The Halifax Board of Selectmen began their Tuesday, Sept. 28, meeting by interviewing candidates for the Town Government Study Committee. “This is a committee that the Board of Selectmen is setting up as kind of an advisory committee to consider basically all of our town operations… I don’t think it’s ever been looked at since 1734 frankly,” John Bruno, chairman of the Board of Selectmen said.
Josh Curtis was up first. He said, “We moved here five years ago from Hawaii after I retired from the service. I was Airborne Infantry; served in Iraq and Afghanistan – received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star of Valor. After separating from the military, we purchased a beautiful home in Halifax… and we just fell in love with the town. It has such a great community… and I just want to find a way to help based on my history.” He was asked several questions including how he worked with people who have different viewpoints than himself. “I actually worked with a Three-Star General… and we helped foreign armies actually improve their operations,” Curtis replied.
They also interviewed Kerri Sellers, who said she has been a resident of Halifax for five years. Sellers said she works in Cambridge for a Biotech company. “Over the course of my career, I’m actually the assistant to the CEO, so I’m pretty good at getting a consensus… I think that communication is something that would be an asset on this particular committee – being able to speak competently and also listen,” Sellers said.
The Board voted to appoint all of the candidates. They appointed Joshua Curtis, Mary Gravinese, Sandy Nolan, Kerri Sellers, and Jim Walters to the Town Government Study Committee, all to open terms. “I want to thank all of you folks for all of this,” Bruno said. Selectman Tom Pratt was named as the Chair.
The Selectmen also voted to appoint Walter Petersen as a Special Police Officer. Police Chief Joao Chaves also addressed the Board regarding littering and trespassing offenses in town. He said he hopes by next year to have people in place to make the laws regarding littering and trespassing more enforceable. Bruno said that another option is to ask the Parks Department to post signs asking people to clean up their trash, etc.
CPA presentation
Candice Kniffen appeared before the Board to give a presentation on the Community Preservation Act (CPA). Kniffen said that it was voted that the CPA appear on the ballot. She said that most people are unaware of what the CPA actually is and described it as “an assessment that the townspeople pay but also there’s matching funds that the State provides.” She continued, “but for 24 years we have felt that Halifax has left this money on the table.” She also said that 196 towns have adopted it, but in this area only Halifax, East Bridgewater, Avon, and Brockton have yet to adopt the CPA. She mentioned revitalizing the Blacksmith Shop in town. She said that CPA funding could allow for that as well as adding playground equipment amongst other things.
Kniffen said that the affordable housing portion of the Act was being confused with the MBTA Zoning requirements that the State has set forth. She said that some of the towns that have adopted the CPA have established renting assistance programs as well as repurposing buildings in town. Kniffen said that all nine members of the Committee are longtime residents who raised their children in Halifax and have volunteered in various capacities within the community for years.
Bruno spoke up saying that he believed that voting in favor of the CPA would benefit the town in the long run. Selectman Jonathan Selig said, “One of the battle cries from a lot of folks in Halifax is we want to preserve Halifax; we want to keep Halifax the special place that it is. In my opinion, one of the best tools we can have, is the CPA.” He called it a “no brainer” and said it was set up for exactly what most of the town wants.
Selectman Tom Pratt still had questions, however. He said he was unsure if they could cap the housing bucket yet. “If money was not an object, the CPA is a no brainer… one of the big concerns I’m hearing though… is the housing thing; I think if we could get an answer as to whether you could cap that ten percent bucket and make it mandatory spending, that would be helpful… in other words, if you’re collecting $100,000 a year and $10,000 has to go to the housing bucket, can we cap that at $20-$30 thousand to spend it on veterans, to spend it on rental assistance rather than put aside to buy multiple pieces of property.” He stressed that, in his opinion, the CPA was a no brainer minus the 10 percent housing. Selig said he “kicked the tires with the State” and doesn’t believe that it is possible.
Kniffen said, “The CPA gives us a lot of control in how we choose to do it, so I’m not sure that capping it is a solution.” I think people need to remember this was established to encourage towns to take care of things that they can’t do in their regular budget and to give them a way to do it without… having to go for an override because you’re in an emergency situation.” She said that the estimate for the average homeowner in Halifax were the CPA to pass would be an increase of $88 per year. “I’d rather do that then have my taxes continue to go up,” she said referring to an override. The Selectmen agreed to table the conversation until a later meeting.
Dog woes revisited
In the Aug. 30 edition of the Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express, reported a story about a dog owned by Tabor McSherry that was cited as a nuisance dog due to run-ins with neighbors and a neighbor’s dog. McSherry appeared before the Board again on Sept. 24. Asked what he planned to do as a result of the meeting in August, McSherry said he has plans to get the dog further training in November. “In the meantime, I’ve taken over muzzle training with the dog.So far that has worked out really well… when we’re off the property, he’s always wearing the muzzle… The backyard is surrounded by a 6 ft. fence,” McSherry said.