HANSON – Razing the former Maquan School has hit a snag, Green reported to the board Select Board, on Tuesday, Nov. 15. A request for proposals fo bids on the demolition was canceled Monday, Nov. 28 because no information about possible asbestos in the building had been received.

She and Building Inspector Terry Glass, Facilities Manager Charles Baker conducted a site walk with contractors as part of the request for proposals (RFP) to bid process on Monday, Nov. 14. 

“There were quite a few construction companies that came to the site walk,” she said. “There were a number of questions that were brought up, and it looks like we’re either going to have to delay the bid deadline or possibly cancel the bid because of the questions that came up.”

Water at the site raises another question — and one that could change the scope of work.

“It was asked if water was going to be made available for this project — we did reach out to the Water Department and they said, ‘sure, if they wanted to use a little garden hose and hook it up, that’s fine,’” Green said of the dust-control measure. But if a larger hose is required, the Water Department said they wouldn’t do that.

“The contractor would have to bring in their own water,” she said, quoting the Water Department.

Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett asked if they gave a reason and Green said Water Department officials said a bigger hose could result in dirty water being allowed to re-enter the water system.

The scope of work would also require the town to rewrite the scope or work segments involving water and asbestos before reissuing the RFP.

Green said the town needs to reach out to the school district about a 2012 asbestos study done at Maquan because it did not include windows and roofing. Apparently, there is a need for a windows and roofing survey regarding potential asbestos in those areas.

Hanson has sent questions to the new W-H facilities director as to: whether a survey, including windows and roofs, was done and what abatements were done.

FitzGerald-Kemmett, who sits on the Maquan Reuse Committee, recalled having a comprehensive report provided that committee by former W-H Facilities Director Ernest Sandland, who retired last year. No report has been received from the school district, Green said Monday, Nov. 28, so the RFP has been canceled.

“It was part of when they were thinking about whether they were going to build a new school or not,” she said. “Part of what they had to do was to study how deplorable Maquan was to build a case for building a new school.”

While that school construction project failed, the study information is still available in that study. She provided her only copy to Green in order to copy it.

“I think that that may answer some of your questions,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

“If that turns out to have the answers that we need, it can be very helpful,” Green said.

The other issue is once the building is gone what would be left there and they type of fill to be brought in.

School budget

The board also agreed to a schedule for discussions on the WHRSD fiscal 2024 budget with Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak.

Szymaniak visited the board during “the most wonderful time of the year, to talk about budget,” he quipped. He noted past pledges toward greater transparency on the budget process and, as in a previous visit to the Whitman Select Board, briefed the board on the process he is planning to follow.

Szymaniak plans to present an overview of the district budget on Dec. 21. Hard numbers will not be available this year, and Governor-elect Maura Healey, will have some extra time to put her first state budget together, as all newly-elected governors do – meaning the district won’t receive them until March.

But he said he would be able to provide numbers to show approximately where the school budget is at.

“I pledged to the Whitman [Select Board] that the week of Jan. 9, I’d like to meet collaboratively with my School Committee, the boards of selectmen, and both finance committees that week,” he said.

The School Committee is slated to meet Wednesday, Jan. 11 of that week and the Hanson Select Board is scheduled to meet Tuesday, Jan. 10. Szymaniak suggested Thursday, Jan. 12 if the board so chose. A public hearing on the school budget is being planned for Feb. 1, 2023.

HANSON — Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Kevin Perkins was removed, but Alternate Sean Buckley was not removed, as the Select Board, held a public hearing on Thursday, Nov. 10 to determine their status on the ZBA.

Select Board member Jim Hickey voted to allow Perkins to remain on the ZBA.

The two ZBA members were investigated for charges of unprofessional conduct, failure to disclose and failure to cooperate with the investigatory process. Both Perkins and Buckley requested the hearing be held in a public meeting instead of the executive session offered.

Perkins’ attorney William Simms, before a motion could be made, accused both Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett and member Joe Weeks of having complaints filed against them by Perkins and asking why they didn’t recuse themselves from a vote.

FitzGerald said she knew what the complaint against her was — that she did not like Perkins and kept voting against appointing him.
“I don’t need to like somebody, I don’t need to appoint somebody,” she said. “I don’t know him. … I just felt based on things I had been told over the course of several years that I did not feel comfortable endorsing Mr. Perkins to the Board. … That’s my job.”

He claimed Weeks was a member of a Facebook group “Investigate the Board of Appeals,” which Weeks said he had once been a year ago, but had deleted his Facebook account in April.

“I am absolutely unbiased, because I don’t know what you are talking about,” Weeks said.

At an August 2021 the board received a citizen’s petition signed by 150 voters seeking an investigation of the ZBA citing potential conflict of interest between and among its members, Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said. Selectmen were compelled to include in the October special Town Meeting warrant that year, which voters approved unanimously. 

The Select Board voted Oct. 19, 2021 the Select Board votes to hire an investigator, hiring James Lampke that November. She noted that the town received the results of the ZBA investigation as they were meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. The Select Board received it the following day and the ZBA were given copies and public the opportunity to view it the following week on the town’s website hanson.ma.gov.

Simms requested that specific allegations and any supporting evidence read in the open session.

FitzGerald-Kemmett read from the letter sent to Perkins listed:

 •Unprofessional conduct displayed on Sept. 27, 2022 at which time he was heard by meeting attendees and the Select Board of using profanity during that meeting; on June 21, 2022 after William Cushing an Joshua Pratti were appointed to temporary terms, Perkins “behaved in a disrespectful manner and used contentious language when leaving;”

• Failure to disclose: Lampke’s report concluded that Perkins failed to file a potential conflict of interest form regarding his business relationship with Ed Johnson with the Town Clerk;

• Failure to cooperate with the investigation process by refusing to meet with Lampke.

Specifically, Perkins had done electrical work for the Elizabeth Brown Trust at 143 Woodbine Ave., in November 2020, which was the initial applicant for the 40B development on Spring Street. The project changed back and forth between Cushing Trails and the Trust, FitzGerald-Kemmett said referring to permits on file at Town Hall.

Simms maintained that Perkins disclosed “what he thought was appropriate” about a business relationship he had in the past. He felt he could sit impartially and hear a proposal. FitzGerald-Kemmett stressed he, to the contrary, said he had no relationship. 

Simms countered that the relationship has ceased.

“Professionalism is a critical component of members of the Zoning Board of Appeals, and as a public official, the breaches in question deviated substantially, publically and overtly from the expectations of a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals,” the letter concluded.

Simms said he requested an un-redacted video recording of two of the Select Board meetings, but instead got and edited version, which was available online to anyone in the public.

“We do not tape those meetings,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “That is Whitman-Hanson Cable. They are a separate entity and we’ve got no control over that.”

He said they had filed public complaint requests with WHCA for the un-redacted version and have not yet received it.

“So we are not fully prepared to address everything tonight,” Simms said. “We’ll do our best, but we think there was a lot of information presented in public by this board that was not available for me to review and the public to comment on.”

Minutes of the meetings, which Simms received only 24 hours before the hearing, were unapproved drafts, rather than official minutes.

“We’re dealing with information that is incomplete and unavailable to me to adequately respond,” he said, further arguing the allegations were not specific. “We’re talking about cause here. You want to dismiss a member from the [ZBA], you need cause, and I want to hear exactly what that cause is with specificity.” 

FitzGerald-Kemmett said the board had clips from the videos and asked Town Administrator Lisa Green to play them. He clearly said “this is bullshit,” witnessed by the board, members of the audience in the room and watching the live meeting, but FCC regulations prohibit WHCA-TV from rebroadcasting the profanity.

Simms said it sounded “muffled” to him, which is why he wanted the un-redacted version.

The video of the June 21 meeting showed him storming out of the room.

“What was that about?” Simms said.

“We are the appointing authority of the ZBA and his conduct has been consistently disrespectful,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Those were just a couple of examples.”

Simms argued he was sitting at the meetings as a citizen, not a ZBA member and asked if Perkins was heard using profanity at a sporting event, would that be unprofessional conduct?

“We haven’t had anybody else speak to us that way,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Nobody.”

The failure to disclose allegation, concerns a business owner who “comes before the board on a fairly frequent basis,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Simms replied that Perkins informed him about multiple disclosures he has filed over the years.

“We have one disclosure on file,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said, admitting in response to a question from Simms that Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan was unable to fine one such form during an Ethics Commission investigation of Perkins. She later discovered she had misfiled it and apologized for it several times, including publicly and in writing.

“It’s pretty clear to evidence that there’s something going on that is inappropriate, and I don’t know exactly what it is, but it reappeared, we’ve got apologies from public officials and town employees,” Simms said, suggesting the investigation should “focus a little bit more on what’s going on in Town Hall.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett reminded him of the parameters of the hearing.

“We would like to see the additional disclosures that Mr. Perkins has filed, because we have not been provided anything other than the one that the town clerk misfiled,” she said.

“I’ve filed multiple disclosures over the time I’ve been on the ZBA,” Perkins read from a statement. “In these years I have served there have been at least four town administrators, at least three administrative assistants and various turnovers of selectmen and members.”

He said he has received conflicting information about filing disclosures and to whom. He pointed out that Town Hall security had “previously been an issue.”

When asked if he could provide copies of the disclosures, Perkins said he would “look to see if I can locate copies,” but he added that he has “moved twice since then.”

Town Counsel Jane Friedman suggested that, since Perkins is on the ZBA perhaps minutes of their meetings could shed light on those copies.

Former ZBA member William Cushing said his practice, when he served as chair, was to recuse himself from discussions in which he had an interest, and that positions he and other who recused themselves would not likely appear on the minutes for that reason.

Simms said Lampke called to ask if Perkins wanted to participate in an interview for the investigation.

“He said no, that’s all,” he said. “He said no.”

Select Board member Joe Weeks insisted the board know when that phone call took place.

“I want to know,” he said. “In the report it says there was no cooperation and I want to know how long that non-cooperation was happening … we’ve had many derailed Selectmen’s meetings in which ground rules were  made, and we were not going to talk about certain things, and it kept happening. … I’m dying tp know … when the decision was made to not cooperate and then get on a soapbox every single meeting and say this investigation is going nowhere.”

Simms said his associate John Fink took the phone call and he didn’t have the information.

“I don’t think Mr. Perkins declining to be interviewed had any impact,” Simms said, but agreed to supply that information to the board.

Weeks was angered about continued accusations that delays in the investigation were the fault of the Select Board when it was being held up by other parties.

Cushing said the first time Lampke contacted him was on Mother’s Day and again on Father’s Day in 2022 and he spoke to him at that time. Another ZBA member said he was contacted in December 2021.

“I don’t like the idea that this is being put out in public as if there was something awry,” Weeks said. “I want answers.”

During the hearing, Perkins said he felt Lampke should get is information from “public documents and facts,” not to interject his opinion.

“I’ve always acted in the best interests of the town of Hanson,” he said. “I did what was right, I did what was ethical, I did what the town of Hanson needed, and that was to reduce their legal liability from pending applications.”

Select Board members Ed Heal and Ann Rein, who are both new to the board were adamant that the unprofessional conduct by ZBA members has been unacceptable.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said additional ethics education would be required of board members going forward.

HANSON – With a nod to the changing demands on town officials in general and Hanson’s in particular, voters in the Wednesday, Nov. 9 special town meeting approved staff additions to the Town Administrator and Conservation Commission offices. Both were approved during the session, which spanned just over an hour in length.

It was the second attempt to complete town business, as the town failed to draw a quorum on the original date of Monday, Oct. 3.

“I thank you very much, from the bottom of my heart for coming out tonight,” Town Moderator Sean Kealy said. “We worried we weren’t going to get a quorum, but I can officially declare that a quorum is present, and that, we, the special Town Meeting of the Town of Hanson is now in session.”

The meeting started with $1,490,984 in available free cash; $1,365,763 in stabilization; $187,637 in school stabilization; $1,426,920 in Water Department surplus; $135,512 in Recreation Department retained earnings and $166,108 in the solid waste retained earnings fund.

One of the staffing articles, sought the transfer $17,659.20 from free cash to make the conservation agent position a full-time one at 35 hours per week. The added 16 hours per week had originally been placed at $26,488.80 in the warrant, but was lowered at the request of the Conservation Commission, Kealy said.

“The number’s lower because the time frame for this fiscal year is shorter,” Commission Chair Phil Clemons said. “This lower number recognizes that it would be more feasible just to plan for January to June.”

He said the position is needed because the position was originally a full-time one and there is still a need for that. The fiscal crisis during the Great Recession in 2010 led many town departments to voluntarily reduce hours to help balance the town’s budget.

“Since then, most departments have been restored,” Clemons said.  “Conservation has not and the conservation agent is considered the head of the Conservation Department — the only non-full time department head.”

He noted that requests for services are up and a part-time conservation office is not serving the public well.

“The job is getting more complex, and more regulations and workshops are happening, and we can’t have our agent go to those things or answer the phones or handle issues,” he said, noting committee members are limited in how they can fill in.

But it was the statement made by West Washington Street resident Joseph O’Sullivan that may have changed minds in the room. He was an abutter of a project on County Road that would have built 10 four-bedroom houses on six acres that were surrounded by 40 acres of wetland.

“That project passed through every board except the Conservation Commission, and through their due diligence, it went through appeal after appeal and the DEP finally rejected it in a 14-page document that cited five different irregularities in what the company had proposed,” O’Sullivan said. “They are, in fact, our homeowners association, because they can use their judgment about the future impact of this.”

He pointed out that 75 people had written letters of concern from abutters about the houses which would have taxed the water system at about one million gallons of water each year.

While the Finance Committee did not dispute the need for extra hours, they recommended passing over the article because of the town’s fiscal position.

The meeting voted overwhelmingly to approve the article.

That recognition of needed help for overtaxed town employees carried over to the next article seeking the transfer $23,034 from free cash to Selectmen’s budget to hire a part-time administrative assistant for 15 hours per week.

Town Administrator Lisa Green spoke about the request, which was also approved.

“We really saw the value of that this past few months when we had an intern from Bridgewater State University work in the office,” Green said. He helped review policies, draft procurement paperwork and help with other projects that were overloading the office staff.

Resident Kathleen Marini about the fiscal responsibility of the move, noting a full-time person would mean health benefits. 

Ken Sweezey of Matakeeset Street asked if more interns could be sought in the future.

While Green replied that is always a possibility but the town may not always get one, but their intern was paid for 23 hours of pay while the college also offered a stipend. Internships are usually tied to a specific project and are not always available every day. There is also a growing call nationwide for all such internships to be paid positions. 

Green also said the position could be combined with the 19-hour part-time Planning Board administrative vacancy to retain staff.

“That position is, unfortunately, a revolving door type of a position,” she said, noting that people have been hired and trained only to leave for a full-time job in town.

Combining it with the Planning position will give the person hired a 35-hour full-time job — working 15 hours in the Select Board office and 20 hours per week in the Planning Office.

“It will cover the needs of both offices and it will create a position that will encourage the person to stay with the town, so we’re not a revolving door,” she said.

Frank Milisi asked why the Select Board recommended the hire and if they would  be involved in grant writing. Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said the board has “consistently” been getting feedback from everyone they have hired, and from those before their tenure, that the office is under-staffed.

“There was not one town with the same population that we have that only had a two-person office,” she said. “We, honestly, thought that we needed three people, but we felt that was probably an overreach at this point.”

She also mentioned the new salary levels that Whitman would be deciding on at their special Town Meeting Monday, Nov. 14.

“This is a very competitive environment right now, for anybody in the town administrator position,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “We need to retain people.”

Former School Committee Chair Bob Hayes spoke in favor of the article before it was eventually approved, noting that regulations that had once been simpler are now much more complex.

“You have immense, immense things for the town administrator to do and for the paperwork that we all want done,” he said.

Hayes also pointed to the Conservation hours the meeting had just approved.

“I was against it until I heard Mr. O’Sullivan stating why it was needed,” he said. “The same thing is needed in the Selectmen’s office.” 

Select Board member Joe Weeks reminded voters that for several years, the town had the luxury of a well-seasoned and skilled assistant in Meredith Marini, who was able to serve as a temporary town administrator.

Corrine Cofardo, a volunteer on several town committees reminded the meeting that Marini also frequently worked on her own time at night and weekends to complete work. 

“That’s how the job got done,” she said. “That’s why we need this part-time position filled.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett said the board had received a letter from Impressed LLC earlier in the week asking that an article amending Zoning Bylaws regarding medical marijuana facilities and marijuana establishments be passed over until the May Town Meeting.

“They are tied up with trying to finalize their license and they felt that [May] would be a better time for them,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “They also thought by that time, they would have some financial experience to share with us.”

She said the board also asked to have the town assessor provide numbers to indicate the value of the personal property tied up in the building and business and what could be expected in the way of propery taxes.

The meeting was opened with a moment of silence for town officials and volunteers who died since the May Town Meeting: Carroll P. Gagnon, Ernest E. Jutras, Peter Muise, Richard Muncie, Della Snow and William Strait.

Before dealing with the evening’s final article, Kealy asked the meeting to join in a round of applause for Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan and Assistant Clerk Jean Kelly and the town’s volunteer clerks who checked people into the Town Meeing for their work on the state election the day before.

HANSON — The Select Board on Tuesday, Nov. 1 voted to appoint an associate and a voting member to the Zoning Board of Appeals, following a discussion regarding the ZBA and “future mitigation efforts, and to schedule a hearing in which ZBA members mentioned in the report of the investigation, may address information in it.

“There’s nobody here that’s going to tell you that investigation didn’t take far longer than we would have liked, and I completely recognize that for all of us — and I do mean all of us — it made a difficult situation even more difficult,” Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said of the delays in completing the probe. “There’s a lot of pent-up emotion around this investigation.”

She cautioned that discussion about the report had to be kept to a general basis because specific reference to the conduct of any individual could not be conducted in an open meeting unless it was posted as a hearing.

FitzGerald-Kemmett also said the report represented an illustration of how the town can improve it’s vetting process of applicants for town positions.

Applicants for the voting three-year term were William Cushing and Michael Fleming. Applicants for the three-year associate membership were Christopher Costello and Joshua Pratti. 

Cushing and Pratti have been serving in their respective roles before resigning rather than accepting a second temporary re-appointment earlier this fall.

Fleming was appointed to the voting member slot by a vote of 4-1, with Select Board member Jim Hickey opposed. Costello was appointed as the alternate member by the same vote.

FitzGerald-Kemmett noted that the town received the results of the ZBA investigation as they were meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The investigation was prompted by a unanimous vote on a citizen’s petition at the October 2021 fall Town Meeting, and the Select Board approved hiring an investigator who was hired in November 2021.

Catching up 

The Select Board received it the following day and the ZBA were given copies and public the opportunity to view it the following week on the town’s website hanson.ma.gov.

“As the appointing authority of the ZBA, we knew it was our responsibility to do so,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said, noting that Town Administrator Lisa Green was made the point person for documentation requests.

Difficulty in obtaining necessary documentation, personal matters the investigator had to attend to and some people’s failure to fully cooperate with the investigation contributed to the delay.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said there were things that came up during the investigation, that had it been assigned a probe of a wider scope, would have added to the cost.

“We tried to stick to what the original citizen’s petition was [about], so that we were reflecting the will of the people,” she said.

“It’s a learning experience, that’s all I have to say,” Select Board member Ann Rein said.

Board member Ed Heal said it would be very hard to keep to generalities and expressed uncertainty about the next steps would be.

“There’s a lot of individual information in here,” he said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested the investigator’s points about reorganization and difference in style of minutes — which were too vague and open to interpretation — but he did not conclude that there was any detriment in the way the ZBA reorganization was done.

“At the very least, we probably want to do some additional training around disclosures and when they are required to be made, under what conditions and to whom they should be made,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said of the report’s recommendations, which could apply to all boards and commissions.

Regarding the issue of missing disclosure statements, first mentioned in July 2021, when Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan was asked about them. Up until last month, FitzGerald-Kemmett said, no one filed disclosures directly with the Select Board, they were always filed with the clerk, who would forward a copy to the board.

Sloan stated in an email to Green, that the disclosure from Kevin Perkins, during the scanning of the forms in fulfillment of public record requests from several individuals, “was not put back into the file.” She was later able to locate it and apologized to Perkins, when it was rumored there was no disclosure from him.

Cushing added the disclosure’s whereabouts became a concern when the state Ethics Commission called Perkins about it after he had called the clerk’s office looking for it and it was not on file.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said she fully accepts Sloan’s explanation and apology and felt no need to question her.

Heal noted there have been recent by laws or rules changes instituted to improve the process, and echoing the thought that the situation has been a learning experience.

“It is very hard to do this without mentioning names,” Hickey agreed, describing the report as “65 pages of not that much.”

Vice Chair Joe Weeks moved that a hearing be held on the report’s findings concerning Perkins and fellow ZBA member Sean Buckley, who is an alternate. Hickey sought an amendment to the effect that Cushing be added to the list for a hearing if he were to be appointed back to the ZBA later in the meeting.

Cushing was a member of the ZBA until about three weeks ago, resigning in protest against efforts to reappoint him for a temporary term pending the conclusion of the investigation. Now that the investigation is complete, he is seeking re-appointment, and said he welcomes a hearing.

He specializes in permitting, disclosing during his 2015 application his profession as a builder and developer.

He said he is well-versed in planning and zoning, as well as in storm water management, permitting aspects of Conservation, Board of Health and all other aspects.

Cushing is a resident of Hanson holds a bachelor’s degree and has worked exclusively in the real estate business.

Fleming is a 15-year resident has been a member of the Agricultural Committee and said he was asked a few weeks ago to sign up for the ZBA. He said he sees the position as an opportunity to “get my feet wet” in town affairs.

A production mechanic for a Boston liquor company, Fleming said he has no conflict of interest disclosures to make. He said he knows Hickey and Rein, but no other members of the Select Board.

No friendship
conflict 

FitzGerald-Kemmett stressed it is no conflict for anyone applying for the ZBA or any other board to know someone or to be friends with someone on the Select Board.

“There is no one person here that makes anything different for me,” Fleming said, pointing out three other past and present town officials in the room who he knows.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said she had been called out for not curtailing a cross-examination of an applicant about board members he knew and that she was not going to make the same mistake, before she halted the line of questioning.

“It is not our intention to make anybody who is applying for a volunteer position in town, particularly for the first time, to feel as though you’re not welcomed,” she said.

Pratti indicated he wanted to be considered for both positions. He served on the ZBA as an associate member before resigning over the temporary reappointment issue.

A licensed construction supervisor and home improvement contractor, Pratti holds a BS degree in electro-mechanical engineering. He said he is conversant in zoning regulations and Title V regulations from his work on septic and drainage systems.

“I don’t know how you could be more qualified for this position,” he said.

Pratti, for whom the investigation showed no information about his conduct, said he resigned out of frustration because he felt he and Cushing were considered guilty before the results of the investigation were in.

Weeks said he was wary of appointing someone who would “handcuff” the town in their own interests. Pratti countered that he only missed one meeting as an alternate, which speaks for his dedication to the position.

Seeking an alternate position, Costello is a 15-year Hanson resident who has worked in heavy civil construction for 25 years. He holds a degree in construction management from Wentworth Institute of Technology and is currently employed as an MBTA project manager overseeing new capital construction projects. He said he has no disclosures and knows no members of the Select Board.

HANSON — Since the Oct. 3 special Town Meeting failed to reach the needed quorum of 100 voters, the Select Board voted that night to reschedule the Town Meeting to Wednesday, Nov. 9.

The Town Meeting would begin at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 9 at Hanson Middle School Auditorium. Free day care services are being arranged for parents as well as reserving use of the school facility.

Town Administrator Lisa Green said that date was arrived at after discussion with Moderator Sean Kealy.

“We are in the process of getting new covers [for the warrant] that have the correct date on it,” she said at the Tuesday, Oct. 11 Select Board meeting. “We will update the website with all the correct information, we will place the warrants back out for folks to pick up that evening.”

One new “wrinkle,” as Green put it, is the fact that Tuesday, Nov. 8 is Election Day.

“That will be a very busy time for our town clerk and assistant town clerk and registrars,” she said, noting that she and the board’s executive assistant may be taking on some additional responsibilities as Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan instructs or asks.

“Obviously, the quorum was the issue,” said Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald Kemmett. “So, what can we do to try to increase the level of engagement?”

She suggested notices on the town’s Facebook page, advertising or use of the Police Department’s electronic message board could be employed.

HANSON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Oct. 11 tabled the appointments of a Zoning Board of Appeals member and associate member. A meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct. 25 to again take up the matter.

William Cushing and Charles White were re-applying, or applying for the post of member for a three-year term. Christopher Costello and Joshua Pratti were applying, or reapplying for the post of associate member for a three-year term.

White withdrew his application the next day.

Despite being admonished at the outset by Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett — on the advice of town counsel — not to mention “the I-word,” as she later in the meeting described the term “investigation,” it was nonetheless invoked nearly two dozen times by various participants in the 21:30-minute discussion. Town Administrator Lisa Green said the probe has been completed.

Select Board member Jim Hickey made the motion to table the appointments following discussions with White and Cushing.

“We were all set to go last Friday, when we thought there was a [ZBA] meeting tonight,” he said. “There wasn’t, so I’d like a few days, or possibly a week, depending on when the Zoning Board has their next meeting to look at this report.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett countered that while the board would read the report quickly, they would not do so as if they “had a gun to their heads” and say they would make the decision within a week. A ZBA meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 18, but chair Kevin Perkins said they should have the necessary three people.

“I want to be able to look through [the report],” Select Board member Joe weeks said, advocating for waiting until Oct. 25 “I want to make sure everybody gets a fair shake.”

For the parameters of the meeting, in addition, the investigation would not be an issue.

“We will not be discussing, or answering any questions regarding the ongoing ZBA investigation,” she said. “We will not be rehashing the events of our Sept. 27 meeting. Our legal counsel has advised us that we able to proceed with filling these vacancies tonight as we see fit.”

As the Select Board is the appointing authority, it is the board’s decision who will fill the vacancies, “and nobody else’s decision,” she stressed.

FitzGerald-Kemmett, admonishing would-be speakers that profanity or inappropriate behavior disrespectful of the board would not be tolerated, noting that those in violation would be asked to leave and, if they refused, the police would be summoned.

White, who was recently appointed to the Cemetery Commission, said he was interested in the full-time position as a way to become more involved in the town. A retired Weymouth firefighter and 20-year resident of Hanson, White worked as the fire prevention and training officer, explaining that the work made him familiar with building codes. While he knows “a little bit of zoning,” he admitted his knowledge is not extensive, but said he has also worked as an environmental engineer and is familiar with MGL 21E and state contingency plans. He said he didn’t know whether he knows anyone now serving on the ZBA.

Hickey said he has ethics disclosures from the other members, whether or not they are applying, but he hadn’t received one from White.

White said he was not aware of the requirement, but he was happy to do it.

Cushing, who had resigned, along with Pratti, on Sept. 27, when the board balked at approving another temporary appointment until town counsel had offered guidance, is a developer and builder — a fact he has always been open about.

“I always thought that would be an attribute to add to the town of Hanson because it’s important to understand the Zoning Board rules and regulation,” he said. “The think I think is hard with zoning is the people who try to learn it without any background in it.”

Cushing has served on the ZBA since 2015, starting as an alternate member, becoming a permanent one about six years ago. He has a bachelor’s degree in management and finance from Curry College and is in the real estate business, specializing in permitting and zoning.

Despite the caution against raising the topic, Cushing asked if the ZBA investigation was complete. FitzGerald-Kemmett repeated the admonition and asked if he had any other questions.

“I think the citizens should know,” he persisted. “Is the investigation complete, yet?”

“Not to the best of my knowledge,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

“Beyond that, I’m sure you’re aware that I’m more than qualified for the position,” he said, suggesting that White had a relationship with Select Board members Ann Rein and Ed Heal, saying he had seen “pictures of him on their election campaign.” 

He compared that to “the biggest misconception” with the ZBA is that “some of us happen to be in the same industry and that might be misconstrued.

He then said he was not sure if the position for which he was applying should be filled until the investigation is complete, saying he felt the presumption was guilty until proven innocent with him.

“I was pretty clear at the beginning that we’re not talking about that,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

“It’s important,” Cushing retorted.

“The reason we’re here tonight is that [Kevin] Perkins emphasized that you guys are in peril of not having a quorum,” she said.

Cushing then argued that, if a permanent seat was not filled that night, two associate members should be appointed to help with the quorum problem.

FitzGerald-Kemmett explained that was not posted on the agenda for the meeting.

“You’ve already made your mind up, I can’t convince you of anything,” he charged.

17:25

WHITMAN — After approving participation in the Community Preservation Act at this year’s Town Meeting, residents might ask, “What’s next?”

The received some answers recently as the Whitman Preservation Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 20 held an informational meeting on the Community Preservation Act, approved in 2000 and adopted by Whitman at this year’s annual Town Meeting.

“On the one hand, our job is to, obviously, look at these applications and make recommendations at Town Meeting about the use of Community  Preservation funds, but I also think this is a good opportunity to find out what the community wants,”  Chair Ryan Tressel said. “I’m very excited about the possibilities that this act and this law brings to Whitman and the ability that we’ll have to hopefully fund some really terrific projects to help preserve our community.”

The law requires such an informational session and review of the way the board is set up.

Five of the nine members are from town committees, as required by the state law – Elaine Bergeron of the Historical Commission, Jake Dodge of the Conservation Commission, Brandon Griffin of the Planning Board, Michelle LaMattina of the Recreation commission and Patricia McKay of the Housing Authority. At-large citizens on the commission are Tressel, Vice Chair John Goldrosen, Melissa Lothrop and Richard Rosen.

“Part of the purpose of this meeting … is to inform the people of Whitman about the CPA (Community Preservation Act), especially because our application for CPA projects has been released and is on the town website,” Tressel said. The review also covered what is and is not allowed and the application process.

The CPA was inspired by a Nantucket group that created a system for buying up open-space land for preservation, which interested a lot of other communities around the state that wanted to do the same thing.

Projects must fall under any of four categories: Open space; Historic Preservation; Recreation and Affordable housing.

The program is funded by a 1-percent surcharge on real estate property taxes for both residential and business properties which goes into a CPA fund. Of those funds, 10 percent has to go toward each of the open space, housing and historic preservation categories each year, matched by the state. Town Meeting can vote to invest more, but the 10 percent is required. Five percent of funds may be retained for administrative expenses.

“This year, the [state] match was 35 percent, but it varies every year,” Tressel said. Much of the variation depands on revenue raised by the state.

“The law is very complex and there’s no governing body on the law in this state,” he said. “It’s not run by or overseen by anything, so a lot of the restrictions that are put on community preservation projects have come from courts as citizens in various towns have raised lawsuits against certain community preservation projects, so it is a little tricky to get through them.”

For example, Town Meeting can approve measures to acquire, create or preserve open space, but funds cannot be used to support, rehabilitate or restore open space. Applicants will, therefore be asked about additional funding sources for projects.

Likewise, while historic places can be acquired or preseerved, but not created or supported. CPC funds cannot support recreation spaces, either, but can be created, acquired, rehabilitated, restored and preserved. Housing has the least amount of restrictions on it.

“We will be giving recommendations to Town Meeting and Town Meeting will appropriate the money,” Tressel said. “We are not a body that will oversee these projects.”

Applicants and relevant town committees will be charged with oversight.

Looking to the procedures of other towns, Whitman has set up a two-step application process: pre-application outlining project basics and a timeline, advancing to the application process if projects are deemed allowable under state law. Sponsoring parties and estimated costs and the amount sought from the CPC would also be covered in the pre-application process.

“We felt the two-step [application] made the most sense from our end [and applicants’],” he said.

HANSON — ZBA members William Cushing and Joshua Pratti effectively resigned on Tuesday, Sept. 27, as they declined to accept another temporary reappointment by the Select Board as the investigation into ZBA — spurred a citizens’ petition passed at Town Meeting — drags on and the board did not advance a motion to re-appoint the two to another full term.

Cushing said the Select Board should consider the non-reappointment his resignation. Pratti said he, too, would refuse to accept a temporary reappointment.

Select Board member Jim Hickey, whose motion to reappoint both men to a full term failed, resigned from his role as liaison to the Zoning Board of Appeals because his motions on the situation had been repeatedly ignored and he felt one of the other members would be better suited for the role.

The Select Board then voted to accept all three resignations.

“I appreciate the effort and the time that you have both put in, but we really are in a position where we are trying to do what’s in the best interests of the town,” Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said, expressing regret at the resignation. “We got a very strong read from town meeting and the citizens’ petition begging us to look into this, so I don’t see, as an elected board, how we could possibly do anything other than what we’ve been compelled to do.”

Cushing said he appreciated the position the Select Board is in and asked to see the final report when the investigation is complete. Pratti also indicated his willingness to be reappointed, if the Select Board was agreeable, after the investigation concludes.

“At that point in time, if you’d like to re-evaluate, I’d love to be reappointed,” Cushing said. Between now and then he said he would rather step aside.

Town Administrator Lisa Green said and email from Hull Town Counsel Jim Lampke on Aug. 25, indicated he is awaiting material the Building Department and Board of Health as requested. At that news, FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested the board could repeat its one-month appointment vote. Lampke was appointed to investigate the issue last November.

“We don’t want to give the impression that we’re trying to rush the investigation, or just the impression that we may have flawed it because we tried to rush it,” said Green. “We can’t take that chance.”

FitzGerald-Kemmett asked Green to press Lampke for a date when they could expect his findings. Green said on Monday, Oct. 3 that Lampke is hopeful that a final draft report will be submitted to the Select Board this week and the subject should be on the agenda for the Tuesday, Oct. 11 meeting.

ZBA member Kevin Perkins had been ejected from the meeting before the discussion — which had followed a heated dog hearing — really got started for what FitzGerald-Kemmett described as abusive language.

She had noted that the last time the appointments had come before the board there was a suggestion from town counsel that Cushing and Pratti be reappointed for only a month because the investigation into the ZBA should be first completed, which has still has not been done.

 “If we appoint for the full term then we have to have a hearing for Mr. Cushing and Mr. Pratti,” she said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett reminded the public that the Select Board had not unilaterally decided to conduct an investigation into the ZBA, that was the subject of a citizens’ petition warrant article presented and approved at Town Meeting. There were 167 votes in favor of the investigation.

“Although I am disheartened at how long it’s taken, I think that generally the board has been of the opinion that we want to be thorough in this investigation,” she said. “We don’t want to close the investigation and not have Mr. Lampke feel as though he hasn’t done his due diligence.”

She did say she had the opinion that, about the time Green received his email that a decision was imminent, possibly only a couple of weeks away, but she asked Green to contact him to get a definitive update.

Hickey said he had been texting Perkins about ZBA issues, who gave a similar estimate of the time needed to complete the investigation.

“Two weeks is up and it’s still not done,” Hickey said.

Cushing said the reappointment was for three months approved on June 30, not one.

FitzGerald-Kemmett accepted that correction.

“This was supposed to be done in June,” Cushing said of the investigation. “This has been almost a year now.”

While he said he understands that the Select Board is doing what’s in the best interests of Hanson residents, Cushing said that, at the same time, if there is cause ZBA members should be removed, but they should not arbitrarily decide against re-appointing them because the investigation is incomplete.

“I think that you’ve had more than enough time,” he said. 

Cushing advocated for his and Pratti’s reappointment, understanding that if the investigation determines there is cause, they could be removed.

“I don’t want a temporary reappointment,” he said. “I either want a full term and then be removed, or don’t reappoint me at all.”

Pratti also said he would not accept a temporary appointment.

“It sounds to me like not reappointing is more allowing you guys some latitude to not reappoint us if you don’t like what you hear, not necessarily with any malfeasance found with any of the board [members],”  Pratti said.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said factors contributing to any decision against reappointment would not have to rise to the level of malfeasance. If sufficient concerns arose with Select Board members to where  they might not feel comfortable reinstating them, that would be enough to warrant such action.

Pratti said he doesn’t see why non-reappointment or temporary reappointment are even options.

“We’re going to clog up an agenda regardless,” he said.

“I tend to think if we pay town counsel to give us an opinion, we ought to take town counsel’s opinion, FitzGerald-Kemmett replied, noting she did not feel she should act as an attorney and second-guess their reasoning.

Hickey said he argued for reappointment to full terms three months ago because the investigation was not complete. He advocated going through a hearing process, if necessary, when the investigation was complete and improprieties were discovered, but no one had seconded his motion.

FitzGerald-Kemmett said she did not offer a second because the motions went against town counsel’s advice. She also said she thinks a decision is immanent.

“My feeling is that we have a duty to the citizens of the town, who asked to have this investigated, and asked for us to be prudent in what we’re doing,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Although I feel bad that it’s taken this long, there isn’t much that the five of us can do about how long it’s taken.”

She said Lampke has been hired to do a job and he has to do the job he’s been paid to do.

“I don’t feel comfortable appointing both them for the full term,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.

Cushing, meanwhile pointed out that the delay was affecting the ZBA’s work.

“We just missed a meeting tonight because we don’t want to open meetings unless,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to be here.”

There was a ZBA meeting scheduled for that night, he said.

“They’re waiting upstairs,” Pratti said.

Without them there would be no quorum for that meeting. Cushing added.

Hickey noted that if they board is working on something and they resign or are removed, all the work that’s been done has to start over again, and Cushing added it could also result in legal action regarding such a case.

Hickey then moved that both men be reappointed for their full terms and, again, it’s not going to be seconded. It was not.

“For me, it’s hard because I’m incredibly frustrated with how long this has been going on,” said Select Board member Joe Weeks. “I feel we are in a position right now … I have no idea what’s going on with this investigation. I have no idea why it’s taking so long.”

But, he added, as maddening as the situation is, the town is already committed to the process and he hopes it can see it through.

He also lauded Cushing and Pratti for their cooperation.

 For that reason, Weeks said he would like to see more pressure brought to conclude the investigation, but lacking more information he supported incremental appointments until the investigation is done.

HANOVER – South Shore Tech had as “close to a normal school opening as we’ve had in a while” on Tuesday, Aug. 30, Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas Hickey told the School Committee at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “A full, high-energy school is what people in education want to [be a part of] and that’s what I think we had to start out the year.”

Assistant Principal Sandra Baldner said most in the school – from students to administrators and staff – agreed that by the end of the first week, a day at SST felt “just like a warm October day.”

Directed study periods after school now offer more flexibility and independence for the ways students seek extra help or study, so long as respectful noise levels are maintained. Two teachers in every session allow faculty members more flexibility in how they work as well.

Co-curricular Fridays allow students to attend Student Council, Skills USA, Gay/Straight Alliance, Future Famers of America meetings and the like.

“They give students an opportunity to be involved who might not otherwise attend,” she said. “They still have an opportunity to meet after school and extend learning, but students who are interested can get a taste of it during the school day.”

Hall passes have also advanced – as E-Hall passes replace the traditional paper pass so teachers can track movement across the day.

“It is not a GPS system” Baldner stressed. “It just allows the school to see trends and patterns in movement beyond the classroom.”

A virtual all-student meeting has been started as well. The junior class used the virtual meeting to teach the student body to use the E-Hall passes. The video is archived to parents can watch and learn what’s going on in school, as well.

Principal Mark Aubrey reported on recruitment for School Councils – which are made up of students, parents and members of the community. The councils meet virtually.

“That’s where I’m looking right now,” he said of his search for community members. “We have a good core of students and parents … that are raring to go, wanting to talk about things such as our bullying plan and other things going on in the building.”

SST’s window replacement work has been proceeding with the panel work being done, Hickey said. While there have been some delays with some of the custom work on the panels, school officials are working to stay on top of the situation and it’s not interfering with school operations, he said.

A school finance workshop planned with Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Chapter 70 expert Roger Hatch, canceled when was unavailable, can be rescheduled now that “he is back on the grid” Hickey said.

Hickey will be communicating with member towns through select board offices and town administrators to remind them that the district wants to run the program and offer prospective dates – perhaps in late fall or winter – to review the Chapter 70 formula and how it works, either in-person or by Zoom. That would allow a more in-depth discussion when the district arrives at assessment numbers.

“The good news is we could use fiscal ’22 assessment data, for people who are getting in the weeds, not just us,” Hickey said. “In general, how are these numbers arrived at?”

Marshfield has also returned to consideration of joining the South Shore district, but the required negotiations including an amendment to the Regional Agreement, and DESE and Mass. Association of School Committees (ASC) review, won’t begin until there is a vote of the School Committee. It is not planned for consideration until November or December at this point.

Hickey does not envision it going before town meetings until the spring of 2023. Marshfield and two-thirds of existing member towns must vote to support the expansion before the commissioner of education sign off on it before the end of the calendar year to be effective July 1, 2024.

“It’s a long process, but we definitely have a timeline,” he said.

Hickey also reported that “things are moving forward” with the Mass. School  Building Authority (MSBA) on the school’s renovation/expansion project.

“That is a relative term, but there is progress,” he said. He expects the next round of discussion will be on enrollment analysis, which could lead to renovation as-is, an eight-town model acknowledging that waiting lists must be addressed that allows a ceiling of 805 students, and a model that includes Marshfield with an enrollment ceiling of 975 students.

“They have said to me very politely that their mission is not to eliminate waiting lists,” Hickey said. “There is also the potential for reimbursement incentive points for expanding a region.”

He still has questions about that for which he is awaiting an answer from MSBA, he said.

“That’s exactly why getting the engineers involved,” he said. “You want to hire a firm that wants to be creative, because we’ve got size 10 ideas and a size 8 shoe.”

Feasibility study agreements are the next step, Hickey said, adding that he believes the MSBA will discuss the project next on Oct. 26 where there will be a recommendation to move the project to the next step and convene as a building committee and hire a project manager, which should take about three months. He doesn’t expect a project to be complete before the 2028-29 school year.