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Dennehy named to Local Emergency Team

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On the same night that Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy was appointed to Plympton’s Local Emergency Team, the Plympton selectmen’s meeting’s major focus was on addressing emergency situations caused by the Jan. 4 “bombogenesis” winter storm.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy spoke of the recent cold temperatures that caused a water pipe to break at the Plympton Town House. Dennehy said. “There was a fairly extensive amount of damage.”

She said most of the damage was in the lobby, Town Clerk Tara Shaw’s office, lunch room, and small area by the the vault. Much of the tiling had to be scrapped completely.

Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo praised the town custodian for his response and how fast he was able to get the Town House in clean, workable conditions. The Fire Department was also involved in the stoppage of the leak and salvaging the town hall.

Dennehy said most of the town hall was open again by Wednesday, Jan. 3. Town Clerk Tara Shaw’s office took longer to be operational again.

Issues at the School

School Committee Representative Jon Wilhelmsen attended the selectmen’s meeting to discuss the broken backup generator at Dennett Elementary School.

The school held a test for the generator prior to the blizzard. Wilhelmsen said, “The test fired and blew a part…It’s a miracle we didn’t lose power.”

He added that on Friday evening, Fire Chief Borsari came to inspect the broken generator and noticed an electrical fire smell. The well pump failed and there ended up being a small electrical fire in the fuse panel.

According to Borsari, it took Eversource 4 hours to respond, so the fire department issued a fire watch during that time.

The school is currently being powered by a portable temporary back-up generator. However, its lease is costing the town $1,500 per week. Schools cannot have an occupancy permit without a backup power source, so a permanent solution needs to come in the immediate future.

Wilhelmsen and the Board of Selectmen explored options for a permanent solution for the school. One option explored was repairing the 15-year-old generator. Wilhelmsen estimated the cost will be in the $8,000 to $12,000 range.

Given the cost and age, the Board is seriously considering a new and larger generator.

Selectman John Traynor wants to explore if a larger generator would be more efficient from a cost and performance perspective. Wilhelmsen estimated the cost to set up a new generator to be in the $25,000 to $35,000 range.

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said the Board of Selectmen will also explore grant options.

Old Town House Update

The Board of Selectmen discussed the renewal of the lease for the Old Town House. A large aspect of the renewal was centered around who will provide maintenance for the building.

Going forward, the town is setting up a plan to be responsible financially for the maintenance of the Old Town House. The Board of Selectmen wants the town custodian to maintain the building.

In order to accomplish this, the Board discussed increasing the town custodian’s hours from 15 per week to 20. Increasing his hours to 20 per week would make the town custodian eligible for benefits.

The Board of Selectmen fully intends to do this for the next fiscal year that starts in July. Traynor said the Finance Committee would also have to be involved because of the inclusion of benefits.

In the meantime, Dennehy suggested raising the town custodian’s hours to 19 per week for the rest of this fiscal year. All three members of the Board said they liked the idea.

Other News

The draft of Municipal Resources, Inc’s consulting report is still pending. Dennehy said the draft won’t be ready until the first week of February.

The next Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting is Monday, Jan. 22. Open session begins at 6 p.m.

Blizzard of 2018: What Happened and What to Expect Going Forward

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Thursday, Jan. 4, brought the first blizzard of 2018, a bombogenesis that hit Plymouth County especially hard.

According to data from our regional  National Weather Service headquarters in Taunton, much of the county was in the double digits for inches of snowfall. Though no data was provided for the official precipitation totals in Plympton and Halifax, several other nearby communities were provided.

East Bridgewater had the most snowfall in the entire county at 16.5 inches, while Brockton and Hanover were behind at 16.4 and 14.5 inches respectfully. Plymouth had the least amount of snow at 7.5 inches. Wind gusts also exceeded 50 miles-per-hour in several municipalities.

The storm caused sporadic power outages in both Plympton and Halifax. Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros said, “It was a significant storm; we had several down wires and blown transformers.”

Viveiros described these outages as sporadic and was pleased with National Grids response. He said, “National Grid was on scene within 5-10 minutes of calling.” Viveiors said these quick responses were a large part of why Halifax didn’t have to open any emergency shelters.

Responses differed in Plympton with the Dennett Elementary School. Before the storm, Plympton Fire Chief Warren Borsari received a call from Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto about the backup generator test blowing a part.

Initially, Borsari thought the initial problem was just with the transfer switch. However, the generator failed entirely.

Borsari responded and said, “Upon entry, I smelled burning electrical oil…The well pump burned out and caused a small fire in the fuse panel.”

The Plympton Fire Department then posted a fire watch until Eversource could arrive. Borsari said it took Eversource about 4 hours to respond to the Dennett School.

The generator, however, was damaged beyond repair. Borsari said the school cannot have an occupancy permit without a backup power source. He said, “In order to get school back in session, we need a temporary repair.”

The school has a temporary backup power unit in the meantime, so school was back in session on Monday. However, the unit cost Plympton $1,500 per week.

At last Monday’s selectmen’s meeting, Dennett School Committee representative Jon Wilhelmsen estimated it would cost between $8,000 to $12,000 to repair the generator.

The school is also exploring replacing the generator, which he estimated would cost between  $25,000 to $35,000.

In addition to damage at the school, Borsari said that sporadic lines went down across town. In particular there were reported outages on Ring Road, Elm Street and the communication tower at 1 Joey Circle.

Borsari said the tower has a huge backup generator. Police and Fire Department communications were never interrupted.

Plympton Town House Pipe Burst

The snowfall and wind gusts were not the only factors causing damage. On Wednesday, Jan 3, the frigid temperatures caused a pipe to burst in the Plympton Town House

Borsari said the water pipe burst in the foyer near Town Clerk Tara Shaw’s office. According to Borsari, a police officer also went downstairs to use the bathroom and heard water running.

The pipe burst caused the town hall to close through January 2, 2018. The fire department as well as the custodian responded for the initial stoppage of the leak and the salvage/clean-up process.

There was significant damage in Town Clerk Tara Shaw’s office. (Include photos).

What to Expect Going Forward

Elanor Vallier-Talbot from the National Weather Service in Taunton, said temperatures are expected to skyrocket into the high 50s on Friday, January 12, 2018. However, the county is also expected to get about 2-3 inches of rain.

Vallier-Talbot said the temperatures rising at this rapid pace with the high amount of snow on the ground raises concern for potential flooding. She said, “When temperatures get this warm with this type of snow, it will refreeze at night.”

This causes the snow to compact and start to melt. Vallier-Talbot advised, “dig out storm drains as snows melt to prevent flooding.”

She said there’s also danger of flooding near rivers, especially with Friday’s expected rain. The recent cold temperatures caused rivers to freeze. When the temperature increases with the rain, there’s a high chance that rivers will cause some flooding.

Vallier-Talbot described this winter as “topsy-turvy.” She said to expect a cold front to come late Saturday night. Temperatures are expected to drop into the mid to high twenties by Sunday. She said that as temperatures drop, some of the expected rain could turn to snow.

Property Tax rate set for FY18

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen reaffirmed its vote on the tax classifications for fiscal year 2018 at last Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

The tax classifications were originally approved at the Board of Selectmen Meeting on Monday, November 27, 2017, but the Board of Assessors wanted to meet with the Selectmen to discuss the classifications more thoroughly. Board of Assessors Clerk Ethan Stiles recommended a single tax rate for all regardless of if its residential, commercial, industrial, or open space property.

There was discussion about possible exemptions for residential and open space properties. Stiles said, “It could take business away from the town if we place the burden on them (commercial, industrial categories).”

The Board of Selectmen voted for no exemptions for residential, commercial, industrial, or open space properties. According to Stiles, all property tax classifications are estimated to be taxed at a rate of $17.52 per $1,000.

Social Media Update

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy announced that after launching only a week ago, Plympton’s official town Facebook page has a little over 300 followers. As of Wednesday, December 20, 2017, that number is now up to 322 followers and 294 likes.

Old Town House Update

The Board of Selectmen discussed a possible renegotiation of the Old Town House’s lease terms between them and the Plympton Historical Society.

The reason for potential renegotiations are about the maintenance of the building. Selectman John Traynor said he wants the town custodian to be responsible for the maintenance of this building rather than the Plympton Historical Society.

The Plympton Historical Society only has one current member, Jessica Kinsman. Traynor said that the Historical Society doesn’t have the resources to maintain the building and believes it’s the town’s responsibility.

Other News

• The Plympton Housing Production Committee’s affordable housing plan for the town is now approved by both the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board and is pending state approval. Suggested changes to the plan were made including showing Cato’s Ridge and Churchill Park as protected open spaces.

• The Board of Selectmen said the Sysco Abatement contract between the Board of Assessors and Integra Reality Resources has been officially signed.

• There were no new updates on Municipal Resource’s study of the town’s fire and EMS operations. The Board said a draft is expected in the coming weeks.

The Town House closes at 12 p.m. on Thursday December 21, 2017. It will reopen for business on Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at 9 a.m.

The next Board of Selectmen Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 2, 2017.  Open session starts at 6 p.m.

Plympton turns to Facebook

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Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy presented a plan for a social media strategy for Plympton at the Board of Selectmen Meeting last Monday. However, there was some disagreement about the best way to grow the town’s presence on Facebook.

Dennehy suggested making one general town Facebook page, but believes there shouldn’t be a comment section for it. She said the page should be “informative not interactive.”

Both Dennehy and Town Clerk Tara Shaw, who will both be handling most of Plympton’s social media agree with this notion due to concerns about violating open meeting laws. Dennehy said, “I don’t think the page should interact with other pages or groups.”

The notion of not having a comment section was a belief shared by all members of the Board of Selectmen. There was some disagreement about interacting with other groups, like Plympton Helping Plympton.

Plympton Helping Plympton is a closed Facebook group where Plympton residents and former residents will discuss things related to the town. Most of the time, the discussions in the group are not related to municipal government. Selectmen John Traynor said they can be about things as simple as someone needing a babysitter.

Local government topics do get discussed on occasion and Traynor believes this is a resource the town should be tapping into. Traynor said there are about 2,500 people in the group, Plympton Helping Plympton.

Town Administrator Dennehy, Town Clerk Shaw, and the rest of the Board of Selectmen expressed not wanting to post to the group. Dennehy and Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said they have concerns about open meeting law violations, particularly because Plympton Helping Plympton is not a public group.

Traynor said he doesn’t think there is a violation because his idea is to post the exact same announcement to Plympton Helping Plympton as they would the town website or Facebook page.

Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo said he’s concerned that the town could lose control over misinformation, in a private forum rather than just their own channels. Commenting couldn’t be turned off in a platform the Board of Selectmen doesn’t control. However, Russo remained open to the idea if the posts were the same.

He suggested Plympton creates its Facebook page first and then explore revisiting some of Traynor’s ideas at a later time.  Selectmen voted to start a Facebook page for the town.

According to Dennehy and Shaw, the Facebook page will not be used to replace the website, but bring residents to the town’s official website. Shaw said she already does this from her personal Facebook page within the Facebook group, Plympton Helping Plympton. She doesn’t comment, but will post links to the town website where official information can be found.

Dennehy said, “We don’t want Facebook to replace the website.” She said she sees it as a bridge to the town website.

Electrical Aggregation Update

Mark Cappadona, the president of Colonial Power Group was at the Board of Selectmen Meeting to answer any questions residents may have about the upcoming electrical aggregation service for Plympton. The Plympton Board of Selectmen previously signed a 6-month contract that opts residents into this program starting on January 1, 2018.

Members of the Board of Selectmen said there was some confusion among residents about the service, so Cappadona came in to clear up any questions. However, only one resident attended the meeting.

Joan Harper, the Plympton resident in attendance, asked who she would contact if she opts out of the program, but still sees herself as in it on her electrical bill. Cappadona said she would contact Colonial Power directly and they’d take care of it without any opt out penalty.

Cappadona said there’s no penalty for opting in or out of the program. He described the program as the town giving residents another option that guarantees savings on their electrical bill for the first six months.

Electrical rates for NStar Eversource are expected to increase to 13.175 cents per kilowatt hour this winter. Cappadonna says Colonial Power offers about a 9% savings compared to the standard product.

Eversource is still the electrical supplier for Plympton. Cappadona said this is only a financial transaction and doesn’t affect who to contact about power outages and other issues.

Other News

• The appointment of two new fire lieutenants were approved by the Board of Selectmen. Paul Gallagher and John Sjostedt were both appointments as new members of the fire department.

• Liquor licenses were renewed for Plympton Gas and Convenience, Plympton Convenience Store, and Upland Sportsman’s’ Club. Upland Sportsman’s Club also had its range permit renewed.

The next Selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 11, 2017. Open session starts at 6 p.m.

Town Adm. Dennehy’s first Plympton meeting

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Plympton’s first town administrator, Elizabeth Dennehy officially began her post at Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

Dennehy brings more than 10 years of experience in municipal government. She served as the Community Development Director in Walpole and also spent time as the Planning Director and Environmental Affairs Officer in Fall River.

Dennehy expressed that she thinks she’ll enjoy being a part of the Plympton community. She said, “I feel like this is going to be a good fit. It closely aligns with my background both professionally and personally as far as being from a small town in South Eastern Mass.”

Town Administrator Dennehy will host a meet and greet with town residents on December 11, 2017 at 7:15 p.m. Selectman John Traynor said residents can come in for coffee and meet their new town administrator following the Board of Selectmen Meeting.

Plympton Housing Production Committee Update

The Plympton Housing Production Committee moved closer to completing an affordable housing plan for the town by presenting a draft of its plan to the Board of Selectmen.

Per state requirements, 10 percent of a city or town’s housing must be classified as affordable housing. The state determines the qualifications that deem a residency affordable.

If a community doesn’t meet that 10 percent threshold, a development company can bypass that town’s zoning board with little recourse for the town to take after the fact.

The committee presented a plan to the Board of Selectmen, who approved the plan. There wasn’t much discussion on the details of the production plan itself.  Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said the draft still needs to be reviewed by the Planning Board.

One thing that was mentioned was the housing production plan aims to create affordable housing in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the rural aesthetic of the community. The 10% affordable housing also doesn’t have to be reached all at once. The plan develops ways to raise the amount of affordable housing by .5 percent annually.

Tax Classification Update

Tax classifications for residential, commercial, and industrial properties were not changed from last year per the Board of Assessors meeting with the Board of Selectmen.

The Board of Selectmen took the recommendation of the Board of Assessors and voted that all three property classifications will continue to be taxed at the same rate. There will also continue to be no exemption for residential small businesses.

Other News

• Town Accountant Barbara Gomez’s new contract was approved unanimously by the Board of Selectmen.

• The Assistant Assessor Position is still posted on the MAO website as well as in the employment opportunity section on Plympton’s official town website. According to Selectmen’s Assistant Briggette Martins, only three applicants have applied thus far.

• In a letter of correspondence, Council on Aging Director is requesting a direct phone line for the Council on Aging. Traynor and Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo both said they were in favor of this and want to look at the cost first.

Housing Production Plan reaches draft stage

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A draft of Plympton’s housing production plan will soon be viewable on the town’s website, said Selectmen Chair Christine Joy at the Monday, November 13, 2017 Selectmen’s meeting.

The Housing Production Planning Committee used survey results so that residents could have a say in how more affordable housing should be implemented in Plympton.

According to Joy, 55.5 percent of survey respondents have lived in town for 20 or more years. However, only 27 of the 84 respondents were 65 years of age or older.

Joy said she’s been in communication with Council on Aging Director Joy Marble on how to help senior citizens have access to affordable housing. She went on to address how seniors in particular can be most vulnerable without affordable housing options.

When speaking with Marble, Joy mentioned that Marble could name three people off the top of her head who would be homeless by the end of the month without some sort of affordable housing option.

The Housing Production Planning Committee has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November 15, 2017. A draft will be finalized for review at this meeting.

Joy said, “We’re going through the plan page-by-page on Wednesday.” The draft will then be shared with the Board of Selectmen. This will give Selectman John Traynor and Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions. Once this is done, the housing plan will go to the Planning Board for review.

Fire/EMS Update

The Board of Selectmen said Municipal Resources Inc.’s (MRI) draft findings for the study of the Plympton Fire Department is still on schedule to be done by the first week of the new year.

Last week, Bob Loomer and Bob Craig from MRI visited the Town Hall and met with Board of Selectmen members individually. Certain department members were also updated by Loomer and Craig.

Projector Installed    in selectmen’s    meeting room

A high definition projector was installed in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room last Monday before the Selectmen’s meeting. The projector will be used for presentations at the Selectmen meetings and is visible on Area 58 community access broadcast for the public to see.

Ockers Company, a computer consulting firm based out of Brockton, installed the projector. Ockers met with and started planning the project with the Board of Selectmen back in September of this year.

Selectman John Traynor said he was very impressed with how fast and neat Ockers was with the installation. According to Selectmen Chair Christine Joy, installation and clean-up only took a few hours.

Silver Lake Regional School District Technology Director Steve Pellowe assisted selectmen in learning how to use the projector. Board members described the projector as easy to use and said they were very satisfied with its picture, and with how the projection doesn’t come from across the room, so someone standing partially in front of the board wouldn’t block the entire picture.

Pellowe’s assistance will be called on if needed going forward. The projector is the same model used at Dennett Elementary School.

Other Town News

• New Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy officially filled out her paperwork on Wednesday, November 8, 2017. Dennehy then was taken on a tour of the Town Hall and was introduced to department members and others from the community. She will officially start on Monday, Nov. 27.

• The open Assistant Assessor position was posted on the MAO website. The Board of Selectmen also would like to see the position posted on the town website, but said that’s ultimately up to the Board of Assessors.

The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, November 20. Open session starts at 6 p.m.

Town’s emergency plans under review after storm

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Monday, Nov. 6, the Plympton Board of Selectmen and Fire Chief Warren Borsari reviewed the state of the town’s emergency preparedness following the unexpected tropical storm on Monday Oct. 30.

Plympton was able to handle the situation without having to call on outside help, but both Borsari and the Board agreed there are items that need to be addressed to improve the town’s emergency preparedness going forward.

One thing Selectman John Traynor mentioned was it was unclear whether the town house should have been closed on Monday, as it’s normally used as a warming shelter during these types of emergencies. Traynor asked Borsari who is typically responsible for opening a shelter.

Borsari said it’s the responsibility of the fire department to open these shelters and there also needs to be some sort of police presence at least outside the building. Both Borsari and the Board admitted there could be staffing or budget issues with this.

With these concerns in mind, Borsari mentioned utilizing the CERT program. CERT stands for Citizen Emergency Response Teams. Borsari described it as a “community oriented, civic-minded approach. According to Borsari, there are resources available to help Plympton incorporate the CERT program.

Another emergency preparedness suggestion came from Traynor. He said more text updates and social media alerts should help the community be more prepared for bad weather and allow them to know where emergency shelters are if needed.

Borsari said the police department already does reverse 911 calls for the fire department, but he said he was open to Traynor’s suggestions.

The wind ended up being worse than Borsari thought it would be. Borsari said there weren’t any extra people on staff; the department had on its usual two fire engines and two call cars.

Most of the town ended up losing power, and the fire department had to act in a situation they admit they weren’t fully prepared for. Borsari said the highway department was great and helped remove trees.

Plympton opened a warming shelter at the town hall on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. Most of the town had its power restored by Wednesday, November 1, 2017. According to Borsari, there were eight customers still without power Wednesday.

Chief Borsari praised the job that the town’s major electric supplier, Eversource, did handling the outages. He said, “In my opinion, Eversource did a very good job for us.”

Housing Production Plan Update

Selectman Chair Christine Joy said that the Housing Production Planning Committee reviewed its survey results. The committee used this survey in order to get community feedback on how to create more affordable housing in Plympton.

Joy said most of the survey results came from people in their mid-40s to mid-50s. The committee is also working with Council on Aging Director Joy Marble to get more input from senior citizens.

There’s a Housing Production Planning Committee Meeting on Wednesday, November 15, 2017. The committee plans to finalize a draft for its housing production plan at this meeting.

Other News

• The Plympton Board of Selectmen successfully negotiated a contract with Elizabeth Dennehy, who will become Plympton’s first Town Administrator. Dennehy’s first day will be Monday, November 27, 2017.

• According to the Board of Selectmen, Municipal Resources Inc. (MRI) will have its first draft of its operational study of the fire department in about 90 days. Before releasing the draft, MRI will do one-on-one calls with each member of the Board of Selectmen to discuss the state of the department.

The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 13, 2017. Open session begins at 6 p.m.

Selectmen hear solar proposal for Silver Lake campus

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The Silver Lake Regional School District is considering a parking lot solar project with Hopkinton, Mass. based Solect Energy in the parking lots of the high school and middle school.

Plympton’s representative to the Silver Lake Regional School District Jason Fraser discussed the proposed project with the Plympton Board of Selectmen at its meeting on Monday.

According to Fraser, the project involves building solar canopies in the high school and middle school parking lots. He said Solect estimates the canopies providing up to 2 megawatts of energy.

Fraser said, “This is purely a revenue generating idea.”  The school is already in a contract for a solar power plan, so this energy would not be used for the school itself. Fraser also reminded the Board that a yes vote would not bind the school committee to denying the project later on.

The Board of Selectmen asked Fraser several questions about the project. Selectman John Traynor asked if any parking spots would be eliminated from the project. He said his only real concerns were aesthetic.

Fraser said the district shares concerns about how the project would affect the appearance of the lots and it was an important factor going forward. He said he’s taken the time to visit the sites of other lots where Solect has done this sort of work.

Though he hasn’t heard any negatives, Fraser said this would be by far Solect’s biggest project in the state. This, according to Fraser, is mostly due to the size of the parking lot. He also said no parking spots would be lost in this plan.

Selectmen Chair Christine Joy asked about the estimated revenue this project would provide, but as of right now, that figure is unknown. “I’d love to tell you a revenue number,” said Fraser, “but we aren’t there yet.”

There will be a public meeting to discuss the pros and cons of the solar project on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Potential Budget Increase for Silver Lake Regional School District

According to Fraser, the Silver Lake Regional School District’s budget could go up by roughly $200,000, due to an increase in the number of students in the district.

Fraser told  selectmen, “This is all the more reason for additional revenue.” (referring to the solar project)

Plympton used to have a stabilization fund for school budget increases, but Fraser said this fund was eliminated by a vote at a previous town meeting.

Housing Production Plan Update

The Housing Production Survey deadline passed on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. Joy said that in total, the survey yielded 82 respondents. At the meeting, she publicly thanked those who participated and was happy with the amount of people who did.

Joy said that the Housing Production Planning Committee will review the results at its next meeting on Wednesday, November 1, 2017. The committee is using last Wednesday’s meeting as well as future meetings to shape Plympton’s housing production plan.

Other News

• Selectmen said they are currently in contract negotiations with Plympton’s new Town Administrator, Elizabeth Dennehy.

• More interviews for Municipal Resources Inc.’s study of the Fire Department are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4. Traynor said the interviews are “moving forward.”

The Board of Selectmen started exploring suggestions for the name change of the Winnetuxet Swimming Hole. Some suggestions were discussed however, nothing is concrete.

This is still very much in the preliminary stages. Some of the suggestions discussed included: Old Winnetuxet Swimming Hole, Winnetuxet Fishing Hole, Winnetuxet Recreation Pond, and Winnetuxet Cotton Mill Pond. The Board of Selectmen said they are going to let this sit for a little while.

The next meeting of the Plympton Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 6. Open session starts at 6 p.m.

Plympton Housing survey ends Oct. 31

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Selectmen Chair Christine Joy and liaison to the Plympton Housing Production Plan Committee, said the committee is seeking new ways to increase citizen engagement.

The Plympton Housing Production Plan Committee’s primary focus is creating a development plan for the production of homes. Joy said it will “serve as a roadmap for expanding the diversity of residence options in town.”

Plympton was awarded a grant from the Old Colony Planning Council to create a housing production plan with the Council’s assistance. The state has specific guidelines for housing production plans that ensure affordable housing for moderate and low-income residents.

The committee is looking for ways to get the community involved in these decisions. Joy said, “The recently formed Plympton Housing Production Plan Committee (HPPC), is rolling up its sleeves to deliver its plan to the state by the end of 2017, but it hopes that all adult residents will participate in the process through any or all of the following: complete the Housing Production Plan Survey, attend the informational session, ask questions, and/or make suggestions.”

The survey is available until Tuesday, October 31, 2017. It can be accessed online at www.surveymonkey.com.plymptonHPP.

The committee will host a question and answer session with the help of Old Colony Planning Council, on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Town House to discuss current and future housing needs and trends in Plympton, the survey results, goals, key strategies for meeting these needs, and how they can be incorporated into the housing production plan.

Plympton         Celebrates Call   Fire Fighter George      Colby’s Retirement

The Plympton Board of Selectmen at their meeting on Monday, hosted a retirement ceremony for Call Fire Fighter George Colbert.

Plympton’s fire department as well as State Representative Thomas Calter attended and presented Colby with a pin for his 40 plus years of service as a call firefighter. Colby’s wife Sandi brought coffee and baked cookies for a short celebration at the Selectmen’s meeting.

Representative Calter described Colby as, “One-part firefighter, one-part medic, and one-part counsel.” He said the bill to recognize Colby’s service passed unanimously in the Massachusetts Houseof Representatives.

Fire Chief Warren Borsari expressed his admiration for the service and dedication Colby gave to Plympton over the past four decades.  Chief Borsari said he still anticipates Colby remaining involved with the department in some capacity.

Helping train new firefighters was one area in particular where Borsari sees Colby being a valuable resource. Borsari said that there’s a lot of new firefighters with not a lot of experience in this area, especially Plympton and Halifax. He said having someone with Colby’s experience is a wonderful thing.

In particular, Borsari was impressed that these years were spent as a call firefighter. Borsari said, “To be a call firefighter stands above all else (in the fire department) in my opinion.”

In his retirement, Colby says he plans to travel and ride his motorcycle as much as he can. Colby is the state representative for the Red Knights Motorcycle Club, a group composed of firefighters and their families.

Over the years, Colby traveled the United States on his motorcycle multiple times. He plans to take his wife to many of the places he’s visited on his many trips.

Asked about his retirement, Colby said, “It will be different, but I will never be far from a scanner.”

First Town Administrator Named

The Plympton Board of Selectmen announced the hiring of Elizabeth Dennehy as the community’s first Town Administrator.

Dennehy has more than 10 years of experience in municipal government, including serving as the Community Development Director in Walpole and as Planning Director and Environmental Affairs Officer in Fall River.

“We are excited to welcome Elizabeth Dennehy as Plympton’s first Town Administrator, “said Selectmen Chair Christine Joy. “Her skills, experience, and local knowledge will prove beneficial to the Plympton municipal team and will help us to achieve continued success for the community.”

Dennehy, of Raynham, was one of two finalists for the position. The second finalist, Joshua Garcia of Holyoke, currently works for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, where he serves as a manager of municipal services focusing on smaller-population communities.

“We were highly impressed with the qualifications of both finalists,” Chairman Joy said. “It was a difficult decision for the board.”

There was a total of 38 applicants for the position. The Board of Selectmen were supported in the search by a seven-member Town Administrator Screening Committee and by Community Paradigm Associates, a municipal consulting firm that focuses on assisting communities with such services as executive recruiting, strategic planning, municipal finance, economic development, and leadership training.

Selectmen Clerk Mark Russo expressed satisfaction with the job done by the consulting firm they used. Russo said, “Community Paradigm did a really wonderful job.”

Other News

• Boy Scout Frankie Perfetuo of Troop 53 came before the Board of Selectmen to follow-up on his Eagle Scout project. Perfetuo is building two benches for the Town Green, made from recycled materials and will face the street near the Gazebo.

• Selectmen made a formal recommendation that all boards and committees change the way they use acronyms in their public documents. Selectman John Traynor said boards should stop using acronyms, particularly when first introducing something. He said that most residents probably don’t know what the acronym means, so the Board prefers that the word be spelled out first with the acronym in parentheses before the acronym is used in the rest of the document.

• The next meeting of the Plympton Board of Selectmen is Monday, Oct. 30. Open session starts at 6 p.m.

Liquor license transfer voted

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On Monday, October 16, 2017, the Plympton Board of Selectmen approved the transfer of Plympton Gas and Convenience’s liquor license from the previous owner, Steve Craig, to the new owner, Plympton Gas and Convenience, Inc., with Michael and Susan Youssef of Medford, as principals.  Laura Chase will remain as manager.

A public hearing was held on Monday for the Board to come to this decision. Atty. John Marini of Lynn represented the new owners in the hearing process for the license application.

Marini said Chase worked under the previous store owner for four years and that a lot of the same people will be working in the store. Plympton Gas and Convenience stayed compliant and has not sold any alcohol since the ownership transfer.

The Board of Selectmen gave no reservations on approving the request for a liquor license transfer.  Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said, “It’s been a very-well run operation without any problems.”

Selectman John Traynor also said he didn’t have any problem with the transfer, but suggested the store consider the TIPS certification program. Traynor said TIPS provides useful training at the retail level for determining if someone is intoxicated or may have a speech impediment or another sort of disability. He added it gives the store a little more protection from legal issues.

Some towns in Massachusetts, including Plymouth, require those working at alcohol retail establishments to be TIPS certified. Plympton doesn’t have this as a town requirement, however Atty. Marini said he recommends that his client takes Traynor’s advice.

Plympton Gas and Convenience, located at 280 Main St., should be able to start selling beer and wine again soon.

Town Administrator Search Update

The Plympton town administrator candidate screening committee narrowed down the candidate pool to two candidates for the Board of Selectmen to interview.

This screening committee was appointed by the Board of Selectmen and consists of: Colleen Thompson, Town Treasurer – Collector, Town Accountant Barbara Gomez, Police Chief Patrick Dillon, former Finance Committee member Marilyn Browne, Assistant Assessor Deb Stuart, among others.

Finalists Joshua Garcia and Elizabeth Dennehy were interviewed by Selectmen on Tuesday, Oct. 17. There’s a possibility a candidate could be chosen next Monday.

Other News

At a previous meeting on Monday, Oct. 2, selectmen discussed how much a social media presence the Board of Selectmen should have. These discussions continued into last Monday’s meeting.

Both Joy and Traynor mentioned a desire to be more responsive on social media, particularly the Facebook group “Plympton Helping Plympton” was brought up. Joy wanted to see the Board have its own page.

Previously, Selectman Clerk Mark Russo was hesitant regarding the idea, expressing concerns over how this affects things like the open meeting law. However, at last Monday’s meeting, Russo said, “I’m coming around on Facebook.”

The Board all said nothing is imminent and members all expressed that larger cities and towns have the ability to hire someone full-time to do this type of work. If anything, the Board said this may be a responsibility of the new town administrator.

The next regular Selectmen’s Meeting is Monday, Oct. 23. Open session starts at 6 p.m.