The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, March 14.
Selectman Jonathan Selig reported that the Fireworks Committee has found a vendor that has availability closer to the Fourth of July. He noted that some in town were disappointed that the fireworks have been held in June. The company, American Thunder, is a company that has provided fireworks for the town in the past.
Town Administrator Cody Haddad told Selectmen that he had a letter from Flower & Soul that they are committing to donating $10,000 to fireworks each year for the next five years. “They hope to grow the program and grow the festivities for the Fourth of July events,” Haddad said. Selig said, “I was on the Board in the summer when Brian the owner came in; I was very impressed; he’s very much committed to Halifax and this event…. He envisions it kind of back to what it was when there were events during the day and not just the fireworks at night… I thank him for his generosity.”
Haddad told the Selectmen that they had received two allegations of open meeting law violation. The first was for the joint meeting with the Finance Committee. The complaint was that the Chair didn’t state that the meeting was being recorded. Haddad noted that it was an oversight on the behalf of the Selectmen and that they plan to correct that moving forward. The second complaint was regarding the Feb. 28 meeting. The first allegation was that the meeting minutes from July 12 and November 12 were not accepted in a timely manner. Haddad said he wrote a letter apologizing for the delay and citing the difficulties with the change of hands in the Board of Selectmen. The second allegation said that the Board of Selectmen uses acronyms for things that are not clear to the general public. Haddad said that he doesn’t believe it to be a violation of the open meeting law but said they would make more of a conscious effort to avoid doing so in the future.
Selectmen had an appointment with Angel Guallpa Castro regarding a live entertainment permit for 122 Monponsett St. A translator for Castro said the event was a baptism and that the permit was requested through 1 a.m. Selectmen expressed some concern that the event time was quite late for amplified music. They also expressed some concern over the size of the event which was requested for 90 people. Selig said that if the 90 people could safely fit inside and the band shuts down at 9 p.m., it should be okay. He also verified that they would have enough parking for 90 people. A resident in attendance who said his parents live nearby expressed concern about other events in the past where loud music was played well into the night. The Selectmen again stressed that the music would need to end around 9 p.m..
Police Chief Joao Chaves said, “My only concern is, I need to make sure he knows that he can’t sell alcohol, he can’t have party guards, and he can’t be charging a fee. This is what happened during Carnival. Some neighbors were complaining and allegedly people were offered bribes not to call the police… you can’t have that as a private night club; it’s a residence.” Chaves also said that there shouldn’t be any advertising on social media. The Selectmen voted to move forward with the permit provided all of the guidelines were met.
Regarding the MBTA Action Plan, Haddad said that the technical assistance grant is open, and he will be submitting an application in the next week or two. He said they hope to get the Old Colony Planning Council on board to assist the Town in reviewing the feasibility and the overall process.
Regarding Morse Brothers, Haddad said they did conduct a site visit. Since then, an Executive Session took place on the matter. He said that the Town will keep people informed as soon as the information becomes public. Some in attendance pushed back insisting that they wished to be privy to the details. Selectmen Chair John Bruno stood firm that right now was not the time for it to be discussed in open session. “We are talking to them and we hope to have it resolved as quickly as we can,” Bruno said.
Haddad provided an update on the trainings for various Boards and Committees. He said that many sessions will be offered on open meeting law; employees are requested to attend just one. “There’s a lot to it [open meeting law] and this would provide everybody with the tools to effectively follow that law,” Haddad said.
Town Administrator Cody Haddad told the Selectmen that there is a vacancy on the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee that needs to be filled by a Planning Board member. He said that none of the current Planning Board members not already serving are interested in the position. He did note that a previous member of the Board had expressed interest and said that there are two at-large positions that also needed to be filled. Anyone interested should fill out a talent bank form.