All right. It is uh 11:18. I would like to open this board meeting for Friday, October 17th, 2025. This meeting has been posted in accordance with the provisions of mass general law chapter 38 section 20B and pursuant to chapter 38 section 20F. Notice being made that
this meeting is being recorded and will be posted on area 58 community access channel. The board chair which is myself reasonably anticipates the following matters will be discussed and or voted on in this meeting and the agenda items may be taken out of order. Doesn't apply
here because we have one agenda item uh for time management considerations. Um, all that if we could, if you guys don't mind, please rise. We're gonna do the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
forice and justice for all. >> All right. And then our time today uh we have um via Zoom selectman Thomas Pratt, myself uh Jonathan Celig, our other selectman, Bill Smith is away on
vacation, so he will not be here. Uh and we basically have one item on the agenda here and it is a timely one. We'd like to uh consider Rod Palmer for a possible appointment as interim building commissioner here for the town of Halifax. Joining us here at the table in addition
to our interim town administrator Bob Fennessy and our assistant Cherry in the um audience here is Chelsea I always make your last name Chelsea >> Dosta >> D Costa Chelsea Dosta I just know her as Chelsea. Um so we're here uh to talk to Rod about this possible appointment. So
I guess I'll open it up Rod basically a little bit about yourself and a little bit about your history uh as a building commission. >> Sure. Uh good morning uh Mr. Chair and members of the board. Um, I um uh my name is Rod Palmer. I reside in the town of Cabra. I live uh I've been living
there with uh my uh my wife and my two kids. Been there for about 12 years. I currently work uh and uh am employed by the town of Cabra as their building commissioner. Um, previous to uh, working for the town of uh, Cabra, I um,
worked as the interim building commissioner um, for the community and previous to that I worked as the for the town of Wham for a few months while they searched for a new building commissioner. Um, my um, career as a building commissioner started in uh, the
year 2000 where I was appointed as the building commissioner for the town of Rainham. uh in the town of Rainham. I worked uh for a little over 8 years. Uh from there I um took a parallel job in the town of um North Alaro as their
building commissioner. I worked for the town of North Alaro for 8 years plus or minus a month and uh from there I moved um to the town of Felmouth. Uh took a position there. I worked for the town of
Felmouth for over five years. as their building commissioner. Um in uh the year 2021 um late summer I retired and um from there I took on the position as the
interim or wareh and cover the cover interim position um from a interim building commissioner uh helping out the community as I there it um it devolved to a permanent
contribution. So, I currently work for the town of Carver 23 hours a week. Um, and so, uh, now I have an opportunity to help you folks out. So, uh, I am here today. >> Thank you. Yeah. And kudos to Bob for, uh, helping us find you, Ron. So, that's
great. Um, I know you say you've kind of downshifted a little bit as far as interim work goes. Are you staying current with all the the changing bylaws and codes that need to be followed as far as the everchanging role of a building commissioner? >> Yeah. So as as a building commissioner in the state of Massachusetts, there are
requirements that you attend continuing education. Those are requirements uh to maintaining your license. So that's something that every active building commissioner is required to do. So I do that. >> But I have been doing this for a quarter
of a century. So I have a pretty good handle on it from the zoning aspect of it uh as well as the building code uh for commercial and residential. And that's one of my questions too is uh in addition to your building commissioner duties, your zone uh zone enforcement officer as well, uh you have experience
with that and maybe share maybe some of um some of your enforcement history a little bit or any sort of unique situations that you've been involved in. >> Yeah, so so I've been involved in zoning enforcement um for my entire uh career.
Um so with every community there's always some zoning violations, some minor, some serious. Um enforcing zoning can be uh can be very challenging. Um you know it's not a criminal offense. Uh
so it's something that um you know I try to have a a good understanding of what the violation is. So, typically they would be um a complaint um could be from a neighbor or otherwise um and it could
be from uh unregistered cars in their yards or running a business. Uh there's so many variables with um zoning violations. So, I I try to have um a good understanding of what the violation is uh if it is a violation. Uh so after
um analyzing um whether it's a violation or not, if I deem that it is a violation, uh I typically reach out to that person, uh try to have a conversation with them, explain to that person or group what the violation is. Some folks don't even know they're in
violation. So, I try to communicate um with with that person um as well as the complainant and and help them understand what the issue is um and um and how to maybe resolve the issue before it goes
any further uh where it might have to um um go to court or or uh to the next step. So, uh that's that's been my strategy. It's worked well. Um getting town council involved is expensive. going to court is expensive. So, it's
been my experience through the years that um just communicating with people uh can sometimes or most of the time in my experience resolve the matter. If it doesn't uh then you have to go to the next step. But that's been my practice to try to um work it out with uh the
complainant as well as the person complaining about. Awesome. Um, and then just a quick followup. If you've driven through Halifax Center, you see we have a lot of building going on right now with a lot of goodiz projects. I'm sure in 25 years you've worked on some large
scale projects. What are some of the larger scale product uh projects that you've kind of worked on in your quarter century? Uh I had worked on uh having been in Felmouth where uh you know they have a uh 40,000 um um um 40,000 folks
in town during the off season and over a 100,000 uh in the summertime. I've been involved in um so many large scale projects from enormous um uh
residential uh subdivisions, complexes, commercial buildings, um many many um government buildings from senior centers to new town halls to park and wreck buildings. So I over the years been
involved in a lot of municipal commercial buildings, private commercial buildings, um you know from Walmarts that are uh 250,000 square feet
uh to many many many talk me off top my you know sounds like >> but you know having that barrel is a huge amount of commercial uh uh projects and and and rain too. Ranham has a
enormous industrial park and uh so um and um car not so much but um from Rainham to North I've gained a lot of experience with extremely large commercial projects. >> Awesome. And then um we talked a little
bit about we just recently went to online permitting. Um and I know you say you're familiar with uh one part maybe not necessarily the software we use but you're familiar with that concept and with that process and feel like you can get up to speed. >> Mhm. >> Awesome. And then one other thing before
I let you go. Um sometimes our ZBA and our planning may need you to come to a meeting or two. Um, is that availability you think an issue or do you think you'll be able to? >> Yeah, that's not, you know, I I um I try to attend uh without being asked to do
so. I try to attend any planned board meetings or zoning board meetings that are something that I think warrants my um my presence and it not all of them uh but those that I think will help me
understand what the project is about and have an idea of um what's working its way to the building department. So, it's um it's in most cases more beneficial for me to to to attend a zoning board
hearing or a planning board uh whether it's a site plan review or a special permit just so I have an understanding and idea uh of what's working its way up so when it gets to me I'm cognizant of what it's about. >> Great. Great. Well, that's all the
questions I have. I know we have selectman Pratt on the line there too. Tom, did you have any questions for Rod at all? >> Uh, well, you took the one I was going to ask, but I just had a followup. Uh, sorry I couldn't sorry I don't have a video stream and couldn't be there. Uh, thank you for your interest. Can you guys hear me? Okay.
>> Yeah, we got you talking. >> Okay. So, yes, obviously some great experience, vast knowledge and so forth. And but what I was just going to touch on, I'm glad to hear you say about the being proactive about attending the meetings that might be beneficial for you to attend and also beneficial for the committee to have you at for some
insight and some knowledge. My question was just going to be about availability. U making sure that you're not stretching yourself too thin, 23 hours a week in Carver up to 24 here. Just making sure that that's something that you're comfortable with for this 100 day stretch at a minimum. Yeah, I don't know that I would be able
to um I don't know that I could do 24 hours. I'm not. >> And and if I may, um that's kind of a a cap on a weekly. So, it'll be that he's able to give us that we'll gladly take.
>> Yeah. I mean, I I don't know. Um you know, I've not worked here. Um so, I'm not familiar with the dynamics of the town, but 24 hours is is a lot of hours in in in a community that, you know, I I know that you have a
lot going on, but that's a lot of hours for a community that has 8,000 people. I mean, I work in Cabra 23 hours um and I think K's 12,000 people. We have quite a bit going on and uh I achieve what needs to be done in in 23 hours without a problem in Cab.
>> Great. >> Okay. So, you're but okay. And so I can rephrase, but you're comfortable signing on for this 100 days to help us out and you're comfortable with your ability to keep up with the work as needed as it comes through your desk. >> Yes. Awesome. Perfect. Any other questions, Tom?
>> No, I'm good. Thank you for Thank you for stepping up for us. >> Any any questions from the audience at all? >> No. >> Okay. Uh seeing none. Um again, Rod, I want to thank you for stepping in. Um >> my pleasure. We, you know, we had a we
had a interim filling in for us who who left, was it last week, I think two weeks ago. So, uh, timing is of the utmost importance as well. Not saying that we're rushing this through, uh, but it's nice when the timing works and we have a qualified candidate like yourself to really come in and hopefully make
this as seamless as as possible. So, um, that being said, with no other discussion, I'll entertain a motion to appoint, uh, Robin Palmer as the interim building commissioner for the town of Halifax >> and zoning enforcement officer. Thank
you, Bob. Um and uh as of October 17th, 2025 uh with a term ending this says January 31st, 2026 >> and then with additional extensions if necessary >> with additional extensions if necessary.
>> So move to authorize me to negotiate separate. Um all right, I have a so moved. I will second that. We're going to do a roll call vote because it's a Zoom meeting. Tom. >> Yes. >> Myself as a yes. Passes two to zero. In addition, Tom, I'm going to entertain a
motion to allow uh interim town administrator Bob Fennessy to act as the signing authority uh for this contract. >> So moved. >> And I will second that. Again, a roll call vote. Tom Crap. >> Yes.
>> Myself as a yes. Passes to zero. Okay. Okay. Any other discussion we have to have before we adjourn for the day? >> No. Again, Rob, you got anything, Bob? >> Uh, just that, you know, I hired him in commerce. Uh, he stood well above any
other candidate that came in uh for interviews. Didn't know didn't know him then. Uh, and I I can just say that he's one of the best employees I ever had there. >> Excellent. >> And the personality, everything, it all melts together. You know, I think
Halifax is being well served here. >> We're doing good with our interims. I got to say we're doing all right. So, no, seriously, I appreciate you stepping in. I feel really confident about this situation. And, uh, if there's anything the board select can do to help you out, Rob, let us.
So, all right. I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> So, moved. >> And I will second. Roll call vote. Thomas Pratt. >> Yes. >> Myself is a yes. meeting is adjourned at 11:30. Thank you very much.