State Representative Kathleen LaNatra, who serves the 12th Plymouth District, held constituent hours on Monday, December 23 at the Holmes Public Library in Halifax. LaNatra holds constituent hours monthly for each of the towns she represents. The Express had the opportunity to sit down with both Representative LaNatra and her legislative aid Chris Jean to get a sense of what was accomplished in the last year as well as what’s on the docket for 2020.

Jean said that LaNatra was pleased with her committee assignments in her first year in office.  LaNatra serves on a number of committees but was especially pleased to be appointed to the Joint Committee on Economic Development as well as the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs. LaNatra has spent a great deal of time volunteering at the Council on Aging as well as Meals on Wheels and considers elder affairs to be priority for her. “We have a really big shortage right now of CNA’s and nurses… they’re not paid very well and it is a really tough job,” LaNatra explained.  She continued, “We’re very concerned about our senior population now – are there going to be people to take care of them? We have nursing homes closing. These are major concerns. There are many bills on these subjects so hopefully we’ll be taking some of them up.”

LaNatra has sponsored a number of bills currently in committee. The David Hanson Act focuses on boater safety and would implement a required boating education program prior to operating a boat. Hanson, who inspired the bill, was a 20-year-old call firefighter in Kingston who tragically died during a boating accident in Plymouth Bay in 2010.  Another bill sponsored by LaNatra aims to increase the penalties for hit and runs involving recreational vehicles.

The bill is to be known as the James Ward Act. Ward was only 14 when he was killed following an off-road vehicle accident while riding his dirt bike in 2012.

The operator of the other bike involved in the collision said he was leaving to get help but never returned.

LaNatra said, “A lot of our bills have really sad stories to them so we become emotionally connected to the families too. They’re very important to us and we think about them daily; we’re always trying to advocate for them.” Regarding these bills, LaNatra said that she is hopeful that they will be voted out of committee.

Another important bill that was filed with State Rep. Josh Cutler would establish a MassMade Program. The intention of the program would be to identify, connect, and support businesses making products in Massachusetts as a means of boosting the local economy.

LaNatra cited being named Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association (MaMHCA) as one of the highlights of her first year in office. LaNatra delivered the keynote speech at their conference in November.

LaNatra said they are looking forward to 2020 and expect it to be a great year in the district. LaNatra hopes to continue the focus on healthcare that just resulted in the passing of a combined bill that will extend healthcare to children in foster care until the age of 26.

There are also plans to start a cable show in the new year. “We’re very excited; it’s going to be a mobile show, it’s not going to be just a sit down. We’re going to be throughout the district, meeting with people,” LaNatra explained. The show will travel to the COAs and hear the concerns of the older population as well as meeting with the selectmen from the district’s towns. The show will also provide an opportunity to spotlight events that people may not otherwise realize are available in their community.

There are plans to do an episode on the Jones River in Kingston as well as to cover the 400th celebration in Plymouth.

The show, which is scheduled to begin filming in February, will be available to view through PACTV as well as Area 58.

Regarding his position as Legislative Aid, Jean said, “I love it so far. It’s nice to be able to be in a position to help people in my community.” Jean, who grew up in Plymouth, graduated from George Washington University in May with degrees in both political science and history. Jean described the constituent hours as an opportunity to hear concerns from residents as well as answer any questions that they may have.

Jean said that they hope to do whatever possible to advocate for constituents, whether it be at the state or town level. LaNatra offered a reminder that they are available and willing to meet anytime.

A passenger vehicle collided with a log-carrying truck, ending up underneath the truck, closing down Route 58 in Plympton, near the Winnetuxet Road intersection Wednesday at 11 am.

The single passenger, a woman, did not appear to suffer serious injuries, but was transported to the South Shore Hospital trauma center in South Weymouth as a precaution, according to Capt. John Sjosted.  Plympton firefighters were needed to extricate the woman from her vehicle.

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The Tuesday November 26 Halifax Board of Selectmen meeting began with the Board hearing a complaint by a town employee against one of the selectmen. Chair Troy Garron suggested moving to executive session but Gordon Andrews asked to remain in open session. Former Planning Board secretary Terri Renaud said that Andrews had accused her both in email and in public meetings of destroying documents.

The documents in question are the April 10 site plan for Amanda’s Estates. Andrews said he made a public records request in February or March and was told the documents were available. According to Andrews, however, when he went to the Planning Board he was told the only available plans were the approved ones from September. Andrews said that he explained that the minutes showed that the records should exist and claims that Renaud told him that older plans are destroyed once newer ones are approved. Andrews said that he told Renaud that plans that were displayed during a public meeting cannot be destroyed and must be kept as part of the public record. Renaud said she had no recollection of saying that she got rid of previous plans when newer ones become available.

Renaud brought her direct supervisor, Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli, as well as her colleague, current Regulatory Board secretary Arlanna Snow to testify on her behalf. Snow said that she did not want to make a statement but would answer any questions directed to her. Piccirilli said that he recalled seeing emails in which Andrews asked Renaud to sign something acknowledging that the records were lost. Piccirilli further said that at some point the accusation escalated from the files being missing to the files being destroyed.

Andrews was able to secure a copy of the plans from the town clerk’s office. Andrews said that when he reviewed the signed plans from the Planning Board from September 14, there were post-it notes on the plans. Andrews expressed concern that the missing Planning Board plans from April would have had similar notations on them.

Selectmen Chair Troy Garron asked Andrews what motivated him to ask for the plans. Andrews then recused himself and sat with the public before stating, “I asked for a copy of the plans because of the lawsuit I have against the town which prove that the original plans that came in, which Charlie’s memo discusses, shows everything on one lot.”

Selectman Tom Millias asked Andrews if his accusations were malicious to which Andrews replied, “Was it malicious? I don’t think so, I think it was declaring the facts. She told me that she gets rid of plans when new ones come in. I told her you can’t get rid of plans, it’s a violation of public records.”

Millias asked Renaud if there were various people going through the folder containing the document in question due to the litigation involved. Renaud acknowledged that there was and pointed out that the door to the office is open during the day. Millias said, “so literally anyone could have misplaced them, misfiled them, taken them.”

Garron asked Renaud what her expectation was to which she answered, “I wanted to state my case. Something was said against me and I just wanted it to be brought forward and prove my innocence that I did not do this.” Garron said, “It’s a difficult situation. We have two town employees who represent the town and to my knowledge who have done good work … my feeling right now is to take no action on it because there is no right or wrong in this particular situation at least from my standpoint.” Millias agreed saying, “I don’t think we can come to any conclusion here. I don’t see an action being taken other than airing it out.”

Renaud said she was satisfied with the opportunity she was given to speak her mind. Andrews asked that the process for viewing public documents be reviewed suggesting possibly signing out documents.

Seelig said that Fuller Street resident Melissa Sheridan had requested that stop signs be placed in the intersection near Fuller, Cedar, and Wood streets. Sheridan said that she had seen several accidents at the intersection during her time living there. The Police Chief and Highway Surveyor were also in agreement that stop signs were needed. The Board approved the installation of two stop signs in this area.

The Police Chief and IT Specialist notified Seelig about the Video Surveillance Registration Program. It is a completely voluntary program that enables residents to register any cameras they have with the police department. If an incident were to occur in the vicinity of a registered camera, the police could use the footage as part of their investigation. Seelig stressed that registration is optional and even if registered, residents are not required to surrender footage.

Drew McGlincy appeared before the Board for an appointment to the Finance Committee. McGlincy, who had the recommendation of the Finance Committee, said that he has internship experience both on Wall Street as well as internship and job experience at IBM. His degrees are in finance and information systems engineering. The Board voted to appoint him. The next step will be for McGlincy to be sworn in as the newest member of the committee.

Seelig gave an update on the budget process saying he met with the Finance Committee and most of the department heads the previous week. According to Seelig, the town should be able to do a level service budget with most of the departments. “We’re not going to encourage them to submit for increases and such… but keep the number of people you have, the number of hours, the service level,” Seelig said. The Board and the Finance Committee said that departments should submit alternate budgets beyond the level service if they felt there were needs that were not being met, etc. Seelig said, “There’s no guarantee obviously that we’re going to have the money for that but at least that may continue the conversation about what the town’s needs are.”

Seelig also shared that Silver Lake had indicated that the salary budget might be going up $700,000 which represents roughly $200,000 for Halifax. “I don’t like telling a department, in essence, and saying we can’t afford you… but not saying so gets us into a position in March where we’re having this argument then.” Seelig said that he attended the Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting in October to ask them to submit a revenue driven budget.

Andrews also shared with the other Selectmen and Seelig that a large group of parents turned out for the previous night’s Halifax School Committee meeting to request that an additional teacher be added to support the large class size for Grade 3. The Kindergarten class has only 65 students, but Grade 3 has 100. As a result, the class size for Grade 3 is 25 students. Parents asked that either another teacher be added, or one transferred from elsewhere. Andrews said that he recommended to the parents in attendance that they attend town meeting as the mechanism to fund an additional teacher would likely be an article at town meeting. Andrews also pointed out that negotiations are scheduled this year for much of the school staff including cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, and teachers.

Highway surveyor Steve Hayward spoke to the Board and Seelig regarding a fee list for cremation.  The costs are not for cremation itself, but for a spot to store the ashes similar to a burial plot. Hayward said that he had reviewed the fees charged by other local communities while preparing his list. Hayward said that the single pillars would cost the town $180 but the purchase price would be $500. The Board, who act as cemetery commissioners, approved the concept and fee list.

Eagle Scout projects

Three Boy Scouts from Troop 39 met with the Board to review their plans for their Eagle Scout projects. Connor Burgess plans to build a 20 ft. by 20 ft. pavilion for the HOPS playground.

Scott McKee’s project will be the revitalization of the Harry Brown Nature Trail. McKee told the Board that the trail was originally constructed by one of Troop 39’s first Eagle Scouts. “I’m hoping to bring it back to some of its former glory by re-clearing the trail and adding benches and a bird watching area at the end for people to go out and enjoy nature,” McKee explained. He went on to say that he plans to build a walkway over some of the wet marsh lands.

Joseph Boardman intends to refurbish the Ruth Perkins reading garden outside of the Holmes Public Library. In addition to pressure washing and staining the pergola, Boardman plans to mulch and edge the garden area and sand and finish the benches. Boardman also plans to remove the cracked concrete and add a purple martin birdhouse.

Garron thanked the scouts for beautifying the community. Building Inspector Robert Piccirilli added, “I would just like to say I’ve had the pleasure of watching some of these guys. I’m looking forward to working with you guys. Anything you need, please come see me.”

The Halifax Finance Committee met Monday, Nov. 18, for  a preliminary budget meeting with selectmen and other department heads. Those in attendance included the Chair of the Board of Selectmen Troy Garron, Selectman Gordon Andrews, current assistant superintendent Jill Proulx (newly voted as the next Silver Lake Regional School District Superintendent), SLRD Director of Business Services Christine Healy, and Fire Chief Jason Viveiros.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig led the budget discussion, handing out what he calls the “one sheet” that provided some preliminary budget predictions. Seelig explained, “What I try to do every year is come up with what I call the one sheet that ended up this year being two sheets. It’s basically a very 30,000 feet up type of look at the upcoming year. I’m not getting, for the most part, into individual line items.” Seelig went on to explain that he always leans conservative in his estimates when beginning the budget process as it is easier to add money in later in the budget cycle than it is to take money out.

Halifax is run under a revenue budget rather than an expense budget that means when preparing the operating budget, the town is limited in the amount of money that can be spent. Proposition 2 ½ allows for only a 2 ½ percent increase annually. Revenue from new growth including new commercial buildings, all subdivisions, etc. are also added to the levy limit. Seelig said that the town had $135,000 in new growth last year and he conservatively estimates $100,000 of new growth this year. Debt exclusions as voted during town elections are also included. Active debt exclusions in Halifax include money from when the middle school and high school were built as well as the new roof and siding projects at the elementary school. Seelig said that as of right now the estimate for what can be raised by property tax bills stands at $17,800,000.

While property taxes make up the largest portion of town revenue there are other areas that also contribute. Local receipts including items such as ambulance bills or building permits and state aid coming mainly from Chapter 70 funding for the schools. Seelig said that there was no deficit in the local receipts and anticipated being able to raise the estimate for that particular revenue. One of the challenges for Halifax, as with Silver Lake as a whole, is that they are set to receive only the minimum amount per pupil under Chapter 70.  This means that any increases needed from the schools needs to come from Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton.

Seelig explained that even before going to town meeting, it is necessary to set aside money for a series of assessments in this case totaling $203,000. Amongst these are abatements for property tax exemptions including those for veterans, the elderly, and the disabled. According to Seelig, there is a little over $25,000,000 available to the town to spend at town meeting. Assuming there will be no further changes, the operating budget for the current year is set to spend $24,400,000.

Seelig further explained some of the large line items as well as some of the changes that would benefit the budget. The larger line items include an increase in health insurance premiums for town employees as well as the town’s payment into Plymouth County retirement. To the benefit of the budget, the principal interest on the roof and siding project at the elementary school will be down from last year and the debt service for the landfill will also be down.

Seelig explained, “There are a lot of unknowns. We don’t know what the school budgets look like right now. We could put numbers in there… but for the purposes of when I did this work, I didn’t make any assumptions about that.” Andrews, who serves as selectman as well as on both the regional school committee and elementary school committee, spoke about some of the school’s likely requests including a new allied health teacher and a potential nurse manager position. Gordon said, “From my perspective, what I’ve seen when I’ve sat in your chairs, we’ve seen Silver Lake continue to grow. It was about 600 two years ago, to about 660 this current year. My guess is you’re going to see it, just the lion’s increase of $700,000, so if we’re a third of that you’re looking at over $200,000 just for Silver Lake just to keep level.”  He continued, “My guess for the elementary school would be anywhere from 135 to 150. Those are just guesses at this point in time.”

Seelig ended his presentation saying, “We’re in good shape in the sense of no crisis, we’re not in the shape to simply say we can fund anything we want.” Tarsi mentioned to those present the $300,000 buffer that exists because the town is not taxing to its full capacity. Tarsi said that the buffer has been maintained for as long as she has been serving on the committee. The Finance Committee has not yet discussed whether or not to continue that practice this year, but Tarsi did say, “We’ve really protected that money to ensure that we’re easing the burden as much as we can on property owners in the town.”

Next steps in the budget process will include a letter with a synopsis of Seelig’s presentation going out the first week in December. By January, budgets will be submitted for the Finance Committee’s review. From January through March, the Finance Committee will be inviting department heads to attend their meetings to speak on their budgets. Each department will also be assigned a liaison on the Finance Committee to work with directly,. Tarsi said, “We are very committed to an open line of communication. We’re going to ask the same questions of everybody, there’s no special treatment, we will be completely willing to listen and be very candid with you about whatever the prospects are.” By early April, the town will have a final budget.

The Finance Committee also interviewed Drew McGlincy for one of the open FinCom spots.  Chair Melinda Tarsi, who is currently serving in her fourth cycle on the committee, asked McGlincy why he was interested in serving. “Just trying to get involved. It seems like a good idea to do things outside of work, get involved in the community,” McGlincy said. McGlincy also provided that he studied both finance and information systems engineering in school. In addition to Tarsi, Frederick McGovern, Bill McAvoy, and newest member Cheryll Zarella Burke were also present. Each of the members introduced themselves to McGlincy and Tarsi provided him with an overview of the duties and responsibilities of the committee. McGlincy asked the committee for their advice and both Tarsi and McAvoy recommended a number of training resources including the Financial Policy Handbook and training sessions run by both the Association of Town Finance Committees and the Division of Local Services through the Department of Revenue Services.

Tarsi explained, “The big thing is there is no educational or occupational requirements to be on the finance committee, you just have to be willing to listen and to be candid with folks; that’s the ultimate kind of set of qualifications. We have really respectful conversations. We don’t always agree with each other, and that wouldn’t be healthy if we did, but we’ve never come to shouting. It’s never been mean or rude.” She continued, “We don’t always agree but we are all here for the same reason; we all want to make the community better for our neighbors.”

Tarsi entertained a motion to recommend the appointment of Drew McGlincy to the Finance Committee for the longest term available. Both Tarsi and Zarella Burke voted in favor while McAvoy was opposed and McGovern abstained. The next step for McGlincy will be to appear before the Board of Selectmen for an appointment meeting.

Union #31 and Silver Lake Regional School Committee met on Thursday, Nov. 14 to discuss the interviews of the two finalists for superintendent and vote on the final selection

The final interviews were held the previous two nights. Jim Hardy of Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) who was hired to assist with the search was on hand to offer consultation regarding procedure for the voting, etc.

Currently the assistant superintendent in Easton, Christine Pruitt was one of the finalists selected by the search committee. Pruitt, who began her career as a classroom teacher, served as the principal of Jefferson Elementary School in Rockland from 2010 to 2015.  She spent the next two years as the assistant superintendent for Silver Lake, leaving in June of 2017 to begin her tenure in Easton. Pruitt has a Master of Education from Boston College.

Current Silver Lake assistant superintendent Jill Proulx was the other finalist. Proulx was previously the assistant superintendent for Scituate for five years before beginning her career at Silver Lake a little over two years ago. Proulx, who has a doctorate in education, has also served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal over the years.

The discussion centered around what the committee and union saw as strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. There were several in the room who expressed concern that Pruitt left Silver Lake previously only two years into a three-year contract and was now willing to leave Easton after a short stint there.

Vice Chair of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee Eric Crone, who has been serving on school committees since 2006, described this sentiment saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Regional School Committee member Christopher Ecklund echoed the same concern saying he was worried about Pruitt’s “staying power.” Others disagreed including Kingston School Committee member and Union member Sheila Marie Vaughn. Vaughn said, “Chrissy wants this to be her home. She wants to bring her kids here, I think Chrissy wants to move here, I think she loves this district.  I think she wants to be in this district for the long-term.”

Despite preferring Pruitt, Vaughn did acknowledge, however, that she thought that Proulx’s interview was fabulous saying she thought she came across as “smart and articulate.”

Some expressed concern that Pruitt had left Silver Lake as it was too complex a district for her given that it is a three-town region. Union member and Plympton School Committee member Jon Wilhelmsen said, “I went into the site visit with a lot of reservations and a lot of concerns about why she left the district and went there.” He explained that his concerns were dispelled, however, saying, “She just felt that she needed to take a step back to take a step forward.”

Those in support of Pruitt spoke highly of her interpersonal skills calling her both outgoing and social. There was considerable debate regarding how much weight should be given to Pruitt’s sociable personality.

Jeanne Coleman, a member of both the Kingston School Committee and Union 31, said that she is unimpressed by personal relationships and stressed the importance of focusing on the qualifications of the two candidates.

Speaking about Pruitt, regional committee member Laura Tilton said, “Being a friendly person does not necessarily mean that someone is not capable, not strong. Those things are not mutually exclusive. I believe that someone that forms strong relationships, that’s critical in a leader.” Wilhelmsen spoke to Pruitt’s other qualifications based on conversations with a myriad of people including students, teachers, and selectmen saying, “I don’t think its fair to classify Chrissy as a one trick pony.”

There was confusion among those present regarding which candidate seemed to have more administration support. Coleman explained her belief that the support of the Silver Lake administration was behind Proulx, saying, “I thought that Jill’s resume, her application, and her letters of recommendations (three of which were solidly from within the district), all of her references were from within the district – I thought that those spoke solidly for her as a candidate that she had the support of the administration behind her.”

Coleman also expressed that she believed that someone disclosed to either Pruitt or the administrative team that there was a concern that Pruitt did not have that support and as a result, several letters of recommendation were written and submitted the night before the final deliberation. Coleman, who called the letters in support of Pruitt “compelling” went on to say that she had spoken with both Kingston elementary school principals who were fully supportive of Proulx. “They believe she has been a mentor to both of them; they’re both new administrators over there. I spoke at length to one of our teachers in the Kingston district and she also believes that Jill is by far the standout candidate.”

Coleman did stress that despite preferring Proulx, none of the administrators or staff had anything negative to say about Pruitt.

In response to Coleman’s accusation that letters in support of Pruitt had been solicited at the last minute, Silver Lake Regional School Committee Chair Jason Fraser said, “To be fair we entered into deliberations in open session last night and its well within expectations that something like this would occur.”

There were others in the room that fully believed that the administration and staff preferred Pruitt. Halifax School Committee member and Union member Alison Vance said, “As a school committee member and as a parent in Halifax I think both of them are amazing and great candidates and as a school committee member and a parent, I would probably be happy with either of them.” Vance, who has been a teacher for 17 years in another district, went on to say, “I think if I’m coming at it from a teacher’s perspective and a staff member’s perspective, I feel like for me I would prefer to work under Chrissy more than Jill.” She continued, “I spoke to a lot of Halifax teachers… and every single one of them that I spoke to said I would really love for Chrissy to be the superintendent.” Like Coleman, Vance stressed that those she spoke with had nothing bad to say about Proulx.

There were questions as to how much weight should be given to the letters of recommendation provided. There was also some disagreement as to how much input the district staff should have in the selection process. Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Laura Tilton said, “ I have been struck by the fact, in this process and in districts I’ve worked in, how little input staff and administration get in the selection of the superintendent because they are the folks that work with that person every day and they are the people that know the district the best. To me, the letters we got yesterday held a lot of weight with me.” Regional School Committee member Paula Hatch offered a different perspective saying, “I come from the corporate world, I spent thirty years at a very large corporation, never once did I get to pick my boss. You don’t get to pick your boss.” Wilhelmsen said, “We can keep throwing letters of recommendations and they’re all good, because we have two great candidates.” Most in the room seemed in agreement that letters for both candidates were compelling as both were worthy and qualified. Of the Silver Lake administration and staff, Coleman said her impression is that they were willing to work with either candidate.

Perhaps in a moment of foreshadowing a question was asked to Fraser at the outset of the meeting as to what would happen if the Union and the Region were split in their decision. Fraser responded, “If we’re in that situation, it’s a failure to nominate. We are a family and we have to come to the same endpoint and hire the same superintendent.” After several votes and re-votes which ended with the Union voting for Pruitt and the Region for Proulx, it was beginning to look more and more likely that the vote would end in a deadlock. Several alternative options were discussed at this point including hiring an interim superintendent as well as having current superintendent Joy Blackwood stay on through the end of the school year, something she had offered to do should the need arise. Both these options would call for a renewed search to be started. Hardy of MASC did warn that should they elect to go that route, they would be entering into a search cycle with far more competition from other large districts looking to hire a superintendent than what was experienced during the first search. Another concern that was voiced was whether Proulx would stay on as assistant superintendent should the vote either end in a deadlock or in favor of the other candidate. Many in the room believed it would send the district into chaos to be looking at the possibility of having to hire the two top positions in the district basically at the same time.

In the end, a motion was passed for reconsideration of the way the Union voted. Several of those on the Union side that initially voted in favor of Pruitt changed their vote in favor of Proulx. The decision, however, was not unanimous with a few holdouts though there were enough pro Proulx votes to award her the Union nomination. “I also think it’s important that we all remember that just because we have different views on this, we’re all trying to do the right thing for the district,” Wilhelmsen reminded the group. With both the Union and Region now voting for Proulx, she was successfully nominated as the new superintendent.