The Plymouth Select Board met to consider appointments to Boards and Committees.
It was a packed meeting at Town Hall on June 20th, with a seat on the Community Preservation Committee drawing interest.
By a 4 to 1 vote, the Board voted to replace Joan Bartlett, who has served the town for 18 years. Chairman Dick Quintal was the only person who voted in support of her.
Town Meeting member, and former Select Board member, Betty Cavacco was appointed to the three-year term.
Cavacco wanted to see more of a focus on communication and affordable housing.
Board member Charlie Bletzer wanted to see a more cohesive relationship between the Select Board and CPC.
Following the Select Board meeting on the 20th, WATD’s Bobbi Clark talked with Selectman Chair Dick Quintal.
Listen to her report here:
Select Board Chair Quintal, in a 4 to 1 vote of the Select Board against the reappointment of Joan Bartlett to the Community Preservation Committee, you voted for incumbent Bartlett to retain her seat on the CPC, one which she has held for 18 years:
“I was there when the Community Preservation Act was actually presented to the town. I was on the Board and I was a designee for many years, and I sat with Joan Bartlett and I can say nothing but kind things about Joan,” said Quintal. “It was a pleasure working with her and I respect her so, to this day. I did vote for Joan.”
But Select Board members Bletzer, Canty, Helm and Mahoney voted for former Select Board member, and current Town Meeting member, Betty Cavacco:
“But I really don’t think it was against the actual applicant or her record,” said Quintal. “I think what the Board was saying was, they want to go in a different direction and, you heard tonight — was affordable housing — seems to be the number one thing the town’s looking to do.”
Regarding the two full voting seats on the Zoning Board of Appeals, or ZBA, one of the candidates, Tom Wallace is a long-time developer in town:
“Michael Main and Peter Conner were appointed to the full seats, which Peter right now was an alternate. So now we’re going to have an alternate opening that we’ll do at a future meeting,” said Quintal.
So, Tom Wallace would be eligible for that alternate seat?
“Well, you know what, he’ll bring knowledge for sure if he makes it. And second, there might be other applicants along with him,” said Quintal.
WATD’s Lenny Rowe and Bobbi Clark contributed to this report.
