We will be updating this page whenever possible during whenever possible during the course of the meeting.
Moment of Silence
The board held a moment of silence for John “Jack” Brown who recently passed after a long illness. Brown served on the Sewer Commission and Council on Aging, and was a volunteer at the Senior Center.
Storm Update
Board members thanked John Stone and the DPW crew for all their efforts cleaning up after the recent Nor’Easter. Board Chairman Kevin DiMarzio said DPW employees worked 150 hours of overtime removing all the downed trees and clearing roads. Selecytman Alex Bezanson said one example of the department’s responsiveness was helping clear a large tree off Green Street at 8 p.m. at night.
In 5-4 vote, King appointed to Health Board
Hancock Street resident Andrew King was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Health. The vote was 5-4 with all five Board of Selectmen members voting in favor, and all four Board of Health members opposing him. King will fill the seat vacated by Chris Schultz; he will also have to run for election this coming spring to fill the remaining two-year term. Other candidates were William Cormier and Matthew Pinaud. Selectman Alex Bezanson nominated Cormier but it wasn’t seconded. Board of Health member Christina Fifer nominated Pinaud and it was seconded by Kevin Whalen. King was the only candidate who attended the joint meeting. KIng introduced himself as a person recovering from a substance abuse addiction who could be a voice for that community on the board.
In 5-4 vote, King appointed to Health Board
Hancock Street resident Andrew King was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Health. The vote was 5-4 with all five Board of Selectmen members voting in favor, and all four Board of Health members opposing him. King will fill the seat vacated by Chris Schultz; he will also have to run for election this coming spring to fill the remaining two-year term. Other candidates were William Cormier and Matthew Pinaud. Selectman Alex Bezanson nominated Cormier but it wasn’t seconded. Board of Health member Christina Fifer nominated Pinaud and it was seconded by Kevin Whalen.
King was the only candidate who attended the joint meeting. KIng introduced himself as a person recovering from a substance abuse addiction who could be a voice for that community on the board. In responding to questions from Fifer, King acknowledged he had told the Board of Health at a previous meeting that he doesn’t wear a mask on the MBTA due to a medical exemption exemption and that he would have no problem inforcing state public health regulations.
Town gauging interest in Groveland Street landfil capping
Selectmen unanimously endorsed a plan by Town Manager Scott Lambiase to find out what kind of deal Abington could get in capping its old landfill. Landfil? What landfill, you ask? Decades ago, Abington had its own small landfill. Its located on about 11 acres behind the current compost site off Groveland Street. If your looking at an online map, its roughly the wooded area between Cape Cod Lumber and the Stream River. It closed in the 70s and was covered over, but never officially “capped.”
The state Department of Environmental Protection has reminded Abington over the years it needs to finish the job. Currently its allowing the town to monitor the site and ensure nothing is leaching out. But at some point, the town will have to cap the landfill and it could cost upwards of $4 million. Lambiase will be putting out a Request For Proposal that asks companies to submit ideas on how they could perform the work in a cost effective manner. For example, some contractors need spots to dump fill from other large construction sites, and in the past have used it in landfill capping projects.
“There’s an opportunity out there for us to have a company come out and at no cost to the town provide a free cap to the existing landfil,” Lambiase told selectmen.
Any fill used will be tested to ensure its not contaminated and meets all environmental requirements, he added.
Other notes:
- Selectmen voted to name Lambiase as the town’s CARES Act grant funding representative to the Plymouth County Board of Commissioners. Also Treasurer/ Collector Sonia Hodge and new Town Accountant Andrew Nocon are the town’s point persons for county ARPA grants. Finally, Nocon is now authorized to receive CARES Act money. These moves were needed following the departure of Assistant Town Manager Sue Moquin.
- The Board of Selectmen is updating its policy book and one addition may be a Requirement that all members of selectmen appointed boards would have to undertake some sort of annual training. This is in response to the realization that some boards and some board members can go years without receiving any supplemental training related to their position. Bezanson said failure to do so could result in grounds for removal. The board has voted on this proposal. The town has invited all board members to attend a Nov. 16 training session on the Open Meeting Law. About 30 town volunteers have signed up so far, Lambiase said.
- All 1,500 Abington Street lights have been swapped out for new energy efficient LEDs, Lambiase said in thanking DPW Director John Stone for overseeing the project. Not only did National Grid perform the work for free, it gave the Abington a $51,000 rebate check.
- Lambiase also told selectman he is looking to have a representative from national grid attend a future meeting in order to explain the damage from last month’s Nor’Easter and why it took nearly four days to restore power to parts of the Green Street neighborhood.