Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Szymaniak presented what he calls a “level services-plus” budget of $57,955,988 — an increase of $2,635,750 (or 4.76 percent) to the School Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Under the proposal, Whitman’s assessment would be $16,827,516 with non-mandated busing costing $422,595 and high school capital costs at $427,835. Hanson’s assessment would be $13,114,756 with non-mandated busing costing $103,572, high school capital costs at $140,269 and capital/technology/HVAC costs at $277,465.

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) II fund through the CARES Act is anticipated to deliver $1,001,000 to the district for the 2021-22 school year.

“We have not received it,” Szymaniak said. “There have been no checks sent.”

He noted that $10,000 of the ESSER money must be earmarked for social-emotional learning, but added there has been great discussion, but a lack of clarity over how the remaining money can be used.

“We have been told that 75 percent of the remaining funds will go back to the two towns in the form of helping them out with increases in their minimum local contributions,” he said.

About $350,000 could go to Hanson and $400,000-plus for Whitman, if the information bears out. More information is hoped for by the March 10 meeting.

That budget scenario depends on the district starting a traditional school year in September, and maintains current K-12 staffing levels and addresses anticipated student regression due to COVID-19, among other highlights.

“I believe what we’re asking for minimally supports our educational and operational needs,” he said.

The committee held its public hearing on the fiscal 2022 school budget remotely. School Committee member Dan Cullity was unable to attend due to what School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes described as an “emergency situation.”

Residents watching were able to submit questions, via the “raised hand” icon on the Zoom session, prior to or following Szymaniak’s budget presentation. No questions preceded the budget presentation.

Szymaniak also outlined the online budget process and timeline:

• March 10, line-by-line budget detail presentation;

• March 17, budget vote;

• April 14, budget session (tentative); and

• April 28, budget session (tentative).

An additional School Committee meeting, specifically about the process for reopening the schools is planned for Wednesday, March 3.

Szymaniak listed eight items of concern related to the budget, which are currently out of the district’s control right now: the fall school opening date, contracts of all bargaining units, retirements and contractual obligations, state Chapter 70 aid, transportation reimbursements, special education tuitions, health and building insurance, and the Whitman water bill.

“Our goal is to bring all of our students back and in-person, but (Education Commissioner Jeff Riley) also outlined an option for students who are remote — giving parents the option of remote learning — through the end of this school year,” Szymaniak said. “I don’t know next year if that is going to be an option for our students.”

He said if remote learning is an option for the 2021-22 school year, officials “have to think long and hard” about how it affects the FY ’22 school budget.

The budget Szymaniak presented did not include the option for any student.

“This budget includes additional special education programming [$570,000]  to try to retain our students from going out of district,” Szymaniak said. “It’s an initial cost in this budget, but as years go by — and even in this fiscal year — we will see monies coming back to the district and keeping our kids here.”

A high school science teaching position [$75,000], cut a couple of years ago will prevent the need to have a teacher instruct out of their license area, which the state does not allow.

Refreshing the district’s inventory of outdated Chromebooks [$150,000] is also included in the budget. Devices reaching end of life no longer support software for the MCAS exams.

Four staff positions, one of which would facilitate special education efforts, aimed at intervening in student regression at the elementary and middle school levels is forecast to cost about $375,000.

“I’m speaking of academic intervention,” said Assistant Superintendent George Ferro. “What we would like to do is have a district elementary intervention team.”

Regression is also a concern with special education, explained Director of Student Services Lauren Mathisen.

“Unfortunately a lot of our students in out-of-district programs have experienced COVID-related shut-downs,” she said. “Many students have missed five, six weeks or more of their education and these are students who really require structure and routine in their program to make progress.”

Interruptions mean added expenses to support services to the students, including home visits.

Since 2014, when the approved budget was $44,576,361, district budgets have been slowly increasing, with the fiscal 2020 budget at $55,320,238 representing a 5.5-percent increase over the 2014 budget.

“We are starting to get back on track from the losses of 2015 and 2016, Szymaniak said.

Whitman-Hanson received $24,776,700 in Chapter 70 state aid in 2020.

“We receive quite a bit of money from the state, compared with some other local districts, and we’re getting there, but we’re still spending less per-pupil than other districts,” he said.

Increases sought in the budget include $1,071,450 for salary lines to accommodate union negotiations, $100,000 for health insurance and $90,000 in transportation in addition to the science teacher, regression intervention, special ed and technology requests.

Of the $57,955,988 in the fiscal 2022 budget, salaries comprise $31,154,756 of the total and expenses $26,801,232.

The district also covers, within the budget, $9,455,513 in employee benefits and support expenses covered by towns in non-regional districts.

Revenues include $25,951,287 in state revenue, $31,314,008 from assessments, $600,000 in Circuit Breaker special education assistance, $90,693 in local receipts.

School Committee member Dawn Byers asked to see class size numbers at a future meeting swell as questions on special education and social-emotional support programs.

Szymaniak said enrollment studies for both towns should be completed by the March 10 meeting, although he said he was not certain if class size numbers would be available by then.

WHITMAN — The town is planning a series of COVID vaccination clinics for elder residents at the Housing Authority’s Harvard Court site.

“As this board knows, there have already been several vaccination clinics that have occurred, primarily focused on first responders,” said new Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman, attending his inaugural Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 9, noting those clinics are continuing. “There are also already plans [for] vaccination clinics at Harvard Court.”

Those are planned for Feb. 22 and 26, as well as March 22 and 26 for the second dose.

“There are also other vaccination clinics planned,” he said. “The key issue that many members on this board may know about is that, we have this plan in place to provide vaccinations to the community, based on the phases as identified by the state Department of Public Health, but the key is actually receiving the  vaccine to perform those, which is — obviously — outside of the town’s control.”

He said the past week, according to Fire Chief Timothy Grenno, is the first time when the state has not been able to fulfill a request for vaccine from the town.

“We don’t know when that is going forward and, obviously, we’re going to be requesting vaccines to fulfill the plan that we want to pursue,” he said. “The big unknown at this moment is how much vaccine we’re going to get and in what kind of time.”

Heineman also announced that cases are now at 1,003 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, according to figures calculated as of Feb. 2. There have been 115 new cases recorded over the past two weeks.

“Just as a comparison to the state as a whole, we’re slightly higher as daily average incidents rate per 100,000 residents,” Heineman said. During the same two-week period the state was at 48.9, while Whitman is at 52.9.

Grenno and the Board of Health have developed the plans for the vaccine clinics, Heineman said.

“There’s a lot of very detailed and organized work that’s been going on prior to me and, again, I want to give all the credit in the world to our emergency management director [Grenno], the Board of Health and everyone here in Town Hall and the Town Hall workers in general,” Heineman said.

In other business, Selectmen approved a request from Council on Aging Director Mary Holland to revise COVID-19 protocols for her department.

“She said there are certain issues that needed to be done, and we had to redo our town protocol because the COA does certain functions that are required under health issues only the senior center provides, and she’s asked us if that would be allowed,” Selectmen Chairman Daniel Salvucci said.

New town COVID protocols passed on Jan. 19 had closed all town buildings to the public until further notice.

“The services that we’ve been able to continue to offer — one of them being the podiatrist — it’s only once a month, but seniors need that service,” Holland said. “We’ve been doing it since September with no issues.”

Seniors enter at the back door and are seen one-on-one by the podiatrist in a private room, she said. Masks are worn during examinations.

Fuel assistance is another service for which seniors must go to the COA to obtain help with the first-time completion of complex paperwork. The center is still closed for social events.

Selectmen also voted — in recognition that Carousel Family Fun Center was the only business in town required to close [for 30 weeks] due to Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 order — to reduce the business’ licensing fee, applying a pro-rated amount to her feed owed in 2021.

HANSON — COVID-19 vaccination staging plans and a discussion with town counsel regarding a proposed 40B affordable housing development were the focus of the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

The meeting was conducted by Vice Chairman Matt Dyer in the absence of Chairman Kenny Mitchell.

Fire Chief Jerome Thompson Jr., outlined the town’s efforts to tackle the pandemic, including a recent testing site operation and meetings with the Board of Health and Senior Center Director Mary Collins to address the needs of the town’s vulnerable seniors.

“We started the process in mid-December to allow us to become a MIS account so we can obtain vaccines and administer them,” he said. “It took a while.”

The department received vaccine to provide the first round of shots to 50 first-responders on Jan.21. He said, however, that getting more information from the state has been difficult.

Vaccines were ordered for elders age 75 and older, but were advised the town would not receive those vaccines for a couple of weeks.

“We still went on with our plan and I put the order in anyway,” he said. “I’m happy to announce that we did receive some vaccines today and, working with Mary Collins and Kathy Clark from Meetinghouse Lane, we’ve identified our vulnerable population — over 75 and members of the community that would need some assistance in order to sign up for these vaccines.”

That process was anticipated to be complete by Feb. 3 so people could apply.

“We’re going to continue to order vaccines weekly and offer clinics, but we don’t know how much we’ll get,” Thompson said, adding that the added work in taking on the vaccination and clinic process is a lot of extra work for his department. “It’s best for us to wait until we get that vaccine in hand and then put that information out and have a clinic within two to three days.”

Dyer expressed concern that the 75-and-older age range is a group in which not everyone has a computer or knows how to navigate on one. He asked if there was a phone number to call.

Thompson suggested that the Senior Center would be the best place to call in that case, but that the Facebook link was “very simple” to use. He is also working on conducting a vaccine clinic at Hanson Middle School for residents over age 75, hoping it would be scheduled for Friday, Feb. 5.

A lot of people are also going through their primary care physicians or attending large-scale clinics at Gillette Stadium or Fenway Park.

On or about Feb. 15, Marshfield is also conducting a vaccination clinic at the Marshfield Fair

“I appreciate you going to bat for our elderly folks,” Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said, noting that it is a difficult task to take on for the fire chief. “I thank you and the rest of the team that helped make this happen.”

Thompson said the department is using CARES Act funds to pay for the expense of conducting clinics.

He said the workload and expense may make if difficult for the Fire Department to take on the responsibility of vaccinating the whole town.

“It’s going to be all about availability,” he said.

Chapter 40B

A contentious exchange sparked the discussion on the proposed 40B development by Cushing Trail Realty Trust off Spring Street. Town Counsel Jay Talerman attended the virtual meeting to provide legal advice during the discussion.

Selectmen voted to issue a letter of support if flaws in the plan can be adequately addressed, which Talerman said is not out of the ordinary for such projects.

Select board input is a regular feature of the 40B eligibility letter approval process before a project proceeds to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Talerman said.

He said feedback from land use boards has so far included issues of housing diversity, proximity to Commuter Rail, walkability and open space, proximity to a capped landfill, water supply, wetland and environmental impact, a few design concerns, and a placeholder on the developers’ credentials.

Water Commissioner Don Howard said no one has appeared before the Water Department to find out if water service is possible.

“Hanson doesn’t have any water main down Spring Street,” Howard said. “I don’t know where they’re going to get the water.”

Talerman said that concern has been raised.

“In this application, the applicant says they already have water on-site,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “But that is not the case.”

Town Administrator John Stanbrook read a letter from Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff, an associate of Talerman’s.

The development plans a mix of 40 two- and three-bedroom condominium units, with 10 of them made available under Chapter 40B a affordable units. The project contains no handicapped-accessible units.

“Though the application presented is in its preliminary stages, the board requests that the project comply with the housing production plan,” the letter Feodoroff drafted on behalf of the Board of Selectmen stated.

“Over the weekend, residents have reached out, voicing their concerns,” Dyer said. “Many have concerns … related to proximity to the landfill and the Factory Pond site.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett is also concerned about the absence of septic plans for a development in a town without sewers, as well as a lack of clarity on plans for “amenities” and location concerning affordable units.

“I certainly was not prepared for the public outcry,” Selectman Wes Blauss said, noting he is unaware of the history of the proposal. “That surprised me. … I’m not against the concept, but I’m not really sure if Spring Street is the best place for all these units.”

Developer William Cushing said he was not attending to talk about stormwater, but said the town’s regulations — more restrictive than the state’s — have been met.

“A lot of these things are going to be checked off during that [ZBA] phase,” Cushing said. “Every unit is going to be consistently spread out and not close to the landfill.”

Amenities for all units — affordable as well as market rate — will be the same. He also said that, unlike the bulk of condo projects in Hanson aimed at the over 55 market, these units are meant for families.

He also said he has water access through Glenwood Place and is planning to pay to get it to the site.

“It’s not a complete plan, but I would call it a really good concept,” Cushing said. “At this time, to talk about storm water and other issues, is preliminary.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said the board is doing what they were elected to do.

“I will continue to be concerned about the things that I articulated,” she said. “I’m hopeful that you will address them. But I will tell you that you ought to take another look at your application.”

She indicated that the application indicates septic is in place.

FitzGerald-Kemmett also objected to what she characterized as a disrespectful tone to Cushing’s comments.

The Hanson Board of Selectmen, on Tuesday, Jan. 26 discussed ways to bring information on specific budgetary needs before the public as they prepare for this spring’s annual Town Meeting.

Town officials are working on a budget with a $2 million deficit in its general fund for FY 2022.

“Obviously, we still only have limited information, but over the next month or more we’re going to have a lot more information,” said Selectmen Chairman Kenny Mitchell. “How that number is going to impact each resident, if the override is to go through, how much should that be? But, more importantly, we’re going to have to educate the residents on what services would possibly be cut and what they would be in jeopardy of losing.”

Mitchell proposed a FY 2022 budget forum at the high school with all department heads attending to answer questions. He is looking at a March 5 or 16 date for such a forum.

“I’m also willing to go on a cable show,” he said. “I’m all ears.”

Selectman Matt Dyer agreed it was a good idea, suggesting mid-March would be better to give town officials time to get a clearer picture of the state budget or any other financial issues that may affect the town’s budget.

“Mid-March, I don’t think we’re going to be in any better position with COVID-19, so I think that we really need to consider an online venue,” Dyer said. While Zoom meeting security from invasive and abusive callers — so-called “Zoom bombing” — with larger groups, but it would be the most accessible option at this point.

He also suggested teaming up with the Whitman-Hanson Express to have Hanson budget updates on the front page. [Editor’s note: Call us to provide details of what you have in mind.]

“Each week, an update about what the budget entails, so people are informed that way,” Dyer said, adding the town’s Facebook account and website could also be used for disseminating such information.

Recording the forum Mitchell suggested and posting it on the town’s social media platforms could also be useful, Dyer suggested.

“With COVID-19, it’s going to be tough to get a bunch of people together, but if questions were submitted and you were to get on cable access to answer those questions that’s one way to do it,” Selectman Jim Hickey said of Mitchell’s suggestion. He also said a brief time delay managed by someone to control Zoom bombers would also be worthwhile.

“We do have to come up with ideas,” Hickey said, noting that while hard numbers were not yet available, the impact of cuts would be clear. “[Town Accountant] Todd [Hassett] said it. It’s going to be staff. The services we’re talking about … includes every department.”

That includes police and fire and the school system, he said.

“But without hard numbers, it’s a little bit hard to talk about that right now.”

Mitchell also expressed concern about the volume of questions that could result in a Zoom call, prompting Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett to point out that most large scale Zoom conferences ask participants to put their questions in the chat space, where a moderator is usually placed in charge of following the inquiries.

“You can mute everybody except for the speakers and take in questions through the chat,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Train, plane, automobile — whatever it takes to get the information out there.”

She also said it would be helpful for the public to hear directly from Fire Chief Jerome Thompson Jr., and Police Chief Michael Miksch about what the budget will mean to their departments or services.

He suggested an April date might be better.

“We’re going to have to get the information out to people as a board, but then let the people make their decision at Town Meeting.

FitzGerald-Kemmett asked if town officials were ready to commit to a May Town Meeting, even with a COVID vaccine in the offing.

“I’m not ready to make a decision on cancelling something four months away,” Mitchell said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said her question was more intended to determine when such a decision might have to be made.

Hickey suggested starting to plan on holding the Town Meeting outside at the high school in any case, to be prepared for possible COVID-related planning problems.

Town Administrator John Stanbrook said, anytime he has been asked a question about the FY 2022 budget, he has made a record of it and suggested using them as the basis of an FAQ (frequently asked questions) feature on town social media.

“I think this is going to require all the tools in the shed and more,” Mitchell said.

“People just think that we’re crying wolf and then, somehow, it happens,” Dyer said, pointing to difficulties with past budgets. “All this hard work that happens behind closed doors … we all come together and they make sacrifices for each department.”

He noted that a lot of people didn’t notice that the Fire Department didn’t get the apparatus they wanted last year, or that the Police Department held off on buying cruisers to help get the school budget where it needed to be.

“I want to make sure that, any updates like those, we’re keeping track of so we can put them out front so people can read about it,” he said.

Dyer also noted that town employees are worrying about their future.

Safer sidewalks

Town Planner Deborah Pettey discussed the need for safety improvements to three intersections — at Liberty and Indian Head streets and Liberty Street and County Road and in front of Hanson Middle School — and install new crosswalks for pedestrian safety through the federal Shared Streets Winter Program grants under the CARES Act.

“It was really developed to direct money to towns with streets they might shut down, and put restaurant [tables] in the middle of the street and do temporary business in the street because of COVID [restrictions],” Pettey said. “This last winter round, they extended it a little bit more to improve walkability … because, with COVID, more people are walking outside.”

The crosswalks Pettey has in mind need repair and are not ADA-compliant now, especially since they are heavily used by middle school students on half days and by families using the ball field parking lot for events and Indian Head School.

The state permits towns to work with design consultants on such projects free of charge.

Selectmen voted to approve her moving forward with the grant application.

WHITMAN — Interim Town Administrator Lisa Green has resigned from that position as well as from her role as assistant town administrator, effective Feb. 5.

“It’s become apparent to me that there’s no growth opportunity for me here in this town,” Green said, adding she was pursuing a new opportunity. “The town has determined to go in a different direction, and I’ve determined it’s time for me to go in a different direction, as well.”

She thanked residents for giving her the honor of representing them over the past four years.

“It’s been a trip and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” she said.

New Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman starts on Monday, Feb. 8.

“I thought that we had a lot of good work done while you were here,” said Selectman Brian Bezanson thanked her for her work. “I know that you’re going to go places and do good things.”

He was joined by Selectman Chairman Dan Salvucci, who expressed his disappointment but that it was her decision.

“I would like to [express] my feeling of regret that she is leaving, but that’s her choice. She wants to further her career and that’s her choice the way she does it,” said Salvucci.

Green had applied for the town administrator position, for which Lincoln Heineman was hired on Dec. 22.

An update to the COVID policy for town employees means new guidelines for employees pertaining to extended sick leave and travel procedures.

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Jan. 19 voted to replace current protocols with the existing policy, after several procedures and state and local health regulations were incorporated. Bezanson, whose wife is a town employee, abstained.

“The policy is really a compiled policy,” said Counsel Peter Summers. “You had several different policies addressing travel, addressing workplace procedures. This was an attempt to compile everything into one policy, along with some updates based on recent guidance from the state — DPH requirements — as well as review from your emergency personnel and your health personnel in town.”

Salvucci said Police Chief Tim Hanlon had some questions pertaining to emergency situations, as well as when an employee could be released from quarantine, that have been ironed out.

Another question from Union Steward Joanne Wing of OPEIU Local 6 regarding paid administrative leave or extension of leave allowed employees in other towns. The board can address a situation where an employee might run out of sick time on a case-by-case basis, said Selectman Justin Evans. The board had considered postponing action on late adjustments, until Selectmen could take more time to review the changes.

“Nothing here seems earthshattering or that different from what we’re already doing, it’s just codified and written down,” said Evans. “I think it’s prudent to vote this and get it in the hands of our employees.”

Summers said one part does involve procedure following workplace exposure to people who have recently traveled. Close contacts required to quarantine will either be asked to work remotely by their department head or be entitled to additional paid time off.

“I think there’s a difference between someone who is quarantining after close contact vs. someone who is really sick,” Summers said.

Whitman’s COVID-19 numbers are at 148 cases in various stages of quarantine and no new cases among town employees.

“I have not had any reports of any cluster of COVID cases,” Green said.

WHITMAN — Faced with difficult choice, the Board of Selectmen in a Monday, Jan. 11 meeting, voted to indefinitely pass over closing the warrant and setting the date for a special Town Meeting this month, backing the Board of Health.

Selectman Brian Bezanson was absent.

The decision came after an angry Fire Chief Timothy Grenno, who also serves as the town’s emergency management director, criticized town employees who failed to take COVID-19 seriously and reported to work despite testing positive — and forcing the closure of two town offices.

Interim Town Administrator Lisa Green had prefaced Grenno’s report on the most recent COVID cases in town by saying, “some of them are kind of disturbing.”

“It’s very aggravating right now,” Grenno said in following up an email he had sent the board earlier in the day. “Numbers are on the rise, we’re seeing anywhere from 10 to 20 new cases a day in this community. It is not a hoax, as some people may think it is — it’s real.”

He said that, for a second time in as many weeks a town office had to be shut down, “because an employee went to work sick.” Last week, the collector’s office had to be closed and the DPW office is now closed because of a single employee in each office.

“This board has instructed town employees several times, as far as I know, that if you’re sick — if you don’t feel good, if you have a headache, if you have a sore throat — stay home,” he said. “But for some reason, ignorance plays out, and people just go to work.”

Grenno said he is passionate about the pandemic and asked Selectmen to consider the need to discipline employees who knowingly go to work ill and create a cluster of COVID infections.

“We’re a year into this, it’s not rocket science,” he said.

Grenno spoke of a conversation he had Monday with a DPW superintendent who has been doing everything right — staying away from friends, going on hikes with his wife away from other people and avoiding all other social interactions — yet he now has to quarantine for seven days because a coworker reported to work despite being ill.

“It’s pretty tiring and pretty aggravating, and it’s very irresponsible of the town employees who are doing this,” Grenno said. “They need to be held accountable.”

While Selectman Randy LaMattina said the town’s out-of-state travel policy for town employees needs to be updated, for the time-being that type of travel should not be allowed. He also firmly stands by a 10-day quarantine, mirroring the state’s policy.

Massachusetts has reached the “severe outbreak” status for the first time during the pandemic on Monday, Jan. 11,  according to data tracking nonprofit COVID Act Now.

“At this point, this is about minimizing risk, minimizing exposure,” LaMattina said. “There’s acceptable risk, and then there’s some that we don’t have to put ourselves out there for. … The increase we’re seeing is tremendous.”

In fire and law enforcement services, there is now about triple the number of cases than in the spring.

“We can help this problem,” LaMattina said. “Helping the problem is getting strong on the problem, and that’s what we need to do.”

A policy update is expected to be ready for a vote at the next meeting.

COVID vaccinations will begin to be administered to fire crews on Wednesday. Vaccinations for the town’s at-risk population will be set up at Housing Authority and some other sites during the winter and spring, with residents asked to consult their primary care physicians, pharmacies or other sources offerint the vaccine, until the general population is scheduled for a drive-through vaccination effort.

“Even if you’re vaccinated, you may still spread it,” Selectman Dr. Carl Kowalski and Grenno stressed.

Town meeting

COVID considerations were also behind the postponement of the special Town Meeting planned for later this month.

“I do not want to take away from anything on the Town Meeting warrant,” LaMattina said. “I think it’s all necessary. … I oppose having this strictly out of safety concerns.”

But, he noted, the Board of Health does not recommend holding the Town Meeting at this time, stating it is too dangerous for public health.

Selectmen Chairman Daniel Salvucci suggested that, if the DPW thinks to force main issues will not lead to a sewer main break this winter, the issue could go before the May Town Meeting.

“My fear is that we have a major break and we put contaminated material in neighborhoods,” Salvucci said, adding that Brockton may also fine the town.

“We’re talking about a sewer leak as opposed to gathering a group of people together, starting an event that gets several people sick and you have somebody die,” LaMattina said. “There is no life that you can equate to me in dollars.”

DPW Commissioner Kevin Cleary said he would have no issue with a postponement outside the fear of the unknown, and suggested reaching out to state and local conservation officials if there were questions.

“It’s not dealing with the unknown, it’s the risk of the known that I’m worried about,” Kowalski said.

TA contract

The meeting opened with an executive session during which the board conducted a strategy session regard to a three-year contract offered to new Town Administrator Lincoln Heineman. They returned to open session to approve the contract and announce he would begin work on Monday, Feb. 8.

“The salary is consistent with market values,” Kowalski said. “We have gone over all the terms of the contract and voted positively for it in executive session.”

The public vote formalized the approval.

WHITMAN – The Board of Selectmen made a groundbreaking hire and heard a sobering update on COVID-19 in town during its first meeting of the New Year on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Veteran Sara Lansing, who served nine years in the National Guard out of Hingham, was named as Whitman’s new Veterans’ Services Officer following interviews with her and applicants James Murphy and Brian Richards. East Bridegwater Veteran’s Agent Chris Buckley, who has been helping Whitman veterans during the absence of a VSO, conducted the interviews for the board.

The interviews and vote followed a sobering COVID update from Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Timothy Grenno.

He reported 110 new cases of coronavirus over the past 14 days, bringing the number of positive cases — and contact tracing cases likely to become positive — in town to “well over 300.”

“We’re pretty much at a critical standpoint,” Grenno said. The 10.24 percent positivity rating from two weeks ago is now up to 10.5 percent and is expected to climb higher this week as town health officials await post-New Year’s Eve numbers.

“I can tell you that our local hospitals are all at surge capacity,” he said. “They’re transferring patients out every day, just to try to make room for new patients coming in.”

The patients his department is seeing are “very sick patients” as they are transferring more COVID-positive patients now than they were in the first wave.

“There’s no light at the end of the tunnel right now until we get past this next surge,” Grenno said. “In the fire service, we say that a smoke detector is your first line of defense for a house fire, well, in COVID your first line of defense is a facial covering.”

Grenno also addressed those who may believe the pandemic is a hoax.

“There’s a lot of non-believers out there,” he said. “I would suggest … they should go visit an ICU or CCU right now, because more and more people are dying every day. … It’s not good out there.”

The 22-year-old nephew of one of Grenno’s firefighters is in critical condition with COVID in an area ICU right now.

Grenno also asked Selectmen for four specific actions to better handle the pandemic, which the board approved:

• Authorization to hire a temporary, part-time administrative assistant to help with documentation, scheduling and reporting of all vaccination programs, funded by federal CARES funds;

• Appoint one Selectmen to serve as fiduciary authority, working with the treasurer/collector and Grenno for future CARES expenditures and any further stimulus funding. Selectman Randy LaMattina volunteered to serve in that capacity;

• Bring candidates on board to assist the Board of Health with procedures and Chairman Dan Salvucci suggested the Recreation office be used for now; and

• Return to the spring policy of no in-person inspections, outside training, extensive modifications of response policies, and closing the fire station to public access during this phase of the pandemic.

Grenno also said other town department heads should review their operations and ensure buildings are basically locked down and staff wear masks at all times.

Selectman Justin Evans also suggested that unused meeting rooms could be used for Town Hall staff to space out for safety during the pandemic.

“COVID is everywhere in town right now,” Grenno said. “The biggest thing is facial coverings. … We’re our own worst enemies. Quite frankly, if anyone gets up from their desk and leaves their workspace they should have a face covering on.”

Veterans’ Agent

Candidates were asked to outline their understanding of the veterans’ benefits provided under MGL Ch. 115, and their personal experience which would assist them in serving as VSO.

Lansing had been deployed with her National Guard transportation unit in 2002-03 and has since been very active in the Duxbury American Legion. She is a past commander of the post and still an active member for the past 10 years.

Under her leadership the post went from struggling to among the top 20 in the state.

“I love working with veterans,” Lansing said. “I’m not currently working and I go visit veterans in Duxbury that are alone at home and just want somebody to talk to.”

She stressed that she would explain the appeal process if veterans are turned down for Ch. 115 assistance, as well as options through other avenues. She demonstrated her familiarity with the disability claims process and how she would manage the office budget.

When asked about how she would organize her day, Lansing said much of it would involve reaching out to veterans and organizing people who like to work together with the Legion and VFW to take care of veterans that need help.

“Once you’re in the military, you become part of a family,” she said.

Lansing is proficient in all Microsoft applications as well as QuikBooks, a level of comfort with technology neither Murphy or Richards claimed.

“I can learn almost any program on a computer,” she said. “If allowed, I would probably start a Facebook page for Veterans’ Services and I would do mailings [about events].”

She expressed a willingness to put in extra time, if needed, to catch up with back any paperwork.

In discussing their vote, Selectmen asked Buckley, Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green and Selectman Brian Bezanson, who formed the search panel, for their input.

Green said Lansing would be a good choice for Whitman.

“All three candidates are outstanding,” Buckley said. “If you’re asking me, as far as a full spectrum, I believe Sara would be a good candidate.”

Bezanson agreed, noting any of the three would be a good choice.

“I’ve always thought someone who works in town and lives in town gives them some skin in the game, however, I think Sara would be a good choice here,” he said.

Selectmen Justin Evans and LaMattina agreed.

“She impressed me,” LaMattina said. “But I also thought Mr. Murphy was good, too.

Selectman Dr. Carl Kowalski said it was a tough choice.

“I don’t think we could go wrong with any of the three candidates,” he said. “Sara is a breath of fresh air.”

An accountant for more than 30 years, Murphy has been the finance officer for the Legion and Sons of the American Legion in Whitman. He stressed his activity on parade committees and toll booth fundraisers as well as with the Marine Corps League. He also noted the photos of veterans events he has had published in the Express.

Richards has worked as a heating contractor and has experience with the VA claims process and has done budgeting as president of the Massasoit Veterans’ Club and a radio club he has belonged to.