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School budget vote postponed

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The Plympton School Committee Monday night postponed their budget vote until their next meeting Monday, April 26, giving the committee additional time to gather more information on possible budget offsets and additional funding that may become available.   The committee also wanted to research accommodating the additional position of building substitute, a full–time substitute teacher who would be available throughout the school year.  The cost for this position is about $27,000, without taking into consideration the offset in the substitute teacher’s budget line to lessen the expense.

Dennett School Principal Peter Veneto reported that the first day of full in-person learning went very well.  “Our plan became a reality today … No remote learners … everybody came back today. ”   He said that they were able to execute their five lunch period schedule, keeping students the required six feet apart at lunch.  The only additional cost was the purchase of some 50 folding tables that post-COVID can be repurposed in a number of ways.  Pick up and drop off lines were long but executed safely.   “I saw a lot of really happy kids today.   No need to change what we’re doing right now.”

Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen noted, “It’s great that we were able to put a plan together.   It’s much easier to run the school this way with all the kids under one roof. “  Wilhelmsen thanked everyone who helped get it done – in the course of nine days!  It is the goal to keep everyone safe and in school for the rest of the school year.

Christine Healy, the financial guru of Silver Lake reported that everything looks good as far as the current year’s budget goes, no accounts in danger of being overdrawn, and things are running smoothly.

Jason Fraser gave his report on education legislation, saying that the governor’s first draft of the budget was trying to use Oct. 1, 2020 pupil counts on which to base school reimbursements.  With COVID, statewide there was a 3.3% drop in student population.  Fraser said that he spoke with Rep. Kathy LaNatra about allowing schools to use the 2019 student count as the basis for budgeting this year.  LaNatra instead wanted to “fence off” funds until accurate numbers can be had in October 2021.  If there is an increase, then those fenced off funds can be accessed.

As for COVID 19 updates, Fraser said that there has been no change in guidance.  Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, (DESE) has said that three to six feet of distance is acceptable.  While 192 school systems chose six feet, only 49 school systems chose three feet distancing.  The CDC is comparing the data for COVID transmission between the two protocols and has seen no significant increase in COVID transmission.  Two-ply masks are still required, but Dennett already requires them.

Rep. LaNatra signed onto House Docket #2548 to form a statewide commission to look at the sleep needs of students and getting elementary school students to school earlier, and allow secondary school students to start a little bit later so  that the time that they have in school will be that much more efficiently used.

Wilhelmsen said that the first capital plan item on the budget is a fire suppression system at a cost of $9,000 or less.   “This can’t be postponed.”  He also reached out to see if they could include an item on the warrant for the parking lot at the Dennett to be repaired.  “The driveway is at a critical point where if we don’t do some maintenance, we will have to replace it.”

The playground construction is on the horizon and with the proximity of the playground to the septic system, it makes sense to look into its health.  Fraser said he wanted to be able to make use of anticipated infrastructure grants should they become available.  Fraser asked if the septic system had been evaluated and Veneto answered, “the short answer is no.”  Wilhelmsen said that this must to go in as one of the overall school needs.  “Maintain, rather than fixing things that break.  It is more expensive to fix things that break.”  Veneto will reach out to his building superintendent to get that assessment done.

Fraser reported on the status of the playground project, telling the board that he originally approached 2019 Town Meeting for some assistance in building an ADA approved playground on the Dennett.   When Plympton started getting students through school choice, those funds were sequestered for one-time expenditures and not made part of the operating budget.   Outside of a few expenditures for the water treatment equipment and a few other items, the school choice tuitions are largely intact and can be used to fund part of the playground costs. The total price is estimated to be about $250,000, to $300,000 project and none of that money will be funded through the school’s operating budget.   The structures will include a Rocket Swing that will accommodate a mobility-challenged child in a wheelchair, and a soft  rubber footing that will also allow a child in a wheel chair to be able to navigate the playground and be with their peers.  They made adjustments to the playground to make it ADA Plus, building ramps onto the structures, and got a surface level merry go round that is wheel chair accessible, at an additional $37,000 cost.  “We talked about this in depth and the committee agreed to move forward with this idea,” Fraser said

“Right now we’re soliciting quotes,” Healy said, preparing to send it off to three or four vendors on the state’s contractor list.  The next step is going out to the traditional bid for the installation of the playground, as well as the rubberized safety surface.  It was suggested that fencing wait until the playground is installed to see how the area works.  Our hope is to be out to bid Patriots Day week.   

Wilhelmsen said that the committee would be able to see all of the details at the June meeting and vote on the project once they have all the information.

The dinosaur has been a topic of conversation, Fraser said.  there have been a couple of people who have approached them about keeping the dinosaur.  The playground vendors’ advice was to take all the equipment there and turn it into scrap metal.   Once the new equipment was beginning to be installed, any accident on the old equipment would not be covered by insurance.

Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx told the board that the preliminary regular day budget stands at a 6.2% increase, and the total school budget is 2.9% increase.  Wilhelmsen said, “Overall I think the budget is very lean and of course last year we had to keep a 1.6% overall increase.  I’m not sure even in the best year we’ve ever come down that low.“

One of the issues we run into each year when we vote our budget is that we vote before April 1 and end up with a certain number of placeholders in the warrant.  Given that we haven’t met with FinCom yet ,,, it may be worthwhile for us to consider not voting the budget tonight, to talk through any other open issues and then after we have some numbers for April 1 we can make adjustments as needed.”  

The next school committee meeting is Monday, April 26.

Why is the Flag at Half-Staff?

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Events in Boulder, CO – Until March 27, 2021

Please be advised that as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 22, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado, and in accordance with the Presidential proclamation, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, has ordered that the United States of America flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag shall be flown at half-staff at all state buildings beginning immediately until sunset on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

This gubernatorial order applies to:

1.  The main or administration building of each public institution of the Commonwealth, e.g. town and city halls

2.  Other state-owned or state-controlled buildings

3.  All state military installations

LaNatra votes for small business aid

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Representative Kathy LaNatra Votes in Favor of Legislation Providing Relief to Small Businesses, Workers and Job-seekers affected by COVID-19

Boston (March 15, 2021) – State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) joined her colleagues in support of legislation that will provide much needed relief to small businesses, workers and those looking for work.

 The legislation, titled H.89 – An Act financing a program for improvements to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and providing relief to employers and workers in the Commonwealth was passed by the House on March 11 by a unanimous vote of 155-0. House Bill 89 builds upon a bill filed by Governor Baker that would protect employers from the scheduled unemployment insurance rate increase set for April.

 “Constituents asking for assistance navigating the unemployment system were the most frequent request sent into my office this past year,” said Rep. LaNatra. She added, “The legislation passed last week shores up the finances of the unemployment trust fund, protecting people who have lost their job because of this devastating pandemic. The bill also provides much-needed relief to employers and small businesses throughout the Commonwealth.”

 Key provisions of the bill include forgiveness of paycheck protection program (PPP) loans in line with the federal tax code. Currently, many small business owners would have to pay personal income tax on their forgiven PPP loans. The legislation freezes the unemployment insurance rate paid by employers at its 2020 level for the next two years, staving off a scheduled increase that would have gone into effect in April of this year.

 The bill also provides many protections for workers who have lost their job due to the pandemic. The bill creates a tax credit for people who received unemployment compensation and whose household income was 200% or less than the federal poverty line. The legislation also allows for borrowing to replenish the Unemployment Trust Fund.

 The legislation provides many other protections for workers throughout the Commonwealth including a COVID-19 Emergency paid sick leave, which fills in gaps of the Federal COVID paid sick leave program. House Bill 89 waives the tax penalty for those who fail to remit income taxes on unemployment compensation for the 2020 tax year.

 The bill now heads to the Senate.

Silver Lake athletes earn Patriot League winter awards

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Each season, a handful of athletes across the Patriot League receive league wide recognition for their achievements. The winter 2020-2021 season was no different.

Many different Silver Lake High varsity athletes received awards from the Patriot League which were announced last week. Here is a look at the awards that Lakers athletes received, broken down by sport.

Girls Basketball

Molly Terbush was the team’s lone Patriot League All-Star while Kiley O’Brien got the team sportsmanship award and Erin deMacedo was their scholar athlete. Additionally, the girls’ basketball team received the Patriot League team sportsmanship award.

Boys Basketball

Ben Lofstrom was the team’s lone Patriot League All-Star. Meanwhile, Jack Slattery got the sportsmanship award and Matt O’Donnell was their scholar-athlete.

Girls Hockey

The co-op with Whitman-Hanson had two Patriot League All-Stars, both of which are from Silver Lake: Shea Kelleher and Ellie Grady. Emily McDonald of Whitman-Hanson won the sportsmanship award while Abby Powers of Silver Lake was their scholar athlete.

Boys Hockey

Jake Generazo earned the Patriot League All-Star honor. Additionally, Nate LaPlante-Johnson got the sportsmanship award and Cam Cavicchi was named as their scholar athlete.

Swimming

On the boys’ side, Jake Foley won the sportsmanship award and Wes Hawley was their scholar athlete. For the girls, the sportsmanship award went to Sydney Adams and the scholar athlete went to Anna Billings.

Gymnastics

Both Ava Dorsey and Mackenzie Mackinaw were Patriot League All-Stars on the co-op with Pembroke. The sportsmanship award went to Sarah d’Entremont, and Lauren Canniff of Pembroke was their Scholar Athlete.

Dennett to open fully at six feet distancing

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The Plympton School Committee held an interim meeting on Friday, March 12 for the purpose of reviewing the revised plan for more in-person learning time at the Dennett Elementary School. The revised plan was created using feedback from the meeting on February 22 as well as the parent survey which was distributed. Chair of the School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen thanked Dennett Principal Peter Veneto for his work creating the revised plan and the work still to be done to implement that plan. Veneto presented the plan prior to opening the meeting for discussion for both School Committee members as well as members of the public. Speakers were asked to hold their comments to three minutes.

“I completely understand that this is an emotional subject for all involved, for parents, teachers, administrators, and School Committee members and while I anticipate this will not be an issue, my expectation is that all comments, questions, and discussions this evening will be presented in a respectful and professional manner whether or not we agree with everything that is said by others,” Wilhelmsen told those remotely assembled.

Committee member Jason Fraser provided a brief legislative update pertinent to the night’s discussion prior to moving on to Veneto’s presentation. Fraser said he was happy to report that teachers were now eligible to receive their COVID vaccinations in Massachusetts. He said the development was in large part due to the work of Massachusetts’ Senate President Karen Spilka. President Biden also mandated that federally contracted pharmacies must open their vaccination programs to teachers as well. Fraser said they were still working on getting the Governor to allow local Boards of Health and Fire Departments to administer the vaccines directly to teachers themselves. Fraser said that they were also working with Representative Kathy LaNatra and Senator Michael Brady on suspending the MCAS for this year in order to prioritize a return to more in-person learning including social and emotional support. There is legislation in place at the State level to receive a waiver at the federal level for bypassing the MCAS.

Veneto then made his proposal for a full-time, in-person return to school with six feet of social distancing. The proposed start date is March 22. Veneto said that the most recent guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on March 9 stated that they expected a return to a full, in-person learning model by April 5 which includes 5 hours of structured learning time per day. Students can choose, however, to remain remote through the end of this school year though it is unlikely that option will be provided next year. As full-time learning is the default model mandated by the Commissioner, a School Committee vote was not necessary to change models. The School Committee did, however, take a vote to approve the plan as presented that night since the start date was earlier than the one proposed by the State. It was unanimously approved.

Veneto went over the parent survey results which indicated that 84.1 percent of respondents were requesting a full, in-person return at six feet of distance with 78 students requesting bus services. Nine students were requesting to remain in a remote model. Veneto said that the school will be following state guidance for remote students by live “streaming” into the classroom.

Veneto said that the schedule for the revised model will be nearly identical to the pre-pandemic one with school hours being from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Masks and six feet of social distancing will be maintained. Some of the changes that allowed the school to maintain six feet of distance include moving one fifth grade class to the library, another fifth grade class to the art room, and changing a reading teacher to a first grade teacher for the remainder of the school year. In order for music class to be held, it must be held at 10 feet of distance; something the administration was able to arrange. Wind instruments will not be allowed. Music teacher Carla Pecinovsky thanked parents that donated to allow the school to purchase ukuleles to be used instead.

Veneto said that one of his concerns with the changes is the number of students being dropped off and picked up and the length of the lines. Veneto said he is working with bus drivers to ensure safe protocols are followed. Regarding lunch, Veneto said, “In order to accommodate the kids in the cafeteria, we can’t do it with our current model of having three lunches, so we’re going to increase up to five lunches.” The first lunch will be served at 10:45 am and the last at 12:30 pm. Only 50 students can be accommodated in the cafeteria at once at six feet.

Veneto said that next steps will be securing a letter of commitment from families stating their preference for live or remote and whether they will need bus services for Term three. “One or two kids will make the difference if we can do this at six feet,” Veneto said. Based on survey results, he expects that it will work out. Wilhelmsen asked parents to turn that commitment around as quickly as possible.

School Committee members expressed their gratitude toward Veneto for coming up with a feasible plan that still allows students to remain six feet apart. “I don’t take sole credit for this; this was a lot of people working hard and collaborating and trying to think about what’s best for our kids,” Veneto said. Wilhelmsen said that he wanted those on the call to know that the plan that was proposed was largely the one that was pushed for by parents during the February 22 call. “I think this is right for us at this point,” he said. He also thanked the parents for participating and being part of the discussion.

A parent of a Cohort C student asked if there had been given any thought to allowing the previously fully remote students to gradually work their way into a full, in-person model beginning as hybrid. She called it “daunting” to go from full-remote to full, in-person. “I think the tricky part is that the hybrid model is basically not going to be in existence in about two and half weeks or so,” Veneto explained. He offered to have a conversation offline to see if something could be worked out. It was also confirmed that students on IEPs would still be getting all services necessary despite the model change. Several parents thanked Veneto and his staff for the new plan referring to it as “a relief.”

Protecting our valued and unique cranberry industry

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By Kathleen LaNatra

The cranberry industry is one of the true gems of our Massachusetts economy, and has been for over 200 years. The cranberry is our state’s leading agricultural product, and Massachusetts is home to more than 30% of the total cranberry-growing acreage in the entire United States. Much of that acreage is right here in our district. In good times, the crop value of cranberries has reached $100 million annually. Without question the cranberry industry is a significant business for us all.

Yet, it’s an industry facing very serious challenges. I have had the opportunity to get to know many of the cranberry farmers and industry leaders throughout the region and have learned firsthand of the struggles they face.

Several of their biggest challenges have included a significant price drop over the last decade, coupled with fallout from trade wars.

In 2008, a barrel of cranberries was worth about $58 a barrel. Ten years later, though, the price had dropped to $25. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association estimates the cost of producing one barrel of cranberries at approximately $35.

Industry leaders attribute the price drop to crop surpluses, along with a decline in demand for some of the industry’s most important products, including cranberry juice.

Then there are the recent trade wars. Over the last few years, for example, Chinese tariffs on dried cranberries increased from 15% to 40%.

The American cranberry industry had been working to open a Chinese market for cranberries, and had enjoyed some success. Between 2013 and 2018, American exports of cranberries had increased by 1,000%. But in the first half of 2019, after an increase in tariffs, sales were 45% lower than the previous year.

For this particular struggle, we hope to work closely with our federal legislators and the Biden Administration  to improve the export market for our cranberry growers.

Closer to home, cranberry farmers continue to seek solutions to their challenges. Some have considered leasing portions of their bogs to solar companies; others contemplate dumping a significant part of their supply and turning it into fertilizer or compost. Some hope that in so doing the decrease in supply could lead to driving up the prices.

Certainly everyone will be better off if the industry can continue to produce robust quantities of cranberries and find a receptive market.

There has been some effort to address the challenges the industry faces. A few years ago, the Massachusetts Cranberry Revitalization Task Force identified strategies to support the state’s cranberry industry, including funds to renovate and upgrade local grower bogs, implementing additional conservation efforts, and considering incentives to preserve retired bogs as open and protected space.

It’s unlikely that any single solution will be the remedy for all the issues that the farmers and industry leaders face. But we all need to try. As consumers, we should be proud of this unique industry and we can support it at the grassroots level by buying their products. Legislatively, in my role as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Export Development, it will be my priority to do everything I can to support our cranberry farmers and help them promote their product on a national and international stage.

The cranberry industry is an important part of our past, and present. I will do everything I can to assure that it remains that way in the future.

Regional committee ready to go back

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met Thursday, March 11, and unanimously voted an operating budget of $27,246,375 as the amount deemed necessary for the operation of the Silver Lake Regional School District for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.   The debt budget covering the construction of the Silver Lake Regional High School,  $1,469,030.90 for the 2021-2022 school year, which is part of the towns’ assessments – also passed unanimously.  Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx pointed out that the budget reflects more than $160,000 in budget cuts that were requested by the committee.

Halifax’s Town Administrator, Charlie Seelig, spoke to the board at the beginning of their meeting, asking them to consider carefully.  “Things are tight, tighter than they have been in a number of years.”  Seelig said that Halifax right now does not have the revenue needed to cover the increases proposed by Halifax’s departments ….”

At this point, he said, the finance committee is putting in numbers that are level funded from last year.  From there, they will add in the contractual obligations that have to be paid like health insurance and retirement, and salaries.  If there is money available, the next thing they will put in is step increases, no matter what department they are in, per the various contracts or through the Halifax Wage and Personnel by-law.   Only after that, will the Finance Committee start considering increasing wage accounts.

Seelig brought up the article submitted by the school committee to the Town Meeting warrant to fund restoring tennis courts at the High School for $130,000.  He said this is in addition to the towns’ local assessments.   It should be considered, but taxpayers should make a decision as to what is more important, tennis courts or other parts of the budget.  “Money is money,” Seelig said, “and it’s going to be the same dollar from the same sources that are going from Halifax to Silver Lake.” In terms of the total assessment.   Seelig said that everything is in flux because there is no state budget yet so state reimbursements aren’t available yet.

Chairman Paula Hatch opened the meeting to the public and heard from Madelyn Dooner who sent the results of a petition she started asking that students not go back to school for the remainder of this school year.  She told the board that many parents and students do not feel comfortable going back for this fragment of a school year, citing scheduling conflicts and that while remote learning will still be there for those who have chosen it, it will now be done through a third party, “so it doesn’t seem like it is going to be the same experience for everybody.  It’s not going to be like a fair experience.”

Hatch responded by saying that the state has now stepped in and they are making the rules and the Silver Lake School District is mandated to follow them.  Hatch assured her that the committee is taking all of the concerns of parents and students very seriously and the remote option is not being taken away.

Michelle Taylor, a parent of a soon to graduate senior, asked the board to support letting the senior class remain as they are.   Taylor told the board that she works for the state as a school licenser, so she’s  well aware of COVID regulations and have been helping schools since last March a year ago with re-opening and health and safety plans …  “so I know the intricate details that you all have to manage … that  having been said, putting my parent hat on, I do feel  that these students that have been brave enough, and I applaud them, through petitions and speaking tonight, and in the past, I’ve heard from my own child and other students in particular the senior class, ‘Why change it in the fourth quarter?’  There are only six weeks left until the end of school, and although a hybrid schedule is certainly not ideal, by anyone’s stretch of imagination, it is consistent at least.“

Chairman Hatch thanked her and said she is sensitive to the seniors in particular  and “we do understand what’s happening, what they’ve been deprived of, and are trying to make it as easy a time for the next couple of months and to have it be enjoyable for the time they have left.”

Michaela Gill, principal of Silver Lake High School, gave the board the latest iteration of her plan to have students return to full time classes in the high school, a plan that has had to change several times based on changes in the requirements from the state.  Currently, however, there is no date from the state when high school students must return to full in-person learning.  “We are ready and eager to welcome all students back to school,” Gill told the board.

Middle School Principal Jim Dupille told the board that as of March 9, DESE has mandated that all middle school students must return by April 28.  He has constructed a plan for full in-person return to school, in fact several plans, as they have needed to be reconfigured to meet the ever-changing guidance from the State Department of Education.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jill Proulx responded to committee member Summer Schmaling’s question of asking the Department of Education for a waiver to return to full in-person schooling, pointing out that the Silver Lake High School does not meet any of the criteria listed in the guidance from the Dept. of Education.  “I want to reiterate, especially for families and students who may be listening, that the reality is that the Department of Education has mandated that we are required to return to full in-person schooling by May 4.  That’s what we’ve done.  This is remarkable work in a very short period of time on behalf of students.  There are bound to be issues, so I ask the community to be patient.  This is a very tall order to be done in a very short period of time. …   Students will experience this differently, but as a community we will be supporting our students as well as we can.”

Dupille said it is his plan to return students to full in-person schooling when they come back from April vacation, April 26.  He said that in summary, students will get new schedules, teacher schedules will change, some electives will not run in the remote learning environment, remote electives will shift to in-person, and some electives may not be able to be run.   Term III will end April 16; term IV begins April 26.

Dupille said he may need to rent three tents to take advantage of outdoor spaces for band, chorus, and wellness.   The tents can be put into use in many ways, at a cost of $2200 for each tent for six weeks.

Crone said that  separating the two schools, middle and high, seems like a much easier way to address the problem.   “It seems like the middle school is much easier to return to school.  The high school, I still don’t think it is.”   Recognizing  that we don’t have a choice.  If the commissioner comes back in April and doesn’t  have  a return date for high schools, if he comes back and puts it back to the local systems to choose, I would choose to leave it as is for the  four to six weeks that we have left.

Committeeman Gordon Andrews asked the committee to authorize Eric to write a letter of unappreciation for all of the shifts of changes.   We think we’re near the deadline and they shift again.  The number of meetings, the hours of work trying to implement their changes, “I think we need to speak up and let them know that it’s not okay.”

Leslie Ann McGee applauded everyone, staff and administrators, for the work that has been done.   “I want to make sure that the public understands that as we make these plans, not only does the Dept. of Education change the goal posts, they change what they look like.  Plans that worked no longer are acceptable and there is no guarantee that the plans in place now won’t become obsolete at the DESE’s whim.”

Mike Antoine said that he agreed with Eric Crone; if Commissioner Riley sends the high school decisions back to the local level, “Let’s stay the course… if that’s an option.”

Crone made a motion to ask the committee to authorize him to write a letter stating that SLRHS would like to make their own decisions regarding high school return to all in-person learning.  “We can write the letter, but we don’t have to do it.”   Eric Crone will draft a letter for Hatch’s approval, and the vote was unanimously in favor.

Until they hear from DESE, Principal Gill has her plan to bring students back fully May 3.

New act could mean loss of grant money

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The Feb. 18 Halifax Planning Board meeting began with Attorney Amy Kwesell present to discuss drafting a defendable decision with regard to site plans and special permits and answer any pertinent questions in order to better inform new Board members and refresh older ones. She also presented on the Housing Choice Act of 2020. Some of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) members were also on the call. Kwesell has been practicing law for 21 years with a special interest in land use and is a teacher for the Continuing Legal Education and Zoning Conference.

Kwesell explained the Housing Choice Act of 2020 as part of the legislation that included the budget. “What this does to municipalities is they have some mandatory definitions… but one of the most important things is that they require multi-family housing in MBTA communities and Halifax is a MBTA community,” Kwesell explained. “A MBTA community has to have a district of reasonable size for multi-family housing permitted as of right; there can be no age restrictions and it has to be suitable for families with children… it has to be within a half mile of a commuter rail station,” she further explained.

If a community fails to adopt multi-family housing then they will no longer be eligible for grants through the Commonwealth including but not limited to Mass Works, Local Capital Project Fund, and Housing Choice Initiatives.” The MassDOT Complete Streets Funding Program is one such grant. The program provides technical assistance and construction funding to eligible municipalities.

Later in the meeting, Chair Alan Dias said that the Complete Streets Program had been submitted by the Board to the Highway Surveyor. He said that once past that part of the process, he would expect to hear from a representative of the program regarding which projects would make the cut. Board member Amy Troup asked, “Won’t we have to enact the new bill to be eligible for it?” Dias responded saying, “If we do not have some zoning districts that we will not be eligible; we’re eligible for the Complete Streets as of now under this program. If we don’t do something whenever the legislature agrees to give us whatever time frame, then we won’t be eligible after that but right now I believe that those funds have been sort of set aside depending on what we pick.”

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and MBTA will be developing parameters for multi-family housing. Kwessell said she was advising that towns not make changes to zoning until the parameters are released. Kwessell called the Act “not well thought out.”

She said the Act also allows for certain bylaws to be enacted without the two-thirds vote at town meeting. Additionally, some special permits can be granted with a simple majority rather than the normally required four-fifths.

Kwessell began her presentation on site plans saying that when an application comes before the Board, it is important to understand which bylaw is at issue. She said that the Planning Board has special permits for which they are the Site Plan Granting Authority (SPGA) while other special permits are granted by the ZBA. An SPGA may be the Planning Board, the ZBA, or the Board of Selectmen. Regarding site plan approval, Kwessell said, “the purpose is not to regulate the use, it’s to regulate how that use is implemented… there’s been no land court decision that upholds the denial of a site plan for an as of right use… you can’t deny it, you can condition it.” She continued, “With the special permit process there is discretion so there is a difference between special permit and site plan approval.”

When a site plan review application comes in, the Board is required to circulate it to all of the various Boards that need to see it. Next steps would be conducting the public hearing where the Board has quorum, close the public hearing, deliberate, and then vote. During the public hearing, public participation is allowed though it may be limited by time constraints. “Best practices for just conducting these hearings, you want to be respectful to the applicants and the public; you want to keep an open mind, avoid conflict of interests. If there are any conflicts, any question of conflicts, you can always call the attorney of the day,” she said. She also said that an extension from the applicant must be in writing and must provide enough time for all necessary steps to be made. “You want to perfect the decision which is sending it to the Town Clerk’s office,” Kwessell explained. Kwessell said if a motion is made to approve the decision and it fails, the project is denied and it is not necessary to take a vote to deny the project. All decisions must be recorded and filed with the registry.

Once an application is filed with the Town Clerk, it is dispersed to the Planning Board, the Board of Health, the Building Inspector, the Highway Surveyor, the Water Commissioners, the Zoning Administration, the Board of Appeals, the Conservation Commission and the Board of Selectmen. The various Boards then have 30 days to submit feedback to the Planning Board. The Planning Board must explain any divergence from the other Boards’ recommendations in their decision. “The courts have held that for a use allowed as a right, a Board may deny site plan approval only in situations where a plan is seriously deficient in important elements or is ‘so intrusive on the interests of the public in one regulated aspect or another that rejection of the Board would be tenable,’” Kwessell read to the Board.

Kwessell described a special permit as serving to “regulate that special middle tier of uses.” She continued, “There’s uses that are so offensive they’re prohibited and then those that are you know very innocuous and they’re allowed, so then you have this middle section that’s what I consider special permits.” A special permit cannot be refused for reasons that are not in the bylaw and the statute is not more detrimental. Kwessell also added that you cannot base your decision on the applicant but rather on the project. If there are already special permits issued that impact the neighborhood, the Board is not allowed to deny what Kwessell referred to as “the last guy” if the impact is of the same caliber as previous ones.

For a special permit, a public hearing is required within 65 days of filing and a decision within 90 days. For a five-member Board as in Halifax, special permits require that four out of the five vote in favor. The public hearing must be published at least fourteen days out from the hearing.

Following Kwessell’s presentation, Board member Gordon Andrews asked what the role of the Planning Board was in site plan enforcement. “Under your bylaw the enforcement is by the Building Inspector or a designee designated by the Board of Selectmen,” Kwessell said. “So the Planning Board doesn’t go out and police it?,” Andrews reiterated. “No,” Kwessell said.

Michael Joyce with Joyce Consulting Group, who was representing Brookside Construction, met with the Board regarding 300 Plymouth St. Joyce showed the proposed site plan which included the intersection of Plymouth St. and Monponsett St. He said there were six commercial units in the building including Verizon and a bike shop. He said they were proposing a solution to correct a drainage issue that would entail collecting all the stormwater the same way, put new pvc but then bring it out below grade at the curb line to two infiltration areas. Stormwater had been going into the building during some larger storm events. Board member Rick Perry said, “It makes perfect sense to me what they are trying to do there.” Dias recommended that they go before the Conservation Commission as well. Andrews disagreed as wetlands weren’t involved saying it did fall under the purview of the Planning Board to take it under advisement. Dias wished to clarify who did have purview over stormwater management.

The Board also discussed 0 Monponsett St. “If you go down 58 toward Plympton on the left-hand side there’s some concrete blocks there and it’s listed as 0 Monponsett St. and it looks like there’s a stump dump going on in the back,” Andrews explained. He further said that there was a gravel operation and a loom operation with trucks going in and out. Andrews said he had received numerous calls questioning what was going on, what the hours are, and where the site plans are. “There’s a business operation there and it doesn’t look like there’s a site plan,” he explained. Dias asked Andrews for more information and Andrews said he would get a lot number and a map. Dias seemed to think it might better fall under the purview of the Zoning Enforcement Officer.

At the end of the meeting, there was significant disagreement over the meeting minutes from October 15 and whether or not Troup had approved the version that were sent to the town clerk. Planning Board secretary Jo-Anne Snow said that she didn’t make any edits to the minutes that were approved though Troup seemed to feel that a line had been deleted about using Chapter 90 money being spent on engineering to apply for grants. Troup asked that the removal be added back in and everyone on the Board re-sign the minutes. Dias recommended tabling the conversation as all the members that had previously approved the minutes were not present. Troup said, “We do not need a re-vote, what we need is for that to be put into the minutes and that is all that needs to happen.” “We’ll just move that off to our next meeting,” Dias finally concluded after quite a bit of back and forth.

Schmaling named to regional board

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen held a special meeting on Wednesday, March 3 to interview and select a candidate from the town to fill a vacancy on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. The position would be a two-month position to fulfill a current term until the election in May. Selectmen Chair Tom Millias said he would encourage any candidates not awarded to the interim position to take papers out and run during the town election.

Representing the Silver Lake Regional School Committee was Chair Paula Hatch as well as Gordon Andrews who was acting in his role on the Regional School Committee rather than as a selectman. Millias and selectman Troy Garron were there to represent the Halifax Board of Selectmen.

The first candidate interviewed was Jessica DiBona, a teacher with over twenty years of experience. “I know that there is a lot of work that has to be undertaken by the School Committee in the coming months and I just want to give a hand helping out with that; I know many hands make light work of a big task so I just want to volunteer to help,” DiBona said. Garron asked DiBona if she felt that she would be biased as a teacher while negotiating contracts with other teachers. DiBona responded, “no, because I am a parent first.” Millias asked her how she felt about school returning full-time and DiBona replied, “It’s time to go back, I think there are proper safety precautions in place for the teachers and the staff.”

Hatch, who thanked all three candidates for expressing interest, asked DiBona about where her priorities would be when needing to reduce a budget during the drafting and reviewing process which is currently underway. “You have to try to make cuts that are going to affect the least amount of kids as possible… you need to find a way to work with the resources you have and maybe see how teachers can step up in other ways in more ways than one to maybe fulfill a need that two people were doing before,” DiBona said. DiBona also said she was on the School Council with Silver Lake Regional Middle School Principal Jim Dupille for two years during the budget process. “I saw the school view impact of how that plays out,” she explained, acknowledging how tough it can be when you may have to cut school personnel.

The next candidate interviewed was Summer Schmaling who has served for seven years on the Halifax School Committee; six of those as Chair. Schmaling said she has a daughter at the high school and a son who will soon be entering the Middle School. She told those assembled that she had already pulled papers and would be appearing for a position on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee during the election. Schamling alluded to the current budget crisis as well as the impending superintendent review and said she is on the Admin Review Committee as well as Union 31. “It’s kind of a tricky time of year for somebody to jump into and fill a vacancy on a board, so when I saw there was a vacancy and knew I was going to run for Silver Lake, I thought I would be a valuable asset to the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, bringing my expertise of dealing with the budget and the complexities of trying to return our children to school.”

Hatch asked Schmaling about balancing her responsibilities to both the Halifax Elementary School Committee and the Regional one should she be awarded the position. “It will be a very busy time as you know,” Hatch said. Schmaling, who said she is the kind of person who functions well under high stress, said, “I am aware of that and I am aware that I also serve on relatively busy subcommittees also, that’s part of the process. I feel that I have done a pretty good job over the years being a parent and being Chairman of the Halifax Elementary School Committee and working full-time and many other things I have done for myself and this community.” Schmaling also noted that she has been to every town meeting since moving into Halifax 11 years ago.

As he did with DiBona, Millias asked Schmaling what her thoughts were on the children returning to school full-time. “Oh I’ve been a very strong and vocal advocate of a full five day in-person return and in fact I made the motion on the floor for the elementary to return,” Schmaling said. Millias said, “You’ve volunteered for a lot of things for a lot of years and we’re grateful.”

The final candidate was Marline Amedee who said she is both a mother, a social worker, and a small business owner. Amedee said she has been interested in serving in some capacity since moving to Halifax noting that she had previously submitted applications including for the Halifax Elementary School Committee. Like Schmaling, Amedee noted that she intends to pull papers for the coming election. “I believe that the budget is an issue for all cities and towns in Massachusetts right now because we are having an unprecedented moment right now,” Amedee said. “I want to be part of that conversation to bring a fresh idea, a new opinion… and work with teachers and administrators to see how we can serve our community better,” she continued.

Amedee also spoke about challenges, including mental health struggles, facing students at home that may be affecting them at school as well. “We want to have people in school to help them, support them through those challenges especially during this unprecedented time.”  Hatch asked Amedee to elaborate on what kind of social and emotional issues she has seen children facing during the pandemic in her job. She also asked how Amedee felt that these issues should best be dealt with given budgetary constraints. “One thing that we can do, if we cannot do anymore hiring, is that we can train teachers in mental health first-aid; train them and give them the support that they need so that they can support the kids in school,” Amedee said. She further acknowledged that there would be no one thing that would fix it all saying that it would be a “process.”

Andrews asked Amedee how quickly she felt she could get up to speed on the budget process given the short duration of the open position. Amedee said she was a “fast learner” and said she has the time to learn at a fast-pace. Millias asked Amedee the same question regarding a return to full, in-person learning that he asked the previous two candidates. “We must do everything possible to have our children back in the classroom full-time and also following up with the state guidelines and prioritizing the safety of everyone.”

Following the interviews, Millias opened the meeting to any motions including those to appoint someone to the Committee. Hatch began by saying that the Silver Lake Regional School Committee has lost three members in the last ten months noting how challenging that has been. Speaking about the superintendent review and the budget process, Hatch said, “Given those two things being really the crucial two things that the School Committee needs to tackle in the next two months, I’m going to make a motion… to appoint Summer. I do so because of Summer’s background and experience already with the budgets and the overall School Committee experience.” Andrews seconded the motion. A roll call vote of the four voting members of the Selectmen and School Committee was then taken. It was unanimous in favor of appointing Schmaling to the interim term.

Mayflower Church selects new pastor

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KINGSTON – Mayflower Church, located at 207 Main Street, Kingston and which has served Kingston and surrounding communities since 1828, has selected Reverend Anton Brown to serve as the church’s new Pastor.

Pastor Brown comes to Mayflower from Kentucky, where he has been studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, pursuing a PhD in Systematic Theology. He holds a Masters’ Degree from the same institution and is on track to have his doctorate completed in 2023. His area of study is theological anthropology.

The Millinocket, Maine native has served as Pastor at several churches prior to joining the Mayflower family. He was pastor of Bridgeway Community Church in Haledon, NJ, a multi-ethnic church in Metropolitan New York City.

Pastor Brown also was a “church planter,” having started Pathway Community Church in Newport, Maine, 20 miles west of Bangor. He had been attending First Baptist Church in Pittsfield, Maine, when he was recruited to start the new church. He recalls, “We reached out to neighbors and evangelized in communities around Newport to build the church.” Pastor Brown led the church for five years. During its history, the church grew to a membership of 110.

Pastor Brown recalls the conditions that existed in Maine in 2008 and 2009 when this happened. “The economy was still reeling from the financial crisis. In my last years there, we saw families move from the area. The positive, though, was that the church made a real impact on the local area. We in fact had three pastors in the congregation at one point. There were a lot of strong connections made there.”

Pastor Brown made a strong commitment to Christianity at age 18. “I was pretty much set on studying to be a doctor,” he said. But in May of his senior year, he changed direction from studying biology and enrolled at Gordon College, where he majored in Bible studies. The middle ground for him for a number of years was to continue studies at the University of Maine to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science and Nursing. He worked as a nurse until he was called to serve in a full time ministry in 2006.

 He met his wife, Amy, in high school. Amy is a career teacher and teaches English to Chinese students. They are parents to five children: Micah, Ethan, Noah, Seth, and John. Amy is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Biblical counseling and plans to build a Biblical counseling ministry.

 Pastor Brown’s interests include piano and photography. As a younger man, he was trained in jazz piano and later learned classical music. Of photography he says that he loves taking pictures of street and landscape architecture, and candid/random photos of people and things happening.

 He says of Mayflower, “There is a tight and strong sense of family here at Mayflower, and I am very pleased to be here and looking to build those connections and work with the community so that we all grow in our faith.”

 About Mayflower Church

Mayflower Church is located at 207 Main Street, Kingston, MA 02364. The church has a number of community outreach programs and services. Mayflower Church serves people on Cape Cod, as well as Carver, Duxbury, Halifax, Kingston, Marshfield, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, and surrounding communities. Reverend Anton Brown serves as Pastor. For additional information, please call 781-585-3167 or visit www.mayflowerkingston.org.