Kingston Board of Selectmen Plans Public Hearing on Department of Public Works Proposal
Board seeks community input after previous town meeting vote fell short
KINGSTON - May 20 - The Kingston Board of Selectmen is discussing plans to establish a Department of Public Works following a town meeting vote that fell short of approval. The board voted May 20 to schedule a public hearing on June 17 at 5:30 p.m. to gather community feedback on the proposal.
"We need to have some public hearings or informational sessions," said Chair Eric Crone. "People were saying they're just hearing about it now. It's a big thing that people were just hearing about and they want to hear more about it."
The board's decision comes after a previous town meeting vote failed to garner enough support to establish a DPW. Board members believe providing more information and addressing concerns raised during that meeting could help build support for the proposal.
Vice Chair Kim Emberg noted that several residents approached her after the previous town meeting.
"At least ten people came to me and said they would have changed their vote had this happened after some of the other votes," Emberg said.
Board members discussed various approaches to gathering feedback, including meeting with town employees in affected departments and holding public information sessions. The board agreed to start with a public hearing on June 17, followed by meetings with staff.
Town Administrator Keith Hickey suggested broadcasting discussions to ensure transparency.
"Even if it's an informal meeting with one or two selectmen and employees or the public, I just wonder if we should broadcast it live and rebroadcast it to give people the opportunity to see it," Hickey said.
Newly elected Board member Carl Pike expressed concern about bringing the proposal back too quickly after it was rejected.
"I'm not in favor of bringing this back in the fall town meeting," Pike said. "I never like having regular town meeting turn something down and then coming charging right back in at a special town meeting."
Fire Chief Mark Douglass cautioned the board about putting town employees in a difficult position during recorded meetings.
"You've got two departments that run with commissioners. They have a fairly dedicated group of employees," Douglass said. "To put those employees in a room and record them, you're putting them in a very difficult spot."
Douglass suggested the board develop specific options to present to the public rather than simply asking for general feedback.
"You're really asking a group of public residents to give you ideas on something that most know very little about," he said. "You've got to give them something to have a conversation about."
Board members emphasized that the goal of establishing a DPW is to improve town management, not to create conflict with existing departments.
"The pursuit of a DPW is to improve how we manage the town," said Emberg.
The board plans to use feedback from the public hearing and employee meetings to refine the proposal before potentially bringing it to a town meeting vote.
In other business, resident Renee McDonald raised concerns about planned changes to the Kingston transfer station's summer hours.
"From what I see, it went from 12 o'clock to 7:45 to now being 10 o'clock to 3:45," McDonald said. "We've lost the one night a week that we had at the transfer station."
McDonald suggested maintaining evening hours at least one day per week to accommodate residents with work schedules.
"I just think it's important to have the one night a week for work schedules and everything else," she said.
The board agreed to add the topic to a future meeting agenda for discussion.
The board also:
* Reorganized after the recent town election, with Eric Crone continuing as chair, Kim Emberg as vice chair, and Donald Alcombright as clerk.
* Approved a request to transfer $18,000 from opioid settlement funds to Plymouth County Outreach, which provides substance use intervention services.
* Recognized National Police Week (May 12-18) and National Public Works Week (May 18-24) with proclamations.
* Supported four grant applications from the Planning Department, including a joint application with Duxbury for infrastructure improvements at Exit 20 and the Tarkiln Road intersection.
* Authorized temporary staffing positions in the Streets, Trees and Parks Department, including a temporary foreman, equipment operator, and seasonal laborer.
* Set October 28 as the date for a special town meeting to consider a debt exclusion article for an elementary school roof.
* Approved the Town Administrator's annual evaluation and authorized a $3,000 bonus based on performance.
* Accepted donations to the Police Department and Council on Aging.
The next regular Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for June 3, with the public hearing on the Department of Public Works proposal set for June 17 at 5:30 p.m.