Petition asks voters to create panel to interview town manager finalists

/

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

A citizens’ petition on the May 1 town meeting warrant will ask voters to establish a seven-person committee of residents to interview the finalist for the town manager position. This panel would be separate from the semifinalist committee established by the select board, which includes representatives from town boards.

Opting not to advise unfavorable action because members “value the public’s position,” the advisory board recently decided to recommend no action because the select board already has the authority to appoint committees, members said at a recent meeting.

“This is a big decision for the town; people want to be involved in this major change,” said Ann Marie Papasodero, the sponsor of Article 23 on the warrant. “The residents are very vested in this decision.”

“I applaud citizens’ petitions. They are an important part of running the town, but I am not sure this is the best way to do this,” said advisory board member Jay Polito. “It is an open process; normally time is put aside, on the agenda, for public input.”

“The public is not always comfortable getting on the agenda,” said Papasodero. “I wanted to give the community a way to have their voices heard.”

According to the petition, the seven-person citizen committee would ask the finalist for town manager one question each, and the applicant would present his or her qualifications and reasons for applying for the job.

“The town manager makes a lot of decisions on our behalf…It is imperative to make the right choice the first time around, and the community wants to be involved,” Papasodero said. “We understand at the end of the day the select board makes the decision.”

Papasodero said she chose to have seven members on the finalist committee because the consultant hired by the town to conduct the full search, Community Paradigm Associates, suggested either five or seven to avoid a stalemate.

“Paradigm said they have had a lot of citizens committees get involved with these types of searches, so in the end everyone gets to say their piece,” she said. “We pay them for their expertise; I am just following their steps.”

The petition for the finalist committee was filed before the select board committed to appointing two citizens to a committee to interview semifinalists. Papasodero said she asked at a select board meeting if there could be a citizens committee, but at that time “they were unsure of any citizen participation in the selection process,” so she went forward with the town meeting petition. Eleven citizens applied for the two available slots to screen the semifinalists.

“I am impressed with the residents’ desire for involvement,” Papasodero said. “They love their town and are concerned with how it will go forward in the future.”

Among those 11 applicants was Papasodero, who said she “wanted to get involved in the process in any way possible, so why not apply to be one of the two citizens on the semifinalist committee?” However, she still believes the committee she proposes has value.

“There is a need to get even more community members involved in the process,” she said. “The finalist committee can do that.”

The semifinalist committee will be made up of two select board members (Greg Grey and Irwin Nesoff), one advisory board member (Patricia Cormier), one school committee member (David Twombly) and two community members. Community representatives will be appointed by the select board on Monday, April 24 and the first meeting of the group is set to take place on Thursday, April 27.

The finalist committee proposed by Papasodero would be made up of residents, with the primary goal of “gathering more information to give the select board a broader view by allowing seven citizens to each ask the finalists a pre-selected question.”

Current Town Manager Philip Lemnios, who will be retiring at the end of June, said “final interviews are held publicly. Some boards take public questions, and some don’t; the process without that is already tense enough for the applicants.”

Papasodero said the intention of the finalist committee would “in no way” be to add stress to the candidates, and that questions can be submitted over the Zoom platform if necessary.

“We weren’t going to come in and go gangbusters,” she said. “The select board can present the questions; just looking for an avenue for them to be heard.”

“The select board has expressed concern over the time necessary to interview and appoint members to the citizens committee,” Papasodero said. “They liked all the candidates they just interviewed… so don’t reinvent the wheel. Call some of those people back; there were more than enough.”

Advisory Board Chair David Clinton commended Papasodero because she “saw a hole and decided to fill it,” and said that there are ways the public’s voice can be heard in the process.

“Regardless of the outcome (at town meeting), nothing is going to stop you from putting those questions together to present them to the chair of the select board for dissemination,” he said.

‘A Feast of Conversations’ to bring neighbors together to talk about hope for the community

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

The Hull No Place for Hate Committee will host “A Feast of Conversations: Let’s Be Honest About Hate” with co-sponsors Wellspring Multi-Service Center and the Hull Lifesaving Museum on Sunday, April 30 (National Honesty Day), from 2 to 4 p.m. Participants will gather at the Nantasket Beach Resort, 45 Hull Shore Drive, for this free event. Weinberg’s Bakery will provide coffee and light refreshments.

“Our hope is to bring neighbors together to discuss the many ways that hate can show up in a community and to empower community members for positive and constructive actions,” NPFH Chair Valerie Carlson told The Hull Times. “Hull is a welcoming community, and the fact that the select board created the Hull No Place for Hate Committee is proof of this.

“However, there are incidents and attitudes in Hull – as in many communities – that make some

of us feel unsafe and threatened. The No Place for Hate Committee wants us all to be informed and proactive about hate in order to protect our diverse population from threats and to help us all feel and be safe.”

The Feast of Conversations will provide an opportunity for members of the community “to hear about each other’s various experiences and expectations for the community,” NPFH founding member Pam Wolfe said, noting that this event is especially suitable for teens and up.

Hull No Place for Hate invites everyone to participate in this community conversation featuring

guest speakers Becca Levitt, assistant regional director of the Anti-Defamation League; Hull Police Civil Rights Officer Detective Andrew Reilly; Wellspring President and CEO Vinny Harte; a member of Hull High School’s PRISM (Pride, Raising awareness, Involvement, Support, and Mentoring) student group; and Sasha Parodi, event planner for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

“After we hear from our speakers, we will break out into small groups to engage in conversation, with the goal of laying the groundwork for dealing with hate crimes and incidents in the future,” NPFH Clerk Celia Nolan said. “Facilitators from Hull No Place for Hate and Wellspring will guide the conversation about our own experiences and expectations for our town.”

NPFH’s goal, according to Nolan, “is to continue making Hull welcoming and to keep the conversation going in service of our Select Board-approved mission as a ‘non-partisan town committee dedicated to building bridges of understanding within our community while seeking to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion among all people.’”

NPFH’s goals are to:

• Promote a just and inclusive community;

• Provide support and education on diversity;

• Celebrate our differences.

RSVP to the April 30 event at https://bit.ly/FOCRSVP23, scan the QR code that appears with this article, or email hullnoplaceforhate@gmail.com.

Voters to consider term limits proposal at May town meeting

/

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

A citizens’ petition that would set term limits for elected town officials will go before voters at the May 1 town meeting, although the advisory board will recommend unfavorable action on the proposal.

Article 24’s wording seeks to “petition a special act” by the Legislature that states that “no person may be elected as a member of a Town of Hull Board, Select-person Board, Light Board, etc. of the Town of Hull for more than three full terms or ten and one-half years, whichever is lesser.”

Petition sponsor Christopher Sweeney said he proposed the article to prevent board members from staying in office too long, and potentially “advancing their own agendas.” He cited the term of former select board member John Reilly, who served in that role for 27 years, as what “triggered his interest.”

“Term limits will prevent people from becoming too powerful in office and better reflect the will of the citizens,” Sweeney said. “While there are many reasons to support term limits the core purpose is to regularize the appointment process…if not, it ends up being a monopoly.”

“We have the ability to end the monopoly any time by voting them out,” replied advisory board member Bob Carney, who also said “it is good to see citizens active in civic life.”

Advisory Board Chair David Clinton said that most elected positions are unpaid, and that there are no health or pension benefits associated with being elected in Hull.

“Fifteen years ago, we removed any kind of benefits that could be associated with an elected board member’s stipend…all elected boards that have any kind of payment it is pretty modest,” Clinton said.

He outlined the annual stipends currently paid to elected officials: “Select board stipend is $2,500 for members and $3,000 for the chair. Municipal light board is $450 for members and $600 for the chair. Board of assessors is $400 for members and the chair is higher, not sure of exact amount, may be closer to $1,000. That is voted every year as a boilerplate article.”

The advisory board, which recommends action on articles for town meeting, unanimously voted to recommend that voters take unfavorable action on the term-limit proposal.

Carney said that an unexpected consequence of term limits would be an inability to fill vacancies when a member has to leave office because their term expires.

“To say a successful board member has to wrap up his/her term because of arbitrary term limits, even though that person is doing all the right things, is not going to add value,” Carney said.

“This year there is extremely high turnover on the select board…this is a solution in search of problems,” said member Jay Polito. He noted that Reilly, whom Sweeney cited in his presentation to the board, had been defeated by voters, so the system can “self-correct.”

Sweeney said he has seen people serving long terms in Hull, and it seems “stagnant, comfortable, complacent, and redundant.”

“Term limits reduce the likelihood of a board member becoming tired and losing vigor to encourage focused participation,” he said. “New board members are more likely to speak up with new ideas.”

Advisory Board member Robyn Healy said she was apprehensive about limiting terms and losing experience of members who have served for years.

“I am concerned about the loss of experience…On each of the boards you need to have background experience and understanding. Lose experience and you might financially go the wrong way,” said Healy.

Sweeney said studies have shown term limits “Reduce corruption, ensure greater fiscal responsibility, and lower taxes…the longer politicians stay in office the more of our dollars they spend.”

Town Counsel James Lampke said the wording of the article should specifically indicate that the town is looking to amend the town’s charter through special legislation.

“The warrant is like an agenda and the motion needs to have significant detail if petitioning the Legislature,” Lampke said. “Typically, when we petition the Legislature, we have a motion that says, ‘Move to petition the legislature as follows’ and then we give the language that we want to have them adopt.”

Do you have an opinion on this issue? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

11 apply for two slots on committee to screen town manager applicants

/

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board this week interviewed nine of 11 total applicants for the two citizen spots on the town manager semifinalist committee that will work with the consultant to interview candidates for Hull’s top job.

Current Town Manager Philip Lemnios is retiring at the end of June. The application deadline for the town manager position was April 12.

Lemnios said he is available to serve in an interim position “to assist with the transition, with the details to be worked out,” he said.

Two more candidates will be interviewed by the board on Monday, April 24, at which time the community members of the committee will be appointed. The first meeting of the group, which also includes representatives from town boards, will take place April 27. Select board representative to the committee Irwin Nesoff was appointed to serve as interim chair until the committee is up and running.

In the meantime, the consultant, Community Paradigm Associates, “will weed through the applications and present who they believe to be the best semifinalists to the committee for their review,” Select Board Chair Donna Pursel said.

The seven-member committee, consisting of two select board members (Greg Grey and Nesoff), one each from the advisory board (Patricia Cormier) and school committee (David Twombly), and the two community members, will meet throughout the month of May and ultimately recommend a list of finalists to the select board, which will make the final decision. The board agreed to eliminate the earlier planned department manager representative to the committee.

“The hope is that the committee will present the final candidates to the select board around the second week of June,” Pursel said. “We’re in a great spot right know. We know that Phil is retiring at the end of June, and we feel we have enough time.”

Citizens Stephen Applebaum, David P. Irwin, Susan Mann, Ann Marie Papasodero, Polly Rowe, Amy Whitcomb Slemmer, William Smyth, Francine Townsend, and Stephen White interviewed for the two community member seats Wednesday night.

Slemmer called this transition “an amazing milestone for the town,” during her interview.

Qualities that the applicants feel are vital in the new town manager include the ability to identify and complete goals (Applebaum), to “balance the books, and to say ‘no,’” when necessary (Irwin); good communications skills and the understanding of “what Hull is as a community, the issues facing the town, and the ability to pull the town together and move forward” (Mann); “a good management style and listening skills” (Papasodero); people skills and trustworthiness (Rowe); an “innate knowledge of our small tourist town” (Smyth); the ability to maintain “the good feeling [that exists now] when you walk into town hall and to create an even better spirit of cooperation if possible” (Townsend); and flexibility and humility (White).

All the candidates said they would be available through May if they were appointed, except Smyth, who will be out of town for a large part of the month. While he let the board know that information ahead of time, he said he wanted to share his thoughts about the town manager search nonetheless.

While the committee’s meetings will be posted, most of the work will be completed in executive session “until the finalist stage,” Lemnios said, although the consultant will be able to share general information about the number of candidates, for instance.

Although the names of the semifinalists will not be made public, the finalists’ names will be publicized, after which the select board will proceed with the final selection process.

Do you have an opinion on this issue? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

School budget hearing draws no comments; consolidation's first steps under way

/

By Carol Britton Meyer 

During a record-short meeting this week, the school committee held a public hearing about the proposed Fiscal 2024 Hull Public Schools budget, which lasted for about two minutes since there was no one in the audience to make a comment or ask a question.

“Holding a formal hearing on the school budget is a requirement of Massachusetts state law,” Chair Stephanie Peters said.

The proposed budget represents a 3% increase over the FY23 figure.

“Town Manager [Philip Lemnios] recommended [this percentage for an increase], and that’s what we have provided,” Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn said.

Peters noted that there have been a number of budget discussions, including a recent presentation to the advisory board, and that the FY24 school budget proposal is posted on the district’s website.

The proposed budget totals $17.33 million, which represents a $504,895 increase over the FY23 figure of $16.8 million.

The proposal sets forth district priorities, which include “celebrating the accomplishments of our students, educators, staff, and district,” implementing Phase 1 of the district’s reconfiguration plan, and developing a blueprint for implementation of Phase 2.

Other priorities include ensuring that Hull’s schools are “diverse, inclusive, accepting, welcoming, and a safe place for everyone,” and refining and streamlining the district’s multi-tiered systems of support for academic and social emotional development, among others.

Of the FY24 proposed budget, 76.64 % is comprised of salaries; 7.14%, special education non-salary costs; 4.51%, utilities; 2.82%, non-salary maintenance; 4.53%, transportation; 1.37%, technology; and all other non-salary costs total 2.99%.

The proposed school budget represents 57.5% of the total town budget.

Further budget priorities include expanding the pre-kindergarten classroom for four-year-olds and expanding before- and after-school care for the same age group.

In other business at the meeting:

* David Twombly was appointed to represent the school committee on the seven-member town manager semifinalist committee, which will work with the consultant hired to conduct the search (Community Paradigm Associates) to interview the semifinalist candidates for the position. Lemnios is retiring at the end of June. The deadline for applications to serve on the committee was April 10. The select board reviewed letters of interest at its April 12 meeting.

* The school committee voted not to offer school choice while HPS is in the process of putting Phase 1 of the Best Educational Use of School Facilities Plan (consolidation of the town’s three schools) into place, nor during Phase 2, but to reconsider this decision sometime after the consolidation plan has been fully implemented.

“That way we can see what our enrollments are,” Kuehn said. “If a grade has lower than expected enrollment, we might let a couple of students [switch to HPS], but we want to protect our class sizes.”

School choice allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs, including in other districts.

 * The implementation of Phase 1 of the consolidation plan is “going well,” Kuehn reported. “There’s a lot of thoughtful and strategic planning. Everyone seems to be impressed with the positive team-building.”

Phase 1 calls for housing pre-K through 6 at Jacobs Elementary School, grades 7 and 8 at Memorial Middle School, and grades 9 through 12 at the high school for the 2023-24 school year.

Phase 2, once approved by the school committee, would implement the final reconfiguration, where the Jacobs School would house grades pre-K to 7, and the high school grades 8 to 12, beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

 * The committee will review Kuehn’s self-evaluation, which she recently submitted for its review, rating herself as “proficient.” Committee members will submit their comments by April 19 and then discuss the results at the April 24 meeting.

Do you have an opinion on this issue? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

Candidates: Your guide to the Times’ election policies, deadlines

/

The Hull Times will print free announcements of candidacy for the May 15 town election through our May 4 issue. Final copy deadline is Tuesday, May 2, at 5 p.m. Please note that no late announcements will be printed.

Announcements should be no more than 500 words. Clear photographs will also be accepted.

We will also accept press releases about campaign issues, but not fundraisers, which are the stuff of paid advertisements. Press releases may be published, if space is available, right up until the May 15 election. We reserve the right to edit or reject any submissions.

During the campaign, the Times may solicit candidates’ views on the issues. Priority will be given to those responses.

Letters to the editor will not be accepted from candidates, and letters for or against candidates for office will also be rejected. All material published in our May 11 issue – the week before the election – will be subject to close scrutiny because of the lack of opponents’ response time.

Political ads should be factual and in good taste. We reserve the right to reject advertising that makes assertions that cannot be verified. All political advertising must be paid for in advance of publication. Contact our office as soon as possible to reserve space – in our print edition and on our website – on a first-come, first-served basis.

For information about advertising, call 781-925-9266 or email office@hulltimes.com.

Press releases and announcements may be emailed to news@hulltimes.com.

Deadline is Tuesday at 5 p.m. each week.

Bylaw proposal would limit intensity, glare of lights on most commercial properties

/

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

A zoning bylaw amendment designed to prevent light pollution has received unanimous support from the advisory board and the planning board and will be on the annual town meeting warrant on May 1.

According to the warrant, Article 12’s intent is to “create standards for outdoor lighting so that its use does not unreasonably interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property within the town of Hull.”

The proposal also would “encourage through the regulation of types, construction, installation, and uses outdoor electrically powered illuminating devices, lighting practices, and systems which will reduce light pollution, light trespass, and glare in order to preserve and enhance the natural, scenic, and aesthetic qualities of Hull, conserve energy, and decrease lighting cost without decreasing nighttime safety, security, and productivity, and preserve the night sky as a natural resource to enhance  enjoyment of property within Hull.”

The bylaw proposal contains specifications for the strength of lighting used, as well as screening requirements to prevent nearby properties from being adversely affected by bright lights.

“The essence is LED lights cause annoyance for abutters. They are so much brighter than anything before; they are blinding,” said planning board member Jeanne Paquin. “Currently the planning board requires developers to comply with dark sky lighting without a bylaw, so this is just codifying it.”

Dan Sullivan of the advisory board, who said he supported the bylaw, questioned why it only applies to the Commercial Rec A, B, and C, and Multi-Family A and B zoning districts, but not Single-Family.

“We are not going to be the light police,” Paquin replied. “It is coming from the planning board and we do not deal with single families.”

In devising the bylaw, Nathan Peyton made it clear to the rest of the planning board that developers will still be held to the standards of traditional review processes.

“We have site plan review for a reason,” Peyton said. “People have been known to hyperlight their store front to also light the street and call attention to their business.”

Members said the planning board, which must approve lighting for projects as part of the site plan review or special permit, has not encountered opposition to this concept.

 “There is value in setting standards and indicating to people what is not desirable,” Peyton said.

Do you have an opinion on this issue? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

‘Clean Your Corner’ to mark Earth Day April 22

/

The Hull Garden Club invites residents to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 22 by doing their part to beautify the town.

The third annual “Clean Your Corner” program asks that residents take time to go outside – any time that is convenient –  and clean up their corner of our precious planet Earth by picking up debris, sweeping up, and caring for your own corner.

Together we can make a difference, and the businesses and people of our small town will enjoy the benefit of our labor. 

Trash bags are available, as well as a variety of seeds for planting. If you are interested, contact Roxanne Mihal at thehullgardenclub@gmail.com or 339-788-0613.

Also, if you do participate in Cleaning Your Corner, send us a photo of the cleanup crew at news@hulltimes.com.

Four-story, 21-unit building at former Aquarium wins approval

/

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

Last week, the planning board unanimously approved, with conditions, a Brookline developer’s plan to tear down the former Atlantic Aquarium and replace it with a four-story, 21-unit residential building.

At its March 29 meeting, both the project’s special permit and developer Jonathan Levitt’s filing of a preliminary subdivision plan received favorable action.

John Chessia of Chessia Consulting Services, the engineer reviewing the project, listed items for the board to consider, including setbacks, landscaping, width and grade of parking spaces, deliveries, trash pickup, lighting, infiltration systems, DCR permitting, catch basins, soil testing, and drainage plans.

“We support all the conditions and will begin the construction plan once we have the permit in hand,” said Adam Brodsky, attorney for Leavitt, principal of 120 Nantasket Avenue LLC.  “We have also initiated conversations with DCR.”

The preliminary subdivision was automatically approved because under Massachusetts law, that was the only course of action. The filing of the subdivision does not change the proposal, but freezes the current zoning for at least eight years, meaning that any town meeting action to change the property’s zoning will not immediately take effect.

“We spoke to town attorney [James] Lampke and understand there is nothing we can do, so we will be approving it,” Chair Harry Hibbard said.

Brodsky indicated that the developer may be able to come up with “some accommodation with the town to potentially restrict the freeze to the 21-unit building project. My suggestion is, let’s get to town meeting to see if we have an issue or not… see what bylaws pass.”

In closing, Brodsky said Leavitt agreed that “the project got better through the planning process.”

Do you have an opinion on this story? Click here to submit a letter to the editor.

First-grade teacher named Jacobs School assistant principal

/

First-grade teacher Lindsey Rajan has been appointed the new assistant principal of the Jacobs Elementary School. Rajan, who has taught in Hull since 2016, begins her new duties on July 1.

“I want to congratulate Lindsey Rajan on her appointment to her new role,” Superintendent Judith Kuehn said. “I am confident that she brings the necessary skills, background, and passion to excel in this position as an instructional leader, and will play a key role in the pre-K to 7 Jacobs School reconfiguration.”

Rajan, of Quincy, holds a master’s degree in education from American International College,  bachelor’s degrees in education and early education from Eastern Nazarene College, and a certificate of study in administration from Curry College. 

“I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to continue serving the Jacobs Elementary School community in this new capacity,” Rajan said.

Currently co-chair of the Jacobs Literacy Review Committee, Rajan previously was a kindergarten teacher in Holbrook, a first-grade teacher in Weymouth, and served as a tutor at the Cohasset Learning Studio.

“Lindsey’s knowledge of curriculum and instruction at the early childhood level makes her a perfect fit for an administrative role,” said Principal Kyle Shaw, whose promotion created the opening. “I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Lindsey and look forward to working with her in her new position.”

Do you have an opinion on this story? Click here to submit a letter to the editor.