Frank Rabuffetti of Boy Scout Troop 39 proposed his Eagle project to the Halifax Board of Selectmen at Tuesday’s meeting.
His project involves taking out some fencing at the blacksmith shop and replacing it with a new one. Rabuffetti said he will remove the shrubs growing underneath and around the old fence before putting up the new fencing.
After removing the shrubs, Rabuffetti plans to add mulch. Selectmen Chair Kim Roy asked if any new shrubs will be added. Rabuffetti said he will only mulch as it will be lower future maintenance for the town.
The Halifax Board of Selectmen unanimously approved Rabuffetti’s Eagle project. He will start at the beginning of July and hopes to finish by the middle of July. Rabuffetti turns 18 in August, so this will allow him to get his Eagle project done beforehand.
Town Audit Team Hired
The Board of Selectmen hired Wakefield, Massachusetts based Powers and Sullivan LLC as Halifax’s financial audit firm for the next three years.
Firm partners Craig Peacock and Frank Serreti previously interviewed with a financial team appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Roy said this was the final step after the financial team picked from three finalists.
Peacock said their firm tries to do more than conduct the standard financial audits. Rather, he said, his firm tries to improve efficiency and help the town learn something. “As a firm, our goal is to add value,” Peacock said.
According to Peacock, a large part of adding value is how the business conducts itself. He said they have never missed a deadline and described Powers and Sullivan as “self-contained.” Peacock said Powers and Sullivan stays “self-contained” by bringing their own resources such as laptops and internet routers.
Selectman Troy Garron asked who in the South Shore Powers and Sullivan has worked with since Peacock said the firm is often in the area despite being a North Shore based firm. Peacock said Powers and Sullivan has worked with Lakeville, Carver, Abington, Plymouth, and Marshfield. Roy said she was pleased with this and some of Cape Cod towns the company works with because some of the communities are benchmark communities Halifax uses for comparison purposes.
As far as managerial contacts, Peacock will be the town’s onsite partner and work directly with the audit team. Peacock said he wants this process to have an open dialogue and said all comments the audit team makes will go through a draft process to make sure the team’s assessments are accurate.
Peacock said, “We will never blindside the town with comment. We’re here to work together.”
Halifax Establishes Zoning Bylaw Committee
Given the lack of a solution at Annual Town Meeting regarding the bylaw surrounding multifamily homes, the Halifax Board of Selectmen decided to establish the Zoning Bylaw Committee.
When speaking about starting the committee, Selectman Thomas Millias said, “Let’s clean up the language. Let’s present something that makes sense.”
The committee is set-up to be a nine member committee with a required five member quorum. Some of the members include Millias, Planning Board Chair Gordon Andrews, and Dan Borsari from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Andrews said he is looking for input from the general public. The committee currently has seven members, but said he is hoping two people want to step up to be a part of the process.
Halifax Elementary Siding Repair Update
The contractor working on making siding repairs at Halifax Elementary School sent a proposal request to the town citing the need to repair termite damage. Seelig said the damage is old and the school does not have any current problems with termites.
Other News
• The fireworks committee still needs volunteers for afternoon and evening activities. The fireworks are this Saturday, so call the Board of Selectmen’s office for more information on volunteering.
• The Board of Selectmen approved a $14,000 contract for Vertex to oversee the removal of aspestos as part of the school repair project.
• Roy is meeting with Plympton Selectmen John Traynor and others from Plympton to continue discussing a potential intermunicipal agreement between Plympton and Halifax involving Fire/EMS services.
The next Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 10.
Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.