WHITMAN — Lisa Green has resigned from the Board of Selectmen, effective July 29, in preparation for submitting an application for the vacant assistant town administrator position.

Whitman has been without an assistant town administrator since Greg Enos left in April to take a human resources manager job in Ashland.

“While we haven’t fully pinned it down yet, we know we’re going to be seeking an assistant town administrator and she wants to be in the running for that,” Town Administrator Frank Lynam said. “We haven’t fully determined yet how we’re going to fill this job. Obviously we’re going to be advertising and seeking qualified candidates.”

Selectman Chairman Carl Kowalski agreed.

“We haven’t decided what we’re going to do with the position yet,” he said. The board meets next on Aug. 30. “At that point we’ll discuss the procedure for applying for the position, I expect she will be one of the applicants and I expect her to do well during that process, although I have no idea who else is going to apply.”

Kowalski said Green has been “a terrific selectperson while she’s been on the board, using her experience and ability as a lawyer for the town and for its citizens,” noting he is sorry to see her go, but that the process for hiring a new assistant town administrator would be an interesting one.

In compliance

Green said Sunday that her resignation was timed to keep in compliance with state Ethics Commission rules requiring a 30-day period in which she has not served as a selectman.

“The law is very restrictive and they are very clear that I have to be off the board for 30 days in order for the Board of Selectmen to even consider my application [for assistant town administrator],” she said. “It was a very difficult decision. I enjoyed being a selectman for about five years now and I enjoyed working with all the other board members. It’s been a great positive learning experience.”

Her term would have expired in May 2017.

“I think Lisa has a lot to offer, however, we have to conduct a search and interviews — not a world-wide search, but we’re going to advertise,” Lynam said. “We’re going to see who applies. She’s certainly got a lot of things going for her. … She understands the system.”

Lynam said he finds Green’s legal background appealing.

Green said she would enjoy serving the town on a full-time basis rather than part time. She has served as a selectman for five years and is an attorney for the Commonwealth working for the Social Security Administration in claims investigation. She has stressed her interest in the management of the town.

“I do have a law degree,” she said. “I have been involved in a lot of things with Whitman in the last five years.”

She citied her participation in contract negotiations, among other projects that have “improved the well-being of the citizens of the town.”

She also said she has respectful and positive working relationships with Town Hall staff and could be helpful in securing grants for improving the town.

“I put my full heart into everything that I do,” Green said, noting that while her fellow selectmen — who have not been in contact with her, likely out of respect for ethics regulations — were probably not surprised by her decision.

“They know the position was open and they knew I had expressed interest,” she said. “It was an honor to serve the citizens of Whitman and I thank them for putting faith in me for the last five years and we’ll see what the future holds.”

The board voted on July 12 to review and update the job description of the assistant town administrator position and the approach to take in seeking a new person for that job. Selectman Lisa Green recused herself from the discussion because she is interested in applying for the job.

Job description

Lynam said the position remains a vital one as he currently has $163,009 in projects pending for the Green Communities grant to deal with, as well as three projects under the Community Compact — $25,000 for a wage and personnel study, $15,000 for solar energy project analysis and some $10,000 for the reuse plan for the old Regal property — in addition to other management duties.

“We are approaching a year with four contracts up for renegotiation,” he added. “I don’t think there’s any question in my mind that the town is best served by maintaining the position of the assistant town administrator and I would like the board to consider moving in that direction.”

Voters at the May Town Meeting approved the line item to continue funding the position’s salary.

“I think we need to look at the description of it,” Selectman Dan Salvucci said of the assistant town administrator post. “We felt as if we needed one before, and it seems we still need one. … Do we want someone that will step into [Lynam’s] shoes eventually, or do we want somebody that just wants to be a good assistant?”

Kowalski and Selectman Scott Lambiase volunteered to work with Lynam on reviewing the job description and salary — about $63,000 — offered.

“Clearly, we want to hire someone who’s capable of functioning in my role when I’m not here,” Lynam said. “My biggest concern right now … surrounding towns are compensating people at a much higher level than we are.”

He noted one of the factors in Enos’ decision to leave was the then-$61,000 salary, which is less than some of the department head with whom he was asked to work in a management or administrative role.

The town is negotiating with the Collins Institute at UMass, Boston to conduct a broad-based wage and personnel survey of Whitman town employees in part because of Lynam’s concern about salary parity with other communities as well as job descriptions and expectations.

“I don’t think this survey will prevent us from making a reasonable analysis here,” he said. “But I think we have to talk about it a little bit and recognize we’re not going to hire somebody at the funding that the line presently has.”

Depending on the hiring cycle, there may be sufficient funds available to offer more money to start, but another Town Meeting vote would have to follow to increase the salary going forward if that is done, according to Lynam.

Selectmen, meeting next on Aug. 30, should have more information from the job description subcommittee’s work, with an eye toward hiring someone by the end of September or early October.

HANSON — The Board of Selectmen Tuesday, July 26 welcomed a new firefighter to the official ranks of the Hanson Fire Department, as well as new department chaplain.

Hired in July 2015, firefighter Eric Adams has recently completed his probationary period, Chief Jerome Thompson reported. Adams grew up in Whitman, graduating from WHRHS in 2006 and has been in the EMS field for seven years and a paramedic for two.

He graduated from recruit training at the Mass. Fire Academy with Class No. 237 in December.

“Out of the seven new members we’ve hired in the last 24 months, this is position number five,” Thompson said. “As with the others, he’s been a great addition to our department.”

Adams’ father Daniel pinned on his new badge after Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan administered the oath of office.

“If I poke him, is there anybody here who can help us out?” Daniel Adams joked as he did the badge-pinning honors.

The Rev. Kwang H. Lee, vicar of St. Joseph the Worker Church in Hanson, was sworn in as chaplain. He had been awarded his helmet during Firefighter Memorial Sunday observances in June.

Thompson said Lee, who has been a priest for five years and assigned to St. Joseph for about a year, had expressed interest in the chaplaincy — a position he did not believe had been used at the Hanson Fire Department before.

“Looking at some the things we face today, we thought it would be a great idea to have that on our department,” Thompson said. “The fire department chaplain provides spiritual and emotional support to firefighters and their family members when necessary, but this service will also be available to our community members whether during a medical emergency or fire or maybe a natural disaster.”

He noted that Lee has been visiting firefighters at the station to talk with them and “kind of get to know the lingo.” He has also attended Barnstable Fire Academy to observe the training process.

Lee is also working with the Mass. Corps of Fire Chaplains to be trained in critical incident stress management skills.

Thompson presented Lee with his badge after he was sworn in by Sloan Tuesday night.

New ambulance

Thompson also briefed selectmen on the Fire Department’s recent operations and capital plans — including a request he is considering for the October special Town Meeting to transfer funds from ambulance receipts to pay for a new all-wheel-drive ambulance next year. That would also include a new stretcher system.

“We’re currently looking at different chassis for our next ambulance,” he said. “That makes the ambulance 4-wheel-drive, it’s more of a rugged chassis.”

Department personnel test-drove a model at the station Tuesday.

“Right now we’re weighing all the pros and cons,” he said, stressing that ambulance runs are paid for through patient insurance and noted there is a process through which indigent residents may apply for a waiver.

Current ambulances will be rotated into support services such as gear for the dive team and the oldest vehicle will be donated to the Highway Department.

“It’s a testament to your maintenance program,” said Selectman Bill Scott.

Work on the station’s septic system still needs to be done, with plans due for review by the Board of Health in August, with the aim of completing work in the fall.

“If we can get that completed in the fall, we can go ahead and the second capital plan we already have the funding for is the parking lot,” Thompson said.

The reconfiguration and renovation of the front of the fire station has been completed, Thompson said. That work, much of which was done by firefighters, helped improve department operations.

He also reported his department has responded to 1,109 calls for service as of 5 p.m., July 26 — 707 were EMS-related with 13 of those for opioid-related incidents in Hanson.

Total calls for service are down slightly over the same period last year, he said, but multiple calls are up.

Two important training programs for which Thompson credited funding from selectmen and the Finance Committee, were a May pump-operating training — designed to reduce risk of damage to trucks and the water supply system — and a live burn exercise in June at the Barnstable Fire Academy.

“Even though we’ve seen a decrease in fires, we still need that hands-on training to work on our techniques and look at fire behavior and keep ourselves as safe as possible,” he said.

The department also plans to stay involved in the community with non-emergency events.

Firefighters have trained Cranberry Cove lifeguards in waterfront safety and, through a grant will continue school fire safety programs. They also participated in water day at DARE Camp held at WHRHS this week.

HANSON — The School Committee and the Maquan and Indian Head Priority Repairs Committee each voted unanimously on Wednesday, July, 13 to accept a low bid of $207,000 from Gibson Roofs Inc., of 369 Winter St., Hanover for the Maquan Elementary School roof repair project.

Voters at Hanson Town Meeting had approved $322,000 for the project, so officials estimate the town could see a return of about $100,000 after Gale Engineering’s fee is factored in.

Selectman Bruce Young, who has chaired the repair committee, noted the savings could serve to fund other capital projects in town.

The Hanson Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, July 19 to vote its support for the bid. The votes will allow the roofing project, which is estimated to take two weeks to complete, to begin within 10 days of the contract signing for completion by Aug. 26.

The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 29.

After the vote, Selectmen Chairman Jim McGahan and School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes signed the contract with Gibson at the July 19 meeting.

“I want to pass along our sincere thanks to everyone involved at the School Committee in getting this done,” McGahan said. “It didn’t look like it was going to happen that way … a number of people stepped up.”

Both the School Committee and Selectmen noted that, while not required, the selectmen’s support was wanted.

“The Regional School agreement authorizes the School Committee to make decisions on these types of projects,” Young said on July 13. He noted that the town and school district entered into an inter-municipal agreement for the Indian Head roof project, which had never been done before. That agreement required a vote from both the School Committee and Board of Selectmen as well as a special committee to work through plans and specifications.

“It was a nice thing, it was an elaborate thing, but given the controversy on the Indian Head School, and the whole school vote, the inter-municipal agreement was a good thing — and you’ve already run by all the good things that have happened and the School Committee and Board of Selectmen coming together to make that happen — but we don’t have an inter-municipal agreement on the Maquan School,” Young told School Committee members. “The onus lies on the School Committee to make final approval of awarding the bids and going forward.”

Hayes said he would attend the July 19 selectmen meeting for a vote and to have them sign it in any case to ensure all boards are on the same page. Both were done Tuesday night.

“We have no interest in delaying this, but we want to move it along properly,” said Hanson Town Administrator Michael McCue said July 13. “We want to get it done, but we want to make sure we’re not missing the crossing of  a t or the dotting of an i.”

Hayes agreed.

W-H School District Business Services Director Christine Suckow said a pre-construction meeting with Gale Associates was to be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 26 at the school to, among other matters, determine the construction period services cost for Gale.

An additional meeting will be held mid-job as well as a final close-out meeting when the work is completed.

Construction meetings are open public sessions.

“We needed to get the vote on the Maquan roof and the proposals came in today,” said Hayes. “We need to get this roof approved and under way before school starts.”

Hayes reported that about 30 bid packets went out to interested companies with nine returned.

“That was not unusual,” Hayes said of the handful of bids received. “When the bid goes out, it goes out on the state list and everybody just automatically takes packets and then some figure out it’s not a project that they want to get involved in.”

Most of the nine bidders made a trip out to Maquan to examine the project site.

The school district has worked with Gibson on roofing projects in the past.

“I wanted all parties to be well aware of what’s going on, and I want to thank all parties,” Hayes said. “I know the Maquan and Indian Head Priority Repairs Committee worked very hard from the onset … I want to thank them for everything they’ve tried to do for the school district.”

He also thanked Hanson Selectmen for their work on what has been a sometimes “tedious” task.

“We’re making great progress by working together,” Hayes said.

Town clerks across the state are preparing now for the first year in which early voting will be permitted in state elections.

Former Gov. Deval Patrick signed the election reform law on May 22, 2014 to allow early voting in state biennial elections, starting 11 business days before an election and ending two business days before Election Day. This year, that means early voting will begin Monday, Oct. 24 and conclude on Friday, Nov. 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

“It won’t be for the primary [Sept. 8],” Whitman Town Clerk Dawn Varley said. “It won’t be for town elections or anything else.”

The hard part for town clerks is planning when they have no idea what to expect by way of participation, but they are setting up centralized voting locations in Whitman and Hanson town halls. Varley is also working to determine how many election workers she may need to use. Hanson Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan, meanwhile, said she has no funds to hire any extra help.

The state is not providing additional funding to provide extra poll workers.

As of right now, Whitman is planning to limit voting to the centralized location of Town Hall, where voting usually takes place, and during normal business hours due to the lack of funds for the staffing that expanded hours would require, according to Varley.

“This is the first year, too,” she said. “We’re not sure what it’s going to entail.”

Larger communities may be allowed to move early voting locations around.

“I don’t have the staff and money to do that,” Varley said, who has asked the Finance Committee for $2,000 for additional election workers. “I plan on hiring my election workers to do it.”

“I don’t have extra people to put on,” Sloan said. “If it’s really crazy I would have to ask the Finance Committee for extra money to try to get it. … I’m going to play it by ear to see how it goes.”

The problem with added help becomes the time involved in training anyone that might be hired, Sloan noted.

Varley will have a space for early voting in her office, but has not seen the ballots yet, so there is no information on whether the early voting ballots will be a different color — or how long they will be.

“I’ve heard the November ballot, potentially, is going to be two pages, because of the questions,” Varley said. “They haven’t determined that yet.”

Then there is the number of ballots with which clerks’ offices must contend.

“We’re going to have an absentee ballot, an early voting ballot, we’re going to have a regular ballot, then there’s the possibility of an 18-month-rule ballot,” Varley said.

The latter would provide for residents who have moved out of town within the previous 18 months to cast a ballot for presidential candidates and other federal races listed — providing they are not registered in another town and sign an affidavit.

“It’s still a work in progress,” she said. “We’ll see how this year goes and take it from there.”

Hanson, too, is setting up a voting location for early voting.

“Our central voting location is going to be the Town Clerk’s office like it always is for absentee [voting],” Sloan said. “It’s just going to be busier because we’re going to have absentee and early voting at the same time.”

Sloan has ordered extra voting booths in order to set up a voting area of four booths in the Town Clerk’s office in addition to the current area outside the office where absentee voting is conducted. Those booths, too, are being expanded to supply two to four booths there.

“You really don’t know what it’s going to be like,” Sloan said. “It’s the first time, so we’ll have to wait and see.

The election reform law also permits early registration for 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, although they would not be permitted to cast ballots until age 18. For more information on registering to vote, visit the Secretary of State’s website at sec.state.ma.us.

“It’s a very user-friendly website,” Varley said. “They can register to vote, check ‘Where do I vote?’ and all the information for absentee voting is there.”

The law also requires the state to audit 3 percent of precincts during presidential election years to make sure voting machines are working correctly. It establishes a task force to pin down the cost and administrative requirements of the early voting provision and examine other voting issues such as same-day voter registration.

A Republican-backed provision for voter ID cards was rejected by lawmakers.

HANSON — The Board of Selectmen have voted against re-appointing Conservation Commission Chairman John Kemmett and Vice Chairman Frank Schellenger.

In a tie vote, with Selectman Bruce Young abstaining, Kemmett’s reappointment was rejected Tuesday, June 28. Selectmen Don Howard and Kenny Mitchell vote for Kemmett with Selectman Bill Scott and Chairman James McGahan voted against him. Schellenger was not even nominated for reappointment.

Several residents, both at the meeting and via e-mail, had voiced support for both Kemmett and Schellenger.

Earlier in the meeting Selectmen also accepted with regret the resignation of Conservation Commission Clerk Brad Kirlin and voted 5-0 to appoint two new members — Sharon LePorte and William Woodward.

Both Kemmett and Schellenger are legally allowed to continue serving on the commission until replacements are appointed, according to Town Counsel Jay Talerman.

The votes came with little comment from selectmen, but followed a heated exchange between Kemmett and Young.

Resident Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett  had questioned whether LePorte and Woodward’s past work on wetlands delineations for projects before the Conservation Commission would present a conflict of interest, and supported her husband’s reappointment. Delineations are reviews of land on which development is proposed to determine the boundaries of wetlands.

“I’d like to know if Ms. LePorte has done any work in Hanson, specifically on the Main Street property,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “I’d like to know if [she] has done work on the cranberry site, which has been the subject of quite a bit of contention, particularly with the Board of Selectmen.”

LePorte, recently retired, has worked for 20 years in the environmental field, including three years as Halifax Conservation agent. Woodward, also retired, has worked as a civil engineer for the town of Weymouth and Stoughton as well as doing work in Hanson and Halifax.

“I’m not questioning her credentials,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said of LePorte. “I’m questioning whether she has had a vested interest in a project that has been part of Hanson’s history and is likely to be part of Hanson’s future.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said it was her understanding that LePorte had done delineation work on the 1100 Main St. site where a developer has been trying to construct a commercial building since razing the old Ocean Spray building a few years ago. She later said the comments were not directed at LePorte, and also asked if Woodward had done any delineation work for Planing Board Chairman Don Ellis.

“I have done some delineation on the property,” LePorte said. “I have no vested interest that I could possibly imagine. …I hope somebody can do something with it, but I can’t state who.”

Woodward said he had done delineation work for “five or six different clients,” but would recuse himself if any came before him on the Conservation Committee.

McGahan said his main goal was to find people who could work well together and respect others.

Young said he was not sure what FitzGerald-Kemmett meant about controversy involving the Board of Selectmen and asked her to explain.

“I have no interest in the Main Street property, other than seeing it’s developed and put back on the tax rolls properly,” Young said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett referred to a Conservation meeting last summer, attended by McGahan, Young and Scott regarding the site, at which McGahan spoke in favor of helping the developer with orders of condition.

“Mr. McGahan made a point of saying at that meeting that he would not reappoint Mr. Kemmett and Mr. Schellenger because of the fact that he thought they weren’t playing ball with [Joseph] Mariangello,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. Mariangello is the developer at the 1100 Main St. site.

She said “playing ball” meant bypassing conservation by-laws, to which Young took strenuous objection.

“I have a real bad problem with that,” Young had said in response to FitzGerald-Kemmett’s comments.

McGahan cut the exchange short in the interest of decorum, but the issue came up again when Kemmett’s name had been placed in nomination.

Kemmett had asked if anyone could name a project, since he and Schellenger had been commissioners, that had been denied. No response was forthcoming.

Young then asked if Kemmett could name an instance when he had been pressured by any selectman or member of another board to “turn a blind eye to the conservation by-laws” or wetlands protection act to push a project through.

“That’s a difficult question,” Kemmett said, indicating he has felt intimidation. “Sometimes when someone is sitting in a room, especially where there’s a large group of selectmen, and a contentious project … and they don’t seem to feel the Conservation Commission was not voting in a positive way, it would seem intimidating and at that point it might seem that was a problem.”

Young became angry at the suggestion that selectmen would attend a meeting in an attempt to intimidate another board.

McGahan has said the Conservation Commission has to work better with the public in general practice, and said Wednesday he would like to thank Kemmett and Schellenger for their service to the Conservation Commission and the town.

“Honestly, its time for a change,” he said.

Selectmen also voted for a slate of appointments to town boards and commissions, replacing former Town Administrator Ron San Angelo with current Administrator Michael McCue on those boards San Angelo served.

Mitchell, who has served on the Parks and Fields Commission since before he was elected to the Board of Selectmen, was changed to a non-voting member until Town Meeting can vote to change the Commission’s by-laws.

“It is my understanding he is a very valuable member of this commission,” McCue said. “He can still participate … In the interest of that going forward I would make that suggestion.”

Resident Thomas Hickey, a former history teacher and currently superintendent/director of South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School, was appointed to the Historical Commission through June 30, 2017.

HANSON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, June 14 discussed reviewing the regional contract for Whitman-Hanson Community Access Television with legal counsel over budget, programming and personnel concerns since the current contract’s expiration last year.

Selectman Bruce Young said he received a call from a resident seeking information on “how cable access is run.”

“I first got involved in cable, back in the ’80s when I did a program, I just assumed that everything was taken care of by the cable company,” he said. “Which it was, I’m assuming, up until 2005 when this nonprofit corporation was formed between the two towns.”

Young obtained a copy of the most recent agreement between Hanson and Whitman, establishing the quasi-nonprofit corporation in 2005. He said that agreement expired in 2014.

It actually expired in 2015, according to Chairman of the WHCA Board of Dirctors Arlene Dias of Hanson, who plans to attend the next Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, June 28 to “clarify inaccuracies” in the June 14 discussion and to answer selectmen’s questions.

The contract’s expiration date was one of those inaccuracies, she said.

Dias said the cable access contact should have been renewed at the  same time as Hanson’s license contract with Comcast, which was completed in June 2015. New to her position, Dias said Monday she was not previously aware that had not been done. The last WHCA contract, approved 10 years ago, was finalized six months after the licensing agreement.

Rent on the Whitman studio is paid by the town of Whitman based on the amount of taxation it would pay, according to the 2005 pact. Young estimated the value of its equipment at about $340,000. An annual report and financial report are to be presented to both towns’ selectmen, as well as the results of a biannual audit.

Town Administrator Michael McCue has reached out to lawyer Bill Solomon, who works in cable TV law, and to Whitman Town Administrator Frank Lynam to discuss Young’s concerns.

Dias has assured him that the required reports have been filed, McCue said.

“All of the money that goes to support that cable studio appears to come out of [public access, educational and government] PEG — a percentage of everybody’s cable bill is devoted to funding that studio,” Young said. “The Board of Selectmen have a right to oversee how that money’s being spent, who the employees are — who’s getting paid — what their annual budget is, and how that money is being doled out.”

The board of directors represents the two towns equally, although there are vacancies, which Young argued should be done by the Hanson Board of Selectmen.

The late Stephen Roy had been retained in the full-time executive director post by a vote of Whitman Selectmen, Young noted.

“I’m assuming that any replacement of Stephen Roy would have to go through the Whitman Board of Selectmen,” He said. “I don’t see anything in the agreement as to who actually hires that particular individual, who replaces [them] or how it’s done.”

“I think we ought to consider getting a new director [to replace Roy] and a very qualified one for that position,” said Hanson resident Richard Edgehille. He advocated a person capable of conducting an outreach program to carry the facility into the future.

“It’s been lackadaisical and I think it’s time we move forward,” he said, charging that meetings are slow to be put on the air.

“We need to be briefed on what the process is,” said Selectmen Chairman James McGahan. “Maybe we need new blood in there.”

Liaisons set aside

In other business selectmen decided to discontinue public safety liaisons for the time being, but would prefer retaining regular reports from department heads.

“I feel we have strong department heads, excellent department heads, I think they do a great job,” said Selectman Kenny Mitchell. “With Mike [McCue] here, I think we have an excellent town administrator to work with these department heads and I just don’t think … we need to keep it.”

Selectman Bill Scott agreed, noting that as Police Department liaison he has not met with the chief in six months, but urging that the monthly reports be continued.

“There’s a war on police currently,” Scott said. “The job is way different even from when I was on the job — the shootings have by far increased. Our police have to be trained on this terrorist activity … I’m sure they are getting that, but they need more.”

Monthly reports are the best way of keeping up with the needs to support police and fire personnel, he said.

Adminstrator goals

The board also approved by consensus a list of goals and objectives for McCue, largely from a list Young compiled. That list includes:

• Completion of the demolition of the former Plymouth County Hospital and establish an acceptable plan for developing the site;

• Taking action, by litigation if necessary, to cancel the cell tower contract with Bay Communications, opening the prospects for other carriers;

• Working with the regional school committee to make necessary changes in the regional school agreement;

• Replacing the inadequate Highway Department facilities with the project at the former Lite Control site;

• Hiring of a new Recreation Services Director and work with the commission to make better use of Camp Kiwanee facilities;

• Encouraging land use committees to work more closely together to bring more commercial and light industrial business to town;

• All government boards and officials responsible for planning and conducting the town meetings should work together to ensure they are open, fair and purest form of democracy “by encouraging and promoting attendance and active participation and actively question articles and budget that they deem necessary.”

The School Committee is already working on a review of the regional agreement.

Scott requested the addition of another goal, noting the Police Department still needs to appoint a sergeant and has been without a lieutenant since the resignation of Lt. Joseph Yakavonis in January.

“Mr. McCue should work on that, possibly with the chief of police, to set up a testing agency with someone to see if any of our sergeants would be interested, or if we want to fill the lieutenant’s position,” Scott said.

McGahan advocated inclusion of the audit recommendation for changes in accounting procedures and a review of the open space agreement.

The School Committee, faced with a daunting time window, voted Wednesday, June 8 to approve the 3.5-percent assessment increases passed by Whitman and Hanson town meetings within the levy limit.

They also reluctantly voted to transfer an additional $200,000 from excess and deficiency — before the assessment vote — in order to ensure class size issues were dealt with at Conley, Indian Head and perhaps Duval schools. Both were 8-0 votes, with members Robert O’Brien Jr., and Alexandra Taylor absent.

That means Whitman’s share will be $10,956,757 and Hanson’s is $7,715,066 of a level-service budget of $46,914,344 for fiscal 2017.

No one was happy with either decision, but Business Services Director Christine Suckow cautioned there were serious deadlines to consider.

“We discussed the time frame,” School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes said. “If we don’t have a budget in place by June 30 it starts triggering other problems.”

Suckow explained that, if the district did not meet the June 30 deadline for an approved budget, school officials would have had to inform the Commissioner of Education of the situation. The district could then use 1/12 of the current budget each month until a new budget could be approved.

“Which would be fine for July and August, but come September when we have three payrolls … we won’t be able to make our payroll obligations,” she said. “If we do not have one by Dec. 30 of this year, then we’d go into receivership and the Department of  Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will take over the budget, plain and simple.”

The September payroll period is most problematic without a budget because that is when the height of costs is felt, along with the start of the new school year. A limitation of 1/12 of what the towns would assess overdraws that first payroll.

Hayes said there were several options facing the committee on June 8 — lessen the amount of the Student Success Budget, accept the level-service budget or go somewhere in between, which would trigger another override anyway as neither town has the funds to exceed the level-service budget available now. He also suggested the E&D transfer, which would reduce the account to a “dangerous” level of $415,000 could help. The decision to vote the transfer was helped by Suckow’s cautious forecast that end-of-budget-year figures could allow officials to return it to more than $1 million through savings in health insurance, utilities after a mild winter, personnel movement and a $62,000 FEMA reimbursement from costs incurred during the winter of 2014-15, among other savings.

“I want everyone to be cognizant that is one-time money we’re spending to get us over a hump,” said committee member Fred Small. “That said, I think we’re in dire straits and an emergency situation.”

The situation left a bad taste in the mouths of committee members, and residents attending the meeting, alike.

A Woodbine Avenue resident of Hanson, who moved to town only two years ago and is expecting a child, is already planning to move because of the failed override.

“We knocked down a house and built a new house that was worth two-and-a-half times more than the old one — we’re the type of people you want in your town and in your district, but given the state of the schools … we don’t plan to stay in town,” said Amy Koskowski, who is an educator, as is her husband. “We don’t see the towns value education. … I think it’s important that you know that it’s a bigger issue. Within the region, people don’t want to come here.”

Whitman resident Marshall Ottina said he is still angry about the vote outcome.

“Plain and simple, our community is not properly investing in our children,” he said. “If the towns continually to refuse to bake a bigger pie, it’s time for the schools to demand a bigger piece.”

They received no argument from School Committee members.

“We’re giving the assumption that we can fix things and we’re back to where we were,” said member Stephen Bois.

“I’m hoping that the Student Success Budget stays somewhat intact for the next fiscal year so we can move it forward,” said committee member Robert Trotta. “After the election I heard it said ‘Well, the people spoke,’ but I don’t know what they spoke about.”

He questioned whether that meant there were too many taxes, that they don’t support public education, that they don’t trust the school committee or that they had no interest in the town past their house and property.

“Everybody knows my position, that public education should be supported by the town,” Trotta said.

Small echoed those sentiments but cautioned if the committee did not certify a budget, it would place the school district in jeopardy.

“If we can’t swallow everything all at once, we’ve got to just keep taking little bites of the apple to get to where we need to be,” Small said.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner reported that, on the state budget level, including the increase in per-pupil funding to $55 per student under Chapter 70 [an additional $140,000 for W-H] as well as increases to regional transportation, Circuit Breaker and, possibly, Charter School reimbursement would be a plus for the district budget.

“There is some revenue we can’t account for, for sure,” she said.

She said discussions with the school principals showed they are unanimous in seeing a need for using any available funds within the level-service budget should go to reducing elementary school class sizes and re-opening libraries.

Ottina suggested that cuts, if necessary, should occur at the high school until class size and library problems are resolved at the elementary level.

“One of the core values of our leadership team has always been what goes on inside the classroom,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “The understanding and consensus of that team was, if any additional funding should come into the district, the first priority would be to tackle the big class size issues that we have, particularly at the Conley School right now.”

While the move would only benefit one school, the leadership team recognizes that the problem is most immediate. She is also looking into the possibility of using partial staffing, as well as some “new ways of looking at how we do library services,” to help re-open the libraries if revenue allows it.

New Hanson member Christopher Howard was concerned that the state funding would not materialize to help ease the class size and library issues.

“Everything on the Student Success budget is important,” Howard said. “The leadership team’s at a point where they need to look at trying to prioritize.”

Committee members from both towns said they have spoken to their respective finance committees about building future budgets and Hayes indicated the entire school committee should attend those sessions.

“They need to see the 10 of us,” he said. “We never want to see public education become the haves and have-nots.”

Hayes and Gilbert-Whitner also advocate multiple public hearings on the school budget before it gets to Town Meeting to answer residents’ questions and concerns.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Class of 2016 has already made its mark in the community and, with the Friday, June 3 graduation ceremony behind them, they are focusing on what Valedictorian Lea Polito calls “the power to be positive ” as they approach the future.

“As humans, we tend to absorb the attitudes that surround us and reflect these attitudes in our own behavior, which is why I think that we are in the midst of a general slump in our country today,” she said. “However, I do not think the world has to be cruel. Within each of us exists a power — the power to be positive … there is power in simply doing the right thing.”

One need only take a tour of the school for evidence of that, noted Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner in her remarks.

“Throughout the high school, I saw information about Special Olympics, Best Buddies (it takes just you to make a difference), Relay for Life, Cancer Awareness Week, and support for Children’s Hospital,” she said.  “In the library, Portraits of Kindness, the Whitman-Hanson Art in Action memory project for children living in Ethiopian orphanages, was on display.”

Students have been active in feeding neighbors and protecting the environment, too. The latter reflected in the class gift, the addition of environmentally friendly, refillable water bottle stations.

“Every graduating class has an overarching personality,” Class Treasurer Joshua Spicer said in announcing the gift. “Our class is full of leaders and innovators who are very interested in and compassionate about the world we live in. We are a class that is well aware that many small actions can lead to something bigger than ourselves.”

The Class of 2016 hopes the water stations will encourage future students and staff to consider the effect of small actions on the greater world.

“My tour of this high school served as a testimony that you, the Class of 2016, through your involvement in an array of activities, concern for the environment, and service to others have learned the skills necessary to become responsible citizens,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “You have offered your time, energy, and commitment for meaningful participation in plays, projects, presentations, and organizations by demonstrating the skills of self-discipline, positive goal setting, and team work.”

As W-H Principal Jeffrey Szymaniak spoke of some of the graduate’s accomplishments, the numbers spoke for themselves.

There were 76 John and Abigail Adams Scholarship winners, based on MCAS scores; seven seniors received college book awards; five won prestigious science or social service prizes; four won music prizes; four art students were honored for their professional endeavors; Student Council members received the Gold Council of Excellence Award for their charitable and service projects; 34 seniors earned All-Scholastic sports team honors; and 23 won sportsmanship awards.

The show choir High Frequency, the boys’ basketball team and the cheerleading team were recognized for competition championships as were other teams participating in post-season play, as well as students participating in music, drama, art, DECA, Key Club, sports programs, CSL internships and honors societies.

Thirteen members of the Class of 2016 also plan to serve their country, with five joining the U.S. Marine Corps, another joining the Air Force and seven enlisting in the Army or another branch of the service. They received a standing ovation from classmates when they were announced.

One member of the Community Evening School Class of 2016 is also joining the Marines.

West Point-bound

During the Wednesday, June 1 Dollars for Scholars/Community and School awards ceremonies, senior Samantha Coletti was awarded her certificate of appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The West Point liaison officer for the Mass. 8th Congressional District, Lt. Col. William Ramsey presented Coletti with her appointment, representing a scholarship valued at more than $250,000.

“I would like you to meet one of your neighbors who is stepping up to the challenge of accepting a West Point appointment,” Ramsey said. “As an officer, she will be entrusted with the responsibility of leading your sons and daughters all over the world. In these trying times, it is important that we all realize the magnitude of this responsibility and Samantha has proven to-date that she has what it takes to be successful at West Point and in our Army.”

West Point’s mission is to train and educate a corps of cadets so that each graduate is a mission leader of character committed to the values of duty, honor country and prepared to serve with professionalism as an Army officer, Ramsey said.

“Tonight, we celebrate and reward hard work, dedication to school and academic achievement,” Szymaniak said before the awards were presented. The combined awards programs bestowed a total of $230,000 in scholarship awards this year.

“We would like to express thanks for the businesses and organizations, alumni and the townspeople of Whitman and Hanson whose overwhelming generosity and support for Dollars for Scholars allows us the ability to award $125,055 to the Class of 2016,” said DFS President Michael Ganshirt before he and Treasurer Jean Dean awarded the 54th annual scholarships, some of which are matched by colleges.

Recognizing the importance of student volunteers toward DFS scholarship fundraising, Ganshirt announced the $1,000 Nancy McLaughlin Volunteer Award, honoring the student who put in the most volunteer hours for DFS, was earned by Nils Wanchers, who will attend UMass, Boston in the fall.