On Tuesday, Feb. 28, Principal Assessor Karen Trudeau met with Halifax Board of Selectmen to discuss a potential solar field PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program at 69 Summit St. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig had briefly discussed the solar field at the selectmen’s meeting Feb. 14. Seelig brought new details to the Board’s attention this week.
Halifax would be working with SunConnect, a national solar company based in Naples, Florida. Nothing yet is finalized, but negotiations with SunConnect are taking shape, Seelig told the board.
Trudeau told selectmen, “The PILOT right now as it sits, is $24,699 per year for 20 years,” that would cover taxes on both the land and the solar equipment itself.
Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said the selectmen intend to take the solar PILOT proposal to the Special Town Meeting March 11. Selectmen Vice-chairman Thomas Millias suggested more information be provided beforehand, however, specifically, the exact number of solar panels that will be installed.
Trudeau didn’t know the number of panels, but said that five of the property’s 10 acres will be used for solar panels. Seelig said, “Just bring it (the number of panels) to Town Meeting; somebody else besides Tom might ask.”
If the PILOT is approved, this would be the second solar field in Halifax. The other is on Monponsett Street at the Halifax-Plympton town line on Route 58.
In other news, Seelig told the Board that Plympton selectmen have voted to contribute to the cost of an independent appraisal of the Silver Lake Regional School District land which five-acre parcel the town of Kingston wishes to purchase in order to put construct a new Kingston Public Safety Building. Both towns, Plympton and Halifax, want an independent appraisal done to confirm or rebut the $250,000 price that the School District has set. There will be a public hearing on the land sale on Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in the Large Group Room at the Silver Lake Regional High School, 260 Pembroke St., Kingston. All interested persons are urged to attend.
Tarawood Kennels
dog attack
Seelig told selectmen that another dog attack was recorded in Halifax, this time at Tarawood Kennels, 7 Plymouth St., resulting in injuries to a person. Seelig told the Board that the injuries are considered serious. Millias said he saw photographs and the attack looked serious. He suggested a dog hearing take place. Selectmen voted unanimously to hold a dog hearing on Tuesday, March 14.