectmen also voted to support a resolution in support of the No Cuts to Public Schools Act which would protect funding that allows public schools to serve students of various needs appropriately. The resolution recognized the ways in which special education tuition and transportation as well as other educational needs are outpacing available funding in most surrounding communities.
Two members of the Agricultural Commission spoke during open forum. They said that they would be sponsoring a vegetable growing/gardening event at the Senior Center in April. They also said that Karen Johnson would be resigning from the Commission and they thanked her for all of her hard work over the years including her work with 4-H and rescuing horses.
The Selectmen also accepted a resignation from the Council on Aging Advisory Board for Mary Hayes. They also appointed Lucy Coletta as an associate member to the Council on Aging Advisory Board. Finally, Joseph Cunningham III was appointed to the Kingston 300th Committee for the duration of the project.
Town Administrator Keith Hickey provided some updates. He said that the town received a call a few weeks back from a company called Business View Magazine. Kingston was selected by them to be part of a television series called The Best of Massachusetts: A Talent for Innovation. Hickey said a small magazine would also be published as well. “I think it’s a great opportunity for Kingston to be highlighted,” he said. He did note that it would be at no cost to the town.
Hickey also said that the town met with MassDot to discuss the final paving of the Main Street water line. They will be closing two exit ramps off of Rt. 3 during the work which is tentatively scheduled for April vacation. Hickey noted that there will be traffic impact.
The Selectmen held a public hearing for a street acceptance for Russell’s Pond Road. “Best case scenario, we’re probably looking at a fall Town Meeting to potentially approve the road depending on whether everything gets done that needs to get done,” Hickey said. Town Planner Valerie Messard, who has been working with the residents of the street, also spoke. “The benefit for the residents, obviously, is that we would be plowing that road and maintaining it during the winter and also paving it every couple of years using Chapter 90 funds,” Crone added.