A WATD editorial written and voiced by Robert Zupperoli. In background submitted to WATD, Zupperoli writes he has been a life-long resident of the town of Plymouth.
He currently serves as a member of Plymouth’s Advisory and Finance Committee, a position which he was appointed to last year by Town Moderator, Steve Triffletti.
Mr. Zupperoli was educated in Plymouth Schools and studied education at Bridgewater State University, the University of Bridgeport, and Sacred Heart University.
While he commutes from Plymouth for work as a Literacy Coordinator, he makes his residence in Plymouth. He has always been proud of his Plymouth roots, Italian heritage, and accomplishments with teaching and learning.
Editorial text:
On February 15, 2022, at the start of an unscheduled break during the weekly meeting of the Plymouth Select Board, Selectman Harry Helm made a comment directed towards one of the petitioners of a proposed article for the Spring Town Meeting.
He called petitioner Bill Abbott a name that included an expletive. The comment was caught on a live microphone.
Hearing this I was angered and embarrassed. Not only for Mr. Helm, but for the entire board. When the board returned from their break I waited, in vain, for Mr. Helm to apologize.
During public comments I challenged Mr. Helm to apologize. He did, however, the Select Board Chair made no comment. It was possible by his behavior prior to, that he thought he had gotten away with this.
This incident exemplifies a pattern of unprofessional, inconsiderate, and troubling behavior on behalf of members of the current Select Board that have gone unchecked and unchallenged long enough.
This behavior includes a pattern of disregard for following parliamentary procedure, bullying, narcissism, conflicts of interest, and interference with independent boards and commissions. This current board has a penchant for interfering with the various independent boards and commissions in Plymouth.
On January 11, 2022, Vice-Chair Betty Cavacco insisted on having a “non-binding” resolution placed onto the town’s ballot for the Spring 2022 Election regarding town government.
This resolution is nothing more than an attempt to influence the independently elected Charter Commission as they deliberate the best form of government Plymouth should adopt.
Placing a non-binding question on a ballot asking residents to choose which form of government Plymouth should have, and which direction the Charter Commission should follow, is in fact, a binding resolution in that it exerts undue influence on commissioners elected to freely evaluate and recommend; should the town vote one way and the commissioners recommend a different form of government; where does that leave the Charter Commission? This is outside the purview of the Select Board. Why then, was this allowed to happen?
Some members of the Select Board use social media to communicate official and unofficial information.
Vice-Chair Betty Cavacco frequently uses Facebook communicating information that can be seen as misleading or misguided. For example, after the January snowstorm she posted on Friday that school would be cancelled the following Monday.
While this post was eventually removed, it did communicate news to students and families that is in under the jurisdiction of the Superintendent of Schools and for a time was confusing and misleading.
Furthermore, if or when a resident challenges what she writes on social media, she often resorts to belittling and derogatory comments to bully the individual into silence. Haven’t we had enough of legislation by social media?
During the February 1, 2022, meeting of the board there was considerable and lengthily discussion regarding a transfer of licensure for the Shanty Rose restaurant on Plymouth’s waterfront.
Selectman Charlie Bletzer should have recused himself and abstained from the discussion and vote because Mr. Bletzer has a vested interest in another business in the vicinity.
Instead, he argued with the owners of Shanty Rose and Tavern on The Warf regarding entertainment and business hours, at the end of the discussion his voting record contradicts itself in that he voted “no” to live entertainment and “yes” to Sunday live entertainment. It appears that he should simply have recused himself from the discussion due to the conflict of interest represented. And, once again, the Select Board Chair offered little guidance.
During the meeting of February 15, 2022, several members of the board were having difficulty logging into the weekly Zoom meeting, technology is great, when it works.
Vice-Chair Betty Cavacco had been running the meeting. Articles for Town Meeting were discussed, a motion was made and seconded for discussion, discussion occurred, and a vote was in process when Mr. Quintal, the Chair, was finally able to log into the proceedings.
He should have abstained from the vote, that did not happen, the vote was stopped by Vice-Chair Cavacco, discussion ensued, the vote was resumed. The motion should have been withdrawn for discussion to begin again. This did not happen.
Why does this board believe they can disregard the rules of order that every other board and commission in town follow?
Finally, while members of this board claim to be transparent in their discussions and communications, why does this board hold an inordinate number of executive sessions? While some are needed, particularly regarding contract negotiations, the number of sessions held by this board with undisclosed and heavily redacted minutes, when finally released, is excessive and anything but transparent.
Plymouth is an amazing community to grown up in, live in, and be a part of however the ineffective nature of this current board is driving many residents to reconsider the town’s form of government and not in an organic and natural way.
The behavior of this board is not inviting, it does not encourage involvement, but only strives to ensure a closed shop where friends and allies are awarded positions of leadership and decision making.
I urge residents, if you are as dissatisfied with this board as many claim to be, do not sit idly by, on the perimeter, passively observing. The same vote that put some of these board members in their chairs can and should take them out.
Remember in any form of democracy, local, state, or federal, you may not always get what you want; you get what you deserve.
