Board adopts FY23 tax rate; average bill for single-family set to jump 3.6% to $6,983.15

By Carol Britton Meyer

While the proposed tax rate for FY23 is 3% lower than the FY22 rate, the value of single-family homes in Hull has increased, meaning that homeowners will pay an average of $241.65 more, or 3.6%, in real estate taxes this year.

Because the value of commercial properties increased by far less of a percentage than single-family homes, the average tax bill will decrease by $2, or .02%, based on the tax rate approved by the select board at the annual public hearing this week.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL PRESENTATION FROM THE TAX RATE HEARING.

The proposed FY23 tax rate is $12.17, down from $12.54 per $1,000 of assessed value for the previous fiscal year, subject to Massachusetts Department of Revenue certification.

“That’s the good news,” Town Accountant Michael Buckley said Wednesday. At the same time, “residential property values have gone up by 7% and commercial property values by 3%.”

The average annual tax bill for a single-family dwelling for the last fiscal year was $6,741.50, based on an average home value of $537,600. In the current year, the average value has increased to $573,800, and the average tax bill will be $6,983.15.

The average commercial property valuation is $666,300, up from $646,800 in FY22. The average commercial property tax bill will decrease from $8,110.87 to $8,108.87.

In accordance with tradition, the select board voted to maintain a single tax rate for residential and commercial properties during this year’s tax classification hearing upon the recommendation of Buckley and the board of assessors.

Because 95% of the properties in town are residential, with a very small commercial base, maintaining the single tax rate means that most of the tax burden falls on residential property owners.

While a split tax rate would shift some of the tax burden from residential to commercial properties, they comprise only 3% of the town’s total valuation. This means that any shift of the tax burden in that direction would “just crush” commercial businesses, according to Buckley.

Hull ranks 16th among the 27 communities in Plymouth County when comparing the average single-family tax bill, according to the assessors’ presentation to the select board.

A small portion of the property tax – 2% -- applies to personal property. This tax is levied by the jurisdiction in which the property is located and includes tangible property that is not real property, such as furniture in second homes or business equipment.

If the tax rate were split, homeowners would save relatively little, while the average commercial property owner would see his or her tax burden greatly increase, depending on the percentage of the split, Buckley explained.

For example, at 10%, the average homeowner would save $28.69, with an increased tax burden of $812.89 for the average business. At 50%, the average homeowner would save $149.19, while the average business would face an increased tax burden of $4,057.77.

The select board also voted not to adopt residential or small-business exemptions, which would shift some of the tax burden toward higher-valued properties.

There are 5,187 residential parcels in Hull with a total value of $2.8 billion, zero open space parcels, 126 commercial parcels with a total value of $72.7 million, zero industrial, and 797 in the personal category, which is worth $45.6 million.

Buckley provided a chart listing the range of values for Hull’s single-family homes. Out of those, as a few examples, none are valued at below $100,000 and only 120 are valued between $200,000 and $300,000. There are 1,001 homes in the $400,000 to $500,000 category. Fourteen are valued at more than $2 million.

“There are a lot fewer starter homes in town than there used to be,” Buckley said. “Hull is a desirable place to live.”

Town Manager Philip Lemnios and select board Chair Jennifer Constable expressed appreciation for Buckley’s and the board of assessors’ hard work leading up to this presentation.

“It’s a complicated process,” Constable said.

The hearing was continued until the proposed FY23 tax rate is certified by the state.

Council on Aging’s goals include reducing seniors’ fiscal burden, potential new building

By Carol Britton Meyer

Exploring options for lessening the tax burden on Hull’s older population is among the many recommendations in the recently completed needs assessment report to help longtime residents remain in their homes if they wish to do so.

That said, Hull Council on Aging member Robert Goldstein told the select board recently, “We have programs!” He added that many seniors “love this town and are concerned about the high costs associated with being able to stay in their homes, including water and other utility bills, and taxes.”

This is where the town’s tax-relief programs can benefit qualifying older residents.

These include:

- A personal exemption of $1,000 for seniors ages 65 and older who meet income/asset, home ownership, and other criteria;

- An “elderly tax-credit program” established in 2013 offering 13 slots that provide a maximum tax credit of up to $1,700 per person, based on certain qualifications determined by the assessor’s office. (Currently, the spots are not filled). This program requires participants to complete up to 125 hours of service to earn a tax-credit voucher, the value of which is based on the minimum wage ($14.25 in 2022), less Medicaid taxes.

While Goldstein said potential program alterations could provide more of a benefit to seniors and older residents who are caregivers to people in their homes, including decreasing the number of hours required to participate in the tax-credit program and increasing the maximum income for personal exemptions, it would take time to make these potential changes.

Also, it would need to be determined how much discretion the town has in changing the programs in the first place.

Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable said it’s “good to know the resources that are out there for seniors,” noting that “getting the word out to them” could be improved. Questions include, “Where did these numbers come from, how did the town adopt these programs, and what might we be able to do to [make them better]?” she said.

Despite the fact that “these programs aren’t perfect,” efforts to promote them will continue, Goldstein said.

Goldstein also discussed long- and short-term goals for the Anne M. Scully Senior Center at 197A Samoset Ave., including expanding capacity by adding a permanent satellite location dedicated to programming needs or “building a new space capable of meeting the increased demand of an aging population.”

Goldstein said that next steps could include creating a subcommittee of the COA to conduct a feasibility study of both options.

Although he said the value of the senior center to older residents “isn’t just about a new building, but rather about the [sense of] community offered there,” Goldstein does believe that “a new building is needed.”

As Hampton Circle playground rehab project advances, town studies climate-change risks

By Carol Britton Meyer

THE FORMAL NAME OF THE HAMPTON CIRCLE PLAYGROUND IS LT. JOSEPH D. MCLAUGHLIN PARK. IT WAS NAMED AFTER A US NAVY LIEUTENANT WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN WORLD WAR II. [C.J. HARADEN PHOTO]

The Hull Community Development and Planning Department is working with Hampton Circle residents to reconstruct the neighborhood playground, subject to an environmental review conducted by the state and other considerations.

"The current proposal calls for a new play structure with an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant pour-in-place surface and walkway, parking, a new swing set, benches, plantings, and a rain garden-type feature to manage stormwater better and to attempt to improve ocean flooding drainage," Director of Community Development & Planning Director Chris DiIorio told The Hull Times.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ENVIRONMENTAL NOTIFICATION FORM FOR THIS PROJECT.

As part of the process, the planning department submitted an Environmental Notification Form to the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs on Oct. 31 to initiate review of this project.

“The land where the playground existed is in an Area of Critical Environmental Concern,” DiIorio explained. It is also an area that floods during abnormally high tides.

In addition, because the town plans to use some federal funding for this project, a Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act review was triggered, resulting in the ENF.

The community preservation committee, with town meeting's approval, has allocated some funding toward Hampton Circle playground improvements in the past.

The playground was dedicated to US Navy Lt. Joseph D. McLaughlin, who died in World War II, in the 1950s. McLaughlin’s family lived on nearby Lincoln Avenue for decades. The playground is the beginning and ending point of the neighborhood’s annual Fourth of July parade.

A site visit and remote consultation session with town officials may be scheduled relating to the ENF.

At the same time, the town is conducting a climate change risk assessment of the Hampton Circle area that includes the playground, according to Director of Climate Adaptation and Conservation Chris Krahforst. A public outreach meeting is planned for early December, with more details at a later date.

Residents who wish to comment on, or express concerns about environmental issues, the proposed project or to be notified of a site visit or remote consultation may email MEPA@mass.gov or write to Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs, 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900, Boston, MA  02114, Attn: MEPA Office, referencing the project.

MEPA will make the determination as to whether an environmental impact report is required for the project.

‘Grease’ is the word for Hull High’s fall musical on Nov. 18-20

By Victoria Dolan

Mark your calendars for Nov. 18, 19, and 20, when Hull High School Theatre Arts will perform “Grease” in the school’s Joseph C. Doniger auditorium. 

SCAN THE QR CODE TO BUY TICKETS!

The iconic show about being young in the 1950s will be the program’s first musical with co-directors Emily and Erin O’Donnell. Emily noted that part of the reason they chose to perform “Grease” was because of its history at Hull High.

“It has been done in theatre past, in Hull, and we wanted to play into that nostalgia,” she said.

“Everyone knows it,” said Erin. “They’ve all watched the movie, it’ll excite everyone.”

This excitement is what HHSTA President Lucia Foresta hopes audiences will take away from the show. Foresta, who is a senior at HHS and will play Marty in the show, says “Grease” “allows the audience to experience something that hopefully brings them joy.”

“I think it’s going to go really well,” she added. “A lot of people are excited about it.”

Foresta says the show also provides a great experience for the students involved.

“It allows them to open themselves up to people and express themselves,” she said.

The show was choreographed by Melaney Jenkins and musically directed by Hannah Hutchinson.

“It’s been fantastic,” said Hutchinson, who “can’t wait for the public to see how great the show is.” 

“This is what Hull High School is about,” said Emily O’Donnell. “We have so many people working on this together.”

Technical Director Paul Jenkins is just “excited we’re back.” A long-time participant in Hull High theater, he’s “been doing this for so many years” so post-COVID, “it’s just great to be back.”

For more information about HHSTA or to buy tickets, visit emrose499.wixsite.com/hhsta, @hulltheatrearts on Instagram, or @HullPSTA on Facebook, or scan the QR code in the accompanying graphic.

Victoria Dolan is a junior at Hull High School. This column reflects her student viewpoint. For questions or comments, please contact dolan.victorialani@gmail.com.

Veterans Day ceremony to include street dedication, student performances

By Carol Britton Meyer

Hull’s traditional Veterans Day remembrance will be held on Friday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. at the war memorial at Monument Square, across from Cumberland Farms.

GENERAL RICHARD ‘BUTCH’ NEAL

This year's ceremony will take place on the north (Vietnam Wall) side of the memorial facing the unnamed street that will be dedicated to the late Richard I. “Butch” Neal, a Hull native and retired four-star Marine Corps general.

This section of the road will be named “General Neal Way” at the request of the War Memorial Commission and Chair Paul Dunphy, who is organizing this portion of the ceremony, during which the street signs will be unveiled. Former Select Board member John Reilly will be the keynote speaker for the dedication.

Moving the ceremony to the north side of the memorial “will help facilitate the dedication ceremony being held immediately after the Veterans Day ceremony,” according to Director of Veterans Services Paul Sordillo, who shared the plans with the select board this week.

Father William Sexton of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish-St. Ann’s Church will give the invocation as well as the benediction, and select board Chair Jennifer Constable will also make remarks near the beginning of the ceremony. Rev. Dr. Peter Preble of St. Nicholas United Methodist Church is the guest speaker.

Police and fire department and Coast Guard honor guards will participate, with taps played by Robert Corcoran. The Hull Police Department will do a gun salute.

The governor’s proclamation will be read by Hull student Emily Irby, who will also read the poem, “In Flanders Field.”

The talented Hull High School band will play the National Anthem and “America the Beautiful” under the direction of Ian Barkon, and the VFW will honor Voice of Democracy/Voice of America essay winners from the middle and high schools if the essays are ready in time.

Sordillo will conclude the ceremony.

State Rep. Joan Meschino, Sen. Patrick O’Connor, and US Rep. Stephen Lynch also have been invited to attend.

Hull's election results mirror state, with Healey/Driscoll, O'Connor, Meschino victorious

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR HULL’S RESULTS

According to unofficial election results released tonight by Hull Town Clerk Lori West, the race for governor and lieutenant governor was won locally by Attorney General Maura Healey and her running mate, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who received 3,319 votes in town, compared with 1,864 for former state Rep. Geoff Diehl and his running mate, Leah Allen.

State Sen. Patrick O’Connor and state Rep. Joan Meschino also were favored by Hull voters.

Click here for the full results, including all six ballot questions.

Wind turbines offline as light plant assesses damage; Pemberton unit is beyond repair

By Carol Britton Meyer

Both of the town’s wind turbines are out of commission and the unit at Pemberton Point needs to be removed or replaced due to damage from the elements, the light board’s chair confirmed this week.

The wind turbine at Hull High School has been not been operational since April 2021 due to its deteriorating condition, and the one at the landfill more recently due to recurring electrical issues.

When both turbines are working to capacity, the electricity generated is equivalent to 11 percent of the Hull Municipal Lighting Plant’s power portfolio.

Hull Wind 1 at the high school, which when fully operational supplies enough electricity annually to power the town’s street lights and traffic control signals as well as 220 homes, either needs to be refurbished at a cost of about $1.5 million to replace the nacelle, or upper portion, and blades or be taken down, Hull Municipal Light Board Chair Patrick Cannon told The Hull Times.

“It can’t be repaired because the technology is outdated,” he said.

Independent inspections revealed heavy pitting and deterioration of all bearing surfaces from the blades all the way to the generator, in addition to heavy surface damage to the blades due to salt spray from the ocean, according to the HMLP statement.

Hull Wind 1 was commissioned in December 2001, and turbines of that vintage have a lifespan of about 20 years.

If the turbine is refurbished, it would remain at its current height, due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, Cannon said.

“We have received estimates for such a task and are performing a cost/benefit analysis to determine if this is a viable project to undertake,” HMLP Operations Manager Panos Tokadjian said in the recent HMLP statement. “Once we have completed the analysis, we will submit our conclusion to the light board for discussion.”

Hull Wind 2, which generates enough energy to power 800 homes on an annual basis when working at capacity, “has been given a clean bill of health,” Cannon said, but is offline due to recurring issues in the nacelle that the technical maintenance crews of the manufacturer have been unable to pinpoint or repair.

In the meantime, Vestas – the company that installed the turbine in 2006 – notified light plant officials when their agreement with the town expired last July that the company is no longer interested in doing maintenance work on the turbine.

“We have been reaching out, and we know of at least two companies that we’ll recommend to [potentially] make the repairs,” Cannon said. The cost of tracking down the problem, repairing it, and bringing the turbine back to operating condition has not yet been determined.

This issue of the turbines did come up at the Oct. 20 light board meeting under the “light board discussion on goals and objectives” agenda item, according to Cannon, but because this topic wasn’t listed on the agenda, the conversation was limited.

“We talked about current overall concerns that we need to pay attention to moving forward, and naturally the turbines were brought up,” he said. “When we plan to discuss them again, we will be sure to put it on the agenda.”

Lifelong Hullonian hopeful to meet his match as he searches for a kidney donor

By Carol Britton Meyer

Hull resident Bob White is in need of a new kidney and is reaching out to the community that he has called home for his entire life to help him find a suitable donor.

SEARCHING FOR A MATCH. Bob White, shown with canine friend Mrs. Beasley, is hopeful to find a matching kidney donor. [Skip Tull photo]

To help get the word out, a few months ago his friend Justin Goodwin made a sign for White’s truck with his name, photograph, cell phone number, and the message, “I need a kidney ASAP” and posted it on Facebook.

“That night my phone rang at 7 p.m., and it was a woman from Hull who said she had two perfectly good kidneys and would like to donate one of them to me,” White told the Hull Times. After meeting with her, the long process to determine whether her kidney was compatible began at Massachusetts General Hospital, with the outcome not yet known.

In the meantime, White, who admits he’s not very tech-savvy, received a message on his cell phone from a potential donor but deleted it by mistake.

“I’m not sure what town he was from,” he said. “I’m hopeful that someone will come forward who is compatible. I received my first new kidney from my sister 12 years ago, but now I need and would appreciate a new one. I pray every day.”

White is on dialysis Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 5-1/2 hours each time, which he finds more challenging than he did the first time.

“I was on nighttime dialysis for 1-1/2 years before I got the transplant and then plowed snow for 24 hours and I felt fine,” he said.

Another Hull resident also expressed an interest in possibly donating a kidney, but there has been no recent word.

White, who retired from the Hull Department of Public Works four years ago, greatly enjoyed his job.

“I applied for a position with the DPW in 1977. One night before I was hired, I received a call at 11 p.m. asking me to plow snow – and I did – which led to my getting a job there,” he said.

Growing up in Hull, White had an eye-catching view of Boston Light, and later moved to his current home on Nantasket Avenue.

In the 1970s, he started lobstering in his 40-foot boat, which continued for about 20 years.

White said he “really loves life” and appreciates the care that his two sisters, Ellen Kimball and Laura Woodbury, and his partner, Leslie “Sassy” (the name her niece Lisa called her when she was unable to pronounce her real name) Sullivan, are providing for him while they remain optimistic that a kidney donor who is compatible will step forward. All three are Hull residents.

“I know a lot of people in this close-knit community, and they are very considerate and always willing to help one another,” White said.

Sullivan, White’s partner for 15 years, was with him during his first transplant.

“The first one went well, and while things are uncertain at this time, we remain hopeful. That’s all we can do. It’s a long process that won’t happen overnight,” she said. “Bob is a very hard worker. He did his job for the town, then lobstering, and he would help anyone. I feel badly now because he is low on energy, but we’re holding on to hope – that’s all we can do now – and pray.”

In the meantime, White continues to be a big NASCAR fan and enjoys spending time with Sullivan’s dog, Mrs. Beasley.

Another Hull friend, Sandie Grauds, called White ”a very generous, genuine person with such a big heart. He’s the kind of guy who would donate a kidney. I don’t want him to lose hope. I know the people of Hull and the heart they have.”

Hull to seek designation as an ‘Age-Friendly Community’ to better serve senior population

By Carol Britton Meyer

The Hull Council on Aging recently recommended that the town explore the possibility of applying for designation as an “age-friendly” community under the American Association of Retired Persons program that supports the efforts of cities and towns to be “great places for people of all ages.”

This was one of the key recommendations from the recent needs assessment aimed at enhancing the lives of Hull’s growing senior population now and in the years to come “that the select board can immediately act upon,” COA member Robert Goldstein said at a recent board meeting. “This would be an opportunity for Hull to be one of the first South Shore communities [to join the program].”

This AARP network is based on the premise that communities should provide safe, walkable streets, age-friendly housing and transportation options, access to needed services, and opportunities for residents of all ages to participate in community life. There are no membership costs.

While 43% of Hull’s population will be age 60 or older by 2035, according to the needs assessment, “this is not only about seniors. It is a way for Hull to publicly show that it is committed to making the town a livable community for people of all ages,” Goldstein said.

What the program calls “the eight domains of livability” include outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, communication and information, health services and community supports, respect and social inclusion, and civic participation and employment.

“We wouldn’t take on all the domains at once,” Goldstein said. “It would be an ongoing process.”

At the select board’s request, the COA will draft for the board’s Nov. 16 meeting a commitment letter, which is part of the process when applying for AARP Age-Friendly Community designation.

The steps include filling out an online application and a signed letter of commitment from the select board that it would implement a continuous improvement process as a member.

Town Manager Philip Lemnios acknowledged that transportation is an issue and that the board is already focusing on housing.

Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable noted that the town’s Affordable Housing Committee will reconvene soon and asked the board to add a position for a COA member on the AHC, which it did.

Among the benefits of joining the program is “access to and support on implementing a framework of continuous improvement through the lens of aging,” Goldstein said.

As the federal Clean Water Act marks 50 years, Hull continues to be a leader in taking action

Submitted by John Struzziery, Hull Director of Wastewater Operations 

It has been 50 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in October 1972. Anyone in this area who was around at the time remembers that Boston Harbor was one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country. Hull beaches would often get littered with debris discharged from Boston and surrounding communities.

Hull’s sewer treatment plant from above…

Much progress has been made in Boston and other major cities throughout the country. The Deer Island treatment facility is a showcase and notable example of what can happen to turn a polluted harbor into a thriving resource for boating, fishing, swimming, and aquatic life. Tremendous improvements can be seen in the waters off Hull and Boston Harbor because of these efforts.
Hull was one of the early leaders on the South Shore to take advantage of the funding that became available by the CWA and was fortunate to receive one of the early grants, funded at 90%, to construct much of our sewer system and wastewater treatment facility.

Today, we continue to upgrade and improve our investment knowing this is a long-term need that cannot be neglected. We know it is our responsibility to maintain our system and provide the cleanest water possible so that we, and generations from now, can all enjoy the most valuable resource of why we all live in Hull.
The next 50 years will continue to show marked advancements in technology that will likely change what gets upgraded and changed out as part of the next major upgrade in our system. Focus will also be on taking measures in adapting to climate change primarily related to sea level rise and by building resiliency to protect the facility.

We’re proud to be doing our part. Let us celebrate 50 years of clean water!