WHITMAN – The Select Board spent time taking stock of the events at Town Meeting the night before at its Tuesday, May 7 meeting and what lies ahead in reaching consensus on a fiscal 2025 school budget.
Select Board member Shawn Kain said he had done some reflecting after the Monday, May 6 annual Town Meeting.
“I was up late thinking, and I think the thing that is throwing me off and had me worried was, when they last had the April 8 School Committee meeting, there was some good discussion that was had,” he said, noting Chair Beth Stafford’s reference to the meeting school and select board representatives had together. “You had a good discussion, you talked about the override, you talked about the need for a smaller override, and it sounded like … there was a plan that was kind of made, and that’s kind of what she presented to the School Committee.”
During that School Committee meeting there was also discussion about how the school assessment would be split between budgets and the override.
“When I left the meeting, after everyone voted in favor for it, I thought, going into last night’s meeting, that the School Committee was going to support the small override,” Kain said. “So, I was a little bit thrown off when they didn’t.”
He said it occurred to him about halfway through the Town Meeting that it wasn’t going to work as a result of the division.
“I definitely felt some tension,” he said.
He said when the intent was for the towns and school district to step forward together to actively support getting the override to the ballot, when School Committee members not only acted counter to that, but also actively spoke out against it and school district officials were “very quiet about it” he found himself wondering how the plan could be implemented. Hanson did not pass the override for the same reason.
There was, in fact, no debate over the override in Hanson outside of School Committee member Hillary Kniffen explaining a procedural point.
“The best chance we had to increase educational funding was through an override,” Kain said. “Hanson’s in a much worse financial situation than we are, so for people in our community to be undermining the override … is worrisome for me. … What happens next?”
While healthy debate is good for the town, he said, and lauded the “impressive political move” the Finance Committee made, which changed the direction of the way things went. But he also expressed concern that, since they were able to do that, “it really undermined our ability to increase educational funding, which was ultimately the goal.”
Kowalski said the School Committee had made it clear they were not voting for an override so much as a change in the assessment.
“But it was clear, also that the plan was to cover that drop in assessment with a small override,” Kowalski said. “That was clear. But it shouldn’t be construed that they voted for it. … We’re the ones that have to put an override on the warrant – and we did.”
Other than that one correction, Kowalski said he agreed with everything Kain had to say.
“What I liked about the plan that had a small override in it was that it … lifts our floor for every year to come in a small way,” he said. “It’s going to be stressful.”
Select Board member also Laura Howe agreed with Kain’s concerns.
“I found it very disheartening, how divided we became,” she said. “Not of our own free will, but suddenly, I felt we were all outcasts, and a town cannot run divided.”
Discussing the news and information bubbles into which people sort themselves, Howe said that situation creates fear.
“When people get afraid, they lash out,” she said. “So I didn’t so much mind that they thought we were distrustful … I hope people will reach out [to town leaders]. Everyone is approachable. … There is no good or bad guy, there’s no winner or loser. This is our community.”
She said she felt town officials could bridge that division because they are “all strong leaders that love this town.”
Both Howe and Kowalski also lauded Select Board member Justin Evans for hissocial media posts in an effort to keep residents informed leading up to Town Meeting.
In other business, the Select Board voted to accept the sale of the town’s up to $20 million principal amount of general obligation building bonds and to execute the necessary documents.
“There are a number of votes to take,” said Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski, who read what the votes were before a single vote was taken at the end covering all of them:

• $19,070,000 general obligation building bonds to TD Securities USA, LLC at the price of $20,123,010.85 and accrued interest, if any. Bonds are payable annually on May 15 beginning in 2025 in the principal and bear interest rates for each year, changing as the years go on;
• Marketing and sale of the bonds, the prepaparation and and distribution of notice and sale and preliminary official statement;
• The bond is subject to redemption at the option of the town upon terms and conditions within the official statement;
• Town Treasurer and Select Board will be and are authorized to execute and deliver a continuing disclosure undertaking and compliance with SEC rules in a form approved by town counsel;
• Authorizing and directing the treasurer to establish post-issuance federal tax compliance and continuing disclosure procedures in the forms deemed sufficient by the treasurer and bond counsel and to review those procedures if they are already in place in order to monitor and maintain the tax-exempt status of the bonds;
• Any certificates or documents related to the bonds may be executed in several counterparts each regarded as an original (this vote also approved signing and mailing procedures);
• Electronic siguatures will be deemed original signatures; and
• Authorizes the each member of the Select Board, Town Clerk and town treasurer to take any and all actions to exercise and deliver certificates, receipts or other documents determined necessary to carry into effect the provisions of the votes.

HANSON – While questions remain in the community about the town’s energy aggregation program, which begins later this month, town officials and representatives of the energy consultants are working on answering them.
The town’s Energy Committee held an informational session on the Community Power program on Monday, April 22 at the Hanson Police Station Community Room, as well as an online meeting Thursday, May 2 and another in-person session at the Hanson Senior Center, Thursday, May 9.
In 2021, Hanson residents in Town Meeting voted to allow the town to explore a municipal energy aggregate program, which is designed to provide savings on electric bills for residents who are now National Grid customers, according to Town Administrator Lisa Green, who introduced the April 22 meeting.
Hanson contracted with Good Energy to guide the town through the steps of the two-year process to set up the aggregate program, including submitting data to the state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to obtain its approval. Once provisional acceptance was issued, the town had to make adjustments to achieve full approval from the DPU, which was received this spring.
During that phase, energy supply companies made bids on their kilowatt hourly rates.
Direct Energy, which provided the lowest bid, was selected and an agreement was signed with the town.
“The town itself has a similar agreement with a company called Sprague Energy,” Green said. “It gives the town lower costs, and the town has seen [more than] $42,000 in savings in both our natural gas and electricity costs over the last four years.”
Energy Committee Chair Marianne DiMascio and representatives from Good Energy also attended the meeting to provide more information and answer questions.
DiMascio is designed to be a five-member committee that was named after Town Meeting passed the aggregate energy article, noting the panel was down a member and putting in a plug for the process of joining, should anyone be interested.
Select Board member Ed Heal, James Armstrong and John Murray also sit on the Energy Committee.
Rachel Ferdinand, program manager for Hanson with Good Energy, gave an informational program for those at the meeting, which can be streamed on Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV’s website – at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irTByt-DmIE.
“This program is a way for the town to offer different [energy] supply options,” Ferdinand said. “This will only affect the supply portion of your bill.”
In fact, savings and support of renewable energy options in the area are Good Energy’s main goals, she said. While National Grid’s rate changes every six months may mean periods when there are few savings, Ferdnand stressed that “over the course of the 30-month term, we are expecting to see savings across the board.”
The program officially begins in June 2024 for a 30-month contract with Direct Energy. National Grid will still be the billing company and should still be contacted in the event of outages. At the end of 30 months, the town will decide whether or not to continue the program and, if it decides to continue, it would repeat the competitive bid process to find a new supplier.
“We’ll never just change the price on you,” Ferdinand said.
Three program options are available:

• Standard – the one most people join. It adds 10 percent renewable among its energy sources and costs 13.692 cents per kilowatt hour.
• Basic – with no renewable sources and a price of 13.280 cents pre kWh.
• Plus – adds voluntary renewable energy to a total of 100 percent at 14.738 cents per kWh.
  “It is completely voluntary to be in this program,” she said. “There’s never going to be a fee to opt out of the program … but if you do join it will differ based on who your supplier is right now.”
  National Grid’s basic residential service, by comparison, costs 18.213 cents per kWh and includes no additional renewable energy sources.
  Renewable sources include wind and solar and are local to the New England region.
  Those eligible for automatic enrollment would start at standard first, Ferdnand said.
  Supplier services will be listed on page two of energy bills.
  Residents eligible for automatic enrollment should be receiving letters about it and, if they take no action, will be enrolled in the standard product category in June.
  Those not wanting to be in the program may opt out when they receive their letter but must do so by May 18. One can still leave the program after that date, but it will show up on bills until the change is made.
  One resident said he believed he was already in the program after receiving his letter.
  “I’m saving money right now,” he said.
  Residents can also make their preference online at hansoncommunitypower.com. Direct Energy can also be called at 866-968-8065. It is a good idea to have your bill handy if you plan to opt out or make changes to the program because information on the bill, such as account number, will be asked for.
  Those already in a contract with a third-party supplier should consult their provider in case there is a fee for changing that contract.
  “There’s never going to be a fee with us to join, but it’s important to know the ins and outs of your contract,” Ferdinand said.
  Good Energy has been reaching out to residents by letter, postcard, social media, brochures and news articles.
  One resident asked about fees. Outside of the usual National Grid delivery fees, Direct Energy will not add new fees to bills.
  Customers receiving credits for solar panels from National Grid, which still handles billing, will not see any change in those credits. National Grid will also continue to be responsible for addressing power outages.
  There is no connection between the program and the municipal budget.
  The aggregate program will not affect the performance of oxygen machines or generators.

The Hanson Select Board on Tuesday, April 23, approved, contingent on some final changes, a modified road opening permit application process, mainly geared toward utility companies who must open the road surface for repairs.
Town Administrator Lisa Green explained that the town has had a road opening permit application process on file for many years, but that she had never actually seen the form until Interim Highway Director Curt McLean had brought one in to discuss the changes he’s looking for.
“He realized that there are quite a few improvements that could be made that would better serve the town, and be a better watchdog for the town, so companies put the roads back in the condition that they found them in – or make them better,” Green said.
The permits govern what companies seeking to open the roadway pavement to make repairs and must be applied for through the Highway Department.
“I’ve noticed some of the utilities are, I’ll say inconsistent and, perhaps, not as judicious as we’d like them to be, about sealing things back up after they’ve torn everything up,” Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
The application is more extensive, at eight or nine pages compared to the page or two of the past, McLean said.
“This here really holds companies to the gun, that when they’re done, they will restore the road – full width – and basically come in and mill the road an inch and a half, and then repaving an inch and a half,” which is the Highway Director’s responsibility to check.
“East Washington is kind of a disaster area,” he said about recent work there. “[It’s] understandable, they did a lot of work. … Now we have to do a refurbishment of the whole road. The gas company is putting money forth toward that. Is it enough? No.”
He said this policy will prevent that in the future.
The gas utility is now looking to do 2,800 feet on West Washington Street, with the policy in place, they would have to refurbish the whole, roadway where they are working.
Green said town counsel has not yet reviewed it.
“Thank you for taking the initiative to point out something we could do better,” FitzGerald said, noting a legal review would be prudent.
Vice Chair Weeks asked if the new policy has been reviewed with a fine-tooth comb to make sure there are no contradictions within it.
“How do you hold someone’s feet to the fire?” he said, asking how the town’s interests are protected.
FitzGerald-Kemmett said there are enough checks and balances in it that the policy update is a definite improvement.
“I’m not saying the questions negate the pros that this brings,” Weeks said. “We’ve been burned a couple of times … and we’re still kind of paying the price for [that]. … I feel a lot more comfortable if someone internally is the one who’s signing off on it.”
Weeks asked Green if he could send a list of items for town counsel to check, to which she agreed.
They have to apply for the permit, McLean stressed of the construction companies, adding that the Highway Director is the one who is going to be checking on the process of how the road repairs are made.
“If they don’t abide by it, good luck getting another permit in town,” McLean said.
FitzGerald-Kemmett also wanted to see fees, which are now doubled, to be increased to protect the town.
“If you’re coming to seek forgiveness and not permission on something like opening up our roads, I don’t think just doubling a $100 fee is very punitive at all,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
Ed Heal asked if the mention of West Washington Street meant there was a time-sensitive issue.
McLean said it is a little time-sensitive, because the work there is being considered for a start in early May.
In other business the Select Board, which had voted to seek ARPA funds to pay for a new ambulance during a recent meeting, heard an update Green on the effort to obtain that funding.
She said she has completed the grant application and submitted it, but a grant agreement is required, which the board had to approve and sign it so she can submit it to the Plymouth County Commissioners.
The board also has the issue as an article on the May 6 Town Meeting warrant.
The process through which the Select Board processes reapplications of former Planning Board members that had been part of a recent investigation was also clarified by the board.
“We’ve had a couple of people in the past who, either we chose not to appoint to the ZBA or we chose to remove from the ZBA, seeking to be reappointed to the ZBA,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Is it the will of the board to entertain those applications?
She noted that previously, when the board discussed the issue, it had centered on an individual who had been removed from the ZBA after a hearing and unanimous decision that the board did not want to “exhume that body,” she said, and go through that whole process again, because they had already made a decision.
She asked if the board had the same feeling about such situations now.
“My opinion hasn’t changed,” Board member Ann Rein said.
“We’re not putting that band back together,” FitzGerald Kemmett asked.
“Right,” Rein replied.
“It makes sense [to ask],” Weeks said. “Every time there’s a new board we [should] circle back to this, because the will of a previous board might not be the will of the current board. As long as there’s a status check every once in a while, I think that’s the fairest way to do it.”