Compiled by The Hull Times staff

JANUARY

The select board voted to retain a consultant to assist in the search for a replacement for Town Manager Philip Lemnios, who would retire on June 30 after more than 25 years of service to the town. The new town manager would begin work at the beginning of Fiscal 2024.

The select board supported the Affordable Housing Committee’s request to file a grant application to participate in the Municipal Engagement Initiative program in partnership with the Citizens Housing and Planning Association, with a focus on bringing together local businesses, houses of worship, civic groups, and individuals to build coalitions of support for affordable housing production.

The owners of the Paragon Boardwalk presented a revised development plan to the select board that called for a six-story, 142-unit residential building and two levels of commercial space – 26 units larger and one story higher than their previous proposal for the property. In 2021, the owners withdrew their application for the proposed Dunes project that was to include 116 residential units in a five-story building adjacent to the Boardwalk, along with limited commercial space.

The Hull Council on Aging was awarded funding to support older adults’ behavioral health needs through the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging. Through a contract with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Hull senior center would partner with a group of mental health resources to address the mental health needs of older adults.

The school committee voted 4 to 1 in favor of taking the first step toward consolidating Hull’s three schools – 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. This meant that fifth-graders who would normally move on to the middle school would remain at the Jacobs for sixth grade. The final reconfiguration plan called for the Jacobs School housing grades PreK to 7 and the high school grades 8 to 12, starting with the 2024-25 school year. This would leave the middle school building available for possible municipal or other educational uses.

Hundreds of hardy souls braved the cold water of the Atlantic in two separate polar plunge fundraisers. In January, The Plunge for Wellspring attracted spectators who lined the seawall to watch the swimmers hit the water. A second event, held in February, helped raise money for The Anchor of Hull with a polar plunge at Pemberton Pier.

Hull Public Schools won a $20K grant to fund a mental health helpline for Hull students and adults, entering a partnership with Interface Referral Service, a mental health resource. The program would offer referrals for outpatient health services through a helpline that is available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FEBRUARY

Residents crowded into the Hull High School exhibition room to hear the first in a series of six public presentations on the Hull Redevelopment Authority’s Urban Renewal Plan for potential development of its 13-acre parcel. The draft plan envisioned several uses for the property, which stretches from Water Street to Phipps Street. In-person and Zoom presentations were scheduled for February, March, and April.

The owners of the Nantasket Flatts restaurant announced that they would close permanently and were in talks with another food-service operation to take over the beachfront space.

The Community Preservation Committee unanimously endorsed six requests for funding that would be considered by voters in the spring town meeting. The projects included $1.5 million to renovate the Village Fire Station, $99,000 for the Hampton Circle Playground, $55,000 to repair the L Street Playground and tennis courts, as well as $30,000 for playground shade structures, $70,000 to restore the Paragon Carousel windows, and $28,000 for a waterfront access consultant.

Community Paradigm Associates was hired to conduct the search for a new town manager. The process would include creating a screening committee, advertising, conducting surveys, and interviewing candidates.

Craig Wolfe was honored for his service to the town and to local veterans’ causes. Wolfe works for the American Red Cross as a disaster-relief coordinator and is well-known around town for his involvement in community programs that help his neighbors. Veterans Services Officers from surrounding towns joined the local veterans group to pay tribute to him.

Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable announced her resignation after serving on the board for seven years, stating that her involvement with the Hull community would continue. Constable’s stepping down followed Town Manager Philip Lemnios’s announcement that he planned to retire on June 30. During an earlier select board discussion about next steps in the town manager search and interviews with two consulting firms, Constable either recused herself or was not present.

The proposed $47.5 million Fiscal 2024 budget included $130,000 for a new assistant town manager position, and a continuing commitment to the Council on Aging by increasing staff hours to reflect the growing demand for services and programming. The overall budget proposal, crafted by Lemnios and Town Accountant Michael Buckley, represented a $1,997,348 increase over FY23’s $45.5-million figure, or a 4.39% total increase.

The Hull Redevelopment Authority voted to modify its potential development in response to residents’ feedback on the draft Urban Renewal Plan, deciding to focus on an option containing more open space.

MARCH

The planning board approved, with conditions, the site plan for redevelopment of the former Marylou’s building on Atlantic Avenue, at the intersection with School Street.

Ed McCabe retired from his role as maritime program director of the Hull Lifesaving Museum after more than 40 years of service.

The select board increased the annual permit fee charged to parking lot operators from $10 to $50 per space and set the same parking permit conditions as in 2022 for the Hull Redevelopment Authority lot. The conditions included a maximum of 500 spaces.

Five-term member of the select board Domenico Sestito issued a statement that he would not run for another term. He thanked the town, its voters, and his family.

After a contentious debate, the select board elected Vice Chair Donna Pursel to serve as chair until the May town election. Retiring select board member Domenico Sestito also ran for the position.

The Hull Redevelopment Authority filed a preliminary subdivision application with the planning board, which started the clock on an eight-year zoning freeze on the 13-acre property. The procedure would allow the authority the option to continue its ongoing review of development options under its draft Urban Renewal Plan, regardless of whether voters approved an article on the May town meeting warrant to rezone the HRA property as open space.

The Hull Nantasket Chamber’s first annual St. Patrick’s Celebration featured shenanigans all over town, including musical performances, Irish step-dancing demonstrations, and a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner. Hull senior citizens were hosted at the Parrot for dinner and dancing.

Volunteers swarmed Nantasket Beach to plant 15,000 culms of beach grass in order to stabilize the sand dunes on the town-owned section of the beach, from Phipps Street northward. Volunteers have planted grass each spring since 2006.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency determined that Hull property owners would qualify for a 15% discount for most National Flood Insurance Program policies issued or renewed on or after Oct. 1, 2023. The results of the NFIP Community Rating System field verification allowed Hull to retain its current CRS rating.

A seven-member committee comprised of town officials and two citizens was created to work with the consultant searching for Hull’s next town manager. Membership on the committee would consist of two select board members and one each from the advisory board and school committee, a department head to be named by the other department heads, and two members of the community. Select board members Irwin Nesoff and Greg Grey and advisory board member Patricia Cormier were appointed to the committee. Roger Lewenberg and Kim Roy were later appointed to fill the two community member openings.

A representative of a citizens group opposed to development on the Hull Redevelopment Authority land asked the select board to place a non-binding question on the May town election ballot about the future of the 13-acre parcel. The proposed question would ask voters whether they think the HRA property should be used as open space and recreation or for residential and commercial development. The board would later respond to a request from the Hull Redevelopment Authority asking it to hold off on placing the question on the ballot, and would agree to do so, calling any such ballot question premature.

The Hull Municipal Light Board discussed the status of Hull’s wind turbines. They noted that Hull Wind 1 at Pemberton Point is inoperable and there has been another failure of Hull Wind 2. The board noted that the company that built the machines has left the Northeast and getting parts is more difficult.

A citizens’ petition warrant article for the May town meeting proposed to restrict development by changing the zoning of a large section of the Hull Redevelopment Authority’s property to open space.

APRIL

First-grade teacher Lindsey Rajan was appointed the new assistant principal of the Jacobs Elementary School. Rajan, who has taught in Hull since 2016, would begin her new duties in July.

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. Both the project’s special permit and developer Jonathan Levitt’s filing of a preliminary subdivision plan received favorable action. 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 would not immediately take effect.

The Hull Redevelopment Authority announced plans to delay its third set of public meetings from late April until the end of May so the HRA could refine its draft Urban Renewal Plan while incorporating public feedback.

US Marine Corps veteran Bill Leary was honored at the monthly veterans’ coffee hour with certificates of recognition from Massachusetts State Senate, House of Representatives, and an award from the select board for his service to veterans.

The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s signature rowing race, the 42nd annual Snow Row, took place at the Windmill Point Boathouse. Rowers enjoyed a beautiful day with calm seas and blue skies. The race was originally scheduled for March, but weather conditions forced its postponement.

After serving for 17 years on the school committee and deciding not to run for re-election, Stephanie Peters was honored for her dedication and hard work by a large turnout of students, staff, sports team members, friends, and family during her last meeting.

MAY

Nearly 400 voters took 12 hours over three nights to work through a 26-article annual town meeting warrant at the high school. For the first time, an electronic voting system using clickers was implemented. Voters approved the inclusion of $130,000 to pay for an assistant town manager in the Fiscal 2024 budget. There was a “no action” vote on the Accessory Dwelling Unit article, and the proposed open-space zoning for the HRA parcel was defeated. Voters also approved spending up to $986,802 from one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds for design and construction of improvements to the sewer treatment plant. Also approved by voters was an article that removes the room/bedroom maximum within residential units in mixed-use buildings in the business district, providing developers with the option to construct family-sized units. Voters said “no” to instituting limits on the time served by select board members.

A three-alarm fire on Q Street closed main roads for two hours during the May town election’s voting window. Voting hours were extended by two hours to make up for the closure. Early results showed that Jason McCann, Jerry Taverna, and Brian McCarthy were the top vote-getters for seats on the select board. Chair Donna Pursel, who ran for re-election, came in fourth. Pat Finn and Adrienne Paquin had the most votes for seats on the Hull Redevelopment Authority.

The certification of election results and seating of new officials was put on hold after a judge denied the town’s request to count votes cast after the 8 p.m. on voting day. The town had asked a Brockton Superior Court judge to issue an emergency order validating the extension of voting hours. The judge denied the request. None of the winning candidates would be sworn into office until the matter was resolved.

The seven-member search committee and Community Paradigm Associates interviewed the semifinalists for the town manager position, leading up to an announcement of the three finalists. Chosen from a pool of 21 candidates that was narrowed down to six semifinalists, the semifinalists were former Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable, Peter Caruso of Scituate, and Thomas Guerino of Vermont.

JUNE

A Plymouth Superior Court judge ruled that all votes cast in the May town election would count – including the 80 or so cast between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. – and granted approval for a limited reopening of the polls. Town Clerk Lori West announced that the polls would reopen for two hours on June 13 to accommodate voters who could not get to them due to a blocked road on Election Day. Any voter who did not cast a ballot on that date could also vote on June 13. Voting would occur between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., the approximate time of the detour around the May 15 fire.

Nearly five months after presenting plans to redevelop the Paragon Boardwalk property to the select board, the developer would formally ask the Zoning Board of Appeals for a height variance. The Procopio Companies of Middleton submitted plans for a 75-foot-tall building with 142 residential units, as well as a three-story commercial structure and an attached one-story deck. The maximum allowable height in the Nantasket Beach Overlay District is 40 feet.

Hull residents turned out in force to honor those who gave their lives in service to the country on Memorial Day, with the traditional parade stepping off at the high school and ending at the Gold Star Mothers Memorial at Hull Village Cemetery. Volunteers ensured that the cemetery was well decorated with flags in advance of the ceremony. Following the Memorial Day ceremony at the Hull Village Cemetery, several memorial squares were dedicated to veterans on streets near their former residences.

Hull High’s senior class had a busy couple of weeks to end their final year of school, with the traditional photo session at Mariners Park prior to the prom at Granite Links, a visit to where it all began at the Jacobs Elementary School, and graduation ceremonies on June 3.

The month-long uncertainty over the results of Hull’s annual town election came to a close as 382 more people cast their ballots in a court-ordered extension of voting hours. The new voting totals flipped the race for a five-year seat on the Hull Redevelopment Authority, giving the spot to Daniel Kernan over Patrick Finn. In addition, the school committee results also were clarified, as write-in candidate Regan Yakubian won the second seat on the school committee with 1,110 votes, behind incumbent Ernest Minelli with 1,204.

One day after voting concluded, three new select board members – Jason McCann, Jerry Taverna, and Brian McCarthy – attended their first meeting, participating in the unanimous vote to elect Greg Grey as chair, Irwin Nesoff as vice chair, and McCann as clerk.

The select board named former Select Board Chair Jennifer Constable as Hull’s first new town manager in 16 years. Following a more than one-hour interview, Constable was unanimously named to the position. The other two finalists, Peter Caruso and Thomas Guerino, also underwent extensive interviews during the four-hour meeting.

The select board appointed Police Chief John Dunn acting town manager and approved a proposal by retiring Town Manager Philip Lemnios to provide interim consulting services until his replacement, Constable, began her duties later in the summer. Dunn would maintain the day-to-day operations of the town and attend select board meetings. Lemnios would work about 15 hours weekly as a consultant and would be paid a flat fee of $2,250 per week.

The travels of a black bear, nicknamed 24Bravo by public safety officials, captured the imaginations of Hull residents as the bear briefly visited the southern part of town, traveling from West Corner through the woods near the Hall Estate before swimming across the river to World’s End.

Watch next week’s edition for a review of the top news stories of the second half of 2023.

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