HANOVER — It was a bit like Christmas in July for member towns of the South Shore Regional School Committee as the district finished fiscal 2022 with a surplus of about $1.1 million, according to Secretary/Treasurer James Coughlin at the committee’s virtual meeting on Wednesday, July 20.

Assessments for the 2023 fiscal year are being reduced — by $13,486 in Whitman and by $9,074 in Hanson — according to the $740,00 credited from surplus revenue, totaling $65,000 among all eight member communities.

“We haven’t given the towns back any money in a few years because of all these ongoing projects, [but] it was decided that we could give the towns back the $65,000 of our surplus,” Coughlin said.

The $65,000 was being returned proportionally based on each town’s current enrollment, where the motion is based on the three-year rolling numbers to calculate the debt service impact for member towns.

That budget had earmarked $70,000 for debt service and interest payments because it was not known at the time that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) was “coming into the picture.

“Bottom line is we spend about $13 million for the year,” Coughlin said, noting that it was based on debt service calculations using a three-year enrollment average. “The amount of the refunds might be off a little bit.” 

One of the nine budget transfers voted on July 20 encumbered $1,016,747.98 from the 2022 non-resident tuition to reduce the 2022-23 assessments to member towns. Hanson will get $9,555 back and Whitman will be refunded $17,328.

“Pretty much, this time of the year, we go through the process about what did the [fiscal] year look like?” Coughlin said. “As you can imagine, during the last month of the year, we’re moving money and spending money where we need it, knowing we have surpluses in various accounts.” 

Coughlin noting that the budget is 98-percent closed, with “just a couple of stragglers.” The district was able to place about $103,000 in it’s excess and deficiency account.

Superintendent/director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey said he has been in touch with MSBA that day about when they would be discussing the renovation and expansion project that week. The authority is expected to be in touch in a few weeks to discuss the viability study concerning program and enrollment projections, as the MSBA is waiting for feedback from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) before they begin any bid process for an owner/project manager.

“There is no reasonable timeline to bring this before town meetings in the fall,” Hickey said, indicating that Marshfield is not likely to be joining the district before the fall town meetings. 

Hickey recommended lowering FY23 assessments because we would not be borrowing any money in FY23 while going through the MSBA process.

“There’s no reason to charge the towns money that we know we’re not going to spend.”

It was also the first year-end closure for a new payroll clerk, who did a fantastic job, he said. The school’s purchasing agent has also been handling more bids than is usual.

The committee voted unanimously to approve all the warrant transfers sought.

Coughlin reminded members that $14.6 million and brought in about $14.9 million — $319,000 over the budgeted amount. Anticipated expenses were underspent any more than $855,000. The district received $748,000 in regional transportation reimbursement.

The committee also voted to transfer funds to various functions and had $103,000 to invest in the excess and deficiency line item.

“Everything’s in good shape,” he said.

CARES funding for COVID expenses received through Plymouth County held in an enterprise account for the two years the district received still has a balance of $190,000, but as they go through the process of transferring the funds for items in the regular budget closes out the CARES Act funds, and invoiced all member towns for their share district’s costs, holding that in an enterprise account for the two years CARES Act funds were being received.

Teacher pay for the summer is part of the June expenditures — a little over $2 million, that reflects summer payroll, with a larger than normal number of people requesting lump-sum salaries in June. 

A couple of them are retiring, and not returning in the fall, he explained.

Among other transfers approved was the shifting of $740,000 never spent to surplus revenue because issues such as supply chain delays that affected long-range planning.

“We’re putting this money back in the pot,’ Coughlin said. Still another transfer involved $920,000 from surplus revenue for the purchase of property in order to expand the campus to allow the expansion and renovation process to continue easier. They also encumbered $387,000 from surplus revenue to begin that expansion work and $230,000 for building renovations and repairs — including expansion of the cafeteria, upgrading security doors and paving/sidewalk upgrades, among other work. Another transfer was for $114,000 to purchase equipment and supplies.

HANSON — Town Planner Tony DeFrias has completed a comprehensive inventory of town-owned property with an eye toward the potential for revenue development by the town.

“Historically, as a board — at least since Mr. [Jim] Hickey and I have been on — we’ve been pretty good about getting properties that were perhaps taken for back taxes, back onto the rolls … and get them sold,” said Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett.

But, she added the town’s Economic Development Committee “really wanted to look at [whether there are] other properties that the town owns that we could leverage” back into private hands as a way to attract businesses to town. DeFrias then took on the task of reviewing the status of town-owned properties to start that process.

There are 72 properties owned or controlled by the town — 17 have public buildings or public spaces and 55 town-owned — he reported to the board on Tuesday, July 19.

“This is perfect,” Select Board member Ed Heal said after DeFrias’ presentation. “Even this is a lot of work.”

“Now that we have this information do we want to do anything with this?” Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett agreed, noting more conversation is needed.

DeFrias recommended the board study the report and plan a future discussion on which properties may be sold and which should be passed along to Conservation or the Water Department.

Disposition of town property falls under MGL Ch. 3OB §16, he said, noting that Article 35 of the 1965 Hanson Town Meeting requires consultation with the Conservation Commission prior to disposition of land as a means of preserving waste land for conservation.

From 1994-2020, 36 of those properties were taken for taxes, with the total amount of taxes owed being $620,814.52 as of Jan. 12, 2021. One of the properties also carries a septic loan.

The properties come under three categories: 12 come under Conservation land, eight are recommended to be considered Water Department Credit land and 11 are buildable or potentially buildable land. Those remaining have specific uses such as drainage or easement, according to DeFrias.

Buildable properties would require further investigation to determine their true potential.

One such 3.30-acres parcel is at 212 Industrial Blvd., another is the 3.34 acres of property at 533 Main St., where the former L.Z. Thomas School Housing Authority apartments are located in a Residence A Zone. Yet another 1.21 acres is the property which includes the Historical Society building is now located at 565 Main St.

“There’s a potential here to create additional housing, and affordable housing for the town,” he said. It’s also part of a larger site because of nearby parcels also on the list.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said the Economic Development Commission has been exploring the possibilities the area near the Bonney House as part of an historical “village,” but she agrees with DeFrias, who said it could also remain where it is. A lot of the plans depend on completed renovations at the Bonney House

“This is one of 100 steps,” DeFrias said. “We’re looking at alternatives.”

The 212 Industrial Blvd., property is at the industrial park within the commercial-industrial zone as well as the marijuana overlay district and falls within a Zone 2 Wellhead Protection District.

“This is a potential vacant piece of land that’s owned by the town that could be sold off for a business or an industrial building,” he said. Board of Health, Conservation Commission and, probably, ZBA approval for site plan would be required before development.

A 1.19 acre parcel at 0 Main St., has potential for several possible uses, including a possible second fire station if that were needed, DeFrias said.. At 0 West Washington St, a larger parcel of 7.17 acres nextdoor to the Water Department building is also in a commercial-industrial zone. But the fact that it is traversed by a 70- foot water main easement in a Zone 2 Water Protection District, means it may be better-suited to a business park with the proper engineering.

“If we’re looking for business and trying to increase our business, there isn’t a lot of room in Hanson,” he said, noting that the properties would all have to be further investigated. “There’s potential there.”

DeFrias also discussed some smaller parcels during his PowerPoint presentation, including two residential property sites at 69 Wood St., and 62 Ocean Ave.

“The board needs to go through the list and decide what we need to do with it,” DeFias said.

By Tracy F. Seelye, Express editor
editor@whitmanhansonexpress.com

WHITMAN — The Select Board, on Tuesday, July 12, voted to establish a policy governing seniors participating in the tax work-off program and adhere to town policy on minimum wage.

Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman noted that voters at Town Meeting had approved an article to permit residents age 60 and over to reduce their real estate taxes by allowing a maximum number of hours each year instead of a maximum dollar amount.

“We have not has a policy for the senior tax work-off program in the past, just sort-of some procedures that were laid out by the Council on Aging,” he said. “It seemed like an opportune time to have a policy to bring clarity on a couple things.”

He based the policy on one he wrote for Hanover when he served as Town Manager there. 

Whitman will differ from the town’s current practice in that the board had recently voted that town employees should be paid minimum wage. There is also currently no cap on the number of tax work-off employees, but the proposed policy recognizes there might be with the 125 hours — now at $8 per hour, but possibly more — there might be some increased interest, which might require capping the number of people included in the program.

“Tax work-off employees are employees,” Heineman said. “They’re employees of a different kind. It’s up to the board what the hourly rate would be — it doesn’t have to be minimum wage.”

But his proposal left it to Select Board consideration to possibly have it at minimum wage.

There are currently 32 slots available under program guidelines, all of which have been filled.

“This would make it so there could possibly be a cap of 35,” he said. “If there were more applicants for the program … how would a determination be made about who was in the program and who wasn’t?”

Heineman’s policy proposal would give preference to those already in the program, establishing a first-come-first-served waiting list, provided that those on the waiting list would be well-matched by their skills and background to open positions.

Vice Chair Dan Salvucci asked what a position should pay per hour for a 125-hour post to take $1,500 of their taxes.

Heineman said it would be $12 per hour. The present minimum wage is $14.25 per hour (taking about $1,800 of property taxes) and rising to $15 per hour on Jan. 1. Right now a senior in the program working 100 hours at $8 per hour has $800 taken off their property taxes.

Heineman said the program is not required to meet the minimum wage requirements.

“I don’t think it meets the intent that we set when we set that policy, though,” Chair Randy LaMattina said. “I see tremendous value in this program. It’s helping out seniors in two ways, financially by way of taxes, but most of us have known these people from the time we voted the first time until last election. These are dedicated seniors that also get a lot, personally, out of this program.”

LaMattina said he had no problem going to minimum wage for the program.

The Council on Aging manages staffing through the program.

“I certainly would support it going to minimum wage,” member Shawn Kain said. “I feel like it’s a benefit they should be entitled to, not something [where] they should jump into a lottery and potentially get [sunk].” He advocated removing the cap on the number of participants.

“The question is, how much can the town [afford to] take off its taxes?” Salvucci asked. “Can we lose the revenue and still give services to the town? You’ve got to think on that issue.”

“And are there 100 positions to fill?” member Justin Evans asked.

Heineman said he expects the increase in hourly pay, along with the cap of 35 positions, the policy would take only about another $23,000 out of the overlay account, which funds it. The account typically carries $125,000.

“It would come out of taxes and reduce the excess levy,” he said.

LaMattina said he would like to see, monetarily, what the policy rules would do with the new rate.

“This program has been, I think, relatively stable,” he said. “If interest was out there, or if the need was out there, it can be amended.”

HANSON – The Select Board discussed the workload in the Selectmen’s office – and whether there is, or has been adequate staffing to keep up with it – during the Tuesday, June 28 meeting.

The topic came up as the board was voting to recognize with regret the resignation of Administrative Assistant Lucia Silveira. She is the second assistant to resign over the workload. Administrative Assistant Greet Getzen resigned following the Oct. 4, 2021 special Town Meeting, during which disparaging remarks about her performance in the job during a discussion about a request for $9,179 to hire a recording secretary to help with the backlog if meeting minutes. The separation process between Getzen and the board was finalized on Nov. 2 2021. Silveria was hired in Jan. 10 2022.

The board is looking to a Town Meeting warrant article and need to discuss affordability and sustainability with Town Accountant Todd Hassett, further documentation and a task breakdown over who would do what in the Select Board office.

“One of the things we’ve been discussing with Lucia and Town Adminstrator Lisa Green is, quite honestly … with the prior town administrator and executive assistant … is the volume of work that the office does is leading to burnout – rapid burnout,” said Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “I got thinking about why is that happening.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett questioned whether too much is expected of too-small a staff, whether they are not paid enough, a matter of prioritizing – or a bit of all those things.

“I did ask Ms. Green to take a look at the towns around us and see how they are staffing this office and what are the jobs that are being required of this office in this current time that weren’t necessarily required, say, five or 10 years ago,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “I want to be clear that Lisa is not complaining. That’s not why it’s on the agenda. This was my observation, saying, ‘Holy [self-censored]. This is a lot of work.’”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said the Select Board has a lot to do and needs the staff to get it done, especially when they meet every week.

“It’s probably two days’ worth of work [preparing] for every meeting that we have,” she said. Volunteers, however, such as seniors volunteering for tax abatement, can’t do quite a bit of the work – which is privileged and confidential.

Green reported that of the towns close to Hanson – all of which are close to the same population – all have three staff members in the Select Board office. Abington has a town manager and two administrative assistants, one of which concentrates on media coordination and other activities; Rockland has a town administrator, and assistant town administrator and an executive assistant; Pembroke has a town manager, an assistant town manager and an executive assistant; Easton has a town administrator, and assistant town administrator, a human resources coordinator and an executive assistant; Halifax has a town administrator, a select board assistant and a select board secretary and Plympton – with a population of 3,000 – is the only nearby town with only two staffing the Select Board office: an administrator and an administrative assistant; and East Bridgewater has a town administrator, an assistant to the town administrator and a principal clerk,

“We’re the only town around, other than Plympton … that has only two people in the Select Board office,” Green said. “It’s not shifting papers around. Our office requires reading, learning, writing, creating documents.”

At the last Select Board meeting, the list of 110 annual appointments triggered the need for the office to generate 87 letters the next day so those folks could come in and get sworn in, she said.

“We are bombarded with records requests,” Green added, much of it requires research, redacting where required and compiling information. “We answer the phones, we answer complaints – open meeting law complaints. Private roads have been a big issue lately. For two people trying to do all this work – it is exrtemely overwhelming.”

Minutes requests are the most time-consuming.

“Minutes don’t take minutes,” she said. “It takes hours to generate meeting minutes.”

Two or three-hour Select Board meetings can mean six to eight hours to generate accurate and can include executive session information, all done while people drop in for other business.

“That’s in addition to preparing the Annual Town Report … to the two Town Meetings which, as you can see … half of the year is spent talking and planning for Town Meeting,”  FitzGerald-Kemmett. “And then, I think most importantly, all the personnel issues.”

The board has also been urging Green to obtain grant money and town-owned properties sold and onto the rolls.

“The previous board spent a lot of time advocating for not just another administrative assistant and/or assistant town administrator, but we were also talking about an HR person that we can bring in to take some of that burden off of [Green] as well,” said Select Board member Joe Weeks. “We should continue on with that.”

But the need to continually “put out fires” gets in the way.

“It’s a perfect opportunity for us to sit back and take it seriously,” he said. “No municipal government run off of a revolving door of staff.”

Select Board member Jim Hickey expressed concern about how the town would be able to afford the salary of another staff member.

“I just feel sorry that we’re losing someone that I barely know, but I know she’s been effective and there is nobody in the wings to come and take her place,” said Select Board member Ann Rein. “It doesn’t sound like that is a good plan in the long run.”

Rein said the best plan would have been to find help before Silveira reached the point “where you needed to walk.”

Select Board member Ed Heal said that every time he goes into the office, “both these two are working as three people.”

Ethics disclosures

The board also discussed the disclosure of potential conflict of interest from Conservation Committee Chairman Phil Clemens. The routine form in which town officials outline upcoming issues before their board or committee that could potentially cause a conflict of interest for them.

“Historically, it was not always the practice of this board to receive disclosures and to discuss them in an open meeting, which to me always seemed contrary to the very principal of disclosing things – particularly if you are an appointing authority,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. 

Clemens indicated he had no comments to make other than his wish to understand the process, as he was uncertain if his was a typical situation.

“But, as an abutter to a potential project we can see coming, I just thought I’d try to get out ahead of it,” he said. Clemens said his main question was whether he should leave the room when Conservation discusses the project, should it come up in the future.

“We can’t opine on what you should be doing,”  FitzGerald-Kemmet said. She advised Clemens that he could call the attorney of the day at the state Ethics Commission with specific questions. “The lens that we’re looking through, primarily, is, ‘Is there something you’ve disclosed here that would give us pause [concerning] you being appointed to a position [by] this board.”

Clemens said that whenever a project of any significant size is proposed to a town board, abutters are notified, in this specific situation the abutters potenitally affected by an upcoming project is the First Congregational Church, where he is a moderator at the church’s business meeting as well as a member of the congregation.

“Who knows what the discussions might lead to?” he said. “I would be concerned about appearances as things get further down the road.”

He indicated he would consult the Ethics Commission.

“You’re on the right track and disclosing … and being aware,”  FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “That’s like half the battle.”

She asked that Clemens update the board on what the Ethics Commission’s ruling is.

Strategic plan

In other business, the board heard a presentation from Anne Donner about the town’s strategic, for which Town Meeting voted funding. Donner recently worked with the town of Whitman on their strategic plan.

“As unbelievable as it might seem, the town of Hanson has actually never had a strategic plan, which would be a vision … that is put together by collecting the thoughts of various department heads and stakeholders and gives us a point in time [as to] what we think the priorities for the town should be,”  FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “We’re not flipping and flopping on our objectives in terms of where our money’s going to be spent, where our resources are going to be spent. We have a vision.”

While priorities may change, this would provide a starting point, she indicated.

Donner, a management consultant since 2004, has worked in both the public and private as well as nonprofit sectors, and described a strategic plan as an organzational management activity to focus energy and resources, set priorities, strengthen operations of an organization and provide agreement around the intended outcomes.

She has already begun gathering data and interviewing department heads and Select Board members to learn their perspectives on what the town’s priorities should be. A citizens’ survey will be conducted in August. A workshop with stakes is being planned for after Labor Day.

HANSON — The Select Board met virtually with Sprague Energy regarding the town’s municipal electricity supply contract for municipal buildings while an aggregate plan is explored to offer a group price for all town residents.

The board voted to authorize Town Administrator Lisa Green to negotiate a 36-month electricity contract with Sprague to get the town through the period before the aggregation goes into effect — during which energy costs pose a concern. 

 “I don’t blame you for looking into aggregation, but because that’s not going to happen for another year and a half to two years, it’ll leave you extremely vulnerable where the town could [end up paying] double, triple, potentially quadruple the supply rates that they’re paying right now,” Sprague Energy Portfolio Manager Robert Savary said, in reaching out to Green regarding the town’ electricity purchasing.

Green noted that the town has been working with in regard to a plan to join a bulk-purchasing arrangement — an energy aggregate — with the aim of saving money on natural gas costs.

“We are entering an aggregate group, but that’s still a year to two years out,” Green said. “We thought it would be a good idea, since energy costs are expected to sky rocket over the next few months, to have Sprague give us a presentation and see what they can do to save money on our electricity.”

Select Board member Ed Heal asked what Savary if the town entered into a short-term contract, would it also renew in December and what would that financial impact be.

Savary stressed he was discussing one-, two- and three-year contracts.

“You don’t want to sign a one-, two- and three-month contract, because that would put you absolutely in the middle of winter, which would be devastating,” he said.

Savary said the Mass. Public Utilities Commission (PUC) website can provide a list of alternative energy suppliers residents can contact and what their rates are.

“Make sure if you are going to do that, when you check off the boxes, that you check off “fixed rate,” not variable, that’s the most important thing,” he said. Early termination fees is another benefit residents should look for.

“If you could put something together that we could pop up on our website, that would be amazing,” Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “This is going to hit a lot of people in the pocketbook.”

Headquartered out of Portsmouth, N.H., Sprague has been in business since the late 1800s, said Savary, who has worked with the company for about 13 years.

“Because we are so big — we’ve got 10,000 customers — we’ve developed such a great relationship with every electric supplier out there,” he said. “I do mean every legitimate electric supplier.”

He said his job is to help customers navigate upcoming changes in energy costs. Those changes can have roots in power plant costs, transmission and distribution systems, weather conditions, regulations and international upheavals, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

He addressed natural gas and electricity costs, specifically.

“We are in a really precarious situation right now in New England with regard to natural gas electricity costs,” Savary said. “If you haven’t heard, or you haven’t seen pricing already, it’s going to get real bad real soon.”

The U.S. House passed the Consumer Price Gouging Prevention Act in May, with every Republican and four Democrats voting against it, but it stalled and is unlikely to pass in the evenly divided Senate. 

Both versions of the bill seek greater transparency around gas prices and would give the Federal Trade Commission additional authority to monitor and crack down on allegations of price gouging by energy companies and the Senate version would require the U.S. Energy Information Administration to publish more information about markets to help ensure fair competition and transparency.

Savary forecast that natural gas, where Hanson is now paying 81 cents per therm with the utility, has contracted rate Hanson signed for in January is 70.8 cents per therm.

That contract expires in April 2024.

“On the gas side, you’re very well protected right now,” he said, recommending they talk again about six to eight months before that contract expires.

Price indexes

Natural gas, traded on the NYNEX, and was trading at $5.44 per unit, but two weeks ago that price per unit was $9.30. This week it was back to about $6.30 due to influences such as an explosion at a CNG terminal in the Gulf of Mexico, which forced natural gas back into the pipeline before it could be converted to liquefied natural gas (LNG), offering a temporary supply boost.

“We do not expect that it’s going to stay there,” he said.

Hanson is currently saving about $3,200 on it’s annual natural gas costs within its contract.

“That savings is going to grow tremendously over this next coming winter,” he said.

Electricity is another story, Savary said.

The current utility rate is 10.37 cents per kilowatt hour (KHW), with the current contracted rate of 9.6 per KHW, which is good until December 2022.

National Grid has already announced its new rate is going to be 21.01 cents per KWH by August.

“That is a huge jump,” he said. “August, September and October are traditionally some of the least expensive months of a year for traditional electricity costs. That tells us that we are prepared to go into a winter and there’s going to be some crazy, crazy rates.”

He said Eversource Massachusetts, last winter, was charging 31 per KHW. Since New England utilities generally follow each other’s rates, Eversource New Hampshire has informed its large accounts that their rate in January will be 48 cents per KHW — their current rate is about 12 cents per KHW.

“That just shows you what’s happening in the future and why you want to go ahead and get things under control now,” Savary said, noting his customers are all going for 36-month contracts (with a current rate of 15.3 cents per KHW, which allows a price that can help them weather the energy price storm, as he called it, relatively unscathed. Had Hanson been ready to sign an agreement for 36 months in January 2022, the rate would have been locked in at 12.49 per KHW.

“The short-term is the most dangerous term,” he said. “There’s nothing on the horizon that tells us the market is going to take a dip anytime soon.”

He said the Russian war on Ukraine, the Gulf explosion — with gas reversing in the pipeline and being transformed into LNG for shipment to Europe — as key price factors.

Sprague is not permitted to contract with residents for their electricity rates, but noted the rate increases would hit residents and said he would make himself available to the board in case they wished to look at their residential rates as a courtesy.

“I appreciate that, but I do question whether we should be afforded a privledge that isn’t afforded to the rest of the citizens in town,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “There may be pitfalls for the unwary in that.”

WHITMAN – School Committee Chair Christopher Howard met with the Select Board on Tuesday, June 21 to gauge the board’s appetite to get together and rework the regional school agreement and thoughts on makeup of the current subcommittee.

“I think Whitman is committed to our partnership and definitely looking to stay in the region and fully aware we need to do something with the agreement,” Select Board Chair Randy LaMattina. 

A scheduled discussion with Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak concerning mold remediation at Whitman Middle School was tabled as Szymaniak was out on bereavement leave.

“In several School Committee meetings we have continued to talk about the regional agreement,” Howard said. “As the board knows, that agreement is 30 years old.”

A “subtle amendment” has been done to include statutory changes on the state level, but it is an old agreement and, Howard noted a subcommittee of two select board members and two School Committee members from each town, both town administrators and at least one citizen at-large sat on that “fairly large group,” he said.

“We wanted to approach both the Whitman [Select Board] and the Hanson Select Board and just really ask two simple questions,” Howard said. “One — what is the appetite for us to, because it is a tri-party relationship between the schools and both towns, to get together and rework this? And then two —do you have any feedback on the composition of the committee?”

In the spirit of cooperation and collaboration, Howard said his committee felt it was a good idea to at least have a preliminary conversation to get thoughts from the select boards in each member town before creating the subcommittee

“From an outside persepective, looking in, I thought that committee was a little too large,” LaMattina agreed. “[The size] could have ham-strung things a tad bit, and I think, probably, a lot of the legwork with the regional agreement has been done.”

He said the remaining sticking points to be worked out would require narrowing down the size of the subcommittee.

Select Board member Dan Salvucci asked how Hanson’s Select Board feels on the issue [See story, page one].

“We haven’t met with them,” said Howard, who added he planned to attend the next meeting of Hanson’s board on July 12. “Obviously, it’s a three-way tango, if you will, so we need all three dancing partners to come to the table and do this together.”

Any revised regional agreement would have to be approved by both Town Meetings.

“A lot of the legwork is already done,” said Select Board member Justin Evans, who was one of the Whitman Select Board representatives to the last subcommittee. “I agree with our chairman that less is more in this kind of situation, especially where it has to come back to the full School Committee, both [select] boards and then Town Meeting for final approval. We’re not leaving out any opportunities for public input, it’s just trying to get an agreement together.”

Select Board member Shawn Kain said he would like to see, in the interest of best practices, someone who has been involved in these negotiations and has been involved in regional agreements be consulted for guidance as far as how things are often done.

“Having somebody involved that can really speak from experience … can be helpful, because there’s certainly some hot-button issues that could be a sticking point,” he said.

Salvucci said the subcommittee was able to have input from Whitman’s Finance Committee chair as well as legal counsel, helped update the agreement, but some of the issues such as the statutory formula for assessments was either not discussed, or was assumed to have been. He advocated for a member of the Finance Committee or the state to join the committee. Salvucci worked on the agreement revision in 2017 and Evans did so in 2020.

“We’ve done this a couple of times recently,” Evans said. 

Howard said they are reaching out to the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) also must approve any revised regional agreement.

“I think smaller is better because it has to go through a rigorous approval process,” Howard said of the committee size. “I just don’t know what capacity you’d feel comfortable [with].”

LaMattina said it would require a Select Board member and the town administrator, which Evans agreed to.

“I would say no more than 10 members,” Evans said. “Even 10 is a lot, but it’s manageable.”

On other busines, Auburn Street traffic delays have generated a “Significant amount of complaints from the public, LaMattina said, but he said that, while there is significant impact to area residents and people driving on the street, the sewer force main work being done is crucial for the town.

“We’re trying to work through it,” he said. “We ask people to be patient and follow the signs. … It’s quite a large undertaking, but it is critical infrastructure for the town. It needs to be done.”

LaMattina emphasized that it is not just a developer inconveniencing residents and motorists.

“This is major water and sewer work, and it needs to be done,” he said. “We are trying to figure out, on a daily basis, a better way to do things.”

The week before a bipartisan U.S. Senate deal reinvigorated hope that a gun safety legislation deal is possible to help halt the flow of illegal guns across state lines, institute red flag limitations as well as billions for mental health and school safety programs, among other moves to confront the epidemic of mass shootings in America, W-H School Committee members addressed how to reassure parents and the community about school safety in the district.

“Student safety has been a priority for me since I became an administrator,” Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak said on Wednesday, June 8.

In 2014 the district adopted ALICE training protocols in the wake of the December 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Conn. Szymaniak was the trainer to teach district staff, along with school resource officers (SRO) Kevin Harrington of Whitman Police and William Frazier of Hanson Police.

“I have not kept up my certification as a trainer, but I still follow up,” he said.

As he spoke, members of Congress were negotiating gun safety measures after the Uvalde, Texas massacre in which 19 children and two teachers were murdered.

In addition to ALICE, the district is undergoing a process to ensure buildings are secured.

“We’ve already noticed two issues, one at Whitman Middle and one at Hanson Middle, that we need to improve upon in our secondary entrance,” Szymaniak said.

Elementary Schools have all been reconfigured so that, when people are buzzed in, they are in a vestibule and have to obtain entrance through another set of doors.

“We will be adding that [to the middle schools] this summer as a priority to make sure we have another layer of defense,” he said. “I’ve been in contact with both of our chiefs and we all agree that we are going to move forward with a safety/security audit this summer.”

Some consulting firms are already being talked to, Szymaniak said.

“We know our buildings do well, but we want an outside look at our protocols, our procedures, what we can do differently and I’d like to present that to you prior to the start of school, depending on how soon we can get this audit.”

A similar “soft look” before security changes had been made, was done after Sandy Hook.

When former Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Patrick Dillon was working in the district an evacuation plan was also created.

“Safety and security is on our plate – it’s never lost,” he said. “We didn’t lose it through Covid.” Another ALICE training had been done in that period with officer Harrington and new Hanson SRO Derek Harrington and staff.

Committee Chairman Christopher Howard, attending remotely, said the issue was one he and Szymaniak had specifically discussed adding to the meeting agenda.

They talked about setting up a night to conduct a forum that can allow every stakeholder in the district to have the opportunity to participate in that conversation.

“It shouldn’t be ‘This is what we are doing,’” Howard said. “It should be a ‘Tell us your thoughts, tell us your concerns,’ so that as Jeff goes forward we can roll that in. I’ve heard from a couple of parents on this specific topic [and] I’m guessing some of you have, as well.”

Howard said it was something on which they wanted to take the pulse of the committee before moving forward.

Member Fred Small said the district held such a forum three or four years ago that was well received and provided a lot of good information.

“What people are thinking. What’s on the horizon and, also some of the things that we’ve done,” he said could be touched on.

Vice Chair Christopher Scriven, conducting the meeting in Howard’s physical absence, said he thought it was a good idea.

“So many of us in the community – and rightly so – are concerned about this,” he said.

Member Hillary Kniffen, who teaches in another district, said is would also be important to hear from the people in the buildings with the students.

“I think the principals have a good idea, but really the people on the ground in the classrooms … would be really valuable and important,” she said.

“They certainly qualify as stakeholders,” Scriven said.

With a consensus from the committee that such a forum is a good idea, Szymaniak said they would discuss a target date some time this summer during the next meeting.

WHITMAN – The gavel, as they say, has been passed to a new generation with the election of Randy LaMattina, on Tuesday, June 7, as Whitman’s Select Board chair – after former Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski announced his intention to step aside after 12 years.

During the Select Board’s reorganization session, Dan Salvucci was re-elected as vice chair and Justin Evans was elected clerk. 

The votes were delayed by the absence of Select Board member Justin Evans on May 25, due to the birth of his first child the day before. The board strives to reorganize during meetings with full attendance.

“I have been chair, as you all know, for a long time,” Kowalski said, in beginning his nomination of LaMattina. “I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been an honor, it’s been a pleasure to work with the people of Whitman, but I feel it’s time for a change.”

Kowalski said the town is entering a “new phase” with a strategic plan in place for the first time.

“The bases for that strategic plan were a couple of things,” he said, including a town-wide survey and a committee that LaMattina chaired, dealing with town finances and whether an override would be needed. That work led to the Madden Report, which “looms large in the strategic plan and what we’re looking forward to,” Kowalski added, pointing to LaMattina’s work on school budget matters, as well.

“That’s obviously going to be a continuing emphasis here,” he said. “I thought it would be a good time to transition the chairmanship to Randy LaMattina.”

Select Board member Dan Salvucci seconded LaMattina’s nomination, calling it “a good choice.”

Evans, pointing to work he has also done on the school budget committee, nominated himself to provide a choice. Member Shawn Kain seconded that nomination, but cast his vote for LaMattina.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for both Randy and for Justin, I’ve been following both you guys for a number of years,” Kain said. “I think both of you overlap a lot with my own priorities, so I think both … could be excellent at the role.”

“Trouble is, you have to vote for one of them,” Kowalski quipped.

Kain supported LaMattina.

Salvucci said he was sorry to hear Kowalski’s decision to step aside, but understood it, adding that he felt LaMattina would be a “good fit.”

“We might as well make it unanimous, I’ll vote for Randy,” Evans said. 

“I’m kind of taken aback by it, but I’ve lived in this town basically my whole life,” LaMattina said, his voice breaking as he thanked the board for the honor. “The people of this town have given me a great opportunity.”

He said it was an honor to work with former Select Board member Brian Bezanson, as well as Salvucci and “one of the longest-running” town administrators.

“But there are two Selectmen who stand out from my childhood and now – I would say the Mt. Rushmore of Selectmen – for me personally in this town,” LaMattina said about former Select Board member Dick Cole and Kowalski.

“Getting the nomination from [Kowalski] means the world to me, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “Both men were different, but their commitment to this town is the same.”

He said the way Kowalski has conducted meetings over the past 12 years is “probably unprecedented” in the amount of work he has put in to prepare for meetings and making them flow properly, is a testament to his commitment to the town.

Kowalski also placed Salvucci’s name in nomination for vice chair as someone who has been a “terrific help to me over those years,” always being there when needed, as well as being a dedicated and kind person. The nomination was uncontested.

“I thank everyone,”  Salvucci said on his re-election. “We have a little bit old and a little bit new.”

Cannabis agreements

Kowalski also nominated Evans for clerk, which was seconded by Salvucci.

In other business, the board discussed the process ahead for negotiating host community agreements with cannabis businesses.

“We have had interest from several folks, serious interest from a few entities,” Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman said in seeking feedback from the board about how and when the town should proceed with discussions with the interested parties. “In some ways, there isn’t really a lot to negotiate, it’s really to decide who the board wants to enter negotiations with.”

The town limits the number of cannabis businesses to five, of which no more than three can be retail. Agreements are limited to five years before they can be renewed and the host community agreement and impact fees.

The board may also decide if it wants to encourage local hiring, hours of operation an lock systems, but the latter two may be more accurately with the ZBA.

LaMattina said he has reached out to some surrounding communities on their agreements.

“It seems like it’s a very litigious process and, obviously, in any negotiation, town counsel is going to have to be heavily involved, it appears,” he said. “The agreements themselves seem to be fairly cookie-cutter.”

He suggested it would be a good idea for a couple members of the board, Heineman and town counsel “sit down and see where we’re at and start the process rolling.”

Evans expressed interest in that, having already begun to look at other towns’ host agreements. Kowalski said he would be happy with Justin and Heineman meeting with town counsel. Scott Lambiase was also suggested as a potential member of the group.

Kain asked if there was a way to roll the process out slowly.

“It’s entirely up to the board,” Heineman said. “As long as the process is fair, it doesn’t need to be quick.”

“I’d prefer to be thorough and fair than quick,” Kain said.

An update on the process will be included on the June 21 agenda.

Roads and sidewalks

Heineman said he and DPW Superintendent Bruce Martin, who oversees parks and roads, have been meeting to discuss an acceleration of road and sidewalk repairs in town.

The financing of such work will focus on three approaches, Heineman said: maximizing state Chapter 90 funds, maximizing free cash through June 30 and reviewing planning board performance bonds to determine which ones may be closed to increase free cash amounts available.

He said his work with Martin is aimed at identifying and making sure the list of town roads the state has is as complete as possible to maximize both road miles in town and Chapter 90 funds. Town income level and the number of publically accepted roads are also factors in allocating that funding.

They have identified 12 roads have been accepted that need a state review of paperwork; 16 roads are not on state list, but have been accepted at town meeting; and another 17 unaccepted roads would be acceptable, according to Martin.

State DOT officials have said in writing to the town that road adoption does not necessarily have to go to town meeting, with the Select Board able to do that.

Town accountant Ken Lytle and Heineman have been reviewing old town meetings originally funded by free cash and closing them out by June 30 to return the funds to free cash so they can be certified in 2023. 

There is currently $216,996 in outstanding performance bonds, which developers pay to ensure developments are finished according to Planning Board requirements. There are nine with have significant funds outstanding for at least 10 years, Heineman said. The aim is to find old documentation from the projects to determine what was required an whether it has been accomplished. If they are complete, funds can be released to developers.

“In most cases, it’s likely that these will not be completely finished in that way, but because of the time that’s elapsed, we can … go back, with a Planning Board vote [and] release these monies back to hit our free cash,” he said.

The final four projects under consideration are most recent, where developers may indeed still be working on the projects.

“Nevertheless, I predict there is at least $71,000 there and probably a little bit more … to have released by the Planning Board,” Heineman said.

Heineman also provided an update on the Strategic Plan, something that Kain urge the board keep as a regular agenda item.

“It provides an intellegent and quick way for us to get updated about something we’ve all collectively agreed upon.” Kain said, adding it would keep the town headed in the right direction.

“For a lot of us paying attention, we see that stuff happening, but I think to make it more explicit for the every day citizen so they can be that much more  knowledgeable at Town Meeting, I really support that,” he said.

One might title it Two Reorganizations and a Baby.

After opening the meeting with what has become the usual somber moment of silence in honor of the people of Ukraine – as well as in memory of the children and teachers slain in a mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas – Whitman Select Board Chairman Carl Kowalski said he wanted to open the meeting on a lighter note.

“You’ll notice there’s an empty chair here tonight, Justin Evans is not able to be here because he and his wife Kathy had a baby daughter this afternoon,” Kowalski said. “Eight pounds, five ounces, 21 inches – a good-sized daughter – and so he’s going to be with them for a little while and he won’t be able to be here this evening, which means we won’t be reorganizing the Select Board this evening.”

Kowalski said it has been the board’s practice to wait for the first meeting at which we have a full board after a town election to reorganize.

“I talked to Justin on the phone just a little while ago and he does plan to be here on June 7,” he said, indicating the reorganization should happen then.

The School Committee and Select Boards welcomed new members and reorganized their slates of officers last week, following the Saturday, May 21 town elections in Whitman and Hanson.

The Hanson Select Board and the W-H Regional School Committee did reorganize last week.

Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak, presided until the School Committee re-elected Hanson’s Christopher Howard as chair in an unusual Monday meeting on May 23.

“Congratulations to incumbent members Beth Stafford, Dawn Byers and Chris Howard for their re-election and [to] our newest member Glen DiGravio for his successful election,” Szymaniak said.

Howard was re-elected chairman with Scriven also returning in the post of vice chair. David Forth was tabbed as secretary/clerk. Steve Bois was elected treasurer and Dawn Byers won the post of assistant treasurer.

 Bois had placed his own name in nomination for chair post and Christopher Scriven nominated Howard for another term as the head of the meetings. Member Fred Small nominated Beth Stafford.

Szymaniak conducted a roll call of members, with a majority to decide the selection. Abstentions were deemed to be no-votes.

Bois failed to receive a majority with a vote of 4-5-1. Howard was then elected with a unanimous 10-0 vote, rendering a vote on Stafford’s nomination unnecessary.

“Thank you all, I look forward to working with you,” Howard said.

Bois also nominated himself for consideration as vice chair, with Scriven and Stafford also nominated. Bois failed to win a majority with a tally of 3-6-1. Scriven was elected by a 7-3 for the win.

The vote for secretary/clerk was between  Forth and  Small. Forth was selected by a 6-4 vote.

Bois’ name was again placed in nomination, this time by Dawn Byers for treasurer. With no competition, Bois was elected unanimously. Forth then nominated Byers for assistant treasurer, as was Stafford, again nominated by Fred Small. Byers was elected 7-3 with one abstention.

The committee then entered into executive session to discuss strategy in regard to collective bargaining with non-union personnel (a new special education director).

The next night, Hanson Select Board reorganized.

In Hanson, this process raised a bit of unexpected drama.

“Tonight we are welcoming and congratulating two new members to our select board – Ann Rein and Ed Heal,” said Town Administrator Lisa Green, who presided until a chair was selected.

Laura  FitzGerald-Kemmett was elected chair with Joe Weeks as vice chair and Rein as clerk.

FitzGerald-Kemmett nominated herself for chair, seconded by Rein. Member Jim Hickey also nominated himself, seconded by Joe Weeks.

“That’s alright, Joe, you don’t have to,” Hickey said. “You don’t have to, that’s OK. I withdraw my nomination.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett was elected by a 4-0-1 vote with Hickey abstaining. When FitzGerald-Kemmett opened the floor to nominations for vice chair an awkward silence was followed by Weeks nominating himself almost in unison with Rein’s intention of the same thing.

“Just so people don’t have to stare at a [silent screen],” Weeks said with a laugh. The vote was unaninmous. Rein nominated herself as clerk when no one else spoke up.