Wildcat Lane Closed in Norwell

December 12, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Road Construction on Wildcat This Week

Wildcat Lane in Norwell is closed to vehicles on Monday, December 12 and Tuesday, December 13 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The highway department is working on emergency culvert repairs which they’ve estimated will take about two days.

Access for Norwell Residents

Residents, school buses, emergency vehicles and contractor vehicles will be able to travel Wildcat Lane from Pine Street to Centennial Way or Pleasant Street to house #259 Wildcat Lane in order to access individual homes. Vehicles are asked to turn around in the vicinity of Centennial Way, and expect some delays as the crews complete the work. For more information visit the town of Norwell web site.

Filed Under: Around Town, Local Government, Neighborhoods, Norwell, South Shore News Tagged With: buses, Capital Residential, Centennial Way, closed, closure, construction, delays, george jamieson, highway department, Norwell, Pine Street, real estate, realtor, residents, road, traffic, vehicles, Wildcat Lane, work

Matt Keegan Named Superintendent for Norwell School District

December 9, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Assistant Superintendent for Norwell Lands Top Spot in Candidate Search

The new superintendent for Norwell Public Schools is a familiar face. Matt Keegan, the current assistant superintendent for the Norwell School District, has accepted the position as the new superintendent after a unanimous vote by the Norwell School Committee.

The Norwell Superintendent Search

The current superintendent for Norwell School District, Dr. Donald Beaudette announced that he would be retiring from the position in January 2012. The selection of Keegan for the position comes after an extensive search that included interviews of four finalists last week. Keegan and three other candidates were interviewed in a public forum by the Norwell School Committee. According to the committee, deliberation following the interviews focused on candidate experience, matching criteria from focus groups with candidates, and answers to interview questions. Keegan’s extensive experience in high school settings and high performing districts were distinguishing factors that ultimately led to his hiring. The Norwell School Committee announced their decision at their December 5 meeting.

Keegan’s Experience

Matt Keegan began his career teaching at Culver Academies, a military boarding school in Indiana. He attended the Master’s program at Simmons College, and was hired as an English teacher at Newton North High School where he was an assistant housemaster and MCAS coordinator. After nine years at Newton North High School, he left in 2006 to take the position of Norwell High School principal in 2006. In November 2010 Keegan started an internship in Norwell Schools’ central office, working closely with Dr. Beaudette. By July 1 he had taken the position of assistant superintendent and interviewed replacements for his former position as high school principal.

New Leadership for Norwell Schools

As a former principal in Norwell and assistant superintendent in the central office, Keegan is well-versed in the challenges and strengths of the school system, and is particulary concerned with curriculum, technology, and budget issues. It’s the start of a new chapter in Norwell Schools as Keegan steps up as superintendent in 2012.

Filed Under: Around Town, Local Government, Norwell, Notable Facts, Schools, South Shore News, Uncategorized Tagged With: Beaudette, candidates, Capital Residential, decision, george jamieson, hire, listings, Matt Keegan, new, Norwell, Norwell School Committee, principal, real estate, realtor, School, search, superintendent

Meeting to Discuss Affordable Housing in Norwell

December 6, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Selectmen and Boards Tackle Norwell’s Housing Plan

There is a lot of room for debate when it come to housing development and 40B in Norwell, and Wednesday evening residents are invited to participate in a meeting about it with the Norwell Planning Board and Affordable Housing Partnership. Housing Consultant, Karen Sonnarborg will weigh in on the discussion on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the Osborn Room.

Proposed Housing Production Plan for Norwell

Those attending the meeting will be reviewing and discussing the proposed, and nearly complete, Housing Production Plan. The document is lengthy, but worth a read. It includes some interesting and informative data about population growth, age demographics, and the trends over the last few decades in Norwell. With low inventory and high pricing, the town has a challenge to provide adequate, affordable housing. The proposed Housing Production Plan follows Norwell’s Master Plan of 2005 which aims to establish “a proactive affordable housing policy, Norwell can shape affordable housing to fit its own needs for more diversity in housing types and affordability, while still complementing the town’s traditional development patterns and meeting state goals.”

State Regulations

There are several benefits to Norwell producing and adopting an approved Housing Production Plan. State regulations under Chapter 40B offer communities greater local control over affordable housing development. By obtaining Housing Plan approval and certification from the state, Norwell would be able to deny unwanted 40B applications for one or two years, depending on the number of units produced by the towns. Submission and certification is also an important first step in allowing Norwell to craft the type of affordable housing most in keeping with the town’s character and needs.

Norwell Residents Invited To Comment

The Boards welcome Norwell residents to review the posted plan and materials, and attend the meeting with comments and questions. Norwell’s plan for affordable housing is complex and challenging, and residential participation is needed to find a solution to these housing issues. Residents who would like to participate, but cannot attend, may forward comments on affordable housing in Norwell to Bruce Burgess at brucenma@mac.com or Gregg McBride at Gmcbride@townofnorwell.net.

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Public Interviews to Start for Norwell Schools Superintendent

November 29, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Norwell Narrows Pool for Superintendent Position

Norwell‘s Superintendent Screening Committee has finalized a list of four candidates for the position of Norwell Schools Superintendent. Dr. Donald Beaudette will be vacating the job after the new year. The search for a new superintendent in Norwell began a few months back with the next step being a public interview process.

Filling the Position of Norwell School Superintendent

The Superintendent Screening Committee met several times over the last three weeks to review applications and interview candidates for the position of Superintendent of Norwell Schools. The Committee received 21 completed applications for the position, with nearly one half of the applicants being experienced superintendents. All completed applications were reviewed by the Screening Committee which then invited a select number of candidates for a preliminary interview conducted by the Committee. Norwell’s Superintendent Screening Committee met for a total of 18 hours to discuss and consider the applicants before finally voting to recommend four candidates for further consideration by the Norwell School Committee.

Public Interviews with Candidates at Norwell High School

The Norwell School Committee agreed to begin interviews with the four recommended candidates. The interviews take place this week at the Little Theatre in Norwell High School. Norwell residents can get to know the candidates as well since the interviews will be televised on the local Norwell station. The schedule is as follows:

Thomas Lynch: Tuesday, November 29, 6:00 p.m.

Maureen Bingham: Tuesday, November 29, 7:30 p.m.

Matthew Keegan: Wednesday, November 30, 6:00 p.m.

Roseli Weiss: Wednesday, November 30, 7:30 p.m.

For more information about the Superintendent Search process, please refer to the Norwell School District website.

Filed Under: Around Town, Events, Local Government, Norwell, Notable Facts, Schools, South Shore News Tagged With: buy, candidate, Capital Residential, george jamieson, interview, listing, Norwell, Norwell High School, Norwell School Committee, real estate, realtor, schools, Screening Committee, search, sell, superintendent

New Police Station Loses By Four Votes at Norwell Town Meeting

November 22, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Norwell Residents Halt $5M Police Proposal

They say every vote counts, and at Norwell Town Meeting, the point couldn’t be better illustrated. The $5M station proposal for Norwell Police Department failed by only four votes at Monday night’s town meeting. The controversial project continues to spark debate in Norwell.

The Vote at Norwell Town Meeting

Residents in attendance of the Norwell Town Meeting on Monday night voted on the $5.1 million project which included the construction of a new 12,000-square-foot facility. The measure required a two-thirds approval by the small turn-out at town meeting. Voters appeared frustrated that proposed renovation costs of $3.3 million were relatively close to the initial new construction figure of $4.1 million. Now that the estimated cost of a new facility has surpassed $5 million, Norwell residents wonder if renovation is a more cost-effective approach.

The Future of the Norwell Police Station

With the current facility in need of renovations to bring it up to safety standards, Norwell faces a dilemma. Should the town approve the construction of a new facility or renovate the current building? There’s little debate the River Street structure is no longer functional for today’s police force. However, Norwell residents appear unsatisfied with the current proposals. Selectmen appear adamant about pushing the $5.1 million project through, but as witnessed last evening, voters are the ultimate decision-makers.

Another Chance for Norwell to Vote

Despite the project’s loss on Monday night, Norwell will move ahead with a ballot vote on December 3, 2011. Voters will decide on a property tax increase to pay for the police project. If that passes, the town will still need a two-thirds approval at the next town meeting likely in the spring. For or against it, be sure to cast your vote on December 3, 2011 and again at town meeting in the spring. Your vote, and your tax dollars, count toward Norwell’s future.

Filed Under: Around Town, Local Government, Norwell, Notable Facts, People, South Shore News Tagged With: approve, ballot, board, budget, buy, Capital Residential, construction, department, fail, fire, george jamieson, home, house, increase, listing, living, lose, margin, market value, meeting, moving, new, Norwell, override, pass, police, project, property, proposal, public, real estate, realtor, renovation, resident, safety, search, selectmen, sell, south shore, spring, station, tax, town, vote

Just in Time for Thanksgiving: Norwell Recycling Center Collecting Cooking Oil

November 22, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

New Receptacle at Norwell Recycling Center

The Norwell Recycling Committee just announced cooking oil-recycling services at the town’s recycling center. So if your plans this Thanksgiving include deep frying a turkey, save that oil and bring it down to the Norwell Recycling Center.

How Norwell Residents Can Recycle Cooking Oil

It’s pretty simple. Just save your non-solid, liquid cooking oils, and bring them in a container to the recycling center’s cooking oil receptacle where it will be collected and recycled by AMENICO, American Energy Independence Company, located in Pittsfield, NH. The company is committed to creating an environmentally friendly carbon neutral society, and to this end, the waste cooking oil is converted into a biomass based renewable diesel fuel.

Recycle the Cooking Oil, Earn Money for Norwell

As part of the relationship with AMENICO, the town of Norwell earns money based on the amount of cooking oil collected and recycled. So before you dump the cooking oil in the rubbish, grab a container and bring it up to the recycling center. You’ll be extending the life of the cooking oil while making money for Norwell. The Norwell Recycling Center is located at 310 Main Street, Norwell, and is open Wednesdays from noon to 3 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Filed Under: Around Town, Local Government, Norwell, Notable Facts, People, South Shore News Tagged With: Amenico, buy, Capital Residential, center, committee. cooking, convert, diesel fuel, earn, facility, frying, george jamieson, home, house, listing, money, Norwell, oil, property, real estate, realtor, receptacle, recycling, residents, save, search, sell, south shore, town, turkey, use

Norwell Town Meeting Tonight, November 21, 2011

November 21, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Residents Invited to Special Norwell Town Meeting

Norwell is hosting a Town Meeting this evening to discuss urgent warrant items and give Norwell residents the opportunity to vote on these issues. The Town Meeting is tonight, Monday, November 21, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at the Norwell Middle School.

Norwell Town Meeting Warrant Items

Articles in the Norwell Town Meeting Warrant for this evening include funding for the construction of a new police station near the Norwell Fire Department headquarters on Washington Street. Norwell Police has recently been hosting a series of open houses and information sessions to explain the need for a new station and answer questions for residents prior to the vote. Other articles on the Norwell Town Meeting warrant concern the Sergeant Samuel Stetson House, Norwell’s oldest residence which is facing the possibility of being demolished. The current owner of the Sergeant Samuel Stetson House has plans for the property, and is waiting on the town to decide if it is worth the risk to try and move the historically significant home. Members of the Norwell Historical Commission, the Community Preservation Committee, the Norwell Cemetery Committee and the Norwell Board of Selectmen agree that efforts should be made to preserve the home. The Town Meeting will likely discuss the idea of purchasing the house and moving it to town-owned property. In addition, the warrant includes articles on the bike path to Norwell High School, Jacob’s Pond dam, highway clean-up, and electronic signs.

A Guide to Norwell Town Meeting

Norwell Town Meeting is an opportunity for residents to vote on issues that affect town government, committees, and initiatives. Items that pass by a hand vote are considered approved. The fate of the vote is determined by resident turn-out, so attendance is highly recommended. To help familiarize yourself with the articles in question and terms used in Town Meeting, Norwell residents can view the November 2011 Warrant for Norwell Town Meeting.

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Norwell’s Neighbors Support Overrides

November 2, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Norwell Prepares as Hingham & Duxbury Pass Major Propositions

Norwell residents and the Norwell School Committee are expressing concern for next year’s school budget. A rise in the student population coupled with budgetary restrictions such as not allowing the hiring of teachers to replace vacated positions, have left Norwell schools with large classroom sizes, outdated materials, and a scaled back curriculum. As neighboring Hingham and Duxbury move ahead with massive overrides, the future of Norwell schools as well as Norwell’s property values are a big question mark.

Norwell School Budget Crisis

Norwell and its real estate market has relied for years on the school system’s impeccable reputation. While the system continues to be strong, the class room sizes with sometimes 30-plus children, the reductions in staff, and the elimination of subjects in the upper grades have given residents and would-be homebuyers pause. Recently the Norwell School Committee met with the Board of Selectmen to discuss major concerns for next year’s budget. Superintendent Donald Beaudette has warned that the budget as it stands may force the town to rethink and reduce curriculum requirements to graduate from Norwell High School.

Hingham residents approve the construction of a new middle school.

Hingham Passes Middle School Override

Just over the weekend an overwhelming majority of Hingham residents passed ballot questions at the polls to approve the $60.9 million middle school and $935,000 athletic fields renovation. Question one, funding for the middle school, won in a vote of 3078 to 2353. While the middle school project will be partly reimbursed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the remaining cost will be paid by an annual property tax increase at around $60 per $100,000. Question two, funding for tennis courts, track, and an all-purpose field, passed with 3770 voting yes to 1661 voting no.

Duxbury Set to Vote on Police, Fire, and School Overrides

Duxbury residents will be participating in a special election on Saturday, November 5, 2011 to vote on three Proposition 2½ overrides for construction of a new police station, renovations to the fire station, and design work for a new middle/high school. At town meeting voters overwhelmingly approved a $6.25 million proposal to design and build a new police station for the town, a $2.9 million proposal to design a new middle-high school, and a $3.7 million renovation of Duxbury’s fire station.

Norwell School Priorities

While Duxbury and Hingham residents have passed sizeable overrides, Norwell has not proposed an override for several years and an anticipated override would likely cover teacher salaries rather than construction. Based on the resource planning report submitted by the Norwell School Committee, an additional 20 FTEs (full-time equivalent) will be needed for fiscal year 2013, which comes at an estimated cost of $1,160,000. And with new developments being built in town and more families moving into the community, the already burgeoning student population is bound to grow.

Filed Under: Local Government, Notable Facts, Schools, South Shore News Tagged With: 2011, 2012, 2013, ballot, budget, buy, Capital Residential, class, construction, duxbury, elementary, fiscal, george jamieson, high, Hingham, home, homeowner, house, listing, middle, Norwell, override, pass, population, price, property, proposition, ratio, real estate, realtor, renovation, resident, restrictions, sale, School, sell, size, student, system, tax, teacher, town, value, vote

Norwell Set to Decide on New Police Station

October 21, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Norwell To Vote on $4.7M Project

Norwell voters have a big decision to make. The town is estimating that the proposed project to build a new police station at the Norwell Fire Department headquarters will cost up to $4,722,955. The topic will be a top priority at Town Meeting scheduled for Monday, November 21, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at Norwell Middle School. Last Spring, Norwell Town Meeting approved up to $400,000 for the design of a new police station at the Washington Street location.

Norwell Police Station Tops Town Meeting Articles

Norwell doesn’t take a $4.7 million price tag lightly. The question of approving funds for the new Norwell Police Station is the first article on the warrant for the special Town Meeting in November. Broken down the project will cost just under $4 million for construction, with the balance being made up of mostly general and design contingencies. The town is hopeful that with competitive bidding and the state of the economy, the cost contingencies will be on the lower side of the total estimate reducing the overall price tag. The Norwell Police Department has outgrown its current police station on River Street and the facility is outdated, out of compliance, and needs major improvements . The town looked into estimated costs to renovate that building which tipped the scale in the $3.3 million-plus range, however, the scope of the estimate was questioned by the Selectman and Advisory Board, which solidified support for a totally new facility.

The Impact on Norwell Taxpayers

Norwell Town Administrator Jim Boudreau says that the proposed police station to be located on Washington Street will affect residents in taxes, but that the cost should go down over time. The first year he estimates that each resident can expect to pay an additional $104.32. Should the article pass at town meeting, voters will decide whether or not to fund the project through an increase in property taxes at a special Town Election on Friday, December 2. The police station proposal will be the only item on the ballot.

Practical Approach to New Norwell Police Station

While the plans had initially called for under 10,000 square feet in the new station, that number grew to 15,000 as needs were assessed. However, Chief Ted Ross has worked closely with designers and town officials to bring this number down to 12,250 square feet, which consists of a two-story exterior brick and clapboard building. Concessions have been made to lower costs without sacrificing public safety. Those in favor of the station note the timing of the construction, when prices are competitive and the Town’s borrowing rate is about a point lower than it was when Town Meeting approved the initial go ahead for the design of the new station. If approved by Town Meeting and Voters, construction could start as early as Summer 2012 and would take about a year to 18 months to complete.

Filed Under: Local Government, Notable Facts, South Shore News Tagged With: ballot, buy, Capital Residential, construction, cost, department, design, estimate, fire, george jamieson, home, houses, increase, issues, living, meeting, new, Norwell, police, Police Station, project, property, real estate, renovation, residents, River Street, safety, search, sell, services, south shore, space, station, tax, town, vote, Washington Street

New Hire, More Needs at Norwell Public Library

October 17, 2011 By George Jamieson Leave a Comment

Norwell Selectmen Show Support, Voice Concern

The Norwell Board of Selectmen voted in favor of the Norwell Public Library’s request to hire a new systems manager. However, the NPL is concerned that its current budget requires an override to continue delivering quality service to the community.

Vacated Position at Norwell Public Library

The systems position was recently vacated by a longtime employee, leaving staff without what Library Director, Rebecca Freer, calls her “right hand.” The systems manager works closely with the director, provides knowledge and trouble shooting expertise as it concerns technology and computers, and performs extraneous financial, personnel, and building maintenance duties daily.

Norwell Library New Hire is the Exception

While the vacated position created a need at Norwell Public Library, the town of Norwell is currently not filling vacated positions due to budget limitations. In addition, the Norwell Schools are currently operating without an IT employee, so there are unaddressed needs throughout town services. Norwell administrators are also currently reviewing the possibility of centralizing all town technology, eliminating the need for a systems manager.

Freer stressed the importance of this position to the Board of Selectmen on September 28, 2011 at a meeting, and requested that this particular position be filled. Selectmen voiced concern over the $40,000 position, as well as the possibility that the town of Norwell could be facing layoffs in the near future. The selectmen ultimately voted to allow the filling of the position. Applications and resumes are currently being accepted and under review.

Norwell Library’s Future

At a Norwell Board of Selectmen’s meeting on October 5, 2011, Freer gave an update on the filling of the position, and presented ongoing concern over the library’s ability to serve the community. Space continues to be an issue in the 1975 structure. Freer also noted that the number of patrons served has risen since 2009 when the town discussed the possibility of closing the Norwell branch and outsourcing services to Hanover. Freer suggests that an override is necessary to maintain adequate services for Norwell residents. But with several budgets in crisis in Norwell, the Board of Selectmen and Norwell residents must consider which areas of town spending should receive an increase. There’s more about the Norwell Library and its needs in the Norwell Mariner.

Filed Under: Local Government, Neighborhoods, Notable Facts, Schools, South Shore News Tagged With: agent, Board of Selectmen, budget, building, buy, buying, Capital Residential, closing, community, concerns, finances, financial, george jamieson, hanover, hire, home, house, issues, IT, layoffs, Library, moving, needs, new hire, Norwell, Norwell Public Schools, NPL, override, patrons, position, Public Library, quality, real estate, realtor, schools, search, selectmen, sell, selling, service, space, systems manager, technology, technolohgy, town, vacated