Plympton-Halifax Express

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Halifax BOS approves host agreement

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A final decision on the Host-Community Agreement (HCA) with Bud’s Goods and Provisions was on the agenda during the Monday, Feb. 11, meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen. Alex Mazin, President and CEO of Bud’s, has been attending Selectmen’s meetings for several months now and has also held public hearings regarding his proposal for an outdoor marijuana growing facility.

River St. resident Leonard Teceno attended Tuesday’s meeting, apologizing for not bringing his specific concerns to the Board sooner. Teceno, who said that he had read the HCA, was questioning the section meant to protect abutters from nuisance issues related to the proposed facility. As written, the section defined abutters as those within 600 ft. of the property line and created a formal process for those abutters to file a complaint about Bud’s. Teceno pointed out to the selectmen that no one fell within that jurisdiction effectively making the section moot. Teceno said that residents on River St., Wood St., Pratt St., and parts of Thompson St. could all potentially be affected by the facility due to proximity. The specific nuisance in question was that of smell.

Teceno said that the language in the section of the HCA he was questioning appeared to have been lifted directly from the HCA between the town of Truro and High Dune Craft Cooperative for a proposed marijuana farm there. The farm in Truro is to be only 4,500 square feet whereas the one proposed by Bud’s will eventually reach 100,000 square feet. Teceno pointed out the difference saying that if 600 ft. is sufficient for a 4,500 square foot farm, it surely isn’t sufficient for one significantly larger.

Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig asked Teceno what he thought would be an acceptable distance from the property to qualify someone as an abutter. Teceno said he was unsure what would be fair but felt that those with residences on the streets he mentioned should certainly be included.

For his part, Mazin argued that despite the large size of his farm, the parcel on which he would have his farm is 47 acres and only a small portion of that would be used as farmland. Mazin also said that his business intended to utilize the land in a way that the actual growing would take place as far from neighboring properties as possible.

In the end, Selectman Gordon Andrews suggested listing the actual streets in the section pertaining to abutters rather than selecting a distance that felt somewhat arbitrary. Both Teceno and Mazin were satisfied with the proposed change. The selectmen voted to approve the HCA with Bud’s assuming that the language would be amended to include River St., Wood St., Pratt St., and Thompson St. up to Walnut St.

The selectmen briefly discussed regarding recycling abatements. Both Selectmen Chair Troy Garron and Selectman Tom Millias have consistently voted against granting abatements that were filed after the September deadline. Andrews, on the other hand, has stated that he doesn’t believe that residents should be made to pay for a service they aren’t receiving. Seelig agreed to setup a meeting between the selectmen and Recycling and Solid Waste to discuss the matter further.

Police Chief Joao Chaves attended Tuesday’s meeting where Seelig asked the selectmen to vote on establishing a video surveillance registry in town. Chaves first presented the idea during a selectmen’s meeting in November. The program would be completely voluntary and would allow residents or businesses with security cameras to register them if they so wished. The registry could be utilized by the police department so that if an event took place in the vicinity of someone’s camera, they could request the footage for use in an investigation. Seelig stressed that even if someone elected to register their camera, the choice to surrender the footage would still be voluntary. The selectmen voted to approve the creation of the registry.

George Latini had an appointment with the selectmen to request a change of premises for In Season Restaurant. The restaurant won’t be physically moving but Latini was hoping to extend the liquor license to include the entirety of the building as well as the three outside patio areas. The selectmen voted to approve the request.

John Sexton also had an appointment with the selectmen to discuss his proposal to build and maintain a library box. Sometimes referred to as little free libraries, these boxes are essentially small boxes where someone can take or leave a book.

Sexton said he would be building the box with the Cub Scout Pack 39. Sexton said that the scouts encountered one of these boxes in the woods during a hike in Pembroke and were interested in building one of their own as a community project. Garron asked Sexton who would ensure the maintenance of the box and Sexton said that he has lived in Halifax for ten years and had no intention of leaving. Garron also asked what would happen if there was overflow and Sexton replied, “if it fills up, that’s a delightful problem to have.” Sexton further said that he would be able to store the overflow and ensure that books were being stocked accordingly. Chief Chaves called the proposal “a great idea” and asked Sexton to be sure to make the box waterproof. The selectmen voted to approve the little library.

The selectmen and Chaves also discussed whether or not to allow non-residents to use the Lingan St. beach area. Last year both taxpayer non-residents and non-taxpayer non-residents came before the selectmen requesting rights to use the beach.

Some of the residents were considered Hanson residents but did pay a small amount of taxes to Halifax due to a small portion of their land being in Halifax. Chaves said that the police were frequently having to monitor the beach this past summer due to a lot of non-residents using the beach.

The selectmen proposed the possibility of non-residents being able to pay for a permit to use the beach. Chaves said he would reach out to both Kingston and Duxbury regarding the process as the selectmen said they would be interested in seeing if the idea would be viable or not.

Plympton asks ROCC why bill went up to $200,000

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In the absence of Chair Christine Joy, Vice Chair Mark Russo took on the role of acting chair during the Monday, Feb. 10, Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting. The meeting began with Russo, Selectman John Traynor, Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy, the entire Plympton Finance Committee, Plympton former Police Chief Patrick Dillon, Duxbury Fire Chief Kevin Nord, Duxbury Fire Captain Rob Reardon, and Director of Emergency Communications at the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (ROCC) Mike Mahoney seated around a table.

Russo explained that the purpose of the meeting was to address Plympton’s increasing dispatch fees with the ROCC. Plympton’s fees recently increased from $50,000 to $200,000 annually. Russo said that they were hoping to get a better sense of where those increases came from as well as how call volume was being assessed.

Reardon began by explaining a little bit about the history of Plympton joining the regionalized dispatch center. About six years ago, Chief Dillon approached them with problems he was experiencing with their current dispatch through the state. In short, Plympton felt that they were not being made a priority. “The difference between us and state police is you’re an integral part of our dispatch operation,” Reardon explained. As an example, Reardon referenced the previous Friday saying it was a particularly busy day for the four towns serviced by the ROCC, so the number of dispatchers was increased from 4 to 10 to accommodate the high volume.

Reardon also went on to say that there have been a number of benefits to the town due to the regionalization including the phone system at the police station, mobile data terminals, and better communications overall. Reardon said that the ROCC spent $800,000 this past year in order to improve communications for the sake of firefighter and police officer safety. Chief Nord, who also acts as department head at the ROCC, said, “You’ve gotten a tremendous amount of product for belonging.” Mahoney added that including just big-ticket items, Plympton has seen $193,000 worth of development funding this past year. Nord stressed that Plympton should think in terms of the big picture and all the infrastructure improvements they’ve seen, when reviewing the annual fee.

Mahoney addressed Plympton’s increase in call volume and explained how call volume is assessed. “There is no perfect metric to use to know exactly how much of an impact any one community has to a dispatch center because there are so many shared resources,” Mahoney explained. The call volume for Plympton in the last year was 15,000. Duxbury stood at 32,000, Halifax at 12,000, and Rochester at 12,000. Mahoney explained that for every item that gets logged into the records management system, a tick is added to the call volume tally.

Traynor questioned the numbers saying, “We’re less than half the population of Halifax and yet we have more call volume.” Nord explained that it was difficult to estimate what impact Plympton would have on the dispatch center initially as there really weren’t any good records to work from. Nord went on to say that initial estimates were low and stressed that Plympton is actually a very busy community with lots of traffic stops and EMS.

Mahoney said that much of Plympton’s call volume was due to building checks and motor vehicle stops. Traynor said that he assumed those things were going on in the other towns as well but was told that they were, but not to the same extent. Mahoney said that Plympton has strict traffic monitoring.

Chief Dillon said that of the 15,000 call volume, 9,000 of those were just building checks. “That’s 9,000 numbers that are sort of being, we feel, treated just the same as a domestic disturbance response or a car crash in one of those other towns.” Dillon proposed a possible weighted system where a building check might be worth half of a point whereas another type of a response might be worth two points.

Nord said that if Plympton were running a dispatch center on their own of the same quality, they would likely be looking at paying fees in the $400,000 to $500,000 range. Nord did apologize for the sudden spike in fee, however, saying that they should have begun slowly adjusting the number sooner.

Russo acknowledged that the town was aware and appreciative of the great service they were receiving. “We surely want to pay our fair share, it just doesn’t feel like this is our fair share,” Russo said.

Russo also asked about the likelihood of other towns joining the ROCC and was told that Hanson has already signed on and that several other towns are potentially joining as well. As of right now, the ROCC has the potential to more than double with a new building capable of handling a population of 100,000. The ROCC has also gone from five dispatch seats to fifteen. The potential for growth means that other towns would be sharing the burden of cost.

The meeting was very amicable with all sides agreeing that they just wanted to come to a resolution that would be satisfactory to all involved. The ROCC agreed to look at the potential of a weighted system and the Board of Selectmen and Dennehy agreed to come up with a number somewhere between $50,000 and $200,000 that would work for the town.

Playground proposal is ADA approved

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The Monday, January 27 Plympton School Committee meeting was the last one for Joy Blackwood. New Superintendent Jill Prolix and new Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch began in their new positions on February 1.  Lynch, who received his undergraduate degree at Notre Dame and Master’s from Brown, was a classroom teacher for many years, a department head, and most recently the principal at Gates Middle School in Scituate. Proulx and Lynch previously worked together in Scituate. Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said to Blackwood and Proulx, “Well done to both of you for being able to organize this and leave us in very good hands.”

Playground Update

Vice Chair Jason Fraser gave a presentation on the recent developments with the new playground to be built at Dennett Elementary. Fraser and Dennett Principal Peter Veneto have been working with Joe DuFour of O’Brien and Sons on the schematics for the playground. Fraser explained that last year they met with the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), CASA, and other stakeholders in town to go over the preliminary design. The takeaway from that meeting was that the town would like to see the playground be even more accessible to all students in the community. As a result, DuFour, Veneto, and Fraser had a lengthy meeting to discuss further changes to the design.

DuFour suggested taking away the wheelchair swing as it can actually be isolating. It was suggested instead to include a sway fun that would include a ramp to make it accessible to students with mobility issues. It would also be open to all of their peers. Of the sway fun, Fraser said, “It’s a good time; I’ve been on one on the fully accessible playground in Braintree.” The bank of swings will also include two accessible swings. The final item that Fraser said they would like to see included is called a “We-Go-Round”. The “We-Go-Round” would be fully accessible, have rubber matting that a wheelchair can travel over, and would be perfectly flush to the ground for easier accessibility. “If we added the “We-Go-Round”  element, I really think we would have a playground that we could hang our hats on for the next twenty-five or thirty years,” Fraser said. In order to afford this feature, however, Fraser said that they would need to access this year’s school choice funds.

Fraser said that the current playground design is estimated to cost $228,000. The cost goes up to $242,000 if the “We-Go-Round”  is included. That cost would include the excavation, leveling, putting filling in, placing sidings, and adding rubber matting. The cost of all materials and the installation are also included in that total. Fraser said that the addition of the school choice funds would give them $258,000 to work with while maintaining a $16,000 contingency. Fraser also proposed the possibility of completing the playground in stages to ensure that the contingency isn’t being depleted before proceeding with the next stage.

As of right now they are leaving out a ramp that would extend from the building to the playground. Fraser suggested possibly reaching out to the community for in-kind donations to build the ramp. Donating the old playground for scrap metal was another suggestion.

“At this point, we’re not taking any money from the operating budget; we’re not coming back to the town asking for any additional funds from CPC or from capital. We’re really trying to do this on our own, but we want to make sure what we put in was meeting the initial needs which was safety, accessibility, and modernization,” Fraser explained. Timing-wise, Fraser said that if they are able to use the school choice funds, they could likely complete construction over the summer and have the playground ready for the beginning of the next school year.

Wilhelmsen said that he had received an email from Plympton selectman Mark Russo asking for an update on the playground. Wilhelmsen said it might be a good idea to give a presentation in-person at a selectmen’s meeting.

Legislative Update

Fraser said that the Governor Baker has released the budget. The budget fully funds the first year of the Student Opportunity Act, a $1.5 billion investment in Massachusetts public schools that aims to help low income students, in particular.

Fraser recently had lunch with Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) to ask questions regarding the $30 per pupil allotment for Plympton in additional state aid under Chapter 70. Senator Lewis told Fraser that he doesn’t anticipate that number increasing, as there were dramatic increases in investments throughout the commonwealth. Fifty-seven percent of towns and cities in Massachusetts will be receiving $30 per pupil while forty-three percent will receive the vast majority of funding. Those in the forty-three percent are largely low-income communities and English learner populations. Senator Lewis did try to assure Fraser by telling him that Plympton would see some money from the Student Opportunity Act in the form of increased Circuit Breaker funds over the next three years.

Fraser traveled to D.C. last week to meet with the congressional delegation including representatives from legislature and someone from Senator Warren’s office. Fraser addressed the diminished amount of Title 1 funding seen in Plympton.

Principal’s Report

Principal Veneto gave a report on recent and upcoming events at Dennett. Yearbooks are available for purchase from now until March 31. Midterm progress reports went home on Monday, January 27. February vacation will be from February 17 to February 21. The Monday following vacation will be a service day for teachers and staff and students will not have school.

Veneto also shared that a former Dennett student come back to speak to Grade 6 at the Honorable Breakfast on January 7. The student spoke about their experience at both the middle and high school.

Budget Discussion

Blackwood spoke to the committee about the Plympton school budget. The public budget hearing will be during the next school committee meeting in February. Budgets must be voted in March to meet state law. Blackwood said that K-6 enrollment in 2010 was 245 compared to today’s enrollment of 226, up from a low of 199. In 2010 there were three students being homeschooled at the elementary level and one at the secondary level. Currently, there are no Plympton students being home schooled. Only one student is attending school outside the district due to school choice. While the number is small, Blackwood reminded the committee that it still represents funds that are being lost.

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable recommended the addition of a special education teacher. That request was not included in the version of the budget Blackwood presented as it was requested that it be a level service budget. Blackwood said that $44,000 would be returned to the town from out of district vocational funds. Blackwood suggested asking the town to use that money toward a variety of “one of” or periodic budget items. Possible items that could be paid for by that money include the inspection of the cistern for $5,000, 12 document cameras totaling $8,400, and instructional materials for the updated third and sixth grade social studies curriculum. Blackwood said that it would be best to start by finding out if the town is comfortable with transferring those funds or some portion of those funds to help reduce the budget increase. Those funds would need to be spent by June 30. Blackwood said that were the town to approve such a transfer, it could help offset the cost of a special education teacher, estimated at roughly $60,000.

Blackwood explained that some items included in the budget are placeholders such as the conservative 65% for Circuit Breaker reimbursement and the bus costs. The district will be going out to bids for buses and hope that the actual number will be less than what is currently in the budget.

The regular day budget increases by 3.22 percent or $78,949. The special education budget increase is 3.25 percent or $35,000; most of that increase is due to transportation. Blackwood said that if the special education teacher were added into the current budget the overall increase would rise to 4.35 percent from 2.71.

Blackwood also made one final plea to see band returned as part of the regular school day. According to Blackwood, making band available during the day levels the playing field as it gives all students an opportunity to participate and not just those that are able to attend an extracurricular activity.

Wilhelmsen thanked Blackwood for her years of service to Plympton saying, “I personally would like to thank you for six years of as much fun as we could possibly have had doing this. I do wish you the best and I hope you have great adventures and lots of them around the world. We’re going to miss you here.”

cessible to all students in the community. As a result, DuFour, Veneto, and Fraser had a lengthy meeting to discuss further changes to the design.

DuFour suggested taking away the wheelchair swing as it can actually be isolating. It was suggested instead to include a sway fun which would include a ramp to make it accessible to students with mobility issues. It would also be open to all of their peers. Of the sway fun, Fraser said, “It’s a good time I’ve been on one on the fully accessible playground in Braintree.” The bank of swings will also include two accessible swings. The final item that Fraser said they would like to see included is called a we-go-round. The we-go-round would be fully accessible, have rubber matting that a wheelchair can travel over, and would be perfectly flush to the ground for easier accessibility. “If we added the we-go-round element, I really think we would have a playground that we could hang our hats on for the next twenty-five or thirty years,” Fraser said. In order to afford this feature, however, Fraser said that they would need to access this year’s school choice funds.

Fraser said that the current playground design is estimated to cost $228,000. The cost goes up to $242,000 if the we-go-round is included. That cost would include the excavation, leveling, putting filling in, placing sidings, and adding rubber matting. The cost of all materials and the installation are also included in that total. Fraser said that the addition of the school choice funds would give them $258,000 to work with while maintaining a $16,000 contingency. Fraser also proposed the possibility of completing the playground in stages to ensure that the contingency isn’t being eaten into before proceeding with the next stage.

As of right now they are leaving out a ramp that would extend from the building to the playground. Fraser suggested possibly reaching out to the community for in-kind donations to build the ramp. Donating the old playground for scrap metal was another suggestion.

“At this point, we’re not taking any money from the operating budget, we’re not coming back to the town asking for any additional funds from CPC or from capital. We’re really trying to do this on our own, but we want to make sure what we put in was meeting the initial needs which was safety, accessibility, and modernization,” Fraser explained. Timing wise, Fraser said that if they are able to use the school choice funds, they could likely complete construction over the summer and have the playground ready for the beginning of the next school year.

Wilhelmsen said that he had received an email from Plympton selectman Mark Russo asking for an update on the playground. Wilhelmsen said it might be a good idea to give a presentation in-person at a selectmen’s meeting.

Legislative Update

Fraser said that the Governor Baker had released the budget. The budget fully funds the first year of the Student Opportunity Act. The Student Opportunity Act is a $1.5 billion investment in Massachusetts public schools which aims to help low income students, in particular.

Fraser recently had lunch with Senator Jason Lewis to ask questions regarding the $30 per pupil allotment for Plympton in additional state aid under Chapter 70. Senator Lewis told Fraser that he doesn’t anticipate that number increasing as there were dramatic increases in investments throughout the commonwealth. Fifty-seven percent of towns and cities in Massachusetts will be receiving $30 per pupil while forty-three percent will receive the vast majority of funding. Those in the forty-three percent are largely low-income communities and English learner populations. Senator Lewis did try to assure Fraser by telling him that Plympton would see some money from the Student Opportunity Act in the form of increased Circuit Breaker funds over the next three years.

Fraser traveled to DC last week to meet with the congressional delegation including representatives from legislature and someone from Senator Warren’s office. Fraser addressed the diminished amount of Title 1 funding seen in Plympton.

Principal’s Report

Principal Veneto gave a report on recent and upcoming events at Dennett. Yearbooks are available for purchase from now until March 31. Midterm progress reports went home on Monday, January 27. February vacation will be from February 17 to February 21. The Monday following vacation will be a service day for teachers and staff and students will not have school.

Veneto also shared that a former Dennett student come back to speak to Grade 6 at the Honorable Breakfast on January 7. The student spoke about their experience at both the middle and high school.

Budget Discussion

Blackwood spoke to the committee about the Plympton school budget. The public budget hearing will be during the next school committee meeting in February. Budgets must be voted in March to meet state law. Blackwood said that K-6 enrollment in 2010 was 245 compared to today’s enrollment of 226, up from a low of 199. In 2010 there were three students being homeschooled at the elementary level and one at the secondary level. Currently, there are no Plympton students being home schooled. Only one student is attending school outside the district due to school choice. While the number is small, Blackwood reminded the committee that it still represents funds that are being lost.

Administrator of Special Education Marie Grable recommended the addition of a special education teacher. That request was not included in the version of the budget Blackwood presented as it was requested that it be a level service budget. Blackwood said that $44,000 will be returned to the town from out of district vocational funds. Blackwood suggested asking the town to use that money toward a variety of one off or periodic budget items. Possible items that could be paid for by that money include the inspection of the cistern for $5,000, 12 document cameras totaling $8,400, and instructional materials for the updated third and sixth grade social studies curriculum. Blackwood said that it would be best to start by finding out if the town is comfortable with transferring those funds or some portion of those funds to help reduce the budget increase. Those funds would need to be spent by June 30. Blackwood said that were the town to approve such a transfer, it could help offset the cost of a special education teacher, estimated at roughly $60,000.

Blackwood explained that some items included in the budget are placeholders such as the conservative 65% for Circuit Breaker reimbursement and the bus costs. The district will be going out to bids for buses and hope that the actual number will be less than what is currently in the budget.

The regular day budget increases by 3.22 percent or $78,949. The special education budget increase is 3.25 percent or $35,000; most of that increase is due to transportation. Blackwood said that if the special education teacher were added into the current budget the overall increase would rise to 4.35 percent from 2.71.

Blackwood also made one final plea to see band returned as part of the regular school day. According to Blackwood, making band available during the day levels the playing field as it gives all students an opportunity to participate and not just those that are able to attend an extracurricular activity.

Wilhelmsen thanked Blackwood for her years of service to Plympton saying, “I personally would like to thank you for six years of as much fun as we could possibly have had doing this. I do wish you the best and I hope you have great adventures and lots of them around the world. We’re going to miss you here.”

Jumps

Volunteers for COA

Plympton Selectmen Vote to join GATRA

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During the Monday, January 27 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting, town administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that herself and Selectman John Traynor met with State Representative Kathleen LaNatra, Senator Michael Brady, a representative from the town of Halifax, and Francis Gay, the administrator of The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA). Dennehy said the takeaway from the meeting was that applying for membership in GATRA would only require a vote of the Board of Selectmen. GATRA would then vote in February to act on the request. Traynor said that membership would not cost the town any additional money.

College student and Plympton resident Emily Hayes attended Monday’s meeting to speak to her need for available public transportation. Hayes said that she had a brain tumor removed many years ago that resulted in a loss of her peripheral vision leaving her unable to drive. Hayes said, “I don’t really have freedom and I’ve seen the bus go by our street coming from Kingston and it always kind of stings a little because there is my freedom going right by.” Hayes’ parents also attended the meeting and her mother Susan Hayes described her many failed efforts to secure transportation for her daughter. Hayes said she reached out to MA Rehab but was told they don’t offer transportation services. GATRA told her they don’t provide services to Plympton and the MA Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired told them Emily didn’t qualify as she wasn’t visually impaired enough. In the end, the elder Hayes had to leave her part time job of 16 years to assist her daughter with commuting to and from college. Joy thanked them for telling their story saying, “It’s nice to personalize this… It’s very brave of you to come in and share your story.”  The Selectmen voted for the town of Plympton to become a member of GATRA.

Transfer station sticker dispute

A dispute over a sticker on a vehicle for the town’s transfer station took up more than thirty minutes of Monday’s meeting and included a trip to the parking lot to ensure the correct and visible placement of a sticker. The residents insisted that they always had a sticker on their vehicle while the employees of the transfer station said it was either placed in the wrong location or not present on the vehicle at all. The residents insisted they were being singled out and even described their treatment as harassment, something those working at the transfer station vehemently disputed. An earlier incident at the transfer station between those present at Monday’s meeting resulted in the police being called on the resident due to fear for the workers’ safety.

Selectman Mark Russo said, “Public service is difficult and you end up dealing with situations that can get kind of hot and I totally respect the work of our people at the transfer station and I know they have a tough job and I know that sometimes they catch some abuse for doing what their job is.”

Russo went on to acknowledge the confusion surrounding where the sticker was and was not present saying that as long as it is now properly affixed to the car and there are no further incidents, it would be best to move forward.  Selectman Chair Christine Joy said, “Let’s put this behind us and hope that we don’t have to talk about this again.” Russo added, “I would hope that the interactions at the transfer station can be done with dignity and respect.”

Right of First Refusal

There were two public hearings both concerning Chapter 61A right of first refusal. Right of first refusal gives a potentially interested party, in this case the town of Plympton, the ability to purchase a property prior to the seller negotiating other offers. Notice of the hearings were posted in the Plympton-Halifax Express. The first hearing regarded several acres of property on Lake St. and the second was for 17 acres on Main St. The hearings were first opened to those wishing to speak in favor of the town exercising it’s right of refusal and then to those against. There was no one present that wished to speak out for either of the properties in question.

Before heading into deliberations, Russo did let those present know that the selectmen requested recommendations from various town boards and committees including the Open Space Committee, Planning Board, Historical Society, Conservation Committee, Agricultural Commission, and the Community Preservation Committee. The Board did not hear back from any of those groups. The Board unanimously voted not to exercise their right of first refusal in both instances.

Housing Choice Grant for $93,000

Dennehy explained the next step in the Housing Choice Grant contract process to the selectmen. The grant is for $93,000 for a consultant to work with the Town Campus Committee to establish a master plan for the town center and hopefully establish some housing opportunities. Dennehy also told the selectmen that the Town Campus Committee wished to change their name to the Town Properties Committee. The selectmen voted to make the change official.

Traynor told the other selectmen that he would like to see the Board increase their social media presence. Traynor cited the success of the fire department’s social media sites.

More Communication

Traynor also said that he would like to see a meeting between various elected officials to deal with issues that arise outside of the purview of the Board of Selectmen.

Currently Dennehy runs an operations meeting where the major department heads gather to look at the state of the town and ensure communication across the departments.

Joy suggested the possibility of a quarterly roundtable discussion that would include both department heads and elected officials. Traynor agreed saying that he would like to see these meetings have a theme such as customer service. “I think sometimes we miss that the only reason we are here is as a customer service to the residents,” Traynor explained. Russo agreed saying it might also be beneficial to have a de-escalation training to help officials deal with challenging situations that may arise.

Cultural Council members needed

Dennehy addressed the need for members to join the Cultural Council. Dennehy pointed out that without an active Cultural Council, the town won’t receive money from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency. The grants are used to support a number of artistic and cultural projects throughout the town. Joy described the Council as “feel good” and suggested possibly reaching out to people currently serving on some other boards and committees. Dennehy said that she felt that people may be more likely to come forward to join if they realized that the town was in jeopardy of losing the funding.

Halifax BOS fills Planning Board vacancy

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The Tuesday, January 28 Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting began with a final interview for the vacancy on the Planning Board. Timothy Fabroski told the assembled Board of Selectmen and Planning Board that he owns a real estate and construction company and has been self-employed since the 1980s. Fabroski said, “I think the Planning Board could use me” and cited his experience on the other side of the table presenting before the Board. Selectmen Chair Troy Garron asked Fabroski his opinion on building in Halifax. Fabroski said, “I honestly think the more you build, the better.” Three other candidates previously came before the two boards; they were Alan Dias, David Mascio, and Ashley DiSesa.

Planning Board Chair Gordon R. Andrews said that the Planning Board was looking forward to having the vacancy filled but also said that he didn’t want to see someone with an agenda assume the position. Selectman Tom Millias made a motion to forgo a vote and wait until May to fill the position when candidates could pull papers and run against one another in the election. Garron seconded Millias’ motion. Planning Board member Amy Troup said, “I think that would be a detriment to everyone that stepped forward.” Troup, who said she would like to see the position filled by someone not currently serving on a board in town, suggested that the experience to serve between now and May would prove a good trial. All four current Planning Board members elected to move forward with the vote.

In order to secure the position, a candidate had to receive votes from four of the seven members of the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen. Millias nominated Dias and Selectman Gordon C. Andrews nominated DiSesa. Gordon R. Andrews, Gordon C. Andrews, Karlis Skulte, and Troup all voted in favor of DiSesa, awarding her the position.

Bud’s Goods

Alex Mazin of Bud’s Goods and Provisions came before the Board just as he did at the previous meeting to hopefully finalize a five-year Host Community Agreement (HCA) for his outdoor marijuana growing facility on River St. in Halifax. Halifax is set to earn 3 percent of Bud’s gross sales, the most allowable under MA state law. Should that law change, however, Halifax will also have a most-favored-nation (MFN) status, preventing Bud’s from entering into another HCA with better terms for another municipality without amending their agreement with Halifax.

Mazin, who grew up in Worcester and attended Babson College, has three retail licenses for a retail store currently under construction in Worcester, another potential one on the Abington/Weymouth line, and a third newly acquired retail license for Watertown. Mazin also operates a facility in Lakeville that he’s hoping to now use for manufacturing purposes; he will be transferring his cultivation license from this facility to Halifax. Mazin explained his belief that outdoor growing will revolutionize the cannabis industry as the environmental impact, cost factors, and sustainability of indoor facilities do not make a viable market.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig explained to Mazin that while a few final tweaks still needed to be made to the agreement, the selectmen’s intent is to sign the HCA. Addressing any final concerns the selectmen or town may have, Mazin said, “A community that lets us in, we want to make sure is benefitting as well because we are doing something very unique and historic and we’re all taking risks at some degree and some level and risk should be rewarded.”

COA happenings

Newly appointed Council on Aging (COA) Director Susan Lawless as well as two members of the COA Committee provided the selectmen with an update on the COA. Lawless said that the addition of a kiosk has allowed her to track participation in the various COA events. These statistics will prove useful as many of the grants Lawless would like to apply for require them. Lawless also said that the COA has purchased a minivan to help get residents to and from appointments. Seelig said that the town has two interested applicants for the vacancies on the Council on Aging Committee.

Town’s Campus

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Police Chief Joao Chaves, and Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward were all present at Tuesday’s meeting to discuss the town’s campus improvement concept. Chief Chaves explained some of the thoughts shared at earlier meetings including consolidating the police and fire departments into a new, single building, moving the Council on Aging into the current police station, and moving the water department and building maintenance into the current fire station (freeing up space for the highway department). Chief Viveiros recently surveyed all department heads regarding their most pressing needs. Millias said, “Everything is conceptual at this point, we need to get input and narrow it down.” The Selectmen agreed to the formation of a Campus Committee to further develop the global approach to improving the municipal buildings to better suit the various department’s needs. The hope would be to include the department heads and building inspector as members as well as to have representation from the Finance Committee, Conservation Commission, and any other pertinent people. The selectmen hope to have a response to the committee requests by their next meeting.

Memorial Day

The selectmen also voted to form a Memorial Day Committee per resident David Walsh’s request at their last meeting. Walsh, a member of the Halifax VFW Post 6258, had requested the formation of the committee, as well as asking that the military lead the parade and requesting more involvement between the elementary school and the veterans. Seelig said that he would request five members for the new committee that will be publicized.

Silver Lake budget

The Silver Lake budget was also discussed. Andrews asked Garron or Millias to attend the Thursday, February 13 public budget hearing to be held at 6 p.m. at the high school as he will be there in his capacity as a school committee member rather than a selectman. Seelig said that the proposed Silver Lake budget calls for a 3.84 or 3.34 percent increase. The selectmen and Seelig agreed that while increases may seem minimal in a single year, they are compounded over several years with the end result being a budget that isn’t sustainable for the town. Seelig also said that he wrote to Senator Michael Brady as well as Representative Kathleen LaNatra about the lack of state aid.

The selectmen, Seelig, and Chief Chaves also discussed the need for and method to pay for an additional 12 hours for the school resource officer (SRO) at the middle school. Currently, the SRO at the middle school is allotted only 8 hours per week, funded by the town of Plympton. The town of Halifax narrowly voted against funding their share of the requested 20 hours for the school resource officer during last spring’s town meeting. Currently, the town of Kingston fully funds the officer at the high school. Seelig said there will be an article on the warrant at this year’s town meeting to fund those hours. All parties are in agreement that there is a need for the officer to be at the school 20 hours a week, though the mechanism to pay for it has been disputed.

Oak Place repairs

Resident Bill Pond of Oak Place attended the meeting to share his concerns regarding the condition of his road and request help from the selectmen for all Halifax residents living on dirt roads. Millias clarified that Oak Place is actually considered an easement rather than a public road. Pond said that the efforts being made by the Highway Department to improve Oak Place are futile and requested that a roller be used. Hayward said that there isn’t enough money to purchase a large enough roller. Hayward also said that according to by-laws, the department is to only go out twice a year with a grader. Hayward further emphasized that they are not supposed to spend any extra money on private roads. Millias suggested to Pond that a place to start might be to petition to accept Oak Place as a public road. Currently the Highway Department rents much of their equipment and hires companies to do much of the work. Andrews suggested to Hayward the possibility of regionalizing with several other neighboring towns and hiring a crew and purchasing equipment to serve the collective communities. Hayward said he would look into the cost of such an endeavor vs. the cost of the current methods.

LEGO Fun at Holmes

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The Holmes Public Library in Halifax hosted a busy Lego Challenge on Saturday, January 25.

Children’s librarian Holly Lannucci had multiple tables setup in the community room with various challenges available for completion. Included among those challenges was the chance to try your hand at building a bridge from Legos capable of supporting the weight of multiple books. Larger Duplo blocks and Lincoln Logs were also available in the main area of the library for the younger cohort of guests.

Once completed, challenge goers had the option to put their creations on display on a shelf in the children’s section complete with a name tag to provide credit.

Lannucci said that the library will host these Lego Challenges every few months.

Halifax municipal buildings reviewed

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Many of the department heads were present at the Tuesday, January 14 Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting to discuss a feasibility study that was conducted for their respective buildings. Fire Chief Jason Viveiros had sent a survey to the various departments inquiring about the state of their facilities.

The library reported to have issues with acoustics, lack of parking, and overuse of the bathroom since the playground renovation.

The police department stated that their building is just too large for their purposes.

The fire department reported the most significant problems and expressed their desire for a new building.

Pope’s Tavern which houses the Council on Aging also has a number of issues including a lack of accessibility. Additionally, a front room on the second floor is closed down due to a leak in the ceiling. Maintenance Director Scott Materna said that they do not yet have an estimate for the roof repair.

Board of Selectmen Chair Troy Garron said that the requests would have to be prioritized.

John Campbell of the Municipal and School Building Committee said that outside help would be needed in reviewing and prioritizing the various department’s needs. Campbell suggested an article at the annual town meeting to ask for money to hire such help. Garron agreed saying that bringing on a third party would help eliminate in-fighting.

Memorial Day parade committee requested

David Walsh from the Halifax VFW Post 6258 had an appointment to meet with the Selectmen to discuss some of his ideas as well as his concerns. Walsh asked that either the color guard or honor guard lead the Memorial Day parade this year as it is a day dedicated to the military. In the past, the parade has been led by the fire department. Walsh also requested the formation of a Memorial Day Committee. Walsh said, “It’s a very sacred holiday; I don’t think any of us have to be reminded how important this day is as a remembrance. It’s so different from Veteran’s Day when we honor all veterans for their service. On Memorial Day, we remember those special people that are no longer with us who worked so hard to give us what we have today. It is so important for future generations to understand this.”

Walsh, who emphasized how important children were to the VFW, also addressed what he referred to as “patriotic awareness of the youth.” According to Walsh, the veterans have held programs such as veteran’s assemblies at many of the surrounding elementary schools geared toward kindergarten to third-grade children. Walsh said that the children give speeches and the chorus and band are often incorporated.

Walsh described one ceremony years ago where the students formed a big gauntlet for the veterans to walk through as children high-fived and thanked them. Walsh said he would like to see similar programs brought to Halifax Elementary school. Garron, who was very receptive to Walsh’s suggestions, asked that he put them into writing and submit them to the board.

Planning Board candidates interviewed

The Board also held several interviews for the vacancy on the Planning Board. No vote could be had on any of the candidates, however, since the Planning Board did not post a meeting and wouldn’t be able to vote.

The first candidate to come before the board was Alan Dias, a 40-year resident of the town and an elected official on the Board of Health for the last five years. Dias said that he has been a self-employed surveying contractor for the last 30 years who has represented clients before planning boards. He also said that he knows how to read sewerage and draining plans. Selectman Tom Millias asked Dias if he had both the time and desire to dedicate to the position and Dias replied, “Yes, I do.”

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked Dias if he was aware that as an elected official, he is unable to represent someone in front of a town board. “As a member of the Board of Health, I went back and looked at the Conservation Committee minutes, and you represented Brookside Realty before the Conservation Committee. You acted as their agent and as their representative,” Andrews said to Dias. Dias said, “That’s Incorrect.” Andrews replied, “That is not incorrect. It is in the minutes from 2017.”

Dias said he has no affiliation with Brookside Realty. “It’s also in the minutes from the Planning Board meeting in 2018 that you represented Mr. White,” Andrews said. Dias said, “Yes, Brad White is a friend of mine.” Dias and Andrews then went back and forth regarding whether an elected official can represent someone in front of a town board.

Andrews said the exception would be if you have a personal interest in a property and are representing yourself. Both Dias and the other selectmen said they would have to look into the rule further.

Anonymous letters sent to selectmen not  given credence

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the selectmen that he had received an anonymous letter about Dias. Dias said that while he had not read the letter, it was his understanding that the subject of the letter was similar to the accusations Andrews was making.  Millias said, “As far as anonymous letters go, if someone doesn’t have the courage to put their name on it, I don’t give it much credence because anybody can make any accusation against anybody anonymously – isn’t that brave,” Millias said. Garron agreed and the letter was not read.

David Mascio, who has lived in town for 4 years, was next to interview for the opening. Mascio said he has a background in construction with knowledge in heavy equipment, carpentry, and plumbing, saying, “I know quite a bit about a lot.” Mascio explained his reasons for wanting to serve as follows, “I’m trying to get on the Planning Board to help shake things up in this town – protect our by-laws that we have. I understand that there are some differences in the town with some things that are going on. I brought my kids here for a reason so they could grow up in a farming community, a small community, not to watch it get impacted and grow… There are things that this town will require if we do grow more than we can fit. I understand that there is plenty of land; let’s leave it that way is the way I feel.”

Mascio went on to say, “I mean nothing disrespectful by it, but I think we need to start moving some of the older politicians that are in this town – maybe its time for them to step aside and let some younger people that have families, that really care about where their families are going to be brought up in,” Mascio said. As with Dias, Seelig said another anonymous letter was received regarding Mascio. Again, the selectmen declined to hear the letter on account of its anonymity.

The final interview was with Ashley DiSesa, a Director of Operations for a home remodeling company. DiSesa, who has lived in Halifax for five years, has two children, one in the school system where she volunteers frequently and attends PTO meetings.

DiSesa said she has a strong background in reading plans, working with engineers, and understanding by-laws. My biggest reason for wanting to get involved is I grew up in Carver, two towns over, always wanted to come here and be a part of Silver Lake…

I plan on being here long term and really just want to make sure we are making good decisions for my children to be able to grow up here.”

DiSesa stressed that she would look beyond her own wants when serving, “I feel like I could make good decisions for the town as a whole.”

Millias told DiSesa that should she not receive the appointment, he would encourage her to seek another volunteer opportunity.

Buds Goods and Provisions host agreement change

The final appointment of the night was with Alex Mazin of Buds Goods & Provisions. Garron asked Mazin if he was looking for a final answer regarding his proposed outdoor marijuana growing facility in Halifax.

Mazin responded that he was but with some contingencies. Some amendments were still needed on both sides of the host community agreement.

Mazin was looking to increase the size of the building from 10,000 sq. ft. to 20,000 sq. ft. Millias pointed out that under Massachusetts law, buildings over 7500 sq. ft. require sprinkler systems. Mazin said that they may end up going with several smaller structures, rather than one large one.

The biggest change requested by Mazin to the language of the agreement was to add “indoor” in addition to outdoor.

Mazin explained that the only reason for the requested change was to allow for some vegetation to occur indoors in order to prepare for the outdoor season. Andrews suggested adding to the language that the indoor growing would be for propagation purposes only.  Millias agreed adding that he would like to see propagation defined in the agreement.

The Selectmen agreed to have the agreement amended as necessary before meeting to vote on Bud’s on Tuesday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Lynch is new SL Asst. Superintendent

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A joint meeting of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee and Union 31 was held on January 9 in order to interview and potentially hire a new assistant superintendent.

Newly promoted from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Jill Proulx told those gathered that she had previously worked with candidate Ryan Lynch for five years during her tenure as assistant superintendent in Scituate.  Lynch was the English Department chairman for the Scituate Public Schools from 2008-2015 before serving as principal of the Lester J. Gates Middle School in Scituate from 2015-2019.

Lynch, who grew up on the South Shore, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Notre Dame and completed his master’s degree at Brown University.

Lynch comes to the table with nearly two decades’ worth of experience as a classroom teacher in addition to his administrative roles.

Proulx described Lynch as having a “devotion to meeting the needs of all learners” as well as a “growth mindset.” “I think we would be very lucky to have Ryan on our team,” Proulx said.

“I am the product of a public high school. I believe in the power of schools and the value of public service. My mother is a retired high school principal and that really inspired me to see the kind of work that school districts can do to change lives,” Lynch told the committee and Union 31.

Regional School Committee Chair Jason Fraser said, “The build to this point in your career is rather unique as you were so long in the classroom and in the trenches, which is something that many of us have said many, many times that we really look for in someone coming forth in an administrative position.”

Many of those present took the opportunity to ask Lynch a variety of questions on topics such as “initiative fatigue” and charter schools. Those present were impressed with Lynch’s responses.

Jeanne Coleman, a member of both the Kingston School Committee and Union 31, was a part of the search committees that unanimously forwarded Lynch on as the sole candidate. Coleman said, “He’s very authentic and very positive. Every one of the questions that we asked him, which were pretty heavy, he answered very thoroughly and also with a lot of optimism for our district and also with a lot of knowledge about our district already.”

Regional School Committee member Paula Hatch said that she considered Proulx and Lynch’s time working together in Scituate to be a positive. Hatch said, “Sometimes it’s hard when somebody comes in to get a rhythm going… I would think there would be an immediate gel moving into the team and that’s a big hurdle that you’ve already jumped over and that’s a wonderful thing for the district that you’re already that much further ahead in the process.”

Lynch was unanimously voted through by both the Union and the Regional School Committee as the next assistant superintendent.

Regional Budget Discussed

Once the joint meeting adjourned, the regional school committee began their budget discussion. Superintendent Joy Blackwood said that herself, Proulx, and Director of Business Services Christine Healy have been meeting frequently to build the budget for fiscal year 2020-2021.

Blackwood said that version one of the budget came in much too high and that middle school principal Jim Dupille and high school principal Michaela Gill joined Blackwood, Proulx, and Healy in trying to reduce that number. They were successful in cutting $331,239 from version one without cutting staff. Blackwood said, “I’m sort of willing to cut most anything except staff; that’s always my last resort.”

The original version of the budget was coming in at 3.84 percent while version two came in at 3.34 percent. Much of what was cut was equipment including bleachers, technology items, and books. “We cut pretty much to the bone,” Blackwood explained. Blackwood said that finding cuts is quite difficult as 98 percent of the budget is fixed costs.

Decreasing enrollment

Blackwood said that enrollment has been decreasing over the last ten years but did note that the number of students being homeschooled has also decreased. Twelve students at the grade 7-12 level are currently attending school in surrounding districts due to school choice.

“I had not realized the numbers that we are losing to school choice,” Blackwood said. Of Silver Lake considering school choice, Blackwood commented, “Considering our financial situation and the fact that we have space, it may be worth considering going forward. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do but I think I would be remiss in not mentioning it as a potential source.” Currently there are 293 students enrolled in the career and technical education program (CTE), which accounts for 26 percent of the entire high school.

There are five retirements including some aide positions that will not be replaced, providing clean savings for the budget. Blackwood said that the addition of an allied health teacher as well as a nurse leader were not included in the current version of the budget. In order to seek Chapter 74 certification for the allied health program at the high school, a second teacher will need to be added. Half of the program, which is currently the most popular of all the CTE offerings, can be paid for through a grant but the other half, roughly $30,000, will need to be added into the budget. The position will be paid for by the additional Chapter 74 income but that won’t take Effect until the year after next. The nurse leader position would be a shared cost position were it to come to fruition. Several members of the committee said that despite the need for further cuts they would still be supportive of adding these two positions.

There are a few areas that may potentially provide further cost savings when the final numbers are received. A five percent increase is currently built in for health insurance, but that number may likely be as low as three percent, providing roughly a $56,000 savings. The district is going out to bid for the bus contract and the number currently entered into the budget is quite fiscally conservative. Blackwood said that they are hopeful to have those numbers finalized by the February committee meeting.

Perhaps the biggest hit to the budget is the contribution to the Plymouth County Retirement. The contribution this year is up $111,238. Blackwood and Healy said that they are at a loss as to why the large increase.

Principals Dupille and Gill both addressed the methods that have been taken for curbing the vaping epidemic in the schools as well as the approach to disciplining those found using vaping devices. A vape detection system was purchased and installed over the summer but has been malfunctioning since. Administrators reached out to the company and have since deactivated the system.  A new devices will be reactivated in the next few weeks.

Gill said that a task committee was formed to study discipline data related to vaping. What was found was that the traditional approach consisting of multi-day suspensions, etc. was largely ineffective in deterring use.  The school has started to develop a deviation program, based on the one used in the Belmont school district, that would provide education, support, and counseling for students to help with their addiction. Some students have done the Upper Academy in North River which is a 5-day program, in lieu of a suspension, that focuses on counseling and therapy and learning about what’s causing their addiction. The end goal is to start a four-week long program in-house at Silver Lake that would provide similar services. Gill said that another goal is providing a safe space where students can self-report and receive help.

The administration also recently partnered with the allied health program and the SADD (students against destructive decisions) program to unite students and staff together to combat the epidemic. The allied health students hope to reach out to students across all age levels in the district in order to help with education and prevention.

The SADD students are working on school PSAs to spread awareness about vaping and the dangers associated with it. Silver Lake Regional School Committee student representative Jake Twomey is enrolled in the allied health program and is also a part of the coalition of staff and students intent on working on a solution to the ever growing problem of vaping.

Twomey said that the students intend to do a presentation aimed at high school students, another one aimed at middle school students, and still another for the youngest cohort at the elementary level. Twomey explained that the hope is that the words would carry more weight coming from students. He also said that the goal is to focus not just on fixing the problem, but also on preventing it. A student support group is another idea that has been floated.

Dupille said that students undergo SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) screenings. Additionally, the school offers anti-vaping programs throughout the year including this past week’s Vaping Me Crazy led by presenter Michael DeLeon. Dupille stressed that such presentations are open to anyone and are not limited to middle school parents.

Vice chair of the Regional School Committee Eric Crone said that he has been alarmed at the number of parents and grandparents who believe that vaping is not addicting and mild compared to what people of an older generation were doing in school. The consensus among the committee was that oftentimes parents as well as students need to be better educated regarding the risks associated with vaping.

Superintendent Joy Blackwood Prepares for Retirement

Staff threw a retirement party for Blackwood to thank her for her many years of service at Silver Lake. During Thursday’s meeting, Gill said, “On behalf of Jim and I and all of our staff and our students Joy, we just wanted to express our heartfelt thank you for your dedication and service to this district. We’re going to miss you, wish you all the best in your retirement, and we just want to publicly acknowledge all that you have done for our students and thank you for that.”

Fraser said, “The biggest impact you’ve had on my life is the impact you’ve had on my children’s lives.”

Halifax Elementary budget proposed at 2.18% increase

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The Halifax School Committee began their Monday, January 6 meeting with a review of the budget. The meeting was the last for Superintendent Joy Blackwood before her retirement. Blackwood said that herself, new superintendent (former assistant superintendent) Jill Proulx, and Director of Business Services Christine Healy have been working on five budgets simultaneously.

The Halifax Finance Committee requested a level service budget during a meeting with administrators. As a result, requests for additional staff were not included in the budget being presented Monday. Those requests include an additional teacher for a much larger than average class size, a math coach, and a band teacher. Currently band is offered after school only and at a cost. Blackwood would like to see the program reinstated during school hours in order to allow all students to participate and level the playing field. It would be a shared position between Halifax and Dennett Elementary in Plympton. Kingston brought band back this past year.

Halifax Elementary School principal Kayne Beaudry developed three options to fulfill the need for additional help with the large grade. The most obvious, but most expensive, option would be to hire a new classroom teacher. Another option would be to move a classroom teacher from a grade with a lower enrollment, in this case the current kindergarten class. Another option for the current school year would be to reassign some support staff.

Blackwood said that the budget reflects a 65 percent reimbursement from Circuit Breaker, the state special education reimbursement program, although that number could be as high as 72 percent. According to Blackwood the special education numbers reflect that the school is meeting the current and anticipated needs of all students.

Four students are graduating from the out of district vocational program. Three spots will be saved for students that will potentially apply before the deadline in April. Unless someone moves into the town, $27,000 will be returned from this account to the town.

Utilities decreased substantially for the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget thanks to the new roof, new siding, and new doors. “Halifax invested heavily in this building and it is really reflected; we’re actually seeing real numbers… it’s pretty exciting to be able to say that and that’s not a sentence I can say in any other district.”

Enrollment in Halifax has been decreasing over the last ten years. In 2010 enrollment at Halifax Elementary stood at 652 and by 2019 it was down to 586. The same trend is seen for Halifax students at the secondary level. Homeschool enrollment has been holding steady around 5 students for the last few years. Additionally, 10 Halifax students attend school out of the district through school choice. The town receives no Chapter 70 funding for students attending school elsewhere (either through school choice or homeschooling). The good news is that the lower enrollment numbers mean a decrease in the assessment for Halifax whereas Kingston will see an increase.

The busing number that is currently in the budget is just a placeholder and Blackwood said that they hope to have a final number by February. There are no retirements in Halifax and thus there will be no cost savings related to that.

“We’re coming in at a very reasonable percentage increase, I think,” Blackwood said of the increase of 2.18 percent in the proposed budget thus far.

Halifax Elementary School Chairman Summer Schmaling gave an update on the Halifax Youth and Recreation Department (HYRD).  Director Dick Steele said they are moving into their winter phase with both town basketball and travel basketball kicking off.

Steele also extended a thank you to the school for the use of their facilities as well as the additional help they provide to make Holidays in Halifax a success. Steele will be in touch with school building administrators about redoing the floor in the gym during April vacation. The next big event on the radar for the department will be the egg hunt in March.

Beaudry reported on recent and upcoming events at the school. Beaudry spoke highly of the winter concert led by music teacher Brenda Lessard and performed by the chorus. “It is great to get everybody in the gymnasium all together,” Beaudry said.

A new event this year was the MARC (Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center) Assembly. MARC is part of Bridgewater State and the assembly, which is presented by a Bridgewater State student, focuses on anti-bullying and anti-cyber-bullying. “The presenter was amazing, really kind of knew all the current lingo and terminology and talked to the students on their level,” Beaudry told the committee.

The MCAS calendar is out and is available on the school website. The testing window for English and Language Arts (ELA) will be from April 13 to May 1.  Math testing will be held from May 5 to May 15 and science for Grade 5 will be on May 19.

At the close of the meeting, Schmaling took the time to thank Blackwood for her years of dedication saying, “I’m grateful for you always being there, being a mentor… asking and answering any questions that we might have. I really appreciate and value our relationship and everything that you’ve done to support our committee and our town and our children both in this town and throughout the entire district… the amount of manpower and hours and dedication that you bring to our community doesn’t go unnoticed.” Blackwood said, “Thank you, it’s been an honor and a privilege. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in the district and it really has meant the world to me to be your superintendent.”

Twin stores proposed in Plympton to sell mini towers

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The first three hearings scheduled for Monday, January 13 with the Plympton Planning Board all requested continuances to later dates. The remaining hearing was for CLE, LLC to seek site plan approval to construct two buildings at 0 Palmer Rd. to be used as retail/showroom spaces for cellular nodes.

Cellular nodes are small low-powered antennas, sometimes referred to as small cells, that provide coverage and capacity much like a cellular tower.  These nodes, which are often placed on utility poles, streetlights, etc., are necessary to power 5G technology which handles large amounts of data at extremely fast speeds. According to CLE, LLC owner Kevin Farrell, who was present at Monday’s hearing, his customers include Crown Castle, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.

Farrell said that the nodes are manufactured at a fabrication shop on Wood St. in Middleboro. Since the facility is not conducive to displaying the nodes for potential clients, Farrell intends to use the proposed buildings on Palmer Rd. as a showroom and retail facility where customers can go to view and purchase the nodes.

CLE, LLC was represented Monday by their attorney Edward Conroy and by a representative of Webby Engineering. Farrell stressed that the proposed buildings would be strictly for business use and emphasized his belief that they fit well into the character of the area as it is a business district.

Planning Board member Paul D’Angelo recused himself from the Board as he knows Farrell. Chair Ann Sobolewski and Planning Board members Jennifer MacDonald, John Schmid, and Jay Cohen were all present. Conroy said that Farrell has been putting these nodes up throughout Boston and handed the Board photos of them.

Sobolewski said that the town’s technical review engineer was unable to review the plans due to a death in the family. He will, however, review the plans prior to the next hearing and provide feedback to the applicant.

The proposed buildings are 80 ft. x 90 ft. and are 7,200 sq. ft. each. The lot is 12 acres. Sobolewski asked what the rationale was for having two identical buildings to be used for the same purposes. The engineer explained that the town restricts retail spaces to be less than 10,000 sq. ft. in size. Additionally, there was a problem with the installation of sprinklers in a building over 7,500 sq. ft. According to Farrell there will only be one sign on one of the two buildings.

Farrell said there would be 6-8 employees, but they would not all be full-time or on-site. The initial plan would be to have two employees in each of the buildings.

Schmid had a number of technical questions for the engineer that appeared to reveal problems with the proposed plan that would need to be fixed before proceeding. Several questions from the Board regarded the aesthetics of the buildings themselves. Schmid asked if the green color depicted in the plans was really the intended color of the actual buildings and was told that it was but that it could be changed if the town preferred something else.

MacDonald also reminded them that there were some specific requirements such as 60 percent of the building consisting of windows. Sobolewski asked if they had any waivers for the parts of the plans that do not align with town requirements and was told that they did not.

The hearing was opened to public participation and abutter Siobhan Green took the opportunity to share her concerns. Green, who said that she has lived in her residence for 18 years, said that during that time there have been three owners of the property at 0 Palmer Rd. Green said that the previous owner dumped truckloads of dirt that have resulted in “ferocious” flooding to her property.

“I worry about people holding to their word because everybody that has bought the property has somehow lied or defied the town in one way or another in what they plan to do with it and how they plan to handle it,” Green explained. Green went on to describe a past incident where a number of trucks idled on the property as early as 3 a.m.

In examining the site plans, Green noted that it looked like several trees would have to be taken down that would appear to result in a full view from her property of the buildings to be constructed. “I am partial, of course, to the woods, that’s why I moved to Plympton…I like the rural beauty of it,” Green explained.

Sobolewski said that there are a lot of things that can be done to provide attractive screening. “One of the things that this Board has routinely, as John said, been focused on is appropriate landscaping especially when there is a residential abutter because your home is your biggest asset that is your value of your land and we’ve really taken that to heart. A lot of our applicants are very forthcoming and willing to meet with abutters and talk to them,” Sobolewski told Green.

Green also questioned the area of the property that she believed to be wetlands. CLE, LLC will have to come before the Conservation Commission because they are within 100 ft. of wetlands. They will also still need to go before the Board of Health as well.

A site walk has been scheduled for February 8 at 11:30 a.m. All abutters are invited to participate. A continuance of the hearing has also been scheduled for February 10 at 7:15 p.m.