2018 Special Town Meeting Warrant with Advisory Board Recommendations

To view the Special Town Meeting Warrant with Advisory Board Recommendation, click on the following link:

http://www.town.hull.ma.us/Public_Documents/index

The document is titled 2018 Special Town Meeting Warrant with Advisory Board Recommendations.

2018 Updated Emergency Preparedness Presentation

To view the 2018 Emergency Preparedness presentation click on the following link:

http://www.town.hull.ma.us/Public_Documents/HullMA_EmPrepare/emergency

Message from Town Clerk - Annual Street Listing/Census

HULL TOWN CLERK REMINDERS!

Annual Street Listing/Census forms are being mailed out this week.  Hull residents are being urged to review, make any necessary corrections and return the forms to the Town Clerk’s office as soon as possible.  You may also scan your signed census to census@town.hull.ma.us.

Compliance with this State requirement provides proof of residence, protection of voting rights and other important information for your community.

Note: The Census DOES NOT register you as a voter or change you voter status. 

Dog Licenses:  The mailing will also include a 2018 dog license application.

Dog licenses are valid from April 1^st – March 31^st of each year however, if you wish to pre-register your dogs for 2018 please follow the instructions on the form and return with the census

HCTV Schedule 01/28/2018 - 02/03/2018

Hull TV Weekly Schedule

 

Comcast Channel 9/Verizon Channel 35

The feature show plays every night at 7:30 p.m. and is replayed at midnight and noon the next day.

 

 

Sunday        Jan. 28 : Board of Selectmen/Task Force  replays

Monday       Jan. 29 : Elder Cool: Chef Joyce

Tuesday       Jan. 30 : NEW Lecture: Storm of the Century

Wednesday  Jan. 31: NEW Chatting with the Chamber

Thursday      Feb. 1 : Board of Selectmen

Friday           Feb. 2 : Cinzi Lavin Show: Peter Prasinos

Saturday       Feb. 3 : Elder Cool replay

                                            

Tune in at 9 a.m.;10 a.m.;5 p.m. and 10 p.m. for more local programming.

And don’t miss our Week-in-Review every Saturday afternoon.

 

Comcast Channel 22/Verizon Channel 34

The Show of the Day plays every day at 3, 7 & 11, both a.m.& p.m.

 

Sunday           Jan. 28 : Boys/Girls Basketball Doubleheader

Monday          Jan. 29 : Marijuana Task Force 1.24.18

Tuesday          Jan. 30 : School Committee replay

Wednesday    Jan. 31 : Jacobs Read-A-Thon 2017

Thursday         Feb. 1 : Powder Puff 2017

Saturday          Feb. 2 : Weekend Sports

Board of Selectmen Agenda 01/25/2018

UPDATED CABLE TV SCHEDULE 1/21/2018 - 01/27/2018

Hull TV Weekly Schedule

 

Comcast Channel 9/Verizon Channel 35

The feature show plays every night at 7:30 p.m. and is replayed at midnight and noon the next day.

 

 

Sunday        Jan. 21 : Board of Selectmen/Planning Board replays

Monday       Jan. 22 : Elder Cool: Johnny Christy

Tuesday       Jan. 23 : Lecture: Coast Guard Most Daring Rescues

Wednesday  Jan. 24 : Marijuana Task Force live @ 7 PM

Thursday     Jan. 25 : Board of Selectmen

Friday          Jan. 26 : Drowned Hogs Marathon

Saturday      Jan. 27 : Elder Cool replay

                                            

Tune in at 9 a.m.;10 a.m.;5 p.m. and 10 p.m. for more local programming.

And don’t miss our Week-in-Review every Saturday afternoon.

 

Comcast Channel 22/Verizon Channel 34

The Show of the Day plays every day at 3, 7 & 11, both a.m.& p.m.

 

Sunday          Jan. 21 : Weekend Sports

Monday         Jan. 22 : School Committee live

Tuesday         Jan. 23 : Author Bryan Collier

Wednesday    Jan. 24 : School Committee replay

Thursday       Jan. 25 : Waves of Change Mural

Saturday        Jan. 27 : Weekend Sports

 

IMPORTANT FORUM ON RETAIL MARIJUANA IN HULL THIS WEDNESDAY AT 7 PM HULL HIGH SCHOOL

Hull’s Marijuana Task Force

Invites you to a Forum on

THE IMPACTS RETAIL MARIJUANA IN HULL

Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at 7pm

Hull High School

2^nd Floor Exhibition Room

Guest Panelist will provide their perspective on the impacts of Retail Marijuana on Hull.  Panelist include:

·        Fire Chief Chris Russo

·        Police Chief Jack Dunn

·        School Superintendent Mike Devine

·        School Committee Member Jen Fleming

·        Board of Health Director Joyce Sullivan

·        Town Counsel Jim Lampke

·        Community Development Director Chris DiIorio

·        Selectman Dom Sestito- Panel Moderator

Please come and participate in a lively evening of conversation on this important topic.  There will be ample opportunity for questions and comments from all attending. 

Also remember to mark your calendars with these important dates:

Special Town Meeting:   Monday, February 12 at 7pm at Hull High School

                                                Your chance to impact Town by-laws regarding retail marijuana operations in Hull

Special Election:               Monday, March 26 at Memorial Middle School

                                                Your chance to Vote to prohibit or allow retail marijuana facilities in Hull

Advisory Board Meeting 01/24/2018

ADVISORY BOARD

253 ATLANTIC AVENUE

HULL, MA 02045

 

The Advisory Board will meet on the following:

at

Town Hall

 

Agenda

 

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

7:00 PM

 

Set Commentary for Warrant Facsimile

 

Minutes Approval

 

Adjourn

 

 

 

THE LISTING OF MATTERS ARE THOSE REASONABLE ANTICIPATED BY THE CHAIR WHICH MAY BE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING. NOT ALL ITEMS LISTED MAY IN FACT BE

DISCUSSED AND OTHER ITEMS NOT LISTED MAY ALSO BE BROUGHT UP FOR

DISCUSSION TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

Advisory Board Meeting 01/22/2018

ADVISORY BOARD

253 ATLANTIC AVENUE

HULL, MA 02045

 

The Advisory Board will meet on the following:

at

Town Hall

 

Agenda

 

Monday, January 22, 2018

7:00 PM

 

Planning Board Zoning Article

 

Minutes Approval

 

Adjourn

 

 

 

THE LISTING OF MATTERS ARE THOSE REASONABLE ANTICIPATED BY THE CHAIR WHICH MAY BE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING. NOT ALL ITEMS LISTED MAY IN FACT BE

DISCUSSED AND OTHER ITEMS NOT LISTED MAY ALSO BE BROUGHT UP FOR

DISCUSSION TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

South Shore Recycling Updates - January 2018

SSRC Updates January 2018   December Meeting notes, updates        Waste Management presentation                  HHW contract       Grind Screen IFB       Small scale outreach grant proposals             RECO Report- Middleboro, Kingston, Plymouth  Cohasset pay-per-throw scofflaws warned  NBWS Announces Plans to Open Facility in Fall RDP grant reports, recycling data due Feb. 15  Contracting for Solid Waste & Recycling Services  Organics recovery, capacity growing in Mass. Maxed out Mass. MRFs prompt disposal waivers  Chinese processing group sets goals for US visit Recycling Partnership Update: Where it’s at Events December Meeting notes, updates Jim Nocella of Waste Management (WM) discussed the recycling market disruptions resulting from China’s imminent import ban on mixed recyclables.  WM processes single stream recyclables (SSR) from half of our member towns.  He affirmed the accuracy of the Director’s article about China’s “National Sword” in the SSRC December Updates. About half of US recyclables are exported, and China has been the biggest buyer.  Last July, China notified the World Trade Org. that it would ban the import of mixed paper and plastics by the end of 2017.  Despite much trade association pressure to reconsider, China appears firm. China stopped issuing import licenses a few months ago.  Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) stopped shipping to China, uncertain that there would be a buyer.  This is causing a glut, reducing values and enabling other buyers to tighten their specifications. MRFs including WM have slowed their sort lines and added labor to make bales saleable, raising processing costs to about $80/ton. They are seeking alternative markets.  Indonesia and Italy are accepting materials. The domestic market will take time to redevelop. Many US mills closed in the past several years due to their inability to compete with China.  WM may upgrade its sorting technology. A sustained effort is needed to improve quality at the curb long term.  WM is working with communities to clarify what goes in to recycling containers.  He recommended that municipalities budget for outreach to residents that use town recycling programs. WM is keeping the specs of acceptable materials simple:  Clean, dry paper and cardboard.  Empty food and beverage containers.  1-7 rigid plastic containers. The biggest problem is soft plastics:  film, bags and bagged recyclables impede processing. WM is stepping up load inspections from individual communities.  It is time consuming but will inform where to focus education efforts.  When in doubt throw it out. Q: Should we discourage glass in SSR, and provide separate drop off collection for it?  A:  Taking glass out of SSR would reduce the cost, BUT much glass would end up in the trash at higher cost.  Focus on eliminating soft plastics, food, and tanglers from SSR. top  HHW contract The Negotiating Team of Mr. Sylvester, Ms. McCarthy, Mr. Koep and Ms. Galkowski explored options for the FY19 HHW contract, and negotiated a proposal with Stericycle Environmental, our current contractor.  After discussion, the Board approved it unanimously. Stericycle proposed FAC82 pricing and terms plus a 5% volume discount, which would apply to the majority of SSRC events.  Since our current contract is extremely advantageous, this will result in about a 20% increase in HHW costs. There are only two State Contract (FAC82) vendors, Stericycle and Clean Harbors.  CH wouldn’t negotiate its FAC82 rates.  One other company provides this service in our area, but couldn’t provide competitive pricing. At the request of the SSRC, and with support from MassDEP, the Mass. Operational Services Division will reopen the HHW portion of FAC82.   Grind Screen IFB  The third extension of our current contracts for brush grinding, compost screening, and wood chip removal expires 12/31/17.  Eight of our Member Municipalities used the contracts in 2017.  Mr. Sylvester, Mr. Basler, Mr. Flynn reviewed the bid docs before release in mid-December. Four service providers submitted bids in time for the bid opening on 1/11/18 at the Hingham DPW.  The awards will be voted at the January 18 meeting. top Small scale outreach grant proposals The SSRC was awarded a $2,000 Outreach grant by MassDEP.  The Director proposed allocating half to social media promotion and maintenance, half to WATD FM radio ads.  Other suggestions included movable signs reminding people to keep recyclables clean. The Director presented a social media proposal from Jess Wozniak.  Julie could provide guidance. Messages: When in doubt throw it out?  No Wishful recycling?  Please, only these?  Revisit next month. top RECO Report- Middleboro, Kingston, Plymouth By Julie Sullivan, SSRC Recycling Education and Compliance Officer In December, we closed out a successful OOPS tagging program in Middleboro. Every other Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in November and December, our wonderful "tag team" (Jeff Jenness and John Pooler of the Middleboro Highway Dept., Naomi Mastico and myself, (pictured), plus Stephanie Carlisle, set out to inspect and tag the most plastic bag-contaminated routes in town. In addition to plastic bags, we tagged for other egregious violations such as DEP waste banned items and carts full of miscellaneous rubbish, including but not limited to hairballs, dog poop, and lots of soiled paper towels and Kleenex.  Overall, we saw a 7-10% decrease in the amount of OOPS tags left behind and photos of pristine loads of recycling being collected during the last week of the program. Special thanks go out to all of the incredibly supportive staff at the Middleboro Highway Department, who went above and beyond in devoting staff time and RDP funds to our cause and fielding calls from outraged residents. I look forward to checking back in with them in Fall 2018. As the temperatures outside fall, my private hauler investigations on behalf of the Kingston Board of Health and the Plymouth Department of Public Health have been heating up. The contiguous towns share several private haulers, making it easier to spot consistencies (and inconsistencies) in the haulers' reporting. I've been reviewing quarterly reports and other submissions to the towns to see which haulers need the most attention. Stay tuned as the mystery unfolds! top Cohasset pay-per-throw scofflaws warned By Abigail Adams aadams@wickedlocal.com, Cohasset Mariner, Nov 10, 2017  (excerpts) Some residents in Cohasset say they find the blue bags from the Cohasset Recycling Transfer Facility to be more pesky than helpful. Yet there is far more to these bags than many realize. At the Cohasset RTF, trash is only accepted in the blue “pay-per-throw” bags. But as Selectman Steve Gaumer recently pointed out, people have been attempting to sneak by without blue bags for years … tensions between residents around the rules of the RTF have risen as of late, occasionally sparking confrontation. Police are working with the DPW and Town Manager Chris Senior to crack down on illegal dumping at the RTF. Senior said some residents are unaware of the purpose of the blue bags. “Those bags pay for trash disposal,” said Senior. “That’s what they are designed to do.” According to Director of Public Works Brian Joyce, the town has made an effort to educate the public about why complying with the blue bag rule is so important.  Police currently have 40 license plate numbers of the scofflaws who have been seen not using the blue bags and will be providing the addresses to the DPW. Warning letters will be sent to first-time offenders, Chief Bill Quigley said. Those caught violating the rules a second time will be fined $50. … After three violations, the town will also suspend their access to the RTF for 30 days. After four violations, violators will be suspended for 6 months. Any subsequent violations will result in a one-year suspension. … “At the end of the day, all of this is taking money out of somebody else’s pocket, out of your pocket, and putting it in someone else’s because those bags pay for [disposal], and I don’t know if people fully appreciate that,” said Senior.  More top NBWS Announces Plans to Open Facility in Fall The new 100,000-square-foot facility is reportedly fully funded. Waste360 Staff | Jan 12, 2018 New Bedford Waste Services, LLC, a sister company of ABC Disposal service, has announced plans for a zero waste facility in Rochester, Mass. The company said that it has secured financing for the 100,000-square-foot facility, which will open in the fall of 2018. The facility will accept waste from municipal, residential and commercial properties. It will sort waste manually and mechanically, sorting out recyclable materials and compacting the rest to be used as a fuel alternative to coal. This announcement comes after several setbacks including a fire to the building in Rochester and a bankruptcy case. More   RDP grant reports, recycling data due Feb. 15 Two annual reports are required to comply with the Sustainable Material Recovery Program (SMRP) Grant Agreements.  Both are submitted using your municipality’s existing ReTRAC account.  Contact Janine Bishop to find out who the ReTRAC account holder is for your town. February 15th.  If you have received a SMRP grant in the last 2 years, or intend to apply for a SMRP grant in April 2018, or for Technical Assistance by Feb. 20, it must be submitted.  All other municipalities are encouraged to submit.   A PDF copy of the survey is available on MassDEP’s website for reference.  Contact Todd Koep if you have questions. February 15th.  If you have been awarded RDP funds, this report is required.  A sample copy is available on the RDP webpage for reference.  Scroll down on the webpage to find “6. Report on Your RDP Expenditures.”  Contact Dawn Quirk with questions. SSRC Director Claire Galkowski is scheduling appointments with Member Municipalities to assist with submissions. top Contracting for Solid Waste & Recycling Services MassDEP sponsored a seminar in November reviewing solid waste contracting issues, featuring John W. Giorgio, Esq. of KP Law.  The workshop was recorded and will be made available soon to those who were unable to attend.  Email Todd Koep if you want to view the session. Notes from the 2016 seminar with similar content are posted on the SSRC website here.   Organics recovery, capacity growing in Mass. Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive, Dec. 14, 2017 (excerpts) Since Massachusetts enacted its commercial organics diversion mandate in 2014, haulers have reported a 56% increase in collection customers. Last year, this resulted in 260,000 tons of material being diverted: 166,000 tons at compost facilities, 57,000 tons at anaerobic digesters, 22,000 tons donated (up more than one-third since 2014), 13,000 tons of beverages processed into wastewater, and at least 4,000 tons fed to animals. (Another) 50,000 tons (was) processed on-site. Massachusetts currently has 45 total sites. This includes 150,000 tons of compost capacity, 315,000 tons of digestion capacity and six de-packaging operations. The DEP reported that seven new digesters — with as much as 570,000 tons of new capacity — are in various stages of permitting and development.  More top Maxed out Mass. MRFs prompt disposal waivers Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive, Jan. 4, 2018  (excerpts) MassDEP has issued 21 disposal waivers for unsorted single-stream recycling material since November. Amounts range from … small, to 300 tons or multiple trailer loads in one case. As of publication, only three waivers remain current. The issue (is a result of) a lack of available processing capacity due to contamination concerns. As material recovery facilities slow down their lines, or run loads through twice, they can't keep up with the usual demand. "Effectively the MRFs are really full," said John Fischer, DEP's chief of commercial waste reduction and planning, who emphasized the limited nature of these waivers. "It's only allowing them to go for disposal when they cannot find a recycling outlet that will accept it." So far waivers have been issued to Waste Management, Troupe Waste Services, FM Services, ABC Disposal Service, Noonan Waste Services, Gilbert Trash, Jet-A-Way, Graham Waste Services and Automated Material Handling.  Sending material that residents or business customers have already sorted to landfills and waste-to-energy facilities isn't ideal for anyone involved. MassDEP stresses the importance of finding options for recycling, as required by state law, and has purposely written many of the waivers to last for just a matter of days or weeks. Local company E.L. Harvey & Sons (pictured) was recently in the news for its stockpiling challenges… MassDEP had no predictions about how long this might continue. …Processing capacity is one of many areas the agency will be studying this year as part of a comprehensive capacity survey ahead of the state's new 2020-2030 Solid Waste Master Plan. …China alone accounted for half of the world's scrap plastic purchasing, so new markets will need to be aggressively pursued. Coming to grips with the amount of contamination found in many single-stream recycling programs will also be a top priority now that these new standards are final.  More top Chinese processing group sets goals for US visit by Colin Staub, Resource Recycling, January 10, 2018  (excerpts) The China Scrap Plastics Association (CSPA) … wants to get acquainted with American plastics processors who would like Chinese processing investments for equipment or other infrastructure. The group wants to … partner with major U.S. recycling companies to build new processing infrastructure. (CSPA) said it understands the impact China’s restrictions have had on the industry both in China and the U.S., and noted that “this cooperation will benefit both sides,” Lee said. In another effort to benefit the industry in both countries, CSPA is looking to secure additional scrap plastic feedstock to feed the growing Southeast Asian processing market. Many Chinese companies have moved to this region to absorb some of the displaced material that can no longer enter China.  More top Recycling Partnership Update: Where it’s at by Dylan de Thomas, December 19, 2017, Resource Recycling (excerpts) If you just put some bins in the town square … If you just installed a few optical sortation devices at some MRFs … If you just teach the children how to recycle … “If you just” is magical thinking. And while the process of recycling might seem like magic on a YouTube video, we all know that it takes a lot of interconnected parts to move the recyclables out of the trash can and into the recycling cart – and back into new goods – to enjoy the environmental and economic benefits that recycling can deliver. So, what does it take if you can’t just? Mapping it out The Recycling Partnership looked for traditional recyclable materials most U.S. residents can put in their cart: cans, bottles, paper, cardboard, containers and cartons. … we calculated there are 105 million tons of recyclable packaging available to be captured in the U.S. … (in) the 95 million occupied single-family homes, we see 36 million tons of recyclable packaging available to be recovered. Currently, we capture 14 million tons, a little bit worse than a 40 percent (capture rate). We focus on the single-family home, because we can leverage existing infrastructure (trucks and MRFs) and knowledge to get at that additional 22 million tons of recyclable packaging. …. boost materials recovery via … billboards, social and traditional media pushes, and targeted communications. Or using those channels to combat the biggest challenge in recycling today: contamination, including plastic film and bags that should head back to retail locations. Measurement matters Over the last three years, we worked with DSM Environmental Services in Massachusetts …to measure capture rates. How do you measure a capture rate? You rent some box trucks and grab samples of paired recycling and trash carts in demographically diverse neighborhoods. Then you sort out what’s in ‘em, finding out what recyclables are in the trash and what trash is in the recycling. These capture rate studies allow us to both see which materials and behaviors need the most help and then help target those efforts. Does a community need to boost participation? We have tools for that. Does another need to get residents to put recyclables into the cart loose, instead of tied up in plastic bags that can give a MRF fits? Why, look at that – we have free tools and best management practices for that, too. Capitalizing on human capital – together (TRP has) free six-point plans to help combat contamination and help shield local programs from China’s National Sword. We can’t just. We have to do more. And we’re here to do it with you. Because you’re all where it’s at, and we’re coming to you.  More top   EVENTS (click here for details) SSRC Breakfast meeting, Thurs., Jan. 18, 8:50-10:30am, Kingston town hall, 26 Evergreen St. Quality Matters:  free resources to support plastic recycling programs, webinar, Thurs., Jan 25, 1-2:30 pm.  Register here Recycling data surveys, RDP expense reports due Feb. 15 at ReTrac SSRC Breakfast Meeting, Thurs., March 1, 2018, Abington Town Hall, 600 Gliniewicz Way Southeast Municipal Recycling Council, Wed., March 14, 8:45-noon, location TBA.  Topic:  2020 Solid Waste Master Plan. Rsvp to Kathi Mirza MassRecycle/SWANA SNE R3 conference, Mon, March 26, Sheraton Framingham.  Info here.  Please like and follow the SSRC on  top