By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board this week approved early voting hours for the upcoming state primary, heard an update on the parade and fireworks sponsored by the 250th Anniversary Committee, approved an Agent Orange Day Ceremony at the veterans memorial, and considered a request to consider a demonstration of a personal rapid transport system.

The early-voting hours for the September 1 state primary election will take place at town hall to coincide with the public hours of the town clerk’s office:

• Saturday, August 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Monday, August 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, August 25, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, August 26, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Thursday, August 27, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We’ve already mailed out about 1,300 vote-by-mail ballots,” Town Clerk Lori West noted.

The board also approved signing the September 1 state primary warrant and the appointment of Elizabeth Murphy, Catherine Caloia, and Alice Bisbee as election workers.

At Hull US 250th Anniversary Committee Chair John Reilly’s request, N Street will be closed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the August 15 USA 250th parade. N Street is part of the parade route. There will also be food trucks along that stretch. The parade starts at 11 a.m., traveling from Revere Street to N Street, with field day activities at L Street.

Fireworks on the Hull Redevelopment Authority property are planned for Friday, August 14, with a rain date the following day. The event will feature the Assisted Living band, a Vitamin Sea Brewing beer garden, food and ice cream trucks, and games. The fireworks will begin at about 9 p.m.

“These events are something we can all be proud of,” Reilly said.

The board approved an Agent Orange Day ceremony at the Hull Veterans Memorial Agent Orange stone at Monument Square on Monday, August 10, at 7 p.m. at the request of War Memorial Commission members Edward Burke and Andrew Wohar. August 10 is Agent Orange Awareness Day nationally.

During select board member reports, Jerry Taverna asked Town Manager Jennifer Constable for an update in response to a question he emailed her earlier related to a comment she made at the July 22 joint select board/light board meeting.

At that time, Taverna made a motion to direct Constable – who also serves as light plant manager – to “separate the two facilities [light plant and Department of Public Works] from the Coastal Zone Management grant process based on the many, many light board meetings and the votes of the light board.” The board issued a resolution earlier opposing the proposed joint facility and related grant activity.

The motion passed 3-2, with board members Irwin Nesoff and Greg Grey voting no and Grey questioning whether such a vote had any validity.

“I heard your vote,” Constable said during the July 22 meeting, noting, “I have authority over grant applications and will consult with town counsel and get back to you.”

Taverna said he is seeking clarification about the status of that agenda item and related comment. He noted at this week’s board meeting that he spoke with town counsel earlier in the day, “provided him with some details, and suggested he watch the video of the meeting,’ he said. “[Town counsel] said he will watch it and get back to us.”

Grey then pointed out that this discussion was taking place during select board updates – rather than a regular agenda item for discussion – and that the conversation was “drifting.”

Taverna then asked that the word “drifting” be removed “from meetings moving forward.”

In other business

• Resident Judeth Van Hamm asked the board to consider the town’s participation in a pilot project, at no expense to Hull, of the JPod personal rapid transit system, extending along the George Washington Boulevard right-of-way from Jake’s to the Paragon Carousel.

JPods are overhead rail networks featuring ultralight vehicles that carry people in pods suspended from elevated rails, using a tenth of the energy of cars, passenger trains, and buses, according to the JPod website.

For more details, visit https://library.jpods.com/what.

While the select board was overall skeptical of such a project, they told JPod founder and CEO Bill James – whom Van Hamm called by cell phone during the discussion to answer questions from the board – that if he could submit a proposal in writing and a video (if available), the board will place the project on an upcoming agenda for further discussion.

“I love your passion, but I can’t see something like this moving forward or ever even happening in Hull, so I can’t support it,” Grey told Van Hamm.

“This is exactly what I was hoping to get out of this [overall discussion],” Van Hamm said.

• Constable reported that either the week of September 21 or 28, there will be a public forum with the Department of Conservation and Recreation that will provide information about the DCR’s climate adaptation and master plans, which she said “are in process.” The meeting will be held in a large space, with an expected high attendance and plans to have it recorded, if possible.

The next board meetings are August 19 and 26.

Following the regular meeting, the board went into executive session regarding the railroad bed.

A reply of this week’s select board meeting will be available on demand on Hull Community Television’s website, www.hulltv.net.

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