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Halifax gets preliminary approval for FY22 reval

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The Halifax Board of Assessors has conducted a comprehensive reassessment of all classes of properties in the Town of Halifax as mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

The Assessors have received Preliminary Certification from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

The proposed assessed values reflect the estimated market value of properties as of January 1, 2021, based on sales in calendar years 2019 and 2020.

The revaluation resulted in typical Residential value increases of 10% to 14%.

As part of the Public Disclosure Period the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 valuations will be available for review beginning Monday, August 23, 2021, through Friday, August 27, 2021, in the Assessors’ Office in Town Hall daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday.  The valuations are also available online at https://www.halifax-ma.org/PRST.

Taxpayers may contact the Board of Assessors with questions regarding the proposed assessments at (781) 293-5960.

A Day at the Fair

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Fair-goers slid down the giant slide in the mid-day sun on the opening day of the Marshfield Fair Monday, Aug. 23, after being canceled due to COVID last year. At right, Joe Keeley, 13, of Whitman with his goat, Alice, shared some time in the shade during the Marshfield Fair on Monday afternoon. See more photos, page 7.

Photos by Stephanie Spyropoulos

Questions remain for new fire station

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The Town Properties Committee met on Wednesday, August 18. It was a joint meeting with the Plympton Selectmen. Members of the Plympton Finance Committee were also in attendance.

“The Town Properties Committee has spent the last year plus working on sort of a vision overall for the campus,” Chair of the Town Properties Committee Jon Wilhelmsen told those assembled. One of the main objectives for that campus plan is figuring out the placement of the new fire station. Wilhelmsen shared what he referred to as a “high level, notional drawing of the grand plan if we are able to put that in place.” The new, proposed fire station would be behind the new police station on Palmer Rd. The drawing also showed a proposed fix for the parking area for the library and Townhouse. He said the main entrance would convert from two to one driveway. Wilhelmsen said the existing fire station would remain and over time be converted into a community center that would include the Council on Aging (COA). Regarding the ball fields, Wilhelmsen said they are looking into doing some work to Harry Jason Park that involves working with both PAYS and the Recreation Committee on a long-term plan.

The new fire station was described as being a 3-bay, drive through, modern facility that would provide an appropriate space to house, maintain, and provide for a number of things. Those things include the safety and security of fire personnel and visitors, apparatus, supplies and gear, administrative and personnel space, and community interaction. Included in that community interaction would be a space to be used as a public medical room where vaccines and other medical services could be rendered. The hope would be to also have a public conference space that could be utilized for many things including a public cooling/warming area.

Also addressed within the meeting was the why behind the building of a new fire station. The current building is non-compliant with current OSHA regulations and poses physical and occupational safety concerns due to significant space and facility constraints. Fire Chief Stephen Silva pointed out that while previously they were not, the State is now mandated to be OSHA compliant. He said that regulations specific to carcinogens off gassing from gear have changed greatly since the building was first built. Supply management challenges also exist as supplies are spread across four different buildings, containers, and trailers across three different locations in town. “You’ve entrusted me with millions of dollars of equipment that we cannot properly house and that is just not right,” Silva said.

The timeline was also discussed with architect selection, programmatic and schematic design, infrastructure assessment, and cost estimates outlined to occur between October 2020 and April 2021. Final design, bidding, construction, and occupancy is tentatively scheduled between July 2021 and December 2022.

Regarding cost, Wilhelmsen said the goal would be to utilize existing funds and said they were not intending to do an override. The hope would be to use modular construction and/or leverage existing design plans. The town would also hope to take advantage of lower interest rates and intends to limit the impact of future increases in building costs. Plympton may also be able to potentially take advantage of Federal infrastructure funds with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The total project cost is estimated at $6 million.

Selectman and Town Properties Committee member John Traynor said that the Committee has had two financial team meetings the most recent being that morning with the Town Administrator, the Town Accountant, the Town Treasurer, and the Assessor. Traynor said that as of June the amount in the Capital Stabilization Fund was $1,078,800. A Mass Municipal Depository Trust (MMDT) was established in 1996 and has never been used. The MMDT currently stands at $207,600. There is $803,500 in the Regular Stabilization Fund. The use of the funds must be approved by a two-thirds majority at town meeting.

“If we were to take a 30-year bond for $6 million at current interest rates it would give us a bond repayment each year of $324,000,” Traynor said regarding the new fire station costs. The current police station debt is set to run through 2040. “We’re in pretty good shape financially. The question is can we do a fire station that we can do and still have money left over because we know there will be things like new roofs and other issues we’re going to have to address as we go through the years,” he explained. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy asked, “So you’re saying that based on the $6 million number that we would be able to afford this just on the additional monies we’re getting for Capital Stabilization; we wouldn’t have to dive into it; it would basically just be self-sustaining from what we’re taking in?” Traynor confirmed that understanding was correct.

Joy asked about whether the Assessor had been brought into the conversation regarding the incoming funds into Capital Stabilization. “If they were to go down significantly, we could get ourselves into a pickle,” Joy pointed out. Traynor said they had, noting, “In fact, Sysco is currently assisting at $52 million… and they upped it to… over $60 million.” He did note that some of that would be abated but said that there should be an uptick, if anything. “One of the things that is troubling to the Finance Committee from time to time is there’s no guarantee that Sysco will be there in twenty years,” Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides said. “But somebody’s going to be there Nate,” Traynor said. Sides insisted that you can’t know that and pointed to plenty of empty buildings up and down the East Coast. Silva countered saying, “We are the fastest section of the State of Massachusetts that is growing – the South Shore and the South Coast area and Massachusetts is one of the fastest growing economies nationwide despite everything that is going on.” Traynor furthered that all they were looking for at the moment was the go ahead to move forward with a feasibility study. The money for the study would have to be approved at special town meeting.

Joy said that she would rather see something like this handled as part of the annual town meeting rather than as part of a special. Wilhelmsen said the push to put it as part of the special had to do with concerns over price increases. Town Properties Committee member Ross MacPherson said, “What I’m seeing in construction right now is, forgetting the COVID related things, we are seeing a ton of money come into the infrastructure space and that is just going to tap the existing resources and like we had with the police station, what we really need to find is the contractor that needs this project more than would like to have this contract… if we wait too long, we may not have a bid that we can take.” He further said that while material prices are starting to level off, labor prices are increasing. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy added that if they at least had a design in the works sooner rather than later they may be able to at least partially fund a new septic system with ARPA funds. “There is kind of a larger scale benefit to having some of this feasibility and design work done and out of the way,” she explained.

“This is kind of ten years in the making, I have sat in on the various permutations… I think we’ve kind of been spinning our wheels. We know that sooner or later we’re going to have to do something with the fire station. I’m in favor of moving ahead with this,” Selectman Mark Russo said. He continued, “We are gaining nothing by just sitting and waiting.” He called it “amazing” that it could potentially be possible to build a new police station and a new fire station in such a short amount of time without increasing the tax rate. “I think we have to make clear that this is not committing to a new station; it is committing to spending some money to see if this will work,” Russo said.

MacPherson took a moment to address why the option of rehabbing the current station was not being explored. He said there are always unknowns when rehabbing and said that the town would have to commit to those. He also noted that the Fire Department would have to be moved elsewhere for the duration of the construction.

Joy made a motion that the Selectmen support the efforts of the Town Properties Committee in committing to a feasibility study on a new fire station. The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the motion.

Following the discussion on the Fire Station, the Committee then turned their attention to the Harry Jason Park. MacPherson said he met with Plympton Athletic Youth Sports (PAYS) who expressed to him some general needs and wants. “They thought that having everything centralized at Harry Jason was a great end goal,” he said. MacPherson told the Committee that currently U-10 and U-12 share a soccer field at the Dennett that has to be striped differently depending on which age level is utilizing it. He also said that the youngest players are using the outfield of the baseball/softball field for their games. When asked what they would like to have in a perfect world, PAYS said they would like to have a major/minor league field, a larger sized little league field, a U-14 size soccer field that would also serve U-12, and a second soccer field for the U-8 and U-10. MacPherson said he believed there could be some repurposing done as well as some tweaks to the fields at the Dennett. Wilhelmsen pointed out that any new fields would require bringing in electricity and water. Colleen Thompson asked about the possibility of incorporating some adult facilities such as tennis courts at the park. “I think that there can be, in the grand plan of Harry Jason, some better walking trails or things that can be utilized,” MacPherson said. He said that since PAYS is youth related, the Recreation Committee would have to work with them on adult uses.

A quarter of Halifax still not vaccinated

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on August 10. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros met with the Selectmen to discuss COVID. “Obviously things have not gotten better, they have gotten worse during the last few weeks,” Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said. He further said that the number of cases in Halifax have increased to the levels last seen in April. He said the Board would need to reconsider whether they wanted to review policies related to COVID including the masking policy in town buildings. Selectman Chair Gordon Andrews updated the Board that the schools made a decision to follow the recommendations of DESE, the CDC, and the DPH in requiring rather than mandating masks.

Seelig provided vaccination statistics for Halifax youth saying that for 12–15-year-olds the rate stood at 38 percent and 49 percent for ages 16-19. The rates tended to increase with the age of the residents. “A quarter of the population of Halifax is not vaccinated yet,” Seelig said. Andrews said he was not comfortable making a change to the masking policy at the moment. Viveiros said he was watching different towns that were starting to implement mask mandates. “I think waiting another week or so and reevaluating it is fine,” he said. Viveiros also discussed the possibility of receiving tests from the State to be administered. The Director of the Council on Aging said that as of today they have begun recommending masks as they are meeting in small quarters. She said everyone was very receptive of it and masks were available on site.

Andrews recused himself but the rest of the Board unanimously voted to appoint Chris Carmichael as Alternate Building Inspector for Certificates of Occupancy. The Board also voted to appoint and reappoint the list of election workers through June of 2022.

There was also a continuation of a discussion on the Zoning By-Law Review Committee from a previous meeting. It was agreed that the Board would like to see as part of that Committee, the Building Inspector, a member of the Finance Committee, a member of the Board of Selectmen, and two members at large.

Andrews recused himself from the rescheduling of a new public forum for a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with Green Earth Cannabis. Andrews’ father owns land within close proximity to the proposed site. The Board had previously voted in June not to enter into an HCA with the company but agreed to rescind its previous vote and hold a new public forum to avoid litigation against the town. The Board agreed to hold the forum on Monday, August 30 at 7 p.m.

Seelig told the Board there was a petition article submitted by August 10 with more than 100 signatures. The proposed zoning by-law amendment would restrict the number of marijuana dispensaries in town to one. Seelig said the Selectmen could submit it to the Planning Board that night but noted it would still need a public hearing. “It’s doubtful it’s going to be voted on at the Town Meeting on September 8,” Seelig said. The Selectmen voted unanimously to send it onto the Planning Board.

Seelig told the Board that the Council on Aging (COA) was interested in potentially increasing its number of members. Seelig also told the Selectmen that he had received a talent bank form for Ivy Matheny who was interested in working with the Council on Aging and potentially as the Veteran’s Agent.

Town Accountant Sandra Nolan and Recycling Co-ordinator Sue Johnston met with Selectmen to discuss the recycling fee process including abatements. Nolan said that one of the big issues is that they want to ensure that residents are recycling. Nolan said that this year they had at least 12 households who had their recycling fee abated and then tried to use the recycling center halfway through the year. “I think that people don’t understand that that recycling fee is not just for curbside; it also supports the whole functioning of the recycling center,” Nolan said. She continued, “It is really a huge benefit to the townspeople as far as having a place you can go with your old couch.” She called the fee “nominal.” Andrews summarized the conversation saying it would be a $50 recycling bill for FY2022 with a 60-day abatement window.

Library Director Jean Gallant and the Library Trustees had an appointment with the Selectmen in order to vote to fill a vacancy on the Trustee Board. There were two candidates interested. The Library Trustees made a motion to appoint Susan Hill. Both the Selectmen and the Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Hill to fill the remaining vacancy.

Seelig went over some of the articles on the upcoming Town Meeting warrant including one by the Chief of Police to take the town out of civil service. There is another for additional money needed by Silver Lake in the amount of $130,890. Seelig said it was the difference between what was appropriated at Town Meeting and what is needed. The Water Department also needs to put more money in their return line item. Article 17 would remove the buffer between marijuana establishments and liquor pouring establishments. Article 19 is in regard to traffic safety. Seelig said he would need to speak with Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward to find out what exactly the article would and would not cover with respect to things like sidewalks.

Tyler Nordgren met with the Selectmen regarding his application to be appointed to the Historical Commission. Asked by Selectman Ashley DiSesa why he wanted to apply, Nordgren explained, “I like historical sites and I would like to help preserve them as they are important to the community.” Nordgren, who has lived in town since he was 8, said he hasn’t recently attended Town Meeting but plans to attend the next one. The Board voted unanimously to appoint him to a three-year term.

The meeting ended with the official swearing in of Michael Boncariewski as a full-time Police Officer.

Multiple Open Meeting Law complaints charged against BOS

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on August 11 with the exception of Selectman Ashley DiSesa who joined remotely. On the agenda was a number of complaints that had been filed.

The first order of business was dealing with the July 20, 2021 open meeting law complaint from John Day. According to Chair Gordon Andrews the complaint read that a meeting was held on that date and the only agenda item listed was the appointment of the building inspector and a possible appointment of a temporary building inspector. The complaint further read that the Board went immediately into executive session coming back into open session at 7:30 when they entertained a motion to adjourn until that Friday at 9 a.m.

“The lack of any substantive discussion coupled with individual Board member’s collective expectation that they would be meeting at 9 a.m. on July 23 to discuss the building inspector’s position indicated the Board members had discussed the building inspector matter in executive session despite its placement on the open meeting agenda. This violation appears to be intentional given the conflicts of interest by virtue of Mr. Andrews’ pending lawsuits that he has filed against the town and town officials including Robert Piccirilli,” the complaint from Day read. Also included in the complaint dated August 5 was that the Town Administrator Charlie Seelig was on vacation that day and did not attend and the Administrative Assistant was told not to attend as Andrews would handle the minutes.

Andrews said that he would recommend that the Board have the complaint handled by town counsel Brooks and DeRensis. DiSesa made the motion, Selectman Troy Garron seconded it, and the Board voted unanimously to do so.

A second complaint from Day was filed regarding the July 23 meeting. The complaint, which Andrews read, stated that once again Seelig and the Administrative Assistant were not present and the Board went into executive session at 11 a.m., returning to open session at noon. It noted that Andrews recused himself from the building inspector discussion leaving Garron as Vice Chair to take control of the meeting. The complaint described Garron as “visibly nervous and remained so throughout the rest of the meeting.” It noted Garron’s insistence that Piccirilli remained the best choice for building inspector.

Again, Day’s complaint said that there was strong suspicion that the Board had discussed the matter in executive session and had decided on hiring James Perry as the building inspector due to the rapidity in which the events unfolded in open session. The complaint asked that any discussion regarding the position that was had during executive session be disclosed to the public. It also asked that an explanation be given as to why the Administrative Assistant was not the one taking the minutes. Garron made a motion that again, they refer the complaint to Brooks and DeRensis. It was voted through unanimously by the Board.

The next item on the agenda was another open meeting law complaint regarding the July 23 meeting, this one by Barbara Gaynor. The complaint referenced the June 23 meeting during which the Board of Selectmen interviewed five applicants including Piccirilli, who at the time was the current building inspector. The complaint claimed that at no time did the Board explain how they came to their decision to hire Perry into the position and asked that they disclose that information to the public.

The final complaint dealt with during the August 11 meeting was in regard to the June 29 meeting during which the Board of Selectmen voted to appoint Brooks and DeRensis as Town Counsel. The complaint said that Brooks and DeRensis were asked to investigate the complaint but noted that they have a financial interest in the matter. Andrews read a motion stating, “As the appointing official which is the Board of Selectmen as required by Massachusetts’ General Laws Chapter 268a, Section 19 I have reviewed the particular matter and the financial interests identified above by the municipal employee; I have determined that the financial interest is not substantial as to be deemed unlikely to affect the integrity of the services by which the municipality may expect from the employee.” The Board then voted unanimously to have Brooks and DeRensis continue on with the investigation into the open meeting law complaint.

The final complaint to be handled during the August 11 meeting was one regarding the June 29 meeting during which the Board interviewed a total of four applicants including the most recent town counsel. The complaint read, “Considering that the Board of Selectmen chose to advertise, interview, and appoint a new person into this position, should there not have been some discussion from the members of the Board of Selectmen as to how and why they came to their decision.” The complaint asked that the Selectmen explain their decision and the reason behind it. Again, they voted to send the complaint to Brooks and DeRensis to be investigated.

At the conclusion of the discussion on the complaints Seelig said, “Mr. Chairman, may I say something?” Andrews responded, “No, we are going to move on.” Seelig then responded, “I’ll send a letter directly to the Board and to your Counsel.” Prior to adjourning, it did appear that someone in the audience attempted to speak. Andrews responded, “We don’t have any public comment right now.”

Mask policy stays for back to school

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee held a joint meeting with Union 31 as well as Dennett and Halifax School Committees on August 10. Vice Chair Eric Crone led the Silver Lake School Committee and chaired the meeting as Chair Paula Hatch was having technical difficulties. Sheila Vaughn called the Kingston Elementary School Committee meeting to order, Summer Schmaling the Halifax Elementary School Committee meeting, and  Jon Wilhelmsen the Plympton Elementary School meeting.

Superintendent Jill Proulx offered to begin with an explanation of the latest guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH). Proulx said that both Departments “strongly recommend that all students in kindergarten through Grade 6 wear masks when indoors except students who cannot do so due to medical conditions or behavioral needs.” She said that they noted that masks aren’t necessary outdoors and may be removed to eat indoors. Both departments also strongly recommend that masks be worn by all unvaccinated inhabitants of the school regardless of whether they are staff, student, or visitor. “Any child or family member who chooses to mask should be supported in this choice,” Proulx read from the guidance. All staff and students are mandated to wear masks on school buses and in a medical setting.

Proulx said that a new test and stay protocol will soon be released by DESE and the DPH which will allow asymptomatic close contacts to remain in school while being tested daily rather than quarantining at home. Vaccinated staff and students will be exempt from quarantine. Proulx told the school committee members that they had also been provided with a letter from the school pediatrician as well as links to the masking recommendations from the American Pediatrics Association, the CDC, and the Massachusetts’ Association of School Counselors. “All advocating, in their own language, for universal masking in schools regardless of vaccination status,” Proulx said.

An attorney was present to discuss recommended policy changes. He said that the Committees present could make a determination that night regarding masking that would fall into one of three categories. The first would be universal masking, the second would be to adopt DESE guidelines, and the third would be not to require masks except for school transportation and the public health department. He said that he has had discussions with DESE on two issues, the first being the right to adopt masking policies more stringent than that required by them (this is allowed) and the second is in regard to student discipline when a student is required to but refuses to wear a mask. “The legal department of DESE has told me that they will be issuing additional recommendations and guidelines,” he explained. He further said that special legislation mandating universal masking may be forthcoming though he noted he did not know if it would pass and if the Governor would sign it. He advocated for the Superintendent to be given the authority to make changes as necessary.

Crone then opened the discussion to questions and comments from the various committees alternating between them. Andrews began asking, “If we go with a non-mask requirement and parents do not feel like they can send their students to school without everyone being required to wear masks, what are we required to provide for them – anything at this time?” The attorney responded that the child would be truant in that case. The flipside of that would also be true where if a mask is required as a policy and a caregiver elects not to send their child due to that policy, that child would also be truant. Andrews pointed out that if enough children did not attend school, that day would not count.

Vaughn said that the Kingston Board of Health just voted to mandate masks. The attorney said that as far as he knew, the Kingston Board of Health did not have the authority to mandate masks in schools. He said he would have to confer with DESE and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to clarify. Timothy Lewis, with the Kingston School Committee, asked the attorney for his opinion on DESE’s recommendation. After clarifying that he was there more to offer legal counsel than opinion, the attorney stated, “The clearest policy and provides the greatest defense is universal masking.” Referring to no masking, he said it “does raise legal risk because even though permitted it is not recommended and it could result in greater legal liability for the school district.”

Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Gordon Laws asked the attorney to elaborate on the extent to which the District would be liable based on different scenarios. “I think that there really is no realistic threat if you either have universal masking or follow the DESE or DPH advisory because those are state sponsored and you have a right to follow the guidance of your state,” he said. He elaborated that were you to make policy less than that required by the State you could possibly be liable. Of the 17 school districts represented by the attorney he said none had thus far voted to not even recommend masks.

During Plympton’s opportunity to speak, Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said, “I’ll just make one point this time around… I think we’re all looking at the guidance right now and talking about the Superintendent having the ability to react to the different guidance; it’s not just about ratcheting up measures… but it’s also, as we hopefully get things under control, to be able to relax standards.” He said that would allow for quicker decisions instead of waiting for a School Committee meeting to be scheduled and held.

Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Emily Davis said, “I’m very uncomfortable that we’re even having this discussion.” She was referring to feeling like it was odd that they were discussing public health as members of school committees. The attorney said that he agreed and the State should really be telling schools what to do. He said if legislation goes through that is what will happen.

Halifax School Committee member Lauren Laws asked if they elect to follow DESE recommendations, how will they enforce who is and isn’t vaccinated. “As far as getting proof of vaccination, we have no legal right to do that with students or teachers or staff and that’s because of HIPPA,” the attorney explained. He said you can ask about vaccination status but you cannot require proof. “That’s one reason why some places are going to universal masking,” he added.

Timothy Lewis of the Kingston Elementary School Committee made a motion that their Committee rescind the masking policy. Committee member Jeanne Coleman seconded the motion. The motion was to rescind the current policy with the intention to vote through a different policy at a later date. Coleman said she was unsure why there was a need for any policy whatsoever beyond following the guidance of DESE. The attorney said that previously some school districts didn’t adopt a policy because there was a mandate in place. He said that the administration would have to put together a note to families letting them know that they are acting in accordance with DESE’s guidance. The Kingston Elementary School Committee voted to rescind their previous masking policy.

Plympton School Committee member Jason Fraser said that in light of DESE most likely coming out with further guidance, “I think it makes sense for us to table any ideas of making any further motions tonight for the Plympton School Committee.” The attorney forewarned that taking no position assumes that DESE will do what they said they are going to do, particularly before the start of the school year. Wilhelmsen pointed out that for Plympton, Proulx already has the ability to amend their policy based on whatever guidance comes out from DESE. Another member clarified that Plympton’s current policy mandates masks as it calls for following multiple sources including the CDC who is calling for a mandate. Fraser said, “I’m not comfortable making those medical determinations having these authorities over us including the District doctor now saying that he thinks all of our students should be masked in order to protect all of our vulnerable students and staff… this is a very confusing conversation and topic at this point and I would like to defer to those public health officials.” Fraser said that he wanted to leave what they had on the books while calling for a meeting prior to the start of school. Nicole Mahoney said that she respectfully disagreed. Mahoney said that she wished to rescind their policy in good faith that they would meet again before school reconvenes. Amy Hempel seconded Mahoney’s motion to rescind. The Committee voted unanimously to do so.

Schmaling made a motion for Halifax to rescind the policy requiring face coverings. Several members of the Halifax Elementary School Committee, including Schmaling, spoke out vehemently against requiring all students to wear face masks. Lauren Laws clarified that the vote they would be taking would only rescind the current policy as she said she would like to see them put a policy in place at a later date. “I feel like last year’s school was very successful because the kids were masked,” Laws said. With respect to another member’s claim that some of the Committee members calling for masks in school have been openly doing things on social media without masks, Laws said, “you know, everything you talked about was outside.” She added, “There are changing parameters right now that I feel like need to be watched.” Schmaling clarified that in rescinding their policy they are following DESE’s guidance. The vote to rescind the current policy was unanimous.

Silver Lake Regional School Committee then began their discussion. Committee member Christopher Eklund made a motion asking for Silver Lake to adjourn saying he no longer felt the format of the current meeting was conducive to conducting business. He recommended they reconvene before the start of school. Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee seconded that motion. Crone clarified that this would leave the current policy in place which requires masking but gives Proulx the ability to make amendments to the policy as she deemed fit provided it complies with CDC, DESE, and DPH guidance. Crone said he agreed with Fraser that they need to see what new guidance or mandates come down the pipeline prior to the start of school. The attorney clarified that if they didn’t meet to put a new policy in place, Proulx would be forced to go with the most stringent of guidance.

The Silver Lake Committee then took a vote to adjourn leaving the current policy requiring masks in place with the intention of meeting again before the start of the school year. No votes came from Paula Hatch, Lukasz Kowalski, Schmaling, and Davis. Yes votes came from Gordon Laws, Fraser, Eklund, McGee, and Crone. With votes weighted differently depending on town, the vote ended in favor of adjourning the meeting with the current policy still in place.

Vaughn asked that the Kingston School Committee stay on. Kingston Elementary School Committee member Cowett then made a motion that Kingston align its recommendation with respect to masking in schools with that of DESE. They voted unanimously in favor of Cowett’s motion. Halifax made a similar motion that was also voted through unanimously.

There was also a reorganization of Union 31. There was a motion and a second to appoint Gordon Andrews as Chair and it was voted through unanimously. Summer Schmaling was nominated for Vice Chair and like Andrews, voted through unanimously. Michael Cowett was nominated and voted in as Secretary of Union 31.

Motorcycle crash kills two

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By Stephanie Spyropoulos
Express staff

HANSON — A motorcycle crash took the lives of a father and daughter with ties to Halifax and Hanson on Friday night.

Former Hanson resident James Ripley, 58, and his daughter Jenna Ripley, 19, both of Halifax died following the crash on Route 58 Monponsett Street near Hill Road around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, according to District

Water rights: Who is right?

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Cathleen Drinan
Express correspondent

Spoiler alert: this article is full of opinions and emotions. I no longer represent the Town of Halifax and this column is my own.

I was asked to “cover” the online meeting of the City of Brockton Department of Environemental Management meeting Aug.3, discussing the Resource Management Plan for Monponsett Pond (RMP), prepared by its consultant CDM Smith out of Providence, RI.. I put the word cover in italics because there is too much to cover in a short article.

The water quantity and quality issues and practices for the City of Brockton would require at least a white paper to summarize all that has happened (and not happened) over the many decades. It really needs someone to choose the topic of Water Resource Management between Watersheds as his or her PhD thesis to sufficiently cover this topic. The topic should/could be fairly simple if nature, science, and water management were respected. Yet, it has been politicized and complicated for so long, it takes patience to pick apart the tangled threads. I don’t have that patience anymore.

I do have many questions, though.

Before the online live review of CDM’s report, I started to read the report. It is 161 pages long, available online at https://brockton.ma.us/news/resource-management-plan-for-monponsett-pond/ It is not the length that prevented me from finishing reading it. It was the content and the memories; memories as the health agent, of working with others on numerous grants to help the Monponsett Ponds, of being a member of the Central Plymouth Water District Advisory Board and so many more. At the time, those activities were filled with purpose and hope. Everyone needs hope, right?

From the RMP:

“Humans impact freshwater systems, particularly when water sources serve multiple uses.

Monponsett Pond, located in Halifax and Hanson,  is one such water source, as it serves as a drinking water supply for the City of Brockton, cranberry bog irrigation source, aquatic life habitat, and a community and recreational asset.

This report addresses the Resource Management Plan (RMP) requirements of the May 21, 2019 amendment to the Administrative Consent Order (ACO), Enforcement Document No. 0001010.

The ACO defines the RMP as recommending “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 reliability.”

(Me: Stump Brook Dam operations are going to improve Monponsett Pond’s water quality and ecosystem while maintaining Brockton’s drinking water supply reliability? Show me how!)

“The amendment to the ACO requires the RMP include the elements listed below, along with the report section(s) where the requirements are addressed.

a. Establishment of monthly Monponsett Pond elevation goals or some other metric on which to base Stump Brook Dam operating procedures to balance the needs to providing:

§ Stump Brook flow

§ Better flood control, including reduced need of flood control diversions to Silver Lake

§ Improved flushing of West Monponsett Pond

§ Fish passage

§ Adequate water depth for bathing, fishing, and cranberry cultivation

§ Impoundment to provide adequate water for Silver Lake diversions

(Me: Fish passage? Why is there even a fish ladder when fish cannot reach it?)

“Compilation of a recommended actions list and prepare a preliminary feasibility assessment of additional measures that could be performed by others, including but not limited to, the Towns of Halifax and Hanson, area cranberry growers and residents to improve water quality in Monponsett Pond, such as: programs to upgrade septic systems; improved stormwater management, installation of a control structure between EMP and WMP, and utilization of alternative procedures and/or technologies, and chemical treatment.

*** “Implementation of recommended actions list prepared herein is not the responsibility of the City.”

*** (Asterix, underline and bold are mine alone.)

“Pond levels are controlled by natural hydrology, a dam on Stump Brook and diversions to Silver Lake.”

(Me: What is natural about this situation???)

Brockton’s water emergency resulted in the 1964 legislation, adding the Monponsett Ponds and Furnace to the city’s water supply. Why hasn’t the legislation been removed? Surely, emergency legislation is not supposed to last forever!

The first engineering company Halifax worked with was Princeton Hydro in 2013. They concluded that the current quantity and quality practices for the Monponsett Ponds could not be sustained. Their conclusion remains as truth.

Other questions:  Why are words such as reciprocity, stewardship, restoration, gift, hope, and love missing from the Plan?

The word watershed does appear but in an unnatural compartmentalized context. Here is an example: “The ponds are part of the Taunton River watershed. The natural routing of water is from Stetson Brook to EMP, through the culvert to WMP, and out to Stump Brook, which flows into the Satucket River, a tributary of the Taunton River.”

There is more to it than that AND water is being transferred from one watershed to another. That is wrong!

§ “The 1923 Chapter 91 license, noting that this document refers to a reference point that most likely has been disturbed/lost. Information will be gleaned from this document, to the extent practicable.”

(Really?? Lost information? How do you glean from that?”

§ “Discussions with Massachusetts Historical Commission, and town engineers and/or historical commissions in Halifax and Hanson on available historical mapping of Monponsett Pond.”

(Halifax has a town engineer?)

As the live online meeting was nearing a conclusion, a guest, Pine DuBois, asked questions about the quality and quantity to Jones River and Silver Lake. Jonathan Hobill, of MA DEP responded each time that this report was addressing the Monponsett Pond.

Again, I ask you, how do you take a chunk out of a watershed, compartmentalize it, and ignore the undeniable connections to other areas and water bodies in both the same and nearby watersheds? It makes no scientific sense!

As I believe there is no easy way to wrap this up, I conclude with the words of Mavis Staples: “What do we do with this history now? Do we go in like a surgeon? Do we go in like a bomb?”

I am not alone in wishing the band aids and minor surgery would cease and desist and the “emergency” dams are bombed away!

For an informative FAQ, please see what Jones River has prepared.

https://jonesriver.org/facts/brockton-water-supply-faq/

Cathleen Drinan is a freelance writer interested in public health, art, nature and more. She can be reached at drinan.cathleen@gmail.com

Community Flea Market In Halifax Sept. 11

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The Halifax Congregational Church is sponsoring a community flea market, open to all, Saturday, September 11, on the Town Green from 9:00 – 3:00. The cost for a space is $25, and tables will be provided on a first come first served basis.

In the event of rain, the market will be inside the church and recommended covid protocols at that time will be observed.  Our famous, delicious chowder will also be offered, for take-out, beginning at noon.

Gather your “stuff”, go in with a friend, maybe you have craft items to sell, or just bring your “get rid of” things from all the sifting and sorting you’ve done over the past year!

To reserve a space, or with questions, contact Susan Mahan, Coordinator, at 781-293-0422 or susanlmahan14@gmail.com.  Checks should be made payable to Halifax Congregational Church, and mailed to the church, attn. Treasurer, at 503 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA. 02338. The deadline for reservations and payment is Sept. 1.

BOS reconsiders Green Earth Cannabis vote

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen held a brief meeting on Friday, August 6 to reconsider a previous vote. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews and Selectman Troy Garron were in-person and Selectman Ashley DiSesa was participating remotely.

Aside from Executive Session, on the agenda was the reconsideration of a vote from their June 11 meeting not to enter into a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with Green Earth Cannabis, Inc. Andrews recused himself from the initial vote as well as the reconsideration as his father owns property within close proximity to the proposed lot. On June 11, Garron said that he had heard from many residents who opposed the establishment.

Director of Operations for Green Earth Cannabis Robert Maker had appeared before the Board of Selectmen during their July 13 meeting to plead his case and ask them to reconsider their decision. Maker said he has lived in town for 27 years and asked the Board to consider his ties as well as his contributions to the community over those years. Maker had also said that they hoped to create jobs for local Halifax residents. “We are preparing to mitigate whatever impact the facility may have on the neighbors,” Maker had also said at the time.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig explained at the Friday meeting, “If the Board rescinds its previous vote from June 11, we’re basically starting from that point where the Board has not made any decision. A person or entity is entitled to appeal an action taken by a municipality within 60 days of said action. As the 60-day deadline is this week, Green Earth Cannabis does not need to file suit against Halifax as long as the Board of Selectmen vote to rescind their decision not to sign the HCA. This saves on legal costs for both sides.

DiSesa confirmed with Seelig that if after going through all the motions, they could still decide against entering into an HCA with Green Earth. Seelig assured her that they could. A public forum/ hearing on the HCA will likely be scheduled for later this month. If, after that forum, the Selectmen still decide not to sign the HCA, Green Earth will have the opportunity to appeal the decision. Garron made a motion to rescind their previous vote and DiSesa seconded making it unanimous.