WHITMAN – Old Colony Regional Planning Council kept things in perspective July 15 as Whitman resident and Senior Planner for Housing and Public Engagement with the OCPC Jason Desrosier presented results of a 2024 Whitman survey at a public meeting at the Whitman Public Library Community Room on Tuesday, July 15.
“It’s been nice to work on a project that’s sort of in my own backyard,” he said, of the Council’s work on Whitman’s Open Space and Recreation Plan noting that he and his wife bought a house in Whitman in 2019 and his daughter attends WHRHS.
The session reviewed recent survey findings briefly, before discussing the 10-year action plan – essentially the OCPC recommends overall to preserve and conserve present open spaces acquiring more and mapping those areas.
The survey, held last fall to gauge residents’ attitudes toward land use proposals provided some expected results and a few surprises.
“There’s this idea that Whitman has limited open space,” he said, noting the survey bore out that notion’s hold on the community, but reality was something else. “Myself and members of the Open Space and Recreation Plan Steering Committee walked a number of the open spaces,” he said. “In some of these spaces, you forget that you’re even in Whitman,” he said. “However, is it marketed, is it communicated that these spaces are open – that they’re even there?”
Going over survey replies, Desrosier said 91 percent said they use the town’s open spaces at least once per month. They also point to common barriers to accessing those spaces – sidewalk conditions and/or lighting, inadequate signs or maps, limited awareness of existing spaces, minimal bike infrastructure and inadequate amenities such as parking, seating, water and bathrooms.
Community priorities include: recreation for teens and youth; trail connectivity and signs; beautification and maintenance; nature-based community events and safer infrastructure for biking and walking. Residents also named a skate park and a fenced-in dedicated dog park as their two top wants, followed by walking trails and nature walks; farmers’ markets and related events, community gardens, shaded seating and gathering spots, bike paths and bike racks – and clean bathrooms.
The most popular outdoor activities? Well, for 62 percent of respondents it was walking or hiking with a dog, while 57 percent said they would rather walk or hike after leaving the dog at home. There were 56 percent requesting playgrounds and 47 percent prefer field sports.
And the big question – does Whitman have enough open space for recreation? The vast majority say no – with only 31 percent of those ages 13 to 18 saying it’s adequate; 41 percent between ages 19 and 59 and 38 percent aged 60 and older. Only among replies from residents under age 13 felt there is enough – 57 percent of them.
The steering committee boiled all that input into 10 overarching goals [see graphic] – each divided into specific strategies while identifying the responsible group, department, commission, etc., and assigning timelines for those groups to achieve those strategies and finding funding sources such as grants. The entire discussion of the 10 goals and supporting strategies can be viewed on the WHCA-TV YouTube channel. Town Of Whitman Open Space & Recreation Plan – July 15, 2025 Public Meeting.
Part of the plan is to highlight and lift up the open spaces that already exist in town, but it’s also a prerequisite for the Mass. Division of Conservation Service Grants.
The Open Space and Recreation Steering Committee members are: Conservation Committee representatives Ed Winnett and LeAnne MacKenzie, DPW representative Bruce Martin, Planning Board representative Brandon Griffin and Recreation Department representative Ryan Tully.
The Open Space and Recreation Plan process has included public meetings, focus groups with high school students, meeting with seniors at the Council on Aging Senior Center and through impromptu discussions with random people enjoying Whitman Park. He also staffed a table at Whitman Day in the park.
“There’s been a lot of engagement,” Desrosier said of the plan which inventories the public lands, addresses public need and includes public comment. Open space includes Conservation land, forested and agricultural land, athletic fields, playgrounds, small parks, green buffers along roadways and/or undeveloped land of interest as conservation of recreational land.
The OCPC was established in 1967 as an agency focusing on comprehensive development in 17 member municipalities. Both Whitman and Hanson are member communities. “Old Colony Elder Services also comes under the OCPC umbrella.
“Whitman lacks the ability to create new open space, because of development and land use patterns … however, there’s opportunities to extend trails and connect trails in other parts of Whitman as well as other communities that surround Whitman,” Desrosier said.

WHITMAN – The inadvertent omission, or in one case, inclusion, of a vote by the full Select Board, of a few positions from the list of annual appointments voted during the June 24 meeting, led to one of the more whimsical corrective measures during the board’s Tuesday, July 8 meeting.
And then there was the film proposal for a story about a pre-teen vampire. But more on that later.
Select Board member Laura Howe was asked to leave the dais July 8,while the Board again voted on her, and a few other appointments.
Her reappointment, as animal control officer, field driver and pest control manager, had to be revoted.
“At our last meeting, we voted all of the appointments, and we were all sleeping at the time and we forgot that Laura was on that list three times,” Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski said of the June 24 meeting, “So, she actually voted to hire herself three times, which is not cool. It was a mistake. Inadvertent. What we’re doing now is just correcting it.”
The board re-voted 3-0-1, with Howe abstaining, to reappoint her.
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter apologized that Howe’s reappointments were not separated from the rest of the list to avoid such a mistake, and pledged that would be done next year.
Select Board member Justin Evans was absent from the meeting due to family travel.
“It was completely inadvertent, and I appreciate your use of that language,” Howe said of the procedural error.
Howe apologized for the confusion, Carter apologized again, as did Kowalski.
“We all apologize,” he said.
The Board also voted to appoint William Hogan as assistant wiring inspector for a one-year term through June 30, 2026, as he had been erroneously omitted from the fiscal 2026 list.
The Select Board voted to appoint James Ewell as conditional inspector of buildings, building commissioner, ADA coordinator, advisory member to the Bylaw Study Committee, fence viewer, outdoor advertising division and zoning enforcement officer.
“This is the beginning of a discussion around what’s happening with the building Department,” Kowalski said.
Carter said Ewell is a certified local building inspector and has been Whitman’s assistant building inspector since 2019, has held a construction supervisor’s license for about 30 years and has operated his own business, Ewell Construction, for more than 25 years.
“I’m very pleased that Jim will be taking this very important role as conditional building commissioner and zoning enforcement officer for the town, and I look forward to working with him.”
After a letter was signed in executive session, he was beginning work in the positions the next day.
Ewell’s hiring was also approved.
The inspection rates for the assistant building inspector and building commissioners were also raised by the Board.
“This rate that I’m asking to be raised is just Tom Rubles’ rate,” Carter said. He is an assistant building inspector for Whitman, but is also a certified building commissioner for Rockland, which is his full-time job.
“As a certified building commissioner, Tom has requested an increase to his inspection rate for Whitman, [and] I’m currently requesting the Select Board increase Tom’s current rate for inspections to $50 per inspection,” she said.
He has offered to assist the town with the issuance of permits and inspections during the transition time.
“He’s thinking he may be able to do 10 to 12 hours a week while everything gets caught up and addressed, because the precious building inspector had been out most of the month of June,” she said. “While his term ended June 30, I think there has been work that has accumulated that both Jim and Tom will attack and clear through it.”
The Select Board approved the rate to Rubles’ inspections.
Sharon LoPiccolo’s appointment as temporary treasurer-collector was also rescinded by a vote of the board.
LoPiccolo, who previously held the position of assistant treasurer-collector, was appointed to that position in November 2024, when the former elected treasurer-collector vacated the position, Carter said. That appointment ended on May17, 2025 – the date of the town election.
“Since the person who was elected to the position of treasurer-collector declined the candidacy, the Board reappointed Sharon as temporary treasurer-collector for one more year,” Carter said. However, the Town Hall union voted not to reserve LoPiccolo’s right to return to the position as assistant for another year. For that reason, she has decided to return to her position as treasurer-collector at this time.
“I just want to thank Sharon for stepping up as the temporary treasurer-collector for the town,” Carter said. “She has done a wonderful job in this very important role – it’s very fast-paced, and Sharon, you are true asset to the town, and we really thank you.”
Later in the meeting, the Board also voted to retain LoPiccolo on the town’s newly established Aid to the Elderly and Disabled Fund Committee, at the request of Chair John Galvin.
The Board then voted to appoint Debra Ó Broin as temporary treasurer-collector through next May’s Town Election, subject to successful negotiations. Ó Broin has worked for State Street for more than 20 years, having been promoted to several different positions while at that firm. Carter said Ó Broin has strong financial, analytical and customer service skills. The Whitman resident also plans to run for the elected position in May 2026.
The board also planned to discuss the particulars of the appointment in the executive session.
In other business, an of out-of-state travel request by Fire Chief Timothy Clancy and approved at the June 24 meeting had to be re-voted because the item had not been listed on that week’s agenda.
Clancy’s request would allow him to attend the Aug. 11 to 16 Fire Rescue International conference as well as the Executive Fire Symposium Oct. 10 and 11.
“At the last meeting, the chief did speak at public forum and the board voted it, but it was not on the agenda,” Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter said. “We’re just having it as an agenda item, revoting it.”
The Board members again voted to approve the request.
Npw, about that vampire …
Whitman will also become something of a minor film mecca, as the board granted permission to resident Tanya O’ Debra to film a “low-budget, independent film at a private residence,” July 21 to 25.
Board members were very curious about the film.
“I knew that question would come up,” Carter said.
“Half Pint,” is a short film about a an 11-year-old dork who is bullied at school and decides to disguise himself as a vampire to scare off the bullies.
“It’s gotten so bad that she can’t leave the house, so she acts out and elaborate vampire fantasy to take back control of her life,” Carter read from the film’s synopsis. “She orders fangs from an online Halloween store and calls her best friend, Henry, to assist her in a plan that backfires spectacularly.”
“Is it a true story, or just…” Vice Chair Dan Salvucci asked.
“Yeah, Dan,” Kowalski quipped before the board voted to grant it’s approval.