HANSON — Selectmen on Monday, Nov. 19 completed the last of five first-round interviews with law firms seeking a new contract for labor and/or general counsel services to the town.

The process, begun Nov. 13, is expected to continue with a discussion and selection of two final candidates at the Tuesday, Nov. 27 meeting for a second round of interviews on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Town Administrator Michael McCue hopes a decision can be made by Dec. 18. He began the process in an effort to ensure Hanson was getting the best legal advice it could afford as part of his goals for the year.

“This is a major decision and I strongly advise the Board of Selectmen to choose two … and have them back again for a second round,” McCue said. “You’re not married to the 18th. If his board can’t come to a decision — if they’re not comfortable, if there’s not a majority — we can revisit the way we’re doing it.”

The firms interviewing have been: Clifford & Kenny LLP of Pembroke and Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane MHTL of Quincy on Nov. 13 and current town counsel Mead, Talerman & Costa of Millis; Brooks & DeRensis of Boston and current labor counsel Norris, Murray & Peloquin LLC of Norwood on Monday.

Clifford & Kenny and Norris, Murray & Peloquin are applying for labor counsel services only and the other three are applying to offer both general and labor counsel services.

McCue said any of the five would be a qualified selection.

“What I’ve requested the Board of Selectmen to do is, by Nov. 26, send me the two top firms that you’d like to see again,” for general counsel and labor counsel, McCue said. He and Selectmen Chairman Kenny Mitchell had discussed the process and agreed on that step, but Selectman Jim Hickey asked why a discussion in open session was not being considered as the next step.

“As a group we don’t get to discuss at all what we think?” he said.

“I have a problem with sending Mike a vote email,” Dyer agreed. “I think we should have a group discussion about all five of them between all five of us here. We all come from different expertise, you guys have been on the board longer than I have, and I think your insight would be really valuable to my vote — and then there’s open government. … I think we need to be open and transparent with this,”

Selectmen Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett and Wes Blauss also saw merit in public discussion before narrowing the field of candidates.

“I want to hear [the others’ thoughts] because maybe I missed something,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said, noting that some sort of rubric by which to judge the firms.

“I’m all for efficiency, I’m all for transparency [but] Matt represents a new generation who, nationwide, are demanding transparency in government — and not necessarily getting it,” Blauss said. He volunteered to start off discussion at the next meeting, explaining his top two picks.

McCue, who had provided on-page summaries on the firms, including their size, how long they have been in business, client base and proposed cost, said all five are qualified.

“All five of them are highly qualified firms, the only differences … have to do with how many people work for that firm, the years of business and the amount of municipalities they represent,” he said. “I have experience with all of these firms.”

He said he had no objection to any process the board wished to pursue, but was concerned that a “free-wheeling conversation” about five different firms could result in the board being at loggerheads.

Mitchell said his experience on the police chief search committee, which had narrowed a field of 49 applicants to the two finalists brought before Selectmen for interviews.

“I don’t know that it makes sense taking all five and all of us have the same opinion about one, two or three, when we could narrow it down and then have that deep discussion about those one or two,” Mitchell said.

Applying as labor counsel, Clifford & Kenny is a small firm with two partners and three associates founded in 2013 by partners with a dozen years of legal experience a piece. They currently represent 20 municipalities including Rockland, East Bridgewater, Marshfield and Fall River.

“We’re very respectful of the relationship with the unions,” said partner Jamie Kenny on Nov. 13. “We don’t go scorched-earth. … These employees are normally long-term employees, they are valued employees and we want to work together to try and reach a resolution that everybody can live with.”

Applying as both general and labor counsel, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane has a team of 31 attorneys and was founded in 1986 with a 150-municipality or government department client base, but assured selectmen they don’t practice the “hot potato” approach to client representation, according to associate Michael Maccaro.

“We want you to know that, when your issue comes up, that’s the most important issue to us that day,” he said.

The firm has dealt with all labor unions active in the state and a diverse group of municipalities.

“We just make the policy decisions and help you get to where you want to go,” said associate Cynthia Amara.

Current town counsel firm Mead, Talerman & Costa is also applying to become labor counsel this go-round. Founded in 2004, the firm has 10 attorneys, but Jay Talerman would remain as lead general counsel — as he has been since 2014 — with Kate Feodoroff taking the role of labor counsel. She has been lead union contract negotiator for the city of Brockton before joining the firm. The firm represents 16 towns as general counsel and five as labor counsel.

“I hope that we’ve been responsive to you in the past and we will continue to do so,” Feodoroff said. “We like to address problems before they become problems and have solutions — and multiple solutions — so that you can choose from them.”

She said the firm has an open-door policy with McCue.

Brooks & DeRensis, founded in 2018, is also applying for both general and labor counsel. The firm’s 10 attorneys have deep experience  on “both sides of the table” in both political and legal service, and also represent Canton, Mansfield and Randolph for both general and labor counsel. They represent several regional school districts, and have experience helping towns with economic development, as well.

“We’re the ones who are practical and are driven by common sense,” said partner Paul DeRensis.

Current labor counsel Norris, Murray & Peloquin has four partners and Leo Peloquin would remain the lead attorney for Hanson. Founded in 1997 as Collins, Loughran & Peloquin LLC, the firm represents 24 cities and towns and 13 school committees as well as Middleborough Gas & Electric and the Wareham Fire District/Water Department.

“I hope when you look at our record with the town that I treated it like a privilege,” Peloquin said, noting that less than 1 percent of cases he works goes to litigation. “We help [you] get things done.”

They provide towns with a monthly newsletter updating developments in labor law.

“They can say to you, ‘This is what we can do for you,’” Peloquin said of the competing law firms he knows and respects. “I’m sitting here tonight saying, ‘This is what we’ve done for you.’”

All firms except Norris, Murray & Peloquin have partners or associates who have served in elective office. All five noted the need for regular reviews of sexual harassment policy, especially in the wake of the #metoo movement. The firms provided fee estimates for both hourly and flat rates, while most advised that hourly rates may be more a accurate reflection of services received.

If a conflict arose between the towns of Hanson and East Bridgewater, which is involved in an inter-municipal IT agreement with Hanson, firms applying as general counsel indicated they would either step back from the issue or did not represent East Bridgewater. Full interviews can be viewed on WHCA-TV or its YouTube channel.

HANSON — What do you do with the town’s trash when recycling becomes an expensive problem?

The Board of Selectmen has begun discussing with the Board of Health ways to salvage its financially troubled transfer station as well as the environment with a two-pronged approach: find a way to make the facility solvent and possibly ban plastic grocery bags, if not polystyrene cups and plastic straws as well.

Town Administrator Michael McCue said the transfer station is two years away from a financial crisis.

“A lot of it has to do with the fact that overseas recycling has been pretty much shut off and the cost of recycling has been that much more expensive,” McCue said. “The transfer station has had to rely on some of its retained earnings and I think a conversation needs to take place of how the two boards think we should move forward to contain the viability, on some level, of the transfer station. … We need to start the conversation.”

Options right now, according to Health Board member Arlene Dias, include continuing current practices, reducing transfer station hours to save money, returning operation costs to the tax base or explore regionalization. Looking to data on when the transfer station is most used can also guide when hours are most efficient.

“Better to start the conversation now, before we reach … the inevitable wall that we might be hitting,” McCue said. He indicated the next steps would include a working session between Selectmen and the Board of Health, along with members of the Finance Committee and town accountant to begin the planning process. A public forum is also planned, and a meeting Selectmen want to see happen first.

Town Accountant Todd Hassett said the facility is “treading water” this year, which includes an $86,000 tax subsidy and  $57,000 drawdown of retained earnings.

“We’re at a point where, in two years, the retained earnings would be completely used up and we’d be looking at closer to $150,000 in tax subsidy to support the overall program,” he said.

China’s decision last year to halt acceptance of solid waste for recycling — due to contamination of materials not cleaned properly before being disposed of — has caused transfer station costs to skyrocket across the United States. Health officials are also concerned about the prospect of Rhode Island waste companies that now take trash from Massachusetts may also halt that one day.

“If we taught people to do a better job [recycling], we’d be better off,” Dias said.

“We’re talking about busy families,” Selectman Jim Hickey said. “That family is not going to rinse out the bottle of ketchup … it’s going to go in the recycling and they’re going to mix it with the plastic syrup container that they used.”

Dias said one of the Finance Committee’s members has advocated just closing the transfer station completely to save money.

Board of Health member Gil Amado said the system does work at the transfer station, and while recycling has changed throughout the world, the problems are cyclical.

“It comes back,” Amado said. “It goes in cycles and I think Hanson is very fortunate.”

While the Health Board members did not have figures at hand on how many residents use the facility, they do have that data and admit that transfer station use had been declining.

Still, there are people who have tried private haulers and prefer the transfer station. Dias said in her case, the one bag of trash she throws away separate from recycling was not enough to justify the cost of a private hauler and she went back to using the facility.

Selectmen Chairman Kenny Mitchell said the town’s pay-as-you-throw program had been sold to the town on the promise that it would eventually become self-sustaining.

“Based on the numbers that I’ve seen — and you can show me different numbers — it’s not,” he said. “It’s going the other way.”

“I hate to reduce hours, because it feels like we’d be reducing service and we’ve got a lot of busy families out there,” Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “It’s a balance of economics and service. We really have to find the right balance there.”

Selectman Wes Blauss said that recycling efforts need not take as much time as people might think.

“I am a firm believer in the transfer station from when it was a dump up to now,” Blauss said. “You do it for the planet. We’re not going to get China back. We have to keep the transfer station viable.”

Selectman Matt Dyer said the transfer station is a needed service that the town must find a way to fund.

“Recyling is very near and dear to my heart,” Dyer said. “I don’t believe that getting rid of recycling is the way to go, either, because as we all know, we only have this limited amount of resources. … We’ve already messed up our planet enough. We need to suck it up and pay the right price.”

He suggested a town forum to gather more ideas for a solution to the problem.

Amado advocated, “throwing it back on the taxpayers.”

“Financially, I don’t see that as an option,” Mitchell said, noting the town can’t wait two years to arrive at a solution. “What I would like to see is, down the road … not closing it, keep it open a couple days for mattresses and tires, but then have residents be in charge of getting rid of their own trash.”

Health Board member Theresa Cocio said the elderly and people with smaller households that produce little trash and/or can’t afford a private hauler must be considered.

“Recycling is the biggest cost,” she said. It is now almost $20 more per ton than trash.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen moving forward,” said Dias, who is also the town’s representative to the South Shore Recycling Cooperative. “Every town is having the same problem.”

Town curbside pickup is unworkable because of Hanson’s geography, Amado said.

A plastic bag ban, one of the proposed Selectmen’s goals suggested by Blauss was also discussed, but Dias said South Shore Recycling sees the process for treating paper is much more harmful than plastic bags, a contention with which Dyer took issue.

While producing paper bags is polluting, it also does not use the oil from which plastic is manufactured and the lifespan of the products are vastly different.

“Paper bags are going to degrade in a couple of weeks and a plastic bag is going to sit in a tree and kill birds and cats …,” Dyer said. “Plastic bags go from the store to your car, from your car to inside, then they go in the trash. It’s a single-use [item] creating a bunch more waste.”

Almost 90 communities in the state, and most towns on the South Shore, already ban plastic bags, according to Dyer.

“We are the stewards of the Earth,” he said, also advocating the banning of polystyrene cups and plastic straws. “We already messed up the Earth so much, its time to correct our actions and move in a positive direction.”

The door to the U.S. Senate may have just closed on Geoffrey Diehl, but the former state representative says he is now searching for his window to the next opportunity.

Statewide, Warren held a 60-36 margin of victory over Diehl based on unofficial results with Independent Shiva Ayyadurai taking about 3 percent of the votes cast. Locally, the picture was a mirror image for Warren and Diehl, as the Whitman Republican took his hometown of Whitman by a 3,888 to 2,641 margin of 6,776 votes cast. Hanson voters went for Diehl by a larger margin — 3,104 to 1,909 for Warren. Ayyadurai garnered 175 votes in Whitman and 124 in Hanson.

Hanson also narrowly voted to support two town ballot questions — 2,641 Yes to 2,354 No on Question 1 and 2,630 Yes to 2,357 No on Question 2 — that prohibit retail cannabis businesses in town.

Diehl’s strongest bases of support were on the South Shore, central Worcester County and towns southwest of Springfield.

“We left no stone unturned,” Diehl said to supporters Tuesday night at the Whitman VFW. “And I know I gave it my all, but I also know that you gave it your all.” He quoted a 19th-Century philosopher’s dictum that, “If you learn from a loss, you really haven’t lost.”

Diehl said he was very glad to have the chance to debate incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and talk about the issues.

“I’m hoping that she will focus on those issues that are important, whether it’s law enforcement, the fishing industry or the other issues we brought up,” Diehl said. “So, while the outcome is not what we wanted, we’ve laid the foundation for taking Massachusetts back for the working people.”

Warren, making her victory speech after 11 p.m. in Boston vowed to do just that, as well as to continue fighting to empower women.

“Together, women and men, young and old, black and white, gay and straight in cities big and small have built something extraordinary,” she said, telling the crowd they have more power than they ever imagined and “you gotta stay in the fight. … It’s going to be hard, nevertheless we will persist and we will deliver the change our country deserves.”

Warren lauded Diehl for “stepping up” and taking on the hard and expensive task of running for office, thanking him for his efforts along with all others who campaigned for office or supported one.

“You make democracy work,” she said. “Whether you voted for me or not, I am grateful for the opportunity to fight for you.”

Diehl addressed his supporters in a short, gracious concession speech shortly before 9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6. His race had been called as a victory for Warren shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. — first by the Associated Press and then by other news outlets including CBS. It had been a long day of traveling around the state for last-minute meet-and-greets with voters.

Around the ballot

Whitman supported Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito 5,031 to 1,457 for the Democratic ticket of Jay Gonzalez and Quentin Palfrey. Hanson backed Baker/Polito 3,949 to 1,003 for Gonzalez/Palfrey.

Attorney General Maura Healy won both towns, with a 3,897 to 2,699 margin over Republican James McMahon III in Whitman and by a close 2,756 to 2,287 in Hanson.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin received 4,233 votes in Whitman and 3,071 in Hanson to Republican Anthony Amore’s 2,065 in Whitman and 1,820 in Hanson. Green Rainbow candidate Juan Sanchez Jr. got 178 votes in Whitman and 104 in Hanson.

Treasurer Deborah Goldberg garnered 3,639 in Whitman and 2,620 in Hanson to Republican Keiko Orral’s 2,566 in Whitman and 2,186 in Hanson with Green Rainbow candidate Jamie Guerin getting 102 Hanson votes and 183 in Whitman.

Auditor Suzanne Bump held off three rivals, and gained 3,485 votes in Whitman and 2,430 in Hanson with Republican Helen Brady a close second with 2,592 in Whitman and 2,272 in Hanson. Libertarian Daniel Fishman received 212 Whitman votes and 167 in Hanson while Green Rainbow candidate Edward Stamas took 104 votes in Whitman and 60 in Hanson.

Whitman’s Congressman Stephen Lynch, running unopposed, received 5,206 votes in Whitman. Hanson gave U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., fewer votes — 2,470 — than his Republican challenger Peter Tedeschi received — 2,536 — but Keating took the win by a 20-percent margin in the district.

Governor’s Councilor Christopher Iannella won a handy re-election with 4,871 votes in Whitman and 3,547 in Hanson against a handful of write-in votes.

State House races were won locally by Abington’s Alyson Sullivan in the 7th Plymouth District [see related story], taking Whitman with 3,757 votes to Democrat Alex Bezanson’s 2,753.

Hanson state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, was unchallenged in the 6th Plymouth District, taking 3,823 of the votes cast.

State Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, was also re-elected, taking Whitman with 3,698 votes to Republican Scott Hall’s 2,719 and Hanson by 2,656 to Hall’s 2,230.

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz won re-election with the help of 4,111 votes to Democrat John Bradley Jr.’s 2,425 in Whitman and with 3,331 to Bradley’s 1,656 in Hanson.

Robert Creedon, running unopposed for Plymouth County Clerk of Courts got 4,965 in Whitman and 3,619 in Hanson. Also running unopposed, Registrar of Deeds John Buckley Jr., tallied 3,612 in Hanson and 4,984 in Whitman. Unchallenged County Commissioner Sandra Wright won 3,782 Hanson votes and 4,911 in Whitman.

Only state Ballot Question 1 on nursing staffing went down to defeat — by a 2-to-1 margin statewide and with 3,720 No votes to 1,397 Yes in Hanson and 4,833 No votes to 1,759 Yes in Whitman.

State Question 2, seeking a U.S. Constitution amendment to limit the influence of corporate money in elections won by a 71-percent to 29-percent margin — with 4,270 Yes votes to 2,301 No in Whitman and 3,173 Yes to 1,811 No in Hanson. State Question 3, to continue protections of transgender rights won with a state margin of about 68 percent to 32 percent, and with 3,734 voting Yes to 2,906 voting No in Whitman and 2,803 voting Yes to 2,285 voting No in Hanson.

Early call

The Senate race result, and the fast call was met with anger and disbelief by Diehl supporters, including Whitman School Committee member Fred Small.

“How can they call it so fast?” he demanded.

Former sports broadcaster John Dennis, who has become a fixture at Diehl campaign events, also expressed disappointment in the results as he introduced Diehl.

“The results aren’t what we wanted them to be,” he said, noting some people calling him during the evening had asked if he was upset or angry. “I think the word is disappointed, but I want to make it clear that I’m not disappointed in Massachusetts voters — I’m disappointed for Massachusetts voters.”

He said, in his opinion, the state has missed a golden opportunity to be represented in the Senate by “a man of integrity and compassion and commitment.”

But looking on the bright side, Dennis said he made a valuable lifelong friend in the process, introducing Diehl.

Earlier in the day, Small and fellow School Committee member Dan Cullity had predicted a Diehl win that would shock the nation.

“Everywhere I go, everyone I speak to, everybody is voting for Geoff Diehl,” Small said Tuesday afternoon while sign-holding for his candidate. “They just can’t stomach her. … they’ve heard Geoff, they believe in him being able to work for them.”

referendum

Cullity said he saw another Scott Brown surprise, saying polls are rigged and can’t be believed, and said he viewed the Senate election as more of a referendum on Warren than Trump.

“In this area, nobody likes Trump except for crazy people like me,” he said with a laugh.

“I absolutely, positively hate a lot of what [Trump] says at times, but I love what he’s doing in office,” Small said. “This senate race here is going to be the shot heard around the country when it’s all said and done.”

Diehl’s father in-law, Joe Boss, and his friend Paul Brown had also expressed confidence in the day’s outcome.

“I’m feeling very good,” Boss said. “I think he’s worked really, really hard and the conversations I’ve had with anybody — anybody — is that, even if they are Democrats, they’re going to vote for Geoff.”

Cullity and Small had the same experiences with their talks across the state with Democrats they knew and with whom they worked.

Supporters of Democratic candidates were equally certain of their chances, although Whitman Selectman Randy LaMattina conceded that state Rep. Candidate Alex Bezanson faced a tough opponent in the eventual winner Alyson Sullivan.

“It’s guaranteed,” LaMattina said of Warren’s re-election Tuesday morning. “This state has woken up and realized the Blue Wave is here.”

He said early voting and people’s realization of the importance of the election would negate any effect a rainy forecast would have on turnout.

Key issues

Whitman resident Randy Hill echoed voter trends across the country, citing health care and Trump’s policies and divisive speech.

“I want to keep health care the way it is and to stop the Trump agenda going forward and I think we have very qualified candidates who can do so,” Hill said. “I love our chances today. The country has given the president two years to see what he can do and people are not liking the divisiveness that is projected from the president.”

Cameron Thomas, 11, who held a Bezanson sign at the polls, meanwhile said he just plain liked his candidate.

While Question 1 on patient limits was trounced 70 to 30 percent at the polls, Hanson nurse Kathy Sussky spent time in the morning holding a “Yes on 1” sign and talking to voters.

“More nurses are going to equal better, safer care for patients,” she said.  “I think it’s shameful that the ‘No’ campaign has been spreading lies about what is going to happen to ER wait times and people not being seen in the emergency room.”

The similarity in lawn sign design was an indication of that, she said, indicating she saw a tight 50-50 race on the question.

“Nurses will never turn away patients,” she said.