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Select Board — April 28, 2026

While much of the meeting was routine, the presence of specific dissent regarding roadwork and passionate public comment regarding school department theft increased the tension.

Date Tuesday, April 28, 2026 Duration 3.0h Speakers 1 Public comments 2 Decisions 4 Mildly contentious

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

2026 Roadway Program

Approximately $2 million investment in 15 miles of chip seal treatment. Affected: All town residents/drivers
other high impact
02

Solid Waste and Recycling Model

Potential shift from transfer station model to municipal curbside collection, affecting how all residents pay for and access waste/recycling services. Affected: All town residents
fee change

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approval of aquaculture license items presented by the Harbor Master.
Approval of licenses for Cassie Goslin, Connor Doyle (amendment), Bill Morani, and Doug Bartlett.
Unanimous
114:00
Approval of outdoor amplified music and wine/malt licenses.
Approved as a group.
Unanimous
116:00
Instruction to DPW to proceed with the chip seal list.
The board voted to move forward with the chip seal list as presented, despite one member's opposition due to resident complaints.
Passed
139:48
Adjournment of the open meeting.
Motion made by Mr. Ky and seconded by Ms. Aquino to adjourn the open session.
Approved
191:17

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
29:58 Executive Session Declarations

The Chair declared executive sessions for real property negotiations regarding 29 Manat Point Road and Landers Farm Road, and for litigation strategy regarding the Plymouth Airport Commission.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
110:46 Aquaculture Licenses

The Harbor Master presented four aquaculture license items, including renewals for Cassie Goslin, an amendment for Connor Doyle, and nursery site upwellers for Bill Morani and Doug Bartlett.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker, Chad Hunter
113:06 Music and Wine/Malt Licenses

The board reviewed four outdoor amplified music licenses and two one-day wine and malt licenses.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker, Kenny Samkin
117:40 Public Comment: School Food Theft

A resident, Mr. Ceri, spoke regarding the theft of food and equipment from the school department by an employee, questioning audit procedures and suggesting the board contact the US Attorney.

Speakers: Mr. Ceri
123:03 2026 Roadway Program

The DPW presented the pavement management plan, focusing on a tiered approach of chip seal, mill and overlay, and reclamation to improve the Roadway Surface Rating (RSR).

Speakers: Unidentified speaker, Bill Coyle, Rick Bossy, James Downey
143:03 Trash Removal Model Discussion

The DPW presented four options for future solid waste and recycling services, ranging from maintaining the current transfer station model to implementing a new municipal curbside collection. Discussion included the economic and environmental benefits of local recycling and the need for improved outreach and transfer station management.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker, James Downey, Miss Aquinto, Mr. Cohen, Ever Maligudi, Speaker A (Malagoodi), Speaker A (Unnamed Board Member)
168:00 Water Street Project Update

The Town Manager provided an update on the Water Street sewer project, noting the completion of the section south of Memorial Drive.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker, Mr. Bissy
169:00 Town Manager Report: Infrastructure and DPW

Updates on the Water Street sewer project nearing completion, upcoming sidewalk installation on Town Wolf Way, and harbor improvements.

Speakers: Speaker A (Town Manager)
176:38 Town Manager Report: Health and Human Services

Updates on ARISE grant applications for opioid mitigation and the development of a five-year community health improvement plan.

Speakers: Speaker A (Town Manager)
179:49 Town Manager Report: Parks and Conservation

Removal of the Lady Justice statue due to disrepair, plans to hire a part-time conservation agent, and the upcoming Hometown Cleanup.

Speakers: Speaker A (Town Manager)
183:34 Town Manager Report: Clerk's Office and Elections

Report on mail-in ballot processing, the May 11th application deadline, and the start of early voting on May 7th.

Speakers: Speaker A (Town Manager)
189:50 Board Chairmanship Transition

The current Board Chair announced he will not seek re-nomination for the chairmanship to ensure leadership stability following the upcoming election.

Speakers: Speaker A (Mr. Cohen)

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

School Food Theft & Legal Accountability

A resident raised significant concerns regarding theft within the school department, questioning current audit procedures and advocating for federal intervention to ensure adequate punishment.
Board position: The board heard the testimony, but no formal board action/stance was recorded in the summary provided regarding the suggestion to contact the US Attorney.
medium concern
02

2026 Roadway Program (Chip Seal vs. Mill and Overlay)

The choice of pavement maintenance methods involves balancing cost-effectiveness against quality and resident satisfaction. A board member opposed the chip seal list due to specific resident complaints.
Board position: The board decided to proceed with the chip seal list as presented by the DPW.
Internal dissent
One unnamed board member opposed the motion due to resident complaints regarding the roadway work.
medium concern
03

Solid Waste and Recycling Services Model

The town is weighing four different models for trash and recycling, ranging from the current transfer station model to full municipal curbside collection. This involves significant debate over economic benefits, environmental impact, and management efficiency.
Board position: The board directed the DPW to develop ideas and proposals specifically for improving the transfer station (Option 3).
medium concern

Split votes

Instruction to DPW to proceed with the chip seal list
Passed (with dissent)

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Develop ideas and proposals for improving the transfer station (Option 3).
Assigned: DPW Team
Conduct a walkthrough for the final phase of the Water Street project.
Assigned: DPW/Contractor · Due: 2026-04-29
Provide ideas for improving the transfer station and recycling efforts.
Assigned: Town Staff/Management
Conduct a walkthrough of the final phase of the Water Street project.
Assigned: DPW and Engineering Staff · Due: 2026-04-29
Present final community health improvement plan to the board.
Assigned: Health and Human Services · Due: June 2026
Remove the Lady Justice statue from the 1820 courthouse.
Assigned: Parks Division · Due: 2026-05-01
Hire a part-time conservation agent.
Assigned: Conservation Commission · Due: Next week or so

Notable ⁠statements

If the board feels... that a prison sentence of between four and 10 months is inadequate, then the board should immediately write to United States Attorney Leah Foley. — Mr. Ceri · Commenting on the plea agreement for a school department employee involved in theft. 120:50
Utilizing our average construction cost per mile, the proposed 15 miles of chip seal will cost approximately $2 million. For comparison... we would be able to complete about five miles of mill and overlay. — Rick Bossy · Explaining the cost-effectiveness of the chip seal program compared to other paving methods. 125:04
I would probably most likely recommend number three [focus on the current transfer station]. — James Downey · Recommending a course of action for the town's trash and recycling services. 153:00
I have decided that I will not accept the nomination for chairmanship next month should the opportunity arise. — Speaker A (Mr. Cohen) · Announcing his decision to step down from the Chair position to allow for a seamless transition after the November election. 189:50
Be very careful with the scale that she is [holding] and be careful with the sword. — Speaker A (Mr. Cohen) · Advising staff during the removal of the Lady Justice statue because the scale is a historical component from the previous statue. 193:10

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
2
Total speakers
2
Addressed
0
Partial
0
Not addressed
Chad Hunter
110:28
Addressed
The Harbor Master presented four aquaculture license applications for approval. He recommended approval for Cassie and Bob Goslin, proposed amending Connor Doyle's existing license to move to a larger site, and recommended nursery upweller licenses for Bill Morani and Doug Bartlett. Key concern
Approval of various aquaculture licenses and a request to amend an existing license for Connor Doyle rather than issuing a new one.
Board response
The board discussed the items and moved to approve all four aquaculture licenses as presented.
The board held a motion and a vote to approve all the licenses presented by the Harbor Master.
Kenny Samkin
115:00
Addressed
As the owner of Second Wind Brewing Company, he addressed concerns regarding a request for amplified music. He explained that the music would take place in the lot in front of the brewery and would wind down by dark, typically occurring between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Key concern
Clarifying the location and timing of amplified music for a brewery anniversary to mitigate neighbor concerns.
Board response
The board heard the clarification and proceeded to vote on the group of licenses, which included his request.
The board member's question regarding neighbor impact and location was answered by the speaker, and the board then moved to approve the licenses.
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Report composed by gemma-4-26b, claude-opus-4-7 · analyzed 2026-05-25.