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.